Maria Sharapova and Capriati will play for fundraiser

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Jennifer Capriati and Maria Sharapova will play an exhibition match Dec. 18 to raise money for the Florida Hurricane Relief Fund. The WTA Tour’s “Hurricane Tennis Slam,” at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, will be preceded by a children’s tennis clinic led by Nick Bollettieri.

The tour’s headquarters are in St. Petersburg; Capriati and Maria live in Florida. Four hurricanes hit the state in six weeks in August and September. “When it came about, it was something that I really wanted to do — to reach out and really try to help the victims,” Capriati said. “It was just a devastating event.”