Davenport upsets the odds

LINDSAY DAVENPORT yesterday upset the odds by beating Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in straight sets to become Olympic women's singles champion. The 20 year old from California had only taken one set off the Spaniard in their previous five meetings.

But yesterday at Stone Mountain, with the cheers of the American fans ringing round the centre court at every opportunity, it was the strong hitting Davenport who made the most of her good fortune to clinch gold with a 7-6 (8-6), 6-2 win in 95 minutes.

In the first set it had looked as if Sanchez Vicario, bronze medallist in Barcelona four years ago and seeded third here, would overcome the younger player's crowd inspired power.

But the crucial moment was the nervy tie break at the end of their opening set.

The first four points all went against service and there were nine breaks in all with Davenport unable to capitalise on her first two set points.

But when she needed luck the most it came as a backhand at 7-6 on the Spaniard's serve, clipped the top of the net to drop no more than a foot the other side with Sanchev Vicario stranded on her base line.

The Spaniard never really recovered from seeing the gods turn their backs on her.

She dropped her opening serve of the second set and while she broke back immediately to love, a back hand into the net in the next game allowed a drive volley from Davenport to give her the vital edge she was never to relinquish.

As the crowd roared her on Davenport grew in confidence, prepared to come to the net and hitting the ball off both wings with real power.

When Sanchez hit two consecutive back hands out of court to be broken for the third time in the set, Davenport only had to hold serve to win.

And although the Spaniard fought to the last, a long forehand gave Davenport match point which she took when she forced a forehand error from Sanchez Vicario.

The fiercely partisan crowd stood to cheer yet another American success story and the ninth seed rushed off the court to be hugged by her family as the cheers rang round.

Davenport's success made up for the misfortune of her best friend, Mary Joe Fernandez who lost an error strewn bronze medal game 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 to Jana Novotna of the Czech Republic.

In the men's doubles final, Britain's Tim Henman and Neil Broad had to be content with the silver medal after losing in straight sets to Australians Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge. The Australians, world ranked number one, are the current Wimbledon champions and they looked it yesterday as they swept to a 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 victory in just an hour and 41 minutes.