Happy Birthday, Amelie Mauresmo!

My absolute favorite player on the WTA tour, Amelie Mauresmo, is 27 today. But she cannot dig into her impressive wine collection because she is busy trying to win Wimbledon. Mauresmo won her quarterfinal match against Anastasia Myskina yesterday, and tomorrow, she faces Maria Sharapova in a semifinal. Her record against Sharapova is good, and Mauresmo fans have reason to believe she will move to the final, where she will meet either Justine Henin-Hardenne or Kim Clijsters (another of my favorites).

My favorite scenario is for Mauresmo to meet Henin-Hardenne in the finals and defeat her handily. That would shut a lot of people up for good (maybe) after the Australian Open controversy. A match against Clijsters would be hard for me, since I like both of them so much.

World number one Mauresmo is the only top WTA player who is using an "old-style" serve-and-volley game at Wimbledon, and it is a joy to see. Despite her considerable tennis gifts (which some still insist she does not possess) and extraordinary athleticism, Mauresmo has won only one Grand Slam. It is true that she has been mentally vulnerable throughout her career; she should have won several Slams by now. I want her to win several more. But like Hana Mandlikova and Gabriela Sabatini, Mauresmo offers a grace and excitement that few players offer, and that is part of what makes her my favorite. The other part is her sense of humor and outstanding sportswomanship.