Tennis-X.com Notes: Sharapova Does Vanna White Impression

DAILY TENNIS-X E-NEWSLETTER
Who cares if you need it or not, show your love for Tennis-X, contribute to the fund, only eight bucks for one year of daily tennis news! Pay as you go! Read what tennis industry insiders read each morning to get their heads around the latest news, insight and opinion on pro tennis. A year's subscription costs less than a meal and a pint. Get the Tennis-X Daily Dish in your e-mail in-box, even before it's posted on the web, by signing up for the net's most complete daily e-newsletter at http://www.tennis-x.com/subscribe.php

TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARB
On Thursday Russian Maria Sharapova donned a skimpy, shiny bronze dress and white high heels, going into Global Icon mode to shill for Land Rover, introducing to the automotive press in London the all-new Land Rover LR2...Roger Federer will have a worthy challenger in attempting to notch his Bjorn Borg-record-breaking 42nd consecutive grasscourt win in the first round at Wimbledon, facing French talent Richard Gasquet who the Swiss barely edged in three sets last week at Halle...Serena Williams (knee) will miss Wimbledon for the first time since 1999...Venus Williams on her celebration dance after beating Lindsay Davenport in last year's Wimbledon final: "...at the end I had to turn off (the video of) the celebration. I thought: 'That was too much, Venus.' I was very embarrassed. I was so silly." Venus also could be participating in her last Wimbledon in 2006, saying she will retire when her sister, who some speculate is physically spent, retires: "I'm going to retire when Serena retires. I don't want to ride solo without her...We don't have a pact...(Serena) will probably feel that way, too...Not having her on tour is so sad. It's OK when she's out injured, but if I know she's retired then I would be really sad."

Amelie Mauresmo speaking with The Independent: "I spend a lot of money on wine. I buy a lot on eBay and there are good shops in Paris and Geneva that I use. I'm crazy about it. It's my passion. It is a good investment, but that's not why I buy it. I like to drink it!"...Tennis writer Charlie Bricker on American Wimbledon qualifier Robert Kendrick: "Kendrick is moving to Naples in a few months and in April has a wedding date with Elizabeth Proctor, whom he met when she worked for The Tennis Channel. His ranking of 234 is well off his best of 117, but he has the big serve and big forehand to win a couple of matches here if he gets the right draw. Kendrick, 26, is a late starter on the ATP Tour after playing two years at the University of Washington and one year at Pepperdine."...From AFP: "Maria Sharapova and Venus Williams backed calls for women tennis players to be paid the same prize money as men at Wimbledon. With the action due to get underway at the All England club on Monday, the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), the body which runs the women's tour, published research that showed 80 percent of Britons backed equality in terms of prize money. The WTA campaign is also being backed by Sir Richard Branson. The head of the Virgin business empire posed with Sharapova, Williams and other players in front of a blown-up cheque showing the amount of money the WTA believes women have unfairly missed out on at Wimbledon over the last decade. "The outdated position adopted by the All England Club tarnishes the good name of the world's greatest tennis tournament and sends a completely negative signal to women everywhere," Branson said. His comments follow criticism of the All England Club from British Sports Minister Tessa Jowell earlier this week. According to the WTA, men at Wimbledon have received over six million pounds (10.9 million dollars) in prize money more than women over the last ten years."...Nadia Petrova has pulled from Wimbledon with a groin injury. What a poor succession of Slams for the Russian, who entered the French playing her best tennis, then losing her opening-round match with injury complications...You can love slamming players for choking (and who doesn't!), but you have to appreciate players (Amelie Mauresmo, Anastasia Myskina) who can honestly come out in post-match conferences and tell you they were nervous, as opposed to players (Maria Sharapova, Williams sisters) who wouldn't admit they choked under torture...From Britain's The Telegraph: "The number of children regularly playing tennis has fallen by more than a third in 10 years, research shows. Although Britain is home to the world's most famous tournament, the Wimbledon Championships, findings from the British Market Research Bureau indicate that only 386,000 young people between the ages of 11 and 19 play on a weekly basis. That is down by 35 per cent on 10 years ago, when almost 600,000 were on court at least once a week. The research also shows that the percentage of children who see Tim Henman as a sporting hero has fallen by 10 per cent over the past three years." -- That also aligns with the percentage of U.S. children who say "Tim...what? Is that the guy on my Playstation tennis?"...Headline from the Indianapolis Star: "Foreign players sign on for event" -- Ahhgh! Foreign players! In Indiana! Lock the barn doors!...Leander Paes, Todd Woodbridge, Michael Stich and Pat Cash will make the calls during Wimbledon for BCC Radio Five Live...After blowing out homecountry favorite Michaella Krajicek in the first set of the semifinals Friday at 's-Hertogenbosch then losing the match, Elena Dementieva lashed out at what she saw as home-skewed linescalling: "I feel like I won this match. I think the line umpires were trying to help her during the whole game. It was not easy to play because she had a much bigger court than the normal size. Every ball that was going out was in. I understand she was playing at home and the crowd want her to be in the final and it's good for the tournament but, you know, it must be fair play." Dementieva cracked after having a match point called out...ESPN.com's Whit Sheppard's Wimbledon semifinal picks: Roger Federer d. Thomas Johansson, Lleyton Hewitt d. Rafael Nadal -- Hey, you're supposed to be covering the grasscourt event, not smoking it...From John Mafeei writing for nctimes.com: "But announcers like (Mary) Carillo, announcers who are loved by TV critics, often draw the wrath of the players, who mistake honest, open and professional commentary for personal attacks. "I've been in more penalty boxes than anyone," Carillo said. "As thoughts leave my mouth, I often realize, 'That will cost me a year with that person.'" Carillo said Andre Agassi doesn't talk to her. She has gone years without speaking to Venus Williams. Serena Williams isn't happy with her. And Maria Sharapova also isn't pleased with Carillo because of things said at the Nasdaq-100. "I just wish players looked over the body of work, rather than one or two comments," Carillo said. "My job is to take the information I have and back it up with opinions. I say what I mean and I mean what I say. Criticism from players and coaches is just part of the business." As captain of the U.S. Davis Cup team, [Patrick] McEnroe finds himself in a unique position. "There are times where what I say (hacks off) my guys," McEnroe said. "I think they respect my honesty on the air. And if they have a problem, we'll sit down and talk. I don't comment on what happens off the court, but what happens on the court. I'll tell the viewers if I think a player is using the right strategy."...Easy to forget that doubles specialist Jonas Bjorkman, a singles finalist this week in Nottingham, finished 1997 ranked No. 4 in the world...Amelie Mauresmo speaking to The Independent: "The president of the French federation, Christian Bimes, is always saying he wants a French winner at Roland Garros, but if that's the case they should provide us with some clay courts. Look at Rafael Nadal. In Spain he's playing on clay courts the whole year round. Most French players learn their game on hard courts. I learned mine on wooden indoor courts. But not clay."