PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 9 -- Jennifer Capriati was scheduled to return Wednesday night to the professional tour after a 15-month absence with an appearance in the $750,000 Virginia Slims of Philadelphia Tennis Championship. The 18-year-old Capriati, who received a wild card entry, was scheduled to go against sixth-seed Anke Huber of Germany. Capriati, a tennis prodigy when she turned pro just before her 14th birthday, was ranked as high as sixth in the world and won an Olympic gold medal before abruptly halting her career. Capriati has not played on the women's tour since losing to Leila Meskhi in the first round of the 1993 U.S. Open. She was arrested on drug possession charges and underwent drug rehabilitation twice during her absence. She had been expected to play in two women's events in Europe last month but withdrew with a groin injury. Capriati has refused to grant interviews at Philadelphia and issued a statement through tournament organizers. 'I wouldn't say I'm in tip-top shape, but I feel good enough to break the ice,' Capriati said in the statement. 'In regards to after this tournament and next year, I don't know. I'm just going to take things day by day.' In earlier matches Wednesday, Nathalie Tauziat of France took out top-seed and defending champion Conchita Martinez of Spain, 6-4, 6-4. Martinez ended Steffi Graf's 44-match winning streak in taking the Virginia Slims of Philadelphia last year. Tauziat kept alive her hopes of making the 16-player field in the Virginia Slims Championship next week.
Tauziat needs to win the tournament to make the season-ending women's event. In the only other match involving a seeded player, No. 3 Lindsay Davenport, of the United States, defeated Tami Whitlinger, of the U.S., 7-5, 6-3, in a first-round match. Chanda Rubin, who upset seventh-seeded Amy Frazier, of the U.S., 6-1, 6-1, Tuesday in opening round play, downed Erika de Lone in a second- round match between U.S. players. De Lone, who has taken a leave of absence from Harvard to join the pro tour, downed Mercedes Paz of Argentina, 6-3, 6-2, Tuesday. First prize is $150,000.
