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FINAL: Capriati D Davenport 6-2, 4-0 retired
This triumph on the hard surface of New Haven was very important, expecially for Jennifer's morale: in fact, she
didn't win anything from the 2002 Australian Open and she declared to be sick of it. So, this win gave her most
self-assurance, before the US Open. Curious was the way in which Jen wins. She showed tenacity on second round
match, against Elena Bovina, recovering from one set below. She showed power of concentration and patience
against Anna Pistolesi in quarterfinal, defending the winning from Anna's come back in second set. Finally, she
was also a bit lucky against Mauresmo and Davenport, which retired due to injury (but this happened when they
has already lost the first set). Touching the sincere embrace between Jen and Lindsay at the end of the
final.
Walking toward the final
FIRST ROUND. Bye
SECOND ROUND. Capriati D Bovina 4-6, 7-5, 6-4
QUARTERFINAL. Capriati D Pistolesi 6-2, 5-7, 6-1
SEMIFINAL. Capriati D Mauresmo 6-3, 3-1 retired
Final's report
Jen started to serve in first set and, with a double-fault, lost the serve. She immediately recovered the
disavantage's break and leaded 2-1. Jen breaked Davenport also on sixth game (4-2 leaded) and again on eighth one
(with a Davenport's double-fault), winning the first set.
On second set, Jennifer breaked Davenport on second game (2-0 leaded). At 3-0 Capriati, Lindsay called for the
trainer, due to a left foot injury. After three minutes' stop, Lindsay losed her service for second time in set
and forced to retire from the match.
WTA article
CAPRIATI CLAIMS PILOT PEN TITLE AT NEW HAVEN
NEW HAVEN, CT - American Jennifer Capriati won her 14 career singles title in her 30th final on Saturday, when
top seed Lindsay Davenport retired due to a recurring foot injury at the $625,000 Pilot Pen Tennis tournament
presented by Michelob Ultra in New Haven, Connecticut.
The third-seeded Capriati ended her 18-month title drought when a visibly hurt Davenport retired during the
All-American final. Capriati was leading 6-2, 4-0.
"You don't want to win like that, obviously," Capriati said. "Lindsay was very gracious to me after and
said that I still played great, nothing to take away from her injury. "I feel like I did really play well. I was
playing well anyways to start off with. I feel like now I'm playing a little bit like my old self."
Morton's Neuroma, a painful nerve problem in her left foot, is an ongoing condition that has been bothering
Davenport.
"It's been bothering me all week," Davenport said. "But today even when I woke up, it was just a little bit more
sore. While I was getting it taped before the match, the symptoms were coming on just while (the trainer) was
taping.
"It's something that I've been dealing with for just about a year now, and something that since around April
has been affecting me every day and getting worse as time goes on."
Davenport, who was playing in her 70th career singles final, finished runner-up in New Haven for the fourth
time in the past five years, having lost to Venus Williams in 1999, 2001 and 2002.
Capriati collected $96,000 for claiming her first title since winning the Australian Open in 2002. This was her
third final of 2003, having lost to then No. 1-ranked Serena Williams in Miami, and current world No. 1 Kim
Clijsters at Stanford. The Pilot Pen Tennis tournament is considered a warm-up for this week’s US Open.
"Because of the way I'm playing, I feel confident now going in there (US Open)," Capriati said. "But
it's a Grand Slam. It's tough. It's two weeks. I just have to take it match-by-match, not look ahead. "I can enjoy
this now, but really, after I leave here, it's 'forget about it.' It's off to New York and just concentrate on
that," she added.
Capriati, the sixth seed at the US Open, is aiming to reach her first final at her home Grand Slam. She is
scheduled to play Spain's Cristina Torrens Valero in the first round.
Davenport's injury did not deter her from heading to the US Open. She is seeded third and defeated Belgian
Els Callens in the first round.
"I'm for sure going to go out there," Davenport said. "I want to play the US Open more than anything".
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