US Open Flashback: Serena Falls to Capriati on Night of Bad Calls

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US Open Flashback: Serena Falls to Capriati on Night of Bad Calls

The Score: Capriati d. Williams, 2004 US Open Quarterfinal, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.

The Plot: After splitting two meetings at the French Open and Wimbledon, Serena Williams and Jennifer Capriati squared off in an All-American quarterfinal to decide who would end 2004 with the upper hand in their rivalry.

What Made it Classic (and Bizarre):

The tennis was spirited, and very entertaining, but this match will forever be known as the match that spawned the Hawk-Eye era. Williams was the victim of four bad calls in the third set, and each one came at a crucial time. When what would have been a Capriati double-fault to give Williams a break point to get back on serve in the final game went uncalled, it was all over but the handshake.

What Capriati Said:

When asked about the call in her post-match on-court interview, Capriati claimed she didn’t see where the ball landed on the most egregious error, which came in the first game of the final set. Then she said she didn’t understand what the big deal was because Williams ended up winning the game.

Capriati’s memory was evidently as foggy as Mariana Alves’ vision (Alves was the umpire for the match who incorrectly overruled on the ball—go to 1:14:45 on the video above). Williams lost that game, though she would have had a game point on her serve if the questionable call had been made properly. But give the feisty Capriati credit—she wasn’t making the calls—and she played a heck of a match. Had Williams not been the victim of four very bad calls all in one set, she may have still lost the match, but unfortunately, we’ll never know.

The Implications:

Two years later, Hawk-Eye became a permanent fixture at the U.S. Open.

After the match, umpire Mariana Alves was removed from officiating the tournament, though she is still an active official today.

Serena Williams and Jennifer Capriati would never meet again. Williams, who dealt with all the injustice of that match in a remarkably composed manner, would go on to win three more US Opens and eleven more Grand Slams in total. She will bid for her sixth this year in New York, and will have Hawk-Eye instant replay if she needs to challenge any bad calls.

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