TENNIS ROUNDUP : Capriati Beats No. 5 Sanchez Easily

Jennifer Capriati continued to impress crowds and her opponents Thursday, beating French Open champion Arantxa Sanchez to advance to the quarterfinals of the Family Circle Magazine Cup.

Playing in her third tournament since turning professional last month, Capriati, 14, took only 45 minutes to defeat Sanchez, seeded second and rated fifth in the world, 6-1, 6-1 on the green clay at Sea Pines Racquet Club on Hilton Head Island, S.C.

Capriati, who is not seeded and has not played in enough pro events to be ranked, is 11-2 as a professional and 3-1 against top-10 opponents. She was both precise and powerful in beating Sanchez, rated fifth in the world.

“I thought this was one of the best matches that I’ve played so far,” Capriati said. “I mean it wasn’t so easy. I had to keep playing well. I think I just didn’t give her a chance to come back into the match because I was playing well.”

Capriati lost only four points on her serve in each set. She had 12 unforced errors to 18 for Sanchez.

Top-seeded Brad Gilbert advanced to the quarterfinals of the Prudential-Bache Securities tournament in Orlando, Fla., and No. 2 Aaron Krickstein withdrew after suffering a torn right hamstring.

Gilbert, one of three seeded players remaining in the quarterfinals, beat Jimmy Brown, 6-2, 6-1.

“I was striking the ball a lot better tonight,” said Gilbert, who will meet Joey Rive, a 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 winner over Miguel Nido of Puerto Rico, in today’s quarterfinals.

Krickstein’s injury put Alex Hombrecher, a Stanford University freshman ranked on the lowest rung of the computer at No. 1,095, into his first professional quarterfinal. He will go against David Pate.