Capriati on top of the world after Mauresmo battle

Jennifer Capriati endured a long afternoon against Amélie Mauresmo yesterday, but after notching up a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 win she would surely concede that it was worth the effort. Not only did her victory give her a place in the semi-finals of the Italian Open, it also won her back the world No1 ranking from her fellow American Venus Williams.

Mauresmo, though, made her work very hard for it and Capriati's relief was evident in the huge grin spread across her face at the end of more than two hours of the most punishing clay-court tennis.

After winning the first and having the second snatched from her, Capriati was a break down in the third set and heading for the airport before Mauresmo's frustrating habit of releasing her stranglehold on matches surfaced once more.

If Capriati's previous match, a 6-0, 6-0 drubbing of Mary Pierce, had been a gentle stroll in the park for her, then this was a dusty, sweaty and ultimately more rewarding grind.

"It was definitely a good match," she conceded. "It's nice to be part of providing good tennis and I think the people liked it."

There was certainly no doubt about that. Most of the time the Foro Italico crowds are more interested in chatting, smoking and making mobile phone calls than showing their appreciation of what is laid before them. It takes something extra special to keep them quiet.

For much of Capriati's match against Mauresmo they broke their absorbed silence only to applaud some of the more au dacious shots from both women, or to join in the numerous arguments about line calls. The rest of the time there was barely the usually ubiquitous sound of a mobile phone trilling to break the tension.

Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin will continue their good-natured rivalry in today's other semi-final. Clijsters looked the more convincing of the two in her merciless 6-1, 6-3 demolition of Sandrine Testud, but Henin is on a roll after winning in Berlin last week. She beat Virginia Ruano Pascual 6-3, 6-4 yesterday.

Despite losing the world No1 ranking, there was some good news for the elder Williams sister yesterday. She pulled out of this tournament on Tuesday and has been sporting a cast on her right wrist ever since. Doctors diagnosed a ligament sprain, but she has been given the all-clear to begin practising again on Monday and should be fit for the French Open.

Martina Hingis, though, continues to play a waiting game. On the instructions of her doctor she has had a barrage of tests all week to discover exactly what is wrong with her left foot and whether it may be linked to a more serious joint problem. Hingis will know more in the next couple of days, but with heel, ligament and tissue damage in the suspect foot she is almost certain to miss the French Open, while her participation at Wimbledon seemingly also hangs in the balance.

· The nine-times Wimbledon singles champion Martina Navratilova has entered next month's doubles at Eastbourne with the Russian Natasha Zvereva.

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