Not-so-random musings from the Australian Open

	Winner Amelie Mauresmo (left) and runner-up Justine Henin-Hardenne were a study in contrasts -- both on and off the court. Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
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Herewith, 50 thoughts on the Australian Open, trying to incorporate as many of your questions as possible. We'll return to our regular format next week.

1. Keep an eye on that Roger Federer. He may win another Slam or two before he finishes up.

2. Federer looked uncharacteristically mortal in Australia. That he still found a way to win his seventh Slam, must be more demoralizing to the rest of the field than had he won playing his customary extra-terrestrial tennis. Even when he's off, he's on.

3. All credit to Amelie Mauresmo on her first Grand Slam title. Far as we're concerned, there are no footnotes or asterisks here. She played superior tennis for two weeks. She arrived in peak physical condition. She discharged her duties like a pro. Who cares thst she never got to match point in three of her last five matches? That's not her problem.

4. I don't recall a single issue that has generated more response from you guys than Justine Henin-Hardenne's dubious retirement in the women's final. Here's my take: While I think it was unquestionably unsporting and, well, "lame," the retirement itself didn't outrage me as much as it did a lot of you guys. Sure it was anticlimactic and sure, had JHH not been getting stomped, she surely would have played on. But I think it's always dangerous to question decisions athletes make about their bodies. Too many tennis players have harmed themselves playing through pain. (see: Clijsters, Kim.) And while other players have "booted and rallied" or gritted out heroic comebacks -- Mauresmo said she was prepared "to die" on the court -- we have no way of knowing just how lousily JH-H felt. I suppose it would have been nice had she gone through the motions for 14 more points so Mauresmo could have won conventionally. But would we then be chastising her for tanking?

What I did find galling and disgraceful (and sadly revealing) was the ugly aftermath. Henin-Hardenne could scarcely have been less sympathetic in her remarks. Her remorse was minimal, her self-centeredness stunning, her acknowledgement of Mauresmo's achievement virtually non-existent. She conformed to every unfortunate stereotype about the solipsistic tennis diva. In short, she didn't get it and, I suspect, still doesn't. The contrast between Mauresmo's self-awareness and Henin-Hardenne's self-righteousness was incredibly stark. As one of you noted, JH-H has a lot of rehab work to do, and we're not talking physical. I'm happy to address this more in the future mailbags, but let's keep going.

5. Marcos Baghdatis may have been the toast of Melbourne: an endearing, outspoken, multilingual international star who -- again and again -- met the moment. One irony: The lovefest sometimes seemed to obscure his wonderful, creative, all-court tennis. The guy has unbelievable amount of game -- some of the running forehands were right out of the Federer handbook -- and that sometimes got lost amid all the Cyprus factoids and bouzouki strains.

6. Sometimes players reveal as much about themselves in their spontaneous actions than in any press conference or interview. Federer dissolving into tears when Rod Laver handed him the trophy said a lot more about his humility and self-perception than anything that appears on a quote sheet. Likewise, Mauresmo, solicitously approaching Henin-Hardenne after winning her first Major speaks volumes about her character. As we say in Indiana, they were both raised right.

7. Martina Hingis frosted her successsful comeback by winning the mixed doubles title alongside Mahesh Bhupathi. We still worry about how far she can go on her wounded seagull of a second serve, but she sure did herself proud in Melbourne.

8. If there were a silver lining to the women's final, it enabled fans to get their money's worth watching a spectacular men's doubles final. Bob and Mike Bryan won a spellbinding match against Leander Paes and Martin Damm. Talk about getting up off the canvas. Men's doubles is suddenly a hot commodity.

9. More fodder for the Chinese tennis boom: Yan Zi and Zheng Jie became the first Chinese players to win a Grand Slam title, beating Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-3 in the women's doubles final.

10. If Yuri Sharapova shouted "Vamos" as Nicolas Kiefer threw his racket across the net, who would get the point? Charming, classy men, both of them. Loved this line one of you sent me, attributed to Jimmy Arias: "Kiefer thinks it's unfair that balls on the line are considered in." Here's the Melbourne Age's Greg Baum: "Kiefer said winning justified all. Long may he lose." Lleyton Hewitt's reign as the most odious man in tennis may have just ended.

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