BEIJING, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- Unseeded Lindsay Davenport ran her comeback winning streak to eight matches Friday and qualified for the semifinals of the $600,000 China Open.
Davenport returned to competition last week after taking about a year off, including time to have her first child, from tournament singles play. She won that tournament in Indonesia and kept the winning streak going Friday with a 7-6 (7-1), 6-1 victory over fourth-seeded Elena Dementieva.
World No. 3 Jelena Jankovic also claimed a straight-set quarterfinal win Friday, knocking out Akiko Morigami 6-3, 7-5.
Jankovic and Davenport are paired against each other in Saturday’s semifinals. Davenport beat Jankovic in the quarterfinals in the Bali tournament last week.
The other semifinal pits local favorite Shuai Peng against sixth-seeded Agnes Szavay. On Friday, Peng dropped the first set before posting a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over third-seeded Amelie Mauresmo and Szavay swept by Marie Emilia Salerni 6-2, 6-4.
The tournament finals are scheduled for Sunday when the winner is to pick up $88,265.
