Students of recent history may be aware of two newcomers who first stole on to the international stage way back in June 1997, albeit in entirely different fields.
An author by the name of Joanne Somebody-or-other had her debut novel published – the first in a long-running series about a boy wizard, apparently. Goodness knows what became of that.
Meanwhile at Wimbledon, a 17-year-old American played her first match on the SW19 lawns. She met defeat that day but, like Harry Potter, she offered glimpses of the magic to come.
Nineteen years on, and 36-year-old Venus Williams is still weaving her tennis spells. In her 19th Wimbledon (she missed 2013) and 71st Grand Slam tournament – both records among active players – the five-time champion saw off young Donna Vekic.
To put the generation gap into perspective, Vekic had not yet reached her first birthday on that day in 1997 when Venus made her debut.
Not that the world No.112 made this first round match easy – she held two set points when serving for the first set, only to see the American ultimately tough it out 7-6(3), 6-4 in seven minutes under two hours.
Age, you see, has its advantages. Having won her 49th career title this year, Venus put her victory over the Croatian down to experience.
In both sets Vekic stayed impressively with the No.8 seed, only to crumble at the business end of proceedings, struggling with doubt at all the wrong moments.
“I had some hairy moments in the first set, and that’s where experience sets in,” said Venus. “She hit more winners than I did [21 to Williams’ 10] and seemed to track down every ball that I hit. But you have to enjoy the battle every time on court, enjoy that fight.
“I do remember my first year here. It wasn't very fantastic. I was just so nervous. But thankfully since then, I’ve able to handle my nerves a little better. I don't have any regrets because I've always worked my hardest.
"I've lost matches, I've learned from it, it made me better. I would have liked to have won matches or hit that one shot
differently. But that's competition. You learn from it. I wouldn’t change a thing. Somehow I’m still fairly young. I live in the moment.”
Williams’ powers of wizardry may not be quite what they were in the days when she commanded all before her; but she remains an extraordinary force in tennis.
“I still feel 26, I don't think anyone feels older.
She is the oldest woman in the top 200 and the oldest woman in the draw here.
Moreover, her match against Vekic took place on No.1 Court, and perhaps Williams felt a sense of solidarity with the place. After all, both court and player made their Wimbledon debut in the same year.
Vekic, who turns 20 on Tuesday, was hailed as hugely gifted when she was runner-up in her debut WTA tournament four years ago, but that promise has not blossomed.
With just two Tour-level wins out of the 13 matches contested this year, she might have been steamrollered in her first career meeting with Venus. Instead in the first set she capitalised on Williams’ poor second serve, gaining authority and belief before letting all that work go to waste.
She then rebuffed the common pattern of allowing her opponent to run away with the second set but again, when it came to the key points, she was found wanting.
In truth, of course, there is nothing magic about the way Venus has stayed curious and engaged by her profession for so long. She has walked no enchanted path on the way to her achievements.
Asked if at 26 she would have thought she would still have the appetite for the competitive fight a decade later, she smiled.It’s just plain old hard work, made all the more extraordinary by the fact that for the last five years she has been a sufferer with Sjogren’s syndrome, a chronic auto-immune disease which causes profound fatigue and joint pain.
“I still feel 26,” she said. “I don't think anyone feels older. You have this infinity inside of you that feels like you could go forever. That's how I feel on the court. As long as I'm halfway decent, can get my racket on the ball, I think I can make something happen. So far, so good.”
She will defend her doubles title at the Olympic Games once again with Serena – and, by the way, when she talks about playing more Olympic tennis, that is not confined Rio this summer.
“We have to start looking at 2020,” she promised. “That would be impressive. If you think this year's impressive, hold on.”
At 36 years young, Venus has plenty more sorcery to conjure up yet.
