Local Junior Picks Up Steam

WIMBLEDON, England — In the second week of any Grand Slam event, the side courts are sprinkled with matches featuring the top juniors in the world. Of special interest to Southern California tennis fans here is a junior named Iris Ichim, 18, of Woodland Hills.

She will play a second-round girls’ singles match today, with a chance to further improve on a world ranking that has risen to No. 51 during a long trip and a series of International Tennis Federation events in Europe.

Ichim, who attended Beverly Hills High School for a year and has been home-schooled since then, is coached by Henry Hines, the former USC track star. Hines also has spent time coaching with several NBA teams, among them the Lakers and currently the New Jersey Nets, as a special speed coach.

“She has lots of promise,” Hines said of Ichim, who has not been home since January. “She has learned a great deal on this trip. It has been like a developmental season for her.”

Ichim, whose mother occasionally travels with her, said she hasn’t been homesick.

“I’ve been too busy,” she said.

*

In the category of ugly-American-comes-to-Wimbledon, a nicely dressed man -- obviously from the States because New York accents don’t play well in most other places -- stood no more than 15 feet from 16-year-old Russian phenom Maria Sharapova and spoke loudly on his cell phone as she served during her match. The court is one of those where fans get very close because there are virtually no bleachers, just walkways.

He instructed his secretary as to what computer icons to click on so he could make some “huge hits” on the market, then had her transfer his call to one of his male associates so he could describe, in detail, the attractive female features of the 16-year-old Sharapova.

Finally, enough glares around him urged him and his cell phone to go elsewhere.

*

Belgian star Kim Clijsters, during her news conference after her advance to the quarterfinals Monday, was asked how it feels to have her boyfriend, men’s star Lleyton Hewitt, rooting her on from the stands. Hewitt, the defending men’s champion, was ousted in the first round. Clijsters said it was great to have him and quite helpful.

What she didn’t say was that Hewitt hasn’t been there for all of her matches, instead flying off for some golf in Ireland.

*

It was old-fashioned serve-and-volley tennis when Jonas Bjorkman of Sweden played Max Mirnyi of Belarus. Bjorkman, who capped his win with a thrilling fourth-set tiebreaker, plays Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals and pointed out that not only has he beaten Roddick, he has beaten him on grass.

*

For the first time in 30 years at Wimbledon, there are no former champions in the men’s quarterfinals. Andre Agassi, champion in 1992, was the last one standing. In 1973, 30 years ago, some players boycotted Wimbledon.