PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania -- The way the entrance to the court was choked with people, you would have thought this was a boxing match, not a tennis tournament. The photographers had already formed a line and, in the stands, the fans stood on tiptoe and craned their necks for an advance look.


But all that was visible was the top of her head, covered by a blue and red baseball cap, and a tournament announcer who clutched a wireless microphone and finished her introduction with the words, "Please, welcome back Jennifer Capriati!"


Then, for the first time in 14 months, Capriati walked onto a pro tennis court. She was smiling. The crowd kept standing, kept applauding, and she blinked at the ovation, clearly moved. Beyond one baseline at the Pennsylvania Convention Center sat fellow pros Mary Pierce, Lindsay Davenport, Amanda Coezter. "Everyone (in the draw) is here," said Dutch pro Manon Bollegraf, another of the entries in the $750,000 Virginia Slims of Philadelphia.


That Capriati didn't come through with a win Wednesday night was just a footnote. Anke Huber, the 13th-ranked player in the world, took their first-round match 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.


During the game, Capriati's serve seemed timid, and she kept her game basic, rarely venturing to the net.


But what really mattered was that she'd made the long haul back. Back after two trips to drug rehab, a citation for shoplifting, an arrest for marijuana possession and times when she questioned if she'd ever play tennis at all.


Now that she is back, "I have no expectations," Capriati said Wednesday night. "It was just nice to be back, competing . . . . I really wasn't that nervous. I just couldn't wait to play. "