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| Continuing rehab, Capriati is not ready to come back |
20 gennaio 2006
Martina Hingis' convincing comeback has been
the biggest story of this Australian Open and it's been reported that the
woman who conquered Hingis in consecutive Australian Open finals — her
friend and occasional practice partner Jennifer Capriati — would launch her
own return at the Nasdaq-100 Open in Miami in March. But the three-time
Grand Slam champion said she is not ready to return to tournament tennis.
Responding to a Tennis Week request to confirm her comeback at the
Nasdaq-100 Open, Capriati said today she has no plans to play Miami.
"It's not true that I'm hitting and planning to play Miami," Capriati
told Tennis Week.
The three-time Miami finalist is continuing rehab on her surgically repaired
right shoulder. Capriati has not played a match since suffering a 6-0, 6-1
setback to Vera Zvonareva in the Philadelphia quarterfinals in November of 2004.
The former World No. 1 played much of the 2004 season limited by shoulder,
back and hamstring injuries that restricted her to 41 matches. Capriati
concluded the 2004 season reaching the quarterfinals or better in eight
consecutive events, including a final eight appearance at Wimbledon and a
semifinal effort at the U.S. Open.
While there is no definitive timetable for her return, the 29-year-old
Capriati made it clear she is committed to an eventual comeback.
"I am still working on rehab and expect to return to tennis,"
Capriati said. "I have no plans on giving up!"
It was Capriati's refusal to yield that helped her stage one of the most
memorable rallies in Australian Open history. Capriati fought off four match
points to conquer Hingis and the intense Melbourne heat, 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-2,
in the 2002 Australian Open final. It was the most championship points ever
saved by a woman in a Grand Slam final.
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