Davenport is quick to make up lost time
Rain continued to disrupt play heavily for the second successive day at the US Open, with the first match not starting yesterday until early evening. There was much shuffling of the schedule before Lindsay Davenport, the No4 seed and winner here in 1998, finally began her fourth-round encounter against Italy's Silvia Farina Elia, No13 seed, with the American going on to win 6-3, 6-1.
Earlier the tournament referee Brian Earley insisted that priority would be given to the men's singles but, as on Sunday, a women's match was put on first in order to get a finish. If this happens the United Sates Tennis Association does not have to pay out any ticket refunds on the day session, thereby saving them a huge amount of money.
On Sunday, the only match to have finished was the one between Serena Williams and Daja Bedanova of the Czech Republic which took 42 minutes. With rain still in the air Davenport was rushed on in the hope of she would rattle off a win at something approaching the speed of Williams.
Davenport, playing in her first grand slam of the year after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on her right knee in January, has returned to the circuit looking lean and extremely fit, and before yesterday's match the 26-year-old Californian had conceded only 13 games in the first three rounds. But, no doubt to the consternation of the USTA, she dropped her opening serve game against the Italian,and then fell 2-0 behind.
However, breaks of serve in the women's game are 10 a dime and Davenport, after this early stutter, was soon back into a compelling rhythm, pounding huge forehands and double-fisted backhands past the scurrying Farina Elia.
At her best Davenport is one of only two players, the other being her fellow American Jennifer Capriati, who can match the Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, for sheer power.
Because all courts at Flushing Meadows have floodlights, the tournament organisers have the capacity to catch up late, unlike at Wimbledon, but the two days of rain have certainly presented the USTA with headaches.
"We have several days of good weather in front of us, but we know it may be a hardship for some players," said Earley. "We know the best of five sets takes a lot out of the guys, and it's going to be a struggle for somebody. But the US Open is the US Open. It's always been a struggle for the players, but it's a great struggle and one we all like to watch."
It was not much of a struggle for Davenport in the end, the American completing a routine victory over Farina Elia in two minutes under the hour, taking her through to the last eight for the sixth successive year.
For the time being it is impossible to assess just what chance she has of making a serious challenge for her fourth grand slam title, with her first major test looking likely to be a semi-final against Serena Williams, the reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion.
The women players have a rather easier time of it at the US Open, whereas the men are forced to play their semi-finals on "Super Saturday", with the final the next day. This puts a premium on fitness and, as the rain fell yesterday, the chances of Lleyton Hewitt defending his title successfully appeared to be growing minute by wet minute.
The persistent and heavy rain, which has caused flooding in the New York area, has predictably led to calls for a roof on the Arthur Ashe stadium, which holds 23,000 and is rarely, if ever, full. It is by some distance the biggest tennis arena in the world and to put a roof on it would cost a fortune.
But it would be possible to put a roof on one of the smaller stadium courts at Flushing Meadows. Of the four grand slam venues only Melbourne has the facility for all-weather play, with a retractable roof on both its major courts.