Tennis: Davenport dethroned at U.S. Open

FLUSHING, New York - Newport Beach’s Lindsay Davenport saw the

defense of her U.S. Open crown come to an end as Serena Williams won,

6-4, 1-6, 6-4, in Friday’s semifinal action.

Davenport, ranked No. 2 in the world, seemed on the way back to the

final when she raced through the second set in just 24 minutes and

allowed Williams only two points in the three service games she was

broken.

Rain delayed the start of the semis by 2 1/2 hours, and the players

had to cope with conditions that ranged from glaring sun to dark gray

shade.

Little separated Williams and Davenport in the first set until the

last game, when Williams, leading 6-5, broke Davenport to take the set.

Serena’s sister Venus Williams watched the first set at courtside,

then retreated to warm up for her match against top-seeded Martina

Hingis.

The 17-year-old Williams had 12 aces and came back from a dreadful

drubbing in the second set, in which she lost 14 of the last 16 points.

They stayed on serve in the third set to 3-3, when Williams gained the

first break-point of the set with a running forehand volley crosscourt

after a superb rally.

Williams’ sheer power on serve proved the difference in the end, as

she closed out the last game with three service winners and an ace that

ran her tournament total to 54.

There will be no sister-sister matchup in the finals after Hingis

knocked off Venus Williams in Friday’s other semifinal match, 6-1, 4-6,

6-3.