Getting Down With WTT

So, world, level with me. What's the deal with World Team Tennis?

In a schedule that's already packed, I'm not quite sure why people would play World Team Tennis - though I suppose it comes with a big pay day - but I certainly think it is a lot of fun! And it's a viable alternative to the seniors tour that gives people who have retired the opportunity to keep playing professional tennis in a way that is fun and exciting.

And would anyone deny that the Venus Williams/Martina Hingis match up is the most keenly anticipated match of the week - including everything that's going down in Davis Cup?

I'm not exactly sure what the rules are - I have a notion that there is no ad scoring - and there is a crazy coloured court. It seems to be restricted pretty much to the US, but I remember a WTT exo that went on on Margaret Court Arena during the Australian Open this year which was big fun. I'd love to see it played more - maybe not so much with the current big time players, though if they want to play it, more power to them - but with some of the old stars. Hingis, Kournikova, Davenport... they all play WTT and it seems like a perfect fit. I want to see Marat Safin play it. I think it'd be rad.

In short, from what I know of WTT, I think it's awesome. It doesn't dovetail especially well with the actual tour, but it is good fun and allows tennis to be a team sport. I think it's especially good for some ex-pros... and I hope to see more of it. Unless it has some major failing of which I am not aware. But I don't think it does. So yay WTT! Let us see more!

Dope

So, doping rules. What's up with them? Because sure as hell am not understanding them.

How is it than when Richard Gasquet was caught having cocaine in his blood - a drug that probably would not enhance his performance at all, however illegal it might be - he was tossed out of the sport until his name had been cleared... but when Wayne Odesnik gets caught with eight vials of human growth hormone, which is definitely a performance enhancing drug, he... plays Houston?

I'm guessing it has something to do with possession vs it actually being in your bloodstream, but come on. Look at the great debacle of Yanina Wickmayer and Xavier Malisse, who were out in the cold for ages. The way I see it, the offenses of Wickmayer, Malisse and Gasquet combined - and, you know what, throw Hingis in there for good measure - are nothing compared to what Odesnik is guilty of here. What Odesnik has done is a serious, serious offence in a clean sport.

So how is it that he's not suspended? If Wickmayer and co are guilty until proven innocent, what's up with the Odesnik ruling?

I have no doubt that if/when Odesnik gets convicted or sentenced or whatever they call it, he will be out on his arse. Andy Roddick said he should be thrown out of tennis and I agree wholeheartedly - and I think a whole lot of the tennis world does too. I don't understand why he is allowed to play at the moment, but the fact stands that he should not be playing. And that's something he should have realised himself. Just because you can play doesn't mean you should.

I bet things are real chilly in the locker room for Odesnik right now...

Clijsters in the Crowd

It's day #2 of not much tennis to talk about, so we're going to talk about something that's been in the news but I've thus far neglected to mention (I think) - the potential comeback of Kim Clijsters.

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The reason I haven't talked about it at all thus far is because, personally, I thought it was rubbish. Ha! thought I. She's only training for the Wimbledon exhibition with Henman and Agassi and Graf. But now it's becoming more and more likely that I'm wrong. I hear rumours of a press conference today. So... maybe Kim is coming back.

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Whether or not she is, let's assume for a moment that she is coming back. What effect would that have on the WTA? Would there be any effect?

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I think what I fear is that Clijsters will come back and shoot straight in the top #5 in a matter of months. Not that there would be anything wrong with that from a Clijsters perspective, but it would really put the nail in the coffin as far as the current WTA high rollers are concerned. I don't think Serena would be too worried - I don't know if Serena gets too worried about anyone - but if Clijsters came back and immediately started picking off your Safinas and Dementievas and even your out of form Jankovics and Ivanovics... then there's really trouble.

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This could work a couple of ways. It could depress everyone or it could encourage them to play better. I really hope it's the later. Clijsters would be a really interesting element in a currently lacklustre WTA. Hingis and Davenport both tried the comeback, with limited success. What can Kim do?