Throughout the 1990's, female tennis players matched up against
Monica Seles could have used several words to describe the
experience. Fun was not likely one of them.

One of the most dominating tennis players of her generation stopped
by the Five Seasons Country Club in Northbrook Saturday. Japanese
tennis company Yonex has drawn Seles out of retirement to join a
promotional tour. The visit allowed club youngsters an opportunity
to play with one of the greatest female tennis players of all time.

"We got some information that there was a possible chance we could
have her here in Chicago for a quick stop, so we tried to get all
the juniors to come in and hit with her. We had close to 30 juniors
playing with her today," said Five Seasons club pro Jacek
Dabrowski. "Her mental preparation for a game is unique. She was
talking to the players and coaches about how mentally strong she was
during important points. That sends a positive message to all the
players and coaches."

Juniors of all ages came out to share the court with Seles for a few
hours. Some were overwhelmed while others picked up valuable
pointers from the former pro. Winnetka sisters Lexy (12-years old)
and Stephanie (9) Prodromos were just thrilled to meet a player of
Seles' caliber.

"It's really cool, it's like you're playing against a champion,"
Lexy said. "She's really accurate and doesn't miss a lot."

"It was an experience," said Stephanie. "It was cool to play against
a really good player."

The elder Prodromos has been playing at the club for five years and
younger sister Stephanie is a lefty, just like Seles.

As the day moved on, older competitors took the court. Still, Seles
barely broke a sweat, effortlessly returning shots while sending
along tips to her partners. Winnetka 14-year-olds Kim Szokol and
Caroline Bauer enjoyed the experience and picked up a few pointers
to take with them to New Trier in the fall.

"It was really fun. Now I know what I need to work on," Szokol
said. "She was telling me to bend my knees and swing racket head
speed. I know it works because she did it. I wasn't really sure what
I'd learn, but she knows what you need to do to be a really good
player and knows how to compete well."

"It's very exciting, almost a privilege to be out there with someone
so great. She's an awesome player and really fun to watch," Bauer
said. "She told me to swing more up on the ball to put more spin and
have more control, which you continually need on the court.

"I didn't know I was actually going to hit with her, but this was
more than I expected. She's really nice and friendly. She's
welcoming and answers questions."

Though Seles officially retired earlier this year, the 32-year old
Yugoslavian-born player appears as strong as ever. As the tennis
balls bounced from racket to racket, it was clear she still holds a
strong passion for playing the game and teaching it to others.

The youngest-ever champion at the French Open in 1990 became the
face of women's tennis with nine Grand Slam singles titles.
Considered by many to be the first power player in the women's game,
Seles was widely known for her loud grunting when she returned
shots. Despite her fame as a women's player, several boys showed up
and got more than they could handle.

"It was a lot of fun and I had a great time doing it. I was just
expecting to hit with her, but it was really nice for her to really
help me out," Highland Park senior Alex Zazove said. "I was hitting
late on my shots, so it was nice for her to help me work on it. It
means a lot from her because of where she's gotten in life.

"She has a great game, she's a great tennis player and she's been on
the pro tour. What sets her apart from every other player on the pro
tour is her two-handed shots on both her forehand and backhand,"
Zazove added. "I don't know many other people who are able to master
that and actually win with that. When I look at most of the men and
women on the pro tour right now, they've got either the one-handed
backhand or the two-handed backhand but always the one-handed
forehand."

Most of the youngsters who shared the court with Seles may not have
been born yet when she won her first title 16 years ago. Some
watched a video highlights package before taking the court while
others put together biography essays in preparation. Regardless of
the previous exposure to Seles' legacy, the last impact on the
juniors at Five Seasons may be felt for another two decades to come.