That, of course, could mean only one thing. Anna Kournikova was playing. I couldn't help it. I had to watch.

Kournikova wore a turquoise-and-white outfit that exposed her midriff and would have gone over well at the MTV awards (which she recently attended).

She attracted her usual contingent of paparazzi photographers. I overheard a couple of them wishing in vain for an on-court dive by Kournikova because something might pop loose and produce a picture that would "sell."

She slapped forehands, whipped backhands and chewed gum.

And, of course, she lost.

That's the way it is for Kournikova. At age 21, she already is past her peak as far as tennis ability. She looks more at home in a music video or in front of a camera lens than she does on a tennis court, where her obvious mistakes can't be erased with another roll of film.

Yet you must hand it to Kournikova and her handlers.

No sports figure has ever done more with less.

Kournikova is beautiful, but millions of women are beautiful. The difference: Kournikova is also a marketing genius.

The Kournikova Phenomenon is remarkable, really. She has never won a WTA Tour singles title. Not one.

Last week, Kournikova lost in the first round of the U.S. Open, making an unbelievable 40 unforced errors in 44 minutes and getting trounced 6-3, 6-0 by Indonesian teenager Angelique Widjaja. Widjaja only hit one winner - one! - and still humiliated Kournikova.

But because of Kournikova's savvy combination of undeniable beauty and canny flirtatiousness, she remains a constant presence on magazine covers.

Check out September's FHM (For Him Magazine). There she is, wearing a black bikini and a come-hither look. The breathless type screams that Kournikova is now "Officially The Sexiest Woman In The World!"

Inside, of course, there are more pictures. There are always more pictures. It was Andre Agassi who used to proclaim "Image is everything" in a series of ads. But it is Kournikova who personifies that slogan. Agassi, at least, is a great player.

Yes, even though she and doubles partner Martina Hingis lost in straight sets Wednesday, Kournikova ranks as one of the top 10 women's doubles players in the world. That, along with 50 cents, will usually buy you a newspaper.

But Kournikova remains a towering presence in sports. She will reportedly make around $12million this year from various endorsements. That's more money than 99 percent of NFL players.

She doesn't sound very smart when she is interviewed and there are a hundred better role models for girls in women's tennis alone. But she has a knack for knowing what her male audience wants.

Kournikova said once: "I'm like an expensive menu. You can look at it, but you can't afford it."

There isn't a bigger or more successful flirt in sports. Young players look at The Kournikova Phenomenon with a mixture of admiration and aversion.

Ally Baker is 16 and would likely beat Kournikova in singles right now. Baker, from Raleigh, is seeded No.2 in the U.S. Open junior girls' tournament and has become a rising tennis star.

I asked Baker about The Kournikova Phenomenon on Wednesday.

"Good for her," Baker said. "She's made a lot of money off of it, and it seems like she enjoys doing all that stuff. But I don't see myself going in that direction."

Mark Twain once wrote: "Fame is a vapor, popularity an accident."

It is no accident with Kournikova. She works at it constantly.

If only she worked at her tennis the same way.