Capriati marches on

Capriati is playing for the first time since mid-January

Top-seeded Jennifer Capriati advanced to the semi-finals of the State Farm Classic in Scottsdale, Arizona by defeating sixth-seeded Barbara Schett 7-5, 6-3.

Capriati, playing for the first time since winning the Australian Open in mid-January, will face unseeded Nathalie Dechy in Saturday's semi-finals.

Serena Williams, seeded third, also moved to the semifinals by defeating Nicole Pratt, 6-2, 7-5.

She will play the winner of the match between second-seeded Martina Hingis and eighth-seeded Daja Bedanova.

Schett won the first five games of the first set before Capriati turned it around.

"I just got off to a slow start," said Capriati, whose match started an hour late because of long preceding matches.

"Just kind of waiting around all day wasn't good. It took a while to warm up. I started getting into a better groove."

Capriati has had trouble with Schett in the past, having dropped two of five previous matches against the Austrian.

Dechy earned the match with Capriati by beating seventh-seeded Francesca Schiavone.