American Lindsay Davenport showed no signs of the knee injury that has sidelined her this year, when she won her first match in the Bank of the West Classic tournament at Palo Alto, California.
Davenport has been off the courts for nine months recovering from a knee operation. But she easily got past Luxembourg's Anne Kremer in straight sets late Wednesday, 6-3, 6-0. The tall American, seeded second, won 16 straight points to open the second set and needed just 45 minutes to win.
She will next face fifth-seeded Jelena Dokic of Yugoslavia, a three-set winner over Conchita Martinez of Spain: 1-6, 6-0, 6-1. Meanwhile, American veteran Monica Seles defeated Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn in three sets: 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.
Seventh-seeded Daja Bedanova of the Czech Republic scored a straight-set win over Tatiana Panova of Russia 6-3, 6-4. She takes on Yugoslavia's Jelena Jankovic, a straight-set winner over American Sarah Taylor 6-1, 6-1.
Top seed Venus Williams of the United States plays her first match of the tournament Thursday, when she takes on countrywoman Meghann Shaughnessy, the woman who beat her last year at this tournament.