By Liza Horan

New York—While the pros are slipping, sliding and slogging it out in Roland Garros, tennis is getting some animated exposure on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.

Exhibit A: CNN Election Center 2008
The network's comprehensive coverage of the run-up to the next Presidential election is as dry and sober as it ought to be, except for "Presidential Pong." Yes, this simple online game is featured quite prominently on the "Election Center" home page, right next to "Historical Matchups" and "Issues." It's not often that a tennis racquet—even a cartoon-styled stick—is mere pixels from a head shot of Ronald Reagan or the words "Abortion," "Same-sex Marriage," and "Immigration," yet CNN has done just that.

Game-minded fans of politics can click here to "play as your favorite candidate, and send back the vicious volleys of your opponents."


Exhibit B: MTV2 Celebrity Deathmatch
The Anna Kournikova vs. Danica Patrick duel originally aired on March 31, yet it's featured on the "Celebrity Deathmatch" home page this week for free viewing. The clay figures on this long-running show are a bit rougher than Art Clokey's Gumby and Davey and Goliath, but the writing is consistently hysterical. In this episode, Kournikova ("who puts the 'ten' in tennis," according to a commentator) faces Patrick, an IndyCar driver. Why the match-up?

"Interestingly, neither one of them has won the big one," says an emcee, adding that they both have achieved lots in the area of "hotness." Nevertheless, you'll need a sense of humor and a stomach for gore.

To see who wins, click here.

Have you spotted tennis in mainstream culture? Tell us by sending an email to liza@tenniswire.org