All I have to say is go Elisabeth Shue! I am amazed at some of the criticism she is receiving from the press on her decision. This can only bring positive attention to the WTA, which is struggling to get the news to focus on something else besides player injuries. Even if she turns out to be a novelty act relegated to the challenger circuit, I would still pay money to see her play.
-- Thomas Peterson, Madison, Wisc.

One of you wrote that this is a hot topic on message boards. I agree with Thomas: This is great (and free) publicity for women's tennis. At the same time, the notion of a forty-something Hollywood starlet suddenly become sufficiently strong enough to hold her own at even the lowest pro event is absurd at best, insulting at worst. Also, astute reader R. Benton of Iowa City notes that Shue's husband is Davis Guggenheim, not David. Probably drives a hybrid, that Benton.

I couldn't help cringing when the Tennis Channel showed a Sam Querrey special where he talked about how he was impressed with Andy Roddick's private jet and wanted to earn as much money to be able to afford such toys. Really, how are you supposed to excel on the court when you are so focused on eking out a higher income (no shame that, but it must be a distraction)?
-- Elizabeth Myers, Ithaca, N.Y.

You know, I'm risking some angry agent calls but I agree with you. We've established that the core of Americans are good guys. But if there were some way to dial back the talk of NetJets and high-stakes poker hands and losses at Melbourne casinos that eclipse what the average American earns in a month, that would probably be a good thing.

Maybe Patrick McEnroe can address this at the next Davis Cup summit. Yes, if you're a 20-something millionaire, you're allowed to live La Vida Vince Chase. No one is saying you need to economize by sharing a hotel room on the road (though, come to think of it, the Bryans do this anyway.) But particularly in a sport still seeking to shed its reputation as an elitist bastion, maybe a little less conspicuous consumption couldn't hurt.

The media has been all over Nadal's winning record on clay, but how many consecutive matches has Federer won on grass?
-- Ray, New Jersey

It's 48 in a row on grass for Roger since his last loss to Mario Ancic in the first round of '02 Wimbledon.

Shots, miscellany

• Lots of you asking about possible television coverage of "Battle of the Surfaces." Which gentle European Mailbag reader is going to hook us Americans up and handle the YouTube honors?

• Let's acknowledge the passing of tennis fan Boris Yeltsin. As one of you wrote: "I don't know any other politicians of his caliber who did not miss a single Davis Cup home tie for his country."

• Robert Webb of Dalton, Ga., notes that Nadal's mineral intake is again on the rise.

• Here's yet another reason we like Nadal.

• Meldy of Ann Arbor, Mich., sends this link about weights of female athletes.

• Hear the latest from tennis podcaster David Law: Go to iTunes music store and just type 'Artois Tennis' into the search, or go to the official Web site.

• Here's a trailer for Jim Courier's movie, Unstrung.

• George of Irving, Texas: "To Jonathon Scott, who questioned where the memo was that announced Monica Seles' retirement -- don't quite know -- but Tennis Warehouse received it as well, because on its Web site she is listed in the WTA gallery underneath the retired tennis players i.e., Evert, Navratilova and even Lindsay Davenport."

• Here's a fine blog on Hawk-eye.

• Our friend Nick Imison (the morning) notes: "In the Spanish sports newspaper Marca, readers were asked to vote on the Seven Wonders of the Sporting World. After almost 90,000 votes, the following were the seven events selected, with Davis Cup coming out in sixth place:

1) World Cup soccer final
2) Tour de France cycling
3) NBA Finals
4) Monaco Grand Prix (Formula 1)
5) Dakar Rally
6) Davis Cup
7) Men's 100-meter final at the Olympic Games (track and field)."

• Nick of Boston sends this link, suggesting that David Nalbandian is no longer on the South Beach diet.

• Speaking of which, the mail keeps coming in about Serena Williams. I just want to make my position clear: This issue isn't about whether she's heavy or skinny, hot or not. I simply want to make the point that scrutiny of her physique -- at least inasmuch as it pertains to her as an athlete -- ought to be fair game.

	Nadal
	Poveda

• At the 40th Easter Bowl at Rancho Las Palmas in Rancho Mirage, Calif., two girls from New York battled it out in the final. Gail Brodsky from Brooklyn beat Nadja Gilchrist from Rochester, 6-0, 6-3.

• Here's a link to the Men's Vogue story on Federer.

• Lucie of France: "You might like this song by a great French rock band called Dionysos -- it's called McEnroe's Poetry. (Non-French speakers had better start it from one minute on.)"

• Ivan of New York sends us this week's long-lost sibs: Nadal and flamenco singer Miguel Poveda.

Have a great week, everyone!