Graf pays homage to girl power

The influx of the teen queens is hardly a new phenomenon in women's tennis; faces and names change but the product is similar. Where once Steffi Graf, Monica Seles and Jennifer Capriati trod, Martina Hingis, Venus and Serena Williams and Anna Kournikova have followed.

It is hard to believe that Graf (29), Seles (25) and to a lesser extent Capriati (23) are now considered the elder stateswomen on the WTA tour. In the not too distant past Graf and Seles hoarded Grand Slam titles - 21 and nine respectively - but injury and an evolving women's game have pushed them to the periphery. Power is no longer a luxury, it is essential to survive.

Yesterday at Roland Garros, both slipped quietly through to the second round, Graf the more impressive as she crushed Magdalena Maleeva 6-2, 6-0. It can hardly be edifying for the German when the opening question at the press conference invited her to cast her mind back to 1996, "when you won a lot of big tournaments." Graf's reply, "1996?" invited clarification of purpose.

Question rephrased, Graf was determined not to peddle her memoirs just yet. "You know, this year I have played good matches . . . Do I feel I could win a major title again? I'm not really thinking about it right now."

Graf, though, was prepared to offer an insight into the changes that have come about on the women's tour, inspired by the work ethic and preparation of players like the Williams sisters, Hingis and Amelie Mauresmo. "I think all the players are in much better physical condition. I think that it obviously started a little bit with Martina (Navratilova) but players catch on, especially if they want to be on top. Everybody's doing that now. But you have to have it in your heart to work hard.

"If you're not going to do it from the beginning, if you are not willing to train at the age of 14, 15, 16 years you will never be able to do it. That's the most important time of your career. It's got to come from within yourself and it's not suddenly going to come to you later in life."

Graf appeared fluent and relaxed on court, moving sharply, serving powerfully and when the opportunities arose clattering her forehand cross-court or down the line with equal facility. Maleeva was reduced to the occasional flurry, often forced into one error after another.

Fang Li never really managed to get her teeth into her clash with Seles, losing 6-2, 6-4. Despite an improved performance by her opponent in the second set Seles was never in any trouble. Capriati was even more authoritative in beating Virginia Ruano Pascal, while there were also victories for number two seed Lindsay Davenport, Mary Pierce and Kournikova.

Pierce waded into the sports-doping controversy yesterday, saying she had taken the growth hormone Creatine, which she could obtain easily from any American supermarket.

Although the product is not illegal and is freely on sale in many countries, arguments have raged as to whether it should be banned. Pierce's admissions are nothing new, however, with more than 50 players having admitted to using the muscle-building compound in a recent edition of the ATP Tour's own International Tennis magazine.