Sprem pushes Davenport into third round of Aussie Open

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Lindsay Davenport got a tough workout from Karolina Sprem in the second round of the Australian Open before advancing Wednesday with a 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory.

After trading breaks in the third and fourth games, the first set went on serve, with Davenport winning the 12th game at love to force a tiebreaker.

Trailing 3-1, the top-ranked Davenport rallied after Sprem double-faulted, winning six of the last seven points and claiming the set with consecutive forehand winners.

"After being down in the tiebreaker, to come back and construct a few really good points, it was very key to get out of that," Davenport said.

The 2000 Australian champion, had six breakpoint chances in the second set before finally converting after the sixth game went to deuce six times.

"It was a really tough match," Davenport said. "I knew she definitely had the ability to be dangerous, and that was the best that she's played against me.

Davenport next plays 25th-seeded Maria Kirilenko, who had a 7-6 (1), 6-4 win over fellow Russian Galina Voskoboeva.

French Open champion and eighth-seed Justine Henin-Hardenne had a 7-6 (2), 6-1 win over Hana Sromova, who badly turned her right ankle after the second game of the second set and lost the next five games.

In another women's match, Olga Savchuk of Ukraine beat Jelena Jankovic, the 23rd seed, 6-3, 6-4.

Defending women's champion Serena Williams faced Camille Pin of France later Wednesday, while No. 4 Maria Sharapova faced American Ashley Harkle-road.