Capriati Gets Second Win of Comeback

Notching the second victory of her comeback, Jennifer Capriati defeated Austria’s Barbara Schett, 7-6 (8-6), 6-1, Thursday in the Faber Grand Prix tournament at Essen, Germany.

Capriati rallied from a 4-0 deficit in the first set. Schett took a 1-0 lead in the second set, but Capriati rallied again to advance to the quarterfinals.

It was Capriati’s second win in the tournament and she was exuberant afterward, saying she was “in better shape than ever.”

“I’m glad I’m back,” said Capriati, who was absent from the women’s tour for 2 1/2 years.

Capriati said this return is different than one in November 1994, when she aborted her comeback after losing in three sets to Germany’s Anke Huber at Philadelphia.

“In Philadelphia I wasn’t ready,” she said. “It wasn’t the right time.”

If Capriati keeps winning, she could end up again facing Huber.

Huber, who is seeded second, advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating Miriam Oremans of the Netherlands, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4.

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Top-seeded Boris Becker rallied to beat qualifier Andrei Olhovskiy, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, and reach the quarterfinals of the $1-million European Community Championships at Antwerp, Belgium.

Third-seeded Goran Ivanisevic, seeking a third consecutive tournament win, beat Belgian Filip Dewulf, 6-2, 6-3, and No. 6 Michael Stich, slamming 16 aces, posted a 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 victory over Belgian Johan Van Herck.