Tennis: A Year (Almost) in Review

Maria Sharapova. Svetlana Kuznetsova. Elena Dementieva. Anastasia Myskina. Vera Zvonareva. Vera Petrova. Karolina Sprem. Elena Bovina. Tatiana Golovin.

Russia and the former Soviet Republics churned out a ton of championship-quality players, finally turning the corner in 2004 with two, yes, two, all-Russian finals in major tournaments and with three, yes, three, major tournament champions. Finally, the WTA Tour has a series of competitors to make tournaments less predictable and even fun to watch in the early and late rounds. 2004 may be, by my standard anyway, the best women's tennis year since Chris Evert retired.

Venus and Serena Williams returned to the tour, and their long absence was evident in their performance in key matches. Not in fitness, but in shot execution. Justine Henin-Hardenne came back from illness long enough to prove that she is still the true number one player in the world, and Amelie Mauresmo finally lived up to the potential we all knew she had.

Having said all that, lets recap the best (and worst) of the 2004 tennis season, in my humble opinion:

Best of 2004

1. Maria Sharapova wins Wimbledon. No one individual victory meant more to tennis all year. Sharapova's victory brought a new vibrance to tennis, added a spark of personality to the tour, and gave us a new appreciation for Robert Lansdorp.

2. Robert Lansdorp's t-shirt at the U.S. Open. For all the grief Jim Courier and the old Bollettieri boys gave him every time they showed him in the stands at the Open, its about time that Robert was recognized for the genius he is. (Lansdorp.com)

3. Chile rules the Olympics. Nicholas Massu's unbelievable run to the Gold medal in both singles and doubles for his homeland showed that tennis is still relevant when you take the personality out of it.

4. Anastasia Myskina rocks at the French. Another Lansdorp player, Myskina, was near the top of the women's game all year, and managed to pull out a nail-biter at the French, becoming the first Russian woman ever to win a major.

5. Justine Henin-Hardenne wins Gold. Out for basically the whole year leading up to the Olympics, Justine plays inspired tennis all the way to the Gold medal. I still think she might be pregnant, though.

6. Roger Federer and Andy Roddick's rivalry. Still somewhat disappointing for Americans, the rise of Roddick and Federer to almost guaranteed opponents in the final of any tournament they play in makes for a historic rivalry on the level of Andre Agassi/Pete Sampras, Rod Laver/Ken Rosewall, Bjorn Borg/John McEnroe/Jimmy Connors, and Chris Evert/Martina Navratilova. Federer has Roddick's number right now, but this rivalry could become the force that brings interest back into men's tennis and adds epic new stories to the Grand Slam legacies.

7. The Bosworth custom racquet. Martina Navratilova gave the genius of Warren and Jay Bosworth a new look and also revived the interest in tennis racquets among all players.

8. The return of Dick Enberg. Need I say more? I missed you dearly, Dick.

9. Lindsay Davenport wins. The revival of Davenport during the summer season and the wins she racked up tell us that she is still a threat and potential Grand Slam champion.

Worst of 2004

1. Jim Courier. Despite what everyone says, his analysis was poor and he doesn't really bring much color to the game, not like Dick Enberg or even Ted Robinson. Proves that just because you used to play doesn't mean you can be a great guy behind the mike.

2. Venus and Serena. When they played, they played well, but proved that they have learned nothing in their time on the tour. Too many unforced errors in key matches and a lack of variety in their games made it possible for the rest of the women to finally meet them and beat them in big tournaments.

3. Aneres fashion shows associated with WTA Tournaments. The fashion show concept using players as models works to a degree, but why do we have to see Serena's fashions when she won't even play in the tournaments?

4. Serena's Nike wear at the Open. I'm sorry, but what the heck was that? If I had to name the collection, it would be "bringing street walkers to the court." Nice try, but the boots and booty show were nothing more then poor taste to the extreme.

5. Wilson nCode technology. All the hype, the jury is still out on the performance. Oh, and all of the initial marketing materials and advertisements mis-identified the magic nano-material as silicone instead of silicon.

6. Moving the Kuznetsova/Petrova quarterfinal to an outside court at the U.S. Open. I understand the need to recapture schedule if you have weather problems, but it was embarrassing to see on TV the tiny crowd watching this match on Court 1, and even more embarrassing in person. No player who has fought as well in a major should wind up playing one of the biggest matches of their lives with about 10 people in the stands.

7. The Tennis Channel. Sorry, but most of us across the nation still can't get it on our cable systems. So, what good is it?

8. Serena's outfits at the U.S. Open. Oh, did I mention this already?

9. Lindsay Davenport wins. All of the resurgence in her career, all the new found wins and competitive play, and she will probably announce her retirement right after the year-ending championships at the Staples Center. That, well, just sucks.

With the year basically over, it's refreshing to know that both the men's and women's tours have a chance at re-establishing themselves as a force for sports entertainment worldwide. Tennis in 2004 had interesting stories, storied victories, great personalities, and great depth. Makes me anxious for 2005. It can't come early enough!