ESPN.com - Wimbledon 2002 - Capriati struggles; Serena sails
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Thursday, July 17
Capriati struggles; Serena sails

LONDON -- Third seed Jennifer Capriati began her Wimbledon campaign with a lackluster 6-1, 6-4 first-round victory over Slovakia's Janette Husarova.

Jennifer Capriati
Capriati served six double faults and had 24 unforced errors to go with her 16 winners.

Meanwhile, Serena Williams needed only 42 minutes to dispose of 103rd-ranked Evie Dominikovic of Australia 6-1, 6-1.

Capriati raced to a 4-0 lead in the first set as 28-year-old Husarova struggled to come to terms with the slick conditions on a sun-drenched court one.

Capriati smashed a volley to capture the set in just 24 minutes, despite being well below her best.

Having dropped her serve twice at the beginning of the second set, Capriati finally imposed her authority with some blistering groundstrokes and clinched the match when Husarova hit her forehand wide.

"It was really close in the second set,'' Capriati said. "She really started playing better. I'm glad to have gotten a match like that where it wasn't too easy.''

It was an unsteady performance from Capriati, who served six double faults and had 24 unforced errors to go with her 16 winners. Capriati will meet Spain's Marta Marrero in the second round.

The second-seeded Williams, who had 20 winners and only one unforced error, beamed and blew kisses after crushing a forehand service return winner on her second match point.

"It's great definitely to get out there so early,'' she said. "Every time I step on Centre Court, I just feel honored. I've never played on Centre Court my first round match, so I'm really excited about it.''

Serena's sister, top-seeded and two-time defending champion Venus, plays her first-round match Tuesday against British wild card Jane O'Donoghue. The Williams sisters, who have shared six of the past 11 Grand Slams, could only meet in the final.

With the three matches over on Centre Court with plenty of daylight to spare, organizers moved Rubin's match against Asa Svensson from Court 13. Rubin won in straight-sets -- 6-3, 6-2.

Argentina's Clarisa Fernandez showed no sign of the knee injury that had threatened to keep her out of Wimbledon when she romped past Ludmila Cervanova 6-3, 6-3 and into the second round.

Fernandez, a surprise semifinalist at the French Open earlier this month, breezed past the Slovakian and will face Els Callens, who defeated Barbara Schwartz 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, in the second round.

Anna Kournikova's star shone brightly but briefly as the most photographed woman in tennis was ousted 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 by fellow Russian and 21st seed Tatiana Panova.

Eleventh seed Daniela Hantuchova had a straightforward workout, beating Spain's Cristina Torrens Valero 6-3, 6-2, while France's Mary Pierce had an altogether tougher workout

Pierce, a former French and Australian champion, completed her first grass-court victory for two years as she battled past Australian Alicia Molik 6-4, 4-6, 8-6.

Pierce, who missed the championships last year through injury, overcame a dogged opponent to win a fraught encounter on her sixth match point in two hours, six minutes.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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