THE SCOOP: MONDAY, MARCH 15

BJK on Serena's return: 'I don't think she's in top shape'
An Olympic Pandora's box: Will the USTA go off the rankings?
Lindsay: 'The USTA wants to be able to take the players they want to take'

By Matthew Cronin
tennisreporters.net

Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA

Is Serena really ready to play in Miami?

FROM THE PACIFIC LIFE OPEN At INDIAN WELLS – The word on the off the courts is that Serena Williams is actually planning on playing the NASDAQ-100 Open in Miami next week, which will be her first tournament since Wimbledon.

No player we've spoke to believes she will come back and pull off a Serena Slam again (especially Jelena Dokic), but more than a few players have said that she is certainly capable of regaining the No. 1 ranking – once she shakes her rust. Or, should we say, Hollywood gold dust off.

Nearly everyone has questioned Serena's commitment to the sport as of late, as most insiders think that her knee was healed in December and she was ready to play in January.

"She's the total package – if she's in shape. But, the question is, is she willing to pay the price to be in shape?" her former Olympic and Fed Cup coach, Billie Jean King, told tennisreporters.net. "I don't think she's in top shape because the only way to get in top shape is to play, because you have to get match tough."

King also said that Serena has been enjoying the fruits of her on-court labor off-court and mentioned watching an ESPN show that included the younger Williams and the likes of Roy Jones Jr., Warren Sapp and Michael Jordan talking about their ascents to greatness. King said that Serena could learn something from MJ.

"I'm hoping she heard him," King said. "He talked about his freshman year in the NBA and how he wasn't heavy enough and needed to get stronger, lift weights. He needed to get in shape in the off-season. I was thinking, 'Serena, are you hearing what he saying he got in shape?' He did everything he was supposed to do to survive the schedule. I don't know if she heard him, but I'm dying to see her and ask her if she heard him because that's the way to talk to her."

An Olympic Pandora's box: Will the USTA go off the rankings?
Lindsay Davenport has stated that one of her top goals this year is to play the Olympics. Four singles players and two doubles teams will be picked by the USTA, which does not have to go straight off the rankings in selecting players.

All the top US players are eligible, but given that Venus have dropped in the rankings and it's hard to predict how often she and Serena will play through the June cutoff period, the team could be headed for another spat a la 2000, when the higher-ranked Lisa Raymond sued after King picked the Williamses in doubles over Lisa Raymond/Davenport (who did go in singles).

Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA

Will the injury-exemption hurt players like Chanda?

As of this writing, the four top-ranked players are Davenport, Jennifer Capriati, Serena and Chanda Rubin. Apparently, the ITF is thinking of allowing two injury-exempted rankings, which will put the Williamses in the driver's seat if they don't post eight results by June. No. 16-ranked Venus may, but Serena certainly won't.

That may leave Rubin or say Meghann Shaughnessy on the outside looking in, assuming that the top four decide to play. Capriati, who win the '92 gold, may not, as she could decide that she doesn't want to play for the team at all. She's still pretty bitter about '02 Charlotte Fed Cup fiasco, when she quit the team in a spat with King.

But if '00 gold medallist Venus doesn't rediscover her form and ends up getting picked via a special exemption, the likes of Rubin or Shaughnessy will likely protest.

King picked the team in 2000, but USTA officials may decide themselves to pick this year's squad and take captain Zina Garrison off the hot seat.

"It's tough," Davenport said. "I think the USTA wants to be able to take the players they want to take. I don't know what going happen."

FYI: King claims Davenport was behind her decision to pick the Williamses to play dubs in 2000. "She said it was a no-brainer," King said.

Davenport told tr.net that never occurred, because why would she tell King to pick players other than herself and her best friend to go for the gold? She did say that once they arrived in Sydney, that she supported the team.

King stands behind her decision. Let's remember that the Williamses did end up winning the gold, but it took King a couple years to repair her relationship with Raymond, who, by the way, is hoping to grab the '04 Olympic doubles spot with Martina Navratilova.

The 60-year-old King gave over Fed Cup captaincy to Garrison a few months back, but will remain with team as a coach. Hence, Capriati will not be playing this year.

"Jennifer is not going to show up if I'm there," King said.

WTA: GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS
Some good news for the WTA Tour: An estimated $4 million deal over three years with Whirlpool for a major European Sponsorship. Looks like it's time to hire that extra communications staffer.

Some bad news: The number of injuries continuing to plague the tour, which primarily led to 12 out of the top 36 players not showing in Indian Wells. After Kim Clijsters pulled out with a wrist injury on Saturday, only three members of the Top 10 are left: Justine Henin-Hardenne, Davenport and Anastasia Myskina. Ouch.

A short list of marquee players who are hurt or who chose not to play this Tier I event: the Williamses, Capriati, Monica Seles, Anna Kournikova, Elena Dementieva and Mary Pierce.

"Women's tennis is going to hit a bad spell where the boys are up and the girls are down," King said. "We never seem to hit a good spot at the same time."

Of Note: Maria Sharapova is hitting with none other than Jeff Tarango this week and may take him on the road as a traveling coach under head coach Robert Lansdorp. … If you are working for the Brazilian Tennis Federation, it may be time to send out your resume. We hear the Brazilians may be hiring, as long as you know how to set the timer on the super-rinse cycle. Guga Kuerten and the boys are not going to play the upcoming tie in protest of the federation not listening to them, or doing enough to grow the sport. "It's been a really good union from the players," Guga said.

Wins of the [Sun]day: The petite Argentine Gisela Dulko, who out-rallied seventh seed Nadia Petrova, and, of course, young Russian Irakli Labadze, who toppled seventh seed Carlos Moya 2-6, 6-1, 6-3. Props to Marissa Irvin too, for making the fourth round. She and Dulko will match up.

Monday matches to watch: Of the 24 singles contests scheduled, we see 19 that we'd like to stand and watch (when it's 95 degrees out, sitting is like taking a warm bath in your sweat).

Here's a few that will draw in crowds: 14-year-old Sesil "I'm going to kick her ass off" Karatancheva vs. Sharapova; Roddick vs. Safin; Federer vs. Gonzalez; Haas vs. Costa; Corretja vs. Henman; Strycova vs. Benasova; Schett vs. Suarez; Coria vs. Mirnyi; Calleri vs. Nadal; Fish vs. Novak and Blake vs. Gaudio.

Fish needs this win and a few more if he is to convince US Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe that he's the right choice for the No. 2 spot against Sweden. We hear he's the frontrunner. However, if either James Blake or Vince Spadea go deep here or in Miami, the captain will have some hard thinking to do.