Wednesday, May 19, 2004 Italian Open 2004 Good Tidings Flow From Eternal Rome: Serena Returns; Jenny, Amelie Impress You’re not going to see many finals as good as the Italian Open showdown between Amelie Mauresmo and Jennifer Capriati that went to Amelie by an eyelash, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6). Never had a tighter finish in the title bout occurred in the 74-year-old tourney. Two points. Just 2. The margin was thinner than salami at the concession stands, narrower than John Ashcroft’s mind, closer than the twins, Romulus and Remus, who founded Rome. Not only that but Capriati had a match point in the 10th game of the last set, barely missing a forfehand that might have won the championship. It was a match that had everything – incredible baselining and retrieving, superb depth of shots, clever volleying, by both players. Even Capriati, who has never thought forwardly to take advantage of her groundies that set up so many volleying opportunities. At 1:38 of the 2 1⁄2 hour struggle Jennifer actually played – and won – a serve-and-volley point to close out a game during which she had saved 3 break points! I nearly fell out of my seat. This, I believe, shows the good influence of her “new coach,” Heinz Gunthardt, the Swiss who tutored a pretty fair lady named Steffi Graf for 8 years between 1992 and 1999. He’s a fresh, much-needed, voice in the Capriati camp. How long Gunthardt will be there is questionable. Depends on how long absent Papa Stefano will stay out of the act. “Don’t beat up on my dad,” Jennifer says. “He means so much to my game, and I need his love.” She also realizes that “Heinz has been a player, and understands what goes on out there. I know that I should get to the net more. It’s not my nature, but I’m working on it. Going forward.” What an improvement – if she gets it. Jennifer’s reluctance to seize such opportunities may well have cost her the U.S. Open title last year. She lost a semifinal to the champ-to-be Justine Henin-Hardenne in a third set tie-breaker after coming within 2 points of victory 10 times -- but played too cautiously. Gunthardt says he was invited to help by Papa Capriati, also a good sign in that Stefano may recognize the usefulness of an outlook less limited than his. Several good things for the limping female side of the game came out of Rome. Serena Williams was back. Mauresmo kept her head, resisting Capriati’s match point in the final, and had a triumph that eluded her in three of the last four Italian title bouts. She came within two points of beating Kim Clijsters a year ago, but at last got over the hump. Capriati got Serena off her back, at least momentarily, in the semis. Serena had bashed her 8 straight times, and it appeared that a 9th was in the wings when Jennifer meekly double faulted on match point while serving for it at 5-2, 40-30 in the second set. Jennifer said she “heard voices” within herself, and certainly the spectators were thinking the same thing: “Are you choking?” After all, she had blown sizable leads in her most recent starts against Serena: a set and 3-0 in last year’s semi. “But I was able to erase the voices,” she said proudly. “I had come this far and wasn’t going to let it go.” She lost that game but finished strongly, 6-4, 6-4. The reappearance of Serena is a juicer for the injury-battered gals. Regardless of Medusa, the WTA computer, Serena (entering Rome at No. 4) is the genuine No. 1 until somebody proves otherwise conclusively. Is she subconsciously concerned about her surgically-carved left knee? I think so. She says she has been, but not now. Having played so little since her Wimbledon, 2003, success, sinewy she is the foremost question mark in Paris, where she won two years ago, obviously needing more tuning. Also one is the defender, Henin-Hardenne, who has been ill. And Mauresmo. She always feels the pressures and expectations of being her country’s latter-day Jeanne d’Arc, and succumbs to them. Can she erase those doubting voices to become the first French-born champion of France since Simone Passemard Mathieu in 1939? And what of Big Sister Venus, who defaulted the German Open final to Mauresmo? A gimpy ankle kept her off the court. Ever a disappointment in Paris, will she be ready to counter her history on the dirt? Might there be a surprise victor? Say, Russian Nadia Petrova? Uncertainty abounds at Roland Garros among so many flawed candidates and no clear-cut strongwoman. This much is sure: Mauresmo is the people’s choice. <<<Back