Notes from Down Under

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

Random ruminations while emptying out my Australian open notebook:

Let's take a moment to reflect on the fact that Andre Agassi is three months from turning 33 and just won a Grand Slam while surrendering an average of six games a match. He's playing as well as he ever has in his 17-year career. ... Agassi showed exceptional class, profusely praising losing finalist Rainer Schuettler during the trophy ceremony. You knew Schuettler was in trouble when he mockingly applauded himself after winning his first point three games into the match. ... Still think Richard Williams has a hand in determining who wins intrafamily matches? Haven't heard much from any Williams Conspiracy Theorists in a while, have we? ... A WTA Tour operative pointed out that Kim Clijsters' coming within a point of defeating Serena is proof that the gap between the sisters and the rest of the world is closing. Can't we just as easily make the opposite case? That is, Clijsters played nearly flawless tennis for two-plus sets and caught Serena on a day when she was missing routine balls and was addled by blisters. The crowd was decidedly on Clijsters' side, the conditions were favorable. And still Serena found a way to escape. ... You have to feel for Venus, who has dropped five straight matches to Li'l Sis. (This coming less than a year after the world suspected that Serena had an insurmountable mental block when she played Venus.) But she could scarcely have been more gracious in defeat and showed none of the world-weariness she betrayed after losing at the U.S. Open. ...

More old-timers: 90 or so minutes before Agassi struck a grace note for thirtysomethings, 46-year-old Martina Navratilova incredibly won her 57th Grand Slam title, partnering with Leander Paes to capture the mixed-doubles championship. ... Gil Reyes -- a delightful guy -- chose to appropriate an old Bum Phillips line when asked how unique an athlete Agassi is. "I don't know if he's in a class by himself," Reyes said. "But it sure don't take long to call roll." ... Tennis historians have yet to confirm this, but unofficially Agassi is believed to be the first Australian Open champion ever to reference the Wiggles in his victory speech. Wahoo-hey!! ... Even in Australia, Lleyton Hewitt still has some work to do on the image front. But give him this: How many other top seeds, ousted prematurely from their home country's Slam, would stick around and return to the site for four more days to cheer on their significant other? ... Speaking of Hewitt, you have to believe there was a little edge to fellow Aussie Darren Cahill's remark that watching his pupil Agassi win the Australian Open was "the highlight of my tennis life." ...

What with a 30-percent reduction in prize money and the slashing of draw sizes, men's doubles has taken a hit lately. But if fans just gave doubles a shot, they'd be hooked. In Saturday's men's doubles final, France's Fabrice Santoro and bird-killer Michael Llodra beat the Bahamas' Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in a thoroughly entertaining match. Santoro's crafty angles and topspin lobs alone were worth the price of admission. ... A round of applause to the other winners. Top-seeded Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus (that tennis hotbed) beat Florin Mergea of Romania in the boys' singles final. Top-seeded Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic beat Viktoria Kutuzova of Ukraine by the wacky score of 0-6, 6-2, 6-2. ...

Can we just agree here and now that the Younes El Aynaoui-Andy Roddick quarterfinal battle is the match of the year? If you're really hardcore (or really bored), go to the Australian Open Web site and check out the match stats. I'll get the ball rolling: The two committed a combined 86 unforced errors in 83 games. ... As Roddick said the next day over lunch in the players' lounge: "If I lose 6-4 in the fifth, it would have been heartbreaking. Once it gets to 13-13, once you've served to stay in the match for the 10th, 11th, 12th time, you're proud of yourself regardless." ... Want to know from torture? Since the match wasn't televised in the U.S. until deep in the fifth set, Roddick's parents as well as his 92-year-old grandmother, Hazel, had to follow the real-time scoreboard, point-by-point, on the Internet. ... In San Antonio, Roddick's brother John was scheduled to give a lesson at his tennis academy during the fifth set. He told his charge, "This is the best lesson you'll ever get. Let's go inside and watch my brother on television." ... Re: Roddick's wrist injury. Reports of its severity vary, but he will sit out next week's Davis Cup tie in Croatia. He is still expected to make the trip, however. ...

James Blake issued the quote of the tournament, if not the year. Asked if he missed the intellectual stimulation of Harvard, Blake responded, "There are some pretty intelligent players as well: Todd Martin and ... let me think of a few more." ... First runner-up comes from the inimitable Bud Collins. After Agassi destroyed Hyung-Taik Lee 6-1, 6-0, 6-0 in the second round, Collins said, "Andre, you realize he's from South Korea and not North Korea." ... Second runner-up is Marat Safin. When asked whether he was disappointed about having to pull out of the tournament with a wrist injury, Safin said, "Yeah. Kind of." ... Applause is in order for the Houston Masters Cup promoters, who purchased national advertising spots during Sunday's Super Bowl. We can only hope they weren't produced by the same firm used by Caroline Springs. (If you don't get this reference, you don't know how fortunate you are.) ... John McEnroe, hired to provide commentary for Australia's Channel Seven, was at his no-holds-barred best in Melbourne. After Schuettler defeated an injured Roddick in the semis, Mac asked the German if he could beat Agassi in the final. Schuettler's response was noncommittal at best. Mac persisted. "C'mon, Rainer, are you gonna kick his ass?" ...

The tournament's most patently bizarre moment: USTA president Alan Schwartz somehow managed to insinuate himself into a postmatch conference after the Serena-Clijsters semifinal. What's more, he then saw fit to pose a question. His probing line of inquiry? After referring to Serena as Venus, he asked, "I saw you had a super dress on with a glitter strap. Did you design that yourself?" (Somehow we're having trouble picturing Paul Tagliabue, in a room full of journalists on deadline after the Super Bowl, raising his hand and saying, "Keyshawn, did you design that tattoo yourself, big fella?") ... While we're ranting, an aside to the good folks in United Airlines Food Services Dept.: When the wonders of science have blessed us with seedless grapes, what justification could there possibly be for serving the other kind? ... Sandon Stolle is officially retired. ... Kudos to ESPN for its expanded tennis coverage here. The network had a S.W.A.T. team in Melbourne and had the good sense to re-air the El Aynaoui-Roddick classic in its entirety. ... A potentially interesting storyline to follow: Women are eligible for the Olympics if they "avail themselves" for a certain number of Fed Cup ties. Note that they don't actually have to play. It's not hard to imagine someone whose surname starts with "C" and ends with "-apriati" saying, "Hey, I was available. They just never called me." ...

Todd Martin became a father for the first time last week when his wife, Amy, gave birth to a son, Jackson. ... Speaking of new dads, apparently Goran Ivanisevic injured his elbow and is doubtful for next month's Davis Cup tie vs. the U.S. ... Two names to watch: Navratilova knew what she was doing when she decided to play doubles alongside Svetlana (The Kooz) Kuznetsova. Startling, we know -- a Russian female with loads of potential. Seriously, the WTA's top 20 will be ova-taken by Russians within five years. On the men's side, Spain's Feliciano Lopez is January's flavor of the month. ... Admit it: You miss Martina Hingis. ... The much-ballyhooed McKinsey study that the ATP commissioned finally was completed. The two major conclusions? 1) Tennis' various and variegated factions need to work together and put self-interest aside for the good of the game. 2) The two tours either need to become smaller (i.e., become players' unions as originally designed) or larger (i.e., somehow get more juice with the Slams). As it stands, it's tough to represent both players and tournaments effectively. Other findings: Deserts are sandy, water is wet, heat can be hot, and today is a day of the week ending in the letter y. ... An answer for those inquiring minds who asked, "Who/What is Uncle Toby?" It's an Australian company that makes breakfast cereal, that mueslix stuff, energy bars and other foods. Company slogan (we swear we're not making this up): "A seriously good munch." God, I love Australia. ...

On that note, we'll say it again: If there is a more flavorful, affordable and fan-friendly sporting event than the Australian Open, we'd sure like to hear about it.

I have time for a quick handful of questions before my laptop battery goes Safin on me ...

Has there been a more fortunate multiple-major winner than Andre Agassi? It seems as if every time he makes a run in a major, the draw opens up wider than Al Roker's eyes at a barbecue. During this Aussie his toughest opponent was the No. 12 seed, who had played 3 1/2 hours longer than Agassi in his previous match. While he does claim impressive Aussie finals wins over Pete Sampras and Yevgeny Kafelnikov (whom I would argue was well into the start of his career downturn at the time), Agassi's other Grand Slam victories have come against the murderers row of Goran Ivanisevic (a classic headcase), Michael Stich, Todd Martin (two-sets-to-love choke), Arnaud Clément and Andrei Medvedev. Certainly Agassi's current work ethic is to be admired, but come on, let's consider his great fortune in majors before proclaiming him at the top of the all-time greats, as will surely happen after this win.
—Mike, Blacksburg, Va.

Love the Al Roker line, but I disagree with the premise.

In Agassi's defense:

1) When you beat McEnroe, Boris Becker and Ivanisevic in succession on grass to win your first major, you accrue some credit.

2) You have to look at his play objectively. Given the way he was hitting the ball, dictating points and locomoting around the court last week, I would have bet him to win the tournament regardless of whom he faced. Schuettler or Roddick, Wayne Ferreira or Hewitt, it wouldn't have much mattered.

3) While -- through no fault of his own -- his draw was uncommonly soft this year, in the past Agassi has beaten big names before meeting a lesser in the final. In recent history, he had to take out Sampras in 2000 before meeting Kafelnikov. In 2001 he had to beat Rafter before facing Clément.

What are your thoughts on the potential Steffi Graf/Andre Agassi mixed-doubles team at the French Open? How far do you think they'd advance?
—Joy, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Assuming it happens (no small condition), the Graf-Agassi pairing would be great for tennis and a lot of fun for everyone. But don't expect the family trophy collection to grow. Neither has played much doubles in the past, Graf hasn't played a competitive match in months, and mixed doubles is a something of a crapshoot to start with. Plus, Agassi may well be the favorite to win the singles title, so it's unlikely he'll want the distraction of making a protracted run in the mixed-doubles draw.

Why doesn't Andy Roddick serve-and-volley more? The style of play seems to lend itself to his big serve and his quickness. Is it possible his serve is too hard to volley off of, or does he have difficulty coming in off of his particular service motion?
—Joe, Charlotte, N.C.

When listing Roddick's strengths, I wouldn't put "a great set of hands" at the top. His volleys still need some work; on the backhand especially he seems to chop the ball rather than punch it crisply. And I do agree that his serve might be too powerful for effective serve-and-volleying. If you hit a 135-mph bomb, it only gives you so much time to get to the net before the return is at your feet. (Contrast this with Pat Rafter, who only served in the low 100s but laced his serves with enough kick to allow him an extra step.) That said, Roddick showed here that he can volley. Against El Aynaoui, who has some damn good passing shots, Roddick approached the net more than 100 times. (I'm telling you, check out those match stats.) He still needs to make better decisions about when to come in, but his big serve, athleticism and improving play at the net bode well for Wimbledon.

Leading up to the Australian Open, a lot of people bad-mouthed Venus Williams for not playing in any tuneups as part of her preparation for the year's first Slam. Well, she didn't seem to have any trouble making it to the final without dropping a set. How do you think she managed to do so well? What do tennis people say in private and in public about her success in spite of not playing many tuneups?
—Kandi, Washington, D.C.

If you can ace the test without studying, why go to the library? Venus doesn't play a single warmup and then doesn't drop a set until the final. How did she do so well? Frankly, she is that much better than anyone else -- her sister notwithstanding, and that is more of a mental block.

There's a sense in some corners that Venus disrespects the game by marginalizing tennis and making it clear that she has a diversity of interests. But until she has had to pay a price on the court, why create extra work for herself?

Following our New Year's resolution to give more attention to doubles, here's a question: How do you explain the success of Virginia Ruano Pascual and Paola Suarez? I always thought the secret of doubles was to dominate at the net, but here we have two baseliners with solid yet unspectacular singles games, and still they have reached the last four Grand Slam finals, winning two.
—Ricardo Molina, London

Interesting question. I'd encourage you to check out the transcript from the Navratilova-Leander Paes press conference after they won the mixed doubles. Both made the point that doubles is undergoing a radical transformation. As more singles players enter the draws, there is no longer a "right" way to play doubles. Different players and teams are trying new techniques that suit their strengths. Paes cited El Aynaoui, who lined up way to the side when receiving serve so he could wind up and belt a forehand. I've seen Ruano Pascual and Suarez play "classic" doubles, moving netward at every opportunity. Against the Williams sisters they played back a lot, but it was understandable. 1) They're both good lobbers and won a number of points that way. 2) When you're serving 60 mph to Serena and Venus, is your partner really going to pick off a volley on the return? And when the sisters are serving 115 mph to your partner, do you really want to be at the net?

Why does it seem that many women's matches end with someone blowing a 5-1 or so lead? You almost never see that on the men's side. Is it simply because of the serve differential between the men and the women?

Also, what is up with top Australians never being able to win in Oz? Pat Cash, Pat Rafter, Lleyton Hewitt, etc., they have six or so Grand Slams among them, but never on their beloved Laver court. What gives?
—Dominic Ciafardini, Washington, D.C.

To your first question, I think the serve does have a lot to do with it. Breaks aren't as hard to come by in the women's game, so a 5-1 lead means much less. In the case of Serena-Clijsters, though, I think Clijsters got spooked -- understandable given that she was on the verge of beating the No. 1 player at a Slam for the first time in more than a year. However, I don't think this trait is gender-specific: In a similar situation, a male player could just as easily have wilted under the weight of the occasion.

What in the name of Mark Edmondson is up with Aussies in Melbourne? (Aussie, Aussie, Aussie. Oy, Oy, Oy veh.) The obvious answer is that they are under much more pressure Down Under than they are at the U.S. Open or Wimbledon. But my suspicion is that Hewitt eventually will win on home soil.

Don't you reckon it would be a good idea if expert commentators such as John McEnroe would demonstrate in slow motion how the pros actually pull off some of the shots they do during a match? It would help save me a few bucks on tennis lessons.
—David Rhoads, Moss Vale, Australia

Nice idea. And there's certainly enough dead time between points.

Aussie qualifier Joseph Siriani, whom you noted in a previous column, may be a struggling pro who finally won his first ATP Tour match in Melbourne, but he has a great web site (www.josephsirianni.com) where he maintains a diary going back to 1999 that gives a brutally accurate blow-by-blow of life on the lower rungs of the tennis ladder. I recommend it.
—Alex Valella, Weston, Conn.

Thanks, Alex.

Have you noticed that Justine Henin-Hardenne's name keeps getting shorter? At first she was Justine "HEN-in," which strikes me as a reasonable pronunciation. Then the H became silent, and for a while she was called "EN-in." Now it seems that the last letter has disappeared as well, and broadcasters have taken to calling her "EN-aw." I even heard her referred to as Justine "AN-na." What's going on here? Do you think it's possible that her last name might soon disappear altogether? Is this why she recently picked up the "Hardenne"? This is really bothering me.
—Peter Nemerovski, Royal Oak, Mich.

J-Hen, anyone?

I dream of dating a professional tennis player (any will do!) and wanted to know if you have any advice for me.
—Debbie, New York

You need to ... oops, there goes my battery.

Long Lost Siblings

Guillermo Coria and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Third Rock from the Sun).
—Liz, Uxbridge, Mass.

LONG LOST SIBLINGS? Kiefer Gordon-Levitt

Sebastian Grosjean and Toronto Maple Leaf Darcy Tucker.
—Hampton Long, New York

LONG LOST SIBLINGS? Grosjean Tucker

How about Kim Clijsters as the jock version of Martha Plimpton?
—Andy, Winston-Salem, N.C.

LONG LOST SIBLINGS? Clijsters Plimpton

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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