Christian Straka, the number two seed, was a booming winner of yesterday's K-Swiss ITF world under-18 ranking points tournament at Riverview - and proved himself not only a gifted player but a very modest one, despite a burgundy hair dye.

After pounding his way with notable authority to a straight sets win over the top seed, Ireland's David Mullins, in 51 minutes, the player from Frankfurt suggested that in five years time he would be among the top 200 players in the world. Anyone who had observed his mature standards during the week would not be surprised to see him in the top 50 by that stage.

"I hadn't really got to think about my game today. I got 70 to 80 per cent first serves in and he (Mullins) made it a little easy for me on returns by coming in to the net at the wrong time."

The precocious 16-year-old six-footer oozed with confidence against an opponent whose primary excuse was: "I was physically tired."

Straka says that Pete Sampras has had the biggest influence so far on his career, and yesterday one hadn't got to look all that close to see a touch of the Sampras magic, relatively speaking of course, flow from the German's racquet.

He sent out distress signals for Mullins when breaking to 15 in the opening game, took the first set 6-4 in half an hour and pummelled the Irish youth in a second set that lasted just 20 minutes. Straka lost only one point on serve in the second set and broke the disillusioned Mullins to love in the final game. Mullins recalls beating the German in Greece when they were younger: "He has improved and he is a lot taller now," said the Irish boy, ruefully. It was Straka's first under-18 tournament win. We may well have seen the start of something big at Riverview this week.

An equally big prospect, Sweden's Alexandra Srndovic, won the girls title, but thanks to the well-honed skills of Britain's Chantal Coombes this was a far more competitive affair. Srndovic was made wait until the 14th point of a first set tie-breaker despite having led 6-2.