Davenport progresses but Hantuchova out

Lindsay Davenport continued her remarkable progress since returning to the WTA Tour but Daniela Hantuchova was knocked out in the second round of the Bausch & Lomb Championships on Wednesday.

American Davenport defeated unseeded compatriot Jill Craybas 6-1 6-4 for her 44th win in 50 matches since rejoining the tour last September after an 11-month absence following the birth of her first child.

Third seed Hantuchova – a two-time quarter-finalist – suffered a 6-3 1-6 6-3 loss to Croatian qualifier Karolina Sprem.

Davenport was successful on 24 of 27 first-serve points to win the match in 58 minutes and is targeting a fourth victory at this green clay event.

The 31-year-old, who has claimed four titles since making her return, won the title in 1997, 2004 and 2005 and improved her record to 32 wins from 37 matches over 10 appearances here.

The only other former champion present is 11th seed Amelie Mauresmo, who advanced to the third round with a 7-5 6-1 triumph over 18-year-old Sorana Cirstea of Romania.

Though she hinted at retirement earlier this year, the 28-year-old Mauresmo - the 2001 champion and runner-up to Davenport in 2004 -still appears determined to play her way back into the top 20.

However, the 24th-ranked Frenchwoman has struggled to 13 wins in 20 matches this season and is yet to defeat a top 30 player in four contests.

Russian Elena Vesnina upset fifth seed Patty Schnyder of Switzerland 6-2 2-6 6-2 in a match that lasted one hour 38 minutes.

Alize Cornet benefited from a powerful serve to defeat ninth seed Austrian Sybille Bammer 6-1 6-3. The Frenchwoman was successful on 26 of 31 first-serve points to win the match in 75 minutes.

Second seed Anna Chakvetadze made her Amelia Island debut with a routine 6-3 6-1 win over Japanese qualifier Ayumi Morita.

The 21-year-old Russian is seeking her second title of the year after claiming her seventh career championship at the Paris indoors event in February. She has lost four of eight matches since that victory, however.

Sixth-seeded Russian Dinara Safina, seventh seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland and 10th seed Alona Bondarenko of the Ukraine also were victorious on Wednesday.

Maria Sharapova, the top seed, advanced to the third round on Tuesday.