Captain King may be ready to make up with Capriati

“I know how I feel. They have to take responsibilities for their own feelings and I don’t know what those are. It’s sad because I have known them since she’s been 12 and I’ve always hung in there with them through thick and thin. But I’m sure they don’t feel like that now.

“I think she (Capriati) is feeling a lot of pressure with the French (Open) coming up and having to defend her title,” said King.

“She’s feeling a tremendous amount of pressure. It starts to add up. It’s like boiling water, it keeps boiling, with the temperature getting higher and higher. I think she is tired, too. It’s hard work.”

King dismissed Capriati from the team after she violated team practice rules by attempting to hold a private session with her father and coach, Stefano. As a result, the U.S. had to forfeit her match on Saturday.

Both King and the U.S. Team — Monica Seles, Meghann Shaughnessy and Lisa Raymond – all came down hard on Capriati for acting selfishly.

King said that while she had the advantage of age and wisdom over the 25-year-old Jennifer, she was not in the same situation with Stefano, who she also clashed with this week.

“I’m not older and wiser than Mr Capriati,” King laughed.

King said that she told her team to forget about the incident. “I told them we have to let the last six days go. What good does it do to hold on to it? It doesn’t do us anything.

“I think everyone has to let it go, although I think they’ve changed their perceptions of Jennifer.” King was not sure whether she would ask Jennifer to play for the team again. “I don’t know. I just have to calm down and reflect,” she said.

(Reuters)