Davenport wins in return to singles after 51 weeks away

• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Comments0
• Email
• Print

Bay Ismoyo/Getty ImagesLindsay Davenport was a straight-sets winner in her return Tuesday to singles play on the WTA Tour.

Davenport, who played her last singles match in Beijing 51 weeks ago and then gave birth to son Jagger in June, withstood some early pressure but then took control.

The former top-ranked player won a remarkable 20 straight points after trailing 1-2 to win the first set. She then gave up four points in the first four games of the second set en route to the easy win.

"It did exceed my expectations," Davenport said. "I know that I can play good tennis, and I know that if I stay healthy and play well, I can do well."

Davenport said it will take awhile before she returns to top form.

Tennis scores

Need the scores from any match played in this or any other tournament? Results

"I'm still a little ways away," she said. "It's only been three months ... I still need to work on my movement around the court."

Also advancing to the next round with straight-sets victories were third-seeded Patty Schnyder, who beat Zhang Shuai 6-4, 6-2, fourth-seeded Anabel Medina Garrigues, who beat Sandy Gumulya 6-1, 6-1, and sixth-seeded Martina Muller, who eliminated Tatiana Poutchek 6-3, 6-3.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Comments0
• Email
• Print
• Subscribe