Born in Slovakia, 21-year-old Daniela isn’t a newcomer to the tennis world. She originally broke on to the WTA stage back in 2000 and it was only a year later when she won the Mixed Doubles title at Wimbledon alongside Leos Friedl before continuing the trend by winning the Australian open with Kevin Ullyett. She’s even been ranked in the top ten in the world and is no stranger to beating Grand Slam champions such as Martina Hingis.

Daniela has been in good form in early 2004 and although being crowned Wimbledon champion could prove a step too far, it would be no surprise if she caused a few upsets in south west London this summer and other grand slam events throughout the year. Daniela’s 5’11” frame and long legs have also caught the eyes of the tabloids and she has been one of the most photographed female tennis players of recent years.

Bobby and Jack Charlton, Brian and Michael Laudrup and the immortal Gary and Phil Neville. Football siblings playing for the same team unsurprisingly receive heightened attention from media hounds looking for a novelty factor. The latest in these pairings are Stephen and Luke Moore of Aston Villa. The younger of these two, Luke, has scored his first Premiership goal and is beginning to make people sit up and take notice.

Previously, Luke had bagged a hatful of goals for both Villa's Youth Academy and was part of the FA Youth Cupwinning side of 2002, scoring in the final to see off an Everton side featuring that man Wayne Rooney. The 2005/06 season could well be the start of something special for Luke who, under the eye of manager David O’Leary, will hope to become a regular starter for the Premiership outfit alongside his older brother. Few people can claim to have won an international cap in any sport without even having played a game at a domestic level, but Olly Barkley managed this feat back in 2001 when he debuted for England whilst being based in New Zealand. Now 23, London-born Barkley, has blossomed both internationally and domestically and is now a regular for Bath Rugby Club of the Zurich Premiership.

Now considered far more than a young man with potential, Olly was voted Young Player of the Year by the Professional Rugby Players Association and the Zurich Premiership Young Player of the Season in May 2004. He has become a key player for Bath with his kicking ability and had it not been for the inspiring performances of a certain Johnny Wilkinson, Olly may have found himself with more international caps to his name. Thanks to a PE teacher who insisted he should don gum shield and cotton shirt, Olly chose rugby over football; he had trials for Plymouth Argyle FC and was supposedly offered a trial with Arsenal.


One of the reasons for England’s recent successes on the cricket pitch is an influx of new and exciting young players within the game which has helped rejuvenate interest in the sport. One such player is Jimmy Anderson, a 22-year-old fast-bowler who back in 2002 made his England debut after impressing in the county leagues for Lancashire.

The career of the photogenic but shy Anderson (leading to predictable labelling as ‘cricket’s David Beckham’) has been far from smooth with many feeling he’s been rushed into the England team before he was allowed to develop properly at county level, but he has undoubted potential and will hope to prove in the upcoming one-day matches against Australia that he is worth a place in the team in the battle for the Ashes this Summer. There aren’t too many people who can claim to have competed in an Olympic Games at the age of just 17. Amir Khan not only did this when he went to the 2004 Games in Athens, becoming Britian’s youngest Olmypic boxer since 1976 in the process, but he also came back with a Silver medal. Not bad, eh?

Amir has always been adamant that he would like to remain in the Amateur boxing game so as he can fight for a Gold medal in the Beijing Games in 2008 but there have been more recent reports which suggest that he may be lured into the big-money world of the professional game. It remains to be seen whether the money and public attention this will inevitably bring could derail the Bolton lad’s ambition – or whether he can go on and fulfil his potential as one of the UK’s greatest ever fighters. Watch this space.