ESPN.com - Wimbledon 2001 - Capriati says pressure is not a factor
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Thursday, July 17
Capriati says pressure is not a factor

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Despite her new billing as the best in the business, Jennifer Capriati refuses to worry about the fanfare that will be awaiting her at Wimbledon next week.

Jennifer Capriati
Jennifer Capriati, fresh off her second Grand Slam title, chose to prepare for Wimbledon by resting and practicing at home.

The new French and Australian Open champion has been preparing for Wimbledon away from the tour, at home in Florida where, despite the heat, she was cool about the expectations that will weigh on her in London.

"Hopefully I'll be focused while I'm there, just on that, the task at hand," said Capriati who will be the fourth seed at Wimbledon.

The American, who won at Roland Garros with a 1-6, 6-4, 12-10 victory against Belgian Kim Clijsters, would only say of Wimbledon: "I like the grass. I feel comfortable on the grass. I can't wait to get on and play on it.

"But I'm just going to take some time now to rest, regroup, freshen up," she added.

Capriati, 25, has picked up the pieces of a career abandoned in her teens to find harmony and success with the sport in adulthood.

At one time, the huge expectations would have unnerved Capriati, whose career took a nosedive after she ran into trouble with the police and was charged with shoplifting and possessing drugs.

Though she became the youngest Grand Slam semifinalist in history when she reached the French Open final four at the age of 14, the Capriati of old never had the confidence to match her precocious talent.

But the new Capriati is not fazed by constant talk of whether she can become the first player since Steffi Graf in 1988 to win the coveted Grand Slam, taking the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open trophies in the same year.

Friends say the new Capriati is ready to handle anything, including the manicured lawns at the All England Club.

"She's going to expect to be the favorite and I think she'll be okay with that," said Kevin O'Connor, the executive vice president of sports at the Saddlebrook Resort where Capriati has lived and trained since she was 11.

"Her fitness is really good and she is really strong. She is a very efficient player and that's a bonus."

Besides having developed her game into champion form, Capriati also seems to be managing decisions in her own best interest, ignoring any possible outside elements.

When she felt too tired after the French Open to play this week's Heineken Trophy event in the Netherlands, she pulled out and headed home to Tampa.

Although the withdrawal left Capriati without any match play on grass leading up to Wimbledon, she did have frequent access to two grass courts where she lives and a variety of hitting partners.

"She must have lost six pounds since Paris -- she's looking unbelievable," said O'Connor, who sat with Capriati's family in the front row of the player's box during her victory against Clijsters. "It's been really hot here and she's been sweating buckets."

While Capriati is not known for her net game, her powerful flat groundstrokes will definitely suit the slippery grass surface at Wimbledon.

Back in her first tennis career as a teenager in the early 1990s, Capriati reached the Wimbledon semifinals in 1991 and consecutive quarterfinals in 1992 and 1993.

After two disappointing second-round losses at Wimbledon while on the comeback trail in 1998 and 1999, Capriati reached the fourth round last year, losing to eventual finalist Lindsay Davenport.

"Jennifer likes the grass and I don't think there's a player on tour that has more confidence at the moment," said Jim Fuhse, the WTA director of player promotion and special projects and a close confidante of Capriati since she joined the tour at the age of 14.

"I said to her after she won the French, 'Remember, the only person who can put pressure on you is you.' "

While Capriati will not have to worry about meeting defending champion Venus Williams until the final, as they are in opposite ends of the draw, world No. 1 Martina Hingis could be a potential semifinal opponent.

Having been unable to beat Capriati all season, Hingis admitted at Roland Garros that while the top ranking still remained firmly in her own clutches, her American rival was definitely the top player in the game this year.

Capriati has beaten Hingis all three times they have played in 2001 -- in the Australian Open final, the Charleston final and the French Open semifinals.

Other possible threats to Capriati's hopes for a first Wimbledon title are 1999 champion Davenport, returning from injury, and 1999 U.S. Open champion Serena Williams, who was sent packing by sister Venus in the semifinals last year.

Doubtless all eyes will be focused on Capriati as she makes her run for the third leg of the Grand Slam during the next fortnight but all the indications are that she is ready to handle the situation.

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 Capriati's A-Game
ESPN's Mary Joe Fernandez and Chris McKendry analyze Jennifer Capriati's Grand Slam hopes.
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