The 'unworldly' Williams, Hewitt's competitiveness and cramping up

The Williams sisters chose to duck questions about Barack Obama's inauguration. AP 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

I know you'll never touch this question but here's nothing. Serena said: Being a Jehovah's Witness kept her from voting in the election, but didn't prevent her from watching Barack Obama's campaign and victory. "I try to stay politically neutral, don't get involved in worldly matters," she said. "For me, because I am black, seeing that happen, I would be blind if I didn't take interest in it or I would be lying if I said I wasn't interested in what was going on. Obviously I am." As an African-American, I'm curious as to whether winning slams and other tennis tournaments is somehow religious or unworldly? My point is that she and her sister set a poor example for young kids. Voting is ungodly but chasing Slams isn't? Your opinion?
-- Ray Vinson, Hampton,Va.

• I'll touch it. Here's one answer. But I had a much stronger reaction when I read Venus' remarks. You can read the full transcript here: But here's where I did a spit take:

Q. Were you surprised that he had such a broad-based appeal beyond the African American community?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think he was the best candidate. So I'm happy that the best candidate was elected... But I really am not a political expert. I know zero. Like I know a lot about tennis, so if you ask me about tennis, I can just go toe-to-toe with you [smiling].

Venus, of course, is entitled to her opinions or non-opinions. She also reserves the right to duck questions if she pleases -- which I suspect might be what's really going on here. But I thought this response was profoundly disappointing. You have this incredible global platform to influence thought and opinion. Millions of all races look up to you. Historically, you've been thoughtful and mature discussing issues. It's a momentous day in history. Time and again, you've shown that your interests do very much transcend tennis. You were involved in the bid for equal prize money, which is nothing, if not political. And when asked a perfectly reasonable (and predictable) question in a press-conference setting about Obama's inauguration, Venus says breezily she knows "zero" about politics and would prefer to talk about tennis? I suspect that somewhere Billie Jean King is banging her head against a post.

Realistically, with Slam Days gone and not being able to get past the first week, ranked No. 70 and only being tougher to get back to top 10 -- what motivation does Lleyton Hewitt have to play on? If anything his game is based on speed, and he is slower now -- unlike Marat Safin whose game is based on power a bit -- and if Safin wants to retire, why can't Hewitt?
-- Deepak, Ann Arbor (very very cold)

• I'll give you the purist answer first: Though, realistically his days of winning Slams are over, Hewitt still relishes the competition, the personal referendum each match poses. He enjoys the pure sport, performing for the enjoyment of others, pushing his body to new limits. He likes working in the outdoors, representing his country and sport. He likes indulging his gift. And -- like being handed a fistful of lottery tickets -- as long as there's that small chance he can put seven matches together, why not at least enter and see what happens? The cynical answer: He has existing contracts with sponsors that will lapse when he retires.

Am I the only one tired of the endless barrage against the cramping rule by the ESPN commentators? Whether you think it's a good rule or not, it doesn't seem right to not cover matches live in lieu of the commentators going back and forth on this tired old issue. What are your thoughts, Jon?
-- Melissa, Frederick, Md.

• Doesn't bother me. Thus far, Brad Gilbert versus Pam Shriver ("Pammy," as B.G. affectionately calls her during their disputes), has been the most hotly contested matchup this side of Fernando Gonzalez versus Lleyton Hewitt. In fact, I ... AHHHH! It's my thumb. I can't even ... AHHH. Don't touch me or I'm going to have to forfeit this column! (Fifteen minutes later) Where were we? Oh right, I feel much better. Yeah, I think it's a healthy debate. Cramping, unquestionably goes to fitness. And tennis players shouldn't get a break any more than tired marathoners should be allowed to stop mid-race and free the clock until they're healthy. On the other hand, there's something inhuman (sadistic even) about making players in physical agony continue on or risk default. I say keep this debate going. And if it saves us from hearing yet again about the rise of tennis in Serbia (It's the No. 1 sport!), all the better.

I really hope that Amer Delic can have a great start to the year and then back it up the rest of the year to get in and stay in that 50-90 range. What do you think?
-- Anthony Roque Jacksonville, Fla.

• For the record, Anthony's question came before Delic's mini-breakthrough in Melbourne. I think that's reasonable. Delic has a big serve and a power game when he arrives at the ball on time. If he stays healthy and keeps dialing in the serve, there's no reason he can't settle in as a 50-100 player. He won his first round match against Taylor Dent (amid some controversy)

Fed actually backed Davydenko up verbally with respect to the gambling fiasco.
-- Andrew, Toronto

• Yes, and Nadal did, too, at least to a point. Still, I think the support of Davydenko was lukewarm at best.

Do you really think Elena is going to beat Venus in the quarters and Serena in the semis? Sure she tuned Serena in a warm-up, but if Serena makes it to the semis, I like her GS semifinal record against Elena's any day. Plus Venus is playing well -- after winning Wimbledon, she made it to the semis of the U.S. Open and had chances to beat her sister Serena. Then Venus wins the season-ending championships. And yet you keep betting against them ...
-- Andrew Roth, Sacramento

• Yeah, lots of you grilling me (or lightly sautéing me, anyway) for not taking Venus. Fair enough. I just hesitate given Venus' track record in Australia. It seems to take her a few months to get going (heck, she even lost at the small winter event in Memphis last year) and, again, she hasn't been beyond the Melbourne quarters since 2003. She's a contender to win every event she enters, but I'll save her for Wimbledon. Dementieva has her own issues -- no Grand Slam titles, an iffy track record in big matches, that flutterball serve. But she's the reigning Olympic champ, the surface plays to her strengths, she won the tune-up, blowing out Serena along the way. Let's be honest: it's entirely possible she loses her next match. But there's my rationale.

Shots, Miscellany:

• See the link to the piece done by Trans World Sport on American brothers Ryan and Christian Harrison.

• Thanks to njnynewsgal for sending this Bud Collins Q&A.

• Jeremy Short of Draper, Utah, has long lost sibs:

Robert Lansdorp and Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach.