Is anyone else getting really excited about the Argentina/Aussie Davis Cup matches coming up starting tommorow night (Friday Aussie time)? These two teams are not fond of each other at all so that will bring an added dyanmic. Should be some great stuff.

I wonder who the commentators for TTC will be? I hope that they aren't blatantly biased towards one team or another.

Last year IIRC it was a couple of British guys. Very understated, knowledgable and unbaised.

Carillo doesn't "bag" on Serena, she practically puts her in a body bag. I don't wanna sound like the Spike Lee of tennis, but something stinks. Davenport, Henin, and the rest may get nasty anaylsis once a blue moon, but its hardly ever on the foundations of their games. During the Wimby final, Miss Carillo praised the Robert Lansdorp-taught pupils such as Sharapova and Lindsay to the hilt, as the pinnacle of groundstroke production that could not be broken down unless their wrists were cut off. Direct quote, "The sisters' games are much more improvisational, and because they are althetic enough and strong enough, they sometimes get away with it." SOMETIMES GET AWAY WITH IT? You mean, like their entire fucking careers? She must really believe they just show up, having practiced maybe one afternoon a week, and somehow manage to win some points based on all that althetic black stock. Ive seen Venus hit some pretty shitty forehands, Serena too, but my God, Mary, listen to what you are saying. I taped that match so I get to relive her commentary bias every time I watch, and its SO OBVIOUS to anyone half alive. Late in the second set, when it looked like Davenport would win in straights, every winner Lindsay hit was "ooh"ed and "aah"ed by Carillo. During the stretch from 6-5 into the tiebreak, as Venus won 9 of 10 points, hitting clean winners on 6 of them, Carillo didn't open her mouth. Not a friggin peep. It was Ted Robinsons dorky ass talking to himself. Oh, except when Venus hit a volley winner, Mary called it "a bold play." And within my half-paranoid context I think she means Venus was probably too dumb to realize the risk involved, and therefore was so BOLD.

Because the tennis world is so insular, and Miss Carillo is probably five times closer to Lindsay than the Sisters, I accept that favoritism can creep into "subjective" analysis, but enough is enough. Truly. Mary is not Robert Lansdorp's PR woman, that I know of. She just works for him for free.

TheDogsTuxedo, were you watching tennis when the Williams girls came on the scene? If so, what did you think of Carillo's reaction to them then?

My impression of Carillo was that she was as deeply in love with both Williams girls as she is with Nadal and Sharapova now, that it was the same kind of dewey-eyed, giggly amazement at their wonderfulness.

And my personal "take" on the extremely harsh criticism she's ladeling out on Serena now is that she's really, truly pissed off at her. I just don't see it as a "bias" issue, certainly not in any racial sense. My theory (and remember - this is just a theory) is this:

1) Mary loves Tennis. Mary is deeply in love with Tennis. Mary and Tennis Sitting in a Tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. That kind of thing. Hell, she's made it her life, and she couldn't begin to make it as a pro player.

2) Mary perceives the way Serena has been treating her own tennis career recently as being disrespectful to Tennis. Coming to Wimbledon injured, in poor condition and saying that she just ended up on the plane (not an exact quote obviously) could be interpreted as being disrespectful of Tennis. From what I read, Serena didn't claim to have put her best effort into preparing for Wimbledon, nor did she say that she had considered seriously whether to play or not. And, based on what Carillo said, (and I'm considering the source here of course) Serena supposedly claimed not to know who Crabas was (or something along those lines - Carillo said that about Venus at the French). My theory is that Mary sees these things as dissing tennis. (And if most of these things are true, I can't say that I disagree.)

But how? Serena had been injured for most of the clay season. She didn't even enter Roland Garros. If anything, coming to Wimbledon while she's clearly hurt just shows how much she loves and respects that tournament. How many times have we heard the commentators (Mary included) blast so-called clay-court specialists for skipping Wimbledon with minor injuries? Now she blasts someone who does the opposite? Come on! As I've said before, I think Carillo likes Serena. Regardless, she is way too critical of her. Seriously, people need to keep reminding her that Serena just won the Australian Open. Give the girl a break.

You know, I just realized that all three women's slam winners this year have been down match point before winning (Serena to Sharapova, Henin-Hardenne to Kuznetsova, and Venus to Lindsay). Weird.

Damn, this Nalbandian/Arthurs Davis Cup match I'm watching is some good stuff y'all.

Distant Sun, when you ask how "coming to Wimbledon injured, in poor condition and saying that she just ended up on the plane" could be interpreted as being disrespectful of Tennis", it was because from what I read, it didn't seem that Serena had put her best effort into preparing for Wimbledon to whatever degree she could with her injuries, or taken the decision whether to come and play with seriousness, or made a serious effort to scout Crabas before their match.

A professional athlete who's genuinely looking to succeed at a major competition, normally arrives there in the best condition possible, and having made a serious commitment to being there and winning. In the interview I saw on TV, Serena presented her decision to play Wimbledon this year as a something along the lines of "well, I found myself on the plane, so I must want to play."

Does that make better sense? What I'm talking about has nothing to do with results. It's about degree of commitment to the sport when she decides to play.

Oh my goodness. That Hewitt/Coria match was sooooo intense. The two HATE each other now it seems. Some great tennis play and real personal fireworks that had Hewitt yelling slurs (called Coria a "poofter" - real mature) and curses at Coria ("fu** off was one of Hewitt's favorites) , Coria immating Hewitt's gestures, and Hewitt thinking that Coria grabbed his crotch at Hewitt (didn't look for certain if Coria was doing anything as a gesture, may have just been adjusting himself or pressing his groin if it was tight), and total stink eyes all over the place. The announcer Leif Shiras was annoying me though because he just noticed Coria's antics and failed to comment on any of Lleyton's not-so-nice doings at all. And there were a good number of Hewitt baddies. In my opnion, Hewitt was the more obnoxious player by far. These two players could start a personal dislike rivalry of Connors/McEnroe level.

Nalbandian was looking quite good in the Arthurs match and kept his composure during a tight 2nd set. Darn rain delay!

Word and it went perfectly with my insomnia. Arthurs was serving like a demon! Those angles were mind-boggling. I finally fell asleep after waiting a half hour through the rain delay which I see worked out fine since they suspended play.

What bugs me more than Mary Carillo's constant ragging on Serena is her constant mispronounciation of Martina Navratilova's name. Bugs the shit out of me. Every single time. Dick Enberg does it, too. Na-VAT-trilova. Ugh. Would Mary like it if people pronounced her last name Cra-eyelow? I doubt it. I also can't stand the way she laughs (in a huff huff huff sound) after making (what she thinks) is a witty comment. She completely grates. I used to love it when John McEnroe got snippy with her during broadcasts years ago. He doesn't seem to do it much anymore. Damn him! I want to get my Mary slamming vicariously through him.

Did anyone else see clips of Serena on stage with Destiny's Child like a fourth member of the group/backup dancer? It was on some of the entertainment shows and will be seen in its entirety during the ESPY awards which air Sunday.

This is where I'm still confused. How much more could she have done? She clearly wasn't healthy. Her movement and her serve—two of her biggest weapons—were nowhere near top form. She hadn't played in over a month and she didn't look good in her first two wins. Her coach/father said he didn't think she was healthy enough to play. It's hard enough preparing for Wimbledon when you're feeling fine. I don't know. I just think it's hysterically bad form for Carillo to incessantly question Serena's motivation and desire. Throughout her career, she's shown she wants to win more than anyone. I mean, it's not like she won't be one of the favorites to win the US Open.

During Wim, Carillo said something to the point of Serena has to decide whether she wants to be a celebrity or a tennis player. I agree with her.
Sharapova is putting the work into her games, but you can't always say that about the Williams.
Yes, Serena still wins, but sometimes, it seems it only happens when the spirit moves her. There was no excuse for Serena to be huffing and puffing that hard during her match with Craybas. And injured or not, she should not be that out of shape. There's no excuse for that weight gain.
Also, they are the face of women's tennis, so the announcers will concentrate on them. They play and the ratings go up, but their play can be really good or really bad.
Part of the reasons they get negative coverage is because of all the drama that surrounds them on and off the court--some very legit, and some not. Don't get me wrong, I like the Williams, but some of the on-court antics have gotten old.

Chesty LaRue
Did Hewitt and/or Corria get warned or threatened with fines for today's on court hate?

Nope- no fines or warning for gestures or warnings. Coria himself said that he felt that the umpire should have stepped in more to put a lid on the boiling situation. From an article today

Distant Sun wrote: What I've been trying to point out, obviously unsuccessfully, is that Serena arrived at the tournament out of shape. Yes, she has injuries, but athletes deal with having to stay in shape when they're not able to play their sport all the time. It's part of being a professional.

Again, my theory is that Carillo is not upset with Serena about her results as much as she is upset with Serena about her commitment. Commitment would mean she would arrive at Wimbledon in the best shape possible, given whatever limitations are now placed on her by injury or circumstance (personal tragedy, et cetera). Now, I can't imagine that even Serena's staunchest fan would say she was in the best shape possible for Wimbledon.

My read on Carillo is that she doesn't look at results as being the proof of commitment. I suspect she looks more at preparation as the proof of commitment, motivation, wanting to win.

I don't. From Day One she's shown she can be both. That was a valid critique of Kournikova (who really could've been a great player), but not Serena IMO.


Probably not, but she still looked hot.


I wasn't really talking about results either, per se. I can see in Serena's eyes how much she wants to win.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. As I've said in the past, I have no problem with Carillo criticizing Serena, but I think she's taking it ridiculously overboard AFAIC.

It is clear that Serena wasn't prepared and physically fit this past Wimbledon. What she should have done was listen to her father and stayed home. And I think that Mary does indeed have a huge problem with people she sees as "squandering" their tennis talent. Back when everybody was in love with Kournikova, she was one of the few who flat out said the girl has no direction, and wouldn't be a top player until she got her head on straight.

I love Serena, when she is on she is a joy to watch. But seriously, she can't be a full time tennis player and a full time actress or actress in training. She does need to decide if she wants to be Serena the tennis player or Serena the actress.

I thought Mary Carillo pronounced Martina's name right it's just everyone else that Americanizes it. She's usually careful about those things IMO.

My guy is still hurtin'. I think he's at the end of the road.:He pulled out of RCA so I guess I'm glad I wasn't planning on going. He's actually featured on the tournament flyer and everything.

Go Argentina! Woot!

I must echo that woot. Nalby was sooooooo awesome this tie, as was Puerta during the doubles. The commentators were impressed as well.

Castletack- you would have been very proud of David. And I have never, ever seen him this happy and jolly. Lovely to watch. Reminded me again of why he is one of my favorite players and why I love him so.

Nalbandian has had a pretty bad year, but he seems to be picking up steam. I'm not all that surprised by the result, but I'm absolutely floored by the score. What in the world happened to Hewitt? Federer is the only person who should be beating him in straight sets.

I was floored to read that score, and hope somehow that match will make it beyond the TTC airwaves. I've been turning a lovely color of green reading all your TTC-related posts, and wondering when on earth ChicagoComcast is going to get its act together and give us the derned channel!

But, I got to ease my heartbreak last night watching - of all people - STEFFI play in the Team Tennis competition. I hadn't really caught any of these matches, and what a shock to turn on the TV and see her out there. It was a pure joy, and everyone was very respectful and ebullient about her return to tennis-in-front-of spectators, as she put it.

Steffi looked really rusty but it was great to see her again. I loved her expressions when she forgot to play a few lets. Overall, her forehand let her down more throughtout the match, she was being too tenative. But that backhand... Still better than any woman's slice on the current scene. She was so dominant in the day, I wished I appreciated her more. Like Federer now you were just hoping for a test.

On the subject of the commentators, Luke Jensen bugs me more and more. He acts like he's giving a seminar to the juniors at home. Carillo is perfectly fine when's she not being nasty. (What? She couldn't squeeze a Williams dig in somewhere?) On that related topic, I don't care if Mary questions obvious physical conditioning issues, that's fair, but with the Sisters she downright denigrates their strokework, and that's NOT fair. You dont win 12 slams in the last 24 without a solid ground game. Mary acts like they have games that wouldnt take a set off a hack at the local park. The fact that they are able to beat the players with Lansdorp-taught ground games is attributed to their "will" and "fight" and being great "jocks." And its that too. But not exclusively. Sharapova's strokes were way more wild in the Wimby semifinal, and Mary probably didnt register that fact at all. She wears blinders and takes them off in convenience.

I was! What a fantastic weekend of tennis and man can Nalby pull it out when totally motivated. I think this is just the best tennis he ever played and seeing him so fired up was fantastic. That pile-up and dancing of Team Argentina brought a lump to my throat.

And while Hewitt was certainly not at his best (disappointed in marriage already?), seeing him get beat by Nalby was kind of like Luke beating Darth Vader for me.

Oh, and on the TTC front, very admirable but my one complaint is, if we can see the player being interviewed mutely, stop giving commentary and switch over. They did that eventually, but you could always see a question or two go by while they were talking.

Some questions if anyone can answer:
1. After the doubles match, Nalby said something in Spanish about Argentina into the mike, anyone know what it was/translated to?

2. The usual ESPN crew always make a big deal about supposed bad blood between Coria and Nalbandian. Here they hugged and caroused. So are PMac and Carillo, et al, hyping something nonexistant or was it just love of mother country that brought this on?

In a word, yes. To see them after the previous victory (in Argentina) hugging and celebrating, you could see a real thaw in the relationship. I think both Nalby and Coria are prickly characters, have played against each other since they were little kids and I think its a bit like Sampra/Agassi. The "team" dynamic of Davis Cup has overcome their natural separation.

It was very funny watching the Davis Cup with MrKhyber since he hates Hewitt with the fire of a thousand nuns. I'm suprised he's not booking us a vacation to Argentina! It was the best I've ever seen Nalby play and he never lost it mentally, which is a big deal for him. Also, great for Puerta to just attack the net that way, he gained a lot of respect from me. I'm sure the Slovaks will pick the fastest court surface they can find.

This is why Mary Carillo gets on Serena's case:Serena pulls-out of another tourn.
Less than a week ago, she's up on-stage dancing with Destiny's Child, and then this week, she's too injured to do her "job." It's not the first time she has done this.

She was dancing but barely and lightly and is that really the standard to judge on? No one claimed she couldnt stand upright, she just can't run ragged in the California heat against, let's see, the premiere competition, y'know, worldclass athletes, with a bum ankle. You try and face Davenport, I bet its really hard, huh? Nah, you could do it. I don't wanna be a bitch but the fact is she would play if she was able. Are you implying she's burnt out? Lazy? Want her to give a press conference on crutches? Wanna see the doctors note? Players withdraw from smaller events all the time, that's no excuse for Carillo's penchant for naysaying and pretending to be all-knowing.

What's unfair about it?

A lot of great players win with questionable strokes.

Steffi Graf immediately comes to mind as a player who had a questionable forehand. Did it deter her from winning? Of course most the time it didn't, but it's still a valid criticism to say her forehand *really* didn't have the type of technique that you could call sound. Was it powerful and a huge weapon for her? You bet. But she also caught the ball late and tended to play it off her hip. A lot.

Same can be said of Venus' forehand. It can be a weapon at times, but there's nothing wrong with pointing out the flaws in her mechanics. Her contact point tends to shift a lot on that shot.

Serena has a similar problem with her forehand. It's not always a consistent shot either.

A lot of the top women have inconsistent forehands (Clijsters would be another example) and I've certainly heard plenty of critics point this out.

The list of champions with inconsistent or downright wonky strokes goes on forever. Hingis (and let's not forget Sabatini) had a weak, weak serve.

Bottom line they WIN with those shitty strokes. I don't understand useless negativity, from Carillo or anyone. Both have won majors this year, do they need to win every match with zero unforced errors to have some folks give a little credit and respect? And not base it around their "athleticism?" All the ranting on technical flaws in their games would carry alot more weight if they didnt win half of the last 24 majors.

I understand that Carillo judges commitment based on workout time, rather than results. I think this is why she has such the girl crush on Lindsay Davenport. I also think, personally, she's pretty close to Davenport. But when you're commenting on a match, shouldn't what's happening in the match be the key thing? I hate to harp on the Wimbledon final, but taking the time out to hate on Serena while her sister is playing awesomely and winning just seems innapropriate, no matter how legitimate the criticism. The other thing that bugs me about Carillo is that she reduces Venus and Serena's game to "pure power" such crap. They both have variety in their game, and use power to finish things off. I keep wanting to remind Carillo that 2/3 grand slam winners have the last name Williams.

NBC will be airing the RCA semis tomorrow and finals on Sunday--is it bad that I'm already worried about the coverage? Will NBC cry is Ginepri beats Roddick tonight?

According to the Tennis Channel site they will be broadcasting the 2nd semi-final match on Saturday and the doubles final on Sunday.

TheDogsTuxedo wrote ... The question for me is whether she is seriously rehabbing her ankle and training hard for the U.S Open season. If she's doing that as well as appearing with Destiny's Child, there's no real problem. However, it can certainly give the appearance that she's not especially serious about it.

She does have a responsibility to the tour, the promoters, the other players and, oh, yeah, the tennis fans who have been looking forward to seeing her compete, to let them know that she's doing her best to get into competitive condition. I hope that she's aware that showing up on stage could certainly give many of those people the idea that she's taking them lightly. Even if it's not true, it would only be considerate to make it as clear as possible that she's giving a real, good-faith effort to rise to her tennis obligations.

And I was not heartened by the quote saying that she was going to take the next few "days" to train to get ready for the Open season.

hmm... pretty impressive for an 80th ranked tennis player in Japan


Top seed Patty Schnyder and Japan's Akiko Morigami will square off in Sunday's finale of the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open after each player advanced in straight sets on Saturday. Schnyder moved into her third final of 2005, defeating No.177-ranked qualifier Bethanie Mattek, 64 64.

Meanwhile, Morigami advanced into her first career Sony Ericsson WTA Tour final after upsetting favorite No.4 seed Daniela Hantuchova, 64 64. Along with her second round upset of No.2 seed Vera Zvonareva, Morigami has now defeated two of the event's top four seeds en route to the final.

ESPN2 just showed the WTT match between New York and Hartford, featuring NY's Hingis and McEnroe playing singles, doubles and ... be still, my heart! ... mixed doubles together! How beautiful was it to see tennis played this way. A treat for the eyes. And McEnroe got "overruled" twice by Shot Spot. Har!!

One of the Jensens (up 'til now I've found them too tiresome to tell apart) and Carillo did the commentary and were very good. Jensen made some substantial contributions. And Mary's parents were in the crowd. Very cute.

I recently read a really cool article on Nadal (I thought it was by Peter Bodo (sp?), but now I can't find it) that made a comparison between him and the Williams sisters in certain significant respects, i.e. that all were coached by non-tennis-expert family members and that all three shared as their greatest qualities extraordinary competitive spirit and tremendous athletic ability, more so than attributes specific to the sport of tennis.

IIRC his big thesis was that, given the equipment available today, they might be the "models" of the future, since tennis-specific skill is less important when you can hit the ball less than perfectly but still impart incredible spin and power. And he wasn't complaining, mind you. He thinks all three are great. He was just observing and pondering.

I wish I could find the article again because it was really interesting. Did anyone else see it?

Is anyone planning to watch Dent vs. Ginepri on NBC today? Robby is just pretty to look at, except that Ceasar-esque haircut is AWFUL! He should just get a buzz cut and that boy would have the girls (and guys) in antendance drooling. But given that his body's a ten, a shitty haircut is negated a bit. He's playing some good tennis too by the way, all lust aside. But I doubt he'll beat Taylor.

Oops, I was wrong about Ginepri. Taylor just couldn't handle the temperature. And Robby wore a hat to cover his messy hair; he still looked damn fine though.

I saw the first set, ran out on an errand at the start of the 2nd set, and it was over by the time I got home. [ETA: WTH? I can't find the scores? I'd assumed Dent won because he'd been ahead. Did it go to three sets, or did Dent retire?]
Ginepri definitely brings the purty. But he hides it a bit with that hat. The sleeveless T was a nice touch though. [/shallow]
Can't decide if I like Courier as a commentator or not. His colorful adjectives and action verbs get a bit much after awhile.
Per the commentators discussion: So what's with the macho thing that the ATP doesn't have a Stop Play due to heat rule like the WTA does? When did the WTA institute that rule, and does it count at majors? Because I recall an Aussie Open final where Hingis, I think it was, really got kind of sick from the heat.

Courier repeats phrases alot but in general he can speak instead of Ted Robinson anytime he wants. Please NBC you can do better!

Ginepri did win 4-6, 6-0, 3-0, as Dent quit in the heat. Courier said he was opposed to the heat rules coz they favor the player with less physical prowess, but he also said it wasnt fair for the ladies to have heat regulations in Slams in a best of 3 and the men don't have any in a best of 5. Give the fella's a little relief. I wouldn't have minded if Robby took an oncourt shower. Haha. Embrace the shallow.

Ginepri is quite the looker, but I don't think the sleeveless T is the most flattering look for him. Certainly not in comparison with Moya and Nadal.

Can anyone tell me what the story is with Dent and quitting/tanking? I remember he put in an unattractive (lack of) effort against Agassi in a televised tournament in the last six months or so, but I've forgotten when it was. The commenters (PM and Cliffie?) on that earlier match made some mention about his reputation, and AA looked disgusted. Did Courier/Robinson bring it up?

Now he quits today in the final? I didn't see it, and I certainly wouldn't want him to jeopardize his health or something stupid, but it sounds lame given his history.

Nice for Ginepri to have such a big win, though.

From what little I saw, he looked like he was hurting. A lot. I mean, it was 120-degrees on the court and that? Is frickin' hot. I'm surprised he didn't get sick all over the court ala Sampras. It looked rough and I felt sorry for him because I have been there and done that (got the t-shirt, too).

Article

Dent knows he has to get more fit, but he just won't do it. Not only that, but his way of gaining a little extra time (arguing with the umpire, etc.) turns me off to him. I guess now I know why he sat down in the middle of the court at a US Open match when he didn't like the call--pissy little baby. That said, I really wish Dent had won because I think Ginepri is a cocky bastard. Interesting in that as many times as Jim and Ted talked about Robby's descent in the rankings they never mentioned that it coincided with the Minnie Driver time. Okay, I'm happy they never mentioned it.

NBC really took advantage of that Saturday rain delay to show Roddick. When the two hours of coverage were up and all we had seen was the Roddick/Ginepri quarters I thought the rain delay was still going on. Imagine my surprise when the Sports Desk guy said the semis was in the second set. No way NBC was going to go overtime with a Ginepri/Beck match.

You say that like it's the easiest thing in the world. I'm sure he has a trainer and all, but it's still difficult for some people to transform their bodies—even at 24. Regardless, it must be hard to work out with that freakishly big head of his.

If he really wants to be a top player, then getting in better shape is what he has to do. I'm sure it's not easy for Federer, Roddick, Nadal, and Hewitt to get fit, but the pay the price to be the best. Dent is obviously talented, you don't get into top 25 without a lot of talent, but he is never gonna be better than that if he doesn't improve his fitness. Losing a big final because your not fit is a bit inexcusable. I know it was hot, but it is gonna be hot in NY too and he is going to face best of 5 there. Even Courier seemed a bit miffed at Dent for squandering the opportunity in a big final. Then again, maybe that ginormous noggin of his really is the problem.

I know and I think he does as well. To be honest, I think he has improved his fitness level at least some. He looks to be in better shape than he was a few years ago. He still defaults too much, but he won a five setter at Wimbledon. I'm just saying it's unrealistic to expect everyone to progress at the same speed. I can't imagine he's sitting in front of the TV eating Big Macs when he isn't playing tennis.

Knowing he needs to be fit and seriously doing something about it are two different things. He's had fitness problems throughout his career and I personally don't see a huge improvement in his fitness. I've seen obvious differences in an already fit Agassi earlier this year at the Aussie Open, where it was reported he lost about 15 lbs, and he's 35. Roddick also lost about 10 lbs to try to improve. I'm sure Taylor knows he needs to be fitter, and is probably not exactly slacking off, but I just don't see how a professional athlete can be excused for losing a best of 3 match because he's not in the best shape he can be. He's a talented guy, and I would love to see his serve and volley style be successful, but he's never going to reach his potential unless he gets in seriously good shape.

Andre is actually a perfect example--from ten years ago. He was all about the fast food and lounging around and getting by on talent when he realized he wasn't going to be at the top with that kind of (lack of) conditioning. He went to the UNLV training facility--where he met Gil--and changed everything about the way he lived. He went from known tanker to the guy you didn't want to meet in a fifth set.

Courier was always a grinder and I think that is why he was not happy with Taylor. All that remarkable talent and Dent has, so far, wasted a good part of it. Of course, Courier was pretty curmudgeonly about a lot of topics this weekend. I guess the heat was getting to him too--that, and Ted's ridiculous fawning over Roddick, who wasn't even playing. Did I just not notice that before when he was surrounded by other fawning-type (for all different players) commentators?

I was on vacation last week and saw Venus & Serena on Regis promoting their new reality show on ABC Family. I wonder if promoting duties had anything to do with Serena pulling out of the tourney.

Did anyone watch this show, by the way? I forgot it was on, but figured if it was any good, ABC would have snatched it away from ABC Family for summer viewing.

That might be part of it, but Courier was advocating entirely scratching the rule that allows the players to get help for cramps and/or heat exhaustion. For all the talk of "loss of condition", that is a downright dangerous proposition. There have been far too many young athletes in numerous sports who have died trying to push through the heat like that. Even worse, there are going to be younger ones who try to emulate them by gutting it out and end up dead or brain damaged. I, for one, am glad the rule is in place to allow for help when someone is getting dangerously overheated and/or cramping.

The thing about getting on Mary Carillo for criticizing the Williamses is that nobody ever forgot Hingis' weak serve. It is still brought up by commentators, even though she won with that serve. Just winning doesn't make everything else go away.

Icyblue, as for the question about whether Hingis got sick at the Australian Open, I remember her cramping so badly she could barely walk at the Chase Championships in the final against Graf. She was forced to play through that because, at the time, the women couldn't stop for "loss of condition" either--even though that final was the only 5-set match played by women all year long. She was 14 at the time, so it was sometime during the mid-1990s.

IIRC, the weakness of her serve was only ever brought up after she stopped winning. All we heard before that was how perfect she was.


... something that didn't quite happen over night.