Cruising through

Capriati, Clijsters complete strong group of semifinalists

Jennifer Capriati will face Kim Clijsters in the semifinals. AP

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Women's defending champion Jennifer Capriati had to play her best tennis. New men's favorite Marat Safin practically had a day off.

Both advanced to the Australian Open semifinals as Capriati beat Amelie Mauresmo 6-2, 6-2 Wednesday, and Wayne Ferreira retired from his match against Safin with an abdominal strain.

Capriati next meets Kim Clijsters, a 6-2, 6-3 winner over Justine Henin. Capriati was extended to 12-10 in the final set before beating Clijsters for last year's French Open title.

Safin next faces seventh-seeded Tommy Haas, who had a 7-6 (2), 6-4, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5) quarterfinal win over former No. 1 Marcelo Rios at night.

Haas, the highest-ranked player remaining in the men's draw, produced aces to save break points three times in the first set and twice in the fourth.

Rios, runner-up here in 1998, wasted his opportunities, dropping his serve immediately after breaking the German on three occasions in the 3-hour, 17-minute match. He converted just three of his 13 break-point chances.

Capriati lost the first two points before breaking Mauresmo's serve in the first game. Then, in two games in the first set and one in the second, she saved a total of six break points.

She had help from occasional wild play by Mauresmo, who squandered a 40-0 lead in the third game of the second set with three consecutive double faults. Mauresmo had 34 unforced errors to Capriati's 20.

"I played like I was on a mission," Capriati said, likening her effort to last year's when she won this tournament.

"There was nothing for her to do except try to up her game. A few times I was put on the defense, but because I was playing well I was able to get out of those situations," she added.

After a promising debut as a 14-year-old in 1990 and then a series of personal problems, Capriati finally won her first major tournament title at last year's Australian Open. She followed that with the French Open title and reached the semifinals at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

"It feels like I've graduated to the next level," Capriati said. "I feel a lot better this year."

Looking ahead to Clijsters, Capriati said, "I've had maybe some tough matches, but I feel pretty fresh myself so hopefully I'll come out strong and play like I did today."

Safin, meanwhile, was happy that "I can save my energy for the semifinal."

He was on court just 28 minutes, and was leading 5-2 when Ferreira stopped.

The Russian, who eliminated 13-time Grand Slam tournament winner Pete Sampras in the fourth round, said, "That was a great match. I deserved to win. Today was a present."

Safin, seeded seventh, added: "I'm feeling well, I'm confident, I'm in the semifinals, and I want to have the big opportunity to Win" the title.

But he declined the favorite's role, saying he had a very difficult next round.

"If you feel a lot of confidence, it's a little dangerous," he said.

Ferreira, who had struggled to five-set victories in his last two rounds, said he felt he was playing well enough to have a chance, and "I was disappointed to give it to him. I'd like to go out fighting."

Ferreira said he had pulled the muscle nine years ago and several times since, and had felt a twinge in the morning. He felt it pull again in the first game, and it gradually worsened.

"It's because I've played a lot of matches and done a lot of serving," he said.

Mauresmo, the 1999 runner-up here, had her sights set on reaching the No. 1 ranking.

"On the basis of this match, you can say I'm a long way away," she said. "It's the kind of match that I really don't have the right to produce, given the high objectives I set at the beginning of the season."

Before Capriati's victory, Clijsters referred to her loss to the American in last year's French Open final, and said, "It would be nice to be able to play her again."

Clijsters, seeded fourth, also pressured Belgian compatriot and good friend Henin into costly errors in her advance to the semifinals.

Clijsters and Henin, seeded sixth, have enjoyed a similar rise to the upper ranks of women's tennis. Both won their first tournament titles in 1999, and both reached their first Grand Slam event semifinals at the 2001 French Open.

After Clijsters was runner-up at the French, Henin reached the finals at Wimbledon, losing to Venus Williams.

"It's not easy," Clijsters said of playing Henin. "I would love to see both of us doing well in Grand Slams."

Henin had 30 unforced errors to 15 by Clijsters, who anticipated some of Henin's best shots and hit back winners.

In the other men's quarterfinals later Wednesday, No. 7 Tommy Haas, the highest-ranking player still in the men's draw, is against former No. 1 Marcelo Rios.

 

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