Andre and Anna Would Hold His Centre Court

As Wimbledon gets underway today, Boris Becker fears tennis is in trouble.

Becker, a winner of three Wimbledon singles titles, thinks the sport lacks personalities and needs more players like Andre Agassi and Anna Kournikova.

“Tennis is in a big hole,” he said. “It’s got a really big problem right now. There are not as many characters anymore. It is going through a dry spell and it is not as attractive as it was five years ago.”

“We need more Anna Kournikovas and Andre Agassis on the tour. Without Andre’s comeback in the last year and a half, tennis would be in an even bigger hole.”

*

Add Wimbledon: Jason Whitlock of the Kansas City Star points out that Kournikova’s appeal at Wimbledon has little to do with tennis.

“NBC’s pre-Wimbledon hype is centered on Kournikova who, despite all the attention, has never won a professional tennis tournament,” Whitlock said. “No one would be surprised if Kournikova checked out of Wimbledon, which begins [today], real early. NBC will be left to show Lindsay Davenport, Martina Hingis, the Williams sisters and Mary Pierce by the weekend.

“But for now the network is very happy selling Kournikova because the network knows sex appeal sells. Kournikova is Britney Spears. The teenage Spears can’t sing a lick, but she sure looks good trying.”

*

Trivia time: Who were the two No. 1 overall selections in the NBA draft for the Lakers?

*

Monday Night Miller: Baltimore Sun columnist Ken Rosenthal, for one, thinks ABC’s decision to use comedian Dennis Miller on the “Monday Night Football” broadcasts is a good thing.

“[Producer Don] Ohlmeyer spoke of making the show ‘relevant, accessible and unpredictable.’ Maybe Miller will satisfy that goal; maybe he won’t. But what are we talking about here? Miller can’t help but be more interesting than Frank Gifford. And the No Fun League could use a few laughs.”

*

Work not completed: Cincinnati, San Diego and Kansas City are the only teams in the majors without a complete game this season.

*

American grandstand: Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post says the NFL should not ignore Vince McMahon’s attempt to create a new pro football league.

“On the record, Paul Tagliabue scoffs every time he hears the letters XFL,” Armstrong said. “If he isn’t expressing concern behind closed doors, he’d better start. Vince McMahon is to this generation of kids what Dick Clark was to generations past. They relate to him, and he’s got the power of television at his fingertips.”

*

Trivia answer: Magic Johnson in 1979 and James Worthy in 1982.

*

And finally: Ray Ratto in the San Francisco Examiner: “Cornerback Sam Madison’s new deal making him the highest-paid Miami Dolphin ever just shows you that money isn’t what it used to be.”