Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, July 16, 1990 TAG: 9007160228
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CONWAY, N.H. LENGTH: Medium
"I don't think it changes anything," Capriati said after a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory Sunday over Ros Fairbank at the Mount Cranmore International. "I just know that I won a tournament."
The sensation from Tampa, Fla., appeared in the inaugural tournament after acclaimed performances at two Grand Slam tournaments in Europe. She reached the French Open quarterfinals and the fourth round at Wimbledon. Capriati had reached two earlier finals since turning pro in March.
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."
Capriati represents the United States this week in the Federation Cup in Atlanta before participating in the U.S. Open in late August.
Cranmore was a string of firsts for the soon-to-be ninth grader, who had never been first seed in a tournament and had never reached or won a doubles final. She teamed up with Fairbank to beat Laura Gildemeister and Kathy Rinaldi, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5).
As favorite, darling and expected champion of the inaugural tournament, Capriati's trouble holding her serve and keeping her lead in the second set provoked more than a little tension in an adoring crowd.
"The fans have been very enthusiastic and that's been nice," the third-seeded Fairbank said. "It would have been nice if I got some of that support, [but] it was the fairy tale story . . . everybody wanted Jennifer to take her first title at Mount Cranmore."
Fairbank - ranked 25th in the world after 13 years on the pro circuit - got off to a good start, breaking serve in the first game and holding her own for a 2-0 lead helped by Capriati's double faults and unforced errors.
"Honestly, I was expecting her to hit harder," the 29-year-old Fairbank said. "Two games into the match I started thinking, `Gee, I could win this.' I hadn't really thought like that before."
Both players seemed nervous at the outset, with few long rallies, a number of first serves off and more than two dozen unforced errors each.
Capriati broke serve in the fifth game and went on to easily win the first set, but Fairbank's mixed shots and strong serve kept Capriati on the run in sweltering 90-degree temperatures in the second set.
Fairbank broke the 13th-ranked player's serve twice, but blew four set points before finally evening the match.
"I felt really good because I had come from behind," said Fairbank, who made tenacious comebacks to win her previous two matches. "I felt good, but all of a sudden, for some reason, I felt a little tired."
While Fairbank was bothered by the heat during a match that lasted 1 hour, 44 minutes, Capriati said it didn't hamper her.
And it showed.
She rallied to a 4-1 lead in the deciding set, breaking twice. Fairbank held serve to cut the lead to 5-3 before losing when she hit long.
Capriati attributed the second-set loss to Fairbank picking up momentum with her strong serve and more unforced errors on her part.
"I thought she was serving well in all the sets, but mostly in the second," Capriati said. "I tried different stuff in the third set . . . I came to the net, I even hit a drop shot."
In previous finals, Capriati, who at 13 was the youngest woman to turn pro, lost to Gabriela Sabatini in her pro debut at Virginia Slims of Florida and to Martina Navratilova at Hilton Head.
Capriati, who had two byes into Friday's quarterfinals, breezed past fifth-seed Susan Sloane in the semifinals, 6-2, 6-2. Fairbank beat second-seeded Gildemeister, 7-6 (12-10), 6-2, to reach the finals.
by CNB