I didn't see the press conference, and I'm not a JHH fan, but watching her in the past, I doubt she would retire unless she had a valid reason. She was only down a break in the 2nd set, and given Amelie's tendency to choke, I would say she still had a decent chance to pull a comeback off. Overall, I'm so disappointed with the women's side this year. Really, no classic matches, the only notable story was Martina's remarkable comeback, and a final marred by injury...it was like a battle of attrition.

Can't wait for the men's final tonight!

ETA: The Belgians have had it rough this tournament! First people doubt the seriousness of Kim's injury, and now this Justine controversy. It's still remarkable to me that such a small country has produced two Top Ten players!

An interesting perspective from Matthew Cronin at tennisreporters.net (no link available, since it's subscribers only):

What I took from Justine's comments was that she didn't have enough to win so she just quit rather than risk her health, regardless of how small that risk may be. She wasn't too sick to play for another 15-20 minutes to let Mauresmo get the legitimate win, she was just too sick to mount a comeback for a potential win. And that's why I think what she did sucked. If every athlete or team took that approach there would be about 97% fewer Olympic athletes and most Super Bowls would be called at some point in the third quarter. You finish what you start, even if you're not feeling your best. It's respect for your opponent.

Even with her year-long battle against the virus ever-present in her mind, she wasn't being asked to play a best of five set match. She was asked to stay on court for a few more games to let the match end properly. And she wouldn't do that. She couldn't win, so she wouldn't lose and she chose to put that asterisk next to Mauresmo's win rather than just suck it up.

Plus, she sang two different songs. When she was winning matches she was "feeling the best she has in two years" but the moment she was being beaten (and Amelie was soundly beating her by hitting all those high, deep balls forcing Justine off the baseline and on her heels) she suddenly had this shoulder injury that forced her to take these anti-inflammatories that gave her a tummy ache for three days and it was all just too much for her.

Getting criticized for faking injuries is par for the course in tennis. It happens whenever someone is injured and plays well. I don't think she denied having an injury. I think she was just feeling a little nauseated, was getting outplayed, got tired and decided to walk away rather than lose.

Oh, well that's different, and completely bites! From my understanding Amelie is one of Justine's few friends on the tour, so to deny her of her first grand-slam-match-point is wrong on many levels. I could see her doing this to her nemesis Kim, but not Amelie!

Everyone on TV says this, but I just don't see what's so remarkable about it. Countries with fewer people (Sweden and Switzerland immediately come to mind) have produced even more champions.

That's not what I got from her press conference. But hey, we can all interpret it differently.

Yeah, but not really at the same time, have they? Plus Belgium, unlike Sweden, didn't really have a strong tennis tradition. I was always curious, though, why this was played out in the media as a remarkable achievement, while the (IMO) far more remarkable story of two sisters dominating didn't as much. Maybe because with the kind of genetics V&S have, it was expected that they both could dominate? I really don't know.

Back to JHH, this is going to dog her for years. It was her decision, she said in the press conference that she thought it was the right decision and that she wasn't concerned about what people thought about it. So she knows she'll have to deal with it. She's always been pretty insular and she'll continue being that way.

Edberg and Wilander were contemporaries. Also, while they obviously don't compare to Borg, Dominique Van Roost (top 10) and Sabine Appelmans (top 20) were pretty successful Belgian players before JHH and Clijsters arrived. Belgian tennis has clearly been taken to a new level, but the media acts like it didn't exist until recently.

This article by Chris Fowler really exemplifies how I feel about Justine's retirement. I think, given the various ailments she's played through in the past, that she just didn't want to lose as badly as Amelie was beating her. It's totally disrespectful to Amelie and, especially, to the sport to retire the way she did. Suck it up, play it out, and let your opponent have her well-deserved moment of victory. I've always felt Justine was a terrible sport, and this just cements it.

And word to everything vallegirl said.

I'm truly amazed at how easily it is to read JHH's mind.

And also, from the Fowler article:

It also amazes me how easy it is to forget how many times JHH has done exactly what Fowler describes above.

And for the record, I'm still disappointed she didn't finish the match.

I think you're right, jimena, that we can't forget the stamina and fight that JHH is known to demonstrate in all of tennis - especially tough Grand Slam matches. I've loved seeing her come from behind and push herself through to better and better tennis - despite amazing odds sometimes.

I have to admit it's what helped me get over that French Open incident with Serena - which has surprised me. I really admire her grit and persistence and that she took her own preparation so very seriously - and that it always seemed to be for herself and those closest to her.

Last night I even felt that I should initially defend her against the immediate backlash coming from the commentators, especially when they were so unanimously disgusted.

And I'm not even sure that, if she felt as awful as she seemed to, she should have finished the match. I truly believe (a la Million Dollar Baby) that an athlete's first responsibility is to her/his own health: protect yourself first.

What I really wanted was for her to step up and put Amelie first in her press conference. I have to admit that her comments about Amelie only having to hit the ball back, and that it being impossible for her to commit errors, and how she couldn't try to consider how Amelie must feel (with her first Slam title, being torn to win in this way), made me angry at first and then sorry for her later.

My main complaint with the commentators and the press in general is with their harping on Kim's claimed injuries - I think it encourages not disclosing this kind of information. I think, if a player says they're struggling with injuries then we need to appreciate that they are. I was disappointed that there was so much scuttlebutt around Kim this year - and I felt bad for her in her constant attempts to be honest and in complete disclosure but to keep it low-key.

So what I'm trying to do with Justine is follow that same rule, though the disclosure contradicts the earlier statements from her camp - she said she was too ill to continue, and I think she should be supported in that framework. More sympathy for Amelie and the bizarre circumstances surrounding her big moment would have been nice - but they are not mandatory.

You know, OopsSorry, one thing that is consistent with JHH is that she thinks of herself and those very close to her first. She's very business like. And yes, she's selfish and self-absorbed. There are other great champions that have been exactly like that as well. She made a decision, she doesn't regret it, and in making that decision she didn't consider Amelie. She said it herself, when she said that she felt sorry for herself first and then sorry for Amelie. I don't necessarily think this is a bad attitude to have. I just think that part of the reason we don't like it is precisely because it is Amelie, who is so nice and who has been waiting so long to win a big one, and we have trouble separating that from JHH's actions. JHH, on the other hand, has no trouble separating what she's going through from what the other player is going through. Does it make her look bad? Sometimes. I don't think people like women to be THAT business-like.

FYI, I've been avoiding work all day. I'm really not that consumed by this issue. Honest!

Regardless of how I feel about whether or not JHH should have finished the match, I feel bad for Mauresmo. She was the better player out there today. This snippet from Fowler's article echos how I feel.



It just bugs me that Amelie was not able to have the chance to close out the match. She is one of my favorites, seems to be such a nice person, and I would have loved for her to have been able to win her first GS with all of the trimmings.

Onto tonight's match. I like Federer, know that he is the heavy favorite, but I am really hoping for Marcos to pull a 1997 FO Guga and win. The more I read about Marcos, the more I want him to win. Here's a kid whose parents were in debt because of the costs of sending him to France (no way could he have been able to develop fully in Cyprus) and has had trouble in his first years on the circuit because of financial difficulites. His sponsorship contract was worth much less than players with less talent who happen to come from countries that have a tennis background. The lack of a real national sports organization backing (Cyprus has only been able to contribute peanuts in terms of his development) and the fact that he is the first player from Cyprus to be at his level means that he has rarely been able to get wildcards and has had to go through qualies more than other players with his talent. I just hope that his fairy tale continues. But even if he doesn't win- I'm hoping for a great match.

How long into the program do you think it will be before they show Marcs' girlfriend? I bet less than 3 minutes.

That's a good point, jimena, as is your point about it being Amelie that has affected the way we (well, I) might be seeing the situation. I feel like it should be all right with me that she has put herself first not just in health but in other aspects of the situation as well. It's how I try to reckon with some of the Venus/Serena comments. I staunchly support them even when those comments bug - specifically because it is their right to be whoever they are and not be confined to the old, antiquated ettiquette of the sport (however refreshing I find it in today's sports world).

Alas - I'm guessing the men will put on an entirely different show, and I have to say I'm nervous for Roger and yet okay with the thought that either one might win! Yay for tennis! I just hope I can make it through the match live. It's impossible for me to postpone looking up the outcome once I wake up in the morning.

Congrats to ESPN for showing it, BTW.

Good commentary from PeterBodo, scroll down and read Bellyacher!!!! At the end of the day Justine did a great disservice to first and foremost Amelie, the WTA, the fans who forked out money to see a grand slam final completed, and the viewing audience. I do believe that she should be punished in some way, her comments at the press conference pretty much back up the assumption that she was getting her ass kicked, didn't feel she could win, and that was one of the reasons she quit.

If this had been in any other final, I probably wouldn't care. But this was a Grand Slam Final. She wasn't puking on the court, a la Sampras or Andy Murray. She wasn't physically injured, broken leg, sprained ankle, whatever. She should have finished the match, even if it ended 6 0. The fact that did not tells me all need to know about her, and her level of respect for the fans, for other players, and for tennis in general.

Only 3 more hours til Federer/Baghdatis. Brad Gilberts analysis/prediction.

Word, ShellsandCheese. I completely agree that Justine's always been among the most tenacious of players; however, that's precisely why I'm so disgusted with her. It seems like she's played through much worse pain before; it's just that those were matches in which she was not having her ass handed to her, and I think that is a large part of why she retired: she saw she wasn't going to win and thought to hell with this. That is wholly disrespectful to the WTA, the fans, and her opponent; obviously, an athlete should put their health at the top of the list of priorities, but she's played through seemingly worse physical pain and hadn't seemed to exhibit any pain prior to her schooling at Amelie's racket. I feel no inclination to give her the benefit of the doubt on this one; in fact, I would have admired her a lot more if she had finished the match. I think she could have and just didn't see the point. Everyone's MMV, of course.

I was following the Mixed Doubles final on AO radio. Martina Hingis and Mahesh Bhupathi won in straight sets. I guess Martina wasn't into mixed prior because this was her first MD Grand Slam title.

Yay! I am so happy for those two, especially Hingis.

Is anyone else awake watching Fed-Bag? It's the third set and Roger just hit a bullet at Baghdatis at the net - how cute was Marcos's smile?

Well, that made up for not seeing JHH get her ass kicked completely. It was a good match. I'll reiterate that I liked the commentators. This has to be PMac's best tournament ever.

Halfway to Sampras... 2009? 2010?

Peter Bodo is an ass. The other day he was implying that Rafael Nadal takes performance enhancing drugs.

Roger's speech was the best! I love it when his voice breaks from emotion.

Roger's speech

Here's a clip for anyone who missed it. Watched it again, and I just noticed how Roger swoops in for another hug from Rod Laver, post-ceremony. *sigh* I'm bordering on Jim Courier levels of love right now.

I like Baghdatis, I really do. I'm glad he played as well as he did and hope he continues this level of play through the rest of the year and beyond. But I don't think I've ever been so nervous to the point of Henin-Hardenne levels of nausea watching a Federer match, ever. That first set was completely nerve-wracking and when he got broken in his first service game of the second set? Harrowing.

But at about 3-3 in the second I noticed just how spent Baghdatis was. He gave it his all to stay that close and the previous matches, and four extra hours on court, all caught up with him. He was valiant in defeat and didn't go down without a fight, though. I had nightmarish images of Lendl/Chang at the FO so I was glad that Federer remained on top of his game through to the end.

Fed's been my favorite since Pete retired, but Baghdatis is quickly becoming a second favorite.

Oh, bless.

I have to admit that I teared up when Roger was tearing up. You could tell that it meant so much to him that Rod Laver was presenting the trophy. He has always had such a sense of tennis history.

And Marcos- great showing for the first part of the match- and great tournament. I look forward to seeing more of him. I don't think he is a flash in the pan and believe that he will become a real presence. And how cute was it that he told the offical to thank his girlfriend. He is adorable.

This was great- a nice final between two of the most likeable guys on tour.

If the scoreline were reversed and Justine were up 6-1, 2-0, she would not have quit the match. Period. End of Story. If anyone thinks otherwise, they probably believe in the Tooth Fairy as well. There is a significant difference between this final and the other matches were Justine was less than 100% but soldiered on anyway: in those other matches, she was still very much a factor, unlike in this one, where she was getting badly spanked.

I don't doubt that she was feeling sick. But the fact of the matter is, Justine did not want it on her record that she got her ass handed to her by Amelie in a Grand Slam final. She has far too much pride, and, unfortunately, far too little respect for the opponent, the fans, and the legacy of the game. She basically admitted in her press conference that she knew she couldn't win the match so she didn't see any point in going on. How could anyone believe that a tummy ache kept her from staying on the court for another 20 minutes?!?! She wasn't too sick to hang around for the presentation ceremony to pick up her trophy and runner-up check. In an age where Pete Sampras yaks up on the court, Venus plays with a torn abdominal muscle, and Hingis staggers around like a drunk nearly dead from heat exhaustion (all Grand Slam matches) and still manage to finish their matches because they understand that unless you are immobilized, it is simply unacceptable to quit at that level, Justine's upset stomach simply does not cut it.

I've never been a big Justine fan, but her fighting spirit is what kept her from being totally unlikable. Unfortunately she doesn't even have that redeeming quality anymore.

I think that's what really pissed off the commentators (and me as a coach). It's not OK to quit just because you think you can't win. Chanda Rubin beat Jana Novotna after being down 5-0 40-0 in the third set (saving 9 match points)! I wonder how Davenport and Sharapova feel.

I'm glad Chris and company are staying on her while still paying lip service to the idea she could've been really hurt. Was I the only one wondering why the tummy ache didn't prevent her from taking part in the trophy presentation. I had a bad stomach ache during my best friend's wedding—standing up that long was an ordeal.

That may be true, but even a broken clock is right two times a day. I don't agree with most of the stuff Bodo says, but I do think his analysis of JHH was spot on.

But I did enjoy the Federer/Baghdatis match. It was actually more entertaining and nerve racking than the score of the last two sets would imply. I missed the first set because I fell asleep, but I am rewatching it as I type.

DistantSun you weren't the only one wondering about that, I was too. I had a really nasty stomach virus [GastroIntest] a couple of years ago; and I spent a lot of time on my knees in the bathroom, on the toilet, and laying in my bed in pain (sorry about the TMI). I sure as hell wouldn't have been able to stand for 20 minutes.

I was finally able to watch my recording of the men's final and wow! Very nice stuff. The first two sets were fantastic. It is too bad that Baghdatis was not able to keep up his level of play, but props to him for a great tournament and props to Federer for the win.

I was actually moved by Federer's tears during his speech. He is class. Bag's speech was great too but like Chris I wondered about his girlfriend and Federer. But then he asked the official to thank Roger and Camille. So cute.

I was fond of Baghdatis after his 2004 USO appearance but this tournament has placed him firmly in my top five favorites list. When they showed him smiling, shaking his head and crossing himself at the start of the warm up I was charmed. I look forward to seeing much more of him in the future and I hope that Brad's prediction that he will be in the top 10 at this time next year proves to be correct.

Ouch, that doesn't sound very fun.

Some stomach problems are that serious but Justine managed to stand up for the trophy ceremony and then carry out her tennis bag (according to ESPN). Sounds pretty fishy to me.

It seems irresponsible for him to imply that Nadal is taking PED, did he have any proof whatsoever? Has there been grumbling from those in the tennis community? He also called J2H a demented dwarf, which in light of the past few day is quite funny, but awfully unprofessional.



Word! I bet Linds and Maria are steaming mad that she quit during that final. Say what you will about Sharapova, but she certainly takes her lumps even when playing badly with injury. Remember last year when Linds beat her 6-0 6-0, she took the beating like a professional. Also, to add myself to the TMI club, I also had salmonella poisoning a few weeks ago, and was bedridden for 2 days with severe stomach cramps and basically had to make sure to stay close to a bathroom for 3 more days.

ETA: Isn't kinda funny that Mary Carillo was saying that much like Lendl vs Mac at the FO that Amelie needed Justine to sort of hand it to her or donate a lot of points for Mauresmo to win. Wow, she certainly is prophetic.

Not that I know of. Bodo was just pissed because Nadal didn't show up to the Aus Open because he wasn't ready. And how did Bodo react? By implying that Nadal was using drugs. Nasty, nasty man. I stopped reading him then. That's the kind of rumor that if it really gets going, can get a life of its own.

Heh. Maybe Pete Bodo read about Rafael Palmeiro and got really really confused. Because for some reason, I don't see Nadal as quite the time to hang out with Palmeiro and Barry Bonds. Plus, he doesn't exactly fit the "visual" profile of a typical PED user. I've seen him in person and his head is pretty small. Unless steroids make your ass bigger -- then he and James Blake would most certainly be suspect.

(BTW, I am trying to make a really really bad joke. This is totally not serious, it's just something that has become kind of amusing after all the crap with baseball and Congress, etc. In no way do I think any of these guys are using and the rules in tennis are EXTREMELY strict anyway)

Not to defend Bodo--I like him but I realize he is goes off half cocked sometimes--but let's look at some of the players who have gotten busted for performance enhancing drugs: Rusedski, Mariano Puerta, Willy Cañas, Guillermo Coria, Juan Ignacio Chela. None of these players fits the visual profile of a PED user, but they have all come back dirty. Bodo may be wrong about Nadal--and I really hope he is because I life Rafi's game. But you can't tell by how a player looks. You can only tell by his or her blood.

Back on topic...I thought the coverage of the final was above average, but not exceptional. But I loved, loved, loved Roger's speech. His humility and graciousness, to say nothing of his profound respect for Rocket, moved me to tears, too. He's a great ambassador for the sport.

I basically don't suspect any player of doping...unless they are from Argentina.

Roger Federer getting all choked up = too cute for words. Sniff.

I personally find the criticism of JHH very convincing, but I suggest when we all jump in to criticize an athlete's claim of injury/illness that we always bear in mind the name J.R. Richard.

ETA: DistantSun, I completely agree about PMac. He was the best I've ever heard him - charming, enthusiastic, articulate and informative. And his poor wife. Before all she had to worry about was his crush on Andy Roddick. NOW she's got to compete with Rafael Nadal and Marcos Bagdadis too.

First of all, it's a horrible time to be a Justine fan. As soon as I saw her call the trainer I knew she was going to hear it from the media again.
But I believe she did the right thing, media be damned. The girl just came back from a long lay-off. No doubt she was afraid she could make matters worse by staying on the court.

When you look at the side effects of anti-inflammatory drugs it's obvious that her problems were real and she wasn't just giving up to 'save face' like some people have insinuated:

NSAIDs are associated with a number of side effects. The frequency of side effects varies between the drugs. The most common side effects are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, decreased appetite, rash, dizziness, headache, and drowsiness.

Some people say she should've toughed it out. I don't see how that would've been more entertaining to the crowd. Getting a 6-0 trashing is so much fun to watch...except not. Would it have been more fair to Amelie? Probably. Should Justine consider this? No. It's her body, she knows its limitations and if she doesn't want to take the risk, the choice is ultimately hers and she stood by her choice during her press conference.

BTW, apparently her coach gave her a sign to give up at 0-4 in the first set! So obviously he knew what was going on but she stayed in there for 5 more games trying to 'tough it out'.


ETA: If Justine never gives ESPN another interview again, that would be just fine by me. They were beyond rude. The girl had already broken down and cried and they did their best to make her feel even worse.

I think Amelie played great in the first set, but I think unless she wins another Slam in the future, she's always going to be remembered as the player who just couldn't get it done. She more or less lucked her way into the title, because her semifinal and final opponents both retired. It probably wasn't fair of JHH to do so - after all, if she had been winning, she probably would have stuck it out. But still, in my mind, Amelie Mauresmo's title is tainted.

As for Bitter Beer Face Federer and his tears? Pffffffttttttt. So tired of him.

And



I also interpreted it this way. It showed extraordinarily bad sportsmanship. What she said essentially was "I didn't have the energy to win so I decided to call it a day." I'm sure her stomach bothered her but I would have been less upset for Amelie if Justine had just stood still on the court and let Amelie bagel her to end the match.

I also loved how Justine said in her press conference, "She felt probably I wasn't feeling good and couldn't move very quickly. So she did a good job when we see the circumstances." But then when Amelie was asked "Did you sense there was anything wrong with Justine at the other end of the court?" she answered "Not at all. You know, also I was focusing on really what I had to do and taking control of the points the way I did for the whole match and really not paying really much of an attention to how she felt or whatever."

I doubt it. I'm in agreement with the announcers. She seemed to be well on her way to winning both of those matches. The way she completely turned around the Clijsters match in the second set shows she was in it for the long haul. She followed that up by executing her game plan to perfection against a "feeling the best [I've] felt in 2 years" JHH. Winning the last two big tournaments is impressive regardless of the people who retired.


It's going to be a long few years for you.

There was a great column this past weekend, I forget if it was CNNSI or ESPN saying basically the same thing, how they wished she would have just lost the remaining 14 points or so by standing there. But then maybe people would complain about her lack of integrity for the game. In either case, this will be another black mark next to the I-need-time-no-I-didn't incident against Serena. She will never be forgiven for this. Sort of like no matter how well Scottie Pippen played, he was always remembered for refusing to enter the game with 0.3 seconds left because he wasn't going to be given the shot. I personally don't care, since I abhor JHH.

I despise Federer also. Lots of people seem to think he has great charisma and charm, and now a sensitive side with the tears and all. I still think he's a robot. I hope for the day when he has a serious rival. Maybe if Andy weren't frolicking with mmmMaria, he'd be able to concentrate and actually win something.

Andy Murray is frolicking with Sharapova? Oh, you meant Andy Roddick! LOL! Federer will have a rival (besides Nadal) someday, but even PMac doesn't think it'll be Roddick.

It's going to be a long few years for you, too. (tm Distant Sun).

If anybody is going to challenge Federer it will be an up and comer. Someone like Nadal, Monfils, Baghdatis, etc. It isn't going to be any of the guys that Roger routinely plays and spanks. It is going to be some kid, who is just fearless. And I do think a part of it is mental; Roddick has won one match against the guy, one. Out of 10 tries, after awhile that gets to you.

Hell, even Andy's always known it won't be him - as he was careful to point out repeatedly in the press....

Honestly, barring injury, I don't think there's a player on tour today who will ever qualify as a genuine rival to Federer. Nadal played him tough last year, but after the clay court season his game fell back to earth a little and with the layoff since November, he's got some rebuilding to do.

At this point in his career, Fed's playing against Laver, Borg, Sampras and time now. He'll lose the occasional match, even in Slams, and I agree that first and second year "young guns" will probably have the best chance of beating him because he hasn't figured out their games yet, but I also agree with PMac when he said that Federer looks to be establishing a Graf-like dominance over the men's field. He's not just the most talented player in the men's field, he's also the smartest with regard to the game. And that's something that, fear or not, the young guns just don't have. Nadal, Gasquet, Monfils, Berdych and Baghdatis are still playing on talent alone.

Fed's at the beginning of his prime and since he's not really a power player or a serve-and-volleyer time will take its toll on him slower than it did Sampras, Edberg and Becker. Plus, he has about another 3-4 years of being in his physical peak (again, barring injury, don't want to jinx him), which if you assume he can average two slams a year (not improbable), would put him at 15. Add another 3-4 years at just below his peak and it's not inconceivable that he could be on pace to win 16 or more Slams.

Of course, all this is conjecture but based upon the way he's progressed since he first won Wimbledon in '03, it's not too far out of the realm of possibility, so long as he stays healthy.

I think Nadal is a genuine rival to Federer, assuming his health maintains as well. Right now he's favored over Roger at the French and from what we hear about the high-bouncing, slow hard court surface at the Australian Open, I think may well have an excellent chance there as well. I suspect he'll learn to adapt to the US Open surface and environment pretty soon.

I don't, however, see him as a long term rival for the number one ranking. Roger is equally athletic and competitive, but he has a tremendous advantage in technique that will never go away.

I would love it if the announcers would sometimes talk about who taught Roger his strokes. His game is often discussed as if he were an autodidact, but someone taught him to hit a forehand, backhand and serve, and they did a good job.

I'll post some interesting articles on the Oz Open later. One thing mentioned that I didn't hear mentioned on the broadcast was that one of the big reasons Roger was so emotional at the ceremony was not just the presence of Laver, but also the presence of his late coach's family.

I heard from a commentator the other day that Hingis probably joined mixed doubles to assure herself of a title on her comeback. Heh. I agree. She made it farther in the singles that anyone expected, even her, and I think the mixed doubles entry was to ensure that she was going to make it into the second week.

I don't agree with whoever said that. Was it that idiot Gilbert? I just don't see how entering mixed doubles guarantees her a victory. It may not be as glamourous as singles, or even doubles, but it's still a Grand Slam event with professional tennis players.

What I read (I think it was in the Chicago Sun-Times somewhere) was that Mahesh Bhupati was the one who contacted Martina's agent about her availability for mixed doubles. Smart guy, I'd say.

She probably wanted to ensure more playing time in case she had an early exit in singles.

How come Martina Navratilova sat out the Australian Open? Is she retired retired for good? Lately she usually played mixed doubles with Leander Paes and doubles with Anne Marie Groenfeld (or something like that).

Hingis is a good doubles partner, but with the Bryans and Bjorkman and Rennae Stubbs and Cara Black, I don't think a win in mixed was guaranteed. She probably did benefit from Wayne Black's absence though. I'd love for Hingis and Anna K to re-team for doubles. I saw them practicing live at Wimbledon once, and it was enthralling.

Also, what has become of Jenny Cap? I know she's been injured, but has she made any progress or is she just going to fade out like Hingis did the first time? Will she be back for the French? Sadly, I don't see her ever winning again. Her comeback was a great story, but she's been passed up by so many since then.