While we are all digesting the unfortunate news that defending champion Maria Sharapova will not participate in the Australian Open, here is some more unfortunate news, but of a lesser nature: Bethanie Mattek will not be there, either. My understanding is that the recently-married Mattek decided that--since she has no points to defend--she will skip the year's first major.
Skipping majors used to be something that was done often, and especially by Evonne Goolagong, who simply had other things she wanted to do. Chris Evert skipped several, too. Like many players, she often skipped the Australian Open when it was held during the Christmas holidays, and she missed a few French Opens because she was playing World Team Tennis. Just think how many majors both of these women would have won if they had played in all of them.
But I digress...Mattek will be missed by those of us who follow her progress and enjoy her presence. Mattek is articulate and interesting--more so than many of her peers--and I look forward to seeing her compete in 2009.
Also, this is not the first time Bethanie Mattek has disappeared for a while. She dropped off the tour in the latter part of 2007 so that she could pursue agility training, with an emphasis on yoga. She returned the next year, a much better player.
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