Backcourt Buzz: Sharapova Overload and More

In a week that’s been dominated by the troubling news of Shahar Peer's exclusion from the Dubai event, here's a roundup of some of the lighter goings-on in the world of tennis:

Make Every Shoe a Cole Haan Shoe
The new Maria Sharapova Cole Haan spring ad campaign is out. Is it me, or does Maria seem to be dangerously close to hitting the advertising oversaturation point? (Those weary of her Canon PowerShot commercials might feel she passed the limit years ago.) Lady Speedstick, Tag Heuer, Nike, Tiffany & Co., Prince… the list of brands she’s hawking goes on and on. Still, she’s become quite good at being a spokesmodel, as this video from “Entertainment Tonight’s” website shows. (“America’s Next Top Model” wannabes, take note.)

“Z” is for Venus?
The February episode of the CNN biography series “Revealed” follows Venus Williams in Doha, Qatar, at the 2008 season-ending championships. And her big revelation is… she likes to nap before matches. For show times, click here. The site also has behind-the-scenes footage of Venus’ 16-page spread for the Italian edition of women’s fashion/lifestyle magazine Marie Claire. The photographer of the shoot was Koto Bolofo, with whom Williams has worked before.

No Respect for Jamie
It was exactly a year ago that Jamie Murray started a public row with Andy over little brother’s decision to skip the Davis Cup. Now Jamie is the one not playing—and not by choice. While Andy was beating Rafael Nadal in the final at the ABN Amro last weekend, Jamie was finding out he didn’t make the roster for Britain’s Davis Cup tie against Ukraine in March. Not the happiest of birthdays for Jamie, who turned 23 on Friday the 13th. Because of Jamie’s lackluster doubles results so far this year (he’s had trouble finding a steady partner), captain John Lloyd has decided to go with Ross Hutchins for the doubles match. And the tie takes place in Glasgow, Scotland, the Murray boys’ home turf. Adding insult to injury is the injustice served up by Britain’s edition of Metro. Accompanying its story about Jamie Murray being passed over for Davis Cup, the paper accidentally ran a photo of a rugby player – and labeled it “Jamie Murray.”

Aging, Naturally
John McEnroe turned 50 on Monday, February 16. The Telegraph’s Mark Hodgkinson acknowledged the milestone, writing that unlike Madonna, who turned 50 last August, “McEnroe doesn't do forced reinvention, doesn't do anything that hasn't felt natural.” It was a nice little tribute from Hodgkinson, but I’m not sure I entirely agree with him. A man yelling at umpires during inconsequential senior events seems about as natural as Madonna’s wrinkle-free face.

Dodging the Issue?

Yes, the situation with the United Arab Emirates denying Shahar Peer’s visa for the Dubai tournament is a serious one, but that’s hardly the only source of contention in the tennis world. It seems dodgeball players in Seattle have been taking over public tennis courts there. And the tennis players want the dodgeball games stopped. The city has offered the d-ballers gymnasiums for free, but they prefer the outdoor spaces of tennis courts, where, one player says, “you meet all these people you wouldn’t hang out with ordinarily.” Dodgeball players not ordinarily hanging out with tennis players? But they have so much in common.

An Issue to Remember
I came across this archived People magazine article (issue date is Sept. 1, 2003) about the coupledom of Mandy Moore and Andy Roddick. Moore announced last week that she’s engaged to musician Ryan Adams. Roddick, of course, is preparing for his spring nuptials to swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker. Nice that both have moved on.

For Sale By Grand Slam Trophy Owner
The New York Post is reporting that Ivan Lendl's 450-acre Connecticut estate, on the market since 2005 with an asking price of $25 million, is now in contract. The lucky new owners will enjoy a 10-bedroom stone house with indoor and outdoor pools, a horse barn, fancy gardens, and basketball and tennis courts.

For Your Viewing Pleasure
The Sundance Channel has been running episodes of “Big Girl’s Blouse,” an Australian sketch comedy series that ran for one season in 1994. The creative minds behind BGB are also responsible for the original “Kath + Kim” series, which was funny in Australia but didn’t translate well here in the States (the NBC show stars Molly Shannon and Selma Blair). You must, if you have four minutes, check out BGB’s skit “Midweek Ladies,”a mockumentary about a scandal that hits a women’s tennis league.