Roddick Leads Charge Into 2004 Tennis Season

Few tennis tournaments have a billion dollar oil company as its sponsor, which is why you see world No. 1 Andy "Thanks for the Bank" Roddick in the Middle East this week accepting what figures to be a monstrous appearance fee at the Qatar Exxon Mobil Open in Doha. Problem is, the American could end up looking bad taking the money and running, with a tough first round match-up against Russian Nikolay Davydenko, who last year won two titles. Roddick is joined in the strong money-laden field by fellow Top 10-ranked residents Rainer "I'm going back to Houston" Schuettler, Mark Philippoussis and Sebastien Grosjean, in addition to seeds Nicolas Massu, Younes El Aynaoui, Tim Henman, and Agustin Calleri. Other tough openers include (3)Philippoussis vs. defending champion Stefan Koubek, (6)El Aynaoui vs. returning-from-injury Frenchman Nicolas Escude, (5)Massu vs. Ivan "Andy Roddick Fan Club President" Ljubicic, Swedish comer Robin Soderling vs. American Jan-Mike Gambill, and (2)Schuettler vs. the powerful Russian Mikael Youzhny. Former champions in this year's Doha field are Koubek (2003), El Aynaoui (2002), and Schuettler (1999).

The ATP stop in Adelaide was dealt a blow when its lone Top 10 player, David Nalbandian, withdrew from the event when it was revealed his wrist injury had failed to fully heal during the off-season. Now the event is left with top seed Wayne "I'm Not Injured?" Ferreira, who last year in Adelaide bombed out in the first round to Franco "The Squirrel" Squillari. The South African is joined among the seeds by a rogues gallery of also-rans and up-and-comers in Vince Spadea, Arnaud Clement, Robby Ginepri, Taylor Dent, Jarkko Nieminen, Al Martin, and Nicolas Lapentti. First round matches of interest include (1) Ferreira vs. Aussie junior star Todd Reid, resurgent comeback star Guillermo Canas vs. "Everybody Loves" Raemon Sluiter, (4) Ginepri vs. underrated Frenchman Cyril Saulnier, Brit Greg Rusedski returning from injury against a qualifier, (7)A.Martin vs. Mario "Baby Goran" Ancic, (5) Dent vs. underrated Peruvian Luis Horna who always seems to get the job done, (WC) Johansson in his first match in over a year vs. C.Rochus, and (2) Spadea vs. Jurgen "Tuna" Melzer. The doubles will be a big draw for the locals, who will turn out in droves to see former No. 1 Pat Rafter make a reappearance to play with countryman Josh Eagle vs. Spadea/Merklein in the first round. Americans Bob and Mike Bryan are the top seeds in doubles.

The financially-challenged Indian stop in Chennai features a Euro-heavy field led by Carlos Moya, with fellow seeds including Asian favorite Paradorn Srichaphan, Sjeng Schalken, four Spaniards in Tommy Robredo, Felix Mantilla, Rafael "The Prodigy" Nadal and David Ferrer, and Frenchman Anthony Dupuis. First round matches of interest are an all-Indian affair in (WC)Mankad vs. (WC)P.Amritraj, (4)Robredo vs. the powerful Russian Tursunov, and (7)Ferrer vs. countryman Verdasco. Srichaphan (2003) is the only defending champion in the field.

TODAY ON THE ATP TOUR
On court Monday in Doha are (2)Schuettler vs. Youzhny, Arazi vs. (WC)Enqvist (Swede leads career head-to-head 3-1), (7)Henman vs. Sanchez, (Q)Ivo "I Used to Date Hingis" Heuberger vs. Qatari (WC)Khalfan, Kiefer vs. (Q)Ulihrach, and out on Court 2, Carraz vs. Sargsian. In Adelaide it's Spadea vs. Jurgen "Tuna" Melzer, Mario "Baby Goran" Ancic vs. A.Martin, former Aussie Open winner Thomas Johansson playing his first tour event in over a year vs. C.Rochus, Arthurs vs. Karlovic in a serving exhibition, Vahaly vs. Beck, and Moodie vs. Nieminen. In Chennai it's (7)Ferrer vs. Verdasco, (WC)Mankad vs. (WC)P.Amritraj in an all-Indian, (8)Dupuis vs. Popp, Pless vs. Lisnard, Andreev vs. Ramirez Hidalgo, Goldstein vs. Mutis, Vacek vs. Krajan, Levy vs. Portas, and Van Lottum vs. "Julio &" Galo Blanco.

WTA TOUR PREVIEWS/REVIEW
Ai Sugiyama is the lone Top 10 player in Gold Coast, Australia, but a solid Top 20 turn-out picks up some of the slack in seeds Nadia Petrova, Vera "Warren" Zvonareva, American Fed Cupper Meghann Shaughnessy, Conchita Martinez, Italy's Francesca Schiavone, Magui "Don't Call Me Maggie" Serna, and the newly-married Patty "Don't Call Me Nutty" Schnyder. With the lack of big firepower, don't be surprised if up-and-coming youngsters Karolina Sprem "Bank" of Croatia or Russian Dinara "Sister Of" Safina walk away with the title. Wildcards went to Aussie hopes Samantha Stosur and Casey Dellacqua. Defending champion Nathalie Dechy is unseeded, while 2003 runner-up Marie-Gayane Mikaelian of Switzerland was not ranked high enough to make the main draw, and is playing in Adelaide. Qualifiers into the field were Sun (CHN), Schett (AUT), Kapros (HUN), and Cohen-Aloro (FRA). Former champions in the field are Dechy (2003), Schnyder (1999), and Elena Likhovtseva (1997).

During Sunday's first round results in Gold Coast, (2)Schiavone lost to Sanchez Lorenzo, but the other two seeds in action advanced in straight sets with (7)Serna cruising by local wildcard Dellacqua, and (8)Schnyder pounding Jankovic with a bagel in the second. Other results were Kuzneysova d. Likhovtseva in an all-Russian, the defending champion Dechy d. Srebotnik, and Croatian comer Sprem d. Farina Elia.

Things look mighty thin this week at Auckland, where doubles specialist Paola Suarez heads the field, which includes seeds Anna "Best Name in Tennis" Smashnova, Elena Daniilidou, Maria Vento-Kabchi, Shinobu Asagoe, Laura Granville, Marlene Weingartner, and Anca Barna. Sometimes-Aussie Jelena Dokic's face adorns the tournament program, but Dokic pulled from the event just days before the start, with tournament officials citing "personal problems," same-old same-old for the troubled youngster in 2004. "It's a big upset for us and for the tournament," said Dokic's friend Daniilidou. The only intriguing first round match-up is Ashley vs. Harkleroad, simply because it looks like a misprint. That's Teryn Ashley vs. Ashley "Anna 2.0" Harkleroad, not your typical alert-the-media match-up. Wildcards went to New Zealanders Shelley Stephens and Eden Marama, who will be sitting on the sidelines quicker than you can say "I can't find Auckland on this map!" In the 2003 final, the No. 2-ranked Daniilidou beat back the unheralded Yoon Jeong Cho in a third set tiebreak.

On court Monday in Auckland in main draw matches are Black vs. Vento-Kabchi, Stephens vs. Marama, Daniilidou vs. Kostanic, Ashley vs. Harkleroad (not a misprint) in an all-American match-up, Amy "Down Goes" Frazier vs. Mikaelian, Lee-Waters vs. Grande, Barna vs. Cervanova, and Brandi vs. Asagoe. Scheduled matches in Gold Coast are Chladkova vs. Maleeva, Martinez vs. Sun, Schett vs. Zvonareva, Shaughnessy vs. Stosur, Kapros vs. Pisnik, and Loit vs. Tanasugarn.

NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
This is Justine Henin-Hardenne's 10th week at No. 1 on the WTA Rankings...The ATP stop this week in Chennai is having financial problems that may force the event to next year switch cities in India or take a calendar sabbatical...Tommy Haas is still suffering from shoulder problems and pulled from Doha...Meanwhile, Thomas Johansson in back on the court this week in Adelaide...The Associated Press listed Andy Roddick fifth in the voting for "Male Athlete of the Year"...Andy Roddick's achievements were recognized as 14th on the list of Top 100 stories that "mattered most" in 2003 by ESPN...Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor are no longer working with coach John Farrington...Guillermo Canas won the New Caledonia Challenger, beating Aussie Todd Reid in the final...Tim Henman has given his support to putting a roof on Wimbledon's center court...David Nalbandian is now in doubt for the Australian Open with his bad wrist after pulling from Adelaide...Roger Federer, Juan Carlos Ferrero, and Andre Agassi have not entered a tournament until the Aussie Open...Kim Clijsters pounded Daniela Hantuchova 6-1 6-2 at the Hopman Cup exhibition...Nathalie Dechy seems to have recovered from her wrist injury, winning her first match since the US Open at the WTA Gold Coast event on Sunday...Greg Rusedski is on tour for the first time in September (due to injury) at Adelaide: "I always bounce back, I always find a way," the Top 100+ ranked Rusedski told The Guardian. "I think that's one of my characteristics. Whatever anyone thinks of me or whether you think I'm a good tennis player or not, at least I'm still in there fighting, trying every day to get back and do the best I can. I'll see how this year goes and hopefully be around for at least another year or two." Go Grinning Greg...Plagued by a bum sore back, Jennifer Capriati pulled from the Hong Kong exo...Jelena Dokic may miss the Australian Open after reportedly splitting from Brazilian racing driver boyfriend Enrique Bernoldi and losing her Fila contract...How desperate are the Brits for their next champ? Check out this crazy-ass article at http://sport.guardian.co.uk/tennis/story/0,10069,1115627,00.html.