Jennifer Capriati has revealed she has stayed away from Eastbourne for the past 13 years because of homesickness.

The American third seed, who beat Nathalie Dechy 6-1 7-5 in one hour 12 minutes at Devonshire Park yesterday to reach today's semi-finals of the Hastings Direct Championships, made her only previous appearance on the lawns at Eastbourne as a 14-year-old prodigy when she reached the second round.

Since then she has secured three Grand Slam titles and the world No. 1 spot in a rollercoaster career which hit the buffers through drug and weight related problems.

Through it all she always opted to return home to Florida to be with her family following the French Open rather than prepare for Wimbledon at Devonshire Park.

She said: "I suppose it is better late than never. Things have gone really well for me this week which has made me think that I will start to come back regularly in the future.

"I have reached the stage in my career where I can change my schedule and if it works - fine, and if it doesn't, it's not so bad.

"In the past I have always felt that Eastbourne has come too quick after the French Open for me. I have always wanted to go home rather than come here.

"I wanted to see my family and be with my dogs. I have two big black labradors called Happy and Aries and like to be with them.

"Ideally I would like an extra week between the French Open and Wimbledon because I don't feel there is enough time between them."

Her only concern as she booked her last four spot against fellow American Chanda Rubin was the weather conditions as the wind blasted around centre court throughout her dismantling of Dechy.

She said: "The conditions were so difficult, I really had to fight and concentrate. It was hard to call it tennis. But at least it has made me mentally stronger because I have managed to come through it."

The quarter-final seemed to be a repeat of her last 16 success against qualifier Amy Frazier. Capriati took the first set against her compatriot swiftly and then found herself 5-0 down in the second set before winning seven games on the run to take victory.

Yesterday Dechy raced to a 4-1 second set advantage after saving three breakpoints.

But Capriati got a grip with her booming forehand and backhand ground strokes or with a little good fortune from net cords to draw level at 5-5.

She broke Dechy, who was hoping to better her best ever Eastbourne performance, and then the 27-year-old wrapped up the match after saving two breakpoints on her own serve.

Capriati said: "The momentum seemed similar to when I played Amy but I managed to break Nathalie a little earlier in the second set than I did against Amy."

Capriati holds a 6-4 head to head advantage against Eastbourne champion Rubin with her latest victory coming in Miami this year.

Rubin was virtually untroubled as she brushed aside Anna Pistolesi 6-1 6-0 in 49 minutes.

But Rubin found time at the finish to have words with the umpire, Fiona Edwards, after losing a point when her cap flew off in mid shot in the second set.

She said: "I thought the rules stated that you play two (a replay of the point). And I wanted to be clear about it but she told me that she made a judgement."

Rubin, like Capriati, found the blustery weather disconcerting.

She said: "It made things a bit crazy."

Now she is ready to reduce her deficit against the Florida based player, Rubin said: "I intend to be aggressive and concentrated."

Silvia Farina Elia, who knocked out No. 1 seed Lindsay Davenport, came through and epic three-set struggle against Maggie Maleeva. Bulgarian Maleeva, winner of the DFS Classic in Birmingham, looked in charge as she served for the first set at 5-3.

But the history between the two players gave a clue that the match would not be straight forward. From eight previous meetings Maleeva edges the head to heads 5-3. However, every encounter has been a long one and yesterday was no exception.

Maleeva took a 3-0 advantage in the second set but her cruise control button was switched off by her Italian opponent who came storming back to take the set 6-4.

Farina Elia broke for a 2-0 advantage in the deciding set but again the momentum swung back to Meleeva as she took a 3-2 advantage.

But the eighth seed failed to maintain it and Farina Elia completed a 5-7 6-4 6-4 victory in two hours 20 minutes. The Italian will play Conchita Martinez in the other semi final today with the Spaniard, the 1994 Wimbledon champion, toppling fourth seed Daniela Hantuchova from Slovakia.

Capriati reached the semi-finals of the doubles with Magui Serna, thanks to a 7-5, 7-6 victory over Elena Likhovtseva, from Russia, and Ai Sugiyama, from Japan, last night.

They meet Antonella Serra Zanetti, from Italy and Stephanie Foretz, from France, in the last four.

Serra Zanetti and Foretz overcame Yuglosavian Jelena Dokic, who was knocked out of the singles 24 hours earlier, and Australian Rennae Stubbs, the third seeds, winning 6-4, 6-4.

Davenport, knocked out of the singles in which she was top seed, was cheered by reaching the other semi-final.

The former Wimbledon champion teamed up with fellow-American Lisa Raymond to defeat Russian Elena Bovina and Dechy 6-4 6-2.

The second seeds take on fourth favourites Hantuchova and Rubin who made the last four thanks to a walkover. Their scheduled opponents Maleeva and Liezel Huber, from South Africa, withdrew. Maleeva had a thigh injury.

Navratilova and Alicia Moliklost to Elena Vovina and Dechy 6-2 6-7 6-3.