It was a slaughter of the lambs in Fantasy Tennis last week, but the bunny got through. The bunny in question, or ‘Hasi’ in German, is the nickname of Tommy Haas, who nabbed the final Sunday in Los Angeles. But he wasn’t one of my picks last week, sad to say. In fact none of my guys made it to a final. Verdasco got to the semifinals in Kitzbuhel, but everyone else died. And this after a stellar weekend last week, when four of my picks went to the semis in two events.

Sometimes it feels like if you’re not the goat in the barn, then you’re eating crow up at the ranch. Now my Fantasy team, TeamTorpor, has been passed in the rankings by SmallFry, so a battle seems to be shaping up here and I had better make a few judicious picks this coming week to make up for my transgressions. Tricky thing, this, because now I find I have used up a host of players in tournaments. Squandered, if you will.

Which brings me to a rather motley choice this week of Kohlschreiber, Volandri, Calleri and Chela in the Sopot event, and Grosjean, Hrbaty, Agassi and Tursunov in the Washington one. Everyone is motley, that is, except Tursunov, who we are going to have to start calling The Tomahawk. Even though he lost in the final Sunday in Los Angeles to Tommy Haas, the big Russian Jim Courier-lookalike has a habit of taking high balls on the forehand and crunching them back at you like he’s wielding a tomahawk. But let’s save the headsplitting for the moment.

Here’s why I picked my motleys. In Sopot, I have to go with Kohlschreiber, I have overpicked Davydenko and must save him for probably the Open. And Kohlshreiber has made his way into the semis at Gstaad and several quarterfinals this year also, including Kitzbuhel, so he can play a bit on clay. I picked Volandri to work through the draw past Gaudio, who continues to disappoint this year. Calleri has played well lately too, he can surpass Coria if they face in the quarterfinals. Chela I am picking over Tommy Robredo. Alas, another workhorse on his way to the glue factory.

In the Washington event, it seems highly likely that James Blake could face Sebastian Grosjean in the quarterfinals. I have picked the Frenchman, because I have used Blake three times already and need to save him too. Would I pick Grosjean otherwise to beat Blake? Not a chance in hell, but that’s Fantasy Tennis for you. Lots of Strange Bedfellows in this game.

For the same reason I have to pick Hrbaty over Hewitt. But someone tell Hrbaty not to wear that shirt with the vents against Hewitt, it might fire him up again like it did at the Open last year when they met. Hewitt needs an event right about now to get his game going, he should beat Hrbaty but Hrbaty got to the semis last week in L.A. He’s a fit enough guy to hang around and bother Hewitt for a bit, and hopefully to beat him. My heart says no, it won’t happen, but we must use our heads here.

In another quarter of the draw, Andre Agassi could face a possible match-up with Andy Murray or Feliciano Lopez, I like watching Lopez play, he has a very flowing game and a big lefty serve that makes him well-suited for hard court events. He got to the final at Gstaad earlier this year, but lost to Gasquet. Murray is debuting his new coach, Brad Gilbert, so he probably wants to be on his best behavior and try and win one for Motormouth. A tougher question for Murray might be, how does he get a word in edgewise with Gilbert? Inquiring minds want to know. But Lopez or Murray, it doesn’t matter, I still want to put my Fantasy money again this week on Agassi, and am doing just that.

Andy Roddick is back after retiring with a back problem in Los Angeles. Even if his back is fine, Roddick could face Tursunov in the quarterfinals, and the big Russian might just handle our lad. Like he did Tommy Haas, at least in their first set.

(Note: This is written Tuesday, Roddick has pulled out with the back still causing problems, so hopefully all you Fantasy players heeded Nina’s advice and stayed away from picking Roddick).

The final Sunday from Los Angeles displayed two fine talents, with good all-court games. Haas had to be the favorite going in, he’s got the experience and two titles on hard court already this year under his belt.

Although Haas has a fine game himself, it was Tursunov who was the revelation on Sunday. Where has this guy been and why isn’t he already in the top ten? It’s been interesting to watch him put his game together, and this year it’s jelling fast. How lucky were the fans in Los Angeles last week who got to see not one, but two monster forehands, the one from Fernando Gonzalez that actually brought a look or two of fear in the eyes of Andre Agassi, who went down to Gonzo in the quarterfinals. But Tursunov hits one that is just as awesome, and for most of the first set on Sunday he seemed ready to reduce Hasi to a quick rabbit stew.

When Haas had the ill luck of hitting groundstrokes to the forehand side of Tursunov, he would see the ball getting drilled back at him for winner after winner. For most players a ball up high is usually harder to hit, but for some reason Tursunov seems to thrive on hatcheting them back. He was pounding serves in too, and the combination of the two makes you kind of wonder where he’s been all our lives.

Here’s the rub though with a guy like Tursunov. When someone comes along and outsteadies him, he can get rattled a bit, become impatient and then unglued. As with most blonds, just don’t let him think too much, he gets into trouble. I know, I am blonde. But when he is fearless and confident, like he was in the first set on Sunday, he can be a pretty intimidating presence. I wasn’t sure Haas could pull it out; it seemed like he just ran into a better player who was playing bigger on that day.

So how did Haas survive the Tursunov onslaught? Basically by keeping his own cool and not imploding, holding his serve steadily and tightening up his own game. Neither guy is exactly short on temperament, shall we say. Sometimes they exude the feeling they can spin off into space at any moment. Makes for a jittery, dangerous kind of feel to the match. We like that, we think.

In the first set, the usual probing went on until game 5, when Tursunov drilled a backhand up the line for the only break in the set. Haas challenged a call on game point, but lost, and Tursunov got up 5-3. This seemed to rattle Haas, who had several challenges go against him in the match. He tried a drop shot off a return of serve which fell lamely in the net. Brain cramp, Patrick McEnroe muttered from the booth. Then as if Haas wasn’t feeling badly enough, Tursunov hit a great running two-handed backhand into the corner for a winner. He went on to serve the first set out at love, 6-4. Tursunov looked strong as a bull, but he moved really well on court.

Haas pulled the match together with his serving. At key moments, he got the first big ones in; he had to, Tursunov was unloading on the second serve, and Haas had to be careful. Haas continued to hold with his serve, and gradually it became Tursunov’s turn to get frustrated. Now he started missing some of those big winners he was nailing consistently in the first set. Haas won the second set, 7-5 by basically competing well, combined with Tursunov getting a little tight at key moments.

Early in Set 3, Tursunov showed his own little brain cramp when he attempted a drop shot from the baseline. Haas got the early break in game two when Tursunov netted an easy forehand. He attempted to work his way back in with some nifty winners, but it didn’t matter now; Haas was serving too well and keeping his head together. He clocked a 107mph second serve to Tursunov’s backhand at 30 all in the final game of the third set. Tursunov was not so sure of the call and challenged, but finally it went against him. Haas got match point and finished it off, for a final score of 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Tursunov has said, “I play every match the same.” According to Patrick McEnroe, that’s his problem. He should not treat every match alike. He is still not fully plugged in to when the big points arrive, and how to play them.

But he’s learning. “Physically, I have always had good strokes, but it’s been the ability to put them together and know when to use them. The mental aspect of the game is the biggest improvement this year.” Tursunov uttered this statement during an online chat on the ATP Tour website today, so he seems pretty aware of what he needs to do.

It’s been interesting to see him grow as a player. I think he has a terrific game, he’s certainly a character. Much as I love Haas’ game and was happy to see him progress to his third title of the year, it’s Tursunov who for my money gets the nod as the most improved player of the year.

– – – – – – –

And so our roadshow version of “Who Do You Trust” this week in Fantasy Tennis begins anew, with another hodgepodge of odd tournaments scattered across the globe on the ATP Tour. For the clay people, there is the Generali Open in Kitzbuhel, Austria and also the Umag event in Croatia. Will they ever run out of clay court events? Stateside we get the Countrywide Classic from Los Angeles, which has a really interesting field of guys and will end up being covered locally over the weekend on ESPN2. Too bad the purse sucks.

In Los Angeles, Andy Roddick was given a wild card into the event and promptly went into the Number One seeding. Lleyton Hewitt would have been Number One, but Roddick’s arrival changed that. I smell a grudge final shaping up, don’t you?

One of Andy’s interesting early round match-ups could be with American newcomer, Sam Querrey, also a wild card here. Querrey is one of our best up and coming guys, with a huge serve and the desire to play aggressively. It would be nice to see him cut his teeth a bit playing against Roddick. Jim Courier in the commentators’ booth spoke rather highly of Querrey during the weekend coverage of the RCA event.

Los Angeles has other interesting matches scheduled in the opening round. How about Marat Safin against Mardy Fish, two guys who can play well but haven’t gotten on track this year. I would think Fish could pull this one out, he was showing some good form at Wimbledon up until his stomach ailment forced him out. Hrbaty faces Andy Murray in another opener. I am still not convinced of Murray’s legitimacy in events; if he lands Brad Gilbert as a coach, that could turn things around. But for now I think the crafty veteran Hrbaty will win this match. Justin Gimelstob takes on Robby Ginepri in a duel of Americans in their opener. Gimelstob had a good run two weeks ago at Newport, and Los Angeles is a second home to him where he likes playing. But Ginepri is finally getting his game going, and he should beat Justin in this match.

The other interesting opening round features Andre Agassi against Belgium’s Xavier Malisse. I was keen on Malisse’s game for a number of years, but he has gotten to be as unpredictable as Safin. Sometimes I call him Baby Safin, he can make wonderful shots and then mentally he takes a hike, often never to return. But his game is so lovely to look at, and I am a sucker for the stylish lads, so here I am again. Lately he has been playing like he cares, which may or may not be good news for Agassi.

Surely Andre would like to put together a good run somewhere this summer going into the US Open, and maybe it could start here in L.A. I would assume he is fit physically and ready to play, so I am going to put my imaginary Fantasy dollars on Andre this week. I expect him to get into the quarters, where he could likely face Fernando Gonzalez. Gonzo is playing in Los Angeles for the first time. Don’t call this man a clay courter; he continues to try his hand on other surfaces besides just clay, and with some success.

So with a little drumrolling please, these are my quarterfinal picks for Los Angeles:

Hrbaty to face Ginepri
Haas to take on Hewitt
Agassi to meet Gonzalez
Tursunov to meet Roddick

But in terms of Fantasy Tennis, I am only picking Hewitt and Agassi from this tournament. Mostly because I want to save Roddick for the bigger purse events coming up, ditto Gonzalez.

The largest purse this week is in Kutzbuhel, where I have picked four guys for the Fantasy league, Verdasco, Massu, Robredo and Nieminen. Davydenko I can’t use, he’s been a major workhorse for me this season, I can only pick him one more time. Gaudio is also a non-pick here, mostly because I am just annoyed with him of late, his play has been every which way and he is losing to a lot of people he should not. So he gets slapped and relegated to the end of the train.

In Croatia we have the Umag event under way. Umag, what a grisly sounding name for a tournament. Couldn’t they drop the g and just call it “Uma?” You’ll rope in a few guys hoping to meet Uma Thurman. Here I went for Juan Carlos Ferrero and David Ferrer. Since Ferrer just won a big event this past Sunday, you’d think the competitive juices are flowing mightily and he’s eager for more. He probably is, but the bad news was he won in a gruelling five-setter, so let’s hope his body is up to the task. My co-writer Nina Rota may be correct that he could lose to Novak Djokovic, who also won his first ATP event this past Sunday. It’s just that Djokovic didn’t have to do his win in five sets. But he’s a new kid on the block, I want to see more of him before I make up my mind, and Ferrer has proven to be a pretty reliable workhorse himself this year. Juan Carlos I am picking because he should be able to get by Coria, even if he will probably go down in the final to Ferrer.

Other Notes:

People are still buzzing about James Blake beating Andy Roddick on Sunday in a nifty final from Indianapolis. The good news here is that the two best men now in American tennis played a really good match, so much so that it really didn’t matter who won. From my standpoint especially, since I had picked both of them in the Fantasy league last week to get to the finals.

For the moment, the boys in the locker room can give the nod to James, he is the top American player right now in the world, with his ranking moving up to Number Five this week. But Andy showed some fire and enthusiasm, and whatever tips he picked up working in L.A. with Jimmy Connors they seem to have re-energized his game. The match had a lot of interesting turns, a lot of back and forth, break points being threatened and then saved. Not much separated these two guys on Sunday: a double fault at a key moment, a shot into the net, a sliced backhand when maybe one with more pace would have worked better. Credit to James Blake though who still had to take the match from Roddick, this was no freebee by any stretch.

Robby Ginepri played well too last week in Indianapolis, so all in all the American men are getting their act together. Now they have a road show to show, certainly more than the women. But Serena Williams made her return last week also, in a modest women’s event in Cincinnati. The word is she looks fit and trim, but the lack of match play gives the odd spectacle of her getting by Anastasia Myskina in the opening round, only to lose to Vera Zvonareva in the semifinals in a lackluster two sets. Stuff like that happens to you when you’ve been gone for a while. But a fit and healthy Serena Williams would be a welcome addition to the women’s game, and it’s good to hear she’s back on track and showing signs of being eager for tennis life.

This paragraph is written today, Tuesday, as a follow-up. Agassi did get by Malisse, but Ferrero is out already in Umag. And according to my co-writer Nina Rota, who is covering the Los Angeles event in person this week, Andy Murray pulled out of the event and he’s still not yet signed on with Brad Gilbert.

But Connors and Roddick are in love and have gotten married, so congratulations, guys, we look forward to your progress.

– – – – – – –

Once upon a Wimbledon time I can remember when Americans playing at the Big W over the July 4th weekend would actually take the occasion to heart and go out and win some matches. Alright, you say, so we aren’t quite into the holiday weekend. But still, given the hype going in to nearly all of these matches one would have thought…. But times are changing, but I don’t think we are slacking off. Everyone in fact is working like a dog. But something went out of the game of the Yanks at Wimbledon yesterday, and today, Saturday, for differing reasons. Five Americans took it on the chin, surprisingly, after it seemed they had much going for them.

Only Shenay Perry hung on to win, in two sets over Sybille Bammer of Austria. With a name like that you’d think she’d work it to three sets at least, but no. Perry whipped her in two sets, and was the only American player to survive the first week. She had to mentally steady herself at the very end, before teetering on the brink of a full-scale implosion.

James Blake got bombed big time from big-serving Max Mirnyi on Friday, winning two of the first three sets but losing rather ignomiously in five, with a bagel job in the final set. You have to admire the aplomb James showed in his post match interviews. But Lord, to go out like that when the road seemed so open before you, and expectations finally so legitimately high.

Blake’s loss here confirms for me a certain mental fragility that seems to overtake him in crucial moments. And then the relative quickness with which he can beat himself up, and even implode from that is startling, now, given how much his game has progressed in just the last year. Maybe someone should tell James he needs to be kind to himself during the match, and denigrate himself to death when it’s over. Rather than the other way around, which is how it seems now.

Mirnyi played really well, meaning he served relentlessly perfectly fine. With that chiseled angular face and his big raw-boned strength, Mirnyi must look like a wall of imposing granite when he comes in to net. Much as I hoped for Blake to win, nonetheless I still personally found an appeal in seeing a real serve and volleyer at work. Mirnyi is one of the last. In his late 20s, and with a budding new family in tow on the tour, I hope personally he squeezes out a few more years. He is a tremendously fit guy, and with his type of game he can specialize in certain events throughout the year, like grass and hard hard courts. Then he comes into the draw and came make quite a dent. One of the surprising and sad things to hear, like a tolling death knell over the grounds at Wimbledon, is that serve and volley is no more. Not even here.

But still, you expected James to come through over Max.

Before we could barely tuck that upset away in our heads, Andre Agassi was going down today in three to Rafael Nadal, in what was a rather predictable match after all. I felt my anxiety level rising for Andre nearly from the start, I just was holding my breath. It did not seem to be going his way. Nadal showed no weak spots. He served really well, and Andre just could not make a dent in it.

But that was just half the problem, because afterwards in his press conference Andre indicated that, once he realized the service return was no go, he himself almost seemed to feel at a loss. He did not have enough game to beat Nadal with. Not on this day, maybe not ever under any conditions. Nadal is just too much of a higher grade of Andre Agassi. Sadly, I realized with a moment of pain how limited Agassi’s game is, in a way, at the risk of inviting reader wrath. He does not have that extra gear that Roger Federer has. And hell, even Roger isn’t sure anymore, at least when it comes to clay. But we all feel he has the ability to outplay Nadal in a way that the kid can’t stay with him. At least not yet. That’s where I am assuming Roger would be in relation to Nadal were they to fortuitously meet here in the final.

Nadal is an amazingly fast learner, and what’s more, he’s fully engaged in the battle to become the conqueror of grass. That is the key, and it will carry him a long way. Borg did this. Nadal could be certainly in the mold of Borg. I hesitate to say Cy-Borg, it’s probably been done, but so what.

As much as I would love a Federer-Nadal final, I don’t think it will happen this year. But sometime soon.

Mardy Fish had to retire in his match due to illness, his was perhaps the most fortunate draw as it opened up, but he caught some virus that did him in after several days of trying to fight it off. Take heart, Mardy, you showed some game here and you can show us more in the hard court season.

Surely after Andre’s loss, Andy Roddick would come out and handle Andy Murray in three sets. I felt that if Roddick really wanted to announce himself going into the second week, he would need to handle Murray in three shell-shocked sets. But not to be. Murray showed a surprising resiliency against the power game of Roddick, handling his serves with a seemingly mild touch, but getting them in play. For some reason Roddick just found him completely impenetrable. Murray showed an all court presence that Roddick would do well to emulate, if he could. He made Roddick look old. And as Mats Wilander would say, he’s becoming more and more ordinary looking as a player. But Murray, well, maybe his game is made to be a continuation of the dying serve and volley line someday. Because he covers court well, has really nice touch, a smooth service motion, and a great drop shot. He can come to net. They say this type of all-court style takes longer in years to develop. Rafter came into it around twenty five, but perhaps that is the high end. Murray is only nineteen, and he looks to be getting along with it. A long long flight home for Andy Roddick.

Venus Williams went out in three sets, and this was surprising to me. She had shown how she could play through bad patches in her earlier matches, but today was maybe one patch too many. Venus admitted later that her lack of match toughness kept her from reaching her top level, and I agree. The errors were just too many to have any hope of winning at this level, not against as fierce a player as Jankovic appears to be. I was not sure at first Venus would survive this far, so overall she can take some measure of confidence from this tournament; it bodes well for her summer play, once she gets more matches under her belt leading up to the Open.

Let’s mourn the loss of other big names, like David Nalbandian, who crashed out as if in anticipation of his national soccer team doing the same. Kuznetsova went out in three, the biggest seed on the women’s side to lose so far. And my Fantasy pick Mr. Tursunov resurrected his sorry self to come back from two sets down, and beat my former money winning guy, Ljubicic. Did we see even a smidgeon of this match? Not at all, unless you consider the handshake a portion of the match. I don’t.

Like we said, a week of good blood-letting on Ye Olde Courts.

Most Interesting Visual:

Before and After Photos, highlited on air by Cliff Drysdale.
We saw the Wimbledon lawn in the time of Connors, when the net area was heavily worn out by the end of the first week. But in today’s
photo, it’s the baseline that bears the brunt.

RIP serve and volley.

– – – – –

Thank God for David Beckham. The rain arrived early at Wimbledon yesterday, with none of the scheduled matches being completed. Faced with a lengthy stretch of airtime that needed filling nonetheless, the TV kids fell back happily on a World Cup match they could babble about, and babble they did. We heard and saw ad nauseum the lovely little chip shot that England’s David Beckham put into the near goal on a free kick against Ecuador, clinching a quarterfinal berth for his team. Then to cap the goal, Beckham threw up on the field. Even then he still looks beautiful. A tough act to follow. Anybody up for it?

Roger Federer stepped up to the challenge and walked out on court wearing a spiffy white blazer adorned with Wimbledon logos, his astrological sign (Leo, sign of the clothes horse), a Swiss cross and the letter F. Maybe he’ll add to it as the tournament goes along. Scalps, that’s what he’s going to start collecting.

Roger Federer provided the most eye-catching moment of the first two days, in the elan and efficiency with which he dispatched Monsieur Gasquet in straight sets. He looked smooth and unhurried, going for his shots from the first, and dominating – surprisingly – his opponent mainly from the baseline. His trips to the net were not that many, and they were judicious.

For all the people, myself included, who were looking forward to this opening match with much anticipation, and some trepidation, we can relax now. Roger’s game was as impeccable-looking as that white jacket. He went out and just dissected France’s Richard Gasquet in the opening set, 6-2. When the match was called because of more rain, the score was 2-1 in the second, 30 all with Federer to serve. They proceeded anew today, with Roger starting off by overhitting an easy forehand volley to give Gasquet a break point. That was the only ray of hope the Frenchman saw over the two days this match covered. Federer shut the door in Game Four, then swept through him with breathtaking ease, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.

Before the start of Wimbledon, we all wondered how Roger Federer would be in his first matches. His draw was pretty tough, with Gasquet and Tim Henman looming in the second round. Further down the road he could possibly face Mario Ancic, one of the best grass court players around, then possibly Nalbandian or Blake in the semis. After losing a tough final at the French Open to Nadal, we wondered if Federer would look insecure. His week at Halle two weeks ago was another tough draw, and Roger found himself in more three-setters than he was probably expecting. Halle annoyed Roger, I feel, he thought he should have waded through the field in more convincing fashion. Gasquet had taken him to three tough sets in Halle, two of them tiebreaks.

But today, Tuesday at Wimbledon, Gasquet had no answers. Federer was seeing the ball too well, connecting too solidly and knocking off crisp shots up the lines off both sides. His serving looked only a tad less effective, as if Roger were still getting his range. But even the serving got nailed down as the match progressed. Roger started and ended the first set with aces. He already looks so ready that it’s scary to think of anyone making a dent in his game. He’s playing like this is Monday and Tuesday of next week, not this week.

In a pre-Wimbledon TV interview, Federer talked about how it took him about twenty minutes or so to put Roland Garros behind him. And he says this with such an easy-going demeanor you almost have to take him at his word. Should it have been such an easy match to put behind? Well, that’s another matter, perhaps. The attitude that allows Roger to move along easily is also the same attitude that may not be so passionate when he plays against the white heat of Rafael Nadal. But Roger looks very comfortable on grass now. He wanted to make a statement at Wimbledon, and has he ever. He needed to come out and show a rapier-like precision, and he did.

My co-writer Nina Rota and I are nearly in agreement on our Fantasy picks.

Here are my likely eight guys to emerge into the Round of 16:

Federer to face Ancic
Blake to face Nalbandian
Hewitt against Roddick
Agassi to face Tursunov

Yes, I am going for a big upset. I think Andre could beat Rafael Nadal in the third round, this Saturday. At first, I thought I was merely being judicious in my picks in this quarter of the draw, because I have picked Ljubicic too often this year, he needs a rest on this his worst surface. Davydenko is in that corner of the draw too, and he’s been picked often. Nieminen, Tursunov and Ginepri are the three remaining guys who have a chance of life here. Nadal I wanted to save for more of the hard court tournaments. Plus I really don’t know that he’s going to advance into the second week. I have my doubts. So yes, Tursunov may just make this the weirdest corner of the draw, but he is my pick here. I think Andre is the man who can take Nadal out.

And besides, wouldn’t we all love to see that happen on Saturday anyway?

– – – – –

When Lleyton Hewitt nearly decapitated Frenchman Moncourt at the net during an early round at the French Open, I smiled to myself and thought of Ivan Lendl. He would have appreciated that attempt. Lendl was always up for giving an opponent a “fuzz sandwich” at the net, as Bud Collins termed it. Or emergency dental surgery, if you have even more of a sense of humor, or how about plastic surgery on the run?

Now I almost miss those days throughout much of the 80s when I would be yelling at this guy on my TV screen. Who was going to be his next crush job on court, and was there anybody who could pulverize him for a change? And why did he have to be nearly the fittest thing around at that time?

But I never requested of Ivan that he be a nicer guy. Because what we loved about Lendl – such as we can capably love the guy – is that he was not the nicest man.

Baleful is the word that perhaps best conjures up the essence of Ivan. Particularly when he gazed at you over the net as he prepared to serve. This is one of my favorite moments in tennis, at least in the Intimidation Department. That stare down some guys give you when they are ready to serve. Roger and Rafa do it, but it’s more a look to see where you are, just checking things out. With Hewitt, there is more the flavor of “Yeah, I’m fixing you with a stare, gonna do something about it?” Kiefer relies on looks a lot too, but I don’t even want to ponder what takes place in that head.

Lendl was always the master of Filthy Looks. You felt he’d rip your heart out and send it gift-wrapped to your mom on Mother’s Day.

Lendl’s trademark was partly that ferociously competitive spirit, as well as a keen interest in fitness. He was as tough at shaping his body as he was on crushing opponents. It said something to me personally that Lendl, in his other life, wanted to ride in the Tour de France. For a tennis player to aspire to that I thought was impressive. Usually tennis players are more on the wimpy side when it comes to serious suffering in training. Cycling would be way way out in left field for most of the tennis pack. They’re not into suffering like that. That’s why they’re playing on a tennis court instead.

But Ivan wanted that kind of physical intensity. In his training and on the court. You always got a bill when you played Lendl. He paid, he figured you should too.

What ever happened to the Iron Man of tennis, I wondered. I knew he had married the long-haired brunette, Samantha, whose beauty graced the Players Box for many a tournament, next to Coach Roche. He had retired somewhere in the green expanse of Connecticut, and rarely, if ever, did he venture forth to take up anything at all regarding tennis.

Then my mom sends me an article from the May 15, 2006 issue of the New Yorker. Cut and Paste is a literal thing with my ancient mom. I get five pages of a story all about Ivan Lendl and his family. It seems that Ivan the Terrible has…well, gone into the girly business.

You see, Ivan ended up having daughters. Five of them. Lord have mercy. So God has a sense of humor after all, and rewarded Lendl with daughters. I chortled with glee when I heard this. What a perfect fate!

But then I started reading about these daughters, and it appears they are indeed ferocious chips off the old block themselves. But not in tennis. Three of the girls are already well advanced in the game of golf, and looking to weave as much destruction over the LPGA tour as their father did in his game.

The article is quite interesting as a look into the competitive psyches of up and coming female golf players, but it also reveals how Lendl as father has passed on to them some wise and trenchant expertise.

One part of us could look at the family (I hesitate to use the term, “The Brood,” but it’s somewhere close by) as an extension of Lendl’s own controlling personality. He wanted to win, at any cost. These girls do too.

The article points out that the girls took up tennis when they were younger, but for some reason they segued into golf. No reason offered. I would have been curious as to their reasons for giving it up, but maybe it is nothing more mysterious than that their father loved golf too and now spends a lot of time playing the game. You would have hoped though that Lendl could have channeled one or two of them at least our way, given the sad paucity of rising new female tennis players in this country. We need all the babes we can get.

But golf it is. And golf on the women’s side is probably getting as physical as the men’s game. Everyone’s gymming themselves to death nowadays, and before long a few female players other than Michelle Wie are going to be knocking the ball 300 yards off the tee.

Ivan’s girls started off shoving each other out of the way in their haste to beat their siblings to the top of the stairs. Never mind that they are barely past toddler stage at this point. For Lendl as father, it was important that they all learn to compete early on. It may not even have been his intention to direct them into golf; he seems to feel that competition is the staff of life, and they will need to learn it anyway.

My co-writer, Nina Rota, has discussed this Lendl story with me. She feels he is the ultimate control freak. Alright, I tend to agree. But in among the rather cold calculations, I find the hints of a personality truly invested in giving his children the best start possible. He is trying to inculcate an awareness in them, a sense of taking responsibility for their lives and their games.

Most importantly, I feel, Lendl is aware of how his own role should be in all of this.

He says, “There is a time–which is a very hard time to pinpoint, I think-when the parent must step back. I’m trying to make sure that I’m not too early, so that the girls are not lost, and not too late, so that I’m not in the way. I think that when Earl Woods stepped back a little bit was when Tiger really took off as a golfer. It’s a delicate balance.”

Delicate indeed, and one not often recognized in time.

The article features an illuminating photo of Lendl and the three older daughters who are nearly ready to take their golfing act now on the road. All standing at the edge of a forest. They’re holding golf clubs and look ready to play. They’re looking at the camera with intent looks. Determined but wary. Like a family of large, feral cats, ready to pounce from out of this forest. It seems a profoundly anti-Rousseau moment.

Hhmmm, what would have happened had Ivan had five boys instead?

– – – – –