Lindsay Davenport Pulls Out, Sends Sharapova into Amelia Island Final
Posted by Aaress Lawless on Apr 12, 2008 | Print |
Lindsay Davenport withdrew from her semifinal match against Maria Sharapova at the Bausch & Lomb Champopnships on Saturday because of a viral illness.
Sharapova will play Dominika Cibulkova in the championship match on Sunday.
“I am so very disappointed to not be able to take to the court today,” said Davenport in a statement released by the tournament. “Right after my quarterfinal victory I started feeling sick while receiving treatment from our Tour’s primary health care provider. I returned to my hotel where the tournament doctor came to see me.”
“Unfortunately, I was running a fever, had aches and pains, and a headache. Those symptoms have worsened today,” continued Davenport.
“The Bausch & Lomb Championships in Amelia Island has always been one of my favorites and I am so sorry to all the fans and people involved in the tournament. In the 16 years I have played on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, I do not believe I have ever had to pull out for sickness. I hope to get better quickly and look forward to being back here next year.”
With the withdrawal of Davenport, Sharapova moves into the 2008 Bausch & Lomb Championships finals. This marks the first clay court final appearance of her career.
Facing Sharapova in the final is Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova. Cibulkova defeated France’s Alize Cornet 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 in the first semifinal of the day at Amelia Island.
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Kurt | Apr 13, 2008 | Reply
I think it’s interesting to note that Lindsay said that she was looking forward to being back at Amelia Island next year. I don’t know about the future of the tournament (as it won’t be part of the twenty premier tournaments on the tour in 2009), but Lindsay’s comments hint that she might be back playing next year. Saying she’ll be back next year might be a habit she hasn’t broken since her comeback (as players usually have a line like that in their statements), but it might not. She said she’ll decide after the US Open, but I think she likes her chances on tour for a little while longer.