Handing out midterm grades

It's been Roddick's show thus far at the Big W

Wimbledon 2003 kicked off with perhaps the biggest upset in tournament history -- No. 203 Ivo Karlovic brushing aside defending champ Lleyton Hewitt as if he were lint on his lapel. But since then, the draw has been remarkably "formful," as they say. Scan the landscape of remaining players, and seeds are strewn everywhere. What's more, the players who courted success thus far cut a wide swath. There are eager arrivistes (Maria Sharapova, Rafael Nadal) and veterans trying to regain their form (Mary Pierce, Mark Philippousis). Sequoias (the 6-foot-10 Karlovic, 6-8 Alexander Popp) and saplings (5-5 Olivier Rochus). Titanic servers (Andy Roddick) and pinpoint returners (Andre Agassi, Sebastien Grosjean). Grass-court naturals (Sjeng Schalken) and those who have to tailor their game to the surface (Juan Carlos Ferrero).

Regardless of whether NBC gets its dream final of Roddick vs. Agassi, whether the women's final is a Williams-Williams affair, or if Tim Henmania can persist for four more rounds, say this: Week 2 has a tough act to follow.

Herewith, our midterm grades. All calculations based on a curve specially prepared by Jim Harrick Jr.

A

Andy Roddick: Winning pretty. Oddsmakers' favorite is playing tennis that is at once explosive and composed. Has yet to drop a set, and a final against Agassi is no longer just a GE Building pipe dream.

Venus Williams: Through Week 1 she's answered the questions that enveloped her when the tournament commenced. After drubbing Nadia Petrova, it's fair to say she's playing as well as anyone, her sister included.

Kim Clijsters: Showing few ill effects of the debacle in Paris or the early demise of her beau, she's coasted for three rounds, dropping a (redundant) sum total of seven games.

Maria Sharapova: Among a relentless brigade of talented Soviettes, she's shown that she ultimately may be the best.

Mary Pierce: Injured for the better part of the past three years, she finally looks to have regained her form.

A-

Andre Agassi: A few hiccups, including a loose set against Jamie Delgado. But the highest remaining seed is still alive and kicking.

Serena Williams: Like Agassi, she's endured a few sketchy patches and surrendered more games than usual in the first week. But she's still in the draw, which, of course is what matters most.

Roger Federer: Perhaps the most talented player this side of Agassi is finally playing to his potential in a Slam.

B+

Japanese women: Ai Sugiyama and Shinobu Asagoe are still standing, and Akiko Morigami gave Jennifer Capriati a nice battle in Round 3.

Ivo Karlovic: It took another ballistic server -- Max Mirnyi -- to bounce him. But, man, did he score big on Day 1.

Rafael Nadal: Ran out of gas against Paradorn Srichaphan in Round 3. But is there any doubt the future is now?

ESPN coverage: Doing a better job at airing the best matches rather than simply matches featuring the best-known players. But the gamut of on-air talent is a vast one (read: Jim Courier, you are sorely missed).

B-

Greg Rusedski: Bizarre tirade -- that was totally disproportional to both the severity of the alleged infraction and the importance of the point -- cost him big against Roddick. But given the state of his game six weeks ago, he can't be too down.

C

Fleet Street: Maybe it's the absence of Anna Kournikova, but they've failed to amuse so far. (Paging Bonnie Fuller.)

Daniela Hantuchova: A work in regress.

Xavier Malisse: A semifinalist (if a nervous one) last year, the X-Man was oddly vacant in first-round loss to little-known Cyril Saunier.

Martin Verkerk: A Dutch pumpkin?

Lleyton Hewitt: Defending champ gets business end of what well might be the biggest upset in Wimbledon history. With all the psychic energy he expends on his petty feuds and paranoia, what's left for the tennis?

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

 

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