Soon she was so good that she earned the nickname "Bagel," because her opponents had all zeros in their scores. In 1992 Davenport won both the junior singles and doubles competitions at the U.S. Open.
Turns Pro
Davenport decided to turn professional in March 1993 at the Evert Cup Tournament of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour. She advanced to the quarterfinals, losing to top-ten player Mary Joe Fernandez. Later that month, in only her second professional tournament, the Virginia Slims of Florida, Davenport got her first victory over a top-ten opponent. In a 7-6, 6-1 victory, Davenport defeated third-seeded Gabriela Sabitini to reach the quarterfinals of the tournament. Davenport was still in high school at the time she turned professional and returned to her room after matches to finish her homework.
By the end of 1993 Davenport earned the Corel WTA Tour's Newcomer of the Year Award. She won her first tournament that year and saw her ranking shoot up from 159 to the top-20. Davenport also impressed observers with her bubbly personality and the courteous way she treated her opponents.
Davenport made her first appearance in the world's top-ten rankings in June 1994.
This is a free page. This page contains 189 words. This
biography contains 3,220 words (approx. 11 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Biography with our Lindsay Davenport Access Pass.
