Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, July 16, 1990                   TAG: 9007160150
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CONWAY, N.H.                                LENGTH: Medium

CAPRIATI WINS HER FIRST TOURNAMENT AS A PRO

The 14-year-old won her first title as a tennis pro Sunday with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Ros Fairbank in the final of the Mount Cranmore International.

"It sure feels good to win my first tournament," Capriati said. "I'd really like to thank the fans for coming out; they really supported me."

Capriati, of Tampa, Fla., made an impressive debut in Europe by reaching the Wimbledon quarterfinals and the French Open semifinals. Since turning pro in March, Capriati had reached the final in two other events.

Asked how this compared to her Grand Slam experiences, Capriati said, "It definitely ranks high, especially because I won it, so this will be in my memory."

She represents the United States this week in the Federation Cup in Atlanta before playing in the U.S. Open in late August.

Capriati had another first Sunday when she teamed with Fairbank to win her first doubles final. They defeated Kathy Rinaldi and Laura Gildemeister 6-4, 7-6 (7-5).

In previous finals, Capriati, who at 13 was the youngest woman to turn pro, lost to Gabriela Sabatini in her pro debut at the Virginia Slims of Florida and to Martina Navratilova at Hilton Head, S.C.

It has been a good week all around for Capriati.

Acknowledging Capriati's presence among the top 20 players in the world, the Women's International Professional Tennis Council has revised its eligibility rules to allow the talented teen-ager to qualify for the season-ending Virginia Slims Championships Nov. 12-18 in New York.

The original rule stated that, between 14th and 15th birthdays a player could compete in a maximum of 12 pro tournaments, 10 of which could be major events.

The revised rule allows 14-year-olds to compete in 12 tournaments, major or minor, in addition to the Virginia Slims Championships.

Capriati has played seven major tournaments this year and is committed to three others, including the U.S. Open. She is 10th in the Virginia Slims point standings; the top 16 singles players qualify for the championships.

The council's eligibility rules had been tightened to help talented, young players avoid burnout.

Capriati's much-publicized debut on the pro tour and her impressive performances at the French Open and Wimbledon provided a needed lift for the women's game at a time when Chris Evert had retired and Navratilova had reduced her schedule.

"We've always been committed to reviewing the rule," said Jane Brown, managing director of the council. "After consulting with a range of constituencies involved with tennis, we felt this change would be an improved way of easing players into the professional game."

Some information for this story was contributed by The New York Times.