Lucky Loser Davis Makes Most of an Opportunity

When Victoria Azarenka pulled out of the Sony Open, 19-year-old American Lauren Davis subbed in nicely with a win over Madison Keys.

By Chris Oddo

(March 22, 2013) -- Only five spots separate Lauren Davis and Madison Keys in the WTA rankings, but when it comes to buzz it is the high-octane game of the athletically gifted Keys that makes pundits drool. The 5'10” phenom possesses jaw-dropping power and a world-class kick serve that gets raves from coaches and opponents alike.

Read: The Sky is the Limit for Madison Keys

These days, Keys might garner more attention than any young American woman other than Sloane Stephens, but that doesn't mean she's the only one with a bright future in the game.

That much was apparent today, as World No. 81 Lauren Davis, a scrappy baseliner from Cleveland, Ohio, ended up being a buzzkill for the Keys bandwagon as she persevered through two hours and forty-three minutes of nerve-wracking tennis and three match points to defeat Keys, 6-1, 5-7, 7-6(7).

Davis, who already has a challenger title and a WTA quarterfinal under her belt in 2013, was inserted into the draw when Victoria Azarenka withdrew with an ailing foot at the last second today. To her credit, the 19-year-old was prepared to play, and stepped in to make the most of her opportunity.

Read: Azarenka Pulls out of Miami

“We kind of have opposite games,” Davis told reporters after the match. “I'm a grinder and good baseliner. She likes to keep the points shorter, big serve, big forehand. She kind of plays like a guy. So my game plan was just to go out there and I guess exploit her backhand and hit down the line when she tries to run around the forehand and just keep balls in play.”

Davis reflected gleefully on what it feels like to go from nowhere into the third round in a span of a few hours.

“I'm so ecstatically happy,” she said. “I came here this morning with like no hope left that I was going to get in, because I had seen Azarenka practicing and stuff, but I just hoped and I wished and I prayed that I would get in. And so I got a call at 10:00 a.m. saying I got in. I was just so happy. I didn't care if I won or lost. I just was so grateful for the opportunity to play.”

Davis, who trains at the Evert Academy and lives in nearby Fort Lauderdale, built an early 6-1, 3-1 lead before the explosive Keys got hot and pushed the match to a third set. Much to the chagrin of Davis and the multiple family and friends that had come to see her play, Keys then took a 6-3 lead in the tiebreaker. But the feisty Davis wouldn't go away. She saved three match points and held on for the victory.

“Yeah, it was so stressful, but in a good way,” Davis said. “It was really, really nerve‑wracking, and I'm sure my family and friends were about to have a heart attack, as well. But I wanted it really, really badly, so I just kept on fighting and never gave up.”

She nearly had given up earlier in the week. As the highest-seeded player to lose in the final round of qualifying, Davis knew that an Azarenka withdrawal was her best bet to get in the draw. The Belarusian had pulled out of Indian Wells and was rumored to be doubtful for Miami, but when Davis watched her practice she thought she looked fine.

“She looked perfectly fine to me,” Davis said. “I wasn't paying attention too much because I thought all hope was gone already.”

Davis couldn't help but be grateful to Azarenka for her opportunity, saying “Yeah, I, like, love her for pulling out...” but it is Davis who deserves all the credit today for making a little luck go a long way.

She'll face either Alize Cornet or Laura Robson in the third round.

(Photo Credit: US Presswire)