ROME (AP) – Everything is coming together for Jennifer Capriati as the French Open nears. Serena Williams, meanwhile, still has some work to do before the year’s second major.

Capriati beat an error-prone Williams 6-4, 6-4 Saturday in the Italian Open semifinals. Her opponent in the clay-court tournament’s final will be Amelie Mauresmo.

Capriati had dropped eight straight matches against Williams. “I’ve lost to her so many times in a row. It’s a very personal victory for me,” Capriati said.

The win also was evidence that Capriati’s game is improving under new coach Heinz Gunthardt, who worked with Steffi Graf late in her career. Last week, at her first tournament with Gunthardt, Capriati reached the German Open semifinals, losing to eventual champion Mauresmo.

This week was the first time Capriati played in Rome without her father and coach Stefano Capriati. It’s also the first time – in her 11th try – Capriati reached a final at the Foro Italico.

“Oh, let’s not get on my dad. Come on, give him a break,” Capriati said. “I was focusing on a few things the last few weeks, and it just came together.”

She won the 2001 French Open; Williams won it the next year. Play starts at Roland Garros on May 24.

Williams is still trying to get everything sorted out with her left knee. The Italian Open was her first tournament back after nearly a month off with soreness in the knee; it was operated on in August, sidelining her until March.

“There are some things I want to work on going into the French,” Williams said. “I’m definitely going to ameliorate them and become a real force, for sure, by French Open time.

“But I think I’m hitting a lot better, and I’m very satisfied with the way my game is going.”

Capriati had trouble closing out her victory over Williams after taking a 5-1 lead in the second set.

On her first match point, at 5-2, Capriati double-faulted, then lost serve to make it 5-3. After Williams held to make it 5-4, Capriati nearly gave up her lead altogether when Williams had two break points to even the set at 5-5.

But three straight shots by Williams into the net set up Capriati’s second match point, which ended when a Williams forehand struck the top of the net and landed on the wrong side.

“There are voices in my head that I’m trying to brush aside,” Capriati said. “I knew I had another time to serve and that’s what I felt: Just go for it. If it’s not going to happen, it’s not going to happen. I’m not going to let it go by giving it away.’

“I’ve let matches like this slip away. Today I just tried to keep concentrated to the end.”

In the 2003 U.S. Open semifinals, Capriati was two points from victory 10 times against Justine Henin-Hardenne – and lost. Two years ago in the Italian Open semifinals, Capriati double-faulted to hand Williams a 6-5 lead in the third set, and Williams promptly put the match away.

“Good things happen to those who wait. You have to be patient,” Capriati said, adding that Williams did not appear at the top of her game.

“She made too many mistakes and started to play well too late,” Capriati said. “Her serve was a little bit different. Maybe because of her knee, she wasn’t pushing off much.”

Williams’ only other loss this year came against Nadia Petrova at Amelia Island, Fla., in early April.

“I definitely didn’t serve well enough,” Williams said. “Overall I didn’t play well enough. But for me, it’s big step. I think theoretically I’m doing a lot better.”

Mauresmo qualified for her fourth final in five years at the Italian Open. She lost the other three.

“Maybe the fourth time will be good for me,” said Mauresmo, who won last week’s German Open. “Anyway, it’s going to be good preparation for the French Open.”

AP-ES-05-15-04 1501EDT