TennisWorld has seen Lindsay Davenport in person only in two finals this year—at the Australian Open and the one here at Indian Wells. That she lost those two finals (to Serena Williams in Australia, and Kim Clijsters here) isn’t nearly as intriguing as how she lost them—racing out to a huge lead only to begin sputtering and slowing and losing power and—you know the rest. She’s like a motorcycle running out of gas. Except when she tries to turn the petcock to reserve, there’s nothing left to draw down. Granted, she won the last final she played before this one, in Dubai, in three tough sets. But the woman she beat there, Jelena Jankovic, is no Kim Clijsters. That’s what made it doubly interesting that Lindsay came into the press interview room flushed with—would you believe it?—joy. It was especially captivating, given the fact that Kim had won five straight from Lindsay before a wrist injury at this tournament last year forced her to sit out for almost a full year; this was Lindsay’s chance to turn the tide—before Kim had become match tough. On top of that, Lindsay has a history of becoming moody, taking losses personally. Now, you get the feeling that Lindsay has done the heavy lifting in her career. She can’t be bothered with the self-torture that players on the way up inflict on themselves. I asked if she could imagine herself being so upbeat following a loss like this seven or eight years ago. Her reply was telling:
A player on the way out says that when you’re not at your best and the other player is, you can’t expect to win. A player on the way up says when you’re not at our best and the other player is, you must find a way to win anyway.