Davenport takes first set
Lindsay Davenport drew first blood in the all-American women’s final, taking the first set 6-4 against fellow former champion Venus Williams in just 33 minutes.
The top-seeded Davenport, Wimbledon champion in 1999, was looking to avenge her defeat in the 2000 final and, after being held up for an hour by the delayed second men’s semi-final, seemed determined to make up for lost time.
Williams went into the final without having dropped a set after playing some of the best tennis of her career but two double faults in her second service game proved costly as Davenport achieved the first break.
The 29-year-old Davenport hit the ball crisply from the start and it was no surprise when she broke her opponent a second time to go 5-2 ahead.
Williams, whose form in her semi-final victory over Maria Sharapova had made a mockery of her 14th seeding, suddenly re-discovered her touch to win nine points in a row but it was too little, too late.
Having dropped her serve once, Davenport ensured there was no repeat as she closed out the first set at the second attempt.
