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The toastmasters' and tennis scenes in Russia must be very competitive ones indeed. Well, that's if Maria Sharapova is anything to go by.
At the recent Aussie tennis open, the 20-year-old Russian showed that once she stops grunting she's as eloquent at public speaking as she is powerful
with her two-handed back-hand.
The tennis has easily been the best thing on television so far this year. Although Ugly Betty starts up again on Sunday.
Anyway, the tennis was so good even the speeches made rivetting viewing. Forget the "I'd just like to thank the ladies for the spread" type speech of the world's rugby and cricket captains, Sharapova is a true pro when it comes to after-match banter.
Be it thanking her fans (who could have cheered a little louder), paying tribute to a friend who died last year (which made her realise there was so much more to life than winning), or what she's going to spend her $1.5 million winners' cheque on (a big bunch of roses for her mum), she was ace. It was almost as if she'd rehearsed it. She even managed to get away with a slightly condescending comment directed at her Serbian opponent, Ana Ivanovic, who she labelled a young girl with a bright future. Come on Maria, Ana might be about a foot shorter than you but you're the same age. Plus, princess, she's ranked higher than you at the moment, too.
Ivanovic, the overwhelming crowd favourite, also had the right mix of humility and emotion during her loser's speech as she touchingly welled up with tears when she thanked her supporters in the 17,000-strong crowd.
And then there was the action on the court. Now that's great TV.
Not only were we treated to the sauciest women's Grand Slam final ever, between Maria and Ana, but we got to meet a confident - okay, put him in front of 17,000 people and he's just plain cocky - young French man called Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Oh, and there was also that Serbian guy, Novak Djokovic, who won.
So while Rafael Nadal looked more worried about keeping his head band straight and world No 1 Roger Federer looked about as lively as Neil from The Young Ones, these two battled out a stunning grand final, even though it didn't last five sets.
There were rugged baseline battles, smashes, and miraculous returns of those smashes, and best of all, the close net encounters which was like watching a doubles match but without having to breathe deeply into a brown paper bag.
Elsewhere on TV this week it wasn't the award winners that were the focus of E! channel's coverage of the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Hell, no. Forget about who won, the E! reporters missed the chance of being on the red carpet at the Golden Globes so they were out in force to ask all the probing questions they didn't get to ask then.
Poor Glenn Close, she got gushed upon by the E! reporter who may as well have done the interview while kissing the toes of the "legendary" actress. All credit to Glenn, she smiled nicely and said nice things about Heath Ledger.
Cate Blanchett was pregnant and glowing. And Angelina was rumoured to be pregnant too but that's what you get when you wear a strapless, kaftan-like smock that looks ideally suited for covering a baby bump. She and Brad looked very happy to be there though.
But it was Casey Affleck, star of The Assassination of Jesse James, who handled the questions best - with a blank look his brother Ben would be jealous of, followed by a quick chew of his gum, and then a bored-out-of-his-brains answer. I'm with you there Casey. Give me tennis any day.