Jennifer Capriati broke down in tears as she tried to sweep her turbulent past aside last night. The 23-year-old New Yorker lost the clash of tennis' former golden girls when she was defeated 6-4 6-3 in the fourth round of the US Open by Monica Seles.
Then the woman whose career collapsed in ruins when she dropped out of the tour in a teenage rebellion, which included possession of drugs and shoplifting, sobbed as she made an emotional farewell to this year's Flushing Meadows tournament.
In what amounted to a public confessional she read out a long statement within minutes of her defeat, taking the blame for her teenage wild days. "The path I took for a brief period of my life was not of reckless drug use, hurting others," said Capriati.
"But it was a path of quiet rebellion, a little experimentation of a darker side of my confusion in a confusing world.
"I made mistakes and I am to blame, no one else. I am sorry to my loved ones that I humiliated and embarrassed. And I'm sorry to my fans who I let down. I'm sorry to myself for causing so much pain.
"But I feel like I've started a new chapter in my life and I need to leave the past behind."
Capriati revealed she had written the statement before the tournament began because she was sick of being asked questions about her past.
Now she wants to complete the healing process by dedicating herself to her rejuvenated career which has seen her, working with new coach Harold Solomon, rise to world number 40 in the last six months.
It was the first time Capriati had faced Seles since their epic semifinal here back in 1991 when as teenagers they produced arguably the best match in women's tennis history.
On that occasion Seles also emerged victorious, though in a dramatic last-set tie-break.
Yesterday at a windy, humid Flushing Meadows it was never as close - the aggression and precision of fifth seed Seles proving too much for Capriati, who nevertheless showed flashes of the hard-hitting form which could see her return to the top echelons of the game.
Andre Agassi swept through to the men's quarter-finals with another impressive display of power tennis to beat Frenchman Arnaud Clement.
The flamboyant American, the overwhelming favourite to win this tournament, dismissed Clement 6-4 6-4 6-3 in just one hour and 56 minutes.
Agassi has won 32 of his last 36 matches and three of those losses have been at the hands of Pete Sampras.
The only other person to beat him in that glory streak is Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov, the third seed here and the only man who can stop him from succeeding Sampras as world number one at the end of this fortnight.
Agassi now plays another Frenchman, Nicolas Escude, the shock 6-2 6-3 7-5 winner over 10th seed Marcelo Rios.
On last night's evidence, however, the US Open has Agassi's name written all over it.
Jana Novotna, meanwhile, last night announced her retirement from tennis at the end of the year.
The 30-year-old Czech player, who will be 31 next month, said finally winning Wimbledon last year made her decision easier.
"It is true. I have decided to finish this year, fulfil my obligations for this fall and then not play any more."
