Davenport winning, feeling optimistic

NEW YORK -- Lindsay Davenport is replacing thoughts of retirement with hope for a U.S. Open title.\nIf her injured left foot holds up, she just might pull it off.\nDavenport, the only past Open champion in the women's field, didn't play perfectly Wednesday night, but she played well enough to put together a 6-2, 6-4 victory against overmatched Maria Elena Camerin, an Italian ranked 92nd.\n"The main thing is, my foot didn't hurt, and I'm on to the third round. You always want to be doing things better and better at Grand Slams," Davenport said, and she knows what she's talking about, having won three such tournaments.\nRoger Federer, too, now knows what it feels like to take to the court as a Grand Slam champion. Kim Clijsters, still getting used to seeing "No. 1" next to her name, would love to be the proud owner of a major title, too.\nAccustomed to shaky starts at Slams, Federer lost the first set of his U.S. Open, then took control against Jose Acasuso and eventually advanced to the second round when the Argentine quit because of pain in his groin and back. The official score was 5-7, 6-3, 6-3, 2-0, ret.\nClijsters followed in Arthur Ashe Stadium and had a much easier time, beating Laura Granville of Chicago 6-1, 6-1 to get to the third round.\n"If it's in their head they're playing the No. 1, maybe that's a little bit intimidating," Clijsters said. "On the other hand, that could even be also more motivating as well. I think it depends on the character of your opponent."\nOn a day of few surprises, the man Federer beat in the Wimbledon final, No. 20-seeded Mark Philippoussis, won his first-round match, as did 2002 Wimbledon runner-up David Nalbandian, No. 7 Carlos Moya, and No. 10 Jiri Novak. Philippoussis, also the finalist at the 1998 U.S. Open, pounded 20 aces to beat Janko Tipsarevic 6-2, 7-6 (4), 6-4.\nU.S. Davis Cup player James Blake played later.\nWomen's winners included No. 5 Amelie Mauresmo, No. 9 Daniela Hantuchova, French Open semifinalist Nadia Petrova, No. 14 Amanda Coetzer, and No. 13 Vera Zvonareva, who eliminated U.S. teenager Ashley Harkleroad 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 thanks in part to a 37-16 edge in winners.\nIn the second set, Harkleroad screamed at the chair umpire after what she thought was a series of missed calls.\n"You can never be my chair umpire again! That's horrible!" Harkleroad yelled.\nConchita Martinez, the 1994 Wimbledon champion, No. 18 Patty Schnyder and No. 28 Lisa Raymond were beaten. Raymond, Davenport's doubles partner, lost 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 to Melinda Czink, who never before had won a Grand Slam match. Czink's next opponent? Davenport, whose quarter of the draw already has seen four seeded players lose.\nOn Wednesday, Davenport won in straight sets again despite putting in just 46 percent of her first serves and making more unforced errors than winners, 23-22. And then there's the nerve problem in her left foot, on which she'll have surgery after the tournament, ending her season.\nThe injury forced her to quit at the French Open, curtailed her at Wimbledon, and caused her to stop during the second set against Jennifer Capriati in the final of a tuneup event Saturday. Davenport got an injection later that day, and now is relying on ice and tape.\n"Hopefully, as more days go by, if it doesn't flare up, I'll be more and more confident of pushing off it and not really worrying about it," she said. \n"More than anything, each day that goes by, I just have to keep ... playing the type of tennis that it's going to take to win the tournament, not necessarily just win matches."\nNot long ago, she was talking about quitting altogether. After losing to Venus Williams at Wimbledon last month, Davenport said: "It definitely ran through my mind when I was out there that that could be my last singles" match at the All England Club.\nIn France and England, Davenport said Wednesday, she was "just really frustrated dealing with another injury, another surgery, another layoff. It takes its toll mentally. But I'm really happy I stuck around this summer."\nSince winning the 2000 Australian Open _ she also won Wimbledon in 1999 _ Davenport hasn't added another major title, but she has fared well, making two finals and three semifinals at Slams.\nThe No. 2-seeded Federer, in contrast, hasn't been consistent at all at the big events. Still, he snapped a run of three first-round losses in five majors when he won Wimbledon last month with spectacular all-court play that drew comparisons to Pete Sampras, who formally retired this week.\n"These are big names retiring right now. It's been taking a long time now, the changing of the guard," Federer said. "I always thought we were a good group of guys, the youngsters. We've proved it now. We've won Grand Slams"