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Semi-final heartbreak for Capriati
Elena Dementieva broke the heart of Jennifer Capriati with a spine-tingling 6-0 2-6 7-6 victory to reach the US Open final on Friday.
Elena Dementieva broke the heart of American Jennifer Capriati with a spine-tingling 6-0 2-6 7-6 victory to reach the US Open final on Friday.
A match that began with a whimper slowly came to the boil and ended with one of the most nerve-wracking deciding sets ever seen at Flushing Meadows as Dementieva set up the second all-Russian grand slam final this year.
After Lindsay Davenport's earlier loss to Svetlana Kuznetsova, the Arthur Ashe stadium crowd desperately wanted Capriati to lift the mood and reach her first final.
But the 28-year-old, three times a loser here in the semi-finals, got off to a nightmarish start, winning just five points in a 17-minute first set as French Open runner-up Dementieva pounded winners all over the court.
Capriati would not buckle, however, and quickly got on top in the second set, breaking in the fifth game before going on to set up what proved to be a dramatic third set.
Finally the match began to live up to expectations with four consecutive service breaks at the start of the third set as the rallies grew longer and more punishing.
