Unlike Hingis and the crestfallen Capriati, who graduated as Grand Slam junior champions, she did not serve the customary apprenticeship at primary level.Imagine an untried footballer making a debut in the Premier League after showing one or two nice touches in practice, or a tyro cricketer being introduced to the first- class game on the strength of hitting a few decent shots in the nets, or a would-be golfer handed a PGA Tour card because a couple of club pros saw him achieve a hole in one.That, in effect, is what is about to happen in Oakland. Speculation concerning her potential on a tennis court, however, proved sufficient to gain her a wild card for the dollars 400,000 Bank of the West Classic in Oakland, where she will compete alongside notables such as Martina Navratilova and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario.Venus has no track record, never having been on the track. By 1997, no player under 16 will be allowed on the tour.Venus Williams may turn out to be the best thing since sliced backhands. All we really know is that she is black, American, 6ft 1in, and has a sister, Serena, aged 13, who is rated an even better prospect by some of those privy to the vacuum in which they have been developed.In a court of law, evidence regarding Venus’s proficiency might be ruled inadmissible as hearsay. A graduated scale will be introduced, limiting the number and quality of events open to 14 and 15- year-olds. ‘All these years that I’ve been practising, I’ve been practising for professional competition, not the juniors,’ she told the New York Times. ‘I was brought up in a place where everything didn’t come easy.

I think I’m more mature than a 14-year-old, and it’s almost like I’m 16.’By starting now, she will be able to compete in up to 12 senior events before her 15th birthday, and her career will be unrestricted thereafter.This will not be the case when the rules are altered in January 1995. ‘For a 14-year-old, this means giving up too much of her childhood and going from a normal life to an insane life.But she feels so strongly about it that I feel like I should support her ideal.’As far as Venus is concerned, the groundwork has been done. ‘She makes her own decisions.’Having created a reputation for being the world’s most protective tennis parent and coach, he now says Venus persuaded him to allow her to join the tour ahead of the age restrictions due to be phased in from January next year ‘I’m still against it,’ he said. The way Williams tells it, he has fallen victim to a new phenomenon: prodigy power.Unlike Jennifer Capriati’s father, Stefano, who has been accused of pushing his child too hard, or Mary Pierce’s father, Jim, who was banned from attending tournaments because of his disruptive behaviour, Williams insists that his daughter is calling the shots. It could be argued that Richard Williams has an escape clause. Since he made the utterance, during the summer, Martina Hingis, a 14-year-old Czech-born Swiss, has joined the tour, which technically puts her mother-cum-coach, Melanie Hingis-Zogg, ahead of Williams in the firing line.
Extenuating circumstances could also be taken into consideration. His daughter is due to make her professional debut in California next week, aged 14.

The father of Venus Williams can count himself fortunate if his pronouncement – ‘the next parent to allow a 14-year-old to turn pro should be shot’ – does not come to be categorised under famous last words. InSkinParams = new Array();

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In particular, make sure that the URL you typed is all in lower case. Faced with what seemed the impossible, Hercules diverted the river to wash away the dung overwhelming the Augean stables. Lacking real powers, Lord Nolan may end up having to resort to equal cunning.(Photograph omitted). But if you accept a responsible job in public life then the need to try to set an example goes with it.

It sounds pompous, but I do feel that.’Lord Nolan’s greatest difficulty may be enforcing his high standards without excluding many people of real talent and ability from public life. I do not think you can separate anybody from the society in which he or she lives. ‘The influences have been so numerous and so varied it would unfair to single out any particular area. Even 15 years ago you never heard of elderly people being beaten up.’He identifies no single cause of this degeneration, not the Government, not schools, not poor parenting.