With the current suspension of the ATP and WTA Tours, we are opening up our US Open vault to bring you full match videos of classic encounters through the years in New York.
Watch on YouTube: Jennifer Capriati vs. Bethanie Mattek-Sands, 2002 US Open women's singles first round
New York City native Jennifer Capriati, seeded No. 3 at the 2002 US Open and coming off a semifinal run in '01, made short work of 17-year-old qualifier Bethanie Mattek-Sands in this all-American, opening-round matchup.
Then 26, Capriati was in the midst of the best stretch of her career at the Grand Slams, having won all three of her career major titles from 2001-02—at the Australian Open in 2001 and 2002, and at the French Open in 2001. Across those two seasons, she also reached three additional Slam semifinals and two quarterfinals.
At the 2002 US Open, Capriati marched into the last eight without dropping a set, before falling in three sets to Amelie Mauresmo. She later reached the US Open semifinals in both 2003 and 2004, making it four total final-four appearances in New York, before retiring at the end of 2004. Capriati finished her final year at No. 10 in the WTA rankings.
The complete '02 first-round showdown, along with scores of other great content, is now available to watch on the USTA YouTube channel.
