Gabriela Sabatini

Former US Open winner Gabriela Sabatini was honored in her hometown of Buenos Aires, Argentina on February 15th, 2009 by the International Tennis Hall of Fame, in conjunction with the Copa Telmex Tournament in Buenos Aires. The ceremony was made by Mark Stenning, Chief Executive Officer of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and 2005 Hall of Famer Butch Buchholz. The Hall of Fame and the tournament paid a special tribute to Sabatini at the opening dinner of the Copa Telmex, an ATP World Tour event.

The women's game has suffered some premature retirements of late, what with Kim Clijsters quitting when she had just turned 24, and Justine Henin finishing while still No 1. Choosing the right time to quit is never easy for a sportsman or woman.

The Australian Open women's final tonight highlights a match-shaping strategic standoff.
 
Specifically, how attractive does Maria Sharapova have to be to overcome the annoyance of her banshee-wailing? Will the mute button suffice in getting us to the end of the match?
 
OK, yeah, the tennis should be exciting. But in Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic, we have stars who very consciously market themselves as starlets. They want to be noticed for their looks, and the casual fan (read: slobbering male) is happy to oblige.