AUSTRALIAN OPEN NOTEBOOK

MELBOURNE, Jan 20 (AP): They're doubles partners with something in common, a teenager locked in off-court controversy and an older player who knows all about it.

Jelena Dokic and Jennifer Capriati teamed up Thursday to trounce Rosa Andres and Conchita Martinez Granados 6-2, 6-0 in the first round.

Capriati, 23, faltered as a teen tennis prodigy, got into trouble with the law and is now making a comeback. Dokic, 16, has drawn a 2,500 dollars fine for showing up late at a news conference and has disputed comments attributed to her by a newspaper.

After the doubles match, Dokic said she hadn't talked to Capriati about her troubles.

WHO'S NEXT 

The next batch of South African international tennis players is lagging behind because of the national economy, says the country's No 1 female player, Amanda Coetzer.

Cash-strapped companies are unable to sponsor major tournaments due the low value of the Rand, she said. The result is a decrease in the talent pool and potential problems for future national teams.

The problems at home, however, couldn't account for the eight-seeded Coetzer's performance in a 6-1, 6-3 second-round loss to American Kristina Brandi.

"She's a very awkward opponent," said Coetzer. "But I should have stuck to my own game - my game in pretty good right now, I feel like I could walk out there right now and be competitive against anyone in the draw."

BUYOUT 

Australia's Bryanne Stewart celebrated her second-round win Thursday with a shopping spree. She's planning in advance how to spend her guaranteed prizemoney.

Despite a couple of questionable line calls, the unheralded 20-year-old stayed calm and fought back to outlast Swiss player Emmanuelle Gagliardi 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.

"I'm very excited, it hasn't really settled in yet. I'm going to go shopping now," said Stewart, one of a breed of up-and-coming Australian players that includes Alicia Molik and Lleyton Hewitt.

"I've been going for my shots a lot more, even when I'm tired. That's the way like to play and it's paying off," said Stewart, who now meets No 13 seeded Spaniard Arantxa Sanchez Vicario.

"I'm looking forward to playing someone of that standard, I've got nothing to lose," Stewart said.

DOUBLES JEOPARDY 

Doubles isn't what it used to be: The only top-ranked male player competing in doubles as well as singles here is Yevgeny Kafelnikov. He's the No 2 seed in singles and, partnering Wyne Ferreira, is the No 15 seed in doubles.

Tennis great Roy Emerson said men's doubles was becoming a non-event because the world's leading players have abandoned it. Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras stick to the demanding task of singles.

It wasn't always that way. John McEnroe, for example, used to awe crowds with his touch and flair in both events.

It's different with the women players. Martina Hingis and Lindsay Davenport are among top competitors who play doubles.

"Other people, like you guys, don't really pay attention to doubles," Anna Kournikova told reporters at a news conference Wednesday. She's teamed up with Barbara Schett in doubles.