| |
NOMINEE |
THE SKINNY |
| Overrated |
Anna Kournikova |
She may be the queen of the Internet and outstrip a small country's GNP in endorsement and exhibition fees, but she is -- all together now -- still seeking her first professional title. |
| Underrated |
Pete Sampras |
No joke. In addition to winning his seventh Wimbledon title and breaking Roy Emerson's record for career Slam victories, the ex-bachelor quietly reached the semis in Australia, the final of the U.S. Open and finished third in the convoluted points race. |
| Annoying |
Damir Dokic |
If only he had acted up at the French Open, the latest Tennis Father from Hell would have achieved a Grand Slam for boorishness. When the Tour banned him for six months, it didn't go far enough. |
| Breakthrough |
Marat Safin |
The combustible Russian may break rackets with abandon, but his real smash was running roughshod over Sampras in the U.S. Open final. |
| Uplifting |
Pat Rafter |
His career in jeopardy after a rotator cuff injury to his serving shoulder, he played breathtaking, anachronistic serve-and-volley tennis to reach the Wimbledon final. |
| MVP |
Venus Williams |
An easy choice. After missing the first five months of the year with injured wrists, she won her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, and followed it up by winning the U.S. Open and two gold medals in Sydney. |
| Storyline to follow in 2001 |
Questions galore |
Will the House of Williams play tennis full-time? Will Andre Agassi's game resurface yet again or will he join Steffi Graf in retirement? Will marriage doom Pete Sampras? Will the ISL Masters Series continue bleeding money? |
