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The Aussie isn't moving anytime soon Posted: Monday January 13, 2003 2:28 PMUpdated: Monday February 24, 2003 4:44 PM
Sports Illustrated senior writer Jon Wertheim will answer your tennis questions every Monday. Click here to send a question. As the first Slam of the year kicks off, some random thoughts: Let's start by bidding a fond farewell to Pat Rafter. Though his announcement could hardly be characterized as shocking -- the man hasn't played a professional match in more a year -- it's a dark day for tennis. With no spin and no publicity hounds crafting his image, Rafter was as well-liked a player our sport has known. Affable and self-possessed, he was unaffected and unchanged by his success. This is a player who gave most of the winnings from his first Grand Slam title to charity, signed every last autograph, and bought fellow Australians rounds of drinks the night after he lost the Wimbledon final. (I suppose it's fair to say that his looks didn't hurt his popularity either.) But above all, it was Rafter's tennis that won him fans. Not endowed with loads of natural talent, he tailored his game to his strengths: athleticism and his handiwork at the net. The result? A hard-charging, aesthetically pleasing serve-and-volley game that enabled him to win two Slams and reach the No. 1 ranking. Styles, they say, make fights, and Rafter's style was a wonderful contrast to the power baseline game of his contemporaries. Sure would be nice if we were saying goodbye only to a player and not to serve-and-volley tennis altogether. ...
Some quotables from last week. Jan-Michael Gambill after he was asked about pulling a Ron Artest on a racket during a match in Auckland: "Smashing a racket is no big deal. Hey, it's my racquet. I broke it, picked it up, then bent it in half and the fans seemed to like that. I liked breaking it in half. Are we that wussy a sport that we can't break a racket?" (This, of course, makes JMG the first adult ever to use the word "wussy" and call someone a "witch" within the span of six months.) ... After Carlos Moya beat James Blake in Sydney, the Spaniard was asked about Blake's looks by one of the Mike Wallaces in the press gallery. "I think he's really sexy, too," Moya replied. Asked by CBS' Morley Safer about his looks, Blake responded: "I don't worry about that at all. There's nothing I can do about my looks. I really don't take them very seriously, I haven't brushed my hair in about two years." ... Alicia Molik beat Amy Frazier in the final of Hobart to win her first WTA Tour title. ... Speaking of Frazier, she is a dead ringer for the silhouetted player on the WTA Tour's new logo. ... Here's hoping we might one day see a mixed-doubles team of Brazil's Flavio Saretta and Italy's Flavia Pennetta. ... Andy Roddick lost to Hyung-Taik Lee in Sydney last week, but he did get to hang with one of cricket's all-time great slow bowlers when he met Australian legend Shane Warne. We're told that Warne bowled about 30 deliveries with a variety of spins and Roddick held his own as a first-time batsman. ... Speaking of brushes with fame, prior to the start of the adidas International in Sydney, Wayne Ferreira and Scott Draper went to the training gym of Australian boxer Kostya Tszyu, the undisputed super-lightweight champion. The players witnessed one of Tszyu's workouts and then undertook some training of their own. ... Fellow boxing fans -- hey, it's a guilty pleasure -- will be interested to know that on Jan. 19 Tszyu will put his three (WBA, WBC, IBF) world titles on the line against Texan "Jesse" James Leija in Melbourne. Just wanted to pass that on. ... Despite the manifold audio problems on Day 1, kudos to ESPN for bolstering its Australian Open coverage. Jim Courier and Mary Carillo are welcome additions to the broadcast team. ... Big shakeup at the USTA last week. Two high-ranking officials, Rick Ferman and Nick Saviano, resigned. Fallout to follow. ... Add the name of Memphis Grizzlies forward Pau Gasol to the list of NBA players who play tennis. Gasol told me last week that he is "a big tennis guy" who plays in the offseason and is friendly with Spaniards Alex Corretja, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Fernando Vincente and Moya. A-answering we go ... I'm curious about your thoughts regarding Martina Navratilova's comments suggesting that the Australian Open be pushed back a month and that the time between the French Open and Wimbledon be increased.
The timing of the Australian Open was a hot topic (and the source of several 'Bag questions) this week. On its face, it makes a lot of sense to move the Australian Open later in the year. Players have spent the past two months luxuriating poolside, tennis has been out of the public consciousness, there is no momentum. And then -- bam! as John Madden would say -- a Grand Slam is upon us. (It's like taking a midterm exam the first week of classes.) Then, as soon as tennis gets some publicity and storylines develop, the sport retreats into the agate type, at least until Indian Wells. Alas, nothing in tennis is as easy as it seems. Heaven and earth are moved more readily than the dates of tennis events. (Consider: Moving Indianapolis -- Indianapolis! -- up a few weeks provoked an ugly, expensive lawsuit.) Some complicating factors: Australia is a serious hike for most players. They ain't going to the Antipodes twice, so all of the Australian tuneups (i.e., the Sydneys and the Adelaides and the Hopman Cup) would have to move, too. Where on the calendar would they go? Where is there a gap for four weeks of tournaments? Also remember that this is summer in Australia. Move the events too much later in the season and you could be at looking at Wimbledon-like weather. A suggestion I've heard bandied about: swap the U.S. spring swing (i.e., Scottsdale, Indian Wells and Key Biscayne) dates with the events Down Under. It might work, but there are still logistical problems. How many players are going to compete in the U.S. in January, fly to Australia for March, and then return Stateside for Amelia Island, Charleston and Houston in April? Bottom line: Moving the Australian to a more sensible time could happen. But it would take an awful lot of cooperation and compromise, two commodities often in short supply in the tennis world. However, here's a switch we're more likely to see: A three-week break between the French Open and Wimbledon, thus giving players an extra week to cover from Roland Garros fatigue and/or an extra week to adjust to grass. I hope you devote a substantial chunk of your next column to Pat Rafter's retirement. The entire tennis world should be really sad to see him go. As for me, Pat's game persuaded me to come up to the net more. I am a late-blooming amateur player with a seriously dodgy knee and limited capability at net. Yet watching this man serve-and-volley somehow got my rear off the baseline and made me stick around the net and improve. Since Pat last competed, I can't remember being as excited about following a pro tourney. Pat, you can go off into the sunset and be a happy millionaire family man, but know that we are all going to miss you. Congratulations on a great career and thanks for the inspiration, mate.
Thanks for sharing. Here, in full, is Rafter's announcement:
I will have regrets that the Wimbledon and Davis Cup trophies are not in my cupboard, but that's sport, you win some and you lose some. However, I feel I can leave the game, satisfied with my achievements, knowing that I gave it my all. I loved being a professional player, competing with the world's best and making new friends all over the world. I will certainly miss some aspects of the game in my retirement, but for now, I need to stay home and focus on the new developments in my life. I haven't made any decisions about my future yet, and I'm not in any hurry. Now that I've officially retired, I feel like my mind is free to make decisions beyond competing in the tennis arena. A big thank you to my tennis fans in Australia and worldwide for their tremendous support and patience as I debated my future. I would also like to thank my partner Lara, my family, Newk, Tennis Australia and the ATP. Special thanks though must go to Rochey, who has been instrumental in my development as a tennis player and played an integral role in any successes that I achieved. I'll see you round, I'm sure. Pat Rafter Do you play in any tennis fantasy leagues? If so, whom would you look at putting on your team for the beginning of the year?
After blowing what little beer money I had in college by overseeing some putrid teams in the YBA, I lost the whole fantasy/rotisserie jones. But if memory serves, the keys to the leagues, as I understand it, is to find up-and-coming players who come cheap. (You don't necessarily draft Barry Bonds or Shaquille O'Neal because they are so darn expensive they would have to outstrip their already-high expectations to pay off.) So if we're looking for tennis sleepers, I'd keep an eye on Fernando Gonzalez and David Ferrer, take a flyer on a comeback candidate (Gustavo Kuerten or Richard Krajicek or even Goran Ivanisevic) and roll the dice with Richard Gasquet. Among the women, I'd take Elena Bovina, Marion Bartoli, Vera Zvonareva and Eleni Daniilidou. By the way, I should point out that a number of you have passed on favorable reports about a league that can be accessed through the ATP's Web site. How is this for a year-end ATP/WTA event: The top three men and women in the Western Hemisphere vs. the top three men and women everywhere else. Three men's singles matches, three women's singles, one women's doubles, one men's doubles, one mixed doubles. Even better, schedule it in February when everybody's fresh and there's a lull in televised sports. It would be such a unique event -- great for men, great for women, great for tennis, great for doubles.
Not bad, but it sounds more like an exhibition than a joint tour event. Also, why limit it to the top three players? Tournaments are all about "sessions." Minimum, you'd want to recruit enough players to put on two matches for 12 sessions. As a Jennifer Capriati fan, I naturally feel that you tend to pick on her even though other players are equally deserving of criticism. At any rate, I was wondering if you see any parallels between her and Boris Becker, my favorite player of all time. I see both as players who are almost burdened by their tennis ability (and the life that accompanies it), and tend to be self-destructive because of it. Becker was "uncoachable," and J-Cap clearly needs someone to help solidify her service motion but probably will never seek help. Both have iron wills but are too stubborn for their own good. They speak their mind, for better or worse, and seemingly couldn't care less what you, I or anyone else thinks about it. I know that some people find that annoying, but I rather admire it.
Interesting. Never really thought about comparisons between Becker and Capster, but I see your point. Becker, of course, never had the dramatic career arc of Capriati, but you're right about his intractability. I remember speaking with one highly regarded coach who said Becker was one of the few players he'd never consent to working with because Becker refused to listen. "He thinks because he won Wimbledon at such a young age, he knows better than anyone," the coach said. (The obvious response: Trusting his instincts, Becker did awfully well for himself.) As you note, Capriati's iron will is both her strongest attribute and her tragic flaw. It's what enables her to reclaim her life (and career in progress), it's what makes it possible for her to face match point in a Grand Slam final and find a way to prevail. As her brother memorably put it, "She has bigger ones than I do." On the other hand, owing to the same headstrong disposition, she refuses to consider a coaching change, dresses down Billie Jean King and swears like a stevedore on the court. Speaking of J-Cap, word from Melbourne is that she is still adjusting after eye surgery she had last month. I wouldn't read too much into her first-round ouster by Marlene Weingartner. I was looking at the WTA rankings recently and saw the name "Anna Pistolesi" at No. 16, yet I have heard nothing about her. What's the story?
A good friend of mine was similarly confused. Much as we would like to tell you about a hot Israeli upstart who has stealthily climbed the charts, Anna Pistolesi is the married name of veteran Anna Smashnova. This is the last time I'll bring it up, but it's really a shame to give up such a great last name. Couldn't she auction it off on eBay? Speaking of newly betrothed, you'll also note that Justine Henin is now Justine Henin-Hardenne. (Yes, hyphens, the totems of domestic compromise, have reared their heads in the Low Country.) A final note: No word on whether Lindsay Davenport intends to take the name of her intended. But "Lindsay Leach" sounds like a character straight out of P.G. Wodehouse. What's the story with the new tattoo on Anna Kournikova's lower back?
Rest assured one of the many outstanding tennis photographers in the pit in Melbourne will snap a photo of it, revealing all. Not a tennis question, but what movie should I rent tonight?
You should watch the Australian Open. But once the matches end, here's a vote for Barbershop. Light, unpretentious, and a cute plot. Nothing prizeworthy, but pretty good eye candy. Which is to say, ideal. Plus, you can note the eerie resemblance between Eve and Serena Williams. A perfect segue to ... Long Lost SiblingsElena Bovina and Nicholle Tom (from The Nanny).
Martina Hingis' mom, Melanie Molitor, and fitness guru Richard Simmons.
And from me: Gustavo Kuerten and Evan Marriott (aka Joe Millionaire).
Have a great week, everyone, and enjoy the opening rounds of the Australian Open! 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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