Davenport-Mirza showdown on cards, Kuznetsova pulls out<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Sunday's draw at the US$225,000 Wismilak International tennis
\ntournament offered the tantalizing prospect of a showdown between
\nworld number one Lindsay Davenport and India's breakthrough
\nteenage star Sania Mirza.<\/p>\n
The 29-year-old American number one, playing in Southeast Asia
\nfor the first time as she bids for her 49th career title in Nusa
\nDua, Bali, received a bye in the first round, and will play
\neither Japanese veteran Rika Fujiwara or South African Natalie
\nGrandin in the second.<\/p>\n
There she could meet hard-hitting Mirza, who has blazed a
\ntrail for Indian women's tennis in the past year, winning in her
\nhometown of Hyderabad and reaching the fourth round of the U.S.
\nOpen last week, the tour organizers said in a release.<\/p>\n
The Indian faces Russian Ekaterina Bychkova in the first round
\nof the tournament, which began on Sunday and ends on Sept. 18.<\/p>\n
However, last year's champion Svetlana Kuznetsova has
\nwithdrawn from the tournament to recover from a nagging shoulder
\ninjury that affected her play at the Canadian Open and the U.S.
\nOpen.<\/p>\n
After winning the U.S. Open last year and the Wismilak title,
\nthe Russian has had a difficult year plagued by disappointing
\nlosses and injury.<\/p>\n
Davenport is drawn to face talented attacking player Alicia
\nMolik in the semifinals. The 24-year-old Australian ran Davenport
\nclose in the Australian Open in January but has been sidelined
\nfor much of the year by illness.<\/p>\n
Always dangerous third seeded Patty Schnyder also received a
\nfirst round bye, and will take on either a qualifier or doubles
\nchampion Virginia Ruano Pascual of Spain in the next round.<\/p>\n
Indonesian number two Wynne Prakusya, who showed superb form
\nin the win over Puerto Rico in the Fed Cup in July, received a
\nwildcard and will play a qualifier.<\/p>\n
However, it won't be her Fed Cup teammate Ayu Fani Damayanti.
\nThe 16 year old lost in Sunday's qualifying to Li Ting of China
\n6-1, 6-4.<\/p>",
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