Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Pam Shriver and a host of other veterans have stepped forward to act as mother confessors to the teenage brigade.

The game is littered with sorry tales of teenage burnout. Tabloid headlines tell of `parents from hell' as yet another tennis prodigy wilts under the white-hot ambition of an overeager mother and father. The Women's Tennis Association (WTA), boasting that its initiative is unique in sports, has set up `partners for success' with proteges matched up with mentors in its player development programme.

American Venus Williams, famed for her trademark beaded braids and elegant power game, picked Pam Shriver as her mentor. The relationship is flourishing. Williams, speaking to reporters at Wimbledon where she is very much missing her flu-ridden sister Serena, said: ``When the programmebegan, I was asked who I would like to work with and I said Pam. It's been a good relationship as I have known her for so long and we are similar players.''

``She has a lot of height like I do and we are both US finalists on our first try -- so we have a few things in common and it is great.''

Shriver, one of the prime movers behind the player development programme, first bonded with the Williams sisters when they played a charity event for her in Baltimore.

``We are not paid like a coach or an agent and parents often cannot see what is happening because they are too close to it all,'' said Shriver, who like Evert is at Wimbledon as a television commentator.

``We can just sit back and offer advice and if a player doesn't like what she hears, she can just stop calling,'' she added.

Anna Kournikova says she ``talks all the time'' with her mentor, Kathy Rinaldi. Other big names with proteges -- players 18 years or under who are ranked in the top 100 -- include Martina Navratilova, who assists Russia'sOlga Barabanschikova, and Chris Evert, who guides Martina Hingis. Zina Garrison works with Serena Williams. WTA spokeswoman Reven Oliver said: ``It has been very successful. You will see Pam and Chris in the locker room helping the players not just with their tennis but on how to face the media after a difficult match. We want these kids not to feel lonely out there.''

The scheme has now been so successful that Oliver said: ``We are trying to get other federations interested in starting them too.''