Wimbledon and US open champion Venus Williams outlasted Australian Open winner Jennifer Capriati 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/4) to win the 6.12 million-dollar WTA tennis masters series title in Miami. Williams rallied for her 18th consecutive triumph in Miami having won the title in 1998 and 1999 before missing last year's tournament with wrist tendinitis. The 20-year-old won $ 2.72 million for taking the All-American final. Williams, seeded third, won her 16th career WTA title on Saturday and rose to 2-0 against her fourth-seeded Foe, having taken their first meeting in Miami in 1997 in three sets.
Williams became only the second three-time women's champion in Miami, matching Steffi Graf. After losing her first set of the tournament, Williams recovered and seized a 6-1 tie-breaker lead. But Williams sent a backhand wide, double faulted and hit a backhand long before finally winning when Capriati netted a forehand. Capriati, 25, had won 17 of her prior 19 matches, including her title run at Melbourne for her first Grand Slam crown and trips to the Oklahoma city final and Scottsdale semi-finals.
Capriati has won 10 career titles but none in her home state of Florida. This was her first final in Miami and first in Florida since 1990 at Boca Raton.
Williams last lost in Miami when Swiss star Martina Hingis beat her in the third round in 1997.
Bureau Report