Sharapova Looks for Hardcourt Success at WTA New Haven

Jennifer Capriati beat Lindsay Davenport in last year's Pilot Pen at New Haven after Davenport was forced to retire with injury, and both players return in 2004 in what is a strong field for an event the week before a slam.

Davenport and Capriati are joined among the seeds by four Russians in Elena "That Second Serve Suffers from" Dementieva, Maria "Grunt-o-rama" Sharapova, Nadia Petrova and Elena "Lina" Bovina, along with Maggie Maleeva and Nathalie Dechy. Early-round matches of interest are a potential (1)Davenport vs. Daniela "The Walking Stick" Hantuchova in the second round, (WC)Lisa Raymond vs. Dinara "Little Sis" Safina, (3)Capriati vs. the Golovin-Perry winner, and (WC)Mashona "Little Sis" Washington vs. Meghann Shaughnessy (winner to face (4)Sharpaova).

Capriati (2003) is the lone returning New Haven champ.

Winners from the first day of play Sunday at New Haven were Frenchgirl Tatiana Golovin (d. (WC) Perry), Luxembourg's Claudine Schaul (d. Tanasugarn), and (7)Elena "Lina" Bovina (d. Denisa "Hanging" Chladkova).

On court Monday are Safina vs. Raymond, Maleeva vs. Kostanic, Shaughnessy vs. Washington in an all-American, Black vs. Petrova, Sylvia "The Whammer" Bammer vs. Marrero, Talaja vs. Morigami, Serna vs. Dechy, and Nagyova vs. Jankovic.