Lindsay Davenport claimed one of the most unlikely title victories of her career at the Bali Classic on Sunday when she defeated second seed Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.
The 31-year-old American was playing her first singles event in almost a year, only three months after giving birth to son Jagger in June, and had not known what to expect as she began her tentative comeback.
Davenport had been ready to lose in the first round but instead defeated world number three Jelena Jankovic in the quarter-finals before going on to earn her 52nd title.
It was her seventh win in seven meetings with the willowy Slovak and at 234 she is the lowest-ranked player to win a tournament this year. She is also the second mother to win a title this season, following Austrian Sybille Bammer's February victory in Pattaya.
The contest between two evenly-matched players was far from a classic, with most of the play consisting of baseline rallies with an occasional fine serve or return thrown in.
Davenport earned an early break to lead 2-1, only to net a forehand to end a long rally and allow Hantuchova to level at 2-2. Games then went comfortably with serve until Hantuchova earned a break point to lead 5-3, but she netted a forehand.
Davenport punished her by breaking for 5-4, forcing a forehand error from her return.
Just one break decided the second set, when Davenport netted a backhand to give Hantuchova a 3-1 lead.
In the final set, Davenport all but assured herself of victory when she claimed 15 of 17 points to establish a 4-1 lead, after which Hantuchova received medical attention to what appeared to be a blister on her right ankle.
Having broken for 3-1, Davenport broke again for the match to claim her first title since winning Zurich in October 2005.
