Word: players
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...write this, I'm not completely convinced. The anonymity of the Internet and digital worlds allows for amazing incivility. And in mid-November I watched one of the most devious acts I've ever seen in a MMOG. A guild decided to hold an online memorial service for a player who'd died in real life. In a macabre but heart-felt gesture, the player's character was accessed and brought out to a lake in an area known as Winterspring. A rival guild caught word of the event and ambushed the other players, killing the deceased person's character...
...Later, he strolls through half a century of great players. Hoad and Rod Laver, of course ... John McEnroe possessed an unrivaled finesse, but Cooper couldn't forgive him his antics. Pete Sampras was probably "the best grass-court player of all time." The clear favorite to win in Melbourne is Federer, whom Cooper can see eventually passing Sampras' record majors tally of 14: "If he maintains his motivation he could end up as the greatest player of all time . . . he hasn't got a weakness." With only two majors, Pat Rafter doesn't qualify as a great, but Cooper marvels...
...record, Agassi, though a humble champion, thought the theory was right. And the fact that four of his eight grand slam victories were Australian Open titles did nothing to undermine it. The first grand slam event of the year, the Australian Open poses a peculiar challenge to the players. Apart from a warm-up event or two, it's their first tournament for more than a month and follows a festive period often characterised by rest, (relative) overindulgence and an aversion to anything that reminds them of tennis. Thus, the Oz Open tends to favor two types of player...
...That's a no-brainer: Rafael Nadal. Until last year's Wimbledon final a bizarre situation existed where the player being touted as perhaps the greatest of all time (Federer) had a 1-6 win-loss record against the world No. 2 (Nadal). Federer has prevailed the last two times they've played but both were close, tense affairs in which Federer at times appeared bothered by Nadal's belligerence, athleticism and astonishing shot-making from the baseline. Federer has the superior all-court game, but six times out of nine that hasn't been enough. "He always plays...
...ranked 26, Safin looms as a possibility courtesy of sheer talent (the Agassi factor) and a strong finish to 2006 in Russia's Davis Cup victory. Then again, it's easy to be biased toward a player who presents as charming, funny, candid, self-deprecating, philosophical and smart. Safin's compatriot, Nikolay Davydenko, who's risen to world No. 3 despite a body that appears more suited to chess, has been a quarter-finalist in Melbourne the previous two years and could sneak into the semis this time before many fans can say his name right. James Blake (U.S.), Tommy...