Once again this year, some of the On The Line writers and editors got together to hand out oranges and lemons for the highlights and lowlights of the last tennis season. This year's judging panel consists of Chris Gerby, Peter van Mierlo, Ed Toombs, Jason Juzwiak and Jerry Balsam.

Our categories:

Player of the year
Newcomer of the year
Comeback of the year
Most improved player of the year
Flop of the year
Match of the year
Most memorable media moment
Nice moment of the year
Not so nice moment of the year
"Farewell, you'll be missed" award

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Player of the year

Chris G. R. Federer K. Clijsters

Peter v.M. R. Federer K. Clijsters

Ed T. R. Federer K. Clijsters

Jason J. R. Federer K. Clijsters

Jerry B. R. Federer K. Clijsters

Consensus: For a third year in a row we have chosen the peerless Roger Federer -- will Nadal make it close next year?
Our top female is also a unanimous choice: #2 in the rankings but #1 in our hearts, Kim Clijsters.

Comments

Chris G.:
Men: Roger Federer's dizzying display of brilliance continued in 2005. Despite being slowed by foot trouble in the summer and an ankle injury in the fall, the Federer Express rolled to a remarkable 82-4 record. It's all the more gobsmacking when you remember that three of those four losses went right down to the wire.
Women: Hard courts provide the fairest test of tennis supremacy and Kim Clijsters owned that surface in 2005. Her titles on the concrete of Indian Wells, Miami, Stanford, Los Angeles, and Toronto were capped off by a long anticipated Grand Slam breakthrough at the US Open. Had wrist surgery not kept Clijsters out of the Australian Open, there's little doubt she would have finished the season atop the WTA rankings.

Peter v.M.:
Men: This is more of a no-brainer choice than we've had at OnTheLine since we started doing the End of Year Awards. Roger Federer -- anyone who chooses differently needs a clue-stick.
This is certainly tough on young Rafael Nadal, who had an incredible year, and still finished second best by a distance. Serves him right for those exaggerated celebrations, if you ask me.
Women: Actually a fairly easy choice also, with the twist that the female player of the year did not end the year at number one. My choice is Kim Clijsters. She easily overtakes Davenport based on the fact that Lindsay did not win a major, and Kim was injured at the start of the year. It seems certain that but for the injury, she would have finished at number one, even with the somewhat odd sizzle-out she did at the Masters.
Expect Clijsters to be top ranked by the end of the Australian Open.

Ed T.:
Men: Duh!
Women: I really tried to make a case for Lindsay Davenport, but failed.
Kim Clijsters won more titles than Lindsay, including her first major, despite missing the first two months of the year.

Jason J.:
Men: Well, it was no 2003, but Roger Federer is still obviously head and shoulders above the rest of the pack. As a matter of fact, though this year wasn't as dominant as last, there seem to be fewer challengers ready to compete with him now (I count only one...)
Women: Even though her fans are more than reluctant to give credit where it is due when other players from her country deserve it, I have no qualms about giving this to Kim Clijsters, in spite of her hideous handlers and disingenuous nature. This is an award for PLAYER of the Year, and she has earned it with nine titles, including her first major. So even though I dislike many things about her character and support cast, I'm not stupid enough to hold it against her when she clearly was the best performer of the year.

Jerry B.:
Men: It will be an upset if Roger Federer doesn't sweep this category.
Women: Kim Clijsters' comeback from injury and breakthrough at the US Open do the trick.

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Newcomer of the year

Chris G. A. Murray A. Ivanovic

Peter v.M. T. Berdych A. Ivanovic

Ed T. A. Murray S. Mirza

Jason J. R. Gasquet A. Ivanovic

Jerry B. A. Murray S. Mirza

Consensus:
Ana Ivanovic and Andy Murray shot to prominence in their first full seasons on the circuit.

Comments

Chris G.:
Men: His brash persona may not be currying much favor in the locker room, but Andy Murray is unquestionably a star on the rise. "Passing of the torch" cliches regarding British tennis were hard to avoid as the lanky 18-year-old advanced further than Tim Henman at Wimbledon and then defeated his elder compatriot in Basel.
Women: Storming through qualifying en route to her maiden title in Canberra, Ana Ivanovic wasted no time making a mark in her first full season on the WTA. Ivanovic's dangerous forehand carried her to wins over the likes of Mauresmo, Petrova, and Kuznetsova as she sailed up the rankings to 16th in the world.

Peter v.M.:
Men: Since Nadal is technically no longer a newcomer, this honour has to go to Thomas Berdych. He won a Super 9 Master Series event! I wonder how confident he is he'd have won if Federer or Nadal had been there. If we didn't dislike him, Andy Murray might have had a chance. What is it about British tennis players that makes us dislike them? Perhaps the way they are instantly hailed as the new great British hope has something to do with it.
Women: Not entirely sure if Ana Ivanovic is a newcomer, but she's my pick anyway. Her tennis is impressive, her looks are stunning, which oddly has not been picked up by the media much. Check out the gallery at her website and tell me she's not every bit as glamorous as the long-legged Russian blonde du jour.

Ed T.:
Men: Andy Murray picked up some surprising wins over very good players, reached an ATP final, and gave the British tennis reporters something other than Henman and Rusedski to write... and write... and write about.
Women: Sania Mirza not only showed her talent by winning a WTA event and cracking the top 40. As both an Indian and Moslem female athlete, her cultural importance transcended her impressive on-court results.

Jason J.:
Men: Richard Gasquet finally broke out of his slump, rising from outside of the Top 100 into the Top 20. The French nearly ruined another player's life with their oppressive pressure, causing Gasquet to plateau at 15 and earn a reputation as, if not a hothead, then an accidentally violent stumblebum, but after beating Federer and reaching the final of Monte Carlo, it's been nothing but smooth sailing for the versatile youngster.
Women: No question this goes to Ana Ivanovic, the enormously talented Serb. Injury and a new target on her back caused a bit of a backslide near the end of the year, but she has all sorts of game. She, along with Nicole Vaidisova, will make next year very difficult for the Top Ten.

Jerry B.:
Men: Andy Murray: If for no other reason than my being present to see him toss his cookies during his US Open win over Andrei Pavel. Honorable mention: Gael Monfils and Novak Djokovic.
Women: Sania Mirza is not just a player, but a sociopolitical force.

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Comeback of the year

Chris G. J. Blake A. Harkleroad

Peter v.M. J. Blake K. Clijsters

Ed T.. J. Blake M. Pierce

Jason J. J. Blake V. Williams

Jerry B. J. Blake M. Pierce

Consensus: James Blake is our pick as the men's comeback player after his nightmarish 2004.
And the "Mary Pierce Comeback Award" goes to... Mary Pierce!

Comments

Chris G.:
Men: Unless you were living under a rock during this year's US Open, you know all about the bouts with injury, illness, and family tragedy that turned James Blake's world upside down in 2004. A string of nailbiting losses early in '05 provided an additional test, but the American ultimately passed with flying colors. By season's end, Blake had collected two titles, returned to the world's Top 25, and scored a career redefining win over Rafael Nadal.
Women: Ashley Harkleroad's story may not be as famous as James Blake's, but there are striking similarities. Battling a chronic elbow injury and reeling from her mother's cancer diagnosis, the former phenom succumbed to depression and disappeared into semi-official retirement last year. Harkleroad came back the hard way in 2005, gradually clawing her way through the glamour-free challenger ranks, where she won a pair of tournaments and climbed back within striking distance of the Top 100.

Peter v.M.:
Men: James Blake overcame a horrible 2004 to make a strong comeback in 2005, with perhaps as its highlight his utter destruction of Rafael Nadal at the US Open. Impressive stuff.
Women: Kim Clijsters overcame perhaps not entirely as horrible a 2004, and made an even stronger comeback, almost clinching the top ranking at the end of the year. Her tear through the hard court season was superb stuff.

Ed T.:
Men: Full marks to James Blake for rebounding from a 2004 from Hell. That it happened to one of the classiest guys in the game made it that much sweeter.
Women: Mary Pierce's latest comeback was the most improbable of her many comebacks. I really did think Pierce was washed up. But she not only had a strong season, she sustained it to the end by reaching the WTA Championships final and closing the year in the top five.

Jason J.:
Men: A great return for James Blake, who is playing the best ball of his career after a harrowing last couple of years. After surviving a couple of career-threatening (and possibly life-threatening) trials, he now goes into 2006 with a more sound game than he ever possessed and incredible momentum.
Women: So many good ones this year! Kim, Justine, and Mary all are candidates (though, really, we should just rename it the Mary Pierce Comeback Award, because...how many times can you come back in one career?), but I'm selecting Venus Williams, because hers was the most surprising in relation to what she accomplished. A steely turnaround in the Wimbledon final shocked me, as I thought her spotty game would not win her another major in this era. Was it a one-off? We'll see.

Jerry B.:
Men: James Blake, for all the obvious reasons. Honorable mention -- Jonas Bjorkman: He had to qualify for the US Open, and now he's No. 62 in the world again. A good effort from a tour graybeard, and let's give him credit for being a good ambassador for the forgotten game of doubles.
Women: I could go with Clijsters, but how many people expected Mary Pierce to make two major finals and finish No. 5 in the world?

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Most improved player of the year

Chris G. R. Nadal N. Vaidisova

Peter v.M. R. Federer S. Mirza

Ed T. R. Nadal A. Ivanovic

Jason J. R. Nadal A.-L. Groenefeld

Jerry B. R. Nadal N. Vaidisova

Consensus: Our pick here on the men's side is Rafael Nadal, who became almost unbeatable on clay and darned hard to beat on other surfaces.
On the distaff side another teenager, Nicole Vaidisova, continued her rapid ascent and wound up in the top 15.

Comments

Chris G.:
Men: Having started the 2005 season ranked outside the ATP's top 50, Rafael Nadal sure came a long way in a short time. The speedy swashbuckler with the pirate pants and flair for the dramatic was everywhere this year, dominating on the clay and more than establishing himself on hard courts. His eleven titles included a Grand Slam triumph at Roland Garros and a marathon win in Rome, where his epic five set duel with Guillermo Coria was a strong candidate for match of the year honors.
Women: With the raging temper of a young John McEnroe and the gangly gait of a newborn fawn, Nicole Vaidisova offers plenty of reminders that she's still just 16 years old. Her game is maturing at a breakneck pace, however, as evidenced by the 18-match winning streak (including three titles in consecutive weeks) she put together late in 2005.

Peter v.M.:
Men: It's tempting to pick Federer here -- again. What stands out this year is the way he now manages to win matches when he is not playing his best, as he did in Cincinnati, and at the Masters Cup as well. Another candidate might be Nadal, who turned lots of promise into lots of tournament wins (11). Andy Murray is yet another possibility. Because of Nadal's needless celabratory nonsense, and Murray's British citizenship, my nod goes to Federer.
Women: Sania Mirza combined a huge run up the rankings with some excellent public speaking, and some great t-shirts (like the "I'm cute? No shit!" t-shirt she wore at the US Open). She's sassy!
Her forehand looks all wrong in slow motion, but she whacks the ball plenty, which gained her some nice wins (and made her come close in some hard-fought losses).

Ed T.:
Men: While we all knew Rafael Nadal would be good, I'm not sure we knew he would be this good, this fast.
Women: Probably Ana Ivanovic should be considered a newcomer, but I wanted to mention both her and Mirza in my picks. Ivanovic was a breath of fresh air who would probably have done even better had her final months of the season not been marked with a string of injuries. I could do without the photo shoots though. They're a bit too derivative.

Jason J.:
Men: Rafael Nadal jumped fifty places in the rankings, moving from feared floater to the only man capable of knocking Roger Federer off the top of the rankings. A clay-court specialist no more, his superb speed and brute force makes him basically the only player not named Roger to be considered a favorite on every surface.
Women: Anna-Lena Groenefeld beefed up her serve to the biggest in women's tennis and hooked up with Martina Navratilova to improve her all-court game, and she finished the year in a rush, moving from a mid-rank pusher to a Big Babe capable of brutalizing anyone. Had it not been for an unfortunate injury she suffered while she was absolutely creaming the nearly obsolete Sharapova, she would have finished the year in the Top Twenty.

Jerry B.:
Men: It's hard to remember that Nadal finished 2004 at No. 51. Honorable mention: Nikolay Davydenko.
Women: Nicole Vaidisova is yet another six-footer who can play.

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Flop of the year

Chris G. G. Canas K. Sprem

Peter v.M. Masters Cup WTA Championships

Ed T. T. Henman K. Sprem

Jason J. Masters Cup Russians

Jerry B. T. Henman S. Kuznetsova

Consensus: On the women's side, Karolina Sprem followed a breakthrough 2004 with a breakdown 2005.
We had a tie in the men's division: the weak field at the Masters Cup was deemed flopworthy, as was the once-proud Tim Henman.

Comments

Chris G.:
Men: As flops go, it's hard to match immediately falling from the Top 10 into exile. Following a positive test for a diuretic used to mask the presence of banned substances, Guillermo Canas was suspended for two years. Canas is appealing the suspension, but the number of Argentines who've tested positive for doping over the past few years lends a certain "where there's smoke, there's fire" credence to Willy's persona non grata status.
Women: What the heck happened to Karolina Sprem? The talented youngster from Croatia followed a breakout 2004 season by appearing to go on an extended walkabout. Sprem fell at the opening hurdle a whopping sixteen times in 2005, including a straight sets loss in the first round of Zurich qualifying.

Peter v.M.:
Men: Marat Safin might be a pick here -- his excellent start to the year, winning the Australian Open, turned out to be pretty much all she wrote, as Safin spent the rest of the year either injured or hopeless. However, a year where you win a major cannot really be a flop.
Andy Roddick's year was much more of a flop -- no major won, and losing in the first round at the US Open.
However, my choice is "top ranked players who did not turn up at the Masters for no good reason or withdrew because they lost" -- as a group. There's Roddick, who got injured playing meaningless ball with a bald celebrity. There's Hewitt, who wanted to be with his highly pregnant wife -- I suspect because the publicity contract stated he had to be there. There's Agassi, who once again withdrew after he lost.
Women: The major win each prevents me from picking the Williams sisters, where Serena in particular would have made an excellent candidate. Instead, let me pick the Masters event, for not having a backdoor clause to let Venus Williams play, based on her major win.

Ed T.:
Men: A back injury may have been at least in part to blame, but Tim Henman's slide appears to have begun. He plunged from 6th to 37th in 2005, and was a first week loser at Wimbledon for the first time in ten years.
Women: I suspect that Karolina Sprem must have had some personal problems this year, because her repeated early round losses were truly puzzling.

Jason J.:
Men: The Masters Cup was missing a lot of top players, but I would never ask any player to play with an injury. If these were all valid withdrawals, there isn't anything one can do about it; it was unfortunate but nothing to get angry about. Nevertheless, when you look forward all year to the showcase event, and only one of the Top Five players can perform, it's a disappointment.
Women: Every one of last year's Top Five Russians -- Myskina, Sharapova, Kuznetsova, Dementieva, and Zvonareva -- regressed in 2005. They flooded onto the scene last year, but the girls from the nation which grows more notorious headcases than any other couldn't deal with the pressure -- including two first round flameouts by Myskina and Kuznetsova at the Slams they were defending. Credit to Nadia Petrova, though, for finally shaking the Kournikova jinx and winning her first title.

Jerry B.:
Men: Poor Tim Henman. It's not a good feeling to get old and have a bad back.
Women: Poor Svetlana Kuznetsova. It's not a good feeling to still be young and get the yips.

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Match of the year

Chris G. Sanguinetti vs Srichaphan, U.S. Open V.Williams vs Davenport, Wimbledon

Peter v.M. Blake vs Nadal, US Open Clijsters v. Pierce, US Open

Ed T. Safin vs Federer, Australian Open V.Williams vs Davenport, Wimbledon

Jason J. Safin vs Federer, Australian Open Mauresmo vs Pierce, WTA Championships

Jerry B. Sanguinetti vs Srichaphan, U.S. Open V.Williams vs Davenport, Wimbledon

Consensus: Two Grand Slam thrillers that ended up 9-7 in the deciding set get mention here: V.Williams vs Davenport at Wimbledon (final) and Safin vs Federer in Australia (semifinal).
Tied with Safin-Federer as men's match of the year was a side court delight: Sanguinetti vs Srichaphan at the U.S. Open (third round).

Comments

Chris G.:
Men: Neither player was seeded and only the fifth set drew TV coverage in the States, but for my money no match had a higher "how cool is this?!?" factor than the third round US Open classic waged by Davide Sanguinetti and Paradorn Srichaphan. Willing themselves on like weary gladiators with literal survival at stake, they thrusted and parried for four and a half hours. Each rally was seemingly better and more dramatic than the last, many of them punctuated by memorable flashes of charisma. The grizzled Italian was the man of a thousand faces, blowing kisses into the air and pretending to shoot himself in the head. His fiery Thai opponent took a scary tumble...then bolted back up with an impromptu set of crowd pleasing pushups. All the way around, it was sublimely entertaining stuff. The fans won, the sport won, and Sanguinetti himself finally emerged victorious by a count of 6-3, 4-6, 6-7, 7-6, 7-6.
Women: Lindsay Davenport ended 2005 as the top ranked woman in the world, but she was a hard luck loser in three of the season's most enthralling matches. Her losses to Elena Dementieva at the US Open and Maria Sharapova at the year end championships were hard fought heartbreakers, but the highest level of sustained drama came in the Wimbledon final. Davenport was within two points of victory on eight occasions, but couldn't put away a fearless Venus Williams. The longest women's final in the history of the Championships ended 4-6, 7-6, 9-7 in favor of Williams, who won back a title few thought she'd ever reclaim.

Peter v.M.:
Men: James Blake def. Rafael Nadal, US Open -- and lots of Federer matches.
Women: Kim Clijsters def. Mary Pierce, US Open. Not the best tennis, for sure, but the highest drama of the year, and the match that I probably enjoyed watching most.

Ed T.:
Men: Marat Safin is perhaps the only player wth enough game to beat Federer when he is playing well, and that he did in their engrossing five-set encounter in the Antipodes. Happily, Marat had enough in the tank to put away the braying Hewitt, who was making such an idiot of himself that he managed to turn many of his home fans against him, in the final. Sadly, that was about it for Marat in 2005. His year was effectively over when he suffered a knee injury prior to Wimbledon.
Women: It may not have been memorable for technical reasons, but the Wimbledon final win by Venus Williams over Lindsay Davenport was about as dramatic as it gets. And similarly to the winner of our men's match of the year, Venus pretty much disappeared after a title that seemed to announce her return to the elite.

Jason J.:
Men: Safin def. Federer, AO SF. We all thought this would change the dynamic of the sport. Boy, were we wrong.
Women: Mauresmo def. Pierce, WTA Champs F. Two evenly-matched competitors and -- what's this! They're playing tennis! I remember this sport. To think that the mindless aces and shanks into the crowd of the endless (yet engrossing) Wimbledon final will probably get votes. I liked this one better. The ball actually stayed inside the lines!

Jerry B.:
Men: Davide Sanguinetti over Paradorn Srichaphan at the US Open: A riveting match featuring two appealing competitors (and an exuberant cheering section for the loser), and getting extra credit because I was there.
Women: Venus Williams over Lindsay Davenport in the Wimbledon final: 9-7 in the third on the biggest stage in tennis.

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Most memorable media moment

Chris G. Hewitt interview U.S. Open

Peter v.M. Henman interview Wimbledon

Ed T. Hewitt interview U.S. Open

Jason J. No pick

Jerry B. Empty seats French Open doubles

Consensus: Hewitt's on-court U.S. Open interview was the strangest of several such memorable interviews conducted this year.

Comments

Chris G.:
Lleyton Hewitt came up with some thrilling, gutsy tennis to turn back a spirited five set challenge from Taylor Dent at the US Open. However, if all you caught was the post-match interview, you wouldn't think he'd done anything right. In the nadir of CBS's jaw-droppingly biased coverage, Tracy Wolfson asked two questions: the first exclusively pro-Dent and the second bizarrely anti-Hewitt. "He shook your confidence; he exposed the weakness in your game," Wolfson informed the bewildered Aussie. Even the partisan American crowd, to its credit, lustily booed the inane line of inquiry. Perhaps CBS should finally cease its tradition of delegating interview and player profile duties to pretty dilettantes who, as Hewitt put it after this incident, "don't have too much idea about tennis."

Peter v.M.:
The pick here has to be Tim Henman's response to reporters' questions after his early loss at Wimbledon if he might now retire. He asked them if this meant that all but the world's top 9 reporters should retire. Well, Tim, by now there'd be 37 reporters left, and I suspect by this time next year, a few more still.

Ed T.:
Lleyton Hewitt has had more than a few unnecessary fights with the media in his stormy career. But when a U.S. reporter's first question the Aussie after a pretty high-quality win over Taylor Dent at the US Open was how it felt to have the weaknesses in his game exposed, I wouldn't have blamed him for taking a swing at her. He didn't.

Jerry B.:
All the empty seats at the French Open men's doubles final. What is to be done?

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Nice moment of the year

Chris G. Federer and Santoro, Mutual admiration Sania Mirza Wins Hyderabad

Peter v.M. Blake's comeback, U.S. Open Clijsters, Wins U.S. Open

Ed T. Blake's comeback, U.S. Open Hingis Announces return

Jerry B. Federer & Nadal, Basel Clijsters, Wins U.S. Open

Consensus: Kim Clijsters finally won that elusive major title, and was our choice on the women's side.
Like Kim, James Blake becomes a two time winner, as his return to form at the US Open warmed more than a few hearts.

Comments

Chris G.:
Men: Roger Federer rarely finds himself across the net from a foe who can approximate his standard of creativity and finesse, but the Swiss superstar met his match on a Friday night in Flushing Meadows. The Gallic flair exhibited by Fabrice Santoro wasn't quite enough to win any of the three airtight sets in that second round US Open encounter, but he clearly earned Federer's admiration and the crowd's support. The match ended with each player singing the other's praises and both receiving thunderous ovations. It was a truly nice scene, especially in the way it exploded the myth (propagated throughout the fortnight) that American fans only enjoy watching American players.
Women: "Well-behaved women rarely make history," read a t-shirt sported by Sania Mirza midway through her whirlwind 2005 season. Mirza indeed made history on her home soil in Hyderabad, becoming the first Indian ever to win a WTA title. It may have only been a small Tier IV event, but it was an inspirational watershed moment in India, where fans celebrated by literally dancing in the streets. A devout Muslim whose relatively short skirts and sporadically outspoken comments have provided a wellspring of controversy, Mirza continues to blaze a trail despite facing not-so-nice threats and public condemnations.

Peter v.M.:
Men: No comments.
Women: At the US Open Kim Clijsters finally turned all the promise into major success -- success at a major.
Amelie Mauresmo's biggest success to date, her win at the year-end Masters tournament, was also very pleasing, and makes me think that perhaps she, too, can deliver on all that promise. Chances are it won't be at the French Open though.

Ed T.:
Men: The proudest moment in Jame's Blake's comeback may have been a defeat -- his gripping loss to Agassi at the quarterfinal stage of US Open. "It couldn't have been more fun to lose," said Blake bravely, clearly aware that he had capped a special tournament and that even better days should lie ahead.
Women: I'd be surprised if Martina Hingis reaches the top 15 in her comeback next year. But her comeback announcement was a nice moment for the women's game, which has missed the Swiss ace and her special skills.

Jerry B.:
Men: An injured Federer visiting Nadal at his hotel in Basel.
Women: Kim Clijsters finally winning a major.

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Not so nice moment of the year

Chris G. ATP, Downgrades doubles Mary Pierce, Gamesmanship

Peter v.M. ATP, Downgrades doubles Nonsense about Cljsters honouring her contract

Ed T. Mariano Puerta, Tests positive Mary Pierce, Gamesmanship

Jerry B. Roscoe Taner, In trouble again WTA, Injuries

Consensus: We give thumbs down to the ATP for its attempts to ruin the doubles discipline.
On the women's side, Mary Pierce unsportingly turned a very important match in her favour by delaying the proceedings in a suspect manner.

Comments

Chris G.:
Men: This past summer the ATP bowed to pressure from myopic tournament directors by unveiling a proposal that sought to radically alter the fast-paced, entertaining game of doubles. More disturbing than the changes to be imposed on the scoring format were the plans for tweaking the entry system. By 2008, virtually all spots in doubles draws would be earmarked specifically for players in that week's singles field...whether they have any doubles aptitude or not. This essentially would have killed doubles altogether in the long term. Considerable ugliness (a lawsuit filed by players; a narrowly averted vow to eliminate the doubles draw in Madrid) followed, although cooler heads appear to be prevailing. The revised, toned down "enhancements" announced in October represent a reasonable compromise.
Women: Mary Pierce may not have technically broken any rules in her US Open semifinal win, but her conduct went far beyond the bounds of fair play. After losing the first set to Elena Dementieva, Pierce brought the proceedings to a grinding halt by having a pair of negligible injuries treated over the course of an interminable 12-minute delay. Momentum thereby snuffed out, a miraculously healed Pierce rallied to win the ensuing two sets. "If that's the only way she can beat me, it's up to her," seethed a justifiably irked Dementieva, who avenged the loss a week later in the Fed Cup final.

Peter v.M.:
Men: Aren't they supposed to represent the player's interests? They're doing an awfully poor job of it. Happily, some of the more idiotic proposed new rules have been nixed already. I cannot escape the thought that given the fact that most people who play tennis themselves play mostly doubles, and given how popular doubles is when it actually makes it on air (which pretty much is only at Wimbledon now), it should be possible to do a much, much better job of marketing doubles play. Typically, at the end of the Masters Cup, I was unsure if the doubles Masters had been played, perhaps even at the same venue as the singles. Sky Sports made zero mention of it in their broadcasts.
Women: When Kim Clijsters won the US Open and the US Open Series, she gave her coach a $9000 bonus. This was deemed too little by some, including, apparently, the coach, because the relationship was severed. This is utter nonsense -- Clijsters no doubt honoured all her contractual obligations, and threw in a substantial bonus -- unless $9000 is now something to be sniffed at. No doubt the people who thought this was not enough expect their employers to give them great big bonuses if the company stock goes up, as well. What nonsense.

Ed T.:
Men: Argentine tennis suffered the latest in a string of black eyes when it was reported that French Open runner-up Mariano Puerta had failed a drugs test for the second time in his career. At least the Argentine tennis authorities and media are resorting less often to conspiracy theories, and are starting to recognize that there is a serious problem that needs to be addressed.
Women: Mary Pierce's double-injury-timeout during her US Open semifinal win over Elena Dementieva was shameful, since it threw her opponent completely off. I'm sure that was the intention. I was overjoyed when the Russian got her revenge in the Fed Cup final.

Jerry B.:
Men: Roscoe Tanner getting in trouble with the law again and again. Dishonorable mention: The ATP trying to kill doubles.

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Farewell, you'll be missed

Chris G. T. Woodbridge M. Maleeva

Peter v.M. T. Woodbridge No pick

Ed T. K. Kucera F. Zuluaga

Jerry B. M. Rosset S. Farina Elia

Consensus: Todd Woodbridge decided to end his brilliant doubles career in mid-season, and the great Aussie volleyer gets the men's nod.
There was no woman we collectively couldn't do without.

Comments

Chris G.:
Men: A year of transition in the world of men's doubles was typified by Todd Woodbridge's mid-season retirement. Over a span of 17 seasons, Woodbridge put together an unparalleled resume, setting the Open Era record with his 83 doubles titles. The right-handed half of the legendary "Woodies" tandem wasn't always the most easygoing character (as evidenced by his altercation with a female security guard at the Atlanta Olympics), but he'll be missed for his masterful reflexes on the court and his passionate pro-doubles advocacy off it.
Women: The dominant personalities in women's tennis tend to be increasingly short on perspective and long on catty arrogance. With that in mind, let's raise a farewell toast to Magdalena Maleeva, who blessed the sport with her sly, unique, intellectually curious, socially conscious, infectiously charming personality for 15 years. Oh, and she could play. The youngest of three sisters who carved out successful careers in pro tennis, Maggie retired in October after winning ten singles titles and reaching a career high ranking of No. 4 in the world.

Peter v.M.:
No comments.

Ed T.:
Men: Karol Kucera never had a big breakthrough in a major event, but had a pretty nice career that saw him figure in the top ten and score victories in Grand Slams over both Sampras and Agassi. Who can forget Agassi mocking Kucera's errant ball toss at the 1998 U.S. Open? The Baby Cat's career fizzled too soon -- he had been in semi-retirement for the past two years -- because of repeated wrist problems.
Women: If Fabiola Zuluaga had possessed a strong competitive streak, she would have probably been a top ten player. A tall woman who hit hard but also played with a lot of variety, Zuluaga was also a genuinely nice, laid-back lady. She retired to start a family and pursue some other interests, including the launch of a tennis magazine in her native Colombia.

Jerry B.:
Men: It's worth remembering that Marc Rosset is lucky to be alive, having changed his post-US Open travel plans in 1998 and avoiding Swissair Flight 111, which went down.
Women: Silvia Farina Elia reached as high as No. 11 in the world without ever occupying the spotlight. She beat both Serena and Venus Williams in 2005.

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On The Line wishes you a very Happy New Year of tennis in 2006