I was putting too much pressure on myself: Capriati

Jennifer Capriati tied herself up in knots at the French Open and Wimbledon in the belief she was the only player who had a legitimate chance of denying the Williams sisters, Serena and Venus.

"I was putting too much pressure on myself, too many expectations, and feeling the expectation of others," Capriati told Reuters after beating compatriot Meghann Shaughnessy 6-4 6-1 in the third round of the $750,000 Acura Classic on Thursday.

"Maybe I was carrying the load on my back of being the only one who has a chance against the Williamses. But now I've put all that aside and I'm doing my thing and enjoying it again.

"Not that I stopped enjoying it for that time, but I was getting a little frustrated and agitated in trying to be so perfect out there all the time."

The world number three has not won a title since beating Martina Hingis to claim her second Australian Open crown in January.

Capriati had an emotionally-trying American spring after she was involved in a dispute with U.S. Fed Cup captain Billie Jean King the day before the Americans played Austria and was kicked off the team.

The row centred on her desire to have father and coach Stefano practising with her in preparation for the defence of her French Open title, and King's refusal to allow it.

The U.S. lost the tie and Capriati's willingness to damn the consequences of the fallout from the King dispute showed how serious she was about winning the French Open again. But she was too tense to pull it off.

"My chances were pretty good," said the American. "I know the Williamses were playing tough and better, but I didn't feel my best physically so I didn't have the same confidence I had the previous year."

CLASSIC THREE-SETTER

Consequently, Serena beat her in a classic three-setter in Paris and she was knocked out by France's Amelie Mauresmo in the Wimbledon quarter-finals.

The 26-year-old said that after Paris and London she went home and thought about what had gone wrong.

Part of her problem was a lack of confidence at the end of matches, which resulted from the knowledge that she could not run her opponents into the ground.

So Capriati has hired a new physical trainer, Courtney Lewis, to travel with her full-time.

"I'm really close to Venus and Serena," said Capriati, who has lost to Serena three times this year, including in the Scottsdale and Miami finals.

"We're all really close. I had close matches against Serena and haven't had any bad losses. I let my fitness go so I got this new trainer with me.

"I didn't feel my best and still did pretty well, so imagine if I feel really sharp and at the top of my game. Maybe that would have taken me to win those matches."

Capriati said it might be easier for her now that Lindsay Davenport had overcome her injury problems.

"Maybe now with Lindsay back and Martina Hingis eventually coming back, it will be easier. With the younger players, maybe they are in a little rut. It happens in a long season.

"Mentally I feel very good and very eager," she said. "I want to do really well. I think I have that spirit in me.

"The pressure is off. I don't have to prove anything. I want to be back up there. I want to start winning again and be where I was last year."

Capriati has another major goal left this year, to win her first U.S. Open later this month.

"It seems like I've never played my best at the Open," she said. "I hope it's going to be different this year.

"Some places you don't play well. Maybe it's New York. I don't like noise and stuff like that. It's difficult to concentrate, there's so much going on.

"It would mean everything in the world to me right now. I really live to win it. But it's going to be really tough. I just hope everyone is there and playing well."