Australian Open: Davenport shows champion's form

Lindsay Davenport at last started to look like the defending women's champion at the Australian Open as she beat Italian Silvia Farina Elia 6-2 6-1 in the third round.

After needing three sets in her first two matches, Davenport was not exactly panicking, but she was relieved to produce some better form.

She admitted afterwards she is often guilty of perfectionism and self-criticism on court which affects her performance.

The second seed said: "Sometimes on court I have a tendency to get down on myself because I'm a bit of a perfectionist. Now I'm a lot happier.

"I felt I was timing the ball a lot better and had a lot more power and depth.

"But I agree with what Pete Sampras said. You can't win a Grand Slam in the first week you can only lose it. It does not matter how you play too much as long as you keep getting through."

Being told that her next opponent, 15th-seeded Belgian Kim Clijsters, had dropped only one game against Spain's Nuria Llagostera, Davenport had the perfect reply.

"When we played at the US Open last year (in the second round) she'd won 6-0 6-0 the round before." Clijsters, girlfriend of Australian Lleyton Hewitt, took the first set then, but lost the next two 6-2.

Eighth seed Anna Kournikova recovered from a set and a break down to beat her doubles partner Barbara Schett 2-6 6-4 6-3, but 14th seed Sandrine Testud found in-form Justine Henin too hot to handle.

Henin, at 18 a year older than her compatriot Clijsters, has already won two tournaments this year and has yet to drop a set this week. She beat Testud 6-2

6-4.