Lindsay Davenport, the highest-ranked player on the United States Fed Cup team facing Croatia this weekend, withdrew from singles duty with a nagging wrist injury Thursday.
According to a report in Friday’s New York Times, Davenport, who sustained the injury last month at the Lipton Championships in Key Biscayne, said she would consider playing doubles for the U.S. in the event of a deadlock after Saturday’s singles matches.
“I tried hitting again (Thursday) and it still hurts,” Davenport told the Times. The injury is to Davenport’s left wrist, which affects her most when she hits her two-handed backhand. She was forced to default her quarterfinal match at Lipton against Steffi Graf.
Davenport’s absence means Chanda Rubin will play singles in addition to Monica Seles for the U.S. Lisa Raymond is the other U.S. team member and is scheduled to play doubles.
Even without Davenport, the Americans shouldn’t have too much trouble with Croatia, which is without teenage star Mirjana Lucic, who isn’t on the team despite that fact the tie was shifted from Zagreb to Raleigh, N.C., for safety reasons.
The Croatians are led by Iva Majoli, the 1997 French Open champion but a player who has dropped out of the Top 10 and is currently ranked No. 32.
Play begins Friday and continues Saturday with two singles matches each day, with the doubles scheduled for Sunday.