Ailing Davenport withdraws from Amelia Island semifinal

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. — Lindsay Davenport withdrew from the Bausch &Lomb Championships on Saturday because of fever and aches before her semifinal against Maria Sharapova.

This is the first time in her 16 years on the WTA Tour the three-time Grand Slam champion pulled out of an event because of sickness.

Sharapova gets a walkover into today’s title match, her first final on clay. The top-seeded Russian will play Dominika Cibulkova, an 18-year-old Slovakian who reached her first WTA final. Cibulkova defeated Alize Cornet 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 in the other semifinal.

Davenport’s illness may stem from the cold her 10-month-old son had this week. She said she began feeling sick after her quarterfinal victory Friday.

“I returned to my hotel where the tournament doctor came to see me,” she said. “Unfortunately, I was running a fever, had aches and pains and a headache. Those symptoms have worsened today.”

Davenport already had decided to skip next week’s Family Circle Cup in Charleston, S.C.

Davenport won Bausch &Lomb in 1997, 2004 and 2005 and has a 14-match win streak at Amelia Island Plantation. She missed the tournament the last two years because of a back injury and the birth of her son, Jagger.

Her withdrawal gives Sharapova some needed rest. The Russian spent a combined six hours grinding out three-set wins Thursday and Friday.

“It’s obviously very strange coming onto the site and not being able to play the semifinal,” Sharapova said. “Obviously, Lindsay woke up sick today, and you’re always ready to go out and play on court and compete. This was a little strange. This was actually the first time that I did get a walkover like that so late in the tournament.”

Cibulkova, who is unseeded and ranked No. 34, has knocked out the Nos. 2, 11 and 14 seeds on her surprising run through the draw. She will play Sharapova for the first time.

“I will try to enjoy it and play my best and be really relaxed,” she said. “I really have nothing to lose.”