Rubin sends Capriati packing

ROME, May 7: Monica seles swept into the third round of the Italian Open here yesterday, but the tournament came to an abrupt end for fello...

ROME, May 7: Monica seles swept into the third round of the Italian Open here yesterday, but the tournament came to an abrupt end for fellow American Jennifer Capriati.

Seles was a 7-5 6-0 winner over Austrian Barbara Schett in a rain-delayed night match, but Capriati was sent packing by Chanda Rubin after dominating the first set 7-6 7-1 6-2.

Seles, who now meets either American Ann Grossman or France8217;s Mary Pierce, broke to love for 3-1 and then served out to love for 4-1 in a sparkling display of precision tennis.

Capriati made her European professional debut in Rome in 1990, but hadn8217;t played at the Foro Italico in four years after her career was derailed by drug and alcohol abuse. She had beaten Rubin in Sydney in January and was hoping for a good showing before a partisan crowd to get her game back on track. 8220;It was a big disappointment, especially since I was ahead,8221; said Capriati, who let the first set slip away.

The only other high seed in action yesterday was No 7 Irina Spirlea, who outlasted Spaniard Cristina Torrens-Valero 7-5 7-6 7-5 in a match interrupted by rain three times for a total of 75 minutes.

Rubin, ranked 29th, will face four-time defending champion Conchita Martinez in the second round. The top eight seeds in the 926,250 tournament had first-round byes.

One seed fell in yesterday8217;s action, with Belgium8217;s Dominique van Roost beating No 15 Nathalie Tauziat of France 6-7 2-7 6-1 6-2.

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No 10 Mary Pierce, No 11 Barbara Paulus, No 14 Ruxandra Dragomir and No 16 Sandrine Testud advanced. Pierce defeated Sandra Cecchini of Italy 6-1 6-1, Paulus came back to beat American Kristina Brandi 3-6 6-3 7-5, Dragomir dismissed Italy8217;s Alica Canepa 6-3, 6-0 and Testud got past Miriam Oremans 6-3 3-6 7-6 7-4.

The 2.3 million men8217;s edition of the Italian Open begins on Monday with the field led by No 1 Pete Sampras.