Top seed Lindsay Davenport admitted she had been caught cold after booking her place in the third round of the Australian Open today.
In cooler conditions far removed from yesterday’s temperatures of 95 degrees, Davenport, recovering from a bout of bronchitis last week, lost the first set to world number 99 Michaela Pastikova of the Czech Republic.
The world number one fought back to take the next two sets for a 2-6 6-2 6-2 victory as she looks to end a five-year grand slam drought – her last title coming in Melbourne in 2000.
“I just wasn’t ready to be at my best at the very beginning and it cost me against someone who came out playing very well and caught me on the back foot,” conceded Davenport, who had lost just one game to former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez in the first round.
“I tried to buckle down after I lost the first set and concentrate more in the short-term than the long-term. I knew I wasn’t playing my best so I knew I had to just get a win and do what I needed to do.”