A tournament living up to a tradition

The 35th anniversary celebration at the Family Circle Cup is sincere appreciation, and shrewd planning. This year, instead of active players on the promotional billboards all over town, Family Circle Cup management opted to showcase former legends such as Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.

Classy. Cool.

No chance Chris and Martina would withdraw from the tournament.

But unlike 2007 and despite the loss of Venus Williams and Justine Henin, this week's Family Circle Cup has plenty of star power.

Which makes for a sweet blend of old and new, back-and-forth over the net.

-- Then: Evert Era dominance personified by eight Family Circle Cup titles in 12 years, 1974-1985.

-- Now: A dozen of the top 13 seeds in third-round action Thursday, including victories by No. 1 Jelena Jankovic, No. 2 Maria Sharapova, No. 4 Elena Dementieva and No. 5 Serena Williams, and including Agnes Szavay's mild upset of doubles partner Dinara Safina.

You know it's exceptional tennis when the defending champ is relegated to the Althea Gibson Club Court.

"I didn't like it, to be honest. I prefer center court," Jankovic said after her 6-0, 6-2 rout of Anastasia Rodionova. "But for me it doesn't matter. Even if I'm in the parking lot or in a forest or wherever I play, I'll still go out there and play my game."

The fun gets even better today.

A Serena Williams-Maria Sharapova quarterfinal clash potentially is the best combination of talent on the same Family Circle Cup court since the tournament moved from Hilton Head in 2001.

Puppy power

-- Then: Changing of guard from Chris to Martina, who continued her Family Circle Cup influence long after her power-game prime. For instance, Martina's Puppy Park, a home-away-from-home for players' best friends (in hiatus this year).

-- Now: Power is always on display during a Serena Williams practice session, as it was Thursday on Court No. 5. Jackie, Serena's Jack Russell Terrier, watched carefully.

-- Then: Live NBC broadcasts from Hilton Head anchored by Bud Collins and Dick Enberg were must-see tennis TV.

-- Now: Collins is back for the 35th anniversary party. As usual, separate introductions are necessary for Bud and his colorful pants.

-- Then: Steffi Graf's breakthrough. She won her first Family Circle Cup title in 1986, the year before winning the first of her 22 Grand Slam singles titles.

-- Now: The ever-improving Sharapova, and what career strides — three Grand Slam titles — since her only other Daniel Island appearance, at 15 in 2003.

"I was walking around the grounds the other day and looked at some of the courts that I played on, some of the back courts that I played on five years ago," Sharapova said. "I thought, 'Oh, how

things have changed for the good.' "

Conchita and Anna

-- Then: Star-crossed Anna Kournikova's best Tier I event performance, capped by a loss to Martina Hingis in the 1999 final.

-- Now: Kournikova's fellow Russians following a trail she helped blaze.

--Then: Jennifer Capriati's comeback, a 2001 Family Circle Cup title between winning the Australian Open and French Open, the first two of her three Grand Slam titles.

--Now: This Family Circle Cup could set a Charleston attendance record with a strong finish.

-- Then: Justine Henin's launch pad. She won the 2003 Family Circle Cup a few months before winning the French Open, the first of seven Grand Slam singles titles.

-- Now: Szavay, a 19-year-old from Hungary, takes on Alize Cornet, an 18-year-old from France, in a quarterfinal matchup of rising stars.

-- Then: Let's look way back to an April ago. Jankovic secured her first Tier I title.

-- Now: Jankovic seeks to become the first repeat Family Circle Cup champion since Conchita Martinez in 1994-95.

-- Then: Conchita, the Family Circle Cup money leader.

-- Now: The same congenial Conchita back on site for the 35th anniversary bash. Along with 1973 inaugural winner Rosie Casals, plus Chris and Martina, billboards come to life.

Reach Gene Sapakoff at gsapakoff@postandcourier.com.