Who in the WTA draw will step up as a role model?

	As usual, Justine Henin has been excellent at Roland Garros, but no one will ever accuse her of being an ambassador for tennis. Heinz Kluetmeier/SI
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What's wrong with this picture? On the men's side, you have Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal -- great ambassadors for the sport, always gentlemanly and giving credit where it's due. You have Andy Roddick, always good for a nice witty comment or two even in defeat, and as far as I know, none of the other top 10 players have been accused of gamesmanship.

Turn to the women, and you have Justine Henin and Maria Sharapova with questionable ethics, Serena and Venus Williams undermining their opponents' victories every time they lose. Sure, they're exciting players to watch, but with Lindsay Davenport gone, we need a role model in the WTA pronto.
-- Eric, Menlo Park, Calif.

Here comes a lame "on the one hand; on the other hand" answer. There's no question that sportsmanship, or the lack of it, has become a real problem in the women's game. This isn't just me pontificating.

Between the Williams sisters (now numbingly familiar) failure to offer a shred of credit, Sharapova's (now numbingly familiar) unfortunate preference for gamesmanship over sportsmanship, and the (now numbingly familiar) rehashing of Henin's past lapses of etiquette, my mailbox was dominated by complaints from you guys.

Here we have two winsome Serbs breaking through at a major, Nadal and Federer on the path to another showdown, the ascent of Novak Djokovic, etc., and yet disgust seems to be the prevailing theme these past few days.

I agree that the "class gulf" between the ATP and WTA is pretty jarring these days, all the more so given the retirement of Davenport and Kim Clijsters. As I've written before, I think a lot of this is top down.

When the No. 1 player in the world comports himself like a gentleman -- so much that his modesty can almost seem like false modesty -- it sets the tone. When Federer praises the opposition and concedes points and signs autographs as he leaves the court (even after losses!) and plays doubles with his pals to put some money in their pockets, it's tough for the other guys to behave like prima donnas.

Conversely, when the top women retire in Grand Slam finals, unrepentantly accept illegal coaching, blow off media obligations, go to the bathroom at opportune moments and treat the commitment as if it were an optional assignment given by a substitute teacher, there's also trickle down effect. (When the WTA not only merely sits silently but also responds by allowing on-court coaching, clearly acquiescing to the stars, it only exacerbates the situation.)

Having said that, I do think there are two sets of standards for conduct. David Nalbandian, for instance, coyly circles a mark a foot away from the "real" mark and the crowd doesn't care, giggling at his brazen attempt to pull a fast one. A female player circles a correct mark, and receives a chorus of whistles and hoots.

In the time Nadal sometimes takes between points, you could listen to the extended remix of Stairway to Heaven. No one cares. Sharapova steps off the baseline for two seconds and she hears it. Check out the ITF fines at Grand Slams: Without fail, the men beat the women by a 3:1 margin, minimum. Again, no outrage.