Capriati is muscled out by Mauresmo

TENNIS/Wimbledon Championships: Three rain delays, an injury to Jennifer Capriati's shoulder and the full-on, consistent intensity from Amelie Mauresmo provided the first major shock of the women's draw yesterday as the American uncomfortably departed the championship 6-3, 6-2.

Mauresmo, for so long a player who persisted in hiding her talent as much as showing it, played with a conviction and clever mix of shots that kept Capriati struggling to impose her natural baseline game.

It is the first time since the US Open two years ago that the 26-year-old has failed to get to the semi-final of a major, while the 11th-ranked Mauresmo has not advanced so far since her run to the semi-final of the Australian Open in 1999.

But the execution and method of Mauresmo's win as much as the difficulties surrounding Capriati was what caught the eye. With her winning points haul spread evenly between serve, baseline and net, Capriati's normally heavy armoury of groundstrokes were effectively negated, her ability to dominate from the back wonderfully undermined.

"I felt my neck at the start of the second set, I guess a little strain," said the American.

"It was really bothering me and that's why I called the trainer.

But I don't think it had anything to do with my loss today. I mean my neck was a little stiff waking up this morning. That plus the cold and not having a good warm-up or any warm-up, probably jerked it. Then it just got worse. I was even feeling it on my serve just throwing the ball up.

"It didn't help playing an opponent who played the best she's played in a long, long time. I don't think I had a chance to play out there. The first set there was no rhythm at all, having to go on and off.

"I never got into the match and she did everything great. The most important thing she did was serve unbelievable. I think I'd only one game where I had a chance to break."

Mauresmo raced into a 4-2 lead as Capriati began awkwardly, her face telling its side of the story as to how a Floridian felt shuttling on and off the court as black clouds persistently swept across the sky.

There was another interruption but Mauresmo was handling the fractured nature of the match much better than her opponent and found herself serving for the set at 5-3 - and comfortably taking it.

By that stage Capriati's left shoulder was evidently the source of some discomfort and she immediately went a service break down in the third game of the second set for 2-1. Offered four break-points in the fifth game Mauresmo took her lead further with a whipped forehand that Capriati could only watch as it leaped away from her, the furious top spin kicking it out wide for 4-1.

Calling for the Women's Tennis Association physiotherapist Lisa Heller, it was then Capriati indicated she had injured a muscle on her left shoulder running to her neck and requested three minutes on-court treatment.

Mauresmo remained sitting in her chair with her eyes closed for most of it, then continued where she left off. Known to be nervy, the question was whether the French player could hold herself together for the remainder and finally cast off the regularly made assertions of a weak temperament.

With Mauresmo maintaining the intensity, the penetrating shots to the corners and deft volleying at the net, Capriati found herself in the unusual situation of being dusted off and out of the championship.

"I think, on this surface, I've never played better than I did today," said Mauresmo. "From beginning to end I didn't let anything go.

"I lost to her on the slower surface at the Australian Open but today I didn't want her to dictate the game the way she likes, so I came forward and that worked. I'm not used to being so aggressive but I think I've a big presence at the net. Maybe she wasn't expecting that."

In the other completed match yesterday, second seed Serena Williams joined Mauresmo in the semi-final.

Daniela Hantuchova, the 19-year-old 11th seed, was boomed out of the competition 6-3, 6-2 by the American in a rain-interrupted match which started at 3:55 p.m. and ended at 7:30 p.m. The actual tennis lasted for just 69 minutes.

Serena's sister, Venus, will play Justine Henin of Belgium in the other semi-final.