Davenport, Dementieva Advance at WTA New Haven

Posted on August 24, 2005

While temperatures barely climbed into the 80s, one could make the stretch and say it was hot Russian-on-Russian action Tuesday at the WTA stop in New Haven, where No. 4 seed and 2004 US Open runner-up Elena Dementieva dispatched of countrywoman Vera Douchevina in a first-time meeting 6-2, 6-4, honing her preparation for next week's US Open.

"For me, it's a great challenge to play against young Russians," Dementieva said. "With Vera, we never played each other before, but we know each other very well. It was very interesting to play and to see who's coming up and what kind of game she has."

The featured night match saw the return of now-former No. 1 and top seed Lindsay Davenport, defeating Czech qualifier Kveta Peschke 6-4, 6-1 after an extended layoff due to a back injury.

"I was a little, actually, scared going out," Davenport said. "The last time I tried to play, it didn't go so well."

Unseeded winners advancing were Germany's Anna-Lena Groenefeld (d. (Q) Kostanic), Slovak Daniela Hantuchova (d. Llagostera Vives), and Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues (d. Dulko in three).

The former Top 10-ranked Hantuchova says her game has matured since she peaked in 2002 at No. 5 on the WTA Rankings.

"I must say I am much more aware of what I am doing on the court now," Hantuchova said. "When I was in (the) Top 10, everything was easy for me. I had nothing to lose. I was just swinging at the ball and had fun -- there was no pressure. Definitely now I am more mature and making much smarter decisions on the court."

On tap Wednesday are Hantuchova vs. Schnyder, Shaughnessy vs. Groenefeld, Likhovtseva vs. Mauresmo, Kirilenko vs. Chakvetadze in an all-Russian, and Zheng vs. Jackson.