STRAIGHT TALK FROM VENUS? ARNON MILCHAN SEES TALK-SHOW TIE

           The synergist relationship between Hollywood's Regency
     Enterprises Chair Arnon Milchan and the WTA Tour is profiled
     by USA TODAY's Doug Smith, who writes that, "Long range,
     Milchan says that he sees some tennis stars as potential
     movie stars."  Leland Hardy, the business adviser to Venus
     and Serena Williams, said that "entertainment projects are
     being developed for both sisters."  Hardy: "Serena will be
     in movies, and you might see Venus and Serena hosting a
     television show soon."  Milchan: "Right now, I think Richard
     Williams is a better director than (Francis Ford) Coppola
     and (Steven) Spielberg combined.  And he's got the goods."  
     Milchan, who recently formed a partnership with 20th Century
     Fox, said that he wants to give WTA Tour players the
     "opportunity to explore other entertainment careers."  
     Milchan: "If they can express themselves as artists, we'll
     be there. ... Before and right after the U.S. Open, we plan
     to bring as many girls as possible to the studios to work
     with them.  I would say this is an 18-month process before
     we start seeing some results" (Doug Smith, USA TODAY, 6/4).
          LET THE GIRLS GROW: On CNNSI.com, Alex Wolff writes
     under the header, "Women's Tennis Rising, Warts And All."  
     He states that as the young stars of the WTA Tour grow, "not
     all the news the sport generates is going to be sponsor-
     friendly. ... Women's tennis would do well to let its teens
     be teens, and let us watch them grow, with all their foibles
     and false steps, into full-fledged women" (CNNSI.com, 6/4).