SAN DIEGO, Calif. (Reuters) – Monica Seles beat her fellow American and former rival Jennifer Capriati 6-3 6-3 in the quarter-finals of the Acura Classic on Friday.
I'm so happy things went my way today,'' said the seventh-seeded Seles, who won the contest with a blazing forehand crosscourt winner.I played incredible. To play well here again is very satisfactory.”
In disposing of the third-seeded Capriati, the Australian and French Open champion, Seles easily played her most impressive match since returning to competition last week after nearly five months off the circuit with a foot injury.
Seles not only moved surprisingly well, but she served with great authority and jumped all over her opponent’s second serves, rarely missing an opportunity to put away mid-court balls.
The 27-year-old Seles had an 8-4 career record against Capriati going into the match, but lost to her compatriot in the Australian Open quarter-finals in January.
The pair, who enjoyed great rivalry early in their careers, met in the 1991 final here when Capriati triumphed in a third-set tiebreaker.
But the 25-year-old Capriati, seeded number three, was never able to get the upper hand on Friday, finishing numerous exhausting baseline rallies by dumping tired shots into the net.
Capriati committed 24 unforced errors, twice as many as her opponent.