Davenport advances into third round at U.S. Open

Aug 28, 2008 - 2:10 AM FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) -- Lindsay Davenport continued her successful run through the U.S. Open on Wednesday.

The 1998 U.S. Open champion and former world No. 1, Davenport posted a 7-5, 6-3 triumph over Russian Alisa Kleybanova to advance to the third round.

After cruising to a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak on Monday, the 23rd-seeded Davenport recorded eight aces and benefited from Kleybanova's 27-unforced errors to end the match in 91 minutes.

"I didn't play quite as well as I did the other day (in the first round). Didn't find my rhythm but sometimes you just have to get through these matches," the 32-year-old Davenport said.

"I'm ecstatic to be in the third round."

A three-time Grand Slam singles champion, Davenport missed the 2007 U.S. Open because of pregnancy but had made it to at least the quarterfinals in each of the previous 10 years. She went to the finals in 2000 and was eliminated in the semis on five occasions.

So, how long does Davenport envision playing?

"Yeah, I don't know. So much of me coming back has been based on, let's play through this summer and the US Open, and, you know, those are the goals," she said. "To be honest, I think we're a little scared to talk about what happens after here, just because this has been such a focal point of my whole comeback. So we haven't really decided. It's kind of like an unspoken thing hanging behind my husband and I.

"So right now I'm just focusing, I'm trying to play here and kind of will work itself out in the future. Obviously getting a little more difficult as my son gets older, and more mobile and, you know, it's tougher to make the kids travel. You know, if I do continue playing, it will be on a part-time basis."

Jelena Jankovic and Svetlana Kuznetsova both endured some tense moments Wednesday.

Meanwhile, No. 8 Vera Zvonareva became the highest-seeded player to be sent packing the year's final major as she was routed, 6-3, 6-3, by Tatiana Perebiynis.

The second-seeded Jankovic was pushed before recording a 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 7-5 triumph over Sofia Arvidsson.

Seeded third, Kuznetsova got off to a bit of a shaky start, then found her game in registering a in registering a 7-6 (7-3), 6-1 victory over Sorana Cirstea in the second round of the U.S. Open on Wednesday.

Jankovic, who recently lost the world's top ranking after holding it for just a week, looked like she would cruise into the third round.

However, the 23-year-old Serb made things difficult for herself, squandering a 3-0 lead in the second set. She also let a 3-0 lead in the tiebreak get away.

In a tense third set which featured some brilliant tennis, Jankovic finally put away the match when Arvidsson - ranked 63rd in the world - sent a backhander long for her 54th unforced error.

"It was really tough. I am completely out of breath," said Jankovic after the 2-hour, 45-minute match.

"I was pushed to the limit. The last time I played her, she was up 5-1 in the third and I had to come back."

A quarterfinalist at last year's U.S. Open, Jankovic next faces Jie Zheng, who reached the semifinals at Wimbledon.

Pushed to three sets in the first round, Kuznetsova looked like she might be in for another long day after falling down, 4-2, in the first set against the world's 53rd-ranked player from Romania on a sun-drenched morning.

However, Kuznetsova started to resemble the player who won this hardcourt Grand Slam in 2004 and reached the final last year.

The Russian, who had 17 winners in the first set, raced to a 6-1 lead in the tiebreak, looking very much like one of the world's top players.

Kuznetsova quickly squeezed the life out of Cirstea in the second set, winning the first five games. She eventually served things out and ended the match in 73 minutes.

"When I was in a danger situation, I was 4-2 down 40-Love on her serve, I think it was, and I just realized I had to go more to the forehand, because on the backhand she was making good shots," Kuznetsova said. "It kind of made me go outside of the court and just defend.

"And in second set, I just start to be so much more confident in my game, just making my moves, you know, depending on myself."

Awaiting Kuznetsova, who finished with 24 winners and just 13 unforced errors, in the third round, is No. 28 Katarina Srebotnik.

Zvonareva was her own worst enemy, committing 30 unforced errors in an embarrassing performance against the world's 71st-ranked player who made it to the third round at major for the first time since Wimbledon in 2004.

Also moving through to third round was No. 15 Patty Schnyder, a 6-3, 6-3 winner over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

It was an easy day for fifth-seeded Elena Dementieva, who coasted into the third round with a 6-2, 6-1 destruction of Pauline Parmentier.

A 2004 finalist here and the reigning gold medal winner from the Beijing Olympics, Dementieva needed just 58 minutes to defeat Parmentier.

The Russian next faces Anne Keothavong, a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 winner over No. 25 Francesca Schiavone.