Davenport Victory Hides Real Story

It had to occur to many of the estimated 10,000 people watching Lindsay Davenport’s 6-1, 6-1 thrashing of Mary Joe Fernandez in a semifinal of the State Farm Evert Cup tournament Friday that something other than lopsided tennis was going on.

In all likelihood, there was.

Davenport, 20, is five years younger, hits the ball five times harder, and was five times more effective than Fernandez with everything she tried on this typically dry and scorching day in the desert.

But these two are nowhere near that far apart, at least statistically.

Davenport is ranked eighth in the world and is seeded fourth here. Fernandez is 14th and seeded ninth. Davenport is the reigning Olympic champion, but the closest she has come to success in a Grand Slam event is the quarterfinals, four times. Fernandez has two Olympic singles bronze medals and two Olympic doubles gold medals, both with Gigi Fernandez, and has been to the final of a Grand Slam event three times.

This was not Oklahoma City on a Wednesday afternoon. This was a semifinal of a Tier One women’s event, a prestigious tour stop with a paycheck of $41,750 to get to the semifinals, $83,000 to make the final, and $205,000 to win it all.

This should have been competitive, at least somewhat dramatic.

But what appeared to take place, at the expense of the paying customers, were two former close friends going through the motions. Davenport was bigger and stronger and hit harder, so she won.

When it ended, after a 21-minute first set and 31-minute second set, they met for a short, mildly cordial handshake at the net and went their separate ways, each looking relieved it was over.

Afterward, under questioning from reporters, they each dealt with the questions as delicately as they could.

Davenport said, “We’re not as close as we used to be. We’re talking and working on everything.”

Fernandez said, “We were good friends and we’re not anymore.”

Davenport, who talked a great deal at the Olympics in Atlanta about her closeness to Fernandez, about how they ate most of their meals together and how Fernandez was like a big sister to her on topics such as boyfriends, refused to say what this was all about.

Fernandez was more specific, saying that it came down to Davenport, with whom she had won six doubles titles, taking on a new partner for the ’97 season, Jana Novotna, without telling her about it.

“I read about it in the paper the next day,” she said.

Fernandez denied that her state of mind in the match was affected by anything other than Davenport’s huge ground strokes and serve.

Maybe, but 6-1, 6-1 in 52 minutes and Fernandez managing only four points in the first four games and 11 in the first set, and also failing to get a break point until she trailed, 4-0, in the second set, seems to dispute that.

Was this tennis, or a soap opera? Inquiring minds may never know.