Defending champion Davenport edges Stosur to reach final

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, Aug 26 (Reuters) Defending champion Lindsay Davenport edged out Australian Samantha Stosur 7-6 7-6 to reach the final of the New Haven event.

In her second tournament after five months out with a back injury, the American yesterday clinched victory on her sixth match point, avenging her defeat by the Australian in Los Angeles two weeks ago.

Davenport will meet either second seed Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium or Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova in Saturday's final.

After a rain delay of more than three hours, Davenport took the first-set tiebreak 7-3 but Stosur refused to back down, saving five match points before Davenport finally won the second-set tiebreak 9-7.

REUTERS VJ BST0545