Lindsay Davenport

Tennis

An Olympic medal is just another piece of hardware for many big-time tennis players with major championships on their resume.

Not for America’s Lindsay Davenport, a 20-year-old struggling to live up to her top-gun reputation from the juniors circuit.

So, after claiming the gold medal Friday with a 7-6 (8-6), 6-2 upset of Spain’s Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Davenport proclaimed it the proudest moment of her life.

“This means everything to me,” she said. “No matter what happens in my life, I’ll always be a gold medalist.”

Before the Olympics, Davenport, who never has advanced past the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tourney, didn’t envision any medal. Her confidence was battered by a three-set loss to Monica Seles in January, a match Davenport was one point shy of winning.

Then there was the Olympic field. Six of the world’s top seven players were entered, with Steffi Graf the exception.

Davenport, ranked 10th in the world, defeated three higher-rated players en route to the final - Germany’s Anke Huber, Croatia’s Iva Majoli and American Mary Joe Fernandez, Davenport’s best friend.

“To win any medal was beyond expectations,” Davenport said.

Trailing 5-2 in the second set, Sanchez Vicario missed a backhand wide and Davenport had her gold.

Davenport rushed to her family. Her dad, a member of the 1968 Olympic volleyball team, hugged her. Her mom and sister were in tears.

“Three years ago, I wouldn’t have had the resolve to stay in that first set,” Davenport said.