Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 10, 1990 TAG: 9004100079
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Bill Brill
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Considering I recall Lanny Wadkins as a teen-ager in braces playing at the Cascades in Hot Springs, it is something of a shock to accept him as a 40-year-old performing in his 18th Masters.
But, as Wadkins explained in interesting fashion, Augusta National rewarded the intelligent, not necessarily the gifted.
Wadkins' theories were supported by the leader board, which showed that, of the top 24 finishers who qualify for the '91 Masters, 10 were older than 40, including three seniors - Gary Player, Lee Trevino and grandfather Jack Nicklaus.
Wadkins believes courses such as Augusta, where players must position the ball rather than fire straight at the flag, is easier for the generic generation. "The younger players have grown up using different equipment, metal woods and square-grooved irons," Wadkins said after his third-place tie, his best ever. "They don't know all the shots."
Meanwhile, Jennifer Capriati was demonstrating the enormous differences between golf and tennis.
Can you imagine a 14-year-old, eighth-grader beating Nicklaus? Not ever.
But Capriati, before she was 14 earlier this month, before she played her first pro tennis tournament, already was a millionaire because of sporting goods endorsements.
Name another sport in which that could happen. Name another sport, other than women's gymnastics, in which a 14-year-old could be a world-class athlete.
Capriati is rare. In '89, playing the U.S. Open junior (18 and under) final, she won the championship against an 18-year-old, 6-1, 6-0. She's that much better than her peers.
Steffi Graf, Monica Seles and Gabriela Sabatini all made a pro impact early, as did those in generations before, notably Maureen Connolly, Chris Evert, Andrea Jaeger and Tracy Austin. Obviously, the latter two burned out, or wore out physically, too early.
Larry Lineberry, the Hunting Hills pro, believes past experiences will benefit Capriati, who was competitive Sunday in the Family Circle Cup final against 33-year-old Martina Navratilova, the world's No. 2 player.
"We have learned periodization in the '80s," Lineberry said. Which means that Capriati, who has been playing since she was 4, will not be permitted to play too often and burn out early like Jaeger and Austin.
Lineberry points out that the endorsements guarantee Capriati's future, so she need not worry about cashing in on the big bucks. For her, the money will continue to come with maturity, and the actual purses may be relatively unimportant.
"They won't let Jennifer play too much," said Lineberry, who doesn't expect another appearance from the wunderkind until the French Open.
The fact that Capriati has been managed, and trained, since childhood has produced a person far more physically fit - and mature - than you would expect in a kid. In fact, Capriati certainly could pass for 18.
She hits the ball hard, as hard as all but a handful of the older pros, and perhaps harder, from both sides, than even Graf. Steffi's weapon is her forehand.
"Jennifer may not hit it any harder later on," Lineberry said. "But she'll learn to be able to hit the sixth shot [of a rally] hard." That, Lineberry said, is rare. "Graf hits all her forehands hard."
Young women can do well early in tennis, Lineberry said, "because of the strength factor." Evert, the longtime queen, never was a power player. Navratilova was one of the first. Now Graf reigns.
"For three or four years, they spin the ball and chase," Lineberry said. "It's a lot of endurance and perseverance."
The strength factor, Lineberry said, is even more evident on the men's tour. There have been exceptions, of course, but most men reach their peak in their mid-20s.
There are others, Jimmy Arias and Aaron Krickstein among them, who start with a rush, then fall off in the rankings. "They have to re-learn the game," Lineberry said, because the men's game is primarily serve-and-volley.
A Lineberry pupil, James Thompson of Marion, has played Capriati. He was a graduate of Davidson - now an assistant tennis coach at Alabama - who got as high as No. 601 in the world. Capriati was a 12-year-old. Lineberry said Thompson won 6-3, 6-3. "But he told me, `I really had to play well.' "
Men's and women's tennis is not to be confused as the same sport. And it certainly isn't golf, where they reward experience and knowledge in some instances even more than ability.
To be sure, Capriati is unique. Even at 14, "she can't fail," Lineberry said. She has the ability, the physical stature, the financial well-being and, above all, the proper management.
by CNB