Capriati, Mauresmo win in Rome |
http://www.sina.com.cn 2004/05/14 11:21 Shanghai Daily |
Former world No. 1 Jennifer Capriati continued her bid for a first Italian Open title yesterday when she reached the quarterfinals in Rome by sweeping aside 12th seed Paola Suarez of Argentina 6-2, 6-2. The fifth seed's one-sided win over the claycourt specialist confirmed her return to full fitness after a back injury forced her to withdraw from the Australian Open and Indian Wells tournament earlier this year. The American made an impressive start against Suarez, stretching her opponent with flat, deep groundstrokes to break in the second and eighth games and race through the first set. Suarez rallied to create three break points in the opening game of the second, but Capriati, who reached the semifinals of the WTA event in Berlin last week, reeled off a forehand winner, an unreturnable dropshot and an ace to hold serve. She then broke again to set up a quarterfinal against 16th seed Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi of Israel, who earlier defeated home favorite Flavia Pennetta of Italy 6-2, 6-2. Capriati was joined in the last eight by Amelie Mauresmo, the second seed powering past four-time champion Conchita Martinez of Spain 6-3, 6-4. Martinez, who dominated the tournament between 1993 and 1996, had won her only previous meeting with the Frenchwoman in the final of the WTA claycourt event in Berlin six years ago. Mauresmo, bidding for her first Rome title after finishing runner-up here three times in the past four years, quickly found her range on the Spaniard's heavily-spun groundstrokes to go 4-1 up. A netted half-volley gave Martinez two break points as Mauresmo served for the set in the ninth game, but the second seed fired down an ace and then smashed away a low lob before wrapping up the set. Aggressive net play by the Frenchwoman earned breaks in the first and third games of the second set and she now faces tenth seed Silvia Farina Elia of Italy or 17-year-old Russian Maria Sharapova for a semifinal place. Meanwhile, Martina Navratilova will play singles at a grand slam event for the first time in 10 years at the French Open later this month, almost 20 years since she last triumphed in the final at Roland Garros. French Open organizers yesterday said they had awarded a wild card to the 47-year-old American, who made her singles comeback last month on Amelia Island. Navratilova, who holds 167 singles titles, more than any other player in history, lost 6-1, 3-6, 2-6 to Milagros Sequera in her first WTA singles match in almost 10 years on April 6. She later lost to Amy Frazier in the first round in Charleston. (Reuters) |
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