Andrei Medvedev's Lines:

"Somehow Americans sort of disappoint me...they come into Paris and hoping to win it. I think it's silly."
-- On the lack of clay court preparation by Agassi and Sampras

"Normally I would take the two weeks off and get ready for something more serious."
-- On the upcoming Wimbledon fortnight

One can not call Andrei Medvedev bashful when it comes to giving his opinion on any given subject. Last year's French Open finalist might not have achieved his prior success, but he certainly supplied the press with enough stories to fill up their notebooks.

Despite the dismal performances by American men this year in Paris, I do not know whether Medvedev's above statment is entirely accurate. By Americans, Medvedev, of course, was merely targeting Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras. It is true that neither player spent any significant time on the red clay this year. Where I disagree with the Russian is that neither player was considered a heavy favorite to get far into their draw due to injuries and that lack of preparation. It was a rare instance where both players did not receive any notable heavy pre-tournament buzz.

Medvedev further intimated that Agassi's 1999 French title was an "accident." This I can agree with. Agassi's run was a case of tennis kismet. With little pre-French preparation last year, Agassi was the right player at the right time with the right draw. Without a strong commitment by an American (or any other nationality) to devote time to the clay court season, it is doubtful that there will be a consistent showing by an individual at Roland Garros. That was certainly the case this year especially in Agassi's case.

Ironically, while Medvedev criticized the Americans for their lack of clay court commitment, the Russian admittedly acknowlegded his disdain for grass. Medvedev did not limit his dislike of the surface but took down the All England Lawn and Tennis Club while he was at it. I do not think I need to go into deep detail on this issue as the Russian's Wimbledon diatribe made major headlines over the past week. In a addition to his general lambasting of the Club's snobbery, Medvedev's list of complaints centered around prejudicial treatment in regards to practice courts and the distribution and quantity of player badges. While the allegations may not have been all that shocking, Medvedev actually stating them publicly was the newsworthy event. Criticizing Wimbledon is pretty much tantamount to telling your grandmother she smells like moth balls. It is something everyone knows, but does not say anything about. Practice courts are always a premium at the AELTC and Sampras is going to get a practice court and all the time he wants on it no matter what. Likewise, Agassi's entourage will get all the player passes they want, especially this year if Steffi Graf is in tow.

Wimbledon is an institution -- and with that comes all the trappings. Wimbledon spokespeople have already thrown out an olive branch to personally address these issues with Medvedev. Whether this is a sincere gesture or just masterful PR on the part of the AELTC, we will have to wait and see. If Medvedev thought Wimbledon was unfriendly in the past, with the media attention these statements have already generated, the grass courts may be the least of his worries.

Martina Navratilova's Lines:

"But she makes great money. You know, she's good for the game. I just wish she'd play better."
-- on Anna Kournikova

"I don't think it's useful to ask the players to wear necklines that go lower and lower to promote themselves."
-- on WTA "policy" which encourages glamour and sex appeal

In a humorous exchange with the press regarding Anna Kournikova's off-court endorsements, Martina Navratilova quipped "What is she supposed to do? Give the money away?" Hopefully due to a language barrier, the reporter responded "Yes." After some further clarifying, Navratilova ultimately stated that the Russian has been dealt a good hand in the poker game of life -- great looks and a good athletic body -- and that other players just need to "get over it." Before congratulating one of the greatest female athletes of all time on her progressive attitude toward "beauty," she also criticized the society that values appearance over ability/results.

There are plenty of tennis fans who agree with Navratilova. Kournikova is the proverbial double-edged sword. We scoff at her for making millions off-the-court with little correlation to her on-court performance but recognize the attention to the game of tennis. This past year I had no trouble convincing a "non-tennis" friend to attend a match by using the lure of Kournikova (and, oh by the way, she just happens to be playing Lindsay Davenport). Any talk is good talk -- and it seems like this Mr. Ed and Ms. Navratilova have to reluctantly agree on that point.

In an interview with a French national sports daily L'Equipe, Navratilova made the second statement listed above. This one made me crinkle up my nose. Is there a vast left wing conspiracy against conservatism on the WTA Tour? Suddenly I had visions of the WTA upper brass stopping players in locker rooms ("Sorry Miss Pierce, you can not go out onto the court wearing shirt with a collar") or sitting grumpily around a board table at Reebok headquarters ("Introducing the new line of Venus William turtlenecks!"). There is no question that sex sells and the tennis world is no exception whether if the WTA Tour is exactly the place to be slinging blame (or some might say credit) I do not know. The WTA did not clarify the matter. Jim Fuhse, Director of Player Promotions, released a statement in response to Navratilova's claim - "Their glamour is something we neither promote nor shy away from." In other words, a combination of a "don't-ask-don't-tell" and "if-you-got-it-flaunt-it" philosophy.

In the past, the women's game was clearly driven by results and performance. While only four years have gone by, Navratilova has returned to a very different environment. The days of Anne White's full bodysuit causing a considerable stir at Wimbledon are long gone. Tennis is being run as a business and, for lack of a better word, "packaging" is a big part of it. I do not see the WTA as the instigator in the promotion of sex on the Tour. They are simply (and happily) receiving the end-product of clothing companies, agents, and, most importantly, a brand new breed of players.