Let's start with the Player of the Week awards. Roger Federer was typically dominant, defending his Tennis Masters Cup title and putting the capstone on the most impressive season since Steffi Graf won the Grand Slam in 1988. And let's not forget Lleyton Hewitt, who again had his hat handed to him by Federer but did awfully well until then. When you commit six errors and surrender zero break points and only five games to Andy Roddick, you gotta be doing something right.

And overdue props to Maria Sharapova for her stellar play, winning the WTA's Tour Championships in L.A. Sharapova, however, did not earn perfect marks for her conduct. To borrow from Aaron Brown, this is where we'll begin this week's show. ...

Am I the only one who thought Sharapova was rude during the season-ending championships final against Serena Williams? She constantly pumped her fist, stared Serena down and screamed "come on" at the end of the third set when it was quite obvious Serena was injured. To top it off, she failed to acknowledge Serena at the end. Then Yuri Sharapova ran onto the court and yelled an obscenity at a fan. If Serena or Richard Williams had behaved like that, it would have made its way into several negative articles. I guess being the WTA's latest great white hope helps. The double standard lives. Not that I'm surprised. Things will never change. ...
  -- Valencia, New York City

I'm with you: Pumping your fist when your opponent is serving at 60 mph and grimacing in pain between points is weak. So is falling triumphantly on the court after such a hollow victory. So is failing to acknowledge said opponent in the trophy presentations. (Though to Sharapova's credit, she did praise Serena in the post-match press conference. She also gets points for donating the Porsche she won to the families of the Beslan massacre.) But it seems to me the real absence of class was shown by Yuri. Already cited for illegal coaching during the week, he stormed the court to hug his daughter in what was truly an uncomfortable moment. Then he was caught by ESPN's cameras having a few choice words with a fan. If I'm IMG, I'd sit Yuri down, stare into his sunglasses and say, "Dude, dial it down, or you're going to cost your daughter a whole lot of money."

But there was no double standard. Not here. Not among fans -- by Tuesday morning we must have had 100 e-mails from all over the world, savaging both Sharapovas for their behavior last Monday night. And not in the media. Here's a blurb from the Daily Mail in London:

"Most players would have understood Williams was so physically impaired that their victory was a hollow one. They would have toned down the celebration out of respect and offered words of comfort to their opponent. Not Sharapova. And not her family."

Again, the post-match scene was not exactly a clinic in winning gracefully. But I thought it was heartening that the players and their families seem to be judged by a similar set of standards. I didn't come across much evidence that people were looking the other way to excuse a player you (not unreasonably) call "the latest great white hope." Bad form is bad form is bad form. And as many of you, including Frank of New York City, correctly pointed out, Serena was extremely gracious in defeat this time.

I had to write you immediately after reading that Serena Williams just played an exhibition event in Michigan ... with this abdominal strain. This strain was supposedly the reason she slowed down against Sharapova (if you can call winning four games in a row slowing down). What was Serena doing playing an exhibition match? She said she was terrified during the Sharapova match of aggravating the injury and ending up sidelined for months. 
  -- Vern Donkers, Dusseldorf, Germany

I think that cuts in Serena's favor, not against her. She had committed to play these matches -- part of the proceeds go to Ronald McDonald House, I should add -- and stuck to her commitment. It's no secret players compete at a lesser intensity level at exhibitions than they do at sanctioned events. (This would be particularly so when your opponent is your sister.) So good for her.

Random point: In the past we've written that Michigan has produced a disproportionate number of pros -- Aaron Krickstein, Mal Washington, the Jensens, Todd Martin, Amy Frazier, Meredith McGrath, Steve Campbell, etc. Though she didn't come of age in The Glove, Serena was born in Saginaw.

Who do you think is the No. 2 player on the men's side? I would vote for Hewitt over Roddick.
  -- Josh, Conn.

I might be inclined to pick an "on" Marat Safin over Hewitt. But this is just another earmark of Federer's dominance: He is on a 23-match winning streak against top-10 players. Someone recently asked, "Seriously, how do you beat this guy?" The answer is to be a No. 11 to 50 player (say, Tomas Berdych or Dominik Hrbaty) whom Federer might subconsciously overlook and then play the match of your life.

What exactly was Guillermo Coria thinking, playing in Houston? He clearly wasn't ready to come back. 
  -- Joseph Barretto, New York City

In fairness, how many of us would turn down a chance to make $100,000 for getting tuned in straight sets? I feel for promoter Jim McIngvale: The human buzz/ratings/attendance spike that is Andre Agassi doesn't play so Willie Coria can lose 6-2, 6-2. Speaking of Coria, word is he will work with Jose Perlas next year.

Why aren't there alternates in this year's Tennis Masters Cup? Kindly enlighten me -- Agassi should have been a shoo-in for the alternate spot.
  -- Robert S. Paguia, Quezon City, Philippines

Willie Canas was the alternate after Agassi and David Nalbandian pulled out with injuries unofficially diagnosed as "I'll be damned if I'm going to Houston to sit on my butt for a week."

In regard to whom is more accomplished -- Venus Williams or Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario -- the real issue is what you mean by the word, "accomplished." If you mean better or more talented, then it's Venus. If you mean the player who had the more accomplished tennis career, then Sanchez-Vicario takes the cake. Venus has the talent but lacks the heart or drive Sanchez-Vicario had.
  -- David Gillikin, Fairfax, Va.

That's fair. I'll buy that. Incidentally, Venus's woebegone status has come up a lot lately. I realize the bandwagon is emptying fast, but she might have some good tennis left in her. I hope she sticks it out, bolsters her forehand, relocates her misplaced confidence and continues playing through this lull. She's too good a player.

MAILBAG Jon Wertheim will answer questions from SI.com users in his mailbag each Monday. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

Since you're sure to get a few responses detailing what a bastion of art history Melbourne is, I thought I'd mention Melbourne's most famous painting is in a pub. Check it out. And since Dustin is a student, I'll also mention Y&J's gives away free beer during its Beer Ambassador sessions on weekend afternoons.
  -- Bob Nelson, Lakeland, Fla.

Thanks, Bob. I seem to have angered a few Aussies with my skepticism about Melbourne's status as an art capital. As a rule of thumb: when you get on the wrong side of Australians, odds are good you're in the wrong. So sorry, mates and matettes.

Concerning the Hall of Fame: why not have a Hall of the Not-Quite-So-Famous in the basement? Put Jana Novotna in there, with the honor that any second team All-America gets. You could also include guys whose contribution was part of a great moment in the sport, but whose overall career might otherwise be judged a bit short -- say, Michael Chang for his match against Ivan Lendl at the 1989 French Open.
  -- Keith Ghormley, Lincoln, Neb.

You Nebraskans just can't give that whole bicameral thing a rest, can you?

I thought Federer's participation at the United Nations in New York to launch the 2005 International Year of Sport and Physical Education deserves a special mention in your weekly column. 
  -- Mark, San Jose

Agree. Thanks.

Is Marcelo Rios retired?
  -- Margethe Ayano, Animo, Philippines

Yes.

Why is it that Kim Clijsters and Amelie Mauresmo get the WTA's No.1 ranking without winning a Grand Slam, and it causes outrage. But when Lindsay Davenport does it, no one seems to mind?
  -- T.L., San Francisco

We're of two minds on this ranking debate. On the one hand, yes, it is at best counterintuitive that the top two players -- Davenport and Mauresmo -- didn't even reach a Grand Slam final in '04. On the other hand, it shows there are worthy events apart from the Slams, and consistent play is rewarded.

As for your question -- and it's one that comes up a lot -- the answer is simple: Clijsters and Mauresmo are European, and Davenport is American. Just kidding! First off, you might be exaggerating the definition of "outrage." It's uncommon that a player can mount the rankings summit without winning a Slam; but no one suggested Clijsters' ranking wasn't achieved honestly or that Mauresmo's should be forfeited until she breaks through at a Major. Honestly, good for them.

As for Davenport, she not only has won three Majors in the past, but she had already achieved the top ranking, so her "reclaiming" the top spot is less noteworthy. Had she been Slamless and was achieving the No.1 ranking for the first tine, she would have been under the same scrutiny as Clijsters and Mauresmo.

So, how old is Maria Sharapova?
  -- Jay Lassiter, Philadelphia

Funny, she seldom mentions it. Seventeen, I think it is.

There was a time when U.S. tennis fans embraced foreign players: Rod Laver, Ilie Nastase, Bjorn Borg, Evonne Goolagong in the '70s; Boris Becker, Gabriela Sabatini, Steffi Graf in the '80s. What's changed?
  -- Ian, London

Sweden's Bjorn Borg (here in April 1991) won five consecutive Wimbledon titles. Simon Bruty/Getty Images

I think it's a function of both the declining number of American pros and the declining number of tournaments. The Swedish Iceman was an aberration -- a Yao Ming-like cultural curiosity 20 years ago -- who stood out from all those Americans. Today, when "internationals" comprise 18 of the top-20 ATP players, that Swede is just another faceless foreigner. Also, Sabatini may not have come from the U.S., but she played the majority of her events here, so eventually she built up brand awareness. Compare that to, say, another Argentine -- David Nalbandian. By my counts, Nalbo played all of two matches in the States in 2004. On a related note ...

Maybe since you have softened your stance on golf (in last week's 'Bag, you called it a "quasi-sport" instead of a "pseudo-sport"), you could comment on this question. Golf has a growing list of international players, especially on the LPGA Tour, which according to this article should be positive for all the Tours. Surely tennis is more global and can be marketed just as successfully.
  -- Desmond Fisher, Cobble Hill, B.C.

Agree. But remember, while the LPGA's player membership might be international, the great majority of the events take place in the U.S. There's a big difference between that and a tour that wends through six continents.

So you like my name, eh? I just caught where you answered a question about the French Open and stated you couldn't pass up a chance to answer a question from Luke Lively. That's my name -- believe it or not. New question: Can Federer win the Grand Slam in '05? On the women's side, do you see anyone other than Serena capable of pulling off the Slam?
  -- Luke Lively, Johnson City, Tenn.

A rule is a rule. We will always save a seat for Luke Lively at this bar. Federer certainly can win the Slam next year. The odds, of course, are against him. I'd say Serena is capable -- though her fitness and focus must not betray her -- and I also think a healthy Justine Henin-Hardenne has a shot. Remember, she won three Majors in a calendar year and was once a finalist at the other one (Wimbledon). Again, love the name.

Having followed your columns and Mailbag for years, I noticed in your latest photo you are wearing glasses these days. Why don't tennis players don glasses anymore? In fact, the only person I can think of who wears glasses is Elena Baltacha. Am I right? I miss the old (young) Martina Navratilova.
  -- Anandam Mamidipudi, Chelmsford, Mass.

Because, unlike many of us, they're brave enough to get laser surgery? My guess is that visually impaired players find contact lenses less obtrusive. Plus, contacts make it easier to wear a baseball cap to block the sun. The only other active bespectacled player I can recall is Karsten Braasch. (But then again, I don't see too well.)

Is there a chance any one of the existing big tournaments could be converted into a Grand Slam in the future? Or is the number of Grand Slams fixed at four forever, no matter how big other tournaments become?
  -- Sharat, Hyderabad, India

Not long ago, I floated this question to a prominent promoter: Why is four a fixed number for the Slams? If a big-time sponsor came forward, why not have a fifth Slam in Asia, for instance? I was basically told that the other four would never go for it (understandably, I should add), and the balance of power being what it is, that that was unlikely to change in the foreseeable future.

Separated at birth

Mike and Bob Bryan Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

And this one is downright creepy -- Mike and Bob Bryan.

Random thoughts:

• Some reading for the commute this evening. Only peripherally related to tennis but great stuff.

• Many of you noted that the Rebel Billionaire tennis pro is Steve Berke, who played (sort of) for Yale and Cal. Not only that, but his various skeletons include having written to the Mailbag in the past. (Let's hope that doesn't come out.)

Loved this quote: "I owned [Roddick] all through juniors ... I cannot wait to beat him again next year and show him that I still own him."

• Brian Pugh of Greensboro, N.C., writes: "I heard on the radio that Yannick Noah has a guest spot on the new Jimmy Cliff album. The interviewer asked what he sounded like, and the reviewer responded, 'Well, he sounds like a tennis player trying to sing reggae.'"

• Boding favorably for Davis Cup in Seville, Spain, the Bryans defended their Masters Cup title, beating Wayne Black and Kevin Ullyett in the final.

• Federer was unanimously voted the Player of the Year award by tennis writers and was also honored with International Tennis Writers' Association's Ambassador for Tennis award for his efforts to promote the sport. Sharapova won the women's Player of the Year award while, in an echo of their tight duel for the No. 1 ranking, Davenport and Mauresmo were neck and neck in the voting for the women's Ambassador for Tennis award. The pair will share the honor after voting ended in a dead heat.

• Speaking of Toledo, if you're in the greater Maumee Valley area and want a game of pool, check out Eastside Stevie's Billiards on Starr Avenue. If the proprietor is playing nine-ball, pull up a stool and watch.

• In the L.A. doubles final, Nadia Petrova and Meghann Shaughnessy defeated Cara Black and Rennae Stubbs.

• Is anyone else wondering what's up with those Dubai Duty Free spots?

• Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor celebrated their outstanding '04 season Thursday night when they received the ATP Doubles Race trophy, by Waterford Crystal, for finishing as the year-end world No. 1 team for the second time in three years.

• Patrick McEnroe will be the featured speaker at next month's 20th Anniversary ITA Coaches Convention at Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Miami. McEnroe, who will be appearing courtesy of Wilson Sporting Goods, will be on hand for the Dec. 12 ITA Membership and Awards Banquet and is also conducting a clinic on Dec. 13.

• Speaking of McEnroe, he will remain the Davis Cup captain through '06, the USTA announced.

Have a great week, everyone!

Sports Illustrated senior writer Jon Wertheim covers tennis for the magazine and is a regular contributor to SI.com.