Thoughts on Maria's dominance, father's belligerence

Maria Sharapova stormed into the Australian Open final without dropping a set. Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

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

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Is it me, or is that the best anybody has seen Maria Sharapova play since she won Wimbledon? It is not easy beating Justine Henin 6-0 in a set. Sharapova was hitting powerful backhands with great angle. Also, it seems her serve is a lot better. Maybe, the shoulder injury really did affect her in 2007. I would say she is the favorite to win going on her current form. What do you think?
-- Bob Diepold, Charlotte, N.C.

That was frighteningly good tennis. And she backed it up Thursday, blowing away Jelena Jankovic in a match that was even more lopsided than the 6-3, 6-1 scoreline indicated. Sharapova has been playing sensational tennis and it's come against some of the best in the biz. Right now she can drop her level by 30 or 40 percent and still win the title Saturday.

For whatever issues we might have with the Sharapova camp (see below) I think you have to give a lot credit to Maria. She has a deeply disappointing '07 that includes constant injury and some confidence-shattering losses. Plenty of other players have endured similar spells and never recovered. Yet there was no sign of burnout, no sense that her millions and her profile had dulled her edge for competition or her passion for tennis. Without making excuses for her shabby season, Sharapova spent the offseason grinding it out on the practice courts. She returns to play the best tennis of her career. Got to respect that.

I knew you would overlook Maria's dad's conduct after the quarterfinals with Henin. I can "only" imagine if Richard Williams had done it towards Maria! Double standard ... of course. The media in Australia asked Maria about it during her interview, but the station that telecast the match and the rest of the U.S. media refuse to acknowledge it happened.
-- E. Jones, New York

You're kidding, right? Yuri Sharapov has been -- if you'll pardon the pun -- ripped up and down for this. Tracy Austin (rightfully so) has been whacking him on television. I suggested on the radio that he be banned from grounds for the rest of the tournament. Here's Richard Hinds column that hits the proverbial nail on the proverbial head.

It was a disgusting, classless, totally unnecessary gesture that, unfortunately, has taken some of the attention away from Sharapova's exceptional tennis. But don't think for a minute anyone has "overlooked" this.

To answer the question why tennis tournaments do not seed like the NCAA tournament, I can tell you that most tournaments outside the U.S. do not seed this way. Plus, have you noticed that in the NCAA tournament, the No. 9 seeds rarely make the Sweet 16, since they have to go through a No. 1 seed in the second round, while the No. 10 seeds make it more frequently, since they only have to go through a No. 2 seed. The difference between their first round opponent, 8 and 7 seeds, is usually minimal, but the difference between 1 and 2 seeds is much more significant. I've always thought that's quite unfair. Finally, if tennis seeds NCAA-style, then it's possible that Novak Djokovic would face Rafael Nadal at the French Open semis every year. If I were him, I would tank the clay court season, drop my ranking to No. 4, and take my chances against Federer in the semis. A random draw prevents this from happening.
-- George, Corvallis, Ore.

Good point. And I think that's exactly what driving the unusual seeding at the Slams. But really, given how wacky the rankings are anyway, is anyone really tanking matches to move down a slot or two? I don't see players behaving so corruptly. And I don't see anyone understanding the math that well.

The women's matches at the Australian Open this year has brought up an interesting point -- what constitutes an "upset?" Here we have Jankovic, seeded 3rd, beating eight-time Grand Slam and defending champion Serena, who's seeded 7th. Is that an upset? Similarly, Ivanovic, who's seeded 4th, defeated Venus Williams, ranked No. 8. And let's not forget Sharapova, who's got two Grand Slams and is playing the tennis of her life here, beat out the world No. 1 Henin, who was on a 32-match streak. Jon, your thoughts?
-- Joseph M., Toronto

Right. Because of their injuries/playing schedule, the rankings of the Williams sisters seldom reflects their "value." Hence, we often talk about them being "upset" virtually every time lose to a player ranked outside the top four. As I see it, there are currently six players at the top of the WTA: Williams, Williams, Henin, Jankovic, Ivanovic and Sharapova. Whenever one beats the other, it's really no upset regardless of ranking/seeding.

You picked Roger Federer to win the Australian Open. In light of his play and Djokovic's play, are you sticking with your pick?
-- Marisa, Lake Forest, Calif.

Thanks for the mulligan offer, but I'm sticking with Federer.

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