With Maria Sharpaova and
Kim Clijsters on the sidelines,
Lindsay Davenport can steal the No. 1 ranking from the Russian poster girl this week at the WTA Zurich Open.
Davenport is joined among the top seeds by
Amelie Mauresmo,
Mary Pierce,
Elena Dementieva,
Nadia Petrova,
Patty Schnyder,
Anastasia Myskina and
Alicia Molik.
Davenport, Pierce and Myskina are running on all cylinders while Mauresmo, Dementieva, Petrova and Schnyder are their spotty selves, and Molik continues her slow comeback from illness.
Opening-round matches of note are (1) Davenport vs.
Daniela Hantuchova in a potential second-rounder, (5) Petrova vs. Conchita Martinez, (4) Dementieva vs.
Svetlana Kuznetsova in a potential all-Russian second-rounder, (7) Myskina vs.
Vera Zvonareva in another all-Russian, (8) Molik vs. Top 20-er
Jelena Jankovic,
Ana Ivanovic vs. Tatiana "Hot Pants" Golovin in an all-teen future-of-tennis showdown, and (2) Mauresmo vs.
Dinara Safina in a potential second-rounder.
On court Monday in Zurich are Maleeva vs. Chakvetadze, Zvonareva vs. Myskina, and Likhovtseva vs. Farina Elia.
