TENNIS in DEPTH.

NOWHERE in the world of women’s tennis is the link between the sport and glamour more evident than at the chic environs of Roland Garros. Ask why Sony Ericsson decided to sponsor the WTA tour to the tune of $88m four years ago and you will probably find more answers at the French Open than anywhere else. A year ago, Ana Ivanovic was the darling of Court Philippe Chatrier, lifting the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen and flashing a victorious smile that graced the covers of magazines around the world.

It matters not that the French title is the only one of the sport’s great prizes yet to be won by Maria Sharapova, who once described her playing style on clay as being like a “cow on ice”. She may never become champion here but she has the requisite panache. In seven years she has never missed the tournament and this week she will take to the court wearing a pair of Tiffany gold earrings and customised blue dress complete with one of the famed jewellers’ pearl fasteners at the neck.

Ivanovic and Sharapova are neither fit enough nor playing well enough to suggest they will contend for the title. The Serbian champion’s defence of her crown was in doubt until a few days ago because of the knee injury that has kept her off court for almost a month. Sharapova, meanwhile, has been absent for more than nine months because of a shoulder injury that needed surgery. She won a couple of matches in Warsaw last week but her aspirations are expected to be even lower than normal this year.

So who will step into the void? Step forward Victoria Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki. Both teenagers are relative newcomers to the world’s top 10 but realise it pays not just to play well but also to look good. Both have been likened to Sharapova, particularly Azarenka, who plays each shot with the same characteristic shriek. “Sure, I’m blond, I’m tall, I play tennis and I like clothes and fashion,” says Azarenka. “I’m not just another Maria, but when she was breaking through people called her another Anna Kournikova so I guess that’s the way it is.

“Sure, I’ve already got involved in photo shoots. As long as I can separate it from tennis and it does not hurt my game then I’m happy to continue because I enjoy it.”

Azarenka, born in Belarus 19 years ago but now a resident of Scottsdale, Arizona, is a former world junior No 1. Wozniacki, a year younger and the first Danish player to reach the women’s top 10, won the Wimbledon junior singles title in 2006.

They are seeded ninth and 10th respectively. A couple of months ago Azarenka, or Vika as she likes to be known, overcame Serena Williams to win the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami; a week ago Wozniacki reached the final of the Madrid Open, losing to the world No 1, Dinara Safina.

If the pair possess potential in abundance, they also share a refreshing attitude. Though both are committed to their tennis, they want to enjoy other things in life and certainly don’t subscribe to the cat-fighting that seems so prevalent at the top of the game, such as Serena Williams’ recent attack on Safina’s climb to the summit.

Both have witnessed the hostility of those above them and don’t like it. “I am a very open person, I like to keep in touch with a lot of people and a lot of them are my fellow tennis players,” said Wozniacki. “Vika is one of my really good friends and I don’t see that as a problem. If we play each other we are determined to win but when we leave the court things get back to normal. Isn’t that the way it should be?”

Azarenka agrees. “The guys in the top 10 seem to respect each other and get on well,” she said. “Look at Nadal and Federer, they have such a healthy relationship based on mutual respect. The players at the top of the women’s game should be a little more like them.”

Both players have the opportunity to underline their growing reputations at Roland Garros. Azarenka shares the same quarter of the draw as Ivanovic and Safina, while Wozniacki is in with Jelena Jankovic and Elena Dementieva.

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