Champ thanks coach Mandlikova

WIMBLEDON, England -- Hana, thanks.

That sums up what 29-year-old Jana Novotna said as she dedicated her Wimbledon title -- her first singles Grand Slam -- to her coach Hana Mandlikova, who won four singles Grand Slams but none at Wimbledon.

"Without her I would never have made this championship," Novotna said of her fellow Czech. "There's no question about it. When we started to work together -- about nine years ago -- she simply made me a better player."

Mandlikova also chided the upstart teens who are grabbing the headline in women's tennis, particularly the American sisters Venus and Serena Williams.

"The young ones will come up," Mandlikova said. "They need a couple of years to develop. They have to grow up into the Grand Slams.

"How can Venus Williams say that she and Serena are going to be No. 1 and win everything. Excuse me, but that's bull. They're going to be great, but at 17 I would never have said something like that."

Serena is 16 and Venus is 18.

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AGE SPOTS:[nf] In tennis terms, Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna is ancient. At 29 years, 9 months, she's the oldest first-time Grand Slam women's singles winner in the Open Era (1968). She surpasses Australian Kerry Melville-Reed, who was 29 years, 4 months when she won the 1976 Australian Open.

The youngest in the Open Era was Martina Hingis (16 years, 4 months) when she claimed the 1997 Australian Open. A year ago at Wimbledon, Hingis became the youngest Wimbledon singles winner of the century.

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BABY VIP:[nf] Mark McCormack, who runs the sports management company International Management Group, got a VIP pass for his 6-month-old daughter Mary Elizabeth. "It was a lovely gesture, now I look forward to her debut as a player," McCormack said. McCormack, 67, listed by Forbes Magazine as one of America's 400 richest, is married to Betsy Nagelsen, who is playing women's over-35 doubles this year.

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COSTLY LOSS:[nf] Britain's Tim Henman missed a chance to collect a $3.3 million bonus from his equipment sponsor when he lost Friday to Pete Sampras in the semifinals at Wimbledon.

If Henman had won the title, he would have cracked the ATP Tour's top 10 for the first time, earning him the bonus from Slazenger.

Henman is ranked 17th and will climb to about 13th next week.

The last player to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon using a Slazenger racket was John Newcombe in 1971.

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VENUS SIGHTING:[nf] Venus Williams lost her mixed doubles semifinal Saturday playing with fellow American Justin Gimelstob. The duo fell 6-4, 7-5 to Mahesh Bhupathi of India and Mirjana Lucic of Croatia.

Sister Serena, teaming with Belarussian Maxim Mirnyi, was to face the Dutch team of Paul Haarhuis and Caroline Vis in a late semifinal Saturday.

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SERVE AND VOLLEY: Nine-time Wimbledon singles champion Martina Navratilova -- now 41 -- talking about the two old timers reaching Saturday's Wimbledon final: "It's fabulous to see the veterans doing it."

Chris Evert, who reached 10 Wimbledon singles finals but won only three: "I've been the runner-up queen of Wimbledon."

Novotna's victory moves her to No. 2 in the WTA Tour ranking, matching her highest ever. Tauziat goes to No. 10, equaling her best.

There have been different winners of all three Grand Slams this year -- Martina Hingis, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and Novotna. The last time that happened was 1994.

Russian 16-year-old Anna Kournikova, who withdrew from Wimbledon with a thumb injury, will drop out of the WTA top 10 this week, falling to No. 15.