Nouveau Novak

All the big boys are banging away over in Madrid this week in the year's second-to-last Master Series event, leading up to the Shanghai blow-out next month. Roger's cruising along, Rafa bit it this morning against David "South American Samurai" Nalbandian (who looks like he might have shaved down that spare tire he's been dragging around the last season or two) and Andy Murray's finally back from a lengthy hiatus, ready to resume trying to live up to the hype. The big news, though, as far as this particular tennis fan is concerned, can be seen on little Novak Djokovic's face. Novak showed up not only with this stinging double-handed backhand up the line, but also with a goatee, sending a clear message that this boy is here to be taken, well, a little more seriously. The chance for him to vindicate all those squandered set points against R-Fed in the U.S. Open final would certainly help spread the news.

The Four Musketeers

As many times as one might look at the ranking lists and read the names of the top players, it's striking to see the lineup of the world's top four female players at the moment. These are the best? Really? Okay, you can't argue with the computer, I suppose, but honestly—where's the star power? Where's the gravitas? When you think of the very tippy top of the game, isn't there supposed to be at least one living legend in the mix? On the men's side, there are two—possible three—contenders for that exalted status. Other than Ivanovic, these gals look like they could be the coaching staff of small college's athletic department. Bo-ring!

Strange Statuary

So the top eight men are marching to Shanghai, where they'll battle it out for a big pot of cash and bragging rights for the year. In a perplexing attempt to stir up excitement about this ultimate showdown of 2007, the masterminds at the ATP have poured their marketing dollars into...a bunch of statues. Huh? Yes, as each gent secures his spot in the tournament, the tour is ordering up one of these creepy ceramic likenesses, which are meant to evoke ancient Chinese warriors but strike more of a rejected Star Wars action figure note.

Serena Powers into the Final Eight

Well, the haters be damned. Miss Serena "My Way" Williams has locked up the fifth spot in the lineup for the WTA Tour's year end championships in Madrid next month, following Henin, Sveta Kuz, Jelena Janks and Ana-Banana Ivanovic. Her runner-up showing in Moscow, which is bizarrely a tier 1 tournament despite the fact that its stands are as empty as a donut's calories, was the deciding factor for 'Rena, who continues to claim that she's ready to get back the number one ranking. We'll see about that.

Chanel on the Tennis Tip

Fashion update: The spring runway shows, full of rich hippie looks, terminator boots and even a few sexy nurses at Louis Vuitton, just wrapped up in Paris, and der meister Karl Lagerfeld gave a nod to all tennis heads with a couple of court-ready outfits at the house of Chanel (complete with double-C logo racquets). Prime candidates for these in-your-face looks could include Jelena "I love fringe" Jankovic, Tatiana Golovin (who never met a pair of clashing colors she didn't j'adore) and, of course, Queen Serena. These outfits are all about putting the value of boldness over beauty, which should work out just great for 'Rena.

Venus Takes Asia by Storm

Clearly with an eye on securing a spot in the final eight, and thereby an invitation to play in the Madrid end-of-season showdown, Venus Williams is breezing around East Asia, picking up titles and exotic garb along the way. She munched on the draw at the Korea open last week, picking off Maria Kirilenko in the final. Now she's over in Tokyo, where she's blogging for the WTA, nibbling on donuts and gearing up to play a few matches. Cheers to La V for rallying at the end of the year and not just retreating into the anonymous confines of her "interior design business."