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Belgian teens look for breakthrough Associated Press WIMBLEDON, England -- With all the focus on the biggest names at Wimbledon, an outsider could make a breakthrough -- just as Lindsay Davenport has been hinting.
"I would be surprised if the winner was someone other than the Williams sisters, (Jennifer) Capriati or myself," said the 25-year-old Davenport, who defeated Jelena Dokic of Yugoslavia 7-5, 6-4 Monday to reach the quarterfinals.
"Doesn't mean it can't happen."
If it does, the 2001 champion could be one of two Belgian teen-agers: 18-year-old Kim Clijsters or 19-year-old Justine Henin.
There's also the almost-forgotten '94 champion, Conchita Martinez, or Nathalie Tauziat, the '98 Wimbledon runner-up who is retiring after this season.
The most anticipated of Tuesday's quarterfinal matches is the replay of the French Open quarterfinal four weeks ago between fourth-seeded Capriati and No. 5 Serena Williams. Capriati won in three sets at Roland Garros en route to the title.
"I think she's (Serena) probably going to be pretty eager, especially against me since I just beat her twice," said Capriati, who defeated Sandrine Testud 6-1, 6-2 Monday in her bid for a third straight Grand Slam title. "She probably wants to get revenge."
Serena Williams won just as easily against Magdalena Maleeva, 6-2, 6-1, and promised to play like the "real" Serena this time.
"The last time I didn't play," she said. "I think it was someone impostering me. I was hitting a lot of errors and going crazy."
The third-seeded Davenport, last year's runner-up and the '99 champion, will play the seventh-seeded Clijsters, the French Open finalist.
"I'm sure her level of confidence has got to be higher than it was three or four weeks ago, but so is mine," said Davenport, who is unbeaten on grass since coming back almost three weeks ago from a three-month layoff with a knee injury.
Clijsters defeated American Meghann Shaughnessy 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5). She's just as competitive as her father, Leo, the soccer player of the year in Belgium in 1988.
"I think that's where I get it from," she said. "I hate losing in any game."
Defending champion Venus Williams hardly drew a deep breath reaching the quarterfinals. She beat Russian Nadia Petrova 6-2, 6-0 and will face Tauziat. Tauziat, playing her 16th and last Wimbledon, defeated Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-3, 6-2.
If they keep winning, the Williams sisters would meet in Saturday's final. A year ago, Venus beat Serena in a historic semifinal that her father, Richard, declined to watch.
"I'm going to be hoping Serena wins all the way, she's my sister. I want the best for her. ... In the previous matches she's played against Jennifer ... I don't think Serena's performed as well as she can," Venus Williams said.
Tuesday's other quarterfinal pits 19th-seeded Martinez against Henin, who was eliminated in the French Open quarterfinals by Clijsters.
Martinez defeated unseeded Lina Krasnoroutskaya of Russia 6-3, 6-4. Eighth-seeded Henin won over 18th-seeded Anke Huber 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Martinez or Henin will reach the semifinals and meet either Capriati or Serena Williams. In the bottom half of the draw, Clijsters or Davenport will play either Tauziat or Venus Williams. Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories |
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