Rubin finds the edge to defeat Davenport

Reuters, Manhattan Beach, California

Chanda Rubin was forced to come behind to beat defending champion Lindsay Davenport 5-7 7-6 6-3 in a close final at the Los Angeles Open on Sunday.

Third seeded Davenport broke to serve out for the match at 5-4 in the second set, but Rubin rallied, was always ahead in the tiebreak, and sealed her victory by winning the final three games of the two hour, 19 minute match.

It was Rubin's third final and second title of the year -- she lost the Spanish Open final in May and won the Wimbledon warm-up event on the Eastbourne grass in June.

But the 26-year-old said it was her biggest tournament win, given that she upset world number one Serena Williams and number five Jelena Dokic as well as the third seeded defending champion.

"It was a difficult match," she said. "I started off a bit nervous and never really relaxed. What won me the match was that I stayed in there and fought.

There was little to choose between the two Americans throughout the match, although Davenport had the edge in the serve.

Both were bothered by the sun at one end of the court on a very hot day in southern California and that resulted in 11 double-faults from Davenport and 10 from Rubin.

Davenport, also 26, was able to compensate with 12 aces, but she failed to find any consistency with her groundstrokes or her serve and 12th seeded Rubin always looked the better athlete.

The match also marked another stage in the comeback from injury for both players, who underwent knee surgery from the same doctor in the same week of January this year.

Rubin returned to action at the German Open in May, while Davenport returned just three weeks ago.