Davenport, Clijsters Head Toward Final Versus Sharapova at Wimbledon

World No. 1 Lindsay Davenport and No. 15 Kim Clijsters face off today in the round of 16 at the All-England Club, with the winner likely to navigate the following two rounds to a championship match-up with defending champ Maria Sharapova.

Sharapova, whose draw could be described as cushy at worst, faces No. 16 seed Nathalie Dechy today, then the winner of No. 8 Nadia Petrova and unseeded cancelled-Czech Kveta Peschke, then likely (14) Venus or (12) Pierce in the semifinals.

Clijsters has won eight of her last 10 against Davenport, and it will be interesting to see if she has shaken off the magnanimous choke she offered the American at the French Open, leading 6-1, 3-1 before mentally caving.

No. 3 Amelie Mauresmo is a wildcard of sorts in the top half with Davenport and Clijsters, needing to get by two Russians to face the winner of the favored two in her half. But with the Frenchwoman's history of going for the throat-clutching choke in the latter rounds of the majors, it is doubtful she can reach the semifinal match-up.

"You have to wonder if it's all psychological," said BBC commentator Virginia Wade on Mauresmo's troubles, speaking with ESPN. You think? Nice insight, no wonder you're paid the big bucks.

In miscellaneous notes, Sharapova is riding a 20-match win streak on grass, while the six Russian women in the round of 16 is a Wimbledon record.

Monday's full singles schedule is in the top half (1) Davenport vs. (15) Clijsters (Belgian leads career series 9-7), Maleeva vs. (5) Kuznetsova (Kuzy leads 1-0), (3) Mauresmo vs. (13) Likhovtseva 9Frenchwoman leads 3-1), and (9) Myskina vs. (6) Dementieva in an all-Russian (Myskina leads 7-4, first lawn meeting), and in the bottom half (26) Pennetta vs. (12) Pierce (Pennetta leads 1-0), (14) Venus vs. Craybas (first meeting), (8) Petrova vs. Peschke (first meeting), and (16) Dechy vs. (2) Sharapova (Sharapova leads 1-0, on grass in 2003).