Capriati waiting for Grand Slam win to sink in

Five days after winning her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, Jennifer Capriati can hardly believe it actually happened.

"The whole two weeks were fantastic," Capriati said Thursday by telephone from her home at the Saddlebrook Resort, where she often practices with world number one and vanquished Australian Open finalist Martina Hingis.

"That day was just really unbelievable. It still hasn't hit me yet," Capriati said of the final in Melbourne.

No one can fault the 24-year-old Floridian for taking her time to fully digest her new-found status as Grand Slam champion. After all, it took her 10 years to finally live up to expectations.

"It was an amazing feeling and just finally to win a major tournament like that," she recalled. "I just can't even describe how happy I was.

"The satisfaction that I felt and well, you can see it by the way I jumped up in the air. I got some pretty good air time, I think," joked the former teen prodigy.

She had good reason to jump, given the calibre of players she beat on the way to her first Grand Slam crown and biggest title since taking the 1992 Olympic gold medal.

Capriati strung together a stunning run to the winner's circle, beating the last three women to claim Australian Open titles -- four-time champion Monica Seles in the quarters, defending champion Lindsay Davenport in the semis and three-time Australian winner Hingis in the final.

"The last three matches ... I don't think I could have played any better," Capriati said. "Right now, I am playing my best tennis.

"But my best tennis could just get better down the road," added Capriati, who became the first player since Tracy Austin at the 1979 U.S. Open to post straight sets victories over the world's top two ranked players at a Grand Slam.

After her well-publicized teen rebellion against tennis and a number of fits and starts along the comeback trail, Capriati finally seems emotionally prepared for stardom.

"Now we will just see what this new confidence that I have from winning this tournament, what it will bring," said a jovial sounding Capriati.

"With confidence, I mean, who knows what can happen."