Miscellany

Mary Joe Fernandez has signed a contract with the USTA that will extend her role as captain of the USA Fed Cup team for two more years.

It isn't your imagination that players ignore the 20-second service rule.

Caroline Wozniacki hit with Novak Djokovic today.

"I'm not the player I was two years ago," Anne Keothavong recently told the BBC. Keothavong says that various injuries have kept her from being as fit as she should be. "Who knows what's going to happen?" she said. "I'm going to need time to reassess and decide what I want to do."

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova will enter the top 20 next week.

Birthday girl!

Still no fourth member of USA Fed Cup team, but a decision should come soon

Sloane Stephens practiced in Birmingham's BJCC, the site of this weekend's Fed Cup semifinal, on Monday. Christina McHale, another possible USA team member, was at home catching up on school assignments; McHale made it to the third round in Charleston last week. Captain Mary Joe Fernandez says that she hopes McHale can come to Birmingham soon so she can observe her. She also indicated that there is at least one other player whom she wants to observe in the BJCC arena.

In terms of being able to handle the pressure of Fed Cup, I think McHale is the better choice of the two mentioned; I don't know who the other players are.

Venus Williams, after a hitting session on Sunday, told Fernandez that she felt "so-so."

U.S. Fed Cup coach change in the works

According to Matt Cronin, Mary Joe Fernandez will join Zina Garrison as U.S. Fed Cup team coach next year, and should take over as coach in 2009. Fernandez, possibly the best player to never have won a Grand Slam, is currently a commentator for ESPN.

Enough with Chakvetadze and the emotional fragility thing

There was a time when Anna Chakvetadze would cry on the court, much like Vera Zvonareva used to. Naturally, she developed a reputation for being emotionally fragile, but--listen up, Mary Joe Fernandez--she stopped doing it a long time ago. She grew up. It's true that earlier this season, Chakvetadze shed a few tears on the court, but that was because she was so physically exhausted, she doubted she could stay in the match. But on ESPN, there is always considerable babble about how emotionally fragile the Russian player is.

Chakvetadze is a fairly mannered woman, and the expressions that cross her face range from frustration to amusement. This is part of what makes it so much fun to watch her. But having these kinds of mannerisms is not a sign of weakness. Anna Chakvetadze has played in six Sony Ericsson WTA Tour finals, and has won all six. We should all be so emotionally fragile.