Teen Scene Provides New Face

Ready for the next Jennifer Capriati?

Sixteen years old, a month older than reigning teen queen Capriati, Chanda Rubin of Lafayette, La., zoomed into the fourth round of the U.S. Open on Saturday, where quite unexpectedly, it looks as if it actually might be time for a new sensation.

Then again, maybe not. The future is not always clear when you’re talking teen-age tennis stars. But Rubin appears to be the real thing, or at least close to it.

Rubin worked over 15th-seeded Katarina Maleeva, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, Saturday, which means she is one Maleeva sister--17-year-old Magdalena--away from the quarterfinals and a potential matchup against the last of the Maleevas, 25-year-old Manuela.

And a quarterfinal victory might get her into the semifinals against, yes, Steffi Graf.

But that’s getting ahead of herself, which is something the senior at Episcopal School of Acadiama in Cade, La., tries never to do.

Daughter of a lawyer and a schoolteacher, Rubin won the girls’ 12 national title in 1988 and the 14 age-group title the next year before turning pro at 15, a year after Capriati did.

Since then, Capriati has been to three Grand Slam semifinals and Rubin has been quiet.

“I am a totally different person (than Capriati) and I am moving at my own pace,” Rubin said. “I am happy with my game. I am improving. I am just kind of thinking about me. I don’t try to compare myself to anybody else.”

That task is left to others.

“She’s on a slower track than Jennifer,” said Lynn Rolley of the USTA junior development program.

Rubin made a breakthrough when she defeated Natalia Zvereva and made it to the third round of the Virginia Slims of Florida in March, but was 3-9 and had six first-round losses since.

Rolley convinced her to play the juniors at the French Open and Wimbledon, which is the tennis equivalent of being sent to the minors. It worked. Rubin reached the quarterfinals in Paris, then won the junior title at Wimbledon.

The comparisons to Capriati will probably continue, part of it because of circumstance--Rubin comes on strong the day after Capriati, winner of the Olympic gold medal, is eliminated.