Capriati's comeback is complete

By Sandra Eggers Sports Central Columnist

There's something about Jennifer Capriati that most tennis fans can agree, and that is the girl has heart. Her service motion can go off a bit sometimes, and her temper may flare, but when Capriati wants something, she goes after it with everything she has.

Going into the 2002 Australian Open, Capriati was no longer the underdog. She had new pressures to deal with this time, being defending champion, top seed, and No. 1 player in the world. With this came new expectations placed on her shoulders, expectations that maybe even Capriati herself wasn't sure she could live up to.

To her credit, the 25-year-old Capriati has played through adversity her entire life. The young prodigy who became a phenom just after puberty. Then her dark teenage years took her away from tennis and into rehab. Then there was the much publicized and well chronicled tale of a comeback at age 20. To compete on tour after an extended absence away from the game, and to perform at this high level, is quite an accomplishment. To win three Grand Slam singles titles in the span of 13 months is incredible.

The comeback is complete. Capriati has reached at least the semifinal of the last five Grand Slam events, winning once at Roland Garros and twice in Melbourne. She has wins over Martina Hingis, Kim Clijsters, Amelie Mauresmo, Serena Williams, Monica Seles, and Lindsay Davenport. Her place in tennis history is already saved, and she's only 25-years-old.

The battle for No. 1 in 2002 will be highly contested. Capriati holds that title for now, but there are a handful of players banging on the door, ready and waiting to take over. Especially at the top, there aren't that many points separating the women's elite players.

Venus Williams limped out of Melbourne, but has somehow rededicated herself to winning tournaments. Her ever-ailing sister Serena is still nursing injury. Lindsay Davenport is out with a chronic knee problem, for which she has just had surgery. Hingis is back from surgery at the end of last year, and thinks she has something to prove. Then there's the Belgian girls -- Clijsters and Justine Henin.

Women's tennis has never been stronger, literally. The players are fitter than ever before, and the power they bring is phenomenal, but there's no "gimme." Everyone is working harder than they did the day before, and the younger players are coming on strong.

With so much depth in women's tennis these days, we might expect to see a different winner at each tournament. Somehow, though, there are still only a handful of players who have dominated. For the past seven Grand Slams, it's been Venus Williams and Jennifer Capriati. Between the two of them, they have won everything back to the 2000 French Open, when Mary Pierce briefly stepped into the picture.

The story of 2002 may be Williams versus Capriati for the No. 1. Williams made an early exit from the Australian Open, so the two didn't get a chance to play. They did meet three times in 2001, with Williams taking all but one in straight sets. For Capriati to be the true No. 1 player, the road will be through Williams.

Article courtesy of Sports Central.