The ESPN network, which is showing 100 hours of live US Open tennis on ESPN2 (and 400 online at ESPN360.com), hosted a conference call recently with two familiar voices from the commentary booth: Cliff Drysdale and Pam Shriver. Both had some interesting things to say on the biggest, fattest and meatiest stories going into the US Open.  Here’s some food for thought:

Will Roger Federer continue to be a lean, mean, Major-winning machine?

Cliff Drysdale isn’t sure:

My general question about Roger Federer is: What keeps him motivated at this point? He’s now the daddy of twins and he’s accomplished just about everything he has to accomplish. Does this lead to him being fat and satisfied and happy or does it motivate him to continue to win? I don’t know the answer to that question.  I think that’s something that will be answered in the next couple of weeks.

Pam Shriver says Federer won’t be popping bonbons anytime soon – he’s still too hungry for tennis:

I think we already know the answer. I think Federer’s hungry as ever. Whether it’s Navratilova or Graf or Evert or McEnroe or Connors, to me that’s what sets the greatest of champions apart:  It’s never enough. They’re always hungry for more. They’re greedy beings and that’s what makes them great champions.

Rafael Nadal’s health is still weighing on everyone’s mind going into the Open. Pam Shriver proposed this surprising/shocking solution to Nadal’s knee problems:

I think Nadal should look at Andy Roddick and the 10 to 15 pounds he’s lost. Even though Nadal is one of the fittest players of all time – when you have knee problems any 2, 3, 5, 8, 10 pounds you can become leaner takes a ton of stress off (the body.) I think after the US Open he’s got to look at – without losing strength – perhaps losing some weight.

Cliff acknowledged that Nadal’s “workhorse” ways were wearing him down, physically, but said the knees were only the half of Rafa’s worries:

There’s one other issue that we need to look at. Nadal’s getting better – I understand that. But there are more players that are improving, as well. For example: Andy Roddick is better, Djokovic is still improving, Del Potro is without a doubt improving and Andy Murray clearly is. And these are all players who play with a kind of game that can take a Nadal down: Flat ball hitters and very aggressive, strong guys.

As for the ATP’s own Valerie Bertinelli, Andy Roddick’s new physique has boosted his aura as well as his game.  A year ago, I doubt Pam Shriver would have said this: “I feel like if Roddick stays on course – which he has every indication of doin – he’ll slip in another major or 2 before he’s retired.”

Chew on that!

On the women’s side of the tournament, Serena and Venus remain the favorites in what Shriver called the “bottom heavy” side of the draw. In the top half, it’s shaping up to be a battle of the Russians with Sharapova, Safina and Dementieva as the top contenders.

Cliff Drysdale gives Dementieva “a 35% chance” of winning the entire tournament, calling her “the best groundstroker in women’s tennis” with a serve that’s “unrecognizably” improved.

Pam Shriver says it’s do or die time for Dinara Safina, who she thinks has been “terribly bruised” from her flame outs in majors this season:

For the No. 1 player in the world she’s shown tremendous vulnerability. And I think having a good US Open and playing some big matches well is going to be really important for the rest of her career in the majors. She’s obviously proven herself at the regular tour level. She’s one of the hardest hitters if not the hardest hitter on the tour. But you can’t be that mentally frail and break down emotionally and expect to win majors.

You’ve heard what the talking heads have to say– now how do you weigh in?

John McEnroe said the use of injury timeouts is “absolutely an epidemic” on the tour, speaking Wednesday via an ESPN2 conference call.

The latest outbreak of timeout-itis occurred last weekend in Montreal, when Juan Martin del Potro called the trainer twice and took a bathroom break during his championship match against Andy Murray. The Argentine had treatment on a sore shoulder during a tricky moment  – he was up  6-5 in the second set and Murray was about to serve to stay in the match. Del Potro called the trainer back in the third set to rub his thigh.

Andy Murray, who won the match, was diplomatic about it afterwards: “It’s not the best time to have an injury timeout (in the second set), no question about that, but you know, if the guy is struggling or is injured, then obviously I don’t have a problem with him taking the timeout.”

John McEnroe does have a problem with it:

“The players are getting more and more athletic and doing more and more to get themselves in tip top condition. And to be someone who says, “Look I need a little rub down on my legs” (when you’re) being broken down by your opponent – mentally throwing the (other) guy off as well as physically getting something to help yourself recover – it’s against everything that sports is about, I think.”

It hasn’t always been this way. This injury time out rule is a modern-day invention – established after an incident at the 1995 US Open, when player Shuzo Matsuoka defaulted out of the first round due to severe cramping.  At the time, a player automatically forfeited the match if he requested medical treatment. Matsukoa didn’t ask for a trainer, but spent so much time writhing in agony on the court, unattended, that he was defaulted on a time violation. It was almost as painful to watch as experience, and the medical time out rule was established to avoid future grisly scenes. *Clarification – before 1995 injury timeouts were allowed but not for conditioning ailments like cramping.*

John McEnroe says the rule is being abused:

“What’s meant to be a rule to be helpful has gone to absurd levels now with people obviously stretching the rules and taking advantage. Clearly there is a big difference between a real injury and needing a breather. Or trying to throw your opponnent. . . . The bathroom breaks and injury time outs have been pretty key components in the matches, which was not meant to happen, originally.”

It’s not just John McEnroe or crusty tennis purists nattering about the continuous play of the good old days, when no one sat down during changeovers or toweled off from head to toe after every point. Both Andy Roddick and Roger Federer have complained about players abusing the system, taking lengthy time outs (sometimes up to 10 minutes when evaluation and treatment is factored in) for issues related to physical conditioning and not dire injury.

Roddick complained about the rule at this year’s Australian Open, when Novak Djokjovic was treated for cramps and soreness during their quarterfinal, before retiring from the match (via Reuters):

“I looked over (at Djokovic) and I was confused, because I thought it was one injury per timeout, and I saw a calf, a neck, and an arm but I guess cramping is one condition. There’s obviously… a little bit of grey area there. Hopefully we’ll be able to do something about it.”

Roger Federer  quipped: “I’m almost in favor of saying, you know what, if you’re not fit enough, just get out of here.“

*UPDATE* Novak Djokovic was asked about this after beating Ivan Ljubicic this week in Cincinnati:

I’m not saying that 100% of players who are using them are using them in the right way.  There are some who are just using in their favor to irritate and provoke the opponent.  But that’s not my case.  I was having a lot of timeouts in last couple of years, and I know that they were for cause there.  I don’t see any reason why some players are just irritated by the fact that somebody else has a timeout. If he doesn’t feel well, obviously it’s there.  He can ask for help.

It’s an issue on the WTA tour as well. Dinara Safina rolled her eyes at the rule while playing in Los Angeles this month: “I’m competing if I’m stepping on the court. Don’t find excuses. . . I will never call a trainer if I have a headache. This way I’m very honest. If I call for something it must be really bad.”

Both Roddick and Federer say they want the rule reviewed. John McEnroe thinks change could come soon: “There’s no doubt it needs to be addressed and changed. That conversation has been taking place in the locker rooms. . .So hopefully at the end of this year it will be dealt with.”

But how can the tours really deal with it? The rule was established because of a cramping tennis player. Yes, Matsuoka’s case was extreme – but do Djokovic and Del Potro really need to roll and moan on the court before the chair umpire lets them call a trainer? A piece in the NYTimes suggests a boxing-style corner man be assigned to each player, to rub, tape and hydrate at will during changeovers. I say we give each player one three minute time out per match, which can be used for any reason and at any time. If a player uses it to mess up their opponent’s service game, only to default after rolling his ankle in the third set tiebreaker – that’s just bad karma.

Or maybe this is much ado about nothing. . .what do you think?

For the letter of the law, click here to read the ATP Rulebook (Section VII. The Competition)

Ana Ivanovic lost to Sam Stosur, 6-3, 6-2, on Thursday at the LA Women’s Tennis Championships. After the match, the always-thoughtful Ivanovic was disappointed, but still feeling positive about her first tournament back since Wimbledon:

“I really went through a lot in the last couple of months,” said Ivanovic, who could be referring to a number of traumatic events, including dropping out of the top 10 in June, hiring and firing and rehiring coaches and fitness trainers, and crashing out of  Wimbledon with an injury. “But it made me stronger. I know which direction I want to go. I feel like all I need is a little more matches and a little more competition.”

Ivanovic, who admitted to pushing herself to the point of exhaustion and finding herself “a little over-trained” this season, says she’s finally taken control of her tennis destiny:

I have to be more open and communicate. Because in the past I just felt like maybe I would hurt my coach by saying “Look, let’s just take it easy” or I would get judged by him because I’m not tough enough.

I learned that I can speak a little more open and can say to them (my coaches) “Look maybe I need to take a couple of days off.” It’s working really well for me. I have the feeling, you know, that I’m not here to please them.

It’s no accident that Ivanovic sounds like she’s spent some time with Dr. Phil (or Freud.) Except in Ana’s case, the therapist’s couch is a bench at Borders:

“I still like (reading) psychology, and almost every day since I’ve been here I go to Borders and just sit and read there. I always find myself wandering around that area (psychology section,) but I force myself to sort of go back and read something else. Because it gets you thinking a lot and I’m already doing that more than enough. So I should just read some fiction maybe.”

Ana’s current reading material? John Krakauer’s Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster.

 

Dinara Safina beat Daniela Hantuchova 6-2, 6-4 on Wednesday in the second round of the LA Women’s Tennis Championships.

“It was my first match here in America. It was a solid match” Dinara said of her 2009 US Open Series debut.

Solid is a good way to describe Safina’s play all year, and this consistency has been her main defense when asked about why she holds the No. 1 ranking instead of a certain twittering, Major-winning Williams sister. It’s also why Dinara Safina is the first player to secure a spot in the Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha this autumn.

But even better news for Safina and her fans: the knee tendinitis that has plagued her since the beginning of the clay court season has abated.***

“Now I don’t take anymore anti-inflammatories which is a positive thing for me.“ Safina said, a relieved smile on her face. “I was taking anti-inflammatories all the clay court season and all Wimbledon. I had a patella inflammation so it was really painful.”

“During the clay court season sometimes I would see stars every time I had to bend.“ Safina explained, saying that the pain particularly effected her serve.

“There were moments I was not even serving in practices.“ Dinara said, “I had a problem with my knee – that’s why I was compensating every time. I lost a little bit of timing (on my serve.) I could not bend on my left knee and I couldn’t get up.”

Dinara-watchers will remember a particularly painful double fault at the end of the Roland Garros final.

When asked why she didn’t site her knee injury as a factor in say, her demolition to Venus Williams in the  Wimbledon semi-final, Dinara said: “I’m competing if I’m stepping on the court. I don’t find excuses – this is my personality.”

Safina said she spent the time after Wimbledon training and working with a doctor. She has a physio traveling with her and says that her knee is “better.”

“There was a moment when I said to my coach: Oh I played the tournament (last week’s Slovenian Open) without taking pills, and I can finally serve without pain. I was so happy for it.“

Safina faces Zheng Jie of China Thursday night in the third round of the LA Women’s Tennis Championships. Click here to visit the tournament website.

***For those of you who may have missed any mention of Dinara’s knee injury previously, here is a snippet from her June 23 Wimbledon presser:

Q. You mentioned after the match you have a knee injury. Can you give us more details about how long that’s bothered you, what exactly the problem is?

DINARA SAFINA: Well, I have a tendinitis on my knee. It’s been bothering me already since April, since clay court season. On some tournaments, I’m playing just on Voltaren, because like it’s so painful to go on the knee on the serve.

And it been okay. And then since I came on grass ‑‑ French Open was perfect. The whole tournament I played fine. Started last week already in Holland because of grass. It’s softer, so I have to push more. It’s been bothering me. I started to take again Voltaren.

Today I had to take one more than during the match because at one moment I just could not go down anymore on my knee it was so painful.

But I had a treatment here, a physio. So, I mean, hopefully I can play. It’s nothing that’s killing me.

Yesterday I had a chance to sit down with Vera Zvonareva, the No. 7 ranked player in the world and the No. 2 seed at the LA Women’s Tennis Championships. Vera is coming back from an on again/off again injury layoff, that started in April when she badly injured her ankle chasing down a ball at the Family Circle Cup.

“It’s improved a lot.” Zvonareva said of her injury, which forced her to pull out of Roland Garros and withdraw before the third round of Wimbledon. “I came back too early and had to stop for about 4 weeks (after Wimbledon). But now it’s better. I was able to practice every day here, so I’m happy about that.”

Vera is a low-key No. 2 seed in a field that includes Dinara Safina, Ana Ivanovic and Maria Sharapova. The tennis season’s long, and it’s easy to forget how fast Vera’s star was rising at the beginning of the year, after a 2008 which included her top 10 debut, Olympic Bronze and a three set loss to Venus Williams in the final of the Season Ending Championships in Doha. She zoomed into the top 5 for the first time in 2009, after making her first Slam semifinal appearance in Australia, and she backed up this success with a singles/doubles sweep in the finals at Indian Wells.

A few weeks later, and the Zvonareva Express came to a screeching halt. I asked her what it was like to return to tour after her Season, Interrupted:

“I think at the moment it’s a little bit like starting over for me,” Zvonareva said. “Like being at Wimbledon, I still felt in the momentum a little bit. And now it’s a little bit different- everything seems to be different.”

The big difference is in her game, which Vera says is not coming easy to her:

My game is not there. The level of concentration is not there. It’s more difficult to focus. It just doesn’t come natural. You see this ball that you usually hit so easy – just a slow ball – you come up in the open court and it’s a winner.  Now the ball comes and you think, “Should I come to the net? Should I take it forehand or should I take it backhand?” It’s not there yet. So you have to start it over and forget about everything that was before. And not think you’re going to go out there and everything is going to be so easy.

I asked if the first half of the season gave her anything to build off of. Vera said she can’t look back:

I try to concentrate on where I’m at right now. Because if you’re going to think about the past, it’s not going to take you anywhere. You have great memories and you go with them on the court and you’re not able to make the same shots anymore. And it’s just killing you inside. Because your like “where is it?” The best way is not to think about what was there.

Don’t despair Bepa fans. Vera may be brutally honest to the point of pessimism, but she’s also a fighter:

“It’s going to be hard. But I think as long as I’m going to be trying my best out there, I’m going to get back and playing good tennis again. . .I believe in myself and know that I can get it back. That’s the most important thing.”

Vera Zvonareva plays Peng Shuai in the second round of the LA Women’s Tennis Championships tonight. (On a double bill with Vania King vs. Ana Ivanovic.) Click here for tickets and more info.

“Reality stinks sometimes,” said Maria Sharapova after beating Jarmila Groth 6-0, 6-4 in the first round of the LA Women’s Tennis Championships on Monday.

Of course, reality is relative when you’re talking about the life of a glamorous tennis superstar and self-proclaimed global “brand.”

“As a 22 year old, you’re almost finding yourself on the old wagon.“ Maria elaborated, speaking of how the tour has changed since her ten month injury layoff. Since making her (singles) comeback at the Warsaw Open in May, Sharapova says the competition is getting younger:

I notice many younger girls coming up. I played a few girls, say, in Birmingham (a Wimbledon warm- up tournament) where I’d never heard of them and they were quite young and had pretty good games. . .And then you’re like “Wow, where did these girls come from?” Then you don’t see them for weeks and they pop out of nowhere again. It’s funny. The tour is really interesting. You just see all kinds of characters.

Sharapova, who is ranked No. 61 in the world, needed just over 60 minutes to beat the No. 60 ranked Jarmila Groth, who is also 22 years old. Maria dominated the first set and came back quickly from a bad service game early in the second, showing no ill effects from her 2-6, 2-6 loss to Venus Williams last week in Stanford. (Venus, at age 29, should be riding the “old wagon” to the nursing home according to Maria’s standards.)

“I haven’t really set milestones.” Sharapova said of her strategy looking forward to the U.S. Open. “But I’ve really wanted to face challenges, and I’ve wanted to face all kinds of different opponents who are going to create challenges.”

Maria will face quite a challenge in her second round, where she faces the tournament’s No. 3 seed, Victoria Azarenka. Maria’s 20 year-old opponent is considered a Sharapova doppelganger, at least when it comes to big hitting, fierce mental intensity and high decibel grunting.

Will the old, rusty model fall to the latest upgrade? Maria says she’s up for the battle:

(Azarenka’s) not an up-and-comer anymore – she’s top 10 in the world. I definitely am happy I’ve created the opportunity. . . to play against her. Because as someone who’s been there before, I love the challenges of playing some of the best people in the world.  I look forward to playing that one.

Sharapova told reporters that Azarenka, currently ranked No. 9, “has a great amount of potential to become number one in the world.”

But Junior might have to get in line: “That’s where I’ve been and I know what that’s felt like.“ Maria said of regaining the No. 1 ranking. “And I’ve always wanted to feel that feeling.”

Sharapova faces Victoria Azarenka on Wednesday night in LA, on a double-header bill that also features (UPDATED!) Caroline Wozniacki vs. Sorana Cirstea (Dinara Safina was moved to play Daniela Hantuchova in Wednesday’s day session.) It’s Ana Ivanovic vs. (Dodger’s singer) Vania King AND Vera Zvonareva vs. Peng Shuai on Tuesday night.

Tickets are still available! And the stadium is cozy. Click here to visit the LA Women’s Tennis Championships website for more information.

The LA Women’s Tennis Championships kicks off today in Carson, California, a WTA Tour Premier Level event with a solid draw that includes Dinara Safina, Ana Ivanovic, Caroline Wozniacki, Vera Zvonareva and Maria Sharapova.

The top seeds attended today’s all-access media hour, here’s some of what they had to say:

Ana Ivanovic on moving up and down the rankings: “I put lots of pressure on myself – and I still do – but I didn’t realize how good pressure was until I didn’t have it anymore. All of the sudden when I didn’t have pressure, I realized how much I missed it and how much it made me sharper and more focused. I want the pressure back.”

Dinara Safina on Serena Williams (who is not playing in L.A.) and the No. 1 ranking:

“Ranking is ranking. I didn’t do the ranking system. . . It’s the result of the way you play the whole year, not just the Grand Slams. If she (Serena Williams) has some questions she can go to the WTA.”

Caroline Wozniacki on her goals: “Today I’m No. 8 in the world and it feels really good, but I still have seven spots left to where I want to be.“

Vera Zvonareva on coming back after ankle injury: “I think at the moment it’s a little bit like starting over for me.“

Vera had much more to say about her comeback – I’ll post my interview with her later, as well as photos and comments from Maria Sharapova’s match against Jarmila Groth tonight.

Click here to visit the LA Women’s Tennis Championships website.

 

Marat Safin and Tommy Haas played Friday night’s marquee quarterfinal at the LA Tennis Open. There are two “Major” differences between these two friends – Marat has two slams, Tommy has never made it to a major final – otherwise, they have a lot in common: flashy backhands, over a decade on tour, and the complete inability to be poker-faced on court. (Yes, the tournament DJ played Lady GaGa during a changeover.)

Racquets and epithets (in both Russian and German) flew throughout the match, but it was the German who cracked first. Safin broke Haas at love early in the first set and sent him glowering at his box. Not to be outdone, Marat gave Tommy the break back on his next service game, again at love. Safin broke a second time, but failed to serve out the set at 6-5. Then Haas won the breaker 7-3 and ran away with the match, nabbing the second set, 6-2.

“I think he mentally gave in a little bit,” Haas said of Safin after the match.

Which brings us to another major difference between Tommy Haas and Marat Safin. At the tail end of his career, Haas is motivated and focused. Marat, who has eight tournaments left before he retires from the tour, is. . .not.

Safin has yet to beat a top 50 player this year. Until this week, he hadn’t put together back-to-back victories since the Australian Open (where he lost in the 3^rd round to Federer.) Tommy Haas, on the other hand, has had a resurgent year. He’s in the top 20 and rising, was up two sets to Roger Federer at the French, won his first title in 2 years (and his first on grass) at Halle, and made it to the semifinals at Wimbledon for the first time, losing again to Federer.

Haas described his season, much like the first set of Friday’s match, as an up and down battle: “You kinda saw the light a little bit and then you saw no light at all,” is how he described his progress this year. “And the last two months have been more than unexpected and unbelievable for me. So I’m really proud with what I’ve accomplished. . and I really enjoy every moment and try to enjoy every moment, win or lose.”

And what about Tommy’s “good friend” Marat, who told reporters this week that he’d like L.A. a lot better if he wasn’t playing tennis here (click here.):

“If (Safin) would train hard and put all of his effort into it, he could still be, I think, going for these titles. But sometimes motivation is huge and where you are mentally in your life. I think he’s looked into some other big business opportunities already after his career, and you know, when you put your mind into these things a lot then sometimes you’re not taking (tennis) as serious.”

But at the same time, he (played) for a good 10 years and he was very successful. I think any player that just wants to play one last year, or the tournaments one more time, you just have to let it go and let him enjoy it. Let him have fun and let him go out this way. He’s going to look back and say ‘I had a pretty good career.’”

Haas, should he suddenly feel like joining his buddy on the beach, could say the same about his own time on tour. But right now, he still prefers the tennis courts to white sand. And he’s not ready to look back.

Tommy Haas plays Sam Querrey on Saturday night in the LATennis Open semis. Aussie/So-calian qualifier Carsten Ball will take on Argentine Leonardo Mayer in the afternoon match. Click here for the LA Tennis Open TV Schedule.

For some tennis fans, the main draw at the LA Tennis Open isn’t the Main Draw but the “Legends.” Pete Sampras (a two time champ in L.A.) played an exhibition against Marat Safin on Monday night before an enthusiastic crowd. Stefan Edberg, Jim Courier and Michael Chang – all past champs in Los Angeles – are also competing against one another in a series of exhibitions matches played alongside main draw action.

It’s fun to see these former champions walking around the grounds, hitting the practice courts and signing autographs (Edberg even helped a fan with his service grip.) Chang, Courier and Edberg sat down together for a press conference on Wednesday – representing 11 Major singles titles in one cramped, wood paneled trailer.

The veterans gave their perspectives on the tour’s uber-professionalism, the promising state of tennis and the considerable gifts of the sport’s newest legends, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

I asked the players to comment on Marat Safin’s complaints (click here) that the current tour is “too professional” and unfriendly.

“It changed from time to time.” said Stefan Edberg, who admitted to being away too long to comment on today’s tour. “Back in the 60s (the players) all hang out together, eat together. And over time it changes. There was even a change from the early 80s to the early 90s when it becomes more and more professional.”

Michael Chang, who retired in 2003, agreed that the game is becoming more “professional.” He said this insulated, Team Me mentality begins in the juniors:

“Our generation, we’re practicing together. We’re obviously playing against each other. Jim and I, we roomed together in Junior Davis Cup. Pete and I trained before a lot of the bigger tournaments and in our younger years. And nowadays a lot of the juniors don’t even hit with each other because they don’t want their opponents see what kind of game they have or what they’re working on. And I feel like maybe it starts a little bit from there. So there is some truth in it.”

“I’m sure Marat is being sentimental about (the old days). I think nostalgia plays.” Jim Courier said, saying that while the tour wasn’t as “jovial” as it used to be, the players are still comrades in arms.

“I sit here with these two guys.” Courier said, nodding to Edberg and Chang. “Guys I’ve played a lot of great matches against. These guys have broken my heart on more than one occasion, but they’re the guys I have more in common with than anyone. We have shared experiences and shared life experiences apart from each other. But we understand the mentality and I think Marat over time will probably find that to be true, as he looks over the course of his career.”

I asked if “professionalism” was a dirty word in tennis, and if it had a negative impact on the fan experience.

No way, said Jim Courier:

“The internal machinations of the game may not be as ’sweet’ as they were back in other eras, but the product that is being displayed on court for the average tennis fan is fantastic. The attitudes are tremendous. The role models are there in lots of different places. So while I think things do change. . . the common themes of two players walking on the court and one player walking off the winner stays the same. The guys doing it right now make me proud to be in tennis, because it’s in really great hands right now.”

Of course the main “guys” in question are Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who Stefan Edberg says “have taken the game to a different level.”

“What impresses me is that (Federer and Nadal) can keep the level for 5 sets. It doesn’t seem to bother them. They’ll still be running at high speeds in the 5^th set. So they’ve really made the game more interesting.” Edberg explained.

He also credited Robing Soderling’s recent success for helping grow the game in his home country. “From a Swedish perspective. Robin Soderling doing what he did to Nadal in the French Open has just lifted tennis to a new level in Sweden. It got so popular over the last 3 months. We’ve been starving for a new Swedish star and it’s created a lot of attention.”

Of course, Stefan Edberg, a six time Major champ and an international superstar, is also legendary for his sportsmanship on court. The ATP’s Sportsmanship award, which he won five times, was renamed the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award in 1996. With Roger Federer recently winning it for the fifth consecutive time, Edberg “yoked” that the award needed a name change: “Maybe we should rename it, say ‘Roger, here it’s your turn.’ He’s just a tremendous guy and has done so much for the game. And you know the great thing about (the award) is that it’s voted by the players.”

I asked what made Roger Federer so popular with his colleagues and Jim Courier had this to say:

“Roger in the locker room is I think pretty unique in terms of players of his stature. I have several friends who are still playing on tour full time. They talk about Roger minutes before he’s playing a grand slam semi final. They’ll still be there playing doubles, and he’ll be listening to their ipods and asking them what their favorite new songs are. And this is literally minutes before he’s going out to play a prime time semi final grand slam match. . .Roger just has this very light energy around him. He’s not a tortured artist by any means. He’s someone who loves being around the courts. Loves hanging around tennis, loves talking tennis, loves being in this world. And it’s this very special lightness of being that I think the other players marvel at because he doesn’t show any mercy when he plays. But he knows how to make people feel comfortable around him. And for many, many years there were champions whose M.O. was to make everybody else uncomfortable. So it’s a very different energy that he brings to the table.“

Courier, Edberg and Chang will be bringing their own special energy to the courts this weekend. Click here for more information from the LA Tennis Open website.

“I’d rather come here (to L.A.) without tennis. It’s much more pleasant than coming here and playing tennis. Even though the tournament is great.”

So said Marat Safin after beating Ernests Gulbis, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday at the LA Tennis Open.

For Marat fans, Wednesday’s match was a rare gem – a hard-fought, hard-hitting, rollercoaster ride of traded breaks and missed opportunities that Safin actually won in the end. But the Russian was quick to squelch any hopes of a Sampras-like finish to his career. When asked about the U.S. Open, Marat gave himself “no chance” to win.

Pete Sampras, who played Marat in an exhibition match on Monday (which Safin described afterwards as “too much stress”), explained that he was “emotionally spent” when he retired: “I didn’t have much left in the tank,” he said in a pre-match press conference.

Marat admitted on Wednesday that he’s feeling the aches and pains of twelve years on tour. “I need to spend much more time at the gym,” he said. But, like Pete, it’s the emotional stress more than the physical grind that is pushing him to retire.

“I need some vacation. At least half a year just to relax and realize that I’m not anymore a tennis player. And to understand that there is life afterwards. To relax because it’s too much stress throughout the years.”

He added that he’s looking forward to a “different way of thinking” when there are “no more match points, no more deuces, no more second serves” to stress-out about.

And no, he’s not going to miss the camaraderie of the tour. Safin says there is none, at least nowadays:

“Nobody (on tour) talks. There is no more friendship on tour like there used to be coming up. You can’t find Rafter and Philippoussis hanging out together. Now it’s become too professional. Nobody has as much fun as it used to be before. . .It’s a business – a huge business. Everybody’s hungry for money, obviously. (Like) any other job. Everybody’s walking with five or six guys – some of them even carrying their bags for them. Which is not really nice to see. But it happens.”

“I don’t have (best friends) on tour. It’s not sad. It’s okay. I’m okay with that.”

He hedged when asked about future plans. Will he suffer the enviable fate of Pete Sampras, who admitted on Monday that he’s still “looking for things to do.”?

“There are so many things to do.” Marat said, not needing to finish what he must have been thinking: “As long as it’s not tennis.”

Television coverage of the LA Tennis Open begins on Thursday. Click here for the schedule.