Anyone want a journeyman's autograph?

Mark Lyons Robby Ginepri and Mardy Fish enjoy playing on U.S. soil. Tim Henman needed four sets to down Dmitry Tursunov to keep his Grand Slam hope alive. Romanian Ioana Raluca Olaru was no match for Venus Williams.

Gimelstob denies the story, but added he's matured now and wouldn't do the same again. Roddick, by the way, not only ended Gimelstob's Grand Slam career in an entertaining first-round match, but turned down the offer of an autograph.

So many players have stories like that: their first meeting with a tennis "celebrity" and where it happened. Many have also matured a great deal, including Gimelstob who, when he came on tour, was as cocky as they come and when he essentially left on Tuesday, described his career high point as "just a lot averageness." Maybe in the results column, but the guy was always a hell of a lot of fun to watch. No one made missing a shot more entraining.

So many of the lesser lights get their days in the sun early at the Slams and that's a very good thing, because at the more compact 32-draw tournaments on the tour, many of players ranked out of the Top 30 are gone on the first day, and fans never get to read their back stories.

Part of the charm of the sport is seeing players hit their highest levels, fall down and rise back up again. It's much like the rest of the human race at work: A person nails a project, then loses their bearing and fails at a project, and then that person scrapes and claws until he or she becomes a greater expert in their subject material.

Tennis players, though, have a lot more help than the average Joe or Jane. Take Robby Ginepri, now two years past his extraordinary and completely unanticipated run to the USO semifinals. His career has been mostly down since then, but on Wednesday, he crushed the accomplished Olivier Rochus of Belgium 6-0, 6-3, 6-1 in his opening match. Talk about a result that makse you go, "Hmm."

Ginepri just hired Jose Higueras, a miracle worker to some and to some others, a guy who over-teaches. But Robby is perfectly at home.

"Already it's helped out immensely in my game and also the mentality part, which is big out here these days," Ginepri said. "I feel more comfortable now on the court than six months ago. I didn't feel like I could keep three balls in play. For my type of game, that's where I need to bear down and really make a lot of shots, play a lot of long matches out there, run guys down. With that being said, I just got to keep on doing the things we've been working on the last month, carry it over throughout a whole season."

It's also incredible how a player can perform so much better in a particular locale. Ginepri seems to be the type of guy who can fall out sorts mentally on the road. Not everyone can get used to the tour travel life and he's never been a guy who has put up huge results abroad. But playing in the Grandstand, it's like he was holding a NASCAR race in his backyard in Atlanta and he was in charge of who took the pole position and who would grab the checkered flag.

"A switch pops in my brain or something that says, 'Start playing,' " Ginepri said. "I feel extremely comfortable on these courts. I've always really strived to do well. I've watched this tournament growing up for so many years. To actually be a part of it is phenomenal for me. Why I can't play like this the whole year has definitely been a question out there. Got through today and hopefully can keep pushing through."

Fish just recently rose to the surface again in New Haven where he lost to James Blake in the final. He may not have the inner fire of Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Roddick or Rafael Nadal, but he's not without talent. He beat Mexico's Bruno Echagary 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 and spoke of a transition. His coach, Todd Martin, recently decided to stop working with him, mostly because he wanted to spend more time at home with his family. He's now traveling with ex-player Beau Hodge, but said the moving on has been tough.

"I'm very comfortable with him," said Fish, who will face Tommy Robredo in the next round. "We've known each other for a really, really long time. He's been around the game for his whole life. I can easily call him one of my best friends. It's nice to have someone who's not just there for a paycheck in your corner. Not to say that they were there for that. But it's nice to me that you have someone that without a doubt is there for your best interest. [But] it's tough. Emotionally it's not easy. I'm not one of those guys who doesn't feel it. You travel with that person almost every week of the year. You get to be pretty close to them. Calling them over to your house and saying that you don't want to work with them anymore isn't easy. It weighs on you, especially on me. I'm kind of a softy when it comes to that. That stuff is emotionally pretty draining and can take away a little bit from your game. But, the older I get, the more mature I get, the more you understand it really is a job. And you have to be selfish. You have to do what's best for you. I'm not going to be out here forever. I can't waste any years."

Fish and Ginepri aren't the American stories du jour … not with John Isner and Ashsa Rolle winning two matches and Donald Young still alive. But if Fish beats Robredo, he'll be worth more than a line in the agate.

"I haven't done anything to warrant people talking about me, lately any ways, going deep in a Grand Slam," Fish said. "I've never gone past the second round at this tournament. Obviously it's a good thing when the media talks about you. Right now I am content with where I am. I'm extremely happy. Like a lot of the articles and stuff that you write, with that comes a little bit of pressure as well, and I don't feel that right now. Maybe it's a good thing."

NOTES FROM ALL OVER THE GROUNDS
Serena Williams struggled against Maria Elena Camerin and needs to hit a much higher level if she's going to get past Vera Zvonareva, then either Lucie Safarova or Marion Bartoli. She hasn't found her rhythm yet. … Venus Williams looked fairly solid in downing Romanian teen Ioana Raluca Olaru of Romania 6-4, 6-2, who is a good little player. Ana Ivanovic wants a piece of Venus in a big way in the fourth round: "I would really be excited to play against her. I never beat her. But I think this is different tournament, different circumstances. I am feeling even fitter than I was in Wimbledon. So I would really like to play against her. I definitely have chance."

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