In this week's "The Line Judge" we look at two players who one thought we would never see again in the same sentence - Anna Kournikova and Nathalie Tauziat.  In what was expected to be her final year on the Tour, Tauziat spent much of her time being hounded by the media regarding her book about the "underside" of women's tennis.  Most infamously in that tome was Tauziat's attack on the sex symbol that is Anna Kournikova.  Kournikova was back in the news this week with some adjustments to her tournament schedule as well as what may become the biggest off-court Kournikova firestorm yet.

Anna Kournikova just can not get a good break lately.  The Russian spent most of last year sidelined with a stress fracture in her foot and this year has shown little of the form that vaulted her into the Top 10 rankings just a short time ago.  Kournikova is currently in a five match skid and this week announced that she was pulling out of French Open warm-up tournaments in Hamburg and Berlin.  In a statement worthy of a note to a school principal, Kournikova apologized for her absence in Berlin stating "after the long injury pause I don't believe I can compete in such an important tournament."   However, Kournikova will not be off the tennis courts.  The Russian has entered smaller (and apparently, by default, unimportant) tournaments in Bol and Warsaw.  So it appears Kournikova is perhaps simply looking for a match win these days rather than that elusive tournament title.

However, could it be that Kournikova is just looking to flee the media limelight?  Penthouse Magazine is claiming it will publish a 10-page pictorial of a topless Kournikova taken by a freelance photographer in South Beach.  A source at the magazine claims the photos are "very tasteful and quite flattering."  However, the Kournikova camp is having none of that.  A spokesperson from her agency is claiming the photos are not even of the Kournikova, stating the photographs "are so dissimilar to Miss Kournikova that the magazine acted either intentionally or with reckless disregard for the truth in order to exploit our client and make a profit."  So whether or not the pictures are legitimate there is not doubt that there will be a lot of discussion and debate.  This Mr. Ed just thinks it would be highly unlikely that Kournikova would allow herself to be topless in any other place than a room without windows!

The word "retirement" just does not seem to be in many professional athlete's vocabulary.  Nathalie Tauziat, who retired at the end of last year, recently announced she will be back on tennis courts at Roland Garros.  Taking a page out of Martina Navratilova's book, the Frenchwoman only plans to make a comeback in doubles with Kimberly Po-Messerli.  Tauziat said she got a call from the American saying "she was looking for a teammate after her partnership with Nicole Pratt didn't work out so well."  Whether this a full-blown commitment is still to be seen.  Tauziat, who remains on the computer rankings at #16, said she would team with Po-Messerli for Roland Garros and Wimbledon adding "I'll do this just for fun."