Game And Set, But No Match

By Kathleen Adams, Melissa August, Harriet Barovick, Autumn DeLeon, Tam Gray, Lina Lofaro, Desa Philadelphia and Julie Rawe

If there were doubt that it's a new era in women's tennis, the halter number Venus Williams wore at the U.S. Open dispelled it. The young ladies of tennis have been replaced by brassy girls with wicked strokes. The Williams sisters have created a media frenzy that hasn't been seen in American tennis since...well, since Chris Evert. Can the hair-beaded powerhouse stand up to the hair-ribboned champ?

CHRIS EVERT VENUS WILLIAMS 5 ft. 6 in. 6 ft. 1 in.

AGE AT START OF CAREER 17 14

CAREER SPAN 18 years (1971 to 1989) Five years, so far

GRAND SLAM SINGLES TITLES 18 0

TOP RANK No. 1 No. 3

CAREER PRIZE MONEY $8,896,195 $3,319,654

HAIR Self-maintained ponytails Has Brazilian hairdresser courtside

SIBLING RIVALRY Younger sister Jeanne Forms tennis' most famous sister played the women's tour act with Serena in the 1970s PARENT-COACH Coached by tennis-pro dad Coached by outspoken James dad Richard

BIGGEST RIVAL Martina Navratilova Martina Hingis

KNOWN FOR Unflappable play 127-m.p.h. serve

ENDORSEMENTS Converse sneakers, Self-designed Reebok outfits, Ellesse women's wear, Wilson racquets, Reebok sneakers Wilson racquets

NICKNAMED Cinderella in tennis shoes Ghetto Cinderella (by father) (by media)