No mercy

Venus, Capriati register first-round 'double bagels'

Jennifer Capriati had 18 winners Tuesday; her opponent had just two. AP

NEW YORK (AP) -- In tennis parlance, it's known as a double bagel: 6-0, 6-0.

Venus Williams and Jennifer Capriati both produced just such shutout victories in first-round matches against qualifiers Tuesday at the U.S. Open.

Williams, the two-time defending champion, beat Mirjana Lucic of Croatia. Capriati defeated 17-year-old American Bethanie Mattek.

"I'm not out there to feel sorry for anybody," the third-seeded Capriati said after her 44-minute outing. "Once you start that, then you never know. It could turn into one game, two games, three games."

Mattek was playing in just her third career tour-level match and is now 0-3. She's currently ranked 401st.

"You know, it's got to be a lesson, too. She's got to learn. She's got to experience it out there," Capriati said. "It will make her tougher."

Capriati also registered a shutout in May, against Mary Pierce in the Italian Open.

The second-seeded Williams, though, said: "It was nice to have that score. I've never had it. Once, maybe, in qualifications, a long time ago."

Capriati fires back NEW YORK (AP) -- Jennifer Capriati, seeded No. 3 at the U.S. Open behind sisters Serena and Venus Williams, bristled Tuesday night over remarks about her on-court behavior attributed to their father, Richard. Told that he said in a magazine article that she should stop cursing on the court and should listen to her father, Capriati became angry. "You can see how ignorant that sounds and how disrespectful that sounds," she said. "I mean he should just concentrate on his daughters -- and he's doing a good job. I don't need his advice." After first refusing to comment, Capriati continued to respond. "He gets away with it," she said. "It's too bad. It's no class. I've never taken personal remarks. I've never said anything personal, just about the game itself. I could say things about them, but I'm not going to because I'm not going to lower myself to that."

In Lucic, she was facing a far more accomplished player than Mattek.

Although the Croatian's ranking has fallen to 214th, the start of her career was quite promising.

At 15, in 1997, she won her very first tour event, in Bol, Croatia. When she won that tournament again the next year, she became the youngest player to successfully defend a WTA Tour title.

Lucic also reached the Wimbledon semifinals in 1999, and paired with Martina Hingis to win the doubles title at the 1998 Australian Open.

For Williams, Tuesday's victory was her 14th straight since losing to younger sister Serena in the Wimbledon final.

"When I'm out there, I'm just enjoying myself," Williams said, "especially if I'm winning."

In other action, Monica Seles, who won the Open twice in the 1990s, eliminated Zsofia Gubacsi 6-3, 6-3; and 1997 winner Martina Hingis returned to Grand Slam play after ankle surgery and beat Marissa Irvin 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. Seeded winners also included No. 7 Kim Clijsters, who next faces wild-card entry Mashona Washington, the sister of 1996 Wimbledon finalist MaliVai Washington; No. 10 Amelie Mauresmo, and No. 14 Chanda Rubin.

Defending men's champion Lleyton Hewitt had a very matter-of-fact debut, beating Nicolas Coutelot of France 6-2, 6-3, 6-3. Also advancing: three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten, No. 7 Juan Carlos Ferrero, No. 9 Carlos Moya, No. 18 Alex Corretja, and No. 19 Xavier Malisse.

American No. 11 Andy Roddick was treated for a blister on his right hand during the final set but pulled out a 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-4 victory over Dutch qualifier Martin Verkerk at night. Roddick had just 10 errors to 46 for Verkerk.

The day's best theater on court came courtesy of Marat Safin and Nicolas Kiefer, who combined for 113 winners and 27 aces, not to mention countless arms-raised celebrations and guttural yells of frustration. Safin broke two rackets by spiking them.

For 4 1/2 muggy hours, 2000 champion Safin and Kiefer traded big serves and crackling strokes to the point of exhaustion. By the end, both were cramping. Kiefer barely could walk, his body contorting in pain.

The second-seeded Safin, not known for his mental toughness on court, kept his head in the game when he really needed to and had just enough energy left to win the first-round thriller 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4).

He has an all-or-nothing history in Grand Slam tournaments, reaching the semifinals or better at three straight before bowing out in the second round at Wimbledon. He was fined $2,000 for lack of effort after losing to a qualifier in the first round of the 2000 Australian Open.

He nearly gave away Tuesday's match against Kiefer, a German once ranked in the top 10 and labeled "the next Boris Becker." Now he's 64th after starting the year 4-16.

One moment, Safin was brilliant: a perfectly angled cross-court backhand passing shot on the run. And in the very next, he looked like a weekend hacker: sending a sitter into the upper deck.

Serving for the match at 5-3 in the fifth, Safin was broken when he double-faulted. Kiefer then evened the set at 5-5, somehow mustering strength in his legs for consecutive aces to hold serve at love.

In the next game, back-to-back forehand errors by Safin gave Kiefer a break point, but the German put a slice backhand into the net. In a match already more than 4 hours old, Safin then cranked a service winner at 132 mph, and two more service winners helped make it 6-5.

At the ensuing changeover, trainers massaged and iced the legs of both players. Safin even got on his stomach and had a trainer stretch his legs.

In the tiebreaker, Kiefer hit a forehand into the net and lost his footing, sliding to the ground. Safin called for a trainer, who went out on court and stretched Kiefer's left leg, then helped him rise.

Two points later it was over, and Safin walked off under his own power, even stopping to sign dozens of autographs. Kiefer left his rackets and bag behind and was helped off by a trainer.

Kiefer, who needed intravenous fluids, wasn't all that impressed by the entertainment he and his opponent provided.

"I prefer to win," he said. "In three sets."

Notes: The longest Open match on record was the 1992 semifinal in which Stefan Edberg beat Michael Chang in 5 hours, 26 minutes. ... After withdrawing because of injury, Mark Philippoussis headed to Miami to see the doctor who operated on his knee in March 2001. ... Mary Pierce, twice a major champion but unseeded at this Open, lost to No. 32 Paola Suarez 7-6 (3), 6-3.

 

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