Sharapova in eye of age controversy at Wimbledon

London, June 30: If you're good enough, you're old enough. It's a sporting maxim which has always raised its head in sport amid arguments that throwing a budding star into the deep end too early can lead to premature burnout.
The argument has raged particularly fiercely in tennis for decades with the likes of former US prodigy Tracy Austin and current champion Jennifer Capriati, among others, blossoming as child-prodigies and competing with distinction at grand slam level having barely entered their teens.
Since then, to head off the risk of burnout - which was Austin's fate - the WTA Tour have limited the number of tournaments young players can play.

Yet despite those best intentions, the policy has sparked controversy this week at Wimbledon.

A chief reason for that is the spectacular emergence of US-based, Siberian-born Russian Maria Sharapova, just 16, who has reached the fourth round on her senior debut.



Even if she lands the title here, to emulate Martina Hingis as a 16-year-old champion at the all England club, she will only be able to play a handful more tournaments for the rest of the season because of her youth, the age eligibility rule having been introduced post-Hingis.



Brad Gilbert, long-time mentor to world number one Andre Agassi and now coach to 20-year-old men's title hopeful Andy Roddick, has berated the idea that Sharapova might be forced to miss many tournaments, thus limiting their marketing attraction if she does indeed become queen of Wimbledon.



The rule affecting Sharapova stipulates that a player yet to turn 17 may only play in 10 professional tournaments, plus the season-ending championship if she qualified.


Bureau Report