The 1999 Australian Open is now a thing of the past. Once the least anticipated of the four Grand Slams to both players и media, it has now become one of the most popular. The facilities at Melbourne Park are spacious и tournament director Paul McNamee makes sure that the players, coaches и media receive first-class accommodations. As a tournament director, imagine how disheartening it must have been to learn that Сампрас, Rios и Ivanesevic would not be playing due to injuries. This should have alerted Paul to the surprises that would follow...

Petr Korda's positive test for steroid use was the most provocative topic of the entire event. Not surprisingly, several players demanded that he not be permitted to play the tournament. Those players that do not use performance-enhancing drugs (the majority of players) are extremely unsympathetic to those that seek an illegal advantage. Some players threatened a boycott of the tournament if Petr was permitted to play. Among the players that were most vocal on the topic were Джим Курье and three-time Уимблдон champion Джон МакИнрой. Courier expressed his certainty that steroid use was not widespread throughout tennis, и McEnroe expressed his outrage that Korda was not given a one-year suspension. Not only had three of the biggest marquee names in the sport withdrawn due to injury, but now there was the potential for a boycott!

Paul McNamee's hair was already turning gray, (Майbe that's why we saw a new hair color absent of any gray), but he would soon learn that this was just the beginning. Within the first few days, eight of the top 16 seeds from both the men's и Женщины events would be upset. The people who usually attract fans to tournaments were falling like flies. Australian hopefuls Mark Philippoussis и Patrick Rafter were upset before reaching the quarterФиналы. These two towering super-stars are the objects of hero-worship down under. Each over six feet tall with rugged good looks and powerful serve & volley games, a nation of teeny boppers was devastated by their early departure from the nation's largest event.

Television coverage was abysmal. Those of us in the Соединенные Штаты had to stay up until 1:30 AM for the live telecast of these events, taking place on the other side of the world. But, some of us had good reason to remain enthusiastic; after all, Андрэ Агасси was still winning. He appeared to have an unobstructed dash to the semi-Финалы. Then the unbelievable happened. Андрэ was eliminated in a five-set marathon by fellow American, Vince Spadea. There was some bad blood there, as Андрэ had made some disparaging remarks about Vince's father at a tournament in Цинциннати last year. Sometimes these remarks can cause distraction, but Vince was focused and determined to make Андрэ eat his words. и so, Андрэ Агасси was also out of the event before reaching the quarterФиналы. Андрэ had a golden opportunity, with the top ranked players already out due to illness or being upset, but sometimes youth must be served.

Андрэ is the most charismatic player to come along in decades. He has reached the pinnacle of his sport, attaining the # 1 ranking in the world. He has more money than he can ever spend и has a wonderful, loving relationship with his wife, Brooke Shields. He lives beneath the neon lights of Las Vegas и routinely mingles with Hollywood celebrities. How much more successful can anyone be? и can he ever be motivated to put in the work required to reach the top of the game again? The answer to these questions lies hidden in his results the past year. One year ago, this wealthy, happy, incredibly successful man was ranked #142 in the world. He was accused of being out of shape и washed up. The pundits claimed that his desire to win was gone. Happily, they were wrong! Андрэ won 5 titles in 1998 и proved to the world that he still had the burning desire to reach the top again. He showed the world that he had the work ethic and focus required to succeed и Агасси finished the year ranked #6 in the world. Very few people have the capacity to rise from the ashes, и Андрэ Агасси is one of them.

Анна Курникова surely must have set a Guinness record for double-faults. Anna's problem with double-faults did not begin during this tournament. Her problems in this area didn't begin last year either. They actually began several years ago when I tried to change her serve, but Alla (her mother) would not heed my advice. Aside from her serve, Anna is a remarkable talent. She can hit any shot in the book, but when things get tough, her groundstrokes let her down because she lacks topspin. Pressure, nervousness and flat strokes make for inconsistency. She loves to hit flat, hard drives, but that style is often unforgiving. Winning и losing big matches will always depend upon her serve. Anna is not a big woman. She needs a reliable serve that will keep her on track or she will continue to find it difficult to beat the top Женщины. Can she repair this serve? Of course, but her coach must be firm и insist that Anna и her mother listen! I am no longer a part of "Team Kournikova." I will tell you that she has incredible talent и if she decides to challenge that best in the world и let everything else become secondary; she has a realistic chance of success. Alla should consider an honest evaluation of her role in the past и how it should be modified for the future.

Can Anna disconnect from the make-up, the clothes, the sunglass endorsements and the modeling? Can she imitate "Neon" Deion Saunders и focus on two different activities? Can she maintain a top tennis career during the day and the flamboyant life of a model after dark? The day of reckoning is coming!

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