KEY BISCAYNE, March 20: Jennifer Capriati, still looking for the promise that made her a teenage sensation five years ago before personal problems forced her from the tour, showed yesterday she still has a long way to go to recapture the magic.Capriati fell 6-0 7-5 to Poland's top player, Magdalena Grzybowska in the first round of the Lipton Championships.The 21-year-old Capriati, ranked sixth in 1992-93, has lost seven straight matches and has been beaten in six consecutive first rounds, dating to her last victory in August 1997 at Canadian Open.Serena Williams, one of the newest teenage sensations breezed through her rain-interrupted match 6-4 6-0 over Denise Chladkova of the Czech Republic.In men's action, Australia's Mark Woodforde wasted little time in posting a 6-1 6-2 over Jan-Michael Gambill of the United States.Before play began yesterday, five-time winner Steffi Graf and reigning French Open-champion Iva Majoli withdrew from the tournament. A left hamstring injury suffered last weekforced Graf to withdraw, and Majoli passed because she has the flu.The first round was delayed for several hours because of heavy rain. Todd Martin, ranked 68th, was the first to finish a match. He needed three sets to eliminate 88th-ranked Jerome Golmard of France 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 7-5.Manager Becker to playBONN: Manager Boris Becker will play for Germany in their Davis Cup tie against South Africa from April 3-5 in Bremen, captain Carl-Uwe Steeb announced yesterday.The German Tennis Federation (DTB) last October appointed Becker as manager and Steeb as captain to replace outgoing Niki Pilic, who held both posts.It has been unclear whether Becker, who withdrew from a tournament in Scottsdale with a back injury earlier this month, would play against South Africa.Kournikova to leadMELBOURNE: Teen star Anna Kournikova has been added to the Russian squad for next month's Federation Cup tennis tie against Australia in Perth.Kournikova, a Wimbledon semi-finalist lastyear and Elena Likhovtseva, who reached world ranking high of 16 last year, will give Russia a decided advantage in the world group tie on grass from April 18. The Australian team is Rachel McQuillan, Kerry-Anne Guse, Annabel Ellwood and Rennae Stubbs.
