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Davenport downs Seles Defending champ advances to semifinals
Posted: Tuesday July 04, 2000 02:02 PM
LONDON (Reuters) -- Defending champion Linsday Davenport wore down Monica Seles 6-7, 6-4, 6-0 after a battle royal on Centre Court to land herself a place in the semifinals against unseeded Jelena Dokic of Australia. Seles, one of the greatest players never to win Wimbledon, realized at the age of 27 this could be one of her last shots at the title and threw everything into the first set. But Davenport, shaking off back and ankle injuries, recovered from a tentative start to win convincingly in the end as Seles crumbled alarmingly in the final set. The opening set was a thrilling battle of wits with the pair level-pegging for the first 12 games without a single break of serve and very few chances offered. Seles' first serve was superb and she kept attacking Davenport's forehand. It paid rich dividends in the tie-break where her aggression overwhelmed Davenport who eventually gave the set tamely away 7-4 on a double fault. The second set was a see-saw affair with Davenport failing to convert nine break points in the crucial sixth game. But that mammoth duel drained Seles' energy. The pair then lost a serve apiece before Davenport finally leveled the match at one-set all in the 10th game with another break. The momentum swung dramatically in the deciding set when Seles' energy evaporated and Davenport ran away with the match.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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