The year's best, from Roger to snakes and torn pants

	What more was there? Roger Federer went 92-5 in '06 with 12 titles, including three majors and $8.3 million in prize money. Bob Martin/SI
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Yes, it's that time of year. We've readjusted our bandana and tugged at our pirate pants for the last time. We've hit our last forehand and issued our last apology letter for an untimely withdrawal. We've checked with our entourage in the coaches' box -- er, players' box -- and they've given us the go-ahead.

It's time for the annual Baggie Awards.

The Republic of Tennis was up to its usual tricks this year, at once seducing us and infuriating us. Roger Federer sustained his greatness, coming within a few loose sets of winning tennis' holy grail, the Grand Slam. If he's not king of the hill for all-time, the summit is certainly in sight. Amelie Mauresmo left her mental demons for road kill when she won the Australian Open to win her first Major. She then backed over them for good measure, playing a gutsy third set to win the Wimbledon final.

One Martina (Hingis) made a graceful return while another (Navratilova) made a graceful exit. Speaking of which, Andre Agassi didn't win much in his final season but he wrote a nifty final chapter. As for debuts, replay technology was a runaway rookie of the year. Maria Sharapova looked pretty -- pretty invincible winning the U.S. Open. Andy Roddick looked pretty smart by hiring Jimmy Connors and, in turn, salvaging a year that was looking ugly.

Rafael Nadal looked pretty erratic, winning everything on clay and then virtually nothing for the rest of the year. The Williams sisters looked pretty indifferent, showing up everywhere but a tennis court, it sometimes seemed, in 2006. The tours looked pretty oblivious to the 500-pound gorilla: the relentless injuries besetting players. So it goes.

Before dispensing gifts to our winners, a rare detour into mush territory. This is a cut-and-paste from years past but the sentiment holds: If you get half as much pleasure (guilty to be sure) from reading this column as I get from writing it, we're all doing pretty well.

Your questions and observations are, reliably, thoughtful and informed and passionate, and please know that every last one -- even the ones wishing me incurable athlete's foot -- are read. Think of this as a sincere invitation to belly up to the bar in '07 and we'll do it again.

The votes have been certified by PricewaterhouseCoopers and Jack Valenti. The envelopes please. ....

MVP, women: Justine Henin-Hardenne. The Belgianette only bagged one Slam. But she reached the finals of all four and took the WTA Championships title.

MVP, men: Federer. Let's just skip the justification and go right to the next category.

Best Veteran Breakthrough, men: Gentleman James Blake played some of the best tennis this side of Federer and finished the year in the top five. Now if he'd just turn it up at the Slams.

Best Veteran Breakthrough, women: Mauresmo. Sometimes the tennis deities get it right.

Match of the year, men: Nadal d. Federer, 6-7, 7-6 (5), 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (5), Rome final. No. 1 vs. No. 2. Breathtaking action. Squandered match points. A fifth set tie-breaker. A dash of bad blood. This one had it all.

Match of the year, women: Mauresmo d. Henin-Hardenne, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, Wimbledon final. No histrionics. No dubious injuries. No eardrum-splitting grunts. No flagrant coaching. (OK, maybe a little.) Just a fine, well-fought match between the most complete players in the women's game. Wish there were more like this.