April, 15th 2003
AMELIA ISLAND - Bausch & Lomb Championships
Amelia Island, FL (Sports Network) - Former world No. 1 Jennifer Capriati was a
straight-set winner Tuesday at the $585,000 Bausch & Lomb Championships.
The third-seeded Capriati was pushed in a 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) victory over Swiss
Marie-Gaianeh Mikaelian.
The 27-year-old Capriati, who is still seeking her first title of any kind
since capturing a second straight Australian Open championship in January
2002, returned to the court for the first time Tuesday since losing to
Serena Williams in the lucrative final at the NASDAQ-100 Open in Miami three
weeks ago. The American star skipped last week's event in Charleston due to
strep throat.
Capriati was joined in the third round by fourth-seeded Slovakian Daniela
Hantuchova and fellow Americans Lisa Raymond and Alexandra Stevenson.
Hantuchova handled Japan's Akiko Morigami 7-5, 6-2; the 12th-seeded Raymond
got past Ukrainian Julia Vakulenko 6-1, 3-6, 6-1; and the 16th-seeded
Stevenson dismissed Belgian Els Callens 7-5, 6-3 on the green clay at Amelia
Island Plantation. Hantuchova and Stevenson will clash in the next round.
All 16 seeds received first-round byes this week.
In opening-round play on Day 2, Spaniard Virginia Ruano Pascual beat Russian
Alina Jidkova 6-2, 7-5; Slovenian Maja Matevzic outlasted American Meilen Tu
4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4); Slovenian Tina Pisnik overcame American Jennifer
Hopkins 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (8-6), 6-1; and Lina Krasnoroutskaya cut down fellow
Russian Tatiana Panova 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.
The 2003 Amelia Island champion will claim $93,000.
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