The evolution of men's tennis took another leap forward in Monte Carlo last week when two 18-year-olds showed they are equipped to challenge the sport's established hierarchy.
Spanish left-hander Rafael Nadal became the youngest winner of the prestigious Masters Series claycourt tournament since Mats Wilander in 1983 and is already a favourite for this year's French Open.
French qualifier Richard Gasquet may be a little way behind his fellow 18-year-old, but his performance in ending world number one Roger Federer's 25-match winning streak in the quarter-finals was breathtaking.
While Gasquet is still a work in progress after a rocky start to life on the Tour, Nadal looks certain to challenge at the game's highest level.
He has the best record on clay this year, with three titles already under his belt, and came within two games of beating Federer earlier this month in the final of the Masters Series in Miami.
"That was a great match for me because he's going to be a great player, we'll see a lot from him in the future," four-times Grand Slam champion Federer said after their Miami showdown.
The 23-year-old Swiss also got a first-hand look at Gasquet in Monte Carlo and believes the French player has the tools to challenge for major titles, providing the hype does not weigh to heavily on his shoulders.
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
"I hope for him that he's had his good times off court, maybe now it's all about tennis business for him," said Federer, who like Gasquet struggled initially to cope with the great expectations heaped upon him.
"I know exactly what he is going through but he's shown in the last few weeks that he wants to get to the top."
Gasquet burst on to the scene three years ago as a 15-year-old at Monte Carlo, gaining a wildcard into qualifying before beating tough Argentine Franco Squillari in the first round to become the youngest player to win a main tour match.
Since then he has struggled, languishing at 101 in the world rankings and drawing criticism from a French media desperate to discover the next Yannick Noah.
Nadal, who remembers playing Gasquet as a 13-year-old, said he often used to wonder what had happened to the Frenchman in the past two years.
However, the Spaniard believes Gasquet's victory over Federer will launch him up the rankings with plenty of self-belief.
"Gasquet has a lot of potential," said Nadal. "It's taken him a while, but he's going to climb the rankings now, he's going to keep on improving."
GETTING BETTER
Nadal took his first Masters Series title firmly in his stride, and is already looking at how he can get better.
"I've got lots to improve -- my serve, my volley, my slice. When I do that, I think I can win a lot of matches," he said with a hefty slice of under-statement.
While Nadal and Gasquet have grabbed the headlines in the past week, there are others waiting in the wings for their chance to break through.
Gael Monfils, another 18-year-old French player, reached the fourth round in Miami last month and looks destined to compete at the highest levels of the game.
Donald Young, the 15-year-old American prodigy who gained wildcards at Indian Wells and Miami this year after becoming the youngest ever winner of the Australian Open junior, also offers a glimpse of an exciting future.
The imperious Federer, together with Andy Roddick, Marat Safin and Lleyton Hewitt will not be waving the white flags for a few years yet, but they know it will not be long before today's promising teenagers are snapping at their heels.
In Nadal's case, he is already there and may even join that exclusive quartet of Grand Slam champions on June 5 in the French capital.
