Tennis: Kournikova and Williams come of age

John Roberts, in Key Biscayne, considers the young talents who contest the women's final of the Lipton Championships today

WHEN Richard Williams held a hand-written card above his head at the start of his 17-year-old daughter Venus's latest win against Martina Hingis, the world No 1, he was suspected of coaching. Unless there is a code to be cracked, the message - "My wife is the best wife in the world" - was simply a compliment to his better half, Oracine.

And why not? For all the criticism levelled against the Williams family for shielding Venus and their younger daughter, Serena, from junior competition, the pair are maturing into perhaps the most exciting sister act tennis has known.

Their performances this week have illuminated the Lipton Championships here alongside another prodigy, the stunning 16-year-old Anna Kournikova, who has caused hearts to flutter, on the court and off it, en route to her first WTA Tour singles final.

Venus Williams versus Anna Kournikova in the title match today is a promoter's dream, the first meeting of the tall, powerful, athletic American with the beaded braids against the lissome, Americanised Russian with the long blonde ponytail.

Apart from adorning the court, both can hit awesome shots and compete with a passion, as we saw when Williams overcame her nerves, which cost three match points, when overpowering Hingis in the semi-finals, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2, and Kournikova left a trail of big-name contenders in her wake - Monica Seles, Conchita Martinez, Lindsay Davenport and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, whom she defeated in the semi-finals, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3.

While the Williams sisters were deliberately held back from competitive tennis, Kournikova has complained of being restricted by the age eligibility rules. It does not appear to have harmed her long-term prospects, bearing in mind that she reached the Wimbledon semi-finals on her debut at the All England Club last summer.

"I played great tennis at Wimbledon, but right now I'm much smarter," Kournikova says. "I mean, I've got more experience since then. Every time on the court, even if I'm losing, I stop, think about it, start doing new stuff. Right now it's all about the mental side, because physically, in the way of making shots, I could do anything probably."

Steffi Graf made the point last summer that Hingis was a shrewd tactician whereas Williams and Kournikova had all the shots but were not certain when to bring them into play. Since then, Kournikova has sought guidance from Graf's former coach, the Czech Pavel Slozil.

"Pavel has helped me a lot mentally," she says. "It's great to have somebody every day with you on the road, talking before the match and after the match. He hasn't really changed my game. Like I said, I could probably do any shots I want. It's just everything in my head. I have to prepare and learn how to win matches."

Four wins in four days against top 10 opponents has raised Kournikova's ranking from No 25 to 20. "I proved to everybody that I can play good tennis, a lot of matches in a row," she says proudly. "It's definitely the best time of my life right now.

"Even after I lost the first set [against Sanchez Vicario], I thought, 'Wow! This is great, I'm playing'. I started to play more aggressively. I started to attack her forehand more. I didn't try to go for winners right away. I kept the ball in three, four, five times, and then I went when I had a good shot to go for. I started to come into the net much more."

Before playing her semi- final on Thursday night, Kournikova scouted the Hingis-Williams match. "I think it was difficult for both of them," she says. "They were both a little bit tired in the third set."

Hingis said she was tired after playing two tournaments in a row. "I think she used that as an excuse," Kournikova says. "I don't think she really meant that. Of course she's tired. She's been on top already for quite a long time. Physically, everybody gets tired, but not mentally. You should just take a couple of weeks off, get ready for a tournament. I'm not tired at all.

"There's a lot of changes right now, in this tournament, in women's tennis. It's going to be something different, something new."

Williams, who reacted to her win against Hingis by performing a little dance and then hugging her father in the crowd, was asked if she thought the match was the major turning point in her career. "I think my career's been turning for a long time now," she said. "I don't think it's a major turning point in my career.

"I was tired of losing in ridiculous ways. I knew I was a better player. It's OK to lose, but just to go out and lose 6-0, things of that nature, and to play badly, that's different."

Defeating Hingis guarantees her a place in the world's top 10. "I haven't arrived yet," she says, "I'm just coming on, my way."