Davenport Defeats Venus For Third Time in Stanford Final© gonzalesphoto.com
STANFORD, Calif. - For the third time in four career meetings in the Stanford final, Lindsay Davenport has emerged victorious against Venus Williams, defeating her fellow American in Sunday's conclusion to the Bank of the West Classic.
In a tight matchup with back-and-forth lead changes, Davenport was able to take advantage of a pair of tiebreaks to win her 41st career title and third at Stanford, 76(4) 57 76(4), in 2 hours, 53 minutes.
"We both played a really close match, we played our absolute best," Davenport said. "Every set was so close, a few points here and there. I tried to mentally stay tough and play agressive even tough that brought me some unforced errors."
The final matchup at Stanford was a unique matchup featuring two former World No.1s battling for the fourth time in the championship match of the same event, each looking for their third title at that tournament.
Right away at the start of the match, Williams received several chances at a break in the first game of the match, but was unable to grab the point off Davenport's serve. At 3-2 in the first set, Williams didn't waste another chance, getting the first break of the match for a 4-2 lead.
But Davenport was able to escape the early deficit, surging back to break Williams' serve and followed with a successful service game to even things at 4-4. Davenport had two break points of Williams' next service game for a 5-4 lead, but Williams was able to hold back her countrywoman and remained on serve.
With Davenport serving at 6-5 to force a first set tiebreak, Williams held four set points but was unable to convert on any of the opportunities as Davenport held her ground to send the set to 6-6. In the tiebreak, Williams' miscues on the forehand side helped Davenport secure the first set with a 7-4 result in the breaker.
"I was really getting tired at the end of the first set, but I kept going and was starting the see the light at the end of the tunnel," Davenport said. "I don't think I had ever played such a close match against Venus. I was so excited when I won. I felt like I worked very hard the whole time and that I totally owned the victory."
After a see-saw second set battle, Williams got a break at 5-5 as Davenport double faulted on break point. Williams followed by winning her serve to even the match at a set apiece with a 7-5 victory in set number two.
Davenport was first to break in the third set to go up 2-0, but Williams got the break back on the next game. From there, both players held serve to force a final set tiebreak. In the tiebreak, Davenport outplayed Williams from the baseline to come away with the title.
This was the fourth time in the last seven years that Davenport and Williams had battled for the Stanford title. From 1998 to 2000, the two former world No.1s reached the championship match, with Davenport winning her two titles (1998 and 1999) and Venus taking the first of her two her titles (the second coming in 2002, defeating Kim Clijsters in the final).
The win by Davenport closed the gap in the head-to-head meetings between the veteran American and Williams. Williams now owns a very narrow 12-11 lead against Davenport in career meetings. Prior to Sunday's victory, Davenport hadn't defeated Williams since her triumph in the 2000 Linz final and had lost six straight matches.
Davenport's victory at Stanford was the 41st of her career, moving her into sole possession of ninth place on the career singles titles list. She now has three titles this year (Tokyo [Pan Pacific], Amelia Island, Stanford) and has a 36-6 record this season.
Williams was also looking for her third title of the year and third at Stanford. A victory against Davenport also would have elevated Williams back into the Top 10 in Monday's WTA Rankings. Williams still holds an impressive 29-6 record on the year.
"I know it was a tiebreak in the third set and that I didn't play my best," Williams said. "If I had played a more decent match, I could have won. I had some rough patches today, I missed important shots in the third set tiebreak, I hit the ball too long. I was just going for it. It was a very close match and it could have gone either way.
"I am disappointed because I would have liked to win. I just have to play better next week."
In the doubles final, No.2 seeds Eleni Daniilidou and Nicole Pratt won their first title as a team when they defeated Iveta Benesova and Claudine Schaul, 62 64. The win was the first career doubles title for Daniilidou and the fifth for Pratt. Pratt's last doubles title came in 2003 in Shanghai.