
ZURICH, OCT 18: New world No 1 Lindsay Davenport won the battle of the women8217;s big guns, successfully defending her crown from second-seed Venus Williams in the all-American final of the 1 million European Championships.
Combining experience with physical force, Davenport overcame her younger compatriot 7-5, 6-3 in 73 minutes, becoming the first women8217;s player to capture six titles this year.
8220;Definitely when I became No 1 there was more pressure and incentive to win the tournament,8221; said Davenport, who last week brought to an end Martina Hingis8217;s 80 week stay at the top of the rankings.
The win extends Davenport8217;s five year winning streak in Switzerland to 17 victories. The American has not dropped a set for the past two years at the Zurich tournament.
The race for the end-of-year No 1 ranking is still very much on, with Davenport holding a 396-point lead over Hingis, and the two scheduled to play in Philadelphia and the Chase Championships before the year8217;s end.