Top seed Lindsay Davenport resorted to a plea for divine intervention on Monday as wind whipped desert sand around the court at the dust-plagued $5,1-million Indian Wells Masters.
The top seed, like 2004 men’s finalist Tim Henman, another who did it tough in gales of more than 50kph, survived what turned quickly into an unpleasant competitive experience.
”It was the worst I’ve been in,” said the world number one, who scored a ragged 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 third-round win over American compatriot Meghann Shaughnessy. ”I’ve never held up for like 45 seconds just praying for like one second of a reprieve.
”It was bad — and dusty. And it started getting worse at the end with the dust.”
Davenport improved to 16-2 on the season and next plays Viktoriya Kutuzova of the Ukraine, who beat Amy Frazier 6-3, 6-3.
”At the end it was almost unplayable, really,” said a relieved Davenport. ”At the US Open last year, a couple days got really windy. I was not in Miami last year where I heard it was really bad.
”I think the last two or three games that we played were some of the windiest I’ve tried to play in. You’re just praying that it goes in so you don’t have to hit a second serve, because it’s so hard to control those.”
Third seed Maria Sharapova won an all-Russian match-up over Dinara Safina, Russia, 6-2, 6-3, while former grand-slam winner Mary Pierce stayed in control over Czech teenager Nicole Vaidisova 6-4, 6-4.
On the men’s side, Henman overcame the frustration factor to move past Austrian Juergen Melzer 7-5, 6-4.
The sixth-seeded Briton admitted he had to fight in the atrocious weather.
Temperatures that cooled to the mid-20s degrees Celsius from scorching highs at the weekend also changed the feel of the contest, which Henman controlled for his eighth win of the season. But victory in one hour and 23 minutes wasn’t pretty.
”It was going to be a question of who was going to get frustrated first,” said the 30-year-old Henman. ”I had opportunities, but in those types of conditions, it’s very difficult just to sort of play without mistakes or without your opponent having some opportunities.”
Conditions were trying, but not as bad as a dust storm that rolled through in 2002, actually stopping play.
”You just have to accept it’s going to be ugly at times and find a way to get through it,” said Henman, who next takes on Spanish 12th seed Tommy Robredo, the winner over Swede Thomas Enqvist 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-2).
”Obviously, to get the win is the most important thing,” said Henman, who now leads Melzer 2-1. ”It’s still satisfying.”
Two other seeds got through over Swedes as number 10 Argentine David Nalbandian stopped Jonas Bjorkman 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 and Spain’s number 12 Tommy Robredo beat Thomas Enqvist 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-2). — Sapa-DPA