Venus in injury misery, Davenport eases through

TeamWTA pictures
By Chris Davies
February 8 2004

Venus Williams injury nightmare has returned with her being forced to withdraw from her quarter-final clash against fellow American Chanda Rubin in the Pan Pacific Open, Tokyo

Williams who has only recently returned from an abdominal strain was knocked out early of the Australian Open and now has a leg injury. The former world number one did not specify what was actually wrong but doctors advised that she should not play the match incase of damaging it further.

In other matches Lindsay Davenport crushed Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova 6-2, 6-2 and looks on course to clinching her fourth Pan Pacific title. She now plays Jelena Dokic who has hit some good form through this tournament beating Tatiana Panova 6-1, 6-1.

Davenport was hinting that she could retire this year as her competitive edge as gone and does not want to be known as the player who only reaches the quarter-finals.

Magdalena Maleeva from Bulgaria ended home hopes of winning the title, upsetting Ai Sugiyama 6-1, 6-1. Maleeva now plays Chanda Rubin in the other semi-final.

Quarter-finals:

(7) Jelena Dokic (Ser) bt Tatiana Panova (Rus)
6-1, 6-1

(2) Lindsay Davenport (USA) bt (8) Daniela Hantuchova (Svk)
6-2, 6-2

Magdalena Maleeva (Bul) bt (4) Ai Sugiyama (Jpn)
6-1, 6-1

(5) Chanda Rubin (USA) bt (1) Venus Williams (USA)
w/o