Venus rises on Kournikova's horizon

Anna Kournikova may be only 20 but she is already trying to make a comeback. Yesterday the Russian won her second match in seven tournaments, beating Marta Marrero 6-3, 6-3, but tonight she faces the world No1 Venus Williams in the Italian Open second round.

Kournikova's career, on court at least, hit the buffers last year when a foot injury put her out of action between March and July, and 9 months on she is still struggling. On yesterday's evidence her slide from No8 to No68 reflects her inability to understand when and how to use her natural power and talent.

Marrero, 19, may not have Kournikova's celebrity drawing power - few do - but she is smart enough to spot an opponent careless of peppering the court with as many errors as winners. However, the Spaniard did not possess the killer shots nor the experience to punish Kournikova. Williams, though, must be smacking her lips in anticipation.

Kournikova has enlisted the help of the coach Harold Solomon to provide much-needed advice. "Right now it's working out great, so we'll see how it goes," she said. "We're just talking a lot at the moment and that's really important just to get me in the right direction."

Solomon was responsible for sowing the seeds of Jennifer Capriati's resurgence but he will have to work fast if Kournikova is to be anything other than cannon fodder for Williams.

Mary Pierce, who has also fallen from exalted heights, stumbled through with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 win over the Swiss 18-year-old Marie-Gaiane Mikaelian.

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