... And so a legend was born (Lindsay Davenport)

Member Name: Dan_Pentagram

Product:	Lindsay Davenport
Date:	02/04/07 (333 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Powerful Strokes / brilliant game

Disadvantages: Dissapointing end to the game

For more than fifteen years, Lindsay Davenport has provided us Tennis fans with matches full of style and power, ups and downs and now its time to take a look down memory lane as Lindsay Davenport is destined not to play professional tennis again and take the long journey of motherhood.

** WHO IS LINDSAY DAVENPORT **

Lindsay Davenport is one of the most successful tennis players to grace this generation winning a whole plethora of Tournaments including three Grand slams. Though not as recognisable as the Williams Sisters or the newly shot to fame Maria Sharapova, Lindsay Davenport set the mark for Female tennis stars after the generation of Steffi Graff and Sanchez Vicario. Not only has she been ranked at No. 1 in both singles and doubles she is an Olympic Gold medallist and has earned a record breaking $21 Million dollars, captured 51 singles titles and 36 doubles titles. She has made history for being one of few women to have over 700 wins. Also by being the only Female Tennis player to have a double bagel over a top 3 player. (defeating Sharapova 6-0 6-0)

** PERSONAL LIFE **

On June 8th 1976, a legend was born in Palos Verdes, California in the form of Lindsay Ann Davenport, daughter to Wink and Ann Davenport. Her father Wink was a member of the Volleyball team in the 1968 Olympics held in Mexico City. She first attended Chadwick School in Palos Verdes, California, before moving up to Murrieta Valley High School in Murrieta, California. Always excelling at powerful sports, Lindsay loved Netball, Volleyball and Hockey as well as Tennis.

She started playing Tennis at the tender age of 5 where her Mother joined her into an Afternoon class to keep her occupied. Fast forward to 2003 where she married an investment banker, Jon Leach on April 25th in Hawaii.

Lindsay has always considered herself a family woman, being an aunty to 11 neices and nephews and enjoys not only being a wife but spening time with her two rottweilers Zoltan and Scout.

Personal hobbies including watching the LA Angels and The Mighty Ducks with her Husband, doing crosswords, listening to artists such as Gwen Stefani and Coldplay and relaxing to her DVDs of Alias.

** TENNIS **

Lindsay's playing style though improved with each year has basically stayed the same. She has big strong groundstrokes equally balanced on the forehand and double backhand and can produce brilliant angles with both. She has interesting yet effective serve which has gained her credit as being the most powerful and cleanly struck in the history of Women's tennis noted by Tracy Austin (a former no. 1 herself). Another part of Lindsay's game is her excellent service return where she can produce return winners from anywhere on the court.

Noted on almost every occasion is her weakness to movement. Upon watching her play you can notice pretty much straight away her lack of court coverage compared to some of the better players such as Kim Clijsters and Amelie Mauresmo. This is perhaps due to her tall frame, measuring a tall 6ft 2" which in itself has gained her the title of being the tallest woman to win a grandslam. Riducled by some, Lindsay battled this weakness by losing weight which can be seen effectivly from 2004 to 2005.

Early on in her tennis career she battled mental difficulties on court often becoming down and loaful as she began to loose points. After her grandslam wins she toughened up her mental skill and became a much more positive player and is repuated as being one of the most polite and motherly players on the tour.

Before turning Pro in 1993, Lindsay played little ITF circuit events believing in her ability at succeeding in the higher league. For her first year as pro she won her title in the European Open at the age of 16 and then 2 more titles in 94 earning her an end of year ranking of 6th. Grand slam wise her first two years as pro earned her valuable experience reaching rounds such as 3rd and 4th usually loosing to the overall victor.

It was 1996 where her first eventful year happened where she won the Olympic Gold medal defeating four top 10 players on the way. With ten more wins, semi finalist and quarter finalist spots, Lindsay Davenport was now considered to be a threat to everyone's game and ultimatly with Mary Jane Fernandez won her first Grand Slam Doubles title at Roland Garros. In 1997 she won her second Grand Slam doubles title at the US Open this time teaming with Novotna.

It was 1998 that really excelled her career with her first singles title Grand Slam at the US Open and overall ending the year No 1 for the first time ending Martina Hingis' 80 week run at the top. She won six titles and reached the final of eight of the last ten events of the year.

99' saw her win her second Grand Slam defeating Hingis at Wimbledon as well as winning the doubles teaming up with Morariu. She won seven titles that year earning her 2nd in the overall rankings at the end of the year.

2000 saw her win a Grand Slam for three consecutive years overcoming Hingis ending her 27 match winning streak. She also was the first American Woman to win there since 1984. On April 17th she became the fourth player in history to hold the singles and doubles no. 1 spot at the same time. Totaled up a 21 win streak herself and was undefeated for the second year running in the Fed Cup.

2001 saw her retire from matched and tournaments as injuries started to take their toll, but still managed to win seven more titles during that year. Ended the year again at no. 1. It was from the time onwards that she continued to win titles every year and hold herself in the top 10 of the Rankings, playing for America in the Fed Cup each year and never losing below the quarter finals of any event apart from injury.

** QUICK FACTS **

Singles Titles : 51
Doubles Titles: 36
Prize Money : $21,763,653
Win / loss : 716-188


** INJURIES **

From 2001 onwards Lindsay suffered from many serious injuries such as back problems and elbow difficulties. In 2002 she underwent surgery to get over her knee problem which left her out of the first three Grand Slams. Ultimately her overwhelming and reacurring injuries caused her to cut down her events in 2005 before finally playing even fewer in 2006.

GRAND SLAM HISTORY
(rounds elavate from 1st - 2nd - 3rd - 4th - QF - SF - F (runner up) - F (win)

AUSTRALIAN OPEN

92 -
93 - 3r
94 - QF
95 - QF
96 - 4r
97 - 4r
98 - SF
99 - SF
00 - WIN
01 - SF
02 -
03 - 4r
04 - QF
05 - F
06 - QF

ROLAND GARROS

92 -
93 - 1r
94 - 3r
95 - 4r
96 - QF
97 - 4r
98 - SF
99 - QF
00 - 1r
01 -
02 -
03 - 4r
04 - 4r
05 - QF
06 -

WIMBLEDON

92 -
93 - 3r
94 - QF
95 - 4r
96 - 2r
97 - 2r
98 - QF
99 - WIN
00 - F
01 - SF
02 -
03 - QF
04 - SF
05 - F
06 -

US OPEN

92 - 2r
93 - 4r
94 - 3r
95 - 2r
96 - 4r
97 - SF
98 - WIN
99 - SF
00 - F
01 - QF
02 - SF
03 - SF
04 - SF
05 - QF
06 - QF

Throughout her career Lindsay was continued to be sponsered by Wilson and Nike simeltanousely, which many fans request for themselves due to her popularity not only among the fans but also the other women on tour.

** AWARDS **

It is not surprising that with her 51 career titles and successful tennis style, Lindsay has herself won herself a range of sporting awards. A list is provided below: (taken from Wikipedia)

• Named in 1993 the Rookie of the Year by both Tennis Magazine and World Team Tennis.
• 1996 International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Champion in women's doubles.
• 1998 ITF World Champion in women's singles and doubles.
• 1998 Tennis Magazine player of the year.
• 1998 and 1999 Women's Tennis Association (WTA) player of the year.
• Diamond ACES award winner in 1998 and 1999.
• Named the U.S. Olympic Committee's female athlete of the month for July 1999 after winning the women's doubles and singles at Wimbledon.
• Voted by journalists at the 2000 French Open as the winner of the Prix Orange, which goes to the player who has shone in the tennis world the international essence of fairness, kindness, availability, and friendliness.
• Re-elected to the WTA player council in 2002.
• Voted by the International Tennis Writers Association as a joint winner of the 2004 women's Ambassador for Tennis award
** MY NOTES **

In my opinion Lindsay Davenport was a spectacular and talented Tennis player, underestimated and over looked by many. I had many nail biting moments watching her play throughout her long career. One of my favourite matches was the final at Wimbledon where she lost to Venus Williams. That particulr match is recorded in the histry books as being the longest Womens final of all time. It is a real shame that we will never revel in the wonderful game she presents on court again, but I wish her luck in her new life as a mother (due in July 07).

(NOTE:::: THIS REVIEW WAS WRITTEN TO GIVE PEOPLE A MORE WIDER KNOWLEDGE OF A PLAYER THAT IS OVERLOOKED BY MANY.)

Summary: Lindsay Davenport was and still is one of the most successful Tennis players to grace our generation