Former world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport proved that she still has what it takes to compete at the top of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour on Sunday at the Sony Ericsson Open.
Davenport, currently ranked thirty-third in the world, upset second seed Ana Ivanovic in straight sets 6-4, 6-2.
Although they had never met on court before, Davenport was very familiar with Ivanovic’s accomplishments and recently complimented the twenty-year old Serbian.
“I think that Ivanovic is one of the prettiest girls we have playing, and she’s sweet and competitive and graceful at the same time,” said Davenport at the Pacific Life Open.
“Ivanovic is a really super nice girl. I know her a little bit more, and I’m a big fan of hers.”
Although Davenport may be a fan of Ivanovic, she did not let that get in the way of her game on Sunday.
Davenport’s experience and groundstrokes put her past the second seed in only seventy-seven minutes. She pounced on the 2008 Pacific Life Open champion’s second serve and broke six times.
Davenport’s return to the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour has greatly surpassed the thirty-two-year old’s expectations. Since returning in September, Davenport has added three titles to her career total and was recently named the Tour’s Comeback Player of the Year for 2007.
Two-time Grand Slam champion Amelie Mauresmo also succumbed to an early round loss on Sunday. Mauresmo was defeated by China’s Zheng Jie 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.
