Lindsay Davenport closed in on Amelie Mauresmo's world number one ranking on Sunday when the top seeded Frenchwoman was forced to retire injured in the final of the 650,000-dollar WTA event here.
Mauresmo withdrew after losing the first set 2-6 with a recurring left-thigh strain, handing a 45th career title and a luxury Porsche car to second seed Davenport.
The 25-year-old Frenchwoman had assured her world number one spot by winning Saturday's semi-finals, but Davenport is now just 15 points behind and could reclaim the spot she last held in June 2001 after the Kremlin Cup in Moscow next week.
"I couldn't move so I preferred to stop," said Mauresmo.
"Except for this injury I was playing great and really enjoying it. It's a bit disappointing because I wanted to play a great match with Lindsay, but that's the way it is."
Davenport, winner here in 2001, said: "There's not a whole lot of joy winning a match like that. The first game was tough and then it started to bother her."
Davenport, 28, who earlier in the year had hinted about the possibility of retirement at season's end, has been surprised at how well she's played this year and her chances of returning to number one.
And it was in the German town that she first took over the number one ranking six years ago.
"It's far off," she said of retiring. "I've thought about it quite a bit this year. I've been playing since 1992, but the last few months I've stated to enjoy it more.
"I haven't been as injured in the past. I'm Looking forward to the end of the year and seeing what happens," added the American, who wins 98,000 dollars with Mauresmo taking home 53,000 dollars
It was the 11th meeting between the two with the American now having won eight of those ties.
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