WIMBLEDON: DAY 8

Tiger beat: Sharapova-led teens add spice
Sprem, Golovin look like real contenders

By Matthew Cronin
tennisreporters.net

Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA

The teen triumvirate: Croat Karolina Sprem, left to right, Russian Maria Sharapova and Frenchwoman Tatiana Golovin.

FROM WIMBLEDON – Four months ago, Maria Sharapova's longtime coach, Robert Lansdorp, said that it might take her two years to challenge the physically stronger elite players such as the Williams sisters and Belgians Justine Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters.

But tennis is now evolving at the speed of light and after the doors were shut on the All England Club on Monday, the 17-year-old Sharapova and two other super-athletic teens were still left in the draw: 16-year-old Tatiana Golovin and 19-year-old Karolina Sprem. All are blondes or dyed blondes. All can rip the cover off the ball. Nerves? None that are apparent.

"I don't really get nervous," said Sharapova, after a tight 6-4, 7-5 win over Amy Frazier. "It's not really about nerves for me. Sometimes you don't know what will happen on the day, so I'm a little out of it, but I really wouldn't call it nerves."

The younger Williams remains the favorite pull off Serena-peat and win her third straight Wimbledon crown. You could make a strong argument for veterans Amelie Mauresmo, Jennifer Capriati or Lindsay Davenport as the next tier of favorites. But there's no question that this new group of youngsters isn't that far below them ability wise.

Three-time grand Slam champion Davenport, who has practiced with Sharapova and is also a former student of the LA-based Lansdorp, doesn't see that the Russian with an American accent has a long way to go.

"She's great," Davenport said. "I thought she had a lot of potential from the first time I saw her. Even though she might be making some errors at the wrong time, she always goes for the ball. Technically, she's very sound. She's a got a good hard serve that will continue to get better. She has no glaring weaknesses. When you watch her play, you don't see anything that looks so off, especially for someone who's so young. She got a very big game to do well."

SPREM was '100 PERCENT IN THE MATCH'
So does Sprem, a Croatian flame thrower in the mold of '97 Roland Garros champ Iva Majoli who looks like she's always moving forward. After knocking off veteran Maggie Maleeva 6-4, 6-4, she'll get a shot at '99 Wimbledon titlist Davenport in the quarterfinals. Is a victory beyond the clean striker? Not when you've knocked off seeds Venus Williams, Meghann Shaughnessy and Maleeva in succession.

"I want to go on court and play 100 percent if I can. I want to win this match," Sprem said.

The frizzy-haired, fiery competitor rarely sees a ball she doesn't like to chew on. The smiling Sprem loves her game and thinks she can improve, but she's got a little of her countryman's Goran Ivanisevic's teenage superman complex. It's no wonder, give that she's coached by one of his best friends, Sasha Hirzon.

"I like my forehand. I like the backhand," she said. I like the serve. Maybe more I need to come on the net. I was coming on the net against Venus, and maybe was that the key that I won. And I was serving well, and I was 100 percent in the match."

Back in 1999, Davenport also faced a cocky teen in the deep in the second week when she blew past big serving Alexandra Stevenson. Five years older, the 28-year-old won't have the convenience of facing a slow moving two-shot player. She knows that her damaged knee will be tested.

"Sprem's a lot more consistent form the baseline and hits some big shots," Davenport said. "She moves a little better. It's going to be a tough baseline match."

GOLOVIN HAS ROYAL GOALS
Like Sharapova, Golovin spent a long stint in the United States, first working under Nick Bollettieri and for a year, under Andy Roddick's coach, Brad Gilbert. A highly entertaining player with a love for the cameras, she's thrilled about having a chance to act on the big stage against Serena. The shutterbugs are going to have to set their timers on warp speed.

"We try to stay focused and I hope people come to watch the tennis," said the cheeky Golovin, who was born in Russia, reared in France and who up until this year trained in the U.S. Talking about fans’ interest in good-looking teens, she said, "Then, if the physical … that's their choice."

Very much of bubble-gum popping teen, Golovin then said that no, she doesn't have a boyfriend, because she's pining for Prince William. "I'll be waiting for him sitting in the stands," she said.

Whether the continent's most famous bachelor shows up in the Royal Box or not, Golovin will be beaming. She has a nice all-around game and, like Sharapova and Sprem, can torch the ball. But she's far too inconsistent to upend Serena.

It's Sprem and especially Sharapova who a big threats to reach the final. Sharapova's off-season workout routine has really paid off this year, as she's not tiring deep in tournaments. She should out hit Ai Sugiyama in the quarterfinals and then be primed for her first Grand Slam semifinal against either Davenport or Sprem.

The teens may not last beyond the Thursday quarterfinals. But, by virtue of already getting this far, they may have encouraged some of their peer group to put down their soccer balls and skateboards and queue up for Wimbledon tickets. That's a great thing for their sport.

"There are so many younger players like Maria and I coming to play. Let's get some younger people to come out and watch," Golovin said.