Boris Becker put a moment aside yesterday to point out that Venus Williams would some day become the best women's player in the world. Given that her father Richard has been making more outrageous claims for a number of years, the 18-year-old is unlikely to feel the burden of Becker's comments on her broad shoulders. Her reaction to the remark was typically, well, Venus.
"If I didn't feel that way, I wouldn't continue to play, most certainly," she said, quite unmoved.
Yesterday in her final two sets against Anna Kournikova, the American six-footer showed that Becker's prediction could come about, sooner rather than later.
After a slow start Williams, having lost the first set 3-6, picked up the tempo to sweep the young Russian aside 6-3, 6-2 and set up a quarter final meeting with Steffi Graf.
It was the glamour tie of the day with Kournikova hoping to equal her 1997 run when she became only the second women in the Open Era to reach the semi-finals in her career debut, Chris Evert being the other in 1972.
But Williams was simply too physically strong, her pacey ground strokes cutting past Kournikova at the net or simply pinning her to the baseline. Her heavy serve, once she had control of it, is probably the best on tour and even her magnificent physique dominated the court.
Steffi Graf, who polished off the youngest player in the tournament, 16 year old Kim Clijsters 62, 6-2, said, as the Russian led the first set, that given a choice, she would prefer to play Kournikova in the quarter finals.
"I think it's better to play Anna. You're able to play, you know. With Venus, if she serves well, it's very difficult," said Graf.
Tough Steffi. Today it's Williams. The number 6 seed was a picture of serenity and tranquility after the match, quite a contrast to her on court aggression.
"Against Steffi, I've won the last two match ups. I'm definitely ready to compete and she is. I have to try to get to the semis. I never have before. I'll just go out there and be ready to play, ready to attack and take the opportunities, and definitely believe in what I'm doing," she said.
At the end of the day it was the darling of the competition, Kournikova who inadvertantly summed it up when asked whether she and Williams would be great rivals over the coming years.
"She's a great player. I'm a good player," said the 18 year old tennis pin-up. So long Anna.
Also through are 31-year-old Nathalie Tauziat and teenage Croatian Mirjana Lucic. It was the unseeded Lucic who put an end to Monica Seles hopes last Friday. While yesterday's opponent Tamarine Tanasugarn was some what less illustrious, Lucic is making a name for herself as something of a dark horse at the championships.
Another player, along with American Alexandra Stevenson, who will not talk about her father, Lucic was ear marked as an adolescent for great things. Lucic now faces a French player who does not have to adjust her game too much to play grass tennis. Tauziat also helps bring up the average age of the eight quarter finalists. Along with Novotna and Graf she is over 30. American and number three seed Lynsdey Davenport is the only remaining player in her 20s, the rest, Jelena Dokic, Alexandra Stevenson, Lucic and Venus Williams are all teenagers.
