Capriati escapes to victory

Jennifer Capriati is no stranger to saving match points. The world No. 1 saved four of them against Martina Hingis in the roasting heat to defend her Australian Open title in January, and saved two more while winning 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 in a midnight duel with Monica Seles amid a million sand flies here yesterday.

It took Capriati to her second successive final in the Nasdaq-100 Open and encouraged interrogation about how she made such escapes. "It's just natural - I can't really explain it," she said, before making an immediate stab at doing so. "You know there's no time to think. I feel like I really have to make it. And so I do."

Evidence of thinking was in short supply during this match. Both players threatened to puncture the balls, spill their guts and frighten small creatures with their noise. This was a contest with the modern virtues of the women's game: single- mindedness, strength and courage.

Capriati saved the match points at 5-6 in the final set with steady serves and forcing forehands, afterwards claiming she "can't get more ready for a final than this". But she has a memory to erase and a new threat to quell.

Capriati was unable to convert eight match points against Venus Williams in last year's final and today she faces Serena Williams, newly liberated from the thrall of sibling hierarchy by her first WTA Tour victory over her elder sister. "This is for little sisters everywhere," Serena said. She may be harder to beat than before.

Capriati's progress also required her to overcome being "pissed off" at a 2hr 44min wait. That was how long it took the other world No1, Lleyton Hewitt, to secure his survival, also in a final-set tie-break.

The Australian's 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 win over Marat Safin was his 22nd in an unbeaten run on American soil since capturing the US Open title as well as one of the most exciting of an already very exciting short career.

Safin tried most things - groundstroke bombshells, extra surges to the net, patient rallying and rare self-control in the face of infuriating line calls.

The Russian even broke back for 5-5 in the final set with a diving stop volley in which his body hurtled to the ground like a shot soldier's and the racket flew from his hand.

"Was like in movie, you know," Safin said. "But is not Rocky and is not Rambo. I make good shot and that's it. He's still there. He's still fighting. Nothing changes." Unable to depose Hewitt, he nevertheless managed to describe him to a tee.

Victory earned Hewitt a semi-final with Switzerland's Roger Federer, the conqueror of Tim Henman. It also ensured that Safin cannot overhaul Henman in this week's ATP entry system, and that the Briton, who has overtaken Tommy Haas, will stand at No. 5 on Monday morning, equal to his career's highest ranking.

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