Withdrawal

Reuters

Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski of Poland on the catwalk during a fashion show during day two of the ABN AMBRO World Tennis Tournament on February 9, 2010 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

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I'm not supposed to have envy, but my niece, who's not even a fan of tennis, got box seats from a friend to attend the ABM AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam. She'll be there tomorrow, while I'll be back in the States trying to enjoy the first tournament of the year in North America at the SAP Open in San Jose. Brazil hosts the second week of regular tennis below the equator, while the women are off in Paris and Pattaya City.

Indoors, outdoors, hard courts and play. A veritable, if not venerable, bowl of stew for the tennis fan to gorge if one's constitution allows.

Can Andy Roddick win back a title he practically owns? Will Melanie Oudin follow up her Fed Cup heroics and finally make some noise at a regular tour event? How will Novak Djokovic make out as the new world No. 2? Will there be a new champion or will another player end a 5-year title drought?

I, for one, am still in Slam withdrawal. I want big stage tennis in the middle of the night, damnit, and I want it now!

I'll get some scores, faces, and quotes up this week as the spirit moves me. And I'm going to try to load a new comment interface. Oy. Wish me luck.

Till then, use this as a catch-all Open Thread.