MELBOURNE, Australia -- Lindsay Davenport overwhelmed
Anna Kournikova 6-4, 6-2 with a near-faultless display of serving
at the Australian Open on Tuesday to progress to her 11th
semifinal in 14 grand slams.
|  | | Lindsay Davenport advanced to her 11th grand slam semifinal on Tuesday. |
Defending champion Davenport, the American who is the second seed, won in just 65 minutes.
"As far as I'm concerned, it's business as usual," Davenport
said.
"It's another opportunity to win another grand slam."
Kournikova, the Russian eighth seed whose hopes of capturing
her first senior singles title at a grand slam event were dashed
once more, could not live with Davenport's first serve.
The 24-year-old Davenport won 93 percent of points when her first serve found the target, a consistency that rescued her as
Kournikova carved out three break points throughout the contest
-- all to no avail.
Davenport faces compatriot Jennifer Capriati in the semifinals four, after Capriati surprised fourth-seed Monica Seles earlier Tuesday.
Davenport has won five of the 11 semifinals she has played
since reaching the last four at the U.S. Open in 1997.
She will be favorite again at Melbourne Park, and she
declared herself happy with her lot, despite continued interest
in her physical shape. Davenport is 6-foot-2, 175-pounds.
"At first I didn't think it was that big an issue, but
people here seem to be really into it," Davenport said. "I've
never fooled anyone -- I know I'm not the fastest or skinniest
person out there.
"But I know my game and I've worked very hard, and if that's
not good enough for some people, so be it. If this is what people try and knock me down with, I can
take it.
"I'm the one in the semifinals, with a couple of grand slams
(Davenport has three grand slam titles to her name), winning
tournaments."
Davenport is also coping admirably with the pressure of
being expected to succeed at each major.
"I never grow tired of being in the semifinals," she said. "It would have been a huge disappointment to have lost in the quarterfinals.
"But it's a great feeling to be expected to win. It's
business as usual for me. I'm here to win it, and the semifinals
is at least where I should be."
Davenport said she felt Kournikova needed to acquire greater
consistency to make her breakthrough at a grand slam event.
The Russian had only made it past the fourth round once in
15 previous grand slam appearances, reaching the 1997 Wimbledon
semifinals.
Kournikova, 19, agreed. "I need to work on consistency and
also get experience of playing big matches," she said.
"But I play aggressive and there is no reason to change
anything when it is going well.
"I will win (a grand slam). You cannot predict when, but if
I keep working hard my game will come together."
Davenport took the opening set in 33 minutes when she broke
Kournikova's serve in the fifth game after the Russian had
failed to convert three break points of her own.
"I'm in the semifinals and that's great, but it's where I
think I should be," Davenport said.
The American also broke Kournikova in the fifth game of the
second set then broke her again in the seventh game when the
eighth-seed pushed a forehand wide before serving out to seal
victory in 65 minutes.
"As an opponent you never know what to expect out there,"
Davenport said.
"But my game has slowly been getting better and better. I always thought I play better once I get more comfortable
in a tournament."
Kournikova, in a Grand Slam quarterfinal for the first time
since reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon in 1997, had some
chances but made too many errors.
Davenport said Kournikova hits very hard and flat, and "doesn't
have a huge margin for error. Sometimes you get a lot of free
points."
Davenport was called for foot faults several
times.
"I'll have to work on that," she said. "It didn't hurt me
tonight."
Capriati, the 12th seed, beat fourth-seeded Monica Seles
5-7, 6-4, 6-3.
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