More to the game than hitting a yellow ball

Tennis players don't just hit a yellow ball over the net. These days, there's more to being a top sports star and dealing with the media is part of it.
For major names, press conferences are an integral part of the profession, and some deal with them better than others.

Roger Federer is the king of calm, Rafael Nadal tries hard despite imperfect English, while Serena Williams always has a snappy one-liner ready, usually delivered with a smile. At the other extreme is Andy Roddick, who often dismisses questions with sarcasm.

Some players can be relied to deliver the quotes, like Russian siblings Marat Safin and Dinara Safina.

"Somebody (needs to) just smack me so hard in my head that something shakes finally and I put the cables together," said Dinara after struggling through one match here.

"It's the most stupid thing I ever saw in my life," said her brother after a foot-fault call in his defeat to Roger Federer.

Others are monosyllabic, with the answers shorter than the questions. While some have no problem talking about their personal lives, others steer well clear. Likewise, some take controversial questions in their stride while others refuse to get involved.

Revealing conference
One of the most revealing press conferences at this year's Australian Open has been from home favorite Jelena Dokic, who spilled her heart about being estranged from notorious father Damir and the severe depression that followed.

"As soon as I left home, my relationship went downhill with my dad. It went downhill with my whole family," she said.

The type of questions players face range from the serious to the daft.

At the Open there has been everything from Serena's favorite TV show ("Desperate Housewives") to whether Roddick likes motocross. There has also been more weighty fare about crowd violence and Barack Obama's inauguration as US president.

Regardless of how tired or dejected a player might be, they must turn up for post-match press conferences or face heavy fines at major tournaments.

Some seem to enjoy working with the media and even write themselves. While many have Web sites, growing numbers are blogging. Players like Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic have penned columns for newspapers here.

In a bid to get closer to his fans, world number one Nadal is taking questions online through the Melbourne Herald Sun, dealing with everything from sex during a tournament to whether he will marry his sweetheart.

The Spaniard admits it isn't easy.

Multilingual Federer
"This is my first blog in Australia and I am very thankful to have been given this opportunity," he said. "But I am not going to lie to you, this is not easy for me since I am not a writer."

With hundreds of journalists angling for the right quotes to build their stories, some players dish out answers better than others.

Multi-lingual Federer is as skilled in the press conference room as he is on the court.

Patiently, and in good humor, he sits through a barrage of English questions before answering similar queries in Swiss-German and French.

He also deals with the issues in Swedish and Italian if need be. And then it's time to give the radio journalists their soundbites.

Before this he has already answered on-court questions from the host broadcaster, with American former player Jim Courier usually at the microphone in Melbourne, and then goes into the TV studio for more of the same.

In contrast is Roddick, who often seems like he'd rather be somewhere else.

When one journalist suggested he looked fitter and leaner this year, he replied: "You look good, too. Red is a good colour. If you're out in the sun long enough your freckles might connect and then you might get a good tan."