Jennifer Capriati marked her first day as World number one with a loss in the doubles at the Swisscom challenge in Zurich. But she was not upset, laughing off the defeat by Lindsay Davenport and Lisa Raymond. The American and her partner Megan Shaughnessy were defeated in straight sets, losing 7-5 7-6 (7/4).
Capriati could not contain her joy at being crowned number one. She said: “The doubles don't count. I've lost many doubles matches. But I can still finally breathe a sigh of relief; it's official today. I can't describe the happiness and satisfaction I feel - it's something now no one can take away.”
The rise to the pinnacle of women’s tennis by Capriati is remarkable, given the personal problems that only a couple of year’s ago seemed to have ended her career. She reflected: “It's been a long road but it's something a lot of people thought I could never do, something I wasn't sure of myself."
Elsewhere, in the singles, Chanda Rubin beat Angeles Montolio easily, securing a 6-1 6-3 victory, while Barbara Schett also had an easy win, triumphing over Magui Serna 6-1 6-2.
Filed by John Raftery
