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| March 30, 2003 | Sunday | Muharram 26, 1424 |
Capriati sets up re-match with Serena
MIAMI, March 29: Jennifer Capriati swept past Chanda Rubin 6-2 6-4 to storm into Saturday’s Nasdaq-100 Open final, where she will be hoping to celebrate her 27th birthday with victory over world number one Serena Williams.
Sixth seed Capriati wasted little time in winning her rain-delayed semi-final on Friday to set up a re-match of last year’s title match, which Williams won in straight sets.
It was a controlled display of aggression by Miami resident Capriati.
“I knew she wasn’t going to give it to me easily. She tried to come in more but my level was pretty high through the whole match. Today was my best match of the year, probably,” said Capriati.
She had lost her previous two matches to the 10th ranked Rubin but found her range well in a 73-minute victory.
Despite dropping her serve in the opening game, Capriati overwhelmed her fellow American with her powerful backhand and took the first set when Rubin hit a weak forehand into the net.
Rubin began the second set more strongly and held a 3-1 lead, but the advantage was only temporary as Capriati hit back with breaks in the sixth and eighth games.
Rubin levelled the match in the following game but could not hold her next serve, Capriati setting up two match points with a forehand winner and closing victory with a pacy backhand that Rubin misfired into the crowd.
Following her sixth career defeat by Capriati, Rubin said: “I would have liked to have hit the ball better today but Jennifer was very strong.
“Her backhand is very solid, it’s her bread and butter shot, and there weren’t many places I could go.
“I just needed to pressure her a bit more but I wasn’t able to.”
But Capriati will have her task cut out in the final against Williams, who holds all four grand slam titles and has a 16-0 win-loss record in 2003.
Capriati has lost their previous six meetings, including last year’s final here on a tiebreak, 7-5 7-6.
“I figure one of these times it’s got to go my way,” Capriati said.
“I’ve been in so many of these matches with her now, I’m not just going in there expecting it to happen... hopefully I can hold up on my serve just so that puts less pressure on me.
“I’ll just try to win... if I didn’t, on my birthday, that would be a pretty sick joke, right?”
Result: Semifinal: Jennifer Capriati bt Chanda Rubin 6-2 6-4.—Reuters
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