Davenport crashes out of US Open

American Lindsay Davenport’s stay at the US Open came to an unexpected and disappointing end in the quarter-finals.

Davenport, the second seed and top-ranked player in the world, lost to sixth-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva 6-1 3-6 7-6 (8/6). Her quest for another Grand Slam ended in a hail of lost service games and inconsistent play.

Davenport, the last remaining American in the women’s draw, lost a seesaw match that featured 13 service breaks to Dementieva, who is one win away from returning to the final.

After an awful opening set, Davenport rebounded to force a decisive third set despite an apparent lack of mobility and a calm demeanour that contrasted the fiery Dementieva, who screamed at herself in Russian throughout.

With a 6-5 lead, Dementieva only needed to hold serve but quickly fell behind 0-40 and eventually lost on a double-fault, forcing a tiebreaker.

Given a reprieve, Davenport immediately dug herself a 5-2 hole before stringing together a backhand winner, an ace and consecutive points off volleys to gain match point on serve.

Unfazed, Dementieva won the next point with a crosscourt forehand Davenport did not attempt to return. She stunned Davenport with a forehand drop shot on the next point to gain match point on serve.

After a lengthy rally in which Dementieva seemed to hit a ball long, Davenport mustered a return but appeared to stop playing. Dementieva fired a forehand winner past the stoic Davenport and advanced to the semi-finals.

The 29-year-old Davenport was runner-up at the Australian Open and Wimbledon and has not won a Grand Slam since the 2000 Australian Open. The 23-year-old Dementieva was the only player to appear in two Grand Slam finals last year, losing both.

The Russian has a semi-final date with France’s Mary Pierce, who posted a 6-4 6-1 victory over third-seeded compatriot Amelie Mauresmo. Pierce has yet to drop a set in this tournament.

The oldest female left in the draw at 30, Pierce easily snapped a four-match losing streak against Mauresmo, who committed 19 unforced errors and lost in the quarter-finals here for the third straight year.

But Mauresmo, who had not lost a set to Pierce since 1999, struggled from the outset. She fell behind, 5-2, won the next two games and then committed two costly double-faults to lose the set.

The second set was more of the same as Pierce broke Mauresmo in the second game and cruised thereafter.

“I am really happy to be in the semi-finals,” said Pierce, only the second Frenchwoman to reach the semi-finals here in the Open era. “This is the best that I have done at the US Open in my career, which I think is amazing. I am just really happy.”

It was the second straight match in which Pierce eliminated an opponent who had dominated her in the past. On Monday, she avenged her French Open final defeat to Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne, who had won their first four match-ups.

“Knowing her for now two or three years, I think for these last few years, that’s for sure the best tennis she has ever played,” Mauresmo said.

Despite winning the 1995 Australian Open and 2000 French Open, Pierce did not disagree.

“I have been asked that a bit and I feel that’s probably true,” she said. “I think I am definitely all around a better athlete and competitor with experience and maturity.”