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| Capriati keeps it simple |
26 giugno 2003
Wimbledon
Eighth seed
Jennifer Capriati needed just 47 minutes to wrap up the easiest of second
round wins today, defeating her Swiss opponent Marie-Gaianeh Mikaelian 6-2,
6-1. Even though she was not at her sharpest, the American was never
troubled by Mikaelian, a 19-year-old with a serve which invited, and
regularly received, punishment.
Though Mikaelian is ranked 38th and was runner-up at the Gold
Coast tournament in Australia at the start of the year, she was outclassed
from the opening point. Capriati broke to lead 3-1 in the first set when the
Swiss girl double-faulted twice, one serve sailing almost out of the
confines of Court 2.
There was a stutter for Capriati when, at 4-2, she offered a break point by
hooking a forehand wide, only to escape with a fine service winner and then
hold serve with one of the nine aces she hit in the match. She wrapped up
the set in 25 minutes by breaking for a second time in the next game with a
fine forehand.
One of Mikaelian's eight double-faults pitched her into early trouble in the
second set as she dropped serve for the third time in four attempts, and
Capriati stretched her lead to 3-0. When her swing was properly grooved, the
American struck some glorious winners, but Mikaelian's tendency to
double-fault was also of enormous assistance. Two more of them saw Capriati
break again to lead 5-1 and a chance to serve routinely for the match.
Instead, she got
within two points of victory before slipping into the Mikaelian malaise with
a brace of double-faults that handed the Swiss a break point. She wasted
this opportunity by netting a forehand, at which Capriati perked up, moved
to match point and then slammed down an ace to end the encounter in style.
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