Davenport regains No. 1 rank at Kremlin
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-10-15 11:26

American Lindsay Davenport regained the No. 1 ranking for the first time since early 2002 by defeating Dinara Safina of Russia 6-4, 6-2 in the second round of the Kremlin Cup on Thursday.

Lindsay Davenport of the U.S. returns a shot during a match against Dinara Safina of Russia at the Kremlin Cup tennis tournament in Moscow's Olympic indoor stadium on Thursday, Oct. 14, 2004. Davenport won the match 6-4, 6-2. [AP]

Davenport officially will overtake France's Amelie Mauresmo next week to move atop the WTA rankings for the fifth time. She trailed Mauresmo by just 15 points, 4,395 to 4,380, after winning the Porsche Grand Prix in Filderstadt, Germany, on Sunday.

"I'm amazed that I was able to get back to No. 1 after a tough couple of years," said Davenport, who has struggled with assorted injuries since last being at the top on Jan. 13, 2002. She also had brief stays at No. 1 in 1998, 1999 and 2000.

Davenport won at Filderstadt when Mauresmo retired with a strained left thigh after losing the first set of the final. Mauresmo also withdrew from the Moscow tournament because of the injury.

"I'm excited," Davenport said. "But I'd like to be able to keep on going and win the tournament as a new No. 1 and not be completely satisfied just by winning today's match."

Davenport was joined in the quarterfinals by fellow American Venus Williams, who defeated Russian teenager Vera Douchevina 6-0, 6-4.

French Open and defending champion Anastasia Myskina overcame a one-set deficit to defeat fellow Russian Elena Likhovtseva 2-6, 6-1, 6-0. Fifth-seeded Elena Dementieva of Russia also reached the quarterfinals, winning 6-3, 6-3 over Croatian qualifier Sanda Manic.

Safina, an 18-year-old wild card entry, called a trainer to treat a split toenail after the first set. Davenport won four consecutive games for a 5-1 lead in the second set.

"Conditions here are much different than last week in Germany and it took me a number of games to feel comfortable on the court," Davenport said. "In the beginning I made a lot of errors but got better as the match went on and was able to end the match better then I started."

Davenport will face Italy's Francesca Schiavone in the quarterfinals.

"I served badly today and when you serve this way against such opponents they start to press you," Safina said. "She served hard. She fired three aces in a game — I couldn't even see where she was serving."

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