ROME, May 16 (UPI) -- Second seed Jennifer Capriati of the United States displayed her desire to add the $1.22 million Italian Open title to her career resume Thursday after the defending champion was eliminated..
In a clash between the last two French Open champions, Capriati whitewashed Mary Pierce of France, 6-0, 6-0, and advanced to the quarterfinals at the Foro Italico for the first time in nine years.
Meanwhile, defending champion and sixth seed Jelena Dokic of Yugoslavia was ousted by Anastasia Myskina of Russia, who rallied for a 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 triumph.
Capriati made the final eight here in 1990, 1991 and 1993. But in her four visits between 1997-2001, the reigning French Open champion never advanced past the second round.
The winner of the Australian Open in January, Capriati reached the quarterfinal of her third straight claycourt event. The 27-year-old was a semifinalist at Charleston and Berlin.
Pierce, the champion here in 1997, returned to the WTA Tour in January after being sidelined for seven months with a back injury.
Capriati faces a tough quarterfinal battle against No. 7 Amelie Mauresmo, the runner-up here a year ago. The French player posted a 6-0, 6-2 rout of Japan's Ai Sugiyama.
Myskina exacted revenge against Dokic, who won her first career WTA title here a year ago. The 20-year-old lost to Dokic in the second round at Berlin last week.
American Serena Williams is Myskina's quarterfinal opponent. The fourth seed dismissed Czech qualifier Denisa Chladkova, 6-1, 6-2.
Belgian Justine Henin, the No. 5 seed, took a 6-2, 6-4 win over Anne Kremer of Luxembourg. Henin, who defeated Capriati and Williams en route to the German Open title last week, extended her current WTA Tour winning streak to seven matches and improved her 2002 claycourt record to 12-2 in tournament play.
The 19-year-old Henin meets qualifier Virginia Ruano Pascual in the round of eight. The Spaniard knocked off Russia's Anna Kournikova, 6-3, 6-2.
The other quarterfinal pits No. 3 Kim Clijsters of Belgium against No. 5 Sandrine Testud of France. Clijsters, who won the Hamburg claycourt title earlier this month, pulled away to beat No. 16 Tatiana Panova of Russia, 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 6-1.
Testud rallied past No. 9 Silvia Farina Elia of Italy, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, to reach the Italian Open quarterfinals for the third time in five years.
