As you may have already seen, the On The Line editors have emerged from several weeks of deep reflection to hand out their Year-End Awards. We invite you to check out our choices. This week Mr Ed gazes ahead to the immediate future, and looks at some of the big names who might not make the trip to the first Slam of the year.
Aussie no-shows and question marks
Several of the most prominent men?s players are likely to pass on the opportunity to contest the Australian Open trophy in Melbourne, while others are question marks.
1999 Aussie Open champ Yevgeny Kafelnikov had been making noises about retiring if Russia won the Davis Cup. Russia did triumph, but to nobody?s great surprise, the 28-year-old decided not to retire after all. ?Kafel? had two varicose veins surgically removed earlier this month, and is likely to be on the shelf until February. "My plan is hopefully to get back into action later next year, during the indoor season in Europe,"
Kafelnikov told Reuters this week.
Another former number one, 1999 Australian runner-up Marcelo Ríos is also doubtful for the campaign down under. Although the Chilean was troubled with knee tendonitis last year, the biggest reason for his current reluctance to rejoin the tour in January appears to be a serious case of ennui. ?El Chino? mentioned several times in interviews last year that he was ?bored? with the tour grind, and wants to spend some time chilling with his wife and young daughter. Despite suggestions in the Chilean pr
ess that Ríos is pondering retirement, his father Jorge declared this week that he expects Marcelo to return for a big Davis Cup tie against Ecuador in February.
The top British pair of Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski will likely be in dodgy shape if they do participate in the Australian Open. Henman is expected to compete, although he underwent off-season shoulder surgery. According to a profile in the Evening Standard, Tim has been doing physiotherapy since, and is expected to begin on-court practice next week. He estimates his chances of playing in Melbourne as ?70-30?. As for British number two Rusedski, he is coming off foot surgery and is
not expected to play the Australian. Like Ríos, his target is the first round Davis Cup tie which, in Britain?s case, will be in Australia.
The biggest mystery on the men?s tour concerns the plans of U.S. Open champion Pete Sampras. Since suggesting that he might retire after his title at Flushing Meadow, ?throwing a little egg around? (as he put it) at those who dared to doubt him, and becoming a father, all has been silent on the Sampras front. The closest we came to getting an inside assessment of his plans came this week from coach Paul Annacone, who estimated that his pupil?s chances of playing in Melbourne were ?50-50?. Tellin
gly, Annacone did say that while Sampras is working out, he ?needs to pick it up another notch" in practice if he expects to go to Australia and do well.
The women will have two notable absences.
Former number one Martina Hingis has already withdrawn from the competition, citing lingering effects from ankle surgery earlier this year. Many also feel that she is suffering a career crisis in terms of her confidence and motivation, and there are worries that she too is considering retirement. Organizers of the Tier I tournament in Tokyo, held the week after Australia, are hopeful that Hingis will compete there. Regardless, her ranking may be lower than 20 when her runner-up points from last
year?s Australian Open drop off.
Also absent from Melbourne will be 9th-ranked Jelena Dokic, a former Australian now playing for her native Yugoslavia who also boycotted the tournament this year. It seems that Dokic still is angry at the Australian media for having the colossal nerve to criticize her for claiming that draws were rigged against her, and for saying of a victorious opponent that she ?is not a player and never will be a player.? Not to mention the media?s critique of her erratic father?s antics (throwing salmon, smash
ing cellphones, lying down in traffic, etc.). The gall of those reporters, huh?
Fans of Amélie Mauresmo will be pleased to know that despite knee problems that caused her to miss the final weeks of the 2002 season, chances are Mauresmo will be fit to play in Melbourne. The Frenchwoman reported on her official website that she did not require surgery and has begun to ease into training. The 6th-ranked Mauresmo showed the best sustained tennis of her career this year prior to being forced out of action.
Finally, a question mark that is much more low-profile, but which intrigues Mr Ed, concerns the young Dane Eva Dyrberg, whom we ?adopted? during her fine run in Indian Wells in March of this year. We had heard several months ago that the talented Dyrberg had retired, and intended to begin full-time university studies in Copenhagen. But our eagle-eyed collaborator C******** noticed her name in the acceptance list for the upcoming Australian Open. So either Eva has reconsidered her comeback, or sh
e just forgot to withdraw! We shall see?.
It?s been a long season for Mr Ed, and he is fatigued. So the column will take a break until the new year. Please accept our best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season.