SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The 16 women remaining in the singles draw at the State Farm Women’s Tennis Classic faced a busy makeup day after every match scheduled for Wednesday was rained out.
The top four — No. 1 Lindsay Davenport, No. 2 Monica Seles, No. 3 Jennifer Capriati and No. 5 Kim Clijsters — received byes and have yet to play in the first outdoor WTA Tour event of the season in North America.
Davenport, Seles and Capriati, along with No. 7 Lisa Raymond, never got started on Wednesday, while No. 9 Elena Likhovtseva and qualifier Tina Pisnik were at 6-6 in the first set when rain interrupted their match, which was suspended about seven hours later.
Capriati’s night match against Jana Nejedly was the last called off, 9 1/2 hours after the first rain delay.
That's outdoor tennis,'' tournament director Peter Tatum said.It could rain in Los Angeles in August. Anything is possible. That’s a chance you take when you play outdoors.”
The operations staff made a half-dozen attempts to dry the Scottsdale Princess hardcourts, but each time, rain fell as they neared the end of the process.
It was the third consecutive time Davenport has prepared to play in Scottsdale, only to have the match canceled or postponed. She reached the final last year against Martina Hingis just before a storm moved in.
Davenport and Hingis waited until the following Monday before the final was canceled, leaving the first-year tournament without a champion. This year, her Tuesday night match against Gala Leon Garcia was postponed until Wednesday afternoon, then postponed again after a 4 1/2 -hour wait.
“It’s frustrating, but at least no one is behind yet,” said Davenport, who is 4-0 against Leon Garcia.
Also postponed was a match between Kristina Brandi and Magui Serna, an upset winner over No. 6 Justine Henin on Monday.
Tatum and his staff scheduled all eight second-round singles matches for Thursday.