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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Davenport moves into quarterfinals


Top-seeded Lindsay Davenport won her fourth straight three-set match. 
 (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Steve Wilstein Associated Press

PARIS – Lindsay Davenport phoned home with news every bit as shocking to her husband at it was to herself.

She had just reached the French Open quarterfinals Sunday by beating two-time finalist Kim Clijsters, coming back from a set and a break down and winning her fourth straight three-setter at the Grand Slam event where she had played the least and done the worst. Just a month ago, Davenport considered skipping it altogether, no matter that she was ranked No. 1.

“I had to wake him up,” said Davenport, who will meet 2000 champion Mary Pierce in the quarters. “He was floored.”

So was everyone else.

The only American, male or female, left in the French among the 22 who started the tournament, Davenport still thinks it’s way too early to talk about her winning the title. Now, at least, in the No. 21-seeded Pierce, she faces a player with similarly hard, flat strokes in a match that’s more to her liking. Pierce had to go to 11 match points before beating No. 8 Patty Schnyder, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4.

Davenport has hardly been the only surprise of this year’s French. Fifteen-year-old Sesil Karatantcheva, the Bulgarian who upset Venus Williams in the third round, advanced to the quarters by downing Emmanuelle Gagliardi 7-5, 6-3.

Karatantcheva will play No. 16 Elena Likhovtseva, a 7-6 (3), 5-7, 7-5 victor over No. 4 Elena Dementieva.

Men’s No. 1 Roger Federer advanced easily to the quarters for the first time since 2001, beating 1998 champ Carlos Moya 6-1, 6-4, 6-3.