Bali, Indonesia (Sports Network) - Lindsay Davenport completed a successful return to singles tennis with a three-set victory over Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova to capture the Commonwealth Bank Tennis Classic title.
Davenport earned a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 triumph to claim the Bali title for the second time. She also won this tournament in 2005, but this victory came in her first singles action since last September.
The former world No. 1 became a new mother just three months ago, giving birth to son Jagger in June.
“It’s crazy. Maybe the pregnancy gave me some magical powers, I don’t know,” said Davenport.
Davenport earned a first prize of $32,340 for her 52nd career singles title and first since the 2005 season. She didn’t have much trouble the entire week, dropping a set just once on her way to the final. That set loss came in an upset of top-seeded Jelena Jankovic in the quarterfinals.
Hantuchova, seeded second this week, had not lost a set entering the final, but Davenport took the first thanks to a late break of serve. Hantuchova had the lone break of serve in the second set to send it to a decisive stanza.
“I was definitely getting tired there in the second set, but was able to re- group and get a second or third wind for the third set,” Davenport remarked.
Davenport raced out to a 4-1 lead in the third set and Hantuchova needed treatment for a blister on her right heel. She was unable to recover.
“There’s no excuse,” said Hantuchova, who won at Indian Wells earlier this year. “I think I had the right tactic, which was to move Lindsay around to make her play that extra shot, but all credit to the way she was playing. She was serving great.”
Davenport, who joined Austria’s Sybille Bammer as the second mother to win a WTA singles title this season, improved to 7-0 lifetime against Hantuchova.
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