Davenport, 3 of Top 10 This Week at WTA New Haven

A strong field for the week before a grand slam kicks off Monday at the Pilot Pen Tennis in New Haven, featuring the return of Lindsay Davenport after a respite to heal a back injury.

Davenport fell to No. 2 on the WTA Tour Rankings Monday, with Russian Maria Sharapova ascending to the top spot for the first time in her career.

After last-minute weekend withdrawals by Svetlana Kuznetsova (back) and Anastasia Myskina (ankle), the Top 8 seeds joining Davenport are now Amelie Mauresmo, Russians Elena Dementieva and Nadia Petrova, Aussie Alicia Molik making her return from a lengthy sidelining ear infection, Swiss Patty Schnyder, France's Nathalie Dechy, and Serb Jelena Jankovic.

The Top 4 seeds receive byes in New Haven, with a number of early-round testers in (1) Davenport vs. French comer Tatiana Golovin in a potential second-rounder, (4) Dementieva vs. Vera Douchevina in a potential all-Russian second-rounder, and also potentially in the second round (2) Mauresmo vs. Top 20 Russian Elena Likhovtseva.

Play began Sunday in New Haven with winners (6) Schnyder (d. Raymond in three) and Gisela Dulko (d. (7) Molik).

The final round of qualifying was also completed with Shuai Peng (CHN), Kveta Peschke (CZE), Jelena Kostanic (CRO), and Jamea Jackson (USA).

Scheduled for Monday are Chakvetadze vs. Jankovic, Golovin vs. Peschke, Dechy vs. Shaughnessy, Bartoli vs. Likhovtseva, Maleeva vs. Jackson, Kirilenko vs. Farina Elia, Douchevina vs. Peng, and Medina Garrigues vs. Razzano.