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One down, three to go for Davenport

© Michael Cecilio

Nobody does it better
She is certainly playing like the world #1. Lindsay Davenport has been on an incredible roll. She has won 19 of her past 20 matches, and has won three titles in her last four tournaments - all on different surfaces! Lindsay Davenport is indeed the best in the world, and she doesn't need any media attention or public fanfare to tell her that. She lets her racquet do the talking. Yes, Lindsay Davenport has won a tournament again, successfully defending her crown at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford University, San Francisco. It was her fourth title of the year, her 23rd career singles title overall, and just to top things off, she also won the doubles trophy with partner Corina Morariu.

Indeed, Lindsay has increased her versatility on all surfaces. She has been, and always will be, a hardcourt specialist, but she has shown that she is equally as good on many other surfaces. Of course, we won't doubt Lindsay's grasscourt expertise anymore, following her rather surprising Wimbledon win. Clay perhaps isn't the surface which suits her raw power-hitting game, but she has shown that she can notch up a few important wins on the surface with grit, determination, and self-belief. Not only has she increased her surface versatility but her movement is getting better and better with each tournament she plays. She will never be naturally athletic, but being able to get to drop shots and running down a few more balls certainly comes in handy from time to time. What it also does is perplex her opponents even further, what one weakness can they expose in Lindsay's game if it isn't her mobility? There just doesn't seem to be any real weakness in the Davenport game.

All these factors should really give Lindsay a major boost in her game, especially as she approaches the US Open as the defending champion. The boost in confidence came as she won Wimbledon, a tournament no one thought she would be able to win, given her track record. Now, if it is possible, she is even more confident as she is playing on her favourite surface and in her favourite state of California, the place she calls home.

Just ask Venus Williams what to do against Lindsay Davenport. She who boasts boasts a little too loudly for my liking. Just as Miss Venus boasted about her superiority in the power game, out comes Lindsay Davenport who challenged Williams' statements in the final between the top two seeds, and went on to beat her in straight sets. Self-confidence can take you to many places, outlandish bravado can get you in trouble, especially if you motivate another player to come out and challenge you the way Lindsay did. She has completely dominated Venus Williams in their head-to-head rivalry 8-1, Lindsay having won the last four encounters in straight sets. And she only confirmed her own superiority by playing the better tennis when it counted, outslugging her younger opponent in the baseline rallies, playing the stronger tennis in the crucial points of the match, and using her newfound speed to tackle Venus's drop volleys and powerful groundstrokes.

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