Kafelnikov fulfils potential

When Russia's Yevgeny Kafelnikov won the French Open title in 1996, to be hailed the new tsar of world tennis, there seemed a real possibility that he would chase Pete Sampras around the world challenging him for his number one position and other Grand Slam titles.

The man from Sochi, on the shores of the Black Sea, chased round the world right enough, playing more singles and doubles matches a year than anybody else, but his Grand Slam record since that triumph at Roland Garros has borne no relationship to his undoubted talent - until yesterday when he defeated Sweden's Thomas Enqvist 46, 6-0, 6-3, 7-6 to win the Australian Open.

Enqvist had better reason than anybody to suppose his time had come, as he arrived in yesterday's final on an 11-match winning roll. Yet there remained the nagging doubt that under pressure the 24year-old Enqvist, a month younger than Kafelnikov, would not produce his best form. This has often happened in the past, hence his modest Grand Slam record with one previous quarter-final, here three years ago.

He started well, serving powerfully and scorching the lines with his compelling ground strokes. Kafelnikov could do little but wait for the storm to abate, and significantly he forced Enqvist to four deuces, followed on one occasion by a break point, before the Swede finally served out the first set.

What happened next will linger long in Enqvist's memory. For no blindingly obvious reason he lost the next nine games. Kafelnikov is one of the most technically gifted players on the circuit. His double-fisted backhand is the bedrock of his security, with the forehand capable of inflicting huge damage, as it did again on this composite surface, Rebound Ace.

Enqvist managed to rediscover a little of his first-set form after losing the second to love, but although Kafelnikov's grip wavered from time to time it was never loosened. There was little to separate the two men, now ranked number three and number 11 respectively in the fourth set, but a close line call at the beginning of the tie-break clearly affected Enqvist, who lost it 7-1, bowing out wretchedly with a double fault which prompted an explosion of joy from Kafelnikov, who sent his racket spiralling into the crowd.

On Saturday the women's final, as in the two previous years, saw Martina Hingis win with consummate ease. France's Amelie Mauresmo, who in the semi-finals so brilliantly defeated world number one Lindsay Davenport, succumbed to residual fatigue and nerves, losing 6-2, 6-3. Hingis played some of her best tennis since she won three Grand Slams two years ago, although without totally convincing anyone that had Davenport been on the other side of the net she would have still lifted her third successive title here.

The bright hue of the final had, anyway, been dulled by injudicious comments about Mauresmo by both Hingis and Davenport. The American's repeated references to the French teenager's shoulders, and comments that it was like "playing a guy", had been seized upon by elements of the press, but Davenport's plea that her comments had been taken out of context missed the point.

As the world's top player she should have recognised her responsibilities both to the game and to Mauresmo, and her belated cry of "foul" carried little conviction.

Hingis, still the number two, had more crassly referred to Mauresmo as being "half a man" in a Swiss radio interview, then promptly denied it. Yet the 19-year-old Mauresmo, who has now risen from number 29 to number 18, told a different tale. "It's all a little bit stupid but both of them have apologised."

Mauresmo was otherwise undoubtedly the weekend's winner. She has made no secret of her training methods, or her sexual preferences, and conducted herself with restraint and courtesy throughout.

There is no doubting this former world junior number one has a champion's determination and she will not, as Hingis often did last year, wilt against big hitters such as Davenport and Venus Williams.

Her experience here will have taught her a great deal. "I now know I can play great tennis at this level, and I want it." The "it" is a Grand Slam title, of which she may win many.