TENNIS/Collins Cup: They had never before played in a title winning doubles partnership in a WTA tour event. Still with 12 Grand Slam wins between them, the American team of three times winner Lindsay Davenport and nine times champion Monica Seles, put Europe to the sword in the first match of last night's Collins Cup.
In doing so the Americans took a commanding three-match lead in the seven-match Ryder Cup-styled contest between the two continents.
Facing Austrian Barbara Schett and 1997 singles winner at Roland Garros, Iva Majoli, the rankings suggested that Europe would once again come under sustained pressure from two players significantly higher on the tennis ladder.
Davenport with a credible doubles record and 32 titles with seven different partners stretching back to 1994 gelled with her partner immediately. Seles's back-court ruthless efficiency and willingness to chase down the most remote chances, combined with Davenport's comfort at the net and heavy serve, eased the US to a 6-2 first set with Majoli and Schett both having their serves broken in the fourth and sixth games.
It would have taken skilful persuasion to convince anyone that the game was ever on a knife edge. But it scarcely seemed to bother the audience whose expectations from two of the world's greatest players were wholly, if only intermittently realised. Lethal shot-making rather than compassion for their opponents seemed to stir the crowd who had gathered in greater numbers than the first night of the event. About three quarters of the 5,700 capacity Simmonscourt Pavilion at the RDS was full. Although the second set was a harder fought affair the Americans were compelling to watch.
Both Schett and Davenport exchanged service breaks at the beginning of the second set before Schett was again broken for 4-2 leading to thoughts of a swift finish. At that stage a call of "come on Europe" from the back of the stand drew nothing but a stifled laugh from the crowd.
But as the Americans dropped their tempo, Europe responded with Davenport losing her serve for 5-5 and the set rolled inexorably towards a tie-break. But there it was decided, the US streaking to a 5-1 lead and closing out the match 6-2, Seles volleying purposefully between Schett and Majoli for the winner. After the match neither of the losing players took defeat too seriously. Majoli jokingly threatened to arrive for her match this morning straight from the Cranberries concert taking place in Dublin.
"I think we played three times together before but it never really worked too good. It was less than a year ago we last played together but I can't remember. It took me a little bit of time to get used to the light and atmosphere. Lindsay has won so many titles and Monica hits the ball so well that you need to be 100 per cent to play against them." said Majoli, who plays Serena Williams in the first match of today's session. When asked if she was going to watch Serena in her doubles match late last night Majoli fearlessly replied: "Watch Serena? No I won't watch her. I see her on television every week. She wins every tournament. I said to her when I saw her - be nice to me. When she is on a roll, there is no one to beat her."
Schett pointed to the obvious strengths of the two players. "Their serves are really good. They always get in a good percentage and their returns are very, very good. That was the hardest part about playing against them," she said. "It was good to play in front of so many people. It doesn't happen too many times that the stadium is completely full," she said.
The world's number one and two players Serena and Venus Williams raced to a 6-1, 6-4 win over Daniela Hantuchova and Elena Bovina to win the cup. Their one-sided victory ensured the US won the first four of the seven-match series. The sisters dominated although they dropped the tempo in the second set, particularly on serve. Europe rallied to 3-3 in the second set but the thrill of drawing level was shortlived as the US sped to 5-4 before Serena served out for the match and the cup.
