Capriati wins epic
French Open final
Kevin Fylan
Jennifer Capriati recovered from a nightmare start to beat Belgian teenager Kim Clijsters 1-6, 6-4, 12-10 in an epic French Open women's singles final and stay on course for a clean sweep of this year's Grand Slam titles.
The American won an enthralling and exhausting third set - the longest in the history of French Open women's finals - with a crosscourt forehand on her second match point to extend her fairytale start to 2001.
Fourth seed Capriati won $557,000 dollars on and Clijsters, the first Belgian to reach a Grand Slam final, $279,000.
Capriati, who beat world number one Martina Hingis in the final of the Australian Open and in the semifinals here, failed to cope with the power and depth of her opponent's groundstrokes early in the match.
But the 25-year-old showed the resolve of a champion to win the second and force a decider.
The two players slugged out an incredible final set that saw Capriati break her opponent for leads of 7-6 and 10-9 only to fail to serve out for the match each time.
She clawed her way ahead once again at 11-10 and finally managed to make that lead tell, a driven forehand winner behind a good deep serve giving her the match.
Capriati, the overwhelming favourite going into the game, opened her first service game with a double fault but steadied herself quickly to win the next four points and get her name on the board.
Clijsters, seeded 12th, was under much more pressure on her serve, as Capriati went on the attack immediately.
The first Belgian to play a Grand Slam final, Clijsters showed nerves of steel to save four break points -- serving a second-service ace on the third of those.
BIG-HITTING
The big-hitting teenager shocked Capriati by breaking in the next game. The American seemed unsettled by a stream of let calls and lost her serve by pulling a forehand into the net on the first of two break-points.
Clijsters strengthened her lead to 3-1 with a much more confident service game and got her second break in the next to leave Capriati against the ropes at 4-1 down.
Clijsters held again for 5-1 with little difficulty and clinched the set on her third set point as Capriati put a backhand wide.
Clijsters started the second set as she had finished the first, overwhelming her opponent to serve to love with new balls.
Capriati gave herself a real confidence boost with a solid service game. Clijsters let her guard drop for the first time in game three to hand Capriati a way back into the match.
Three weak forehand errors from the Belgian gifted Capriati a break of serve and a 2-1 lead.
That should have been the signal for a serious fightback from Capriati but Clijsters delayed it by breaking back immediately, a stunning forehand pass giving her the key point for 2-2.
Clijsters was going for every shot and a driving forehand saved her at advantage down in the next. A similar shot did not come off on a second break point, however, and Capriati moved 3-2 ahead.
She consolidated in the next for 4-2 as for the first time in the match Clijsters seemed to have trouble dealing with her opponent's booming forehand.
The rest of the set went with serve, with Capriati clinching the set on her first set-point as Clijsters piled a forehand wide.
MOMENTUM
The momentum was now with Capriati, and she broke the Belgian's serve at the start of the third set, attacking a weak second serve with real venom and putting the ball away at the third attempt.
Clijsters had come back from a break down in the third set of her semifinal against compatriot Justine Henin, though, and she displayed the same fighting spirit in the final.
She broke back immediately to stay in contention right up until the dramatic finale, when Capriati served out for the match at the third attempt.
