Martina mania I remember watching Martina Hingis play the finals of the French Open Junior tournament when she was just 13 years old. I could not believe how good she was at such a young age. She had an amazing feel for the game. Martina was a supreme tactician and master of improvisation. It did not surprise me when she dominated women's tennis for a number of years before she retired with foot injuries. How refreshing it has been to see her roll over her opponents in her first major since retirement. Welcome back Martina, we have missed your flair on and off the court.
Marcos who?
How about the play of Marcos Baghdatis from Cyprus? This young man has the game and the charisma to be a star on the men's tour for years. Watching him steamroll over Andy Roddick with 58 winners was amazing. It was also great to see the Greek fans go wild and cheer for him helping him play his best tennis. If a country with fewer than a million people can produce a player the calibre of Marcos, there is hope for countries like Nepal. Don't be surprised if he goes all the way to play Roger Federer in the finals.
Women Rule
For the first time in years, all the top women players were fit to play in a grand-slam event. Injuries have taken a toll on the stars of the WTA tour of late so it was good to see them all battle. Serena, Venus, Sharapova, Henin, Clijsters and Davenport are intriguing personalities and it is very important that they are able to compete with one another to create rivalries and capture the imaginations of tennis fans worldwide. One of the Belgians will hoist the trophy and I have a gut feeling that it will be Justine Henin.
Men Depleted
The absence of Marat Safin, Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal put a damper on the men's draw. It is about time that the ATP tour had a legitimate off-season so that the pros had time to recover from the rigors of the tour. It would definitely reduce the spate of injuries. These athletes could come back rested to showcase their best tennis. With the departure of Roddick and Hewitt early on, it would be a major shocker if Federer does not hoist the trophy Sunday.
Hey mate, you know how to celebrate tennis down under
I coached at the Australian open from 1993 to 1995. It was the most enjoyable grand-slam event for me because it was laidback and the Aussie hospitality was fantastic. Australians have a great tennis history. Champions like Rod Laver, Margaret Court, Ken Rosewall and John Newcomb made tennis one of the most popular sports in the country. Too bad that the Aussies have not had a great run in Melbourne for years.
lama@ad.uiuc.edu
