Brazilian boys do it better

I would like to comment on the chances of tennis player Gustavo Kuerten -- better known in Brazil as Guga. Sports commentators think it is more likely the French will have fish and chips on the menu, rather than Guga maintaining his winning streak, according to The Jakarta Post article Sampras, Hingis may face tough times at Wimbledon (June 10).

It won't be the first time commentators will eat their words. In 1973 when "Rato" or Emerson Fittipaldi won the first Formula One championship he was dismissed with comments such as Brazil has no tradition in car racing, few racing circuits, does not manufacture fast cars and it is a costly sport. In the 1970s, as Rato raced, the boys from Brazil removed their mufflers, bumpers and backseats of their VW's, and started training. Rato was just the hors d'ouvres. Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna were the piece de resistance.

What the commentators fail to realize is that we are not talking about sports. We are talking about media exposure. The Association of Tennis Professionals has nightmares about tennis losing its audience. If someone comes from nowhere just playing for the hell of it -- or at least appearing to -- that person automatically appeals to the generation X audience. These are the players the association and businesses are after. The new generation of tennis players will be hot property. Many young people will start vying for big bucks. Last week, a Sao Paulo newspaper reported that players from Brazil have started wearing bandannas on the tennis courts. These big guys blasting aces across the net have it coming.

OSVALDO COELHO

Bandung, West Java