Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, November 4, 1994 TAG: 9411040091
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: OAKLAND, CALIF. LENGTH: Medium
With Monica Seles sidelined indefinitely, Jennifer Capriati not yet back on the tour and Martina Navratilova heading toward retirement at the end of this year, the women's game has been in the doldrums.
Sure, Steffi Graf is a great player, but she is predictable and lacks charisma. And while baseliners such as Conchita Martinez can win tournaments, they do little to excite fans.
The rise of Mary Pierce to stardom this year after a break with her father provided the sport with an intriguing and sympathetic figure. But that's nothing compared to the boost Williams can give tennis.
Williams is poised and tenacious on the court. Off the court, she talks about missing her dog and flashes the smile of a little girl.
As her father often says, she is a product of the ghetto - a true American success story.
But all of those attractive elements would be meaningless if not for her ability to play the game. Her stunning display in a 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 loss Wednesday night to Arantxa Sanchez Vicario at the Bank of the West Classic gave the tennis world a glimpse of its potential future.
Williams, playing only her second pro match and only her second tournament match in three years, overpowered the world's second-ranked in the first set. She handcuffed the Spaniard with her powerful serve, and slashed backhand shots just over the net and out of Sanchez Vicario's reach.
Williams, who won her pro debut Monday night, took a 3-1 lead in the second set. But she tired and Sanchez Vicario won the last 11 games of the match.
Williams tried to downplay her fatigue, despite seeming to gasp for breath at times in the final two sets.
``I don't get tired. I'm too young to get tired,'' she said with a touch of youthful bravado. ``I didn't unravel.''
About the only person in the crowd not rooting for Williams was her father, Richard, who opposed her decision to turn pro at 14 and is afraid too much early success will make her addicted to victory. During the match, he yelled, ``C'mon, Sanchez, beat this turkey.''
``I hated to see her win the first set. If Venus had won, it wouldn't have been good for Venus. The demands on her would've just been too much,'' Richard Williams said after the match.
``She's just a 14-year-old kid with a grown-up game. She needs time to be a little girl right now.''
by CNB