MELBOURNE. Feb 1 (AP): Australian Open men s champion Petr Korda spent his formative years in

Hie presence of some of the world's great players.

He hit up with Rod Laver six vears ago. was once Ivan Lendl's ball boy and was a big fan of Bjorn Borg.

Korda was hitting up before a match at the Indian Wells tournament when Laver, who twice swept the four Grand Slams in the same year twice, came up to him.

”1 have to warm-up." Laver told him.

"I was so nervous in that moment." Korda said after beating Marcelo Rios for the title Sunday.

When Korda was a ball-boy. he says, "I always learned from other players.

"But I wanted always to be myself. When I retire I might be a legend. I don't know, but I've always brought something different on the court."

FAN FEVER: Never mind the Centre Court battle between Korda and Rios in the final, the one taking place off-court beforehand also had the fans enthralled.

Followers of both players hammed it up in front of television cameras out the front of Melbourne's National Tennis Centre on Sunday.

Decked out in the national

colours of Chile, a band of chanting followers of Rios chanted "Marcelo. Marcelo. Marcelo" as Korda's supporters stood nearby doing versions of Czech left-hander Kordas trademark scissor-kicks.

The most vocal supporters during the year's first Grand Slam championship have, as usual, been the Swedes.

Jonas Bjorkman, who won the men's doubles title with Jacco Eltingh on Saturday, praised their support after their

"It feels like we are home." Bjorkman said. "We've been doing all we can to give them tickets. It's been probably between 15 and 40 every day. All the players go together and we try everything we can do.

"So I probably have a few beers with them tonight and have a nice celebration."

PHOTO OP: Australian Open photographers gave their own tribute to Petr Korda after his first Grand Slam victory.

After a photo op had been lined up with the new champion. the snappers put down their cameras and encircled the Czech player.

In unison 15 photographers did their own scissor-kicks while Korda stood in the middle with a camera in his hands and a bemused look on his face.

AGE BARRIER: Martina

Hingis is becoming used to win-ning Grand Slam titles, and she's also used to setting age records as she cuts a swathe through women's tennis.

Hingis won her second straight Australian Open on Saturday — the youngest player, male or female to defend a Grand Slam title this century.

But the tally of "youngest ever" records is not something she gets too excited about these

T have learned to just always have that, and 1 have been the youngest ever in whatever I did." Hingis. 17. said after her 6-3. 6-3 win over Conchita Martinez.

"It was just normal for me to go out there and if I'm winning I would be the youngest. It's great if you win it anyway. It doesn't matter how old you are."

MOVIE TIME: Martina Hingis had no sooner whipped Conchita Martinez in the Australian Open women's final, than she was off to celebrate —• by watching the blockbuster movie Titanic In a private screening.

Hingis revealed during the week that she had been trying to go and see the 3-1/2-hour long movie since arriving in Melbourne. But its length and her duties on the tennis court left her little time to catch a scheduled screening.

So Australian Open officials arranged a screening in a private room at Melbourne's Crown Casino.