[the cat]

Do the Russian junior girls have more potential than the Russian professional women? I think so. Do you think Svetlana Kuznetsova, Dinara Safina and Maria Sharapova will be better players than Anna Kournikova, Elena Dementieva and Lina Krasnoroutskaya? I think they will be better. Anna has been slowed by injuries and publicity. Elena and Lina have certainly dissapointed in the big matches. The Russian female pro's don't have the killer instinct. Let's hope the Russian junior girls do. I think the top Russian junior girls will be better players than the current crop of Russian women. Only time will tell. Udachi all Russian players!

 

[TheBoiledEgg]

Of the current junior players non is mentally tough as Svetlana Kuznetsova .

The Current ones are good but the best are to follow.

I still think Lina will come thru and become the best one in the next 2 years.

 

[ys]

I saw Dinara at US Open. So tall, so slender, so strong. Beautiful. She'll rule WTA.

 

[Togk 182]

well, i think dinara will rule thw wta, i would love if dinara & marat play in mixed doubles

 

[the cat]

"Do the Russian junior girls have more potential than the Russian professional women"? One year later, the answer is a resounding Da!

 

[TheBoiledEgg]

i just hope non of these get serious injuries like Lina and Nadia have suffered this year

the future is bright the future is Russian !!!!!!!!!!

 

[CellJr300]

I don't know, only time will tell. I think that too many people have given up on Krasnoroutskaya, Kournikova, Dementieva. They are still young, and just because they didn't win everything in sight right away doesn't mean they won't in the near future. Maybe they were mature physically, but have yet to reach their mental maturity. Not everybody is able to have the complete package in their teens. If they still haven't gotten any better before they reach 25-26 then I would reconsider my opinion.

 

[igost]

Remember how promising were Kournikova and Dementieva in juniors? Krasnoroutskaya was beating both Dokic and Cluijsters. Williams sisters never even played juniors, just came out from nowhere. It's virtually impossible to predict who will turn a real pro judging by junior career only.
Though it looks like Zvonareva, Safina, Kuznetsova and others will do much better than their predecessors. At least I hope so

 

[the cat]

You have to cut Lina some slack, because this year was lost to a horrible ankle injury. But Kournikova and Dementieva have played for long enough, and they are unable to win a WTA title. I still hope they will have a breakthrough at some point. But it's looking bleak!

And like you Igost, I expect the top Russian junior girls to do better than their predecessors.

 

[auntie janie]

I would actually include Lina in the Sveta group, not the Kournikova group. Lina and Sveta are both 18, aren't they? (Or is it Vera Z who just turned 18? One of them did.) Give Lina a chance.

And in the older group, Anastasia Myskina is doing quite well, thank you very much!

 

[salima]

What I think is most interesting thing here, is the fact that the juniors, Kuznetsova, Kirilenko, Zvonareva, Safina a.s.o. are different types. You never know with young athletes if or who is going to develop into a champion, but I am confident that some of the youngsters here will have their name at or very close to the top of the WTA-rank. I am not the one to tell who, I have not deep enough knowledge to tennis to do that. My prediction is though Kuznetsova, Safina with Kirilenko as an outsider. I does not mind if i mentioned the wrong names here.

 

[the cat]

Yes Janie, it was Vera Z. who just turned 18. I think Vera Zvonareva will be a top 20 player for sure in 2004 at the latest.

And because of this year lost to a major injury, I would put Lina K. in the group led by Vera Zvonareva and Elena Bovina.

 

[King Aaron]

Yeah, Vera Z has had an amazing few months. Starting with French Open.

But i think Kirilenko still hasn't shown her true potential