Comeback woe for Davenport, Williams advances in LA

CARSON, California, Aug 10 (Reuters) Former world number ones Serena Williams and Lindsay Davenport, both back in action after injury, experienced contrasting fortunes at the Los Angeles Open.

Williams, playing her second tournament in seven months because of a chronic knee problem, booked her place in the third round with a 6-3 6-2 win over fellow American Ashley Harkleroad yesterday.

But fourth seed Davenport, sidelined since March because of a back injury, struggled with her serve before losing 6-7 6-4 6-3 to Australian doubles specialist Samantha Stosur.

Williams, champion here in 1999 and 2000, expressed mixed feelings after finishing her match in just over an hour.

''I think it was all right but I was not as strong as I would like,'' the seven-times grand slam champion told reporters. ''I was just a little slow today, a little bit lazy.'' Williams had not competed since losing to Russian Vera Zvonareva in the semi-finals of the Cincinnati Open last month, her first tournament since the Australian Open in January.

She will meet seventh-seeded Daniela Hantuchova in the third round after the Slovakian beat American Lisa Raymond 7-6 6-2.

''I'm really excited to play her as she is the last person I played before I took a layoff,'' Williams added.

'IT STINKS' ''I'm much better than I was in Australia. Game-wise, I'm much more fit and I'm a much better player. I'm not struggling physically. It's a whole different ball game.'' Davenport, a four-times winner in Los Angeles, was nowhere near her best on a sun-baked afternoon at the Home Depot Center and was broken three times in the final set.

''I need to learn to react again,'' the 30-year-old said after serving 10 double-faults and hitting 29 unforced errors. ''It stinks, but it is a step forward for me.

''My body started to feel drained as the match went on, which I expected to be the case. In the third set, I don't think I could get a serve over 100 (mph).

''But I'm happy that at least my body didn't get injured and my back is fine,'' added Davenport, tournament champion in 1996, 1998, 2001 and 2004.

Stosur, who has won six doubles titles this season with Raymond including the French Open, was delighted with her own performance.

''I certainly served one of my best matches today and that really got me going for the rest of the match,'' said the 22-year-old, who has yet to win a singles title on the WTA Tour.

''That maybe put a bit more pressure on her serve but I still had to keep my level up out there.

''She always hits the ball hard, flat and deep and close to the line and she was still able to do that today. But I don't think she was moving particularly well today.'' In other second-round matches, 15th-seeded Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli beat Jill Craybas of the U.S. 6-2 6-0, German sixth seed Anna-Lena Groenefeld dismantled Japan's Akiko Morigami 6-3 6-2 and Serbian Ana Ivanovic, the 10th seed, scraped past Italian Mara Santangelo 7-6 7-5.

In the late match, top seed Maria Sharapova of Russia, who won the Acura Classic in San Diego on Sunday, was due to play compatriot Anastassia Rodionova.

Reuters PM DB0914