TENNIS: New talent on men's side, same routine on women's in tennis

Going into the tennis year, the questions were about Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras, how they were still among the tops in the game, but how much longer there would be so. Retirement has been an issue forced among the both of them in recent seasons, as has the issue of what American talent would follow in their Grand Slam footsteps.

Well, Jan-Michael Gambill has proven to be a very good player, in the few years that he has been on tour. He has the type of personality that could thrive in the American tennis spotlight - the side career of modeling, the hobby of collecting fast cars, the power game from all angles on the court.

But when Gambill lost in the first round of the U.S. Clay Court Championships in Houston last week, it allowed for another young American to step up. One young player that is already passing Gambill and being regarded as the future star of U.S. tennis.

His name is Andy Roddick, and if you haven't heard of him, don't worry. Because you will soon enough. All Roddick has done is win the title of world junior champion last year, turn pro at the start of this year and chalk up an early 17-4 record, winning clay court tournaments in Atlanta and Houston back-to-back.

Roddick's game, despite his 19 years of age, is already at the pro level. He can be mentioned among the best in the world at this moment with his service game, a first serve that stands out and has topped nearly 140 miles per hour.

He is more of a baseliner right now, with a big-time backhand and whippy forehand. Roddick's net game is behind his backcourt performances, but is something that he is working on.

Roddick's biggest challenges lie ahead. The easy part is winning matches at the start of a pro career, when no one really knows his game. But quickly, people are starting to get a scouting report. Then, when they do so, how does Roddick outsmart the opposition?

That was the situation for Gambill a few years ago. The 23-year-old actually made a splash on the tour two years ago, winning a tournament quickly after turning pro. But as opponents started to figure him out, Gambill struggled, and just recently has begun to hit an upward swing again, due in most part to his willingness to develop a more aggressive net game.

Roddick's two tournament wins have come on clay, not his best surface. But these tournaments were not in Europe, an area of the world where clay-court specialists grow on trees. When in Paris at the French Open, Roddick could draw anybody, but the best chances are that he will draw some European or South American who chases down everything, who uses his experience. How the American youngster adapts to that will be an interesting tale.

Fans are already starting to take to Roddick. He was the fan favorite in every match, but then again, he was the American in every match, and what Houston native is going to cheer against Roddick in the championship in favor of Hyung Taik-Lee, a South Korean?

Booing an American player in the U.S. is rarely heard of, but it happened on the women's side a while back. It happened to Serena Williams, one half of what is the most intriguing duo in tennis, as much for their lack of commitment for their talent.

Serena and older sister Venus are among the best in the world in talent and in results, that is not doubted. But when it comes to helping the game, the question is whether they do as much bad as they do good for the game.

On the positive side, they really are the tennis answer to Tiger Woods - a pair of young women that have broken down numerous barriers to get to this point before. They are well-educated and well-spoken, they have expanded the endorsement opportunities for women's tennis.

But they also have the reluctance of Greta Garbo when it comes to actually playing on the tennis court. The questions and rumors about set-up matches and predetermined results will continue, no matter how many denials the sister or the WTA Tour makes.

At Indian Wells, Serena was booed on the court while Venus and their father, Richard, were booed making their way courtside. Richard Williams, later on, accused the fans of making racially motivated insults and taunts.

Now, the withdrawls. Serena has withdrawn from the Italian Open and will go into the French Open with virtually no match experience since the Ericcson Open last month. Venus pulled off an even more impressive feat — announcing that she was going to withdraw from the Italian Open with an injury, then winning the German Open title with the excuse "I just played through it."

The attitude of the Williams sister has turned off most of the other pros in the women's game. Let alone the antics of their omniprescent father, who has drawn criticism from former players like Martina Navratilova.

The basic premise of the Williams sisters is this: somewhere along the line, they were told to act like they were bigger than the game itself, and now do in many cases. But no one is bigger than the game of tennis.

No player ever has, and there have been a number of players better than either Serena or Venus Williams. Once they understand this, they — and tennis — will mutually benefit from their presence on the court without drawing controversy.