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Davenport Makes Own Statement

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By MICHELLE KAUFMAN McClatchy Newspapers

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 25, 2008

WIMBLEDON, England - The 2008 Nike Fashion Show - er, Wimbledon Tennis Championships continued Tuesday and Maria Sharapova's tuxedo-inspired shorts ensemble got more attention than her first-round win against Stephanie Foretz. Of the 22 questions in her postmatch news conference, 15 were about fashion, and there were only two token queries about the match.

Andy Roddick, who survived pesky 61st-ranked Argentine Eduardo Schwenk, said he doesn't care what people wear on the court, "but any attention drawn to tennis for whatever reason is good."

Sharapova and Roddick were among a long list of marquee names who won on a balmy Tuesday by Wimbledon standards (72 degrees and sunny). Defending champion Venus Williams, last year's runner-up Rafael Nadal, former champion Lindsay Davenport, Jelena Jankovic, Richard Gasquet, and James Blake all advanced to the second round. Davenport, the 1999 winner, overcame a sore right knee, which had to be taped heavily before the third set against Ronata Voracova.

"It's a real treat, honor and privilege to be back here," said Davenport, who took a year off to have a child. "I've had some of my greatest memories here. I'm not here saying, 'Gosh, I hope I get to the second round.' I haven't lost before the quarters since '98, so I have a lot of pride here and look to do well."

The highest-seeded player eliminated was No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko, who lost, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, to Benjamin Becker of Germany. Mardy Fish lost to No. 8-seeded Gasquet 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

Four-time champion Williams held off Naomi Cavaday, a 197th-ranked teenager from England and a bumblebee to advance 7-6 (7-5), 6-1.

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