ROME - No matter how bleak things looked Sunday, Amelie Mauresmo refused to let Wesley Chapel resident Jennifer Capriati beat her.
Now Mauresmo heads to the French Open looking like a favorite.
Coming back from a set down, then saving a match point, Mauresmo beat Capriati 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) to win the Italian Open for her second straight title.
Capriati led 5-4 in the third and held match point on Mauresmo's serve, but hit a forehand long.
"I felt like we were both playing unbelievable tennis and I didn't lose, she had to win the match," Capriati said. "I don't feel that bad right now."
HAMBURG MASTERS: Roger Federer beat Guillermo Coria 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 to win in Germany and end the Argentine's 31-match winning streak on clay. Federer improved to 32-3 in 2004, his best start to a season.
WORLD TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: Fernando Gonzalez and Nicolas Massu beat Radek Stepanek and Jiri Novak in doubles to give defending champion Chile a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in Duesseldorf, Germany. The U.S. team plays Australia today.
ARENA FOOTBALL: Storm farther off pace
Idle Tampa Bay (7-7) fell a game behind Orlando and Los Angeles in the race for the eighth and final playoff spot. Orlando (8-6) defeated Austin 43-26 as former Bucs quarterback Joe Hamilton ran for two touchdowns and threw for two. Tony Graziani threw four touchdowns to Chris Jackson as Los Angeles (8-6) beat New York 58-53. The Storm also is half a game behind Indiana (8-7), which topped Colorado 59-53 behind former Florida State quarterback Adrian McPherson's eight touchdown passes.
SOCCER: Leaders harm Libya bid
Libya's bid to host the 2010 World Cup was dropped by world governing body FIFA because Libya's government refused to confirm that it would allow Israel to travel there if the Israelis qualified for the tournament. South Africa was named the host on Saturday.
ITALY: Former national team star Roberto Baggio played his final Serie A match as AC Milan beat Baggio's Brescia 4-2. Baggio retires with a record 205 goals in league play.
OLYMPICS: Hall picks big names
Jackie Joyner-Kersee and her sister-in-law, the late Florence Griffith Joyner, headline this year's U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame class. Among the others selected: swimmers Janet Evans and Matt Biondi, speedskaters Dan Jansen and Bonnie Blair, the 1996 women's soccer team, and special contributor Bud Greenspan, famed for his Olympic films.
CYCLING: Italians top home tour
Alessandro Petacchi won the eighth stage of the Giro d'Italia and fellow Italian Damiano Cunego kept the overall lead. Petacchi covered the 130 miles from Giffoni Valle Piana to Policoro in 4 hours, 52 minutes, 49 seconds.
HORSES: Viewers tune to Smarty
Smarty Jones' record 111/2-length win at Pimlico in the Preakness had the race's highest overnight TV ratings since 1990, drawing a 7.2 overnight rating on NBC. The colt will go for the Triple Crown in the Belmont Stakes June 5.
ET CETERA
RUNNING: Benjamin Maiyo won the Bay to Breakers in his first try, completing the 7.4-mile race through San Francisco in 34:50. Albina Ivanova (39:56) won the women's division.
POWERBOATS: Ken Bowen and Scot Conrad piloted Team Adrenaline to a Super Vee-class title at the Marathon Offshore race in the Florida Keys. Bob Bull of Merritt Island and Mitch Miller won the Super Cat Light class.
SWIMMING: Alexander Popov won the 50-meter freestyle in the final day of the European championships in Madrid, Spain.
