Capriati Earns Another Shot Against Serena

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. — Jennifer Capriati will make an attempt for a breakthrough victory today against top-ranked Serena Williams in the final of the Nasdaq-100 Open.

Capriati is 0-4 against Venus Williams and has lost six matches in a row to Serena, all of them close. This time, Capriati will play on her 27th birthday against Serena, who is 16-0 this year.

“Maybe she’ll feel generous and give me a birthday present and let me win,” Capriati said with a laugh. “I figure one of these times it has got to go my way.”

In 11 tries, Capriati has never won the Key Biscayne title, but by beating Chanda Rubin, 6-2, 6-4, Friday, she earned a berth in the final for the third year in a row. She lost to Venus in 2001 and to Serena in 2002.

Also playing today will be second-seeded Andre Agassi, who plays ninth-seeded Albert Costa in the men’s semifinals. Agassi, bidding for a sixth Key Biscayne title, advanced by beating Younes El Aynaoui, 7-6 (6), 4-6, 6-1.

Costa won his rain-delayed quarterfinal match, needing 13 minutes to finish off fourth-seeded Roger Federer, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (7). Costa survived three match points in the match, which was suspended Thursday.

Fifth-seeded Carlos Moya earned a berth in the final by winning the final five games to defeat 13th-seeded Paradorn Srichaphan, 6-4, 6-2.