Two-time Pacific Life Open champion Lindsay Davenport made a winning return in her first on-court appearance at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden since giving birth to a son last June. The 32-year-old American needed to play just one set Saturday afternoon as Argentine Gisela Dulko retired with a right quad strain after losing the first set 6-2.
“It was really tough out there today. It makes it challenging, especially since we had such a perfect week leading up to the windstorm that has come,” said Davenport. “I was happy to end the match at that time. Not happy for her under the circumstances. We've all been there. It's no fun.”
Davenport, who picked up her 45th match win in Indian Wells, has reached the event final more times than any player, male or female. She won the title in 1997 and 2000, and finished as runner-up on four other occasions.
The Californian came to last year’s tournament as a spectator, and said it motivated her to play tennis after her pregnancy: “It was inspirational to me, and certainty I didn't know how pregnancy would turn out, how childbirth would kind of affect my body. But, you know, I was eager to kind of come back and compete against the girls I saw playing here last year.”
Davenport became only the second mother to claim a Tour singles title when she won in January in Auckland. She followed with her 55th career singles title in Memphis last month.
Serbs Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic, respectively seeded first and third, also won their second round openers. Romania’s Ioana Raluca Olaru pushed Ivanovic to three sets before the World No. 2 recovered for a 6-1, 5-7, 6-0 victory. “I was very upset and very emotional in the second set, and in the third set I just did what I should have done from the beginning, just being aggressive and staying low and moving around the ball,” said Ivanovic.
Meanwhile, Jankovic sailed through her second round opening match against American wild card Ahsha Rolle in 58 minutes. With the exception of a 0-2 hiccup to start the second set, Jankovic played a flawless match to win 6-0, 6-2.
Jankovic said: “The first rounds are always tough, and especially in the windy conditions, you have to be really focused and really try to move your feet. That's what I did today, so I'm really glad with my performance today, despite the conditions, I'm happy to get through.”
Also on Saturday, sixth seed Marion Bartoli enjoyed a 6-0, 6-4 win over Russian Elena Vesnina, while Russian qualifier Galina Voskoboeva upset No .22 seed Michaella Krajicek to set up a third round meeting with 12th-seeded compatriot Vera Zvonareva.
In the final match of the night, Australian Casey Dellacqua posted the first big upset in the women's draw as she ousted Czech No. 7 seed Nicole Vaidisova 6-1, 3-6, 6-4.
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