Tennis

Ten burning questions for the Aussie Open

By KEITH NIEBUHR
Published January 15, 2006

1. Which Serena and Venus Williams will show? Once again, many tennis observers have begun to question the sisters' desire. When on their respective games, they're still two of the best five players in the world. But injuries have slowed each a bit in recent years and one has to wonder how much their hearts are in it.

2. Will the American men's "B team" continue its resurgence? James Blake and Robby Ginepri appeared capable of cracking the top 10 at the U.S. Open and toward the end of last year, and Taylor Dent has been hovering around the top 30 for some time. Are they ready to make a real move and give Andy Roddick some company, or will they become career journeymen?

3. How far can Martina Hingis, 25, go in her first major since coming out of retirement? One thing is certain: She faces an uphill battle in Melbourne. Hingis plays Vera Zvonareva, the 30th seed, in her opener and a match against fifth-seeded Mary Pierce looms in the third round.

4. Can Lindsay Davenport end her drought? Rarely has the top seed received so little attention, but when your last major championship came six years ago that's to be expected. Davenport is the model for consistency, but she's winless in her past four Grand Slam event finals.

5. Will Lleyton Hewitt, who has lost to the eventual champion in the past seven majors in which he was entered (dating to the 2004 Australian Open), continue his amazing streak? Maybe. He's due to play top-seeded Roger Federer in the semifinals.

6. Will anyone from the host country besides Hewitt make an impact? That's doubtful. Hewitt (No. 4) and Wayne Arthurs (No. 96) are the only Aussie men in the top 100 and Alicia Molik (No. 46) is the only woman in the top 50.

7. How hot will it get? Calls to push the Australian Open back a few months have fallen on deaf ears even though the weather can be brutal. Temperatures routinely rise above 100 degrees on the court, sometimes making this event a war of attrition.

8. Will Pierce continue her remarkable resurgence? Long forgotten, she made the final of the French and U.S. Opens last year and was one of the best five players in the world by season's end. Can she keep it up in Australia?

9. Will Maria Sharapova regain the form she displayed when she won her first major title at Wimbledon in 2004? Since that event, she has yet to reach the final of a Grand Slam event. Still only 18, Sharapova has the game to do well during the next two weeks.

10. Now that Kim Clijsters has claimed her first major, will that open the floodgates? Clijsters arguably is the most talented player on tour. And, she's probably the most athletic. But a minor hip injury might be enough to keep her from winning in Melbourne.

[Last modified January 15, 2006, 01:48:18]