May, 27th 2003
Roland Garros
PARIS (AP) -- She has made a
captivating career comeback, Grand Slam trophy acceptance speeches and $7
million in prize money. And yet, Jennifer Capriati sometimes doubts her ability.
Wavering repeatedly in close matches this year, Capriati must change that
trend if she's to pose a threat at the French Open.
She breezed to an easy first-round victory
Tuesday. But she is just 3-7 in three-setters in 2003 and confessed that her
resolve weakens in the clutch.
"Maybe I just don't play as aggressively," she said.
"Instead of moving
forward, I back up. ... Maybe sometimes I don't believe that I can win it,
which is a little bit ridiculous at this stage of my career. It's all about
confidence."
Even in the first round Tuesday, Capriati acknowledged
being nervous. She started slowly but settled down quickly and beat
Joannette Kruger 6-2, 6-1.
"Automatically, first round of a Grand Slam, you just feel tighter than
usual," she said. "Then I started to loosen up. I definitely played better."
Once a teen prodigy, Capriati won the
French Open two years ago in the midst of her remarkable rebound from drug
and personal problems. That was during a stretch when she claimed three
major championships in 13 months.
But her reign at No. 1 ended at Roland Garros last year, when she was one
game from victory in the semifinals before losing to Serena Williams.
Capriati hasn't reached a Grand Slam semifinal since, and she's no longer
considered the player to beat -- to her relief.
"I just feel like I'm a little bit the underdog again," she said.
"I don't like so much attention when everyone's all eyes on me, sort of like,
'What is she going to do now? Can she keep it up? Blah, blah, blah.' So I
like it better when things are more quiet."
Still, she's annoyed that her ranking has slipped to No. 7, and she wants to
return to No. 1.
"If I get to that position again, I'll handle it a bit differently and
enjoy being at the top position," she said.
Separating Capriati from that goal are the Williams sisters. She's 0-4
against Venus and has lost seven matches in a row to top-ranked Serena.
Roland Garros may offer the best opportunity for Capriati, Kim Clijsters,
Justine Henin-Hardenne or Amelie Mauresmo to overtake the sisters, who have
reached the finals in four consecutive major events.
"I think this is going to be their most difficult surface," said Lindsay
Davenport, another first-round winner Tuesday. "You can tell with the girls,
like Amelie and Justine, I think they have a much better chance of defeating
them on clay than they do on grass or hardcourt. If there's any surface
they're going to be vulnerable on, it's this."
Capriati agreed that there's an opportunity to end the sisters' domination.
She has reached the quarterfinals in her last six tournaments but has yet to
win a title this year, and she's eager for a breakthrough.
"It's worse to just almost be close and not get there," she said.
"It's starting to really irritate me. I'm going to do my best to try to do
something about it."
|
.gif){kind=small}