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Capriati admits she was scared

February, 23rd 2004
DUBAI - Duty Free Women's Open

DUBAI (AFP) - Jennifer Capriati arrived for her first tournament of 2004 and admitted that she had been scared that she might never play again because of recent injuries.
The former world number one believes she has got over the back injury which stopped her playing in the Australian Open and kept her out for three months, but admitted there were moments when she doubted it would happen.

"I had to take a lot of time off with an injury like that and it crossed my mind that if it doesn't get better perhaps I can't get back," said 27-year-old Capriati.
"It scared me, which is a good thing. I wanted to decide when it was going to be over, and I knew I wasn't ready. I wasn't able to play when I wanted to and I didn't like that. I realised I missed it."

The American is no stranger to long breaks from the circuit, having been off the tour for two years in 1994 and 1995 after a series of adolescent catastrophes.

At the same time last year she was making a comeback at this same tournament, the Dubai Open, after nearly a month away to have spots caused by bright sunlight removed from her retina.

This time Capriati briefly contemplated more drastic alternatives.

"I thought I have had a great career and nothing which has happened am I really ashamed of. But I thought perhaps I could have done more."

Capriati will probably begin on Wednesday against the winner of the tie between Tina Pisnik of Slovenia and Eleni Daniilidou, the former top 20 player from Greece, who has slipped and is now a wild card entry.

"I shall just be thinking of trying to get through it," emphasised Capriati who is bidding for a 14th career title.

"I have no expectations at all and I don't want people to have expectations of me, because I don't know what is going to happen."

However the former French and two-time Australian Open champion will have extra support during these potentially awkward moments. She will have her mother Denise, a club level player, on tour with her for the first time. Normally Capriati's father Stefano travels with her, often acting as a coach.

Another who is making a comeback, but only after a short absence, is Justine Henin-Hardenne, the world number one, who withdrew from her home tournament in Antwerp last week with bronchitis.
Henin, who will also probably start on Wednesday, against the winner of Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand and Selima Sfar of Tunisia, is seeded to meet the former world number one Venus Williams in Saturday's final.

Jennifer Capriati arrived for her first tournament of 2004 and admitted that she had been scared that she might never play again because of recent injuries.