Notebook

Kournikova makes tattoo talk taboo

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Anna Kournikova had just won her first match at a Grand Slam in two years Monday and, as usual, off-court issues gained as much attention as her result.

Kournikova, unseeded after losing in the first round at all four majors last year, advanced with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Slovakia's Henrieta Nagyova.

But at her post-match news conference, questions soon turned to the subject of body art.

Quizzed on the subject of several media reports, Kournikova said: "You actually saw a tattoo on my body?"

She declined to confirm if she'd had a tattoo put on her back, saying the plaster on her back was a heat patch she'd worn at the base of her spine for two years.

"It just happens to be that my skirt is pretty low right now, and everybody sees the patch," she said.

Pressed further, she added: "I don't think I have anything on my body. I just have a heat patch. I have a chronic back pain, I'm sorry."

On past visits to Australia Kournikova has been photographed swimming with dolphins and visiting Melbourne's zoo.

But she bristled when asked if she would be doing so again this time.

"I swam with the dolphins once, it was three years ago. I went to the zoo once, it was six years ago," she said.

"I'm here to play. When you're here for the first time and when you're 14, obviously, I wanted to go through that."

For the record, she believes she can return to the top 10 in the women's rankings despite the dominance of the Williams sisters.

Kournikova, ranked No. 42 and continuing her comeback after foot and ankle injuries, next faces fifth-seeded Justine Henin-Hardenne.

Family man

Andre Agassi is familiar with the pressures of being the center of attention at a Grand Slam. Parental pressure is a different matter.

Agassi has been accompanied to Melbourne by wife and former women's champion Steffi Graf and baby son Jaden.

Having the family on tour "gives me the opportunity to rest my mind in some pretty special ways," Agassi said. "Whether you've had a good day or bad day doesn't seem to matter when you see your little boy."

Hot news

It wouldn't be the Australian Open if there wasn't talk about the heat.

Since the days when former men's No. 1 Ivan Lendl started wearing foreign legion-style caps to help counter the harsh effects of the Australian summer, concerns about extreme heat have been a fixture at the year's first Grand Slam tournament.

But fears that the temperature could hit 37 Celsius (98.6 Fahrenheit) on Monday's opening day failed to materialize, the maximum reaching 32 C (90 F).

Sweltering conditions are forecast for later in the week, but on Monday wind seemed to be more of a concern for players.

"It wasn't too hot. It was a bit breezy. The breeze played a bit more havoc on the match than heat," Andre Agassi said after his opening-round win.

Venus Williams also wasn't too worried. "I feel as long as I have a hat, I'm fine," Williams said. "Without a hat, it can be pretty brutal. But it was nice out there."

Problems with heat in past years have led to a tightening of the tournament's extreme heat policy.

Matches in progress will be completed but no new matches will start when the temperature reaches 35 C (95F) -- a reduction of the 38 C (100 F) limit last year -- and when a heat stress measure known as the wet bulb globe temperature reaches 28. Both must occur simultaneously.

The wet bulb globe temperature is a combination of air temperature, humidity, intensity of solar radiation and wind speed.

Venus' home fashion

Tennis has never been the only thing to occupy the minds of the all-conquering Williams sisters. And Venus has found another outlet for her energies.

The world No. 2 is involved in a home decorating company.

"I'm best at tennis ... but I'm also very good at decorating and design," Williams said after her 6-4, 6-2 win over Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova.

"Most people, you know, if they do call my office, if they're confident enough to call, they have to give myself and my company enough trust that I can do their home, that I can be able to make their dreams come true in their home."

Asked if people also sought her autograph, she added: "Sure, they're hopefully excited about my play and my accomplishments in tennis. But other than that, I'm also serious about the design."

Moya's pain

Spaniard Carlos Moya, winner of the 1998 French Open and an Australian Open finalist in '97, breathed a sigh of relief after his straight-sets win over Belgium's Dick Norman.

The fifth-seeded Moya has been struggling with right elbow problems, the legacy of wear-and-tear after a demanding campaign last year.

Moya said after his 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 win over Norman that he had been unable to practice properly in recent days.

"The last days I wasn't able to serve, and when I was it was painful. I was a bit worried about how I was going to work today," Moya said.

He said treatment had made a big difference. "I wasn't able to serve at 100 per cent but I didn't feel any pain, so that's good."

He was pleased the match didn't go to five sets.

"A few days ago I didn't know for sure what was going to happen, if I could play five sets today, because the longest practice I had was an hour, and serving 50 per cent. But if it keeps going this way, I think I'm able to play five sets."

Moya next faces American Mardy Fish.

 

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