AMRITRAJ KIDS SWING INTO ACTION.

Byline: JOE JARES 

Former tour regulars Anand and Vijay Amritraj of Madras, India, and the San Fernando Valley, 45 and 43 respectively, are over at Wimbledon to play doubles in the 35s division. Gentlemanly, stylish and talented, they are favorites of the English fans and have been at least since the first time I saw them play, at the Queen's Club in London in 1973.

But let's forget Wimbledon for a moment and turn to the really important event this week, the 95th annual Southern California Junior Sectionals in Orange County. The next generation of Amritrajes will be trying to make its mark there.

Anand's son Stephen, 5-foot-8, 130 and in the first year of the 14s, is seeded into the main draw and will start play Wednesday. Last year, he lost in the final of the 12s to Doug Stewart of Malibu. But he got revenge over Stewart at the Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament earlier this year.

``He's small, but he has a great all-around game,'' said Stephen Amritraj of Stewart. ``Unbelievable ground strokes, great backhand, and his lobs land right on the baseline.''

Stephen Amritraj is a serve-and-volleyer with a two-handed backhand, which he believes he needs for power and will stay with. He gets lessons from his dad and from the coaches at L.A. Fitness in the Warner Center in Woodland Hills. It could be Stephen vs. Stewart in the final of the 14s, or perhaps Garrett Wong of Thousand Oaks or Lester Cook of Woodland Hills can get there.

Stephen Amritraj probably will attend Calabasas High, where his mom, Helen, is a substitute teacher. Vijay's son Prakash, also entered in the 14s at the sectionals, will go to Harvard-Westlake.

There are about 1,700 entries in 12 divisions. Some of these kids, I guarantee, will become college and/or pro stars. Maybe even winners of Grand Slams.

The Southern California Junior Sectionals alumni include Tracy Austin, Michael Chang, Billie Jean King, Ellsworth Vines, Stan Smith, Jack Kramer and Lindsay Davenport.

(Some other local kids in the sectionals: Dillon Ruby, Westlake Village, boys 18s; Philip Sheng and Joey Edelberg, Thousand Oaks, and Nicholas Weiss, Calabasas, boys 16s; Russell Mullin, Thousand Oaks, and Mike and Vahe Asadourian, Glendale, boys 12s; Also Bernadette Bayani of Simi Valley, Maureen Diaz of Glendale and Shervin Saedinia of Woodland Hills in girls 16s, and Sonya Reynolds of Palmdale and Erin Everly of Calabasas in girls 12s.)

Wimbledon predictions: Pete Sampras, another alumnus of the So Cal Junior Sectionals (and one who dumped his two-handed backhand at age 16), hasn't been sensational lately, but he's 30-3 on the hallowed grass of the All England Club and has won three singles titles there. Should I ignore the fact that he's lost six of his past 10 matches this year?

Consider lefty Croatian Goran Ivanisevic, who has made the Wimbledon semis in three of his past five appearances. Or defending champ Richard Krajicek of Holland (another one who dropped the two-handed backhand as a teen); it would be great to have him win again because he's going to be playing in the Infiniti Open in L.A. later this summer.

They all have the requisite big serve to win on grass, and so does Mark Philippoussis of Australia (he recorded a 142-mph serve in March).

The shaky pick: Sampras.

On the women's side, I can't go against Martina Hingis, who has a fine all-around game and has lost only once in 40 matches this year (the final of the French, to Iva Majoli).

My sentimental choice, though is Monica Seles. This is the only Grand Slam she has not won. And that stabbing she suffered in Germany robbed her of umpteen dollars and victories.

From baseline to net: For the first time in 10 years, Mike Walden will not be the public-address announcer for the Infiniti Open at the L.A. Tennis Center. He'll be in the East for son Greg's wedding. . . .

Justin Gimelstob, on UCLA's NCAA-champion doubles team last year as a sophomore, is now a member of the USTA's Touring Pro Program and was scheduled to play French Open champ Gustavo Kuerten in the first round of Wimbledon. He's featured in the latest issue of the USTA's youth-tennis magazine, Topspin.

PASSING SHOTS

The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) honored a number of California players for their 1996-97 achievements:

Player to watch: Lilia Osterloh, Stanford (duh; she won NCAA singles).

Rafael Osuna Award for sportsmanship: Paul Goldstein, Stanford.

Cissie Leary Award for sportsmanship: Julie Scott, Stanford.

All-American men: Simon Aspelin, Pepperdine; George Bastl, USC; Bob Bryan, Stanford; Mike Bryan, Stanford; Paul Goldstein, Stanford; Kelly Gullett, Fresno State; Kevin Kim, UCLA; Eric Lin, UCLA; Robert Lindstedt, Fresno State; Kyle Spencer, USC; Eric Taino, UCLA; Ryan Wolters, Stanford.

All-American women: Ania Bleszynski, Stanford (and Thousand Oaks); Annica Cooper, UCLA; Zsofia Csapo, Pepperdine; Claire Curran, California; Esther Knox, California; Kati Kocsis, UCLA; Anne Kremer, Stanford; Angela Lawrence, Pepperdine; Zuzana Lesenarova, San Diego; Lilia Osterloh, Stanford; Isabela Petrov, Pepperdine; Katia Roubanova, UCLA; Katie Schlukebir, Stanford; Elizabeth Schmidt, UCLA; Julie Scott, Stanford; Anna Svendevhov, Pepperdine.

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Box: PASSING SHOTS (see text)