Davenport denied by Wimbledon weather
Rain held up Lindsay Davenport’s charge into Saturday’s women’s final.
The world number one, whose semi-final with Amelie Mauresmo was delayed by more than four hours, was once more thwarted by the weather while on the brink of a remarkable victory.
The 29-year-old American, who had fought back from a set and 2-0 down to lead 6-7 7-6 5-3, was just four points away from an eighth-successive win over her French opponent when rain drove the players from Court One after two hours and nine minutes.
The rain has almost certainly only delayed the inevitable, with Mauresmo facing defeat when she resumes in a perilous position.
Yet for an hour, the world number three looked sure to reach her first Wimbledon final at the seventh attempt with her first win over the 1999 champion for more than five years.
The 25-year-old French girl took a giant step towards shedding her bridesmaid’s tag when she produced a wonderful array of groundstrokes to establish a 5-2 lead in the first set.
The French girl was at her best in the fifth game, in which she served and volleyed almost to perfection, and then broke Davenport after the top seed had twice double-faulted.
Mauresmo produced two aces to enable her to consolidate the break but there were signs of an inferiority complex when she squandered a set point with an untimely double-fault.
However, she won an erratic tie-break, in which there were more breaks than holds, 7-5 to wrap up a 52-minute set.
Davenport made a disastrous start to the second set with two more double-faults in the opening game and both girls twice dropped their serve before the American went in front for the first time at 5-4.
Both players then held serve to force a second tie-break and this time Davenport held her nerve to win it 7-4 and set up a decider.
The third set went with serve as both girls began to find their groove until the pivotal moment in the seventh game when Mauresmo saved three break points but Davenport won the fourth to open up a 5-3 lead when the rain came at 7.31pm.
Play was called off 35 minutes later which gave Mauresmo the chance to fight another day, but it will take a miraculous effort to prevent Davenport setting up a repeat of the 2000 final which was won by Venus Williams.
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