The Associated Press
Serena Williams returns a shot from Jennifer Capriati during the women's final of the Nasdaq-100 Open on Saturday in Key Biscayne, Fla. Williams won the match 7-5, 7-6 (4).

Williams takes tough trail to title

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. -- Serena Williams trailed in the first set, and again in the second, and once more in the tiebreaker, confronting seven set points along the way.

Yet at the end it was Williams hopping to the net with glee, index finger aloft.

She's not No. 1, but she beat No. 1 on Saturday, rallying repeatedly to edge Jennifer Capriati 7-5, 7-6 (4) for the Nasdaq-100 Open championship.

Williams, seeded eighth, won her first Key Biscayne title by beating the world's top three players in consecutive matches. She eliminated No. 3 Martina Hingis in the quarterfinals, then advanced to the final with a breakthrough victory over her older sister, three-time champion Venus Williams.

"Since I had beaten Venus, I felt it was my duty to take this title, because Venus would have taken it herself, I believe," Williams said.

Capriati has never won a tournament in her native state, and for the second consecutive year at Key Biscayne, she could only lament missed opportunities. Last year she failed to convert eight match points and lost in the final to Venus Williams.

"It's a little disappointing," Capriati said. "I feel like I was kind of ahead and pretty much in control the whole match."

On the men's side, Andre Agassi bids for his fifth Key Biscayne title today against 20-year-old Roger Federer of Switzerland.

Capriati and Williams engaged in two hours of high-risk tennis, their furious swings producing moments of brilliance among a flurry of errors. Capriati had 38, Williams 59.

"How many errors did I make -- 59?" Williams said. "That is unbelievable. That's way too high. That's sloppy."

The midday sun and 86-degree heat may have taken a toll on Capriati 36 hours after she beat Monica Seles in a grueling semifinal that extended past midnight.

"It's been a tough battle all week, tough with the schedule," Capriati said. "I was giving it all I had. I'm not sure how much I had to give."

Her biggest problem was a tentative second serve. Williams feasted on it, and five times Capriati double-faulted, with each coming at a critical moment.

But while the play was erratic, the slugfest was always close, and Capriati was usually ahead. She led 5-4 in the first set, 5-3 in the second and 3-1 in the tiebreaker. She had two set points at 5-3 in the second set, and five more serving at 6-5, but Williams won them all.

"Maybe it could have been me who won in two sets, you know?" Capriati said. "But it was really close, and she played really well on the important points. It's not like I gave it away. I mean, she really earned it."

Through five matches on the men's side, Federer hasn't lost a set. He hasn't even lost his serve. And today he has a chance to win the biggest title of his young career.

The 12th-seeded Federer upset No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 6-4 Friday night to earn a berth in the best-of-five final.

"I'm just happy to give myself a shot to win the tournament," the 20-year-old said.

Federer is 17-4 against Americans but 0-2 against Agassi, who won their previous matches without dropping a set.

"Roger has a powerful game," Agassi said. "There are a lot of things he does well. He certainly has a lot to look forward to in his career, so it will be a challenge."

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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