Hewitt's slide raises many questions

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

Another week of co-MVPs. Andy Roddick is our men's winner, after taking his second Masters Series title in two weeks, this one in Cincinnati. Can you say U.S. Open favorite? Though Roddick hardly played his best tennis in the final, he persevered to beat his friend and former housemate, Mardy Fish, in a third-set tiebreaker. ... To use one of his favorite expressions, Roddick has played lights out this summer and has to be considered the favorite in Queens. But how about a round of applause for Fish, who came within a point of a huge breakthrough? If you're in the market for an Open darkhorse, look no further. ... The Bryan brothers, Mike and Bob, beat Paul Hanley and Wayne Arthurs to win the doubles title at Cincy and increase their lead in the ATP Doubles Race. ...

Our female Player of the Week is Justine Henin-Hardenne, who took advantage of a threadbare field and ran the table at the Rogers AT&T Cup in Toronto, waxing a jittery Lina Krasnoroutskaya in the final. However, the young Russian, like Fish, had a terrific week, including a win over new (and still) No. 1 Kim Clijsters. ... Toronto also marked yet another title for the ageless Martina Navratilova, who teamed with Svetlana Kuznetsova to beat Maria Vento-Kabchi and Angelique Widjaja in the doubles final. ... I had the good fortune to spend a couple of days in Cincinnati before coming home to the Great Blackout. While the event is a first-class tournament in every respect, we have to admit that there is something slightly unsettling about the Strip Mall U.S.A. setting. It's not every day you overhear a Grand Slam champion say to his coach, "Should we go back to Appleby's or try that place The Waffle House?" ... The ATP Web site has the following link: "Video: Wayne Ferreira on Fire." We know the IMTA is -- or at least was -- an annoyance. But isn't this a bit much? ...

The USTA disbursed its U.S. Open wild cards for 2003. The women receiving $10,000 door prizes: Bea Bielik (Valley Stream, N.Y.), Carly Gullickson (Brentwood, Tenn.), Angela Haynes (Compton, Calif.), Amber Liu (Le Mesa, Calif.), Theresa Logar (Rochester Hills, Mich.), Bethanie Mattek (Boca Raton, Fla.), Corina Morariu (Boca Raton, Fla.) and Shenay Perry (Coconut Creek, Fla.). As for the men, the lucky winners are Brian Baker (Nashville, Tenn.), Alex Bogomolov Jr. (Miami), Michael Chang (Mercer Island, Wash.), Amer Delic (Jacksonville, Fla.), Robert Kendrick (Orlando, Fla.), Alex Kim (Potomac, Md.), Jeff Morrison (Tampa, Fla.) and Robert Yim (Glendale, Calif.). ... Another social invitation to pass along to our New York readers: This is subject to change, but tentatively, anyway, the Bryan Brothers Band will be playing at the W Hotel at 39th and Lexington this coming Saturday from 8-11 p.m.

Check in later this week for U.S. Open seed reports.

Onward:

Is it time to feel sorry for Lleyton Hewitt? Often a punching bag because of his übercompetitive attitude, an intense aversion to playing nice with the media and just an overall odium, Hewitt has never been a favorite. But you have to feel something for a guy who finished atop the rankings two years running and who many felt was the toughest fighter ever to step onto a tennis court, but now is scrambling to win an early-round match, looking lost and, frankly, scared. Or do you? Did he bring this all on himself or is something else to blame? Is he too content to simply be Mr. Kim Clijsters or is this a real crisis of confidence? Is dumping his coach to blame? Is it too late for Hewitt to recover?
—Joseph Barretto, New York

I'm with you. As, I think, are of most Hewitt's perceived enemies. To be blunt, the guy has made life difficult for an awful lot of people in the sport -- not least his opponents. But I don't think many folks take pleasure from his struggles this year. If he were losing well-played wars of baseline attrition (as he did to Andre Agassi a year ago in Queens) or coming to the court a little off and catching a red-hot player (as he did with Younes El Aynaoui in Australia), it's one thing. But when the fiercest competitor since Jimmy Connors is blowing a two-sets-to-none lead in a Grand Slam, squandering match points in a final or being drubbed in the third set of a Masters Series event by a player regarded as a talented head case ... well, clearly something has gone profoundly wrong.

We should probably pause here and dispense some credit to Hewitt for what he achieved in 2001 and 2002. While the rest of the field was choking or still maturing (or in injury rehab), Hewitt was far and away the most consistent player in the sport. And, more important, he cared -- and thus won -- more than everyone else. But his game doesn't leave much margin for error. He is not going to serve anyone off the court, à la Roddick; he does not have the innate talent of an Agassi or a Roger Federer; and his game is fairly straightforward. His significant success is owed largely to his intensity and fighting spirit. And when neither are in evidence -- and right now they're nowhere to be seen -- he suddenly becomes a pretty mediocre opponent.

Did he bring this slide on himself? Probably to some extent. We can all play dimestore shrink and say that anyone who picks as many fights as Hewitt eventually is going to lose the war. As the peerless British columnist Simon Barnes put it during Wimbledon (when Hewitt's slump was only mild): "Hewitt has taken on the world and, greatly to his surprise, he [has] found himself outnumbered." It sure doesn't help that his coach, Jason Stoltenberg, up and left on the virtual eve of Hewitt's Wimbledon title defense. (On the other hand, circumstances have to be pretty untenable for the well-compensated coach of a top player to abruptly quit in the middle of the season.) Or that, as part of his petty, ongoing feud with the ATP, Hewitt slashed his schedule so he hasn't had much opportunity to play himself out of his slump.

The Cassandras have already pointed out that other players in Hewitt's image -- Jim Courier and Chang, to name two -- hit a similar wall and neither ever regained a toehold. But I think that's way premature. Even in this forgettable year, Hewitt has still managed to win a Masters Series event plus a few lesser tournaments, and he is a fair bet to lead Australia to the Davis Cup. He's young, he's healthy, he has already been to the top of the mountain and, for someone who thrives on proving doubters wrong, he should be high on fuel these days. I don't expect him to end his skid at the Open. But if he takes a few months during the offseason to reassess his game and refortify his confidence (and maybe dial back of some the me-against-the-world paranoia while he's at it), I sure wouldn't want to be in his half of the draw at the 2004 Australian Open.

Who should I hate most in men's tennis? Greg Rusedski appears just unstable enough and seems unlikable enough to win the honor now, but I can't help but wonder if I'm missing someone. Is there an outspoken, arrogant jerk on the circuit who deserves my wrath even more?
—Mickey Kalavsky, Washington, D.C.

These are tough times if you're in the market for a villain. Marcelo Rios is not only on his last legs, but he has, by all accounts, softened considerably since getting married and having a kid. Yevgeny Kafelnikov, who's also nearing the end of the line, tends to complain a lot, but he doesn't meet the "arrogant jerk" threshold. No, the fact is, tennis players have outgrown their collective reputation as arrogant, solipsistic yutzes. In fact, the ATP Tour is pretty much a repository for personable, law-abiding, genuinely good guys. And this is thrown into sharp relief when compared to their sporting peers. The NBA's most marketable player is currently facing rape charges. The NFL is filled with gun-toting thugs. Baseball has Barry Bonds. What's the biggest crime a tennis player (not named Roscoe Tanner) has committed in recent memory? What? Stubbornly declined to do an ESPN interview? Used foul language with a chair umpire? Inadvertently ingested a banned substance ... that was provided to him by the ATP trainer?

Slight digression, but consider this scene I witnessed last week in Cincinnati: Scott Draper lost an electric match to Federer, 7-6 in the third set. The Australian has never really risen above journeyman status, he endured a personal tragedy several years back, and here, in the gloaming twilight of his career, he had seven match points and couldn't capitalize on what would likely have been his biggest win. When he met the press for a postmortem, you expected the picture of despondent. Instead, Draper heaped credit on his opponent and professed to be happy just to have been part of such an exceptionally high-quality match. Maybe 15 minutes later he was heading upstairs to eat lunch when a local television cameraman yelled up and asked Draper to do an interview. "Sorry, man, but I wasn't in the press conference," the cameraman lamented. It was a highly sketchy request given that Draper already had fulfilled his media obligations and was 10 feet from having lunch. Plus, he lost the match. But Draper agreed without hesitation. "Where do you want to do it, mate?" he asked from the landing. The cameraman shrugged. "How about up here?" suggested Draper. One problem: The cameraman was lugging all sorts of gear and had to maneuver a narrow staircase. No problem. Draper came down the stairs and then helped the guy trundle his gear up three flights -- all for an interview he had every right to decline in the first place. (Just a little vignette to bear in mind when you're staring at your drawsheet next week in Queens, looking for a guy to root for.)

Anyway, if you're really desperate to find a tennis villain, maybe the ATP can award honorary status to this thoroughly contemptible professional athlete.

On the Andre Agassi SportsCentury show on ESPN Classic, it mentioned that years ago Agassi was offered a $1 million appearance fee to play a tournament in Japan but turned it down. On the average, how much do top players receive in terms of appearance fees at smaller tournaments? What expenses do tournaments cover for players? Do players receive discounted rates on hotel rooms and meals? Do the tours have deals with airlines?
—Sunil, Boston

One million dollars for a solitary appearance? Man, that sounds awfully high to me. But if any player can command that amount, it's Agassi.

Appearance fees vary greatly by market and players. A top draw such as Agassi or the Williams sisters (who, to their credit, hardly get fat during the offseason by playing exos) can command well into six figures per appearance. It sometimes seems like the farther you get from the U.S., the more cash you can make. I just heard that, in an effort to boost tourism and extinguish fears about SARS, some Asian countries have set aside public money to lure events such as tennis exhibitions and rock concerts. My guess is that if, say, Agassi and Hewitt wanted to play a match in Hong Kong, they might be able to command close to $1 million.

As for expenses, players are on their own for airfare -- unless there's been some sotto voce agreement between the promoter and player. (And this would never happen on the WTA Tour, where appearance fees are verboten. ... That was supposed to be a joke.) Many of the top guns, however, have endorsement deals with airlines that enable them to travel for free. But even then, with an itinerary constantly in flux, players pay plenty out of their own pockets. When, for instance, Hewitt and Mark Philippoussis were in the Los Angeles doubles final two weeks ago, they both had to get to Montreal the following day for the Masters Series Canada. They had little choice but to charter a jet together. Guess who paid? Hotel rooms and meals, on the other hand, generally are provided by the tournament.

Suppose that you are in charge of ESPN's tennis programming. The head of the network tells you that he wants more international players shown during coverage of men's tournaments, both to prepare for the eventual retirement of Andre Agassi and because of the rise of the international players. Give me five men's players you would want Americans to see who would maintain the sport's TV ratings and popularity.
—Tom, St. Augustine, Fla.

As a rule, you have to be honest to the rankings. You and I might love watching Hicham Arazi or Fabrice Santoro play, but I wouldn't expect (or want) a network to air their matches at the expense of better players. I'd just go down the list: Federer, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Guillermo Coria, Hewitt, etc., and throw in a Fernando Gonzalez, a Paradorn Srichaphan or a Rafael Nadal -- someone whom we can predict with relative certainty will be a top-10 player in the near future.

We made this point last week, but again, the tournament organizers, who schedule the matches, deserve some of the responsibility. If I'm the CEO of a network and James Blake is playing on the stadium court while Feliciano Lopez is playing in front of 11 fans on Court 38 (or even 38 fans on Court 11), the choice of coverage has essentially been made for me. (Granted, often the tournaments and networks collaborate before sessions.)

Two quick points: 1) ESPN does a much better job of promoting international players than the broadcast networks. (This only stands to reason. If it's 3 in the afternoon on a Tuesday and I'm watching tennis, chances are good that I'm sufficiently hardcore to appreciate the gifts of a Federer or a Coria -- even if he has the unmitigated gall to hail from a foreign land.) 2) It will be interesting to see how these patriot games play out during the U.S. Open. With Serena Williams, Sampras and Monica Seles out of the draw, there are fewer familiar American faces than ever. When, say, Ashley Harkleroad is on Arthur Ashe and Coria is on the Grandstand, feel free to write to the white plains in White Plains and voice your complaints.

Just read the San Francisco Chronicle article suggesting a final farewell for Pete Sampras during the second week of the U.S. Open, a fitting arena for this champion. Your thoughts?
—Robert, Grand Rapids, Mich.

It's a terrific idea. It would only be fitting for Sampras to announce his retirement at the site of both his first and final Grand Slam titles. The entire tennis world would be present to pay homage. Holding the ceremony in New York would ensure it the media coverage it warrants. Only one problem: Sampras has to be willing to do it, which I think is fairly unlikely. I've heard murmurs that Sampras might officially announce his retirement in the next few weeks. But I doubt he'll do so in person. Just not his style.

Cliff Drysdale recently mentioned on air that Jim Courier was in a golf-cart accident which seriously injured his shoulder. Just curious to know what happened and how he's doing.
—Jenna Ward, San Francisco

Our sources tell us that Courier was playing golf with a friend, went a little fast in his cart and spilled over. He apparently injured his left shoulder fairly seriously and will be in rehab the next six months or so. He just happens to play golf left-handed as well. That's all we know, but maybe this will cause Courier to rethink his priorities and get back in the commentary booth where he belongs. He is sorely missed and too talented to fiddle around on the fool's paradise that is a golf course.

What's the injury status of Tommy Haas and Marat Safin? And why don't the ATP and WTA Tours do a better job of updating the media and fans on such things? A couple of years ago the ATP spent a lot of money marketing Haas, Safin and other rising stars, but when players are injured they almost become nonpersons (except for Haas, who continues to play underwater tennis in TV ads). Wouldn't it at least be feasible for the players' associations to post injury updates on their Web sites?
—John Rossitter, Middletown, Conn.

I'm not sure about Safin. I had heard that he was seriously considering calling it a year, but that's not official. As for Haas, what do you want first, the good news or the bad? The bad? Haas "overhealed" from his shoulder surgery and needed another procedure to remove some tissue. This will keep him out of the Open and, for all intents, cause him to shut it down for the year. (Because of the vagaries of the "protected ranking" policy, it makes little sense for him to return in October.) The good news? He'll be more than ready than ready to roll come the Australian. And because of the ranking protection, he'll come back at No. 9, I believe. Also, all of this down time allows him plenty of opportunity to stump for family friend Arnold Schwarzenegger.

No question the ATP whiffed in selecting these guys to serve on the front lines of the New Balls campaign. (To continue with our theme of the week: SELL THE TENNIS! The personalities and the ancillary garbage will take care of itself.) But you can hardly hold the tours responsible for injury updates. Unlike team sports, the players have a lot of discretion about how much they want to reveal about their injury status.

That Wimbledon movie is filming, and I am concerned that it might stink. This is the only tennis movie I am aware of, and I am almost nervous at how bad it could turn out. Paul Bettany certainly has the stereotypical tennis look, i.e., tall, thin, white and preppy. I just hope the game is portrayed as intense, international and gritty, and not as the elitist rich game that seems to be the legacy of the sport. I hope director Richard Loncraine hired some real tennis people as advisors and is listening to them. Match play needs to be performed by pro players so the strokes look right, etc. This movie could be very good or very bad for the sport. What do you think?
—Sean C., Tallahassee, Fla.

I agree with you in general. I got roped into doing this column on tennis movies a few years ago and made a similar point -- that all too often the sport is portrayed as the choice avocation of the snobby, rich, white loser. (Note the tennis scenes in Trading Places, Bachelor Party, Fletch, etc.) I can't, however, see much downside. If the movie is lousy, it will go straight to video, that's all. (Was golf harmed in any significant way by the abomination that was The Legend of Bagger Vance?)

On the other hand, a memorable movie about a sport sure can help give it a boost in popularity and, more important, change perceptions. How many stereotypes were splintered by Caddyshack? In a moment of weakness, I once suggested to an ATP marketing executive that the tour (or the USTA, if it could find the resources, what with the rising cost of seersucker blazers and smoked oysters) should commission a screenwriter to produce a tennis treatment. Ideally the film would either portray the sport in a flattering light or could serve as the Slap Shot of tennis, a seminal film that lent some real insight into the culture. Believe it or not, the aforementioned idea never really went anywhere.

Have you heard that Welsh band Super Furry Animals has a song on its new album (Phantom Power) titled Venus and Serena? I'm not making this up.
—Gillian, Rego Park, N.Y.

Thanks.

Paradorn the puns

Finally, your punishment for reading down this far ... a downright frightening number of you took up Jim Marolt of Ely, Minn., on his offer and tried to make puns/Chris Bermanesque nicknames on Paradorn Srichaphan's name. You know I love you guys, but some (by which we mean, the vast majority) of these were so painful they should be included in the interrogation strategy used on suspected terrorists. A sample: "(He Wears A) Paradorn(ed Socks) Srichaphan." "Paradorn Srichaphan(dora's Box). "Paradorn(ate) (Your) Srichaphan(ts to Goodwill)." And "Paradorn Srichaphan(omenal)."

Uh ... yeah, that was pretty much my reaction, too.

Since we are obligated by Mailbag Law to pick a winner, here are the five least painful. Send in your vital info and we will forward some swag, albeit grudgingly.

Paradorn (Me, is that Grey Poupon?) Srichaphan.
—Christine, Redondo Beach, Calif.

Paradorn (Out of the Fire into the) Srichaphan.
—Bill Johnson, Pittsburgh

Par-(of adidas Shoes)-adorn (My Feet) Srichaphan.
—Michael Cornelius, Chambersburg, Pa.

Paradorn (of Virtue) Srichapan.
—Kelley Piper, Greenbelt, Md.

Paradorn (the Interruption) Srichaphan.
—Daniel Rabbitt, Jersey City, N.J.

On that note, have a good week, everyone!

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