"It was just the heat and me losing, getting frustrated" - When Jennifer Capriati yelled at chair umpire over linesman's call in Australian Open final
Jennifer Capriati once revealed the reasons behind her frustrated outburst during a clash with Martina Hingis in the final of the Australian Open.
Capriati and Hingis locked horns in the 2002 Australian Open final, in a rematch of the previous year's title clash. Although the American dominated the 2001 final, winning 6-4, 6-3, her victory in 2002 was far less straightforward.
Hingis put on a commanding display in the opening set, winning 6-4 to take the lead in the match. She was on the brink of victory in the second set, but Capriati saved four match points to take the set 7-6(7). In an impressive turnaround, the American then won the third set 6-2, successfully defending her title at the Melbourne Slam.
Beyond the thrilling on-court competition, the match also saw its fair share of drama as Jennifer Capriati grew furious when a linesman's call went against her at 15-30 in the second game of the tense second set.
The American confronted chair umpire Sandra De Jenken and, in an expletive-ridden rant, demanded the removal of the linesman. She even lashed out at the crowd, telling them to "shut the hell up" as they responded with jeers and boos.
With the temperatures touching 116 degrees (46 Celsius), Capriati admitted that her outburst stemmed from both the oppressive heat and her frustration at falling behind in the match.
"I think it was just the heat and me losing, getting really frustrated working so hard," Jennifer Capriati said. "I couldn't believe I was going to lose points that way, too."
The American also divulged that the thick and sweltering air made it difficult for her to even breathe on the court.
"It was just really hard to breathe even out there. I mean the air was just so thick, just so hot," she added.
A brief look at Jennifer Capriati and Martina Hingis' head-to-head record
Jennifer Capriati and Martina Hingis locked horns in nine tour-level encounters, with Hingis securing a 5-4 lead in their head-to-head record.
The Swiss emerged victorious in their first-ever meeting, defeating Capriati 6-1, 5-7, 6-1 in the 1997 Sydney final. Hingis went on to win all four of their clashes from 1998 to 2000.
The American secured her first win over Hingis in the 2001 Australian Open final, winning 6-4, 6-3. She then defeated the Swiss 6-0, 4-6, 6-4 in the Charleston final that same year. Capriati triumphed in the 2001 French Open semifinal as well, beating Hingis 6-4, 6-3.
In their final match on the tour, Capriati claimed a 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-2 win over Hingis in the 2002 Australian Open final to clinch her third and final Grand Slam title.