Sports
Top seed Capriati crashes out
US JenniferCapriati returns the ball to her Spanish opponent Conchita Martinezat the Swisscom Challenge Tennis tournament in Kloten,16 October2002. Martinez won 6-0, 6-3. AFP PHOTO/EPA/KEYSTONE/EDDY RISCH/ERIMAI
ZURICH (AFP) - Top seed Jennifer Capriatislumped to a stunning 6-0, 6-3 defeat at the hands of Spanishveteran Conchita Martinez in the second round of the 1.2-million-dollarZurich WTA event here on Wednesday.
It was the Americans second successive openinground defeat, following an upset by qualifier Alexandra Stevensonat Filderstadt last week, and leaves her without a victory sinceshe beat Amy Frazier in the fourth round of the US Open last month.
Capriati failed to make any impression inthe first set, missing many of her volleys and struggling to maintainthe rallies, and her only resistance came when she was 5-0 downand saved four set points before conceding the fifth with a doublefault.
In the second game of the second set, Capriatipulled up suddenly and received treatment to her left foot. Whenplay resumed she offered much more of a challenge, hitting theball with greater pace and accuracy, but it was Martinez who gotthe only break, to lead 4-2, when Capriati netted a forehand.
"I made a bad start and couldn't getinto a rhythm," said Capriati. "I was simply not consistentat all in the first set, and she was playing well. I was missingmy shots and not going for them so much, and that set it up forher to dictate the points. I wasn't even playing tennis, basically."
The foot injury remained a mystery afterthe match, and Capriati was unsure whether she would be able tocompete in Linz next week.
"I guess I just landed on it funny,or I jammed it. It's just a freakish thing," she said. "ButI felt that in the second set I started to play a little bit better.
"With the foot maybe I lost a coupleof games, and then it eased up and I was able to run. I had togo for it, and maybe that helped me a little."
Martinez recently reached her first finalsince the 2000 French Open before losing to 2001 world juniorchampion Svetlana Kuznetsova in Bali, and the victory over Capriatimarked another step on a comeback from the six-month injury breakshe endured last year.
"Of course I wasn't thinking I wasgoing to beat Jennifer 6-0, but I'm not sure that surprised isthe word," said 47th-ranked Martinez. "I felt reallyconfident playing my game and everything went in, and I did playwell. It's a great win.
"I've done a lot of work and I've playeda lot of tournaments. I know some players don't like my slice,and my forehand was working really well. I'm hitting the balland I'm enjoying it. Its the way I used to play."