Davenport scrambles into round three

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Lindsay Davenport needed to rely on her greater wealth of experience to steer past Russian teenager Alisa Kleybanova 7-5 6-3 in the second round of the U.S. Open on Wednesday.

Davenport, champion in 1998, struggled to find her range in the opening match of the night session but capitalized on 27 unforced errors from Kleybanova to seal victory.

"I didn't play quite as well as I did the other day (in the first round). Didn't find my rhythm but sometimes you just have to get through these matches," said the 32-year-old, who missed the 2007 tournament while on maternity leave.

"I'm ecstatic to be in the third round."

Former world number one Davenport will next face Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli.

The American 23rd seed served for the opening set at 5-4 up but some dogged play from her 19-year-old opponent meant she had to toil on for another two games before bagging it.

Kleybanova, competing at the Open for the first time, tried to stay in the hunt in the second set but was eventually outclassed and bowed out by tipping a backhand wide.

The victory gave Davenport her best grand slam showing of the year after losing in the second round at the Australian Open, skipping the French and withdrawing with a knee injury from round two at Wimbledon.

HALFWAY DECENT

"I still look at it as this is where I should be if I'm healthy and can play halfway decent," Davenport said. "I feel like I can still be successful.

"I'm obviously probably more excited than maybe I used to be by getting to the third round, but I feel when I'm in a tournament and I'm competing and I'm healthy, that I should be winning some of these matches.

"But I'm still looking for more."

Davenport, who waved to her baby son, Jagger, up in the stands after her victory, said she felt her game beginning to come together after returning from Beijing where she played doubles in the Olympics.

"It was only when I got back from China maybe last Saturday that I was able to start practicing for singles," she said. "So to expect I would be out here and be perfect is probably shooting for the stars a little bit too much."

"I don't feel like I'm that far off. I just feel I'm timing the ball just a little bit late...not as perfect as I'd like it to be. If I can get that going, hit more penetrating shots, I feel I can turn my game around."

(Additional reporting by Larry Fine)

(Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)