By Shivani Gupta
Tennis
AWAY FROM ALL THE CRICKET
Mar 3rd
While India and England were busy sharing the spoils on Sunday in their world cup match in Bangalore, some very important, significant changes were happening elsewhere in other sports.
Let’s start with tennis.
Novak Djokovic eyes the No.2 spot
Novak Djokovic, world number three and ‘heir-in-waiting’ (for long), has probably crossed an important milestone in his career. Continuing with this tremendous phase of his career (Second grand slam title at Melbourne, following the US open final in 2010), Djokovic won his second straight title in Dubai, extending his winning streak to 14 matches.
More importantly, he beat Roger Federer again, thrice in three matches now.
Not only is this victory testament to the fact that the ‘Djoker’ is a bigger, better player, it’s also a crucial step forward towards finally and actually being able to break the ‘Rafa-Roger’ stranglehold at the very top of tennis.
And who better to do it than Nova.
He has worked extremely hard to stay in the position of number three, that he has done for most part of the Rafa-Roger decade. He has consistently challenged the two men on all surfaces. And he has been the most consistent of all the other contenders.
Any other time in tennis and Djokovic would have stayed number one for a few long weeks.
While that is out of anyone’s control, Djokovic has done the one thing in his control right. Keep improving.
This time he’s done it with a new improved serve and it has made him a controller rather than just a challenger.
Now he’s served up the perfect platform to leave Federer behind and finally take over the number two position in world tennis. Just 80 points behind. I don’t think Fedex can hold-on any more.
Will Rafa be next?
Over to golf now where the shifts have been equally telling.
Another change in the No.1 spot
Martin Kaymer lost at the WGC Match Play in Arizona, but he is the new world number one.
In one sense, these are turbulent times in golf after such a long time, what with the number one position changing hands twice in three months.
But don’t we just love it? Actually it depends. You decide.
The thing is that as much as the PGA tour hates it, Europe has now taken over most of the attention and headline-capturing players.
Kaymer is No.1, Lee Westwood is down to second and Graeme McDowell is fourth… Luke Donald with his win in Arizona has climbed to number three.
So Europe now holds the top four spots in the world rankings for the first time since 1992, when Ian Woosnam, Nick Faldo, Jose Maria Olazabal and Seve Ballesteros were at the top.
And would you believe it - Tiger Woods is down to fifth for the first time since 1994.
In this constant push between the PGA and European tour, the balance has firmly tilted in favour of the eastern side. So maybe we should expect more squirmishes between top European players and the PGA (Often the PGA has tried to control where and when European players play). Or will the PGA be ready to accept that they are not ruling the roost anymore?
But back to the question of whether we like it.
I’m not sure if I do. But I do know it’s not because I’m on one side of the divide. It’s just that there’s no longer a man to catch up with. I don’t like this constant shifting. I like to have a level that everyone is trying to achieve. Tiger provided that for many years. While a bunch of equally potent players is also good to have, but isn’t it nice to have a ‘Ruler’ looking down upon the schemes and battles below to overthrow him with glee.
Sigh.
NADAL THE GOAT?
Sep 14th
Many have already called him the best, the toughest man to play against.
His competitors swear by his prowess… and critics have slowly been titling towards him…
So is Nadal ready to make a run for the title of the GOAT…. the greatest of all time?
His closest rival for this mantle remains his contemporary rival Roger Federer…. but he is quickly catching up…
Many would say he has already. Like Brad Gilbert who tweeted right after the US open final – “There’s your GOAT [Greatest of All Time]“.
And it is becoming harder to deny it.
If Federer was the King of Grass, Nadal’s the king of Clay…. And now Nadal has even created his own dominance at Wimbledon… while Federer has failed to do so in Paris.
Nadal won on grass before Federer could take the French title…
And he was also faster than Federer at holding both the French and Wimbledon trophies together, the first since Bjorn Borg.
And now Nadal has completed the full circle with all four grand slams – also faster than Fedex. Much faster. He infact is the youngest in Open Era.
But then, some of Federer’s records are unparalleled – like his 10 straight Grand Slam finals, 23 straight Grand Slam semi-finals, and of course the biggest of them all… a record 16 Grand Slam titles, more than anyone else ever…
But we all realize this is not about the number of titles.
Federer was never competing with Pete Sampras to take on the mantle of the greatest. He was always compared with Rod Laver.
Similarly, Nadal need not worry about being 7 grand slams behind Federer.
Infact, what takes Nadal slightly ahead is the fact that he has consistently dominated Federer. He’s beaten him everywhere: Wimbledon, in that final of a lifetime, Paris and Australian open.
Federer only managed to win two slam finals against Nadal at Wimbledon, at a time when the spaniard was nowhere close to his full potential.
And Nadal leads Fedex 14-7 in all time head-to-head record.
In other words, if you beat the greatest and everyone else consistently, aren’t you the greatest then?
But still I have to say that history (for now) is on Federer’s side… Nadal needs to stand the test of time a little longer to rest the case. And I have no doubt he will.
The best part is that it’s the fans who have been the most lucky. Afterall, we are watching two true legends play in the same era…. creating memories and battles to cherish for posterity.
WATCH RAFA-ROGER LAUGH THEIR GUTS OUT
Sep 11th
Roger-Rafa have fun promoting a good cause
Check this one out! So funny…
They might be heading for a mouth-watering showdown at the US open final again, but Roger-Rafa keep it light.
The End of the Big One
Jul 4th
So, we’re almost at the end of the Championships. The big final is left but sadly most of the script has been read out by now, and we’re just waiting for the signoff…
Whatever happens in the final is not going to be story (Unless of course Nadal loses, but I dont think thats happening. So let’s keep that aside). Mind you, its not that its not exciting still. It is the classic final really… The champion against the underdog – who could have asked for anything better, especially with both of them with their distinct advantages.
But I say sadly because the answers I was looking for are already staring me in the face. And yet it depends on how I want to look at them…
Nadal’s back for sure, and seriously it doesnt depend on whether he wins the title (Although, again, its as much a given as these things can be). He played some of the best tennis in this year’s Wimbledon and its remarkbale to see how he has managed to put up this deadly form for three months or so…
But I was more keen on the way Federer does and that’s where the worry begins. I was very sure it was the beginning of the end even before the championship began. But as he suddenly shows the first signs of decline, I somehow dont want to recognize it. I fear it. I dont want it.
It’s not to say he’s done. But the question is looming large: Have we seen the best of Federer?
How sad will that be? Such a loss.
Federer-Nadal rivalry has been what tennis fed on in this century. It was a thing of beauty that only got better and better with age. Both players relished it.
Federer was most comfortable losing to Nadal, as he would ever be losing to anyone. Some of his defeats to Nadal were crushing, not least 2008’s Wimbledon final, where Nadal stopped him atleast temporarily on the path to unrestricted glory. He cried unashamedly after the Australian open thrashing in 2009.
And yet he was most graceful in defeat. He always shared the credit with Nadal, congratulated him. Conceded the spaniard was better without any discomfort. He enjoyed the battles.
A look at the Federer that lost to Tomas Berdych in the quarters this week, and you know he’s disgusted. And he couldnt quite present a better face. He made excuses, and in un-Federer style lost his cool and grace, hissing at the British media.
Suddenly came a talk of injuries, being unlucky!!! And the best, was when he was asked if this would be Murray’s year. Federer just blew. He cancelled out the competition to Murray with delightfully chocolaty swiss sarcasm and then told the media to ‘go, do your homework’.
Listening to him like that and I knew, this man is not happy exiting the stage that his rivalry with Nadal had set up. Let’s not forget, he’s now going to be number three in the world. He never be-grudged Nadal for anything. As it often happens in such big rivalries, the two involved can already see what they are creating and they equally enjoy it. You take some, I take some. Both were gloriously complementing.
But no other player comes close to that. And Fed, I agree!
This is the Big One: Part 2
Jun 22nd
Ok… Where do I begin? Roger Federer almost out in the first round of Wimbledon. Who could have imagined that?
Like I said last time, this Championship is set to provide us a lot of answers, the big ones being if Federer’s era is coming to an end? But boy, I didnt expect the first hint would come so early..
I know he won eventually, which again is commendable, but his overall performance to find himself in the bad position was appaling.
He was hardly there. When he was, he clearly didnt want to be on the court. He didnt want to work for anything. His movement was well, momentary. His backhand was half-hearted. Federer just looked miserable.
I would have thought he atleast could do better for the crowd who paid to watch him!
The only time he looked like fighting his way (since he already had simself two sets down) was during the ninth game of the third with Falla having three break points to serve for match.
He saved those and eventually won the game to go 5-4 up. Then had a set point that suddenly had so much weight on it, the centre court roof could fall.
Falla did incredibly well to save one, then gave away another to give Fed the set. But by then, the story had been set in ink.
I didnt think it mattered what happened from there on. Our first ‘Big One’ is here. The first Big Hint.
I have spoken of his desire and the will to continue and concentrate as much as it needs to win seven matches over a period of two weeks to win a grand slam. But this has to be more that. After all, what we saw wasnt just Federer being troubled. He was miserable. Largely unable to use his immensely greater talent on the court.
Five sets gave him the luxury Federer really didnt deserve today.
On top of that, Falla apparently was playing with some kind of injury. John McEnroe blurts out, “I’d like to have that injury.”
Most of Federer’s initial matches are one way traffic and therefore not the best watching except to see some of his exquisite shots. But this match was pathetic. Backyard tennis on a surface slower than the slowest clay.
Making it more miserable is the fact that Falla too a lot of times made himself look too small for the big occasion, that beating Federer, six times champion, top-seed, defending champion, the greatest of all time, would have been.
So one doesn’t want to play, the other doesn’t want to win. Brilliant combination.
The boxes of both players had better action and fervour. What the heck was going on??
The only good thing for Fed is that it wasnt someone like Lopez or Robredo he met in the first round and Falla failed to complete the job. In the process, Federer has managed to get some momentum now with that 6-0 final set.
But times are going to be a-toughing and probably a-changing.
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