Girl-powerplay
(www.smh.com.au)

Australia's male tennis stars have been the standard-bearers recently but Nicole Pratt believes our young women are surging and can finally make it, too.

THIS is not a misprint. Your eyes do not deceive. The women's No1 of a once-proud breed believes 10 of her compatriots could stack the world's top 100 within two years. Identity: Nicole Pratt. Ranking: 102. Country: Australia.

Pratt had just beaten Briton Sam Smith 6-4 6-4 to reach a grand slam third round for the first time in 15 tries.

The freckle-faced daughter of North Queensland sugar cane farmers appeared sane and lucid at the time of the interview.

She spoke with genuine hope and optimism and was grateful for the enthusiasm already contributed by the likes of Jelena Dokic and Alicia Molik.

"It's great to see the young girls are doing well, and it's really made a statement for everybody else to really start performing as Australians," said Pratt, who believes the later-developing, serve-volleying Molik may be the best prospect of all. "It can only help that we are pushing each other along.

"I'd love to see in two years' time 10 Australian girls in the top 100, which is very achievable, because we've got the type of girls there now who are going to be around for a long time

." The youngsters may be the future, but Pratt is a big part of the present. Her third-round opponent is rising Frenchwoman Amélie Mauresmo, who eliminated Australian women's hardcourt champion and eighth seed Patty Schnyder 6-7 (1-7) 6-4 6-3.

Dokic today may join her Fed Cup teammate in the last 32.

Yet this was Pratt's day; a reward for a solid five weeks of preparation in Florida with her Italian coach Lorenzo Beltrame, and a steady 18-month improvement in which the 25-year-old cracked the top 100 for the first time and realised she was capable of competing with the elite.

Extra motivation, if any were needed, has come in the form of continued criticism of the older generation of Australian women. Racquets can do the most effective talking sometimes.

Not that Pratt is short of a word and nor is on-court confidence any longer in such short supply.

"I definitely feel more comfortable than I have before. I think my game's more complete, and now I feel more confident with my game, I can walk into a match thinking 'I can do well here'," she said.

Pratt will need to against the talented Mauresmo, who shot up 80 places to No29 on the WTA rankings last year. The 19-year-old defeated Lindsay Davenport and Jana Novotna at the German Open and boasts a win over top-10 countrywoman Nathalie Tauziat.

Mauresmo rated the Schnyder result among her best since graduating to senior events from a decorated junior career that included the French and Wimbledon titles. "I was just working, expecting this to happen, but I didn't really know when it was going to happen," she said. "It came in Berlin; it comes again today. I'm very happy."