It Ain't Over Till It's Over

Match Predictions for singles on Saturday, 25 November 2000

LINDSAY DAVENPORT (USA,2) versus CONCHITA MARTINEZ (ESP,5)
Head-to-Head Series: MARTINEZ leads 8-5
Last Meeting: 2000 Philadelphia SF (Carpet), DAVENPORT d. MARTINEZ 6-0 6-1
Indoor Head-to-Head Series: DAVENPORT leads 2-1
Three Set Head-to-Head Series: MARTINEZ leads 4-2
For the longest time, Davenport had feared playing Martinez, and it showed. After winning the first meeting in a third set tiebreak, Davenport lost seven straight encounters against the slicing and dicing Spaniard. However, ever since Davenport entered the elite level in tennis, the numbers have been firmly on her side, having won the last three. Lindsay has improved so much since those early days in her career when different speeds and spins used to throw her off. While she doesn’t revel in the fact that she has to deal with those constant tactical changes, she is much more capable of dealing with it now and in fact, her 6-0 6-1 rout of Martinez two weeks ago should give Davenport a whole lot of confidence in clinching the Fed Cup for the USA. Unfortunately for Lindsay, she is not playing as well as she was two weeks ago as she has come up against a little lack of confidence and a bit of mental fatigue at this stage in the season. Nonetheless I see Lindsay taking this victory and the Fed Cup, if not in the convincing fashion she showed in Philadelphia, at least in comfortable fashion. The indoor surface should play a key role in rewarding Lindsay’s powerful serves and groundstrokes and as long as Lindsay doesn’t let Conchita draw her into the errors, she should be able to overwhelm the Spaniard with her big game.
Prediction: DAVENPORT in TWO sets, 6-1 7-5

MONICA SELES (USA,2) versus ARANTXA SANCHEZ-VICARIO (ESP,9)
Head-to-Head Series: SELES leads 19-3
Last Meeting: 2000 Wimbledon 4R (Grass), SELES d. SANCHEZ-VICARIO 6-3 6-4
Indoor Head-to-Head Series: SELES leads 3-1
Last Indoor Meeting: 1997 Chase Championships 1R, SANCHEZ-VICARIO d. SELES 3-6 6-4 6-4
Three Set Head-to-Head Series: SELES leads 6-3
There is the likelihood that this match may not eventuate, taking into account the possibility that if the USA clinches the title in the first match, captain Billie Jean King may decide to substitute Seles for Jennifer Capriati in what would be a meaningless rubber. Even if the USA clinches the win with Davenport, Seles

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