THE BEAUTY OF THE GAME

Aranxta Rus

There exists a very real phenomenon for men watching women's tennis... We tend to root for the better looking player.  Some might call it male chauvinism, some may scream sexism.  Either way, it's the stone cold truth.  Of course, there are always exceptions.  Martina Navratilova earned legions of fans during her monumental rivalry with Chris Evert, even though Evert was clearly the babe of the pair.  However, Martina and other, shall we say, less cute girls on the tour need to become champions to garner the kind of attention given to the naturally lovely young lasses of the game.

At one end of the stunning spectrum is Anna Kournikova.  At one time, she was the top junior player in the world.  When she turned pro, the Internet went wild with photos of the Russian beauty who looked poised to rise to the top.  But she never won a single professional tournament.  Instead, she used her brief and relatively unsuccessful tennis career as a springboard into superstardom.  She modeled, she endorsed products, she sold posters.  She became a household name, nearly synonymous with the very idea of a tennis babe.  However, beauty fades, and so will Anna Kournikova from the memories of tennis fans.

The other gorgeous end of the spectrum is Maria Sharapova.  Shaza represents the perfect storm in women's tennis -- a drop dead gorgeous Grand Slam champion.  And that's why she is the highest paid female athlete in the world.  The Williams sisters, each attractive in their own right, take up the #2 and #3 slots on the same list for the same reasons -- fashionable and stylish with a trophy room full of major titles.  Over the years, young up-and-coming teenagers, think Tracy Austin and Chris Evert, have captured the imaginations and affections of the tennis-viewing public.  It's hard not to pull for the adorable girl who is fighting with all her heart.  With all apologies to accomplished players like Svetlana Kuznetsova, Amelie Mauresmo, and Nadia Petrova, when looking for a rooting interest in a tennis match, the heart wants what the heart wants.  Admittedly, that sentiment is from the point-of-view of a heterosexual male who loves the game of tennis and loves beautiful women.  I leave open the possibility that others may disagree with me on who is hot and who is not.  After all, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.  But, as spectators, we should all admit that physical appearance plays a huge part in stirring our emotions when watching two women do battle on the tennis court.

Gisela Dulko

Two of my favorite tennis beauties pulled off major upsets in the last couple of days.  Gisela Dulko, a tour veteran, knocked out last year's finalist and number 8 seed, Samantha Stosur in a three-set battle earlier today.  Over the years, Dulko has had much more success as a doubles player, but owns her share of singles upsets as well.  My family and I first fell for her during a night match against Jelena Jankovic in Miami.  My mother and grandmother joined me in rooting on Gigi to upset the sassy Serb, and Dulko did not disappoint.  Today's win over Sam Stosur has to rank up there with the biggest wins of Gisela's decade-long career.  She may be a petite Argentinian who seems overmatched against the taller and bigger girls on the circuit, but she fights hard and looks good doing it.  Kudos to her on slaying a giant.  Hopefully, she can keep the momentum going and make a deep run at this year's French Open.

Yesterday, the ravishing Aranxta Rus stunned one of the tournament favorites and number 2 seed, Kim Clijsters. It was by far the biggest win of Rus' young career.  The twenty-year-old Dutch woman is just starting to find her form on tour.  As the above picture can attest to, she's tall and tan and quite beautiful.  She first appeared on my radar two years ago in Miami.  I watched her play another young cutie on the rise, Magdalena Rybarikova, on an outer court with about seven other people in the stands.  The girls slugged it out in the first round clash, with Rybarikova squeezing out the victory, 7-5 in the third.  I found myself rooting for Aranxta, partly because Magdalena seemed a little bratty, but mainly because Rus was better looking.  After the match, Rus was waiting for her coach, standing by herself on the grounds, and I couldn't  resist the temptation to tell her she battled hard.  Though she was distraught after losing, she thanked me and I went on my way.  Since then, I've followed both Rus and Rybarikova as they've struggled to rise through the ranks (Rybarikova is currently #62, Rus is #114).  Both players seem to have the potential to combine their talent and looks and find stardom on the tour, but it's a tough game.  Most girls don't make it.  I love Kim Clijsters, and often root for her despite the fact that she's not that hot, but it was extremely satisfying to see Aranxta Rus shock the tournament by breaking through and upsetting Kimmie.  Now the rest of the tennis world gets to make the acquaintance of this captivating young girl from the Netherlands that caught my attention on a sunny day in South Florida.

Congratulations to Aranxta Rus and Gisela Dulko.  Beautiful wins.