Former star swept aside

Yesterday four minders escorted Anna Kournikova from the players lounge to show-court two through a crowd of several hundred people. Shortly afterwards on the other side of the All England Club complex Jennifer Capriati stepped through the entrance gate to Court 18 virtually unnoticed. Kournikova at 18 is where Capriati had been nine years before.

The American, though, had achieved much more. At the age of 14, she was crowned the youngest Grand Slam finalist in tennis history at the French Open. Moving to London that same year she became the youngest seed (12) in Grand Slam history at Wimbledon and then the youngest player to win a match there. At 14 the tennis world was at Capriati's feet.

Yesterday the un-seeded 23 year old fought in vain to re-ignite her career against Holland's Seda Noorlander. The Dutch girl's best ever ranking was 96th in the world. Capriati was once ranked sixth. Still she was easily swept aside 6-1, 6-3.

The decline of the young American, which ended in 1993 with her arrest for theft in Florida and a spell in drug rehabilitation, has clearly come to an end. From the ashes of her career and personal life she has begun again.

"I hope I still don't act like I am 13 or 14," she said.

"Sometimes I do, but yes I think I have grown up a lot and I certainly have a lot of experiences that have helped me grow up. A lot of the personal problems that the press or the public has thought have been really different to what the real personal problems were.

"I would like to be remembered as an inspiration to other people who are down and out. Every day is a new beginning."

Capriati did not come to Wimbledon for the four years between 1993 to 1998 and last year was knocked out in the second round. Now in the second year of her rehabilitation, her efforts to climb back in with the elite has foundered. Yesterday match fitness played its part.

Stretching for shots she would have originally been set up to receive, a step off the pace and Capriati struggled to win four games from 16 against a journeyman base-liner. Neither player hit any volley winners, incomprehensible on grass.

Capriati's father Stefano sat court side. The original father from hell looked benign and resigned. Talking to a companion about his daughter's career, he opened his palms and said: "One day at a time. One day at a time."

In women's tennis it has been a familiar chant. And so it goes for another former prodigy.