Olympic gold vs Grand Slam title

Every four years, the packed tennis calendar has to jostle around the tour schedules and conjure up a bit more space to squeeze in two weeks of additional hustle and bustle. It's only the biggest sporting spectacle of them all, but does an Olympic medal really have enough of a gleam for today's tennis fraternity?All the talk these days seems to be obsessively pivoted around the world number one slot -- Federer's determination to hold on to a position he has occupied for 235 weeks, even as Nadal inches closes with each roaring bull-run around the courts. Already, stakes are out to accompany predictions regarding this year's winner at the US Open, right after the Beijing business has been dealt with -- the only Slam still in possession of the Swiss. And so what if it's been a month since every adjective was used to describe that Wimbledon epic plucked straight out of a dream, the frequency of its discussions hasn't dropped a notch.In all this, the past, present and future of this year's court-talk, where then are the hushed whispers about the player who will wear the gold and stand proudly with his nation's flag as the anthem is played a few weeks from now? Perhaps no one cares to remember, but the epithet 'Olympic Champion' stands currently attached to a player who is well past his prime, ranked 138th in the world, and needed a wild card entry so he could defend the medal he won in Athens. Nicolas Massu (CHI) may have to contend with the stature of Nadal (ESP) and Federer (SUI) as he seeks a repeat of the 2004 podium place, but surely he too noticed the propensity of the big fish to be swallowed into the Olympic ocean, leaving the rest to scramble for the bait.The withdrawals appear endless, and they don't seem to be ending just yet. It all began with Andy Roddick's declaration earlier this year that he would much rather defend a tour title before the US Open than get another medal for his country. Clearly, the Slams are where it's at. Maria Sharapova joined Serena Williams, Daniela Hantuchova, Amelie Mauresmo, Juan Ignacio Chela, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Marcos Baghdatis and more on the seemingly endless list of injury victims who will be watching the Games from the safety of their television while hoping for a speedy recovery.The women's gold medallist, of course, will not be seen in Beijing, but Justine Henin chose not just to walk away from the Olympics, but tennis in total. Nevertheless, the top five men and six of the ten WTA players have made it to Beijing, what will soon be seen is whether they can compete with as much hunger for an Olympic gold. With bodies bruised and minds coaxed through many challenges before they land in Olympiczone, it could be a tough ask.But the show must go on, and so it will.