Davenport wins third Kloten title

Lindsay Davenport shows off the winners trophy at the Swisscom challenge in Kloten Keystone

America's Lindsay Davenport has won the Swisscom Challenge tennis tournament in Kloten after beating Yugoslav teenager Jelena Dokic 6-3, 6-1 in Sunday's final.

Davenport, who has now won three times in the Zurich suburb, was made to work hard in the first set with both players slugging out long rallies from the baselines.

The American finally went ahead with a break in the fifth game, but then lost her own subsequent service game after first defending six break points. Dokic failed to take advantage of the world number three’s rare lapse, though, allowing herself to be broken once more in the following game.

“In the beginning I though Jelena was playing really well,” recalled Davenport afterwards. “I was just fighting to stay in it. Then I got broken to 3-3 and it was a really disappointing game, but somehow things turned around after that.”

Growing in confidence, Davenport began to spray the ball with pinpoint accuracy, and was able to take the first set with a further break of Dokic’s serve.

In the second set Dokic was simply outplayed. Almost run off her feet by Davenport’s dazzling combination of deep shots and clever drop shots, the young Yugoslav never looked like pulling herself back into contention.

“I wasn’t one hundred per cent out there,” Dokic later admitted, “but I don’t think it mattered anyway. “Lindsay was serving and hitting big, she moved well and played well and on this surface it’s very hard to play against her.”

Winning five games in succession before finally allowing Dokic to hold serve in the sixth, Davenport served out to love to maintain her impressive history on Swiss soil.

“I don’t know why I’ve done so well here,” said the American after winning her 24th match in Switzerland out of a total 25. “I like the court here and obviously it gives me a lot of confidence knowing what I’ve been able to achieve here in the past.”

Few of those watching Davenport’s latest Swiss triumph on Sunday would bet against her extending that impressive record yet further. After thanking the appreciative Kloten crowd immediately after her win, the popular American said she hoped to be back in front of them to defend her title in 12 months time.

by Mark Ledsom, Kloten