patrick (bessemer,al): Can Petrova duplicate her European clay results like last year until she got hurt practicing the day before she lost out to Morigami? Also, do Kuznetsova have the game to finally beat Justine & Serena at RG?
Peter Bodo: (1:09 PM ET ) Hey Patrick, looks like all the good ol' boys are showing up at the site today. Petrova is an enigma to me. She clearly had difficulty in her game. She is a big question mark. I could see her losing five times in a row, or going on a tear and winning two or three events. She has had some injury issues to compound her apparently fragile psychological ones. It's funny you mention Kuznetsova, because I have similar feelings. She's one of the best athletes out there and yet fails to deliver at big events. She can beat anybody on a given day, but can she? That's a real coin flip.
Thomas (Austin, Texas): Peter, do you think that Venus Williams has the game and confidence to win at one of this year's remaining grand slams?
Peter Bodo: (1:11 PM ET ) Thomas, one thing you learn with the Williams sisters is never to write them off. However, Venus is a little bit of a different case.
She has not shown the ability to come back and play devastating tennis like Serena has. The impression I get is that more and more often, when she does play, there's a bit of rust, a bit of bad habits, and a noticeable lack of the kind of fire you expect from someone determined to re-establish her dominance. I would be surprised to see Venus make a big statement at a Grand Slam this year, provided you have a healthy Henin and Mauresmo, and even Sharapova in that mix.
Dawid (philly): When Federer & Nadal play on the half grass court/half clay court...who do you think will win??
Peter Bodo: (1:13 PM ET ) We already know that Nadal won the exhibition, but I won't give the result a lot of credibility, because the one thing I'm sure about is this: neither of these guys is taking this very seriously. That means they'll treat it with a much lower "need to win" with a lower "need to win" sense. It's an exhibition, pure and simple, with no big picture implications.
Peter Bodo: (1:15 PM ET ) Players of their caliber just don't bring the requisite focus, determination, and intensity to these types of demonstrations.
It's-Dat-Boy (NJ): Do you think that Andre & Steffi will ever play mixed doubles together?
Peter Bodo: (1:17 PM ET ) I've gott a believe it will happen for a simple reason: Andre's charitable activities are so important to him that he would do whatever he needs to help the cause he's working for. An Andre-Steffi mixed exhibition against another great team (how about Chris Evert and Pete Sampras?) would probably generate a fair amount of support and interest. The key, I think, is Steffi's attitude, because she's always been more reluctant to expose herself as a public figure, especially in retirement. I could see a lot of pillow talk in the Agassi master bedroom that goes something like this: "Aw, please, Steffi, come on, it's a good cause and you won't have to do any press and it doesn't go on the record."
Cash (Bloomington, IN): Do you think that the adjustments and confidence Connors has instilled in Roddick's game will lead to a different result at this year's Wimbledon?
Peter Bodo: (1:20 PM ET ) That's an interesting point to focus on because it seems like Andy's best shot at another major would come at Wimbeldon, where he has a great record ruined only by Federer's presence. Andy's in a comfort zone at Wimbeldon, and all it would really take is a chance to play somebody other than Federer, or catching Federer when he's not as sharp as he has been. On the same token, I don't see Jimmy making or having made the kinds of adjustments that would really be targeted to greater success on grass. The biggest impact would be Jimmy's general attitude about making Andy play more agressively and come forward more often. Doing that pays off at Wimbeldon.
Wyatt (Lafayette, Indiana): You spoke of how American tennis has a problem other than just the clay court season...Do you think a Davis Cup Championship could help propel American tennis in the right direction or does the USTA just need to take tennis in another direction?
Peter Bodo: (1:23 PM ET ) I don't know that the USTA needs to take tennis in another direction, I just think that the public needs to focus more tightly on tennis, or just get out the message that there will be good things in the future of a young American who can step up and become a regular Grand Slam contender. Sure a Davis Cup championship can help, but I don't see it having a big developmental impact, or launching some sort of rennaissance in American Tennis, simply because Americans are very blase about the Davis Cup. For most Americans, Tennis begins and ends with the US Open and to a lesser degree, Wimbledon. The best way to re-energize tennis would be to have an American joining Roddick as a regular factor in late stages of those events.
