If Roger Federer loses to Rafal Nadal in the final he will suddenly be considered mortal with a captial 'M.' Getty Images Jon Wertheim's Mailbag Jon Wertheim will answer questions from SI.com users in his mailbag every Wednesday. Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND Follow Jon Wertheim on Twitter

For Wertheim's audio roundup of today's matches, click here or scroll down below.

Not really a question, but this Wimbledon remotely reminds me of 1999, when Pete Sampras had not won a major since the previous Wimbledon. There were questions during the tournament whether he still had it, especially playing Andre Agassi in that final, and he probably delivered one of his best performances. I wonder, if we are lucky enough to get Roger/Rafa 3, will Federer react and perform the same way Sampras did that day? I hope to find out.
-- Ashwin, Charleston, S.C.

That's an interesting thought. But I see a lot of differences. Unlike Sampras that year, Federer is playing a younger rival who tuned him in the finals of the previous Slam.

We were just discussing how much is riding on this, assuming we get the anticipated final. Federer loses, and suddenly, he's mortal with a capital "M." He will not only be Slamless in 2008 but will have lost at Wimbledon to the guy who beat him in Paris. If Nadal loses, he will be devastated, too. He wants desperately to prove that he's no claycourt specialist and win this title. After playing sensationally well (and having beaten Federer soundly in Paris), it will be crushing if he doesn't get over the proverbial hump.

Being in their mid- to late-twenties, how long do you believe the Williams sisters can remain real contenders in the slams and tennis period?
-- Ray Vinson Hampton,Va.

Glad you brought this up. Let's see: they're great athletes, they're playing as well as ever. They pace themselves to stave off burn-out. Anyone else find it easy to see them still going strong in five years? Bruce Jenkins, my roommate here, made a good point: This is the one category where Richard Williams didn't get it right. He expected his daughters to quit by 25. By taking ownership of their careers and playing on their terms, it's easy to see them extending themselves into their 30s.

Why would you consider Serena Williams's off court relationship to cause a negative effect on her tennis? Your comment comparing Serena to Maria Sharapova, as at least Sharapova is not '..traipsing around with Common..' is ridiculous and sad. What does that have to do with anything? I see, now she can't have a relationship.
-- Nicole B., NYC

This was meant as a compliment! The writer asked why Sharapova isn't taken to task for her "outside interests" -- fashion design, the college classes and, yes, the boyfriends and fiancés -- when she falters. I said the explanation doesn't hold. In Sharapova's case, she is not filming a mini-series or going to school or opening a business. Without calling her monomaniacal, her devotion to tennis is pretty intense -- which, one could argue, makes her current struggles all the more worrisome. But, like the sisters, she's shown a strong ability to repair her game quickly. That's all.

And while we're beefin'....

I don't find the mild court assignment controversy to be "trivial." I do understand that said assignments are at the discretion of the All England Club -- and to be honest, as long as the checks clear, what difference does it make? That said, both you and I know that no male defending champion is likely to appear outside of Centre or Court 1. Just won't happen. I'm glad that the WTA head is at least going to respect his players and take up the matter. Just not going to hold my breath. You and Federer make me grin in this respect -- I seriously doubt either of you have gotten the old "back of the bus" treatment ... so of course, to you guys, it's not a big deal. At least understand where the concern is coming from without dismissing it so casually, please.
-- David Frederick, Athens, Ga.

Please reassure us you're not analogizing Jelena Jankovic's court assignment to Rosa Parks! Look, is there still a current of sexism that runs through Wimbledon? Unquestionably. But I still think this scheduling example is a red herring. So much goes into scheduling: There's television. There are player nationalities and time zones. There is a big dose of behind-the-scene politics. (Wimbledon itself, for instance, is represented by IMG; think IMG poster boy Federer isn't getting his preferences?) On Monday, you had all 32 remaining players on the court and an Andy Murray match that was going to be on Centre Court no matter what. You had the "Nalbandian policy," whereby the club tries to ensure that every player experiences Centre Court at least once before the final weekend. And remember, specific to the Williams sisters, they a) share a coach, so it's hard to put them on court simultaneously and b) had to play doubles as well. Consider all the factors and I don't think the scheduling on Monday was the abomination many of you do.

The battle for equal prize money? We're all for it. But this? I think we should put this in the "agree to disagree" file.

If Marat Safin were to beat Federer, would that make Novak Djokovic's loss less of an "eat crow" one?
-- Suzanne Low, Vancouver, B.C.

Sure. This happens a lot, both long term and short term. Sharapova's loss to Agnieszka Radwanska at last year's U.S. Open looks a lot better in retrospect. Likewise, James Blake's loss to Rainer Schuettler has looked a bit better as the guy went on to challenge for the semis. (He's in the fifth set as I write this.) On the other hand, the opposite holds too: Andy Roddick's loss to Janko Tipsarevic looked worse when Janko got spanko-ed in his next match.

Hi Jon. My uncle, who just passed away, noted when I visited him in Scotland last year that when Andy Murray wins, the British press calls him British. When he loses, he's called a Scot. I realize the tournament is in England and I get the context, but please show my late, great uncle (and his fellow Scots) some respect, and note that while half of England may have cheered, ALL of Scotland cheered when Murray flexed like he did.
-- Rob, Las Vegas

Duly noted. Out of respect for your late uncle.

Do you think Justine Henin has been watching Wimbledon and thinking she retired 2 months too early?
-- RZ, Los Angeles

In a word: yes.

Wow! If Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes can get back together to play doubles in the Olympics, can world peace be far behind??!? Also interesting to note that Amélie Mauresmo is playing doubles even though she opted to skip singles. And is Mary Pierce really planning to play?
-- Helen, Seattle

Go to the ITF Web site and you never know what info awaits.

I've read on Wikipedia that Roger Federer has now reached his 17 consecutive Grand-Slam semi-finals, which is a record for the men. What about the women? I guess someone like Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova or Chris Evert would have done even better than that. Do you have any specific numbers? I'm dying to know how many more semi-finals Federer needs to claim the overall record.
-- Oliver S., Trier, Germany

I have the good fortune of sitting next to the Tennis Encyclopedia known as Steve Flink. He tells us that Chris Evert made 34 straight semis and 52 of 56. "But Cathy Jordan ended it here in 1983." The ATP made the unforgivable mistake of not sending Greg Sharko here so we're at a loss on the men's side.

Where can I buy this Olympic tennis book? I want one!
-- Thomas Cartlin, San Diego

Try:Here or here.

Oh come on, Jon ... why would the ITF send a plug to you disguised as a missive from Hyderabad, India?
-- Split Infinitive, Hyderabad, India

It was the code name "split infinitive" that caused me to skeptically react.

London Calling

Here's my take on today's Women's Semifinals.

Miscellany

• Here's a sneak peek at the new Federer Nike ad.

• D.P. of London: On the boys-girls topic. Before a certain age, the ladies don't like to be referred to as a "woman," because it makes them feel they start looking old. After a certain age, the gentlemen don't like to be referred to as "boys," because it makes them feel they look too young and immature. Ah, those gender differences.

• Shery of Austin/Hong Kong: Adam's posting about Chinese names was good. The only thing I would add is that for "Zheng," there is a slight "r" sound to the "zh." Give it a shot! (You'll need it for tomorrow's audio report for the ladies' semis, right?) It also seems that there is still some confusion regarding the order of Chinese names, which is surname/last name (in most cases one character) followed by given names (could be one or two characters). In Zheng's case, her last name is Zheng, and first name Jie.

Editor's Note: Hear how it might actually be pronounced here.

• Here's a Wall St. Journal piece on U.S. tennis.

• Long-lost siblings? Easy -- the triplets Jimmy Connors, Pete Rose and Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood.
-- David Sims, Istanbul

• Don't know if it was accidental or coincidental, but Ron Wood is usually a fixture here at Wimbledon.