Tennis Down Under: Well, the past few years have been a bit of a bust. A few years ago I picked young Justine Henin as the next star. Sure, she is, but she did it based on injuries to the Williamses and her Belgian compatriot folding like a cheap tent at the U.S. Open (where a very obviously sick and injured Henin took Kim Clijsters apart methodically). Things don't look to change much on that side, with Venus and Serena talking loudly about how tennis is a low priority. Sad, since Justine has the game chops (on her better days) to send the famous Williams physiques packing by -- odd as it may sound -- playing the actual game of tennis, and making the big girls look like bashers. I'm still waiting to see Nick Bolletieri latest protege, Ashley Harkleroad, make some waves. She shows some of the skills of a Henin or Hingis, but she's a little more physical. So far she's playing like a green 16 year old dropped onto the tour, which she is.

On the men's side, Agassi did prove that he was able to advance well through the draw, but at 33 years, a two-week tourney must be hell on the old bones. He may have one more title in him, but that's the limit, I think. The youngsters you mention, Hewitt and Roddick, are talented but inconsistent fellows who seem to have taken the "New Balls, Please" slogan to heart and checked their maturity at the door. I don't mind emotional, explosive players, but at some point (see Johnny Mac) you need to grow a bit to advance. (God knows how McEnroe won as many slams as he did. He had the talent to win 20, the temperament to get bounced from the tour without a win.) Roddick has shown more promise here than Hewitt, who as reigning champ got bounced from Wimbledon by a nobody. Meanwhile, Federer proved last year that he can choke as well as anyone. He's got the best looking game on the men's tour when he's hot, and he advances deep into the brackets. Most of the time, though, he can't close the deal. This may be his big year to put together a consistent game, particularly against his tournament-ending bete noir, David Nalbandian; stranger things have happened. I still think that Sebastien Grosjean will get a slam title one day. Just one, I'd bet, and likely Roland Garros, where hustle gives small players (think Chang) a fighting chance. He's very talented, and doesn't seem intimidated by being smaller than the top tier, but he'll be 26 this year. If he's not at his peak now, he may wake up to find it passed unnoticed.

Final note: Look for Srichiphan to perform again this year. For a guy who was ranked about one-millionth a couple years ago, his jump to the top 20 has been amazing. He won a pair of small titles in '03. I'd like to see him hit slam paydirt in '04.