18 maggio 2004
ROME, Italy - Losing 6-2 6-0
in the semifinals of Berlin last week to Amelie Mauresmo may just have been
the best thing for Jennifer Capriati in a long time.
This week at the Telecom Italia Masters in Rome, Italy, Capriati stormed
through the draw all the way to the final before losing a thrilling
three-set match to Mauresmo and placing herself at the forefront of
contenders for the upcoming French Open in Paris.
"Last week she really played well, but I wasn't ready for her," she said.
"You know, you learn something from those kind of matches. I had something to prove to myself
and to her," said Capriati, "for her to beat me like that, I wasn't gonna let that happen again.
It got me fired up. It made me mad, of course."
Capriati certainly bounced back with a vengeance early on in the week,
beginning by trouncing world No.37 Maria Vento-Kabchi of Venezuela 6-2 6-1 in
the second round after receiving a first round bye. She then routed No.12
seed Paola Suarez of Argentina 6-2 6-2 in the round of 16, then defeated tough
clay-courter Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi of Israel by the same score.
"I think I'm getting there," she said after her win over Vento-Kabchi
earlier on in the week. "I'm feeling more like myself out there, kind of
the aggressive style that I play, and really going for my shots and moving
well. I think I can peak for the French Open."
Heading into the semifinals, Capriati had even more to prove. In taking on
top-seeded Serena Williams, Capriati had on her mind the eight consecutive
losses to the American, a run that dates back to the 2001 Canadian Open in
Toronto. When asked about which one of the losses was the most disappointing,
Capriati was unable to pick a certain one.
"They're all painful, that's the truth," she said.
Coming back from a knee-injury, Serena Williams was error-prone as Capriati
raced out to a 6-4 5-1 lead. Capriati's lead began to slip away but she
managed to close it out on her second match point and on an errant forehand
from Williams 64 in the second set.
"I felt like the match was in my hands and I wasn't going to let it get
out of my hands," said Capriati. "She has to let me win one time to
keep things interesting."
"She was playing pretty well today," said Williams after the match. "I just
thought, 'Keep fighting. Third set - maybe.'"
Perhaps the biggest achievement for Capriati of the week was how she fought
through an incredible high quality final and managed to come within one
point of victory against Mauresmo, who handed her one of the worst defeats
of her career just a week earlier.
In what turned out to be the longest one ever in the final in Rome, the two
players battled through an unpredictable and exciting final set after
splitting the first two. Capriati had a 4-2 lead in the third set, and after
losing her next serve, broke again to go up 5-3 with a stunning running
forehand passing shot, a shot that was thought by many to be the shot of the week.
"Very impressive," said Mauresmo. "I went for it, she made the shot, the
perfect shot."
"I guess that running forehand was really working for me today," said
Capriati.
The closely-contested match ended up at 6-all in the third set tiebreaker
after both players squandered match points, Capriati while receiving at 5-4
and Mauresmo while up 6-5 in the tiebreak. Eventually, Mauresmo's recent
head-to-head success against the American and confidence from her solid play
this season may have been just enough to pull off the win.
"When you get to 6-all in the third-set tiebreaker, I think you don't really
know what's going to happen," said Mauresmo. "Could have gone either way."
"I'm very satisfied about the level of this match and hanging in there until
the end."
Although she did not come out the victor, Capriati was satisfied with her efforts.
"You know, I didn't lose; she had to win the match," she said, "I
don't really feel that bad right now.
I think it was just a really fantastic match. That's what I thrive for and
that's what I play for, these kind of matches.
It's a good thing for the Grand Slam," said Capriati. "I mean,
that's where the real Jennifer wants to come out anyway."
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