Williams, Capriati, Mauresmo win in Rome
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-05-14 09:04

Serena Williams looked sharp in her second match back after nearly a month off with a knee injury.

Serena Williams of the US returns the ball to Dally Randriantefy of Madagascar during the women's clay court Italian Open tennis tournament at Rome's Foro Italico, Thursday, May 13, 2004. [AP]

She wasn't exactly thrilled, however, with her 6-1, 6-3 victory over 97th-ranked Dally Randriantefy in the Italian Open's third round Thursday.

"I don't think I played as well as I could have, so I'm not very satisfied right now at all," Williams said.

She wasted two match points while trying to serve out the match at 5-2 in the second set. Randriantefy, a two-time African junior champion from Madagascar, eventually won that game.

But Williams then broke serve to end the contest.

"I had opportunities to close out the match earlier, and I think the scoreline could have been a little different," she said.

Still, the six-time Grand Slam tournament champion looked much better than in her second-round win against Maria Sanchez Lorenzo.

Williams' big goal right now is to peak for the French Open, which starts May 24.

"I'm close. I could get better," she said. "There was definitely a level of improvement. I think each match I'm getting better, so I'm looking forward to my next round."

Next up for Williams: ninth-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia in the quarterfinals. Kuznetsova beat No. 7 Ai Sugiyama 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (4).

Also winning Thursday were second-seeded Amelie Mauresmo and No. 5 Jennifer Capriati.

Mauresmo, a three-time finalist in Rome, overpowered 1993-96 Italian Open champion Conchita Martinez 6-3, 6-4. Capriati eliminated No. 12 Paola Suarez 6-2, 6-2 for her second consecutive easy victory.

"I felt like I was playing really well, hitting all my shots, serving well, even came to the net a few times," said Capriati, who has never advanced past the semifinals in her 10 previous appearances in Rome.

Her quarterfinal opponent will be No. 16 Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi, a 6-2, 6-2 winner over Flavia Pennetta of Italy.

Mauresmo next faces Silvia Farina Elia, the 10th-seeded Italian, who beat Russia's Maria Sharapova 7-6 (3), 6-0 in her second match of the day.

Farina Elia saved a break and set point at 5-6 in the first set and then took control in the tiebreaker. In the second set, the 17-year-old Sharapova was bothered by a strained left thigh strain, which she had taped during an injury timeout at 3-0.

Earlier Thursday, Farina Elia won her rain-delayed second-round match against Meghann Shaughnessy of the United States 6-2, 7-5.

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