Win Makes Capriati One of In Crowd

When she took the advantage, they cheered. When she hit her overhead into the net, they groaned. And when she won, qualifying for the tournament’s main draw, the capacity crowd gave her a standing ovation.

That reaction is not common during qualifying matches in the Toshiba Tennis Classic at La Costa, but Monday’s match between Jennifer Capriati and Nathalie Dechy of France wasn’t your usual qualifier.

Capriati, 22, defeated Dechy, 7-6, 2-6, 6-1, and will play Ai Sugiyama of Japan in the first round.

“I think I played well in that third set,” said Capriati, a former champion here. “I tried to close it out. I picked up the level when I needed to. I didn’t let her take the points like she did in the second set, and I was just patient. I mean, I had to be patient because she got a lot of balls back.”

Patience was Capriati’s trademark. The rallies were long, and Capriati stayed near the baseline for much of the match, advancing only when Dechy drew her close to the net.

“My game is still a baseline game,” Capriati said. “And that is another thing I am working on--trying to be aggressive and seeing the opportunities. I think that’s really how I used to play before, and I don’t think I do that as much now. I’m trying to get that back.”

For Capriati, playing in the Toshiba is a homecoming of sorts. In 1991 and 1992, she received a standing ovation on the same court, not because she had qualified for the main draw, but because she had won the tournament.

Since then, she has been in the headlines for nearly everything but tennis. Injuries and burnout frustrated her as a teenager and she left the tour in 1993. In the next three years, she was arrested twice, once for shoplifting and once for misdemeanor marijuana possession, and accused of battery.

Capriati, though, chose to come back to tennis, saying she loves the game.

“[Having to qualify] is a humbling experience,” she said. “But it makes me more determined also. But I wouldn’t really be here if I didn’t enjoy playing. I do enjoy tennis, and that’s why I am back.”

Capriati has already used her six main-draw wild cards, which left her no choice but to qualify here. She realizes that her game isn’t where she wants it to be, and that the only way to improve is with more tournament play.

“I really don’t think it has anything to do with technique,” she said. “It’s more actually just playing and when I’m in tight situations, I need to be tough on those.

“I think I need to work on my concentration more. I think I still have lapses, and I am really working on that and trying to stay focused the whole time.”

In the other qualifying matches, Amy Frazier defeated Tamarine Tanasugarn, 6-2, 6-3, and Janet Lee defeated Adriana Serra-Zanetti, 7-6, 4-6, 6-1. Frazier and Lee will meet in the first round of the main draw.

Shi-Ting Wang also won her qualifier, beating Nana Miyagi, 6-2, 7-5, and will play eighth-seeded Nathalie Tauziat.

Main-draw play also began Monday, with 13th-seeded Sandrine Testud of France defeating Alexandra Stevenson, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0; Iva Majoli of Croatia defeating Alexandra Fusai of France, 7-6, 6-3; and Lisa Raymond defeating Russian Elena Likhovtseva, 6-2, 5-1, in a match ended because of an injury to the left thigh of Likhovtseva.

In the evening match, France’s Mary Pierce defeated Austria’s Barbara Paulus, 6-3, 7-5, in first-round main draw play.

Pierce dominated Paulus in the first set, winning the first four games using power and court coverage to her advantage.

Pierce’s ability to alter her shots from crosscourt to down the line often caught Paulus off-guard. Paulus’ concentration wavered during the first set, in which she launched balls into the crowd or missed the ball completely.

Pierce won the first three games of the second set before Paulus broke serve and took the next two games. The score was tied, 5-5, but Pierce broke Paulus’ two-game winning streak and took the next two games.

Pierce’s serve dominated, reaching 108 mph on her final serve of the match, compared to Paulus’ top speed of 91 mph.

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Toshiba Tennis Classic

TODAY’S SINGLES MATCHES

* 11 a.m, Center Court

Nathalie Tauziat (8) vs. Shi-Ting Wang

Ai Sugiyama vs. Jennifer Capriati

Kimberly Po vs. Conchita Martinez (5)

Mirjana Lucic vs. Natasha Zvereva.

* 7 p.m., Center Court

Steffi Graf (6) vs. Julie Halard-Decugis.

* 11 a.m., Court 9

Yayuk Basuki vs. Chanda Rubin

Janet Lee vs. Amy Frazier

Joannette Kruger vs. Irina Spirlea (7)