+ MONDAY NETCORDS: Sania, Viktor, Bodo vs. Rafa...Chris on Venus & Serena, fun with felt and more

- Open mouth, insert foot: Peter Bodo thinks he has Rafael Nadal's tennis issues all figured out: Rafa's tennis suffers because he's "provincial" and "has resisted, or is impervious to, sophistication" since he comes from the dark + undiscovered land of Mallorca, Spain, and he's "amazed that nobody has come up with a comic strip character based on Nadal yet." Essentially, grow up and enter the world of men!

But Bodo has thought about the repercussions of such asinine descriptors and attempts to defend them by saying, "We resist this kind of thinking today for fear of causing offense and stereotyping." And yet you still do?


- Fun with felt: Kix and the City gives us a preview of the new Nike Blazer Low, the popular early 1970's basketball style. This version is made from tennis ball felt in black/light bone-green; the sneaker tongue is nylon.

- Making an approach: Should today's tennis baller attack the net more? Nate Cunningham pens his case over at Tennis Diary.

- In common sensical news, the WTA Tour, and now the ATP Tour, will both offer ranking points for this year's Beijing Olympics. "The 2008 Olympic tennis event will have the best quality field possible," said ITF president Francesco Ricci Bitti. Too bad that's not a priority for Davis & Fed Cup competition.

- For what it's worth: Chris Evert believes the Williams sister's best days are in the here and now. The 18-time Grand Slammer told Reuters, "The big question is: `Are the Williams sisters healthy?'. They are injured or they are not focused or whatever. If Serena is healthy and she is focused, she is still the player to beat." Bonus: Are brothers Peyton & Eli Manning the Venus & Serena of football?

- Despite recent controversies, Sania Mirza is still in the back pocket of advertisers.

- Tennis Served Fresh has some info on Serbian Viktor Troicki, who we spotted getting his lick on with an unsuspecting tennis racquet, and an unfortunate locker room moment with Nike (well, unfortunate for them.)

(image via kixandthecity.com)