Naoko Sawamatsu had no intention of offending anyone in Japanese tennis, but when asked about her take on the future of women's tennis in this country, her usually smiling face stiffened. She sat still for a few seconds, her eyes unfocused and hands toying with her cell phone straps.
After contemplating her answer, Sawamatsu took a deep breath. "This is an embarrassing story," said Sawamatsu, who reached as high as No. 14 in the world rankings, "but I think Japan is a Third World country as far as tennis is concerned. Everybody thinks so."
Sawamatsu's reflection of Japan's recent slip into the cellars of the tennis world came at the Pan Pacific Open two weeks ago, when no countrywoman advanced past the first round.
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