Capriati Becomes Latest to Skip Pacific Life Open

Organizers at Indian Wells should have known something was up last week when Jennifer Capriati told reporters at the Doha tournament that Miami was her next event.

The problem was she still was entered in the Pacific Life Open.

Capriati took care of that Sunday night, withdrawing from the tournament, which starts with main-draw action Wednesday. She cited a recurring back injury, the same ailment that put her out of the Australian Open in January.

Capriati has been able to play in only two events since the season-ending WTA Championships in November at Staples Center, raising questions about her long-term future.

More immediately, her withdrawal hurts an already watered-down women’s field.

Last week, Amelie Mauresmo of France pulled out because she is still recovering from a back injury.

Several other players withdrew from the main draw in the last few days, including Elena Bovina of Russia, Amanda Coetzer of South Africa and Ashley Harkleroad.

Last year at Indian Wells, Capriati lost in the semifinals to Lindsay Davenport in one of the best matches of the tournament.

Jill Craybas will take her place in the main draw.

The first of two days of women’s qualifying begins at 10 a.m. today at Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Officials have given wild-card spots in that event to young Americans Anne Yelsey, Brittany Blalock, Christina Fusano, Anne Mall and Riza Zalameda, along with Martina Nejedly of Canada.

Yelsey, of Newport Beach, plays for Stanford; Blalock was the No. 1 player for Palm Desert High last season; Fusano has been playing $10,000 satellite events; Mall is on the comeback trail; and Zalameda, of Beverly Hills High, won the Southern Section singles title in December.

Steve Simon, the tournament’s chief operating officer, especially enjoyed making the phone call to give Zalameda the news on Saturday night.

“She was just screaming,” Simon said Sunday. “It was pretty fun.”