Davis Cup needs a simple plan

Sports Illustrated senior writer Jon Wertheim will answer your tennis questions every Monday. Click here to send a question.

As we noted last week, it now looks like Yevgeny Kafelnikov is not fading into the sunset just quite yet. The Y-Man will undergo surgery to remove varicose veins and may make it back in time for Australia. ... From the Just Asking Dept.: If you're a tennis pro and the U.S. goes ahead with a military operation in Iraq, do you really want to play the Doha event next month? ... Still no word on Pops Sampras' plans for 2003. ... Speaking of new fathers pondering retirement, our friends in Australia report that Pat Rafter soon may announce his future career plans. ... The only male in the top 100 not entered in Australia? Todd Martin. (Apparently, he didn't have enough frequent-flier miles to bump up to a sleeper on Qantas.) ... Corina Morariu, who returned to the WTA Tour in July after a 14-month battle with leukemia, will miss 3-6 months after surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff. ... The Los Angeles Times reported last week that Serena Williams has purchased a high-rise condo on L.A.'s west side for $1.4 million. The two-bedroom condo is located in a complex with security, valet parking, a concierge, fitness center and pool. ... Speaking of Serena, the rumor du jour has her playing doubles with James Blake in the Hopman Cup. ... Next weekend Monica Seles and Anna Kournikova will play a pair of exhibitions in St. Paul, Minn., and Winnipeg, Manitoba. ... A quick housekeeping note: Check back next week for the fifth (gulp) annual Baggie Awards. After that we'll take a brief respite and then start up again the first Monday of 2003.

Onward ...

As you have often called for an overhaul of the Davis Cup, what do you think of Linda Pearce's excellent article? By her account, it seems it is just the Americans who believe Davis Cup is in the doldrums.
—Anthony, Redwood City, Calif.

Did I fail to mention this? December is Give Linda Pearce Props Month here at the 'Bag. (And we haven't even mentioned her husband's cooking.)

I agree that Linda's column is excellent. But it begins by lamenting the fact that the France-Russia final wasn't broadcast in Australia ... and ends by asserting that only us ugly Americans don't "get" the Cup's virtues?

It's not that reform-minded folks like me -- American or otherwise -- think the Davis Cup is "in the doldrums." It's one of the great sporting events going, a 72-hour stress test that produces gripping tennis and compelling drama in equal measure. But the current format stinks. It stinks for the players, the promoters, the television networks and, most of all, for the casual sports fan who must be utterly confused. The quarterfinal rounds this year were held the week after Key Biscayne in early April. The semifinals were held two weeks after the U.S. Open in late September. Huh? How is Davis Cup to sustain any buzz when five-plus months pass without a tie? (How, for that matter, is Joe Sports Fan to know what a "tie" is?)

Here's another timely example: Last week on a certain sports Web site the top two tennis stories were "Australia picks clay for Davis Cup tie against Great Britain" and "Russia stuns France to win Davis Cup." Huh? You and I know the deal, but if tennis is to grow beyond a niche sport it has to make more sense to the general public.

Further, imagine the USTA approaching a big-time arena such as Madison Square Garden over the summer.

USTA: "We'd like to rent out your venue for the Davis Cup final Thanksgiving weekend."

MSG: "Great. You know the Knicks and Rangers are in season, but if you come up with the cash -- and we've heard how you guys in White Plains are with money -- we might make it work."

USTA: "But here's the catch: If the U.S. loses to France in September, we won't need it. Oh, and if Argentina beats Russia in the other semifinal, we won't need it either. And, of course, we can't start marketing the event until we know the U.S. will be in the final and who the opponent will be."

MSG: "You're joking, right? Maybe you should check back with that dingy shoebox arena in Milwaukee."

Bottom line: The Davis Cup is wonderfully unique and one of tennis' greatest assets. The way it's structured now, it's being leveraged poorly.

I enjoyed your tennis/basketball answer. How about a report on the two great world games, tennis and soccer? I have to believe that there are some serious footballers on tour, including some of the Americans.
—Rick Grofstein, Boston

First, Denver Nuggets forward Ryan Bowen is proud to report that as a senior in high school he placed fifth in the state of Iowa in doubles. (And, yes, more than five teams were entered. I asked.) Anyway, if you show up to any ATP event early in the week, odds are you can catch a good chunk of the men's draw playing a pickup soccer game on an open practice court. Gustavo Kuerten, Roger Federer, the Frenchies, the Moroccans, the Spaniards -- I would hazard a guess that the majority of non-Americans have considerable soccer skills.

To add to your list of tennis-playing basketballers, the former Knick/Bull and current co-host of Wolves After Dark, Trent Tucker, has a solid 4.5 game. He plays out of Flagship Athletic Club in Eden Prairie (suburb of Minneapolis). Predictably, given his height, his serve is a major weapon.
—Mike Benninghoff, Minneapolis

Thanks. From a four-point play to four-point-five play. Always liked Trent Tucker.

I just saw an article stating that France is "still No. 1 in the ITF rankings," even though it lost the Davis Cup final. I've considered myself a diehard tennis fan for the past 13 years, but I have never heard of the ITF issuing country rankings. Can you shed any light on this? If this is a common practice, why does it not get much attention? Given that, why does the ITF even issue it in the first place?
—Colin Mitchell, Houston

To be honest, I had never even heard of this ranking before last week. But you're right;4 despite losing the Davis Cup, France finished well ahead of Russia and third-place Australia. According a release last week: "The Davis Cup Nations Rankings measure the success of all participating nations over a four-year period, with recent performances weighted more heavily."

Clear as mud, right? If anyone at the ITF can shed more light, please elucidate away ...

What makes you think Yevgeny Kafelnikov is such a lock for the Hall of Fame? The Hall seems to requires more than two Slams to qualify. Plus, I thought you predicted that Mary Pierce wouldn't make it despite her two Slams. What gives?
—John Biers, New Orleans

Pierce and Y-Man have the same number of career Slams, but the comparisons pretty much dissolve after that. Kafelnikov achieved the top ranking, won more titles, earned exponentially more prize money, played a good game of doubles and was a consistent tenant in the top 10.

I think the voters made the right call inducting Pam Shriver last year. Despite her failure to win a Slam in singles, her doubles record and general contributions to the sport warrant enshrinement. But it sort of set a new precedent. It's hard to let her in and then lock out a player with Kafelnikov's resume.

A network that televises tennis matches has a technology called "shot spot" which does a very good job determining whether a ball is in or out. Why isn't this used at the major tournaments? If the answer is cost, how much does such technology cost? As you know, a ball that is 99 percent out is still in.
—Charles Williams, Chicago

Eventually, as the technology gets cheaper, we may see some sort of gizmo like the "shot spot" or the palindromic "Mac cam" on the pro level. But it ain't happening any time soon. I once discussed this with an ATP exec who said that the problem is uniformity. You can't have a camera on a show court but not the back courts. Nor is it preferable to use the technology at one event but not another. A more likely scenario: A Grand Slam gets a corporate sponsor and introduces "Instant Replay brought to you by Depends," or somesuch.

Here's another take altogether: Tennis has a vested interest in debatable -- if not erroneous -- line calls. The confrontation with the chair is a time-honored ritual that is a bonus for fans and adds color to the sport.

OK, this is getting ridiculous! The Tennis Channel has a supposed launch date of December 2002 (it's December now ... hello!) and its Web site has absolutely no information on which cable companies will carry it, when exactly it will launch or what TV-deprived tennis fans have to do to get it! Can you please dig up some info for us? We're all dying here!
—Christina Green, Chicago

A little birdie told me that the Tennis Channel will launch in February with the Sybase Open in San Jose. But you didn't get that from me.

Speaking of, the channel just secured the telecast rights to 15 major international table tennis tournaments sanctioned by the International Table Tennis Federation. The channel will run 90-minute blocks of these events. (No truth to the rumor that you lose your feed if you call it "Ping-Pong.")

Dude, Tennis Week slammed you in its Nov. 28 issue in its Letters to the Editor page. What is your response?
—Joy, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Dude, a few of of you asked me about this, and at first I thought it was some sort of practical joke or case of identity theft. 1) I didn't recall writing anything -- good, bad or indifferent -- about Tennis Week. 2) I am a big fan of the magazine, which I liken to Variety, i.e., everybody on the inside reads it, in part because the publication is unafraid to go after the sport's sacred cows. I encourage you all to subscribe.

Anyway, after much digging, it turns out that this was no joke. I did, in fact, inspire ire, as Walt (Clyde) Frazier might put it. Lest you think that I accused Tennis Week of doing something truly horrible -- like housing an al Qaeda sleeper cell or approving the salaries of USTA executives or watching Good Morning, Miami -- here, in its entirety, is the "pathetic pot shot" that provoked so much outrage:

What with its monthly issues, Tennis Week might be the biggest misnomer this side of The Best Damn Sports Show Period. But every now and then the magazine publishes a must-read for hardcore tennis fans. Case in point: Sir Richard Evans' essay in the most recent issue on the masochistic structure of our sport.

Whatever, you'll be happy to know that I proffered an apology, which was graciously accepted. And we are all friends again.

Long Lost Siblings

I think that Aladdin from the Disney cartoon and Nicolas Lapentti have something in common.
—Anna Lundberg, Stockholm

LONG LOST SIBLINGS? Lapentti Aladdin

Martina Hingis and Jon Gruden.
—Karl Miller, Phoenixville, Pa.

LONG LOST SIBLINGS? Hingis Gruden

Edie Falco as Carmela Soprano and Tracy Austin in her current broadcasting incarnation.
—Adrian Ewins, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

[Ed: Since you brought her up, it says here that Carm is headed to Naples next season to run off with Furio.]

LONG LOST SIBLINGS? Falco Austin

Greg Rusedski and Ben Stiller.
—Marie Anne Fajardo, Manila, Philippines

LONG LOST SIBLINGS? Rusedski Stiller

Clubbing

Finally, last week reader Andrew Ragusa inquired about finding a tennis club in metro New York. You guys were all too happy to trumpet your respective clubs. Thanks to all who took time to respond.

This week reader Jenna Ward writes: "I just moved to San Francisco from Miami, and I'm not only having trouble finding courts, leagues, clinics and players, I can't even find lighted courts! (I'm living in Inner Richmond.)"

So, Bay Area readers, it's your turn. Help our friend Jenna find a club, preferably in the East Bay or Marin County, I would imagine. (Too bad Golden Gates Fields isn't still open for business.) Thanks in advance.

As for Andrew:

To respond to the person looking for a good tennis club in New York, I would seriously consider moving to Long Island, especially the North Shore of Nassau County (where I grew up). It is home to the Port Washington Tennis Academy, the Shelter Rock Tennis Club, Old Westbury Tennis Club and Roslyn Racquet Club, among others.
—Manish, Cherry Hill, N.J.

I recently joined the Roosevelt Island Racquet Club and highly recommend it. It has approximately 12 well-manicured, indoor Har-Tru courts. The club staff is wonderful about helping you find matches with members of a similar level, and each week the club organizes several round-robins. There are a lot of advanced players (5.0-plus or former college), and relative to other year-round options in NYC, the price is reasonable. While not in Manhattan, it's only a stone's throw away -- first stop out of Manhattan on the F train.
—Josh, New York

Please tell Andrew Ragusa about the New Rochelle Tennis Club in Westchester County.
—Bob Schwartz, Scarsdale, N.Y.

The Four Seasons Racquet Club here in Wilton, about 45 minutes from NYC, is great. It claims to be the biggest indoor club in New England. It has 12 indoor clay courts and 18 outdoor clay courts, as well as a pool, pro shop, etc. Great rates, too. Check out it's Web site: www.4seasonstennis.com
—Alex Csordas, Wilton, Conn.

Chestnut Ridge, devoted exclusively to tennis, is located in Mt. Kisco, N.Y., about 45 minutes north of Manhattan. Pretty reasonably priced and has both indoor and outdoor courts. The more expensive option would be Ivan Lendl's Tennis Center in Banksville, Conn., just a few minutes away but also with many high-quality courts.
—Ryan, Chapel Hill, N.C.

In Westchester County: Hudson Valley Health and Tennis Club on the banks of the Hudson River in Hastings-on-Hudson. It has six Har-Tru courts which are covered with a bubble in the winter. The summertime is gorgeous, with spectacular river views and a fine restaurant offering deck dining, plus fun tennis parties. Summer membership is around $475 and you can book a court any time, play in USTA leagues (mainly 3.5 and 4.0 level).
—Sharman, Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.

Some year-round tennis clubs in Westchester County: Club Fit in Briarcliff Manor; Club Fit in Jefferson Valley; Yonkers Tennis Center; Saw Mill Club in Mt. Kisco; Chestnut Ridge Racquet Club in Mt. Kisco; New Rochelle Racquet Club; Chappaqua Tennis Club; Sound Shore Tennis in Port Chester; Match Point Tennis in Yorktown Heights; Rye Racquet Club in Harrison; Premier Athletic Club in Montrose; Hudson Valley Tennis Club in Hastings-on-Hudson; Mt. Vernon Tennis Center; College Racquet Club in Bronxville. There are numerous public courts as well as other private clubs, so I hope this helps.
—Lesley Morrissey, Ossining, N.Y.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Jon Wertheim covers tennis for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com. Click here to send him a question or comment.

 

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