They were both hitting pretty hard, strong deep shots from the baseline, the taller of the two girls controlling the pace with her forehand drive, a term you do not often hear around the pro circuit these days but the form seemed so classic that it comes to mind. The smaller more slender young lady countered with patience and waited for opportunities or mistakes. They used slice backhands to slow the points and create angles. They made plenty of points that way. (READ MORE: Passing Torches at Wimbledon)

And it would have been nice and clean and boring except the taller one, in addition to her classy forehand, had a volley game and she went to work right away with it, moving inside and cutting off whatever came at her.  Ahead 2-1 but down 30-0 in the third game, she hit a backhand crosscourt to get 30-15 then on next point moved up and was caught by a lob. (READ MORE: Novak Djokovic Owns the Libs, Wins Eternal Tennis Glory)

Backing up on expert steps she blasted an overhead volley to tie the score, then followed her next return of serve to the net for the put-away.  She converted the break point with a backhand return of serve down the line and there it was, 3-1 and in control of the match.

When Clervie Ngounou held to make it 4-1, a place in the main draw of Washington D.C.’s tennis classic must have seemed certain to many of the spectators at the Rock Creek Tennis Center.

Uncertain was her opponent, Madgalena Frech, who saved a break point in the next game to hold, broke, and held again: typical tennis.

With the set tied at 4-4, the 17-year old Washington native and the young lady — 25 — from Lodz made it a battle of wits and nerves, explosive talent against patient point-building.  Miss Frech won the tiebreak when Miss Ngounou made errors in frustration then went for a low volley instead of waiting for the bounce and sent the ball into the net.

The pattern repeated in the second set. Miss Frech got ahead early, her young opponent caught up, and they played their respective games.  And again gorgeous talent did not overcome the admirable patience that kept stymying the younger player’s momentum.  High risk against percentage, they say in tennis circles.  This time percentage won out.  (READ MORE: Courts in Paris and Cyclists in DC)

You could not ask for a better start to the Mubadala Citi DC Open, as the old classic founded in 1969 by two friends and legends of the sport, Donald Dell and Arthur Ashe, is now called. Sports evolve, I suppose, and there will be time enough to muse on this as the week moves through the draw, or the draw through the week, I forget which, and if one may regret that Clervie — Clear Life, the name means, and she does exude that — will not partake of it this year, one may certainly rejoice that Magda Frech will, a player with a mighty heart inside a slender figure.  The two will meet again soon enough, and if they represent some of what the rising generation in this sport can do, then the sooner the better.