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Hewitt on and off the court Posted: Monday March 25, 2002 12:15 PM
Sports Illustrated senior writer Jon Wertheim will answer your tennis questions every Monday. Click here to send a question. In a move that has been wildly popular with the top players, the WTA Tour announced last week that its year-end championships will be moved from Munich to Los Angeles. ... An ATP source tells the Mailbag that there have been preliminary talks to combine the men's and women's season finales at some point. ... More scuttlebutt: The WTA Tour also might be moving its headquarters to L.A. Whatever the case, their original grand plan of relocating to Saddlebrook seems officially dead in the water. ... Matthew Perry was spotted in Jennifer's Capriati's box in Key Biscayne Sunday during the latter's third-round match against Anastasia Myskina. Naturally, she claims that they're just Friends. ... Andy Roddick was so inspired by Lance Armstrong's book that he invited the cyclist to be his guest at the next Davis Cup tie in Houston. ... Her doctor having given her the go-ahead, Corina Morariu is planning a return to the WTA Tour less than a year after being diagnosed with leukemia. ... Murmurs persist that, in the wake of the ISL debacle, either prize money or bonus-pool money for the ATP players will be slashed in the near future. ... Despite the absence of half the top female players, attendance figures for Indian Wells were up from last year. ... Re: last week's discussion of Monique Viele, our sport's apparent answer to Sidd Finch. One of you was kind enough to send along this link. I repeat: Only in tennis. ... Contest time: A friend of a friend has formed a band and -- since four of the five members are tennis fanatics -- he's soliciting suggestions for a tennis-related name. (My offerings, First Ball In and You Cannot Be Serious, were roundly rejected.) I'm opening the floor to you guys. Best answers get NASDAQ-100 swag. And free backstage access if said band ever makes it big. Onward ... After Lleyton Hewitt's 6-1, 6-2 drubbing of Tim Henman at Indian Wells, I'm left wondering: Without the help of chicken pox -- or Nicolas Escudé and a grass court -- how do you beat this guy? Like him or hate him, his game is nearly seamless (and Pete Sampras is going to have an anxiety attack every time he even hears Hewitt's name). What did James Blake and Andy Roddick figure out at the U.S. Open that got them so close? Do you just have to hit lots and lots of just-inside-the-line winners and hope for the best?
It's a very realistic question. We'll see if this week provides us with any answers. Funny thing about Hewitt: Through last summer, he hadn't won so much as a Masters Series title, much less a Slam. Since then, his play has been incendiary. How do you beat the guy? You won't outlast him, you won't outhit him from the baseline. If you play straight serve-and-volley tennis, he'll beat you with his returns and laser-like passing shots. First, get him on the right surface. Right now, that probably means clay. Second, serve the lights out. Third, keep him off balance with a mix of attacking tennis and conservative baseline rallies. If you look at some of his rare shaky matches of late, players like Escudé and Paradorn Srichaphan have been able to inflict damage by picking their spots judiciously and then either going for a line or rushing the net. (Of course, as you note, there's always that time-honored game plan: try to expose him to a communicable disease. Chicken pox won't work any more, but, say, has he had his mumps shot?) Your overall point, though, is well-taken. For the past six months, Hewitt has been playing at a different level than has the rest of the field. "It's pretty clear that he is setting the benchmark now," Henman said after the Indian Wells vivisection. "He is setting the standard in a number of areas, whether it's returning or foot speed around the court." Given some of the bad press Leyton Hewitt has had, especially in his own country, do you think that his position as the new No. 1 will be as beneficial to the promotion of the game as if players like Gustavo Kuerten and Andre Agassi held the top spot? Agassi and Kuerten have always been fan favorites whether they are winning or losing, but I do not sense the same excitement about Hewitt as the No. 1 in the sport.
It's an interesting question and one that currently causes plenty of handwringing at ATP HQ. Hewitt is an exceptional player, but he's something other than an exceptional celebrity. Getting him to do the sorts of things that should attend being your sport's figurehead (the interviews, the promos for the tour and tournaments, the talk-show circuit) has been a real challenge thus far. Hewitt's results speak plenty loud, but we are past the point when, to paraphrase Norman Mailer, tennis players can simply be tennis players. The media, the marketing, the hit and giggles -- for better or worse, it's all become part of the bargain. One of the reasons the women's game is perceived as being so "hot" is because the top players have transcended the court and punctured the public consciousness in ways other than winning trophies. The irony here is that, on the surface, Hewitt would seems like an ideal front man. He's telegenic, he shows a broad palette of emotion on the court, he's young, he's blond, he isn't likely to disappear from the scene any time soon. If he could make some off-court improvements, there's no question it would be to the benefit of the men's game. On behalf of Marat Safin, what are the chances that either McEnroe brother will wind up as an individual coach? Is the time/travel commitment the biggest deterrent -- and is coaching considered the trenches compared to commentating gigs, game-show contracts and USTA posts?
You essentially answered your own question. John McEnroe, I agree, has the potential to be a great coach. But: 1) his various and sundry commitments are such that he couldn't spend 30 weeks a year on the road, and 2) his attention span rivals that of a fruit fly. Could you see Mac travelling the hinterlands, meticulously charting the depth of Player X's second serves in his first-round match against some (Who the Hell's) Juan Balcells? You cannot be serious. (Say, what a great name for a band ...) You've commented on Pete Sampras and his inability to sit still lately. Has Sampras considered changing rackets? Clearly, he is not the athlete he once was. How about abandoning the 1980s racket technology? Could the larger hitting surface and greater power help him with his service-return game?
I asked Sampras this very question a few weeks ago but didn't get very far. He says that he has no plans to switch rackets. I'm with you, though. It's become increasingly rare for a pro to play his entire career with one racket. Given Sampras' woes of late -- no tournament titles since 2000 Wimbledon -- you'd think he might second-guess his tools one of these days. Why do the women, the top ones especially, take so much less time in between points than the men? I'm not complaining that I don't see Martina Hingis or Jennifer Capriati spending 30 seconds between points staring at their strings, but I was just wondering why there is such a difference. I can see it when they're ripping through their opponents and want to create the avalanche effect, but I notice they do it even when they're going through a bad stretch. If tennis is a "thinking man's game," as Michael Chang always argued, then wouldn't a few moments of contemplation during a tough match be beneficial?
You clearly enjoy the good fortune of not having seen Conchita Martinez play lately. Good question. Even when the match is at its tightest, many players play as though they have a plane to catch. But I haven't really noticed that it breaks down by gender. Capriati plays at a fast pace, but I've seen Agassi take no more than a few seconds between points, too. Tennis is a "thinking man's game" (and thinking woman's, too), but it's also a game of pace and rhythm. Players who feel that they are in a groove might simply want to keep playing rather than navel-gaze between points. What are your thoughts on the ESPN "Hawk Eye"? It certainly presents a pretty cut-and-dried answer to the age-old question, "In or out?" However, in this day of computer-generated movies, one has to wonder if "Hawk Eye" is real or just a snappy special effect?
The problem with using a Mac Cam or any other precision technology is first and foremost expense. If you use it on center court, you have to use it on the side courts as well. That adds up, particular for smaller events. Also, it could cause undue breaks in the action (see: NFL instant replay). I'll say it again to a chorus of derision and laughter: Let the players call their own lines. How do players on the challengers circuit make it financially? It's seems like they're lucky to make several thousand dollars a year in prize money, yet somehow they can afford to play a number of events worldwide. Do they have sponsors? Free lodging? Free meals?
Also, how about a round of applause for the original unlucky loser, Vince Spadea, who just won a challenger title (and has had modest success all year in challengers). I'll second your props to Spadea, who has been on an epic cold streak since cracking the top 20 in 1999. To his credit, he's still out there trying to make like Stella and get his groove back How do players make it on the challenger circuit, where travel expenses often exceed the winner's checks? Good question. Some players are sponsored by their national federations, some come from wealthy families, and some have made deals with "sponsors" who essentially take an equity stake in their careers, much as a venture capitalist would a fledgling business. Playing the challengers is a bit like playing the $5 tables in Vegas: Either you move up to higher stakes or else the money runs out. Why doesn't Roger Federer make more out of his impressive talent? Lack of determination?
A few of you have asked similar questions in recent weeks. I say give the guy through the summer before you start asking What have you done for me lately? Federer is a great young talent who plays well on all surfaces but has had the misfortune of being injured pretty much since last year's Wimbledon. If he's still struggling by, say, Cincinnati, come back and we'll talk. Does Daniela Hantuchova remind you of Venus Williams? Hantuchova seems to have all of the weapons and hangups in her game that Venus does -- huge serve, heavy groundstrokes, backhand down the line, forehand that can go off at times, a lot of unforced errors mixed with a lot of winners. Classic Venus!
Not bad. I would add court coverage to your list, too. Those long, slender legs allow her to get to all manner of balls. Venus is obviously a much more complete and accomplished player at this stage of their respective careers. While her game might be derivative of Williams, Hantuchova does everything -- serve, crank her backhand, retrieve balls -- about 80 percent as well as Venus. Also -- for now, anyway -- Venus has better stamina. You'll notice that after her breakthrough event in the desert, Hantuchova crashed and burned early in Miami. I don't mean to single you out, but you and other tennis journalists seem to have given up on Anna Kournikova. You forget that she has been to the Wimbledon semifinals and was once ranked in the top 10. Believe me when I say that she will win her first tournament soon!
The amazing thing is that Sergio submitted this "question" after Kournikova lost in straight sets to the formidable Eleni Danilidou in the first round of Miami. This coming on the heels of her Indian Wells flameout to Lilia Osterloh. As we seem to say every week, no one denies Anna's elemental talent. But right now it's looking like Tony and Big Pussy will be sharing cannolis before Anna wins a single title. Do you think a Russian will break through and win a WTA title this year? No Russian female has won a title in the 21st century. Can you believe it? Anastasia Myskina won a low-tier event in 1999. It would be shocking and embarrassing for Anna Kournikova and Elena Dementieva if Maria Sharapova or another Russian youngster won her first title before Kournikova or Dementieva. But it just might happen.
I think it will happen by year's end. I'd put my money on Myskina, who came within two points of beating Capriati the other day in Miami. FINALLY, Amy Cottrell of Ellentown, Fla. was kind enough to do the following research: "I just finished reading your interview with Todd Woodbridge. Interesting stuff, especially his pooh-poohing singles players being too tired for doubles. "Did you know: "1) Woodbridge has played 233 (or so) main-draw ATP/ITF singles events in a career stretching back to 1988. He has won more than two singles matches in a row (not counting walkovers) only 26 times in his career. And most of those were at lower-level events like Seoul, Nottingham, Tokyo. "2) At those 26 events at which he won more than two singles matches, he reached the final in the doubles competition only eight times. "3) He has lost in singles in the first round 97 times. He has won only one match 76 times. "How can he justify saying that playing singles and doubles isn't tiring when he has rarely done well in both at the same time? This kind of attitude hurts doubles specialists and their cause. What makes doubles specialists launch attacks on singles 'specialists'? An inferiority complex?" Sports Illustrated senior writer Jon Wertheim, author of Venus Envy: A Sensational Season Inside the Women's Tennis Tour, is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com. Click here to send him a question or comment.
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