Hail & Farewell

8 Too Much Mr. Nice Guy

JAMES BLAKE may well be the flip side of Henin-Hardenne. He's a genial, thoughtful guy revered for his grace and sportsmanship. Yet all of his, well, fundamental niceness can inconveniently express itself during matches. Armed with a weapons-grade forehand and perhaps the best set of wheels in tennis, Blake last month reached a career-high ranking of No. 5, but he's still awaiting his breakthrough in a Grand Slam event. When faced with resistance, he seems to lack the requisite nasty streak, hence his 0-for-9 record in five-set matches. (When Blake lost a desultory Wimbledon match to Max Mirnyi 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-0, The Boston Globe's Bud Collins was moved to capture the collapse in song: "At the end why do I always lose? Guess I've got the fifth-set blues.") If Blake can somehow channel his inner Justine and find a reservoir of bile, he's the player with the best chance of derailing the "Federal" Express.

9 The New British Hope

WHEN BRAD GILBERT announced last month that he was giving up broadcasting to coach Scottish teenager Andy Murray, the move raised eyebrows. Murray, 19, was ranked outside the top 40 and thought to have too little power to become a top player. It now looks as though Gilbert made a shrewd move, as Murray last week beat Roger Federer in Cincinnati. Having cracked the top 20, Murray arrives in New York as perhaps the hottest player on tour.

10 Are Vents in This Year?

NEW YORK'S Fashion Week begins on Sept. 8, the day before the women's final, but you might think of the Open as an unofficial preview. With an increasingly lax dress code, players don't so much push the fashion envelope as propel it on a jet stream. Recent sartorial stylings include Federer's Gatsbyesque blazer; Nadal's signature clam diggers; the double-vents look of Dominik Hrbaty (below); and Serena Williams's denim outfit and knee-high boots. Then there's Bethanie Mattek, whose get-ups merit more attention than her tennis. At last year's U.S. Open, she was fined for taking the court in an argyle cowboy hat.

The fashion possibilities are endless. Andy Roddick in overalls and John Deere cap? Nicole Vaidisova, a Sharapova manqu�, in cocktail dress and fishnets? The truth is, the field could play naked and still not siphon much attention from Agassi's adieu.