Some quick volleys around the world of tennis for this week's "Champs & Chumps"

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Champs

The Dents:   Tennis has certainly be a family affair at times.  Last week, it was time to add the Dents to the tennis family tree that includes the Williamses, Blacks, Rochuses, Sanchezes and Maleevas.  With his win at Newport, Taylor Dent made history as part of the only father-son duo to win a title in the Open Era.  Father Phil Dent won three singles titles and reached the finals of the 1974 Australian Open.

Unstoppable #1s:   With the post-Wimbledon ranking release, one can only wonder when there will be a new #1 player on either Tour.  With 2 Grand Slams each under their belts in the last year, Lleyton Hewitt and Serena Williams are solid leaders.  Hewitt has pulled out to a staggering 2,000+ point lead over #2 Marat Safin.  Even if you doubled #5 Yvgeny Kafelnikov's entry-ranking points you would just reach the Australian's computer point total.  With the ATP Tour sorely lacking consistent performers (or simply overrun with "depth" if you want to play devil's advocate), it seems unlikely that "The King of C'Mon" will see his reign end any time soon.  Serena Williams's hold on the top is even more impressive.  With back-to-back Slams, Serena is now 800+ points ahead of sister Venus at #2 and nearly 1,800 points ahead of Jennifer Capriati.  All of this, on an anorexic 12 tournament appearances over the past year and without two of the biggest computer point earners of the year - the Australian Open and Indian Wells. While domination does not always make the most for the interesting times in sports, kudos to both Hewitt and Williams for putting on quite a show.

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Chumps

Marcelo Rios: The outspoken Chilean is apparently none to pleased with a just published biography called "Marcelo Rios: The Pain and the Glory."  In an interview with Chilean television, he said he was upset about some of the content in the book that chronicles his days as a single man.  The now husband and father apparently was allowed to amend his own statements in the book but had no control over what others said about him.  Sounds like "El Chino" is finally getting a taste of his own medicine.

Martina Hingis: This past week we learned that the Swiss Miss would not be able to get back on the Tour anytime this summer.  Early word had it that Hingis would also miss her third consecutive Grand Slam next month. But on the heels of that news, Hingis quickly proclaimed to a Swiss magazine that she would be back for the US Open.  The former #1's ankle is still apparently swollen and she has been practicing on a rubberized court (similar to the Australian Open) and hopes to back on the hard courts next week.  Mr. Ed thinks that Flushing Meadows is no place to begin a comeback and with the deadline passed, Hingis would need a wildcard to get into the tournament.  If she does play maybe her one hope would be to have the recently hobbled Lindsay Davenport on her side of the draw.

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