Nicole Vaidisova was a superstar waiting to happen. A big-hitting, six-foot-something blonde, the Czech teenager made a stunning start to her career which seemed destined to always be lit up by flashbulbs.

Vaidisova had won five titles before her 17th birthday - a feat achieved by only five players before her, four of whom - Tracy Austin, Monica Seles, Jennifer Capriati and Martina Hingis - would win grand slams.

She had cracked the world top 10 at the age of 17 in 2006, peaking at seven and inviting inevitable comparisons with Maria Sharapova for both her no-nonsense style of play and her sponsor-friendly looks.

Indeed, Sharapova herself considered Vaidisova a welcome addition to the top of the women's game, and believed the Czech player had what was necessary to push her all the way to the top.

"It's exciting to have a new generation coming up and someone as young as she is doing so well," said Sharapova, after Vaidisova had beaten both Amelie Mauresmo and Venus Williams en route to the 2006 French Open semi-finals.

The similarities did not end on the court. Like Sharapova, Vaidisova was a product of Nick Bollettieri's famous Florida academy. The pair grew up two years apart and became more than passing acquaintances.

Despite the blow of defeat to Svetlana Kuznetsova in that nervy last-four clash at Roland Garros, Vaidisova cemented her place in the elite by reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon and the third round at the US Open.

In 2007 she reached the semi-finals in Australia and the quarters in both France and Wimbledon - where, having beaten defending champion Mauresmo, she blew two match points to go down to Ana Ivanovic.

The slide began in 2008, coincidentally around the same time her relationship with top men's player Radek Stepanek became public. Two months out with glandular fever was followed by six straight losses.

She then irritated fans in her homeland by retiring from Fed Cup competition, according to her agent, to "improve her ranking". The decision clearly did not work as the slump continued.

In fact, Vaidisova's record in 2009 has been nothing short of calamitous. She lost in the first round of the Australian to Severine Bremond, the first round of the French to Virginia Ruano-Pascual, and at Wimbledon to Rossana de los Rios.

Tumbling out of the top 100, she was forced to try to qualify for Flushing Meadows - and failed, beaten by Chan Yung-Jan of Chinese Taipei. Her ranking now stands at 189, and rumours swirl of imminent retirement.

Languishing on the Challenger circuit, Vaidisova has said little of the reasons for her alarming slide - although Czech men's number one Tomas Berdych insists it will have inconvenienced few fans back home.

Berdych told a tennis website last week: "Because she quit the Fed Cup, the national team, she is not popular. There are reasons for not playing but if you just say 'I'm not playing'.. the people don't like her as much."

It seems Vaidisova is destined to join the long list of women's tennis stars who had too much, too young.

Incidentally, the fifth player to win five titles before her 17th birthday? Andrea Jaeger, who then hung up her racket at the age of 19.