The last time Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal met each other on court, we were served a fare a little different from the usual. Unlike the Wimbledon 2008 match, which would have earned vigorous approvals from even the stiffest of the upper lips, this encounter was down the road less taken between these two. Street food was what I felt it was like – a hodgepodge of winners and errors made more exciting by the gusts of wind that swirled around the court and an odd bit of rain as well. It was made up of flair and drama – a new twist to ‘Fedal’.

For that match, Rafa was on his return to the circuit after taking a break to come to terms with the six-hour loss in Melbourne. Roger was looking to make a push for the World No. 1 spot again, and was riding on triumphs in Rotterdam and Dubai. They had already faced off that year – a four-set semi-final in Melbourne which Nadal had won.

Federer won that match and went on to construct a season of rewards, the most important of which was winning at Wimbledon and reclaiming the No. 1 spot. Nadal may have lost that match, but he re-established his lost clay court territory. He was the defending champion at Roland Garros, but Novak Djokovic had staged a coup in Rafa’s territories in Madrid and Rome. A win at Monte Carlo (his eighth successive title there) would be the stepping stone in overthrowing the mutiny at Rome. And despite facing Djokovic, his toughest ever rival in the final at Paris, he won a record 7th title at Roland Garros and stood alone at the top.

Unbelievably though, and even more famously, he crashed out of Wimbledon in the 2nd round to a man named Lukas Rosol.

And then those pesky and persistently troublesome knees flared up again. Twice before, they had forced Nadal to miss important tournaments. This time, it consumed 6 months of his career. From the Olympics in August last year up to the beginning of the South American clay court tournaments in February this year, Nadal spent an astonishingly long time tending to his knees. All the while, we heard rumours of his retirement and saw painful pictures on Facebook. Rafa’s statuses of taking things slowly, day by day, making us hopeful that we would see him make a return soon.

In the 12 months since their last meeting though, things have changed a bit. Fedal is not the rivalry that basks in the limelight any more. It happens to be the one between the other two. Djokovic and Murray’s childhood brawls have blossomed into full-fledged battles on the world’s biggest stages. They have now met in back-to-back Grand Slam finals and in three finals of the last five. Murray won his first Slam at the US Open and Djokovic went one-up again in Australia. These two are now meeting consistently in finals of important tournaments, one of them often deposing Federer en route, to make a rivalry story worth telling. But only because Fedal wasn’t happening. Not any more.

It has been 12 long months since the last time these two guys met. Some dropped points during his absence meant that Nadal had dropped to a slightly low rank of 5. Everyone raised their noses in anticipation of some early blood when Nadal announced his return to the full field of competition in Indian Wells. A possible meeting was set-up when the draw was announced last week – a quarter-final.

Honestly, did you even for one moment think the wait would be prolonged?

The new tennis season is back with a bang. We are only a few turns of the hour-glass away from the first major of the year. The Australian Open draw was announced earlier today. A combination of tricky match-ups and sweltering temperatures down-under is surely giving a lot of our heroes some sweaty palms out there!

Littered with former champs, a new champ, past heroes, local hopes and future stars, the Australian Open men’s draw is not only highly unpredictable, but also promises to be full of oohs and aahs. So let’s take a look at it.

The First Quarter

Novak Djokovic will be attempting to become the first man in the Open Era to win three back to back Aussie Open titles. He will also be trying to tie Agassi and Federer by winning his fourth title in Melbourne Park. So, he would be feeling pretty confident about his chances with his quarter of the draw. He faces Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu in the opener. Then he could face either Feliciano Lopez or Radek Stepanek in the third round. Both players are very good and on any other day/tournament/surface, I’d give them a fair chance at pulling off an upset. But on the plexicushion surface in Australia, neither has any firepower or any strategic advantage against the mighty Serb. His fourth round opponent could be Sam Querrey (who defeated Djokovic in the Paris Masters last year) or Stan Wawrinka, but neither should pose much of a threat.

At the other end of this quarter is Tomas Berdych. He lost, famously, in five sets to Roger Federer here, in 2009, after being two sets to love up. But 2010 and 2011 were his best seasons on court and he has been one of the few outside the top four who has managed to cause the rare upset in these two years. This year, his target will be Djokovic in the quarter-finals. But before that, he may have a tough challenge in the third-round match in the form of Roberto Bautista Agut, whom he lost to only a week ago in Chennai. And if he gets past that, a clash against Juan Monaco might be on offer in the fourth-round. It will not be right to disregard Juan ‘Pico’ Monaco.

Despite being known for his preference for clay, he is an able hard-courter. This is highlighted by two 4th round appearances in the US Open and semi-finals in the Masters events at Miami and Paris. But Monaco would have already done better than his previous performances in Australia by reaching the fourth round. And if the Berdych forehand is in tune, he would have a tough time bettering his record.

Predictions: Quarter-finals between Novak Djokovic and Tomas Berdych. Djokovic to win in 4 tough sets.

The Second Quarter

The man with the most match wins last year, David Ferrer, will concede that he has been handed a fair draw to make a run to the semi-finals. With Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal, he finds himself thrust in to the top four and of all the players who claim a spot in it, he has the strongest case. The problem with the current No. 1 Spaniard is that he does not have the game that would bother the three ahead of him. But he does have fairly simple route to travel before he is posed with that problem again. He opens against Olivier Rochus, in what will be a match of 30+ year olds. His opponents in the subsequent rounds could be Ivo Karlovic or Marcos Baghdatis, both of whom should not cause Ferrer to fret. A possible fourth round match-up could be against Kei Nishikori. That will certainly be one good match to look forward to.

Chennai champion Janko Tipsarevic will have mixed emotions about his side of the draw. Of the top 8 seeds, he faces, undoubtedly, the toughest first round match. Not because Lleyton Hewitt is a former grand-slam champion, as Hewitt is not any more the player he once was. The challenge for Tipsarevic is to face the Australian hero in Australia in front of 18000 highly vocal and partial fans. Does Hewitt have another “C’MON!” in him to make the Aussie fans go “Oi Oi Oi!” again? The good part for Tipsarevic is that if he does win this match, then he will not mind Grigor Dimitrov in the third round or Nicolas Almagro in the fourth.

Predictions: Quarter-finals between Ferrer and Tipsarevic. Ferrer to buzz past in 5 sets.

The Third Quarter

Judy Murray recently said that the addition of Ivan Lendl was the final piece needed to solve Andy Murray’s grand slam riddle. This Australian Open marks the first anniversary of the successful partnership. Murray opens his campaign against Robin Haase of the Netherlands. Haase has a 1-1 record against the Scot, one which could have been 2-0 had he converted from a 2 sets to 0 lead in the US Open two years ago. But that was Ye Murray of the Olde. Andy should not lose any sleep till the quarter-finals at least. His likely opponents in the subsequent rounds (and here, I’m going by seedings, as this section is the most unpredictable one) will be Florian Mayer and Gilles Simon.

An interesting match in this section will be a first round clash between Alexandr Dolgopolov and Gael Monfils. The Frenchman has had a fair start to this season with motivational wins over Phillip Kohlschrieber and Tommy Haas. Dolgopolov is the seeded player but this match is as decided as a coin-toss. Promises to be fun!

Murray’s greatest threat will be in the form of Juan Martin Del Potro. The Argentine is back to his post 2009 US Open form. Two wins against Roger Federer and a semi-final finish in the World Tour Finals last season will ensure that he believes in his chances going into the tournament. He opens against a qualifier and may get a challenge in the fourth round from Marin Cilic. Otherwise, he looks good to take on Andy Murray in the Quarter-finals.

Prediction: I’d like to see Juan Martin Del Potro sneak past the duo of Murray and Lendl. But I’d have to tip the odds ever so slightly in favour of the Scotsman.

The Fourth Quarter

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has a penchant for losing to diminutive Asians in tough matches. Well, one particular one, by the name of Nishikori. Go (Soeda) is no Kei but Tsonga will be hoping he does not derail against any of his early opponents. In the third round he may face Thomaz Bellucci. Then in the fourth round, it will either be Tommy Haas or Richard Gasquet. Now it all depends on which Tsonga turns up against these men – The high speed freight train that mowed down Rafael Nadal 6-2 6-3 6-2, here in Australia in 2008, or the joy-ride train that was knocked over by Federer’s racquet with the same score, at the same stage in the same stadium in 2010. In case it is the former, then Gasquet or Haas do not stand much of a chance. If it is the former then he should certainly hope the inertia remains in the quarter-finals, where he might face Federer.

Which brings us to the Swiss Maestro – who probably would not be too pleased right now. If you had asked him to chose three of the top eight ranks in his quarter, he would have certainly not chosen Del Potro, Tsonga and Murray. He would, I’m pretty sure, swap any two with Ferrer and Tipsarevic in the blink of an eye. The rest of his draw is also not something to sing about.

He opens against Benoit Paire, who was the semi-finalist in Chennai last week. I’m sure he would not like the prospect of Nikolay Davydenko as a second round match either. He would of course do well to remember that his victory over the Russian, here in 2010, was the turning point en route to the title. A potential third round against Bernard Tomic might also not appeal to Roger. Their last meeting was a lesson in the sport for the young Aussie. Since then, Tomic went into a free fall and is currently ranked at a low 67. But in 2013, he has pulled a win over Djokovic in the Hopman Cup and will contest his first ATP final in Sydney on Saturday. An in form Tomic could be a tricky obstacle. And finally, the last bitter piece of this pie will be Milos Raonic, a possible 4th round opponent. Incredibly, Federer has lost the first set to the Canadian each time they have met. Sustained bludgeoning, a tactic which has worked against Federer in the past, is what Raonic will have to bring to that match if he wants to upset the Swiss.

Prediction: There is too much class in Roger. Raonic is still a little away from producing the kind of jaw dropping tennis Tsonga or Berdych showed to upset Roger.

Can Tsonga defeat Roger in the quarters? Yes.

Will Tsonga defeat Roger in the quarters? This is the toughest question to answer. I plead the 5th Amendment.

And I didn’t get one. I’m not sure if that is because I’m no longer a kid, or if I have been very naughty this year.

But 2012 was a very good tennis season. For tennis lovers across the world, this season had plenty of gifts to offer. So here is the 2012 season, expressed in the spirit of the season.

5. Caro the tennis player,
Has a very Rory beau.
She was the World No. 1 player,
with no Grand Slams to show.

I like Caroline Wozniacki. She and Rory are tennis’ very own power couple. Perhaps second only to the Agassis. But 2012 was a nightmarish season for her. In 2011, despite not winning a major, she held on to the World No. 1 rank for over a year. Her results in the tour events and the fact that no other player had consistent Grand Slam results ensured that she stayed on the top. But after Kim Clijsters defeated her in the Australian Open, she lost the World No. 1 rank and we saw her fall directly to No. 4. Ahead of her rose Azarenka, Sharapova and Kvitova – and all three were Slam winners. And then, as if she suddenly forgot her tennis, she slipped out of the top 10. She also attracted a lot of negative criticism for her charades during the Gillette tour. But she had a slight improvement towards the latter part of the season and finished the year at No. 10.

Come on Caro! Let’s see less of your antics and let’s see you back closer to the top.

4. You better watch out,
You better not miss.
Better know this,
I’m telling you why.
Rafa Nadal is coming back!

He’s making progress,
Uncle Toni is impressed,
Gonna kick-ass of Djoker and everyone else.
Rafa Nadal is coming Baaaack!

Or not!

In light of his statement yesterday, this might be a little premature. But honestly, haven’t we all been dying to see Rafa on court already? The biggest lay-off of his career just got a little longer after he got infected with a stomach virus. He has withdrawn from the Mubadala Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi next week. So if he does play in the Australian Open, he would be woefully short on match practice. Not the most cheerful bit of holiday news for Rafa fans.

Vamos Rafa! We want to see you back on the court. Get well soon!

3. Silent Wait. Heart-breaking wait.
Lendl came, and changed his game.
Then young Aaaandy, played with heart.
Loss to Roger didn’t tear him apart.
In Flushing we seeeeeeee,
Young Andy winning a trophy!

Yes sire! This was our very own ‘A Christmas Carol’ story of the year. Andy ‘Scrooge’ Murray had all the talent in the world. But he was very miserly. He never won a Major. And all his countrymen could only just sit and wonder. But in 2012, with the help of Ivan Lendl, who is also very Scrooge-like with his expressions, the ghost of Fred Perry from Christmas’s Past was put to rest. In New York, he ended Britain’s long wait for a Grand Slam champion.

The best part – Lendl managed to muster a smile. That is the best present for this Christmas!

2. On the first day of the Season the No. 1 gave to me,
the Australian Open trophy!
On the second day of the Season the No. 1 gave to me,
two Masters titles, and the Australian Open trophy!
On the third day of the Season the No. 1 gave to me,
three Grand Slam finals, two Masters titles, and the Australian Open trophy!
On the fourth day of the Season the No. 1 gave to me,
Four consecutive Major finals, three Grand Slam finals, two Masters titles, and the Australian Open trophy!
On the fifth day of the Season the No. 1 gave to me,
Five wins in WTF, Four consecutive Major finals, three Grand Slam finals, two Masters titles, and the Australian Open trophy!

On the sixth day of the Season the No. 1 gave to me,
Six season titles, Five wins in WTF, Four consecutive Major finals, three Grand Slam finals, two Masters titles, and the Australian Open trophy!
On the Seventh day of the Season the No. 1 gave to me,
Seven team members (including coach and girl-friend), Six season titles, Five wins in WTF, Four consecutive Major finals, three Grand Slam finals, two Masters titles, and the Australian Open trophy!
On the eighth day of the Season the No. 1 gave to me,
Eighty (six) percent match wins, Seven team members (including coach and girl-friend), Six season titles, Five wins in WTF, Four consecutive Major finals, three Grand Slam finals, two Masters titles, and the Australian Open trophy!

On the ninth day of the Season the No. 1 gave to me,
Nine saved match points (5 to Murray and 4 to Tsonga), Eighty (six) percent match wins, Seven team members (including coach and girl-friend), Six season titles, Five wins in WTF, Four consecutive Major finals, three Grand Slam finals, two Masters titles, and the Australian Open trophy!

On the tenth day of the Season the No. 1 gave to me,
Ten back-to-back sets against Andy and Rafa in the Aussie Open final, Nine saved match points (5 to Murray and 4 to Tsonga),               Eighty (six) percent match wins, Seven team members (including coach and girl-friend), Six season titles, Five wins in WTF, Four consecutive Major finals, three Grand Slam finals, two Masters titles, and the Australian Open trophy!

1. Good King Federer looked on,
on the greens of England.
He claimed the throne back there,
And became a Legend!

Roger Federer’s title at Wimbledon this year was like the return of a king. In his absence, the Sheriffs of Roland Garroshire and Melbourne-upon-Yarra had claimed the territory. After withstanding an assault from the French in the form of Julien Benneteau, he fought the Belgians and the Russians before confronting and overcoming the challenge from Count Djokovic in an epic semi-final. And in the final, it was ye ole’ Andy of Dunblane. The Swiss maestro prevailed in four thrilling sets. With this victory, he returned to No. 1 for a short period, enough to let him overcome the record of Pete Sampras and post a grand total of 302 weeks as the World No. 1.

Long live the King!

And season’s greetings to all!

2012 was an absolutely brilliant advertisement for Tennis. For the first time in quite a while, the sport saw no single conqueror, no run-away champion. Four different players triumphed at the four majors. The season was rich in drama and excitement.

There were some glorious victories, some heroic efforts and some inspiring comebacks. Amidst all the magnificent tennis, some players went on to post some great personal achievements. These were accomplishments that made the world sit up and take notice.

Perhaps the most talked about achievement this year was that of Andy Murray. Like a phoenix, and I believe this has to do with the support provided by Ivan Lendl, Murray rose from the ashes of his loss to Federer in Wimbledon to cap the season with a gold medal at the Olympics and something that was long due to him – a grand slam title. In doing so, he legitimised the top 4 and ended his nation’s long wait for a champion.

In Monte Carlo, Rafael Nadal lifted an unprecedented eight successive title. Since 2005, the trophy has had only his name etched on to it. This year, en route to the title, he defeated Novak Djokovic in the final. This marked a critical moment in the season as we would see a few weeks later in Paris. For the first time ever, all four back to back major finals were contested by the same pair. Three of them swung in the way of Djokovic. That win in Monte Carlo would ensure that in Paris, it would be Rafael Nadal who would clinch victory. It was his seventh title at Roland Garros, surpassing Bjorn Borg’s six.

Despite not getting a career slam and with it the honour of holding all four titles, Novak Djokovic had plenty to celebrate. For the first time since 2008, Tennis had the same year end No. 1 for successive years. Djokovic’s achievement is perhaps appreciated better when we acknowledge that the lofty heights he scaled in 2011 were sure to haunt him in 2012. He showed great survival skills and by the end of the year, managed to hold his place as the No. 1 Tennis player in the world.

But the greatest achievement of 2012 was something that was set into motion towards the sunset of the previous season. Roger Federer is no stranger to setting records. He sets so many by simply turning up match after match. But if there was one record which Federer fell agonizingly short of, then it had to be that of Sampras’ tally of weeks spent at the top.

In 2012, Federer surpassed that record and went on to post 302 weeks as the World No. 1 Tennis player. How he achieved it is testimony to the greatness of this achievement.

Sampras had 286 weeks as the World No. 1 of Tennis. Entering the French Open in 2010, Federer had 283 weeks on his racquet. His loss in Paris, and Nadal’s subsequent win meant Federer’s meter stopped at 285. From that moment onwards, he always faced a steep climb to the top. First, it was Nadal who pulled ahead. Then last year, Djokovic leapt past him and Nadal left Federer at a lowly third place. At 30 years old, it looked like that one record will remain forever unconquered.

Then, towards the tail end of the 2011 season, Federer went on a three tournament winning streak. At a time when the two above him were suffering from exhaustion of the season gone by, Roger sneaked past to reduce the arrears by a significant margin. In 2012, we saw Federer’s strategy come in to play. He planned his schedule smartly. He enrolled for the Rotterdam indoor event in the time between the Australian Open and the North American masters, allowing him to claim more points. He only played in the two masters events before the French Open allowing him to retain his energy. He also grabbed any opportunity that was presented to him. In Madrid, amidst all the controversy about the playing surface, when the top two crashed out complaining, he snapped up the title. But it wasn’t all luck. In Indian Wells, he had to overcome Nadal in the semi-finals to claim the title. In Dubai, he had to defeat Andy Murray. With these wins, Federer put himself in a position to claim the top rank. To do that, however, he needed a big win.

In July, Federer won his 17^th Grand Slam title in Wimbledon. He defeated Djokovic in the semi-finals and Andy Murray in the finals. With it, he ended a two year major trophy drought and reclaimed the World No. 1 spot. Two weeks later, he would go past Sampras.

Victory at Cincinnati and the silver medal at the Olympics would ensure that Federer would remain at the top and in contention for the year end No. 1. He would eventually lose it back to Djokovic, but not before amassing 302 weeks as the world’s best tennis player.

To put Federer’s achievement into perspective, it’s worth noting that three great players, Bjorn Borg, Boris Becker and John McEnroe together have lesser weeks at the top than Federer alone has. And that some like Murray, Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall and Arthur Ashe never ever got to the No. 1 spot.

Tennis has changed a lot over the last few years. The players have changed, the equipment has evolved and the dimensions of the sport have been redefined. Top level Tennis is so intensely competitive that in this era, longevity is an important yardstick for the measurement of greatness.

Since 2003, Roger Federer has been in the top 3 each year. And in the 9 years that have been completed since then, he has spent nearly 6 years at the very top. In what is widely regarded as the most competitive era, his regaining of the top spot is undoubtedly the achievement of the year on the men’s side.

Catch the rest of the awards here: 2012 Tennis Awards

It’s that time of the year again – time to take out your calculators and rack your brains over all the possible ranking scenarios.

Roger Federer’s loss to Juan Martin Del Potro in the final at Basel ended a nearly 2 year long indoor hard-court undefeated streak. His last loss on an indoor hard court came in 2010 to Gael Monfils in the semi-finals of the Paris Masters. Since then, he has won two year end championships and the tournaments at Basel, Paris and Rotterdam – three of them, back to back, towards the end of 2011.

This means that as the rankings race reaches towards an end, Federer finds himself in an unenviable position. In fact, he might not at all like what is to follow.

But before that, let us understand the rankings system.

The ATP Rankings points follow a rolling 52-week system where after every tournament, you drop the points you had earned in the previous year and gain the points you earned this year. For instance, after Wimbledon this year, Federer gained 2000 points for winning the event. He also lost 360 points which he had earned the previous year with a quarter-final showing. So, for Roger, there was a net gain of 1640 points. Similarly, Djokovic lost 2000 points as defending champion, and gained 720 points for a semi-final finish – a net loss of 1280 points. So when you do the math, you’ll realise that Federer leaped ahead by 2920 points in two weeks, thus allowing him to reclaim the No. 1 spot again.

The system is designed in this way to keep putting pressure on the top players to stay at their spots. This is the reason why it is remarkable that Federer managed to stay at the top for nearly 4 consecutive years. This is also the reason that both Nadal and Djokovic lost their top spots after two remarkable seasons.

The ATP did have in mind a different “Rankings Race” concept, in which you start each year clean and your rankings are determined by your victories. But this would have made the situation very funny. For instance, with this system in 2002, Thomas Johansson would have been World No. 1 for a considerable part of the year, by just winning the Australian Open. Since the next major is only in May, for nearly 4 months, he would have been No. 1 or at the very least, top 3, even if he didn’t play another match till the French Open.

The current system is not uniform in its treatment towards tournaments. The tale of the year end rankings has a slight twist. Unlike other tournaments, for the ATP World Tour Finals, you drop the points of the previous year, before the event. And unlike other events, the points are distributed quite differently. Due to the round-robin and knock-out format, the winner can earn from 1100 to 1500 points. And on the Monday after the last regular calendar tournament (which currently, is the Paris Masters), you drop those points. The points you gain in that final week determines your season ending ranks.

Ok, now let’s dissect the situation on hand.

Currently the rankings are as follows:

Federer is 345 points clear of Djokovic. But Federer is also defending a lot more points than the Serb for the remainder of the season. Both Djokovic and Murray have very little points to lose and a lot of ground to gain.

Beginning with the Paris masters, Federer is defending 1000 points. Since he has withdrawn from the event, he will not be able to reduce the loss. Novak Djokovic was a quarter-finalist last year. This works to his advantage. He will lose a measly 180 points. And since he is contesting this year, the odds are in his favour to earn a profit. This means that, even if he doesn’t show up in Paris, he will usurp the No. 1 rank next Monday. Assuming he gains no points, he will be 475 points ahead of Federer when the event at Paris concludes. But then, on Monday, both players will also drop their 2011 ATP World Tour Finals points. Federer, who went unbeaten last year, will lose 1500 points. Djokovic, who only won 1 round-robin match, will lose just 200 points.

So next Monday, Federer will be staring up a 1775 point deficit. And this translates into terrible news.

Unfortunately, for Federer and his fans, it is an impossible peak to scale. With Federer having only 1500 points to play for, the year end No. 1 ranking is secure with Novak Djokovic.

To rub the salt into the wounds, if Murray has an impressive performance in the remaining two tournaments, he stands to gain up to a maximum of 2500 points, while losing just 180 points. Assuming the worst case scenario, in which Federer fails to win a single match at the year end championships, the Swiss might actually find himself finishing 2012 ranked a lowly third.

You heard it here first!

No. 2 – Roger Federer

The history of every sport has this one type of athlete. These athletes enter the folds of the game like every other person, one amidst the crowd. But over the years, they rise above them all. Then just when it looks like this is as far as they would get, they push the envelope further and define new heights. They shatter records, set new standards, attain hallowed status, delight their fans and mesmerise their opponents. And eventually, when they do leave their sport, they become synonymous with excellence, with the word ‘champion’ and more importantly, with the very game they chose to play. Think of Michael Jordan and basketball, Sergei Bubka with pole-vaulting, Dhyan Chand with hockey and Pele with football.

To just witness these players in action is an experience in itself. And there is one such player who has weaved his own bit of magic over the past few years. Every time he walks on to the court, with each step he takes, with every twang of the strings on his racquet and each breath he takes, he is making history. He is excellence, he is the champion and he is synonymous with tennis. He is Roger Federer.

Like all prodigies, Federer displayed quite a flair for sports from a very young age. Growing up in Switzerland, he dabbled in cricket, badminton, football and table tennis. However, in 1985, when Boris Becker won his first Wimbledon title, he got young Roger hooked on to tennis. For hours on end Federer would hit against the garage wall with his racquet, without tiring. After starting school, he became the best of the lot and was soon attending separate practice sessions. He was a quick learner. He was separated from group lessons after his talent became obvious. Even back then, he wanted to be the best in the world, and his determination was clearly visible.

This was the time he ran into a man who would go on to have a tremendous influence on his life – Peter Carter. Carter was highly impressed by Federer. “Oh, have I got a young boy here who looks promising. He’s only about 12 or 13. I think he’s going to go places”, he once said of Roger. Through tennis and travel, Carter and Federer would become very close to each other on a personal level.

Federer’s rise was predictable. He was often too good for his age group and even those above. He was only 14 when he became the national champion of Switzerland across all age groups. He joined the ITF juniors’ circuit in 1996 and at the age of 17, he was the Wimbledon boys’ champion and the World No. 1 junior.

But there was a period when it didn’t look like he was going to waltz his way into the pages of history. We have become so used to his calm and composed performances that little do we realise there is an avalanche of emotions buried under that poker-face. Marco Chiudinelli, who is Federer’s friend and was also once his training partner, narrates this incident from their youth:

“Back then we only played one long set of up to nine games. Things weren’t going well for me at the beginning. I was behind 2–5 and I started to cry. We cried a lot back then even during the matches. Roger came up to me and tried to comfort me when we switched sides. He told me everything would be alright, and in fact, things got better. I took the lead, 7–6, and noticed that the tide had turned. Then he began to cry and I ran up to him and give him encouragement and things went better for him. It was the only time I could beat him.”

He would get frustrated, break racquets, stomp on the court, kick the balls and ostracize himself for every poor shot. He turned pro in 1998 and for three years, he didn’t win a title. He would take his losses very hard. He reached a few finals but was performing nowhere as good as some of his fellow juniors like Lleyton Hewitt, David Nalbandian or Andy Roddick. He himself started wondering if he was going to be one of the guys everyone talked about but who never amounted to anything. Federer’s only claim to fame thus far was a victory over Pete Sampras at Wimbledon in 2001 – for many a ceremonial passing of the baton. But the true passing had not yet happened. His tempestuousness always got the better of him.

Federer tried bottling his emotions and curbing his anger. But while the antics did stop, his shots became almost ordinary and his game almost lifeless. He continued to work on his emotions. Eventually he managed to find the right attitude, balancing fire with composure. And almost immediately, the results followed. In 2002, he won his first big title in Hamburg. However, he was upset at Wimbledon, in the first round itself. Having gone from a quarterfinal appearance in the previous year to a first round loss, Federer was inconsolable. The game was there to take him places, yet he wasn’t going anywhere. Then a tragedy would occur which would go on to change the course of Federer’s career for good.

In late 2002, his friend and former coach Peter Carter died in a car accident. Federer, who was playing in Toronto at that time, was shocked. The loss of a friend and mentor affected him deeply and he took the tragedy incredibly hard. He skipped a tournament to attend the funeral. It was in that moment that Federer made a vow; this was the point that turned him into the lean and efficient machine that he is today. That moment marked the end of Federer’s struggle with his internal demons and made him ready to battle on the court. No more distractions, no more tantrums, and his mind was firmly fixed on tennis. That was the moment when the baton that Sampras had handed over, was truly in Federer’s grip.

Back again a year later in the All-England Club, he was seeded fourth. His friend and first seed, Hewitt, who was the defending champion, had become the only man in the Open era to lose in the first round. But Federer was not disturbed. His progress was smooth and efficient. A week later, he was in new territory: he was in the semi-finals. His opponent was Andy Roddick, the No. 5 seed. In the other semi-final were players ranked far below these two. The winner of this match would be the favourite to win the title. Everyone was talking about Roddick. The American had won at the Queen’s Club and had a huge serve. But Federer was unruffled. He played brilliantly, dispatched Roddick in straight sets and was in his first ever Grand Slam final.

Two days later, he lifted his first Grand Slam trophy.

17 Grand Slam titles, 21 Masters titles, 76 career titles, 297 weeks as World No. 1 (and counting), 23 consecutive Grand Slam semi-finals or better, 10 Major finals in a row…so on and so forth (read them all here). These statistics and numbers speak what they have to. But they don’t reveal how the champion was made or the man that lives behind the player. Roger Federer battled himself and his emotions and then worked hard to channel his skills to become a champion. Success, adulation, money and fame have failed to uproot his feet. The way he carries himself on and off the court, in the press-conferences and with the media, has made him immensely likable. He has gathered fans across the globe numbering in the millions, and continues to get more people hooked on to the sport by simply turning up, match after match. When he plays, he doesn’t just make people look. He engages their senses. When he wins, people rejoice. When he loses, which does happen occasionally, even the people watching feel the loss. He is loved by millions and admired by his opponents. He could have been the antagonist of the occasion when he won against Murray in Wimbledon this year and dashed the hopes of an entire nation. But the sight of him in tears, the sight of his family and his twin daughters in the stadium, would make only the most heartless man call him anything but the hero.

One can only hope it’s nowhere near but one day, it will be time when he hangs his racquet. And when that day does come, we can all say that we were alive when the face of tennis was weaving its magic, creating history, Grand Slam after Grand Slam, day after day, shot after shot.

And now, here’s a look at Federer’s Slam triumphs – all 17 of them – that have decorated his glittering career.

These are the other players who have made it to the list so far:

No. 20 – Venus Williams; No. 19 – Justine Henin; No. 18 – Ken Rosewall; No. 17 – Andre Agassi; No. 16 – Pancho Gonzales; No. 15 – Monica Seles; No. 14 – John McEnroe; No. 13 – Ivan Lendl; No. 12 – Jimmy Connors; No. 11 – Margaret Court; No. 10 – Billie Jean King; No. 9 – Rafael Nadal; No. 8 – Serena Williams; No. 7 – Chris Evert; No. 6 – Bjorn Borg; No. 5 – Pete Sampras; No. 4 – Martina Navratilova; No. 3 – Rod Laver

Read the detailed write-ups on all the players in this list here:

The greatest tennis players of all time

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 10: Andy Murray of Great Britain reacts during his men

Roger Federer believed he could. The media believed he could. Britain hoped he would. Two months back, it seemed like the only person in the world who believed Andy Murray could not win a Grand Slam was Andy Murray. Now, he doesn’t have to believe he can.

Now, Andy Murray knows he can.

In January, he decided he needed to get something else into his game if he was to challenge the stranglehold of the top three. Clearly, his mum, as a coach, could not offer him more than just support. And the person he brought into his team was someone who had truckloads of a quality he desperately needed – mental strength. The stoic, emotionless, cold face of Ivan Lendl watched on as his new employer almost made it to the Australian Open final.

Performing at home, under immense pressure, he ran out of gas at the last hurdle. The resilience of Federer and the weight of expectations of an entire nation made Andy succumb on the home stretch. He now stood at par with that man in his box, Lendl, having lost his first four finals. He was getting closer each time but after this particular loss, he looked like he had hit rock bottom. It would require great strength of the mind to gather oneself after such a fall. Lendl was there to help Andy find it. The good part about rock-bottom is that there is only one place to go from there.

In the Olympics, just a month after that loss in Wimbledon, he defeated Djokovic in the semis and Federer in the finals in straight sets, in a ridiculously one-sided match. A gold medal in the pocket, the North American hard-courts beckoned. Progress in the early rounds was routine. In the semi-finals, in windy conditions, he tamed Berdych. In the final was a familiar foe. Djokovic and Andy go back to when they were eleven, playing in the juniors in Europe. They know each other inside out. But this was no junior tournament. When they faced-off last time in a major, Djokovic won in straight sets. This time it was different. Djokovic knew that. This was as big as it gets.

In his fifth final, Lendl came from two sets to love down to defeat John McEnroe at the French Open. That was McEnroe’s first loss of that year and a loss he recollects woefully to this day. Monday afternoon in Flushing Meadows, Lendl saw Murray go up two sets to love in his fifth final. Then Djokovic came back roaring to level the match. We had a fifth set. And Murray was in danger of committing a reverse-Lendl.

It was  shabby match. Making lesser errors was the strategy. But it was a competitive match. Djokovic bruised his knees in the fourth set. Both players were wobbling between points. The wind was making any kind of shot selection a risky endeavor. Both players struggled with the conditions horribly. Yet, for four hours, they managed to hang in there.

In the fifth set many would have picked Djokovic, having come from two sets down, to make it through. He was certainly the fitter and stronger player. But something in the Serb’s game snapped and it snapped ugly. Two breaks of serve down, and Murray to serve for the match, he had to call for a trainer, inciting boos from the crowd. Murray got up and started hitting against the wall, impatiently, eager to get started. This was unfamiliar territory for Murray and more time to think about it was the last thing he needed. But he held himself together to get to match point. Visibly shaking in the awareness of where he was at that moment, he served up a floating serve. Djokovic lined up and crushed a forehand. For an agonizing moment it seemed like it had caught the line. Then from the chair the call came,

“Game Set and Match, Murray”

Exactly 76 years, to the date, of Fred Perry’s last win, here in New York, Britain got a new champion. A faint smile on “iceman” Ivan Lendl’s face during the awards ceremony showed just how brilliant the moment was.

Tomas Berdych (CZE)[6] serves to Roger Federer (SUI)[1] during the Men’s Singles Quarterfinals match on day 10 of the 2012 US Open

When you have a divine presence inside the arena, showing that you are a human is just inviting a rebellion. And when that rebellion comes in the form of a nearly 6 and a half feet tall giant with powerful weapons, you will be hard pressed to quell it. Yes, more often than not, the gods will get away with it. But last night in New York, we saw a god perish with a very human-like mortality. In hindsight, it wasn’t that fancy and epic. But watching Tomas Berdych take apart Roger Federer at the US Open Quarterfinals felt exactly like that.

Such rebellions are still fresh in our minds. Over the last few years, they have occurred with rising frequency. In 2009, Del Potro showed everyone how it could be done here in New York. In 2010 it was Soderling in Roland-Garros and Berdych (once again in the quarterfinals) in Wimbledon. In 2011, it was Tsonga in Wimbledon. Federer’s distaste for Berdych is not unknown. But these three players are conspicuously similar in one aspect of their games. What Federer might have once considered a feast has now become a painful pill to swallow. Over the last few years, it has become evident that he doesn’t bode well against sustained bludgeoning.

Last night was no different.

Berdych was not only able to find every corner of the court, he was also able to put the ball there with pace. His forehand was working like a bazooka. His backhand was penetrating. And his serve was terrifying. Except for a blip in the third set, where he lost the set from 3-2 up, with a break, Berdych was playing as if there was no haunting memory of the last time he went up two-sets to love against the Swiss. In Melbourne, Federer sneaked through. For a brief moment, it felt like New York would also see a jail-break. Berdych bounced back to ensure that the feeling would only be temporary. He sealed his only break point in the fourth set. And when serving for the match, he didn’t miss a single first-serve.

As much as the credit goes to him for playing exceptionally good tennis, he was also helped by the fact that Federer was missing even the routine shots. The inside-out forehands he so impressively struck against Djokovic were today sailing past the baseline. He clipped the net far too often in his approach shots behind the short return of his serve, which either pushed the ball out or allowed Berdych to get into the point. He double-faulted twice in the second set and allowed Berdych a two break cushion. He was out-rallied more often that not. He committed a horrendous 40 unforced errors. His body-language was almost negative and the expression on his face was not encouraging. The result was that he lost his first match under lights in New York since 2003.

Federer was stretched on both wings.

There was a moment in the fourth set, at 3-3 on Berdych’s serve. This was during that spell when everyone was anticipating a fifth set. It was another one of those rallies which after a great forehand from the Czech seemed to be going his way. Federer was two meters behind the baseline and on full-stretch in defence. Berdych played a great backhand cross-court and moved in towards the net while Federer scampered to stay in the point. Berdych was on the tee when Federer reached the ball and sliced it back cross court. The ball, in an almost horizontal trajectory, bristled past the net and went past a Berdych on full-stretch and then dipped to land in. Berdych was stretching so far ahead of himself that he slipped and landed spread-eagle on the court.

At that moment, it seemed like the giant had taken a critical fall. To me, it looked like the giant was awakened from his mid-match slumber. He got up, dusted himself, went back and shot an unreturned serve.

Three games later, he was through to the semi-finals.

Actually, what we saw was how a man, who could have gone on to become so dominant at the top, was humbled into being second best by another. This pretty much sums up the career of Andy Roddick.

Flashback to 2001

Pete Sampras was a spent force, nearly. Andre Agassi was already eligible to play at the senior tournaments. Names like Kafelnikov, Ivanisevic and Rafter were being pushed away from the spotlight. A new pack of success-hungry youngsters was emerging. They were not only ridiculously talented, they were also faster, smarter and more powerful. Three people lead this ravenous pack – Marat Safin, who on his day could thwack a ball to the moon; Lleyton Hewitt, who defined the word counter-punching; and Andy Roddick.

Andy Roddick’s career has always been known for the serve. He doesn’t have the advantage of being very tall, like Karlovic or Isner. Yet he cracks 220+ kmph serves routinely. A cannon-blast of 230 kmph down the tee is his money shot. His fastest serve was clocked at 253 kmph. He once served so hard that the ball got lodged into the clay. Against nine out of ten players, this aspect of his game alone would have been more than enough to get the job done. The tenth player, unfortunately, was more often than not Roger Federer.

But his serve isn’t the only aspect of Roddick’s game. His movement on the court has been overlooked by many. He isn’t the quickest, but he is quicker than most people would credit him for. And at times, this has worked to his advantage.

Roddick was never the most consistent player and every now and then, he would become the victim of an upset. Yet he would also frequently produce dream runs which would leave most in the wake.

Wimbledon 2009 was Andy Roddick’s career in two weeks.

He moved through the earlier rounds with relative ease, despite dropping a set in each match, which is something that wouldn’t surprise you. He played exceptionally against Tomas Berdych, who would only a year later go on to play there in the final. He went the distance against Hewitt, winning 6-4 in the fifth.

Then he entered into a zone where he was nearly impossible to touch. No one gave him a chance against Andy Murray. Murray usually picks up his game in Wimbledon and the clash of the Andy’s was widely expected to go in the favour of the Brit. Even the bookies would have you believe so. Yet, even as the whole world was audibly calling him the underdog, he played like an alpha. For a third time, he found himself in the Wimbledon final. Unfortunately, on the other side was Roger Federer, once again.

Wimbledon in 2004 and 2005 and the US Open in 2006, World No. 1 and many more titles – all would have been his if not for that man from Basel. As with the semis against Murray, he wasn’t expected to do much in the final. He was expected to be just a formality in the pages of history. The only pity is that that is exactly what he did end up becoming. What you might not see in those pages is that for a greater part of that match, Andy Roddick played better than his opponent. He served better, rallied better and amazingly, out-manoeuvred one of the greatest movers of the game. He had five chances to take a 2 sets to 1 lead. He was only ever broken once in the match, and that was a fatal break.

He would have deserved the call of “Game, Set and Match, Roddick”. After winning 2 sets and 14 games, to end up losing, is an example of the cruelty of this sport.

His only Grand Slam success came in 2003, in the US Open. In front of a capacity crowd in his home country, he defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero to lift the championship trophy. He remains, till today, the last American to win a Major, and the last man to lift a title in his country.

A big favourite of the media, his wit and character in the press-box has had many reporters squealing with delight. He once remarked that if there was ever a ranking for press conferences, he would never have to worry about dropping out of the top ten.

In hindsight, it would be unfair to call his career disappointing. But for a few moments, he could have had an amazingly successful career. As he gets set to unstring his racquet for a final time, all I can hope is that he continues to be associated with the sport.

Andy Roddick the player was great to watch. Andy Roddick the commentator would make the sport even more fun!

All the best Andy!

To be quite honest with all of you, I am not a big fan of the US Open.

The Australian Open is one of my favourite slams. I just love the entire feel of the event – the blue surface, the atmosphere, the on-court interviews, Rod Laver Arena and Jim Courier. I start getting excited about the tournament come December.

The French Open does not go up that well with me. Rafa and I differ in this issue but I think there are too many matches on clay and by the time you get to the French Open, you just get a bit saturated with all that sliding. Nevertheless, there is still a lot of mind-bogglingly good tennis to be seen and Rafa in particular, is to be blamed for that.

Wimbledon is like true love and holy pilgrimage rolled into one. I think everyone likes Wimbledon. Even Andre Agassi, who skipped the tournament in his initial years, got his first slam success on grass. For all his rebellious clothing and ridiculous hairdos, he still came back to the Royal Box to watch Federer play. I admit, with no shame might I add, that for two weeks every summer, I am profoundly mesmerised by the AELTC.

And then we have the US Open – a fitting end to a season of exciting tennis. Wouldn’t you agree? For a final time, the greatest players all gather to put together one awesome spectacle in the greatest city on planet earth. This is the Big Apple, this is New York City and the US Open is the prime-time show of tennis. Yes?

No. Not quite. Because the United States Open is held in, well, the United States.

You see, this is where the other slams fit in so perfectly. You can watch all the morning matches of the Australian Open before your day begins. You can follow the other matches online in your office as well. And when the finals days come, you can leisurely eat your weekend lunch and settle down comfortably in the chilly afternoon sun to watch the matches. Perfecto!

Wimbledon and French Open fit nicely on the other side of your office hours. Work diligently and well all day (or don’t, either way) and when you come home in the evening, you will be rewarded with great tennis action. From about five to midnight, entertainment will be superlative tennis. Oui!

And this is where the US Open annoys me so much. Adding 0930 hours to the schedule to find out when a match is and when you do the necessary math you realise that the match is in the morning, the next day.
If the US Open is to get my liking, they need to do one of the following – either relocate the entire US to Australia (or anywhere on this side of the International Date Line, really), but this might be slightly unrealistic; or introduce a new Summer Day Light Spending system which makes 6PM IST (even 1:30PM GMT is fine by me) equivalent to whenever Federer, Djokovic or Nadal are playing. It would make life much so much better.

No longer then, would we have to wait till 4:30 AM in the morning to witness Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal slug it out in one of the most physical tennis matches. No longer then, would we have to battle sleep to watch Roger Federer hit a tweener to get to match point. No longer will we have to worry about sleeping of in the office as we watch Juan Martin Del Potro script a new story.

If these measures are taken, the US Open will become very successful, and yes, it could even become my favourite slam!

For the time being, I’ll just Google plausible excuses to call in sick next Monday morning.

It was really, really disappointing when Federer lost to Berdych in Athens in 2004. Berdych had no business winning. Heck, Federer had no business losing. There wasn’t even any Nadal to interfere. What made the loss more bitter was the fact that unlike some other top pros, Lleyton Hewitt for instance, who chose to skip the Olympics to concentrate on the US Open, Federer actually said that the Olympics are a bigger priority for him than Flushing Meadows. That loss to Berdych would go on to establish distaste in the Swiss for the Czech – a distaste which would become evident many years later in Wimbledon.

Despite being not so visible in the red and white of Switzerland, Federer does display a lot of patriotism. He is very vocal about his nationality and his want and desire to win honours in his country’s colours. He may not play in every Davis Cup tie, but he has always answered a call whenever Switzerland found itself on the brink of elimination. Last year, after the US Open, in which he lost an epic five setter against Novak Djokovic, he packed his bags straightway and flew half way across the world, literally, to play the Davis Cup world-group play-offs tie against Australia in Sydney. He not only fought against exhaustion and jet-lag, but also a switch of surfaces, to play three best of five set matches, including a doubles. Yes, Nadal also did it and Djokovic is all because of the Davis Cup win in 2010, but the point is that Federer does love playing for his nation and takes it very seriously. And the love is mutual. He is Switzerland’s only Grand Slam champion and one of their few sporting heroes. He is on their streets and postal stamps and is as much as a Swiss identity as watches and chocolates. This is why they asked him to carry their flag not once, but thrice. He also has a very deep personal connection to these events. Future Mrs. Federer and a very young Mr. Federer were Olympians in Sydney. And we all know how important she is to him.

So it is a shock and a disappointment that he does not have many decorations or trophies to show for it. Four years ago, after what was at that moment the worst season of his career, and only a few days after that heavy heart-wrenching loss to Nadal in the Wimbledon final and for the first time in 4 ½ years of not being the World No. 1, he was still smiling and enjoying and soaking in the honour of carrying the Swiss flag in Beijing. He also played in the doubles, partnering his over-shadowed countryman Wawrinka. Again he faced disappointment as James Blake ran past him and he couldn’t do anything about it. But in doubles, he and Wawrinka played brilliantly, first taking out Paes and Bhupathi, then upsetting the Bryan brothers and finally defeating the Swedes to claim his only honour for Switzerland. He had become an Olympic gold medallist.

So in 2012, tennis in the Olympics returned to Federer’s happiest hunting ground. Wimbledon has not been very happy for him for the last two years but this year, he did what he has been guilty of not doing on a few other occasions – he dug deep to play the simple solid and dirty game. Far too often he has been accused of attempting outrageous shots when a safer shot was called for. Far too often he has been accused of being too elegant at a cost of the match. In Wimbledon, he switched his ballet shoes for his running ones.

The result was a seventh title at the All England Club. The result was his reclamation of the No. 1 spot. The result was also, as we saw just now, his first singles medal.

When Juan Martin Del Potro dived to place the volley on the baseline, Federer let out a scream. It wasn’t his usual call of ‘Come on’. It was a long, epic scream showing everyone just how badly he wanted this. At 10-10 with the opponent not letting up, it was the kind of scream that assured his most ardent fans that their man was prepared to slug it out. After winning the longest singles match in Olympics history, he sure did.

Go for Gold Roger!

[P.S. – If lightning strikes twice in the same place, then Juan Martin Del Potro will win the US Open this year.]

]]> http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/08/04/a-golden-moment-beckons/feed/ 8 8827186 http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/07/06/when-the-gods-meet-part-2/ http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/07/06/when-the-gods-meet-part-2/#comments Fri, 06 Jul 2012 16:06:09 +0000 Aditya Ramani http://www.sportskeeda.com/?p=441703

Sachin was in the Royal Box today to witness a Royal performance. He was here last year as well when this picture was taken.

Rafael Nadal, having been excused from more trophy-chewing by Lukas Rosol, seems to have given his teeth some attention. As he was getting his wisdom pulled, however, the entire draw on his side was sensing a chance to go deep into Wimbledon. Certainly, all of Ferrer, Murray and Tsonga look good to go into the finals.

A Maiden Final for One of them?

The British public will certainly have their hopes up. Twice in the earlier semi-finals Murray started brilliantly, only to fizzle out later. The one against Andy Roddick in 2009 was particularly shocking. And even after a whole year, that forehand error by him against Rafa in the second set last year still stands out as the turning point of that match.

David Ferrer played really well through the clay-court season and had the tough luck of running into Rafa in Paris. Always labelled as a ‘not a grass court’ player, he is playing and moving tremendously well on the grass this time. He looked imperious against Del Potro and was neat against Roddick. More importantly, he looks like Andy Murray’s greatest threat.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga returned back to the top after handing Federer his first loss from 2 sets to love up in a grand-slam. He hadn’t dropped serve up until his match against Mardy Fish in the fourth round and came through really well in a rain affected match against the American after losing the first set. He is playing at his flamboyant best and has never looked uncomfortable on the surface. The power, the pace, the flourish and the panache are all in place and well.

But while this side of the draw is full of uncertainty, the other half is all about the rearrangement of rankings that are on the cards. Nadal is set to drop to three as Federer and Djokovic face-off on Friday for the No. 1 rank. If Djokovic wins, he retains it. If Federer wins, he will have to win in the final to get there. If he does get there, Sampras will lose a few more of his records. Federer will equal Sampras with 7 Wimbledon titles, and go past him on total number of weeks at the top; if he wins of course.

After the match against Benneteau, Federer once again looked vulnerable to sustained bludgeoning, and after the injury time-out against Malisse, he made all his fans sick with worry. But today against Youzhny, he returned to his very best. Youzhny didn’t have the power to upset Federer, nor did he have any trick to wrong foot him. And as if to belay his fans fears, Federer looked sprightly and fit in the last set.

Their first meeting on Grass

He will have to be just like that, perhaps even better as he takes on the youngest man left in the quarter-finals on Friday. Djokovic only just missed completing his career slam at Roland Garros. He certainly looks the overwhelming favourite, at least on form, to take his 6^th major and 2^ndWimbledon title. He will be the bookies choice against the oldest man in the draw.

One thing is for certain, this will be the semi-championship match.

A 7th helping of the Coupe des Mousquetaires

I was sincerely hoping for a fifth set. I bet so were all the Parisians who turned up on Monday for Part-2 of the final. But Novak Djokovic’s strong desire to win the Novak Slam was not as strong as Rafael Nadal’s will to claim his favourite title. The only pity was that the end was so tame.

This was without any doubt, the toughest match Rafael Nadal has played in the French Open final. Yes, he has been taken to four sets by Federer thrice, even by Mariano Puerta in 2004. But none of them were as challenging as this one.

For one thing, Roger never gets on top of Rafa like Novak does – it’s clay after all. Also, Federer’s wins over Nadal have all come when he has been able to establish his pace and position on court, especially of his back-hand. But Novak doesn’t do just that when he is on top. He gets to that position by out-Nadal‘ing’ Nadal. Since early 2011, the sobriquet of the “Golden Retriever” has been passed on to the Serb. And being beaten at his own game was precisely what hurt Nadal more than the losses themselves. It wasn’t like Novak discovered a flaw in Rafa’s game which he was able to exploit. It was just that Novak became better at what Rafa was the best at to begin with.

Any other player might’ve wilted. For a moment it seemed so would Rafa. But the Spaniard managed to stay put. He changed his game a bit, improved a bit more, started hugging the baseline as much as possible during the rallies, tried to get more returns on his own serve, and importantly, started executing these tactics earlier in the tournaments to give himself the necessary practice before the crunch matches.

We saw him do this in Monte-Carlo. He defeated Djokovic there. The win, given Djokovic’s situation might not have meant much, but was a win nevertheless. For good measure, he snapped up Barcelona, gaining more and more momentum. Madrid was a bit “out of the blue” and no one believed it meant anything. Then in Rome, where both players were at their near best, those slight changes finally paid their first rich dividends. Straight sets victory for Rafa over Novak, giving him the much needed confidence, something he was lacking last year going into where all this was culminating, at Paris.

Djokovic has stated several times this year that the French Open is his primary focus. He played only the three Masters 1000 events in the build up for it and gave himself plenty of time to prepare for the tough physical challenge that Paris would bring. He reached the final, taking out Federer en route. Eventually, he fell two sets short of his target, but not before posing to Rafa his toughest challenge. They say the French Open is one of the toughest slams to win, a tough grind which many are unable to withstand. Rafael Nadal is alone at the top with seven.

Time for an extended grass court season now!

We’ve all talked about Roger’s tough draw and how his possible opponents will all be a serious threat. Before that could even so much as become a realistic possibility, they were all buzzed out like flies in an electric incinerator, in a flash. Lopez, Roddick and Nalbandian were out of Roland Garros in quicker time than it takes Novak Djokovic to serve at break point. Those people he did face, however, were quite up to the task of giving the Swiss a fair work-out.

The bit of history that repeated was his 4^th round match against the pint-sized Belgian, David Goffin.  Remember the 4^th round match at Wimbledon, back in 2001, when a 19 year Federer old took on his idol and defending champion Pete Sampras and dethroned him. That was Roger’s moment of reckoning. That was the moment that changed Federer. He went from being just a remarkable talent to a potential champion. For one set and a half, Goffin looked determined to recreate that bit of history, as he fought and fought well to keep his idol under his tiny thumb. Not quite long enough though. He lost, but not before showing that he too is a remarkable talent. Who knows, had that extra bit of history happened, maybe, eight years down the road, we could be mentioning the kid along with all the other greats. Speculation is such a wonderful thing.

The other bit of history is not particular to this tournament. It’s a bit that has happened over the entire season. It concerns Federer and Juan Martin Del Potro and it’s a bit that has been anticipated for a while now.

In 2009, Federer faced Del Potro five times. These five matches, more than anything, reflect the progress and growth of the Argentine. In the Australian Open, he won a total of 3 games. On clay in Madrid, he was kept down again, not quite like the Australian Open but still in straight sets. Then they met here, in Paris and Del Potro took the match to five sets, breaking back in the fifth too but not quite enough.
Cut to 2012, they’ve faced-off in the Australian Open, where Federer won in simple straight sets. They met a few other times in between that and Roland Garros with Federer sailing past with relative ease. Then we come into Paris, just like 2009, Federer having won the tournament at Madrid and in fair form. And just like 2009, we had a five setter. This time Del Potro took a two sets to love lead before trouble from his knee and exhaustion allowed Federer to sneak past.

The last time these little things happened, the world of tennis witnessed its first major upheaval in quite some time. In New York, in the US Open, Del Potro finally came into his own, stunning everybody by first dismantling Nadal and then defeating Federer (a first, no one ever having defeated the two in a Grand Slam up till then) – becoming the first man outside the top 3 and the first non-European since Gaston Gaudio to win a major title. Basically, a lot happened.
Since his injury through the 2010 season, Del Potro has risen back to the top strongly, easily displacing those who had sneaked up in his absence. This speaks volumes about the Argentine’s game and character. All except one of his losses in 2012 have come against a top 5 opponents, four of those against Roger Federer.

2009 was his best year on tour and 2012 seems to be heading in the same direction.
US Open will be very, very interesting.

[P.S. – On an unrelated note, “The Curse of the reigning Women’s Champion”, might’ve been slightly weakened but it still continues to hold. Vika Azarenka went out in the fourth round.]

Coupe Suzanne Lenglen and Coupe de Mousquetaires

We are entering this French Open with a lot happening. Here are a few things that you might want to keep a solemn sight on.

1. The Tough Quarter

As has been already analysed here, Federer undoubtedly faces a challenging draw. There was a time in the past when every one of Roger’s early round opponents was considered a bit of a silly hindrance, a mere formality, rather than a player with serious upset-causing potential. Also, those formalities of the past have been around for a while now – long enough to have made appearances in the top 10 over the past few years and therefore be accorded more than normal respect. In fact, Federer’s early round opponents now might be some of his past rivals. David Nalbandian, Andy Roddick and Feliciano Lopez – all of whom are, to say the least, dangerous. And the toughest of them all, a potential Quarter-Final battle with either Tomas Berdych or Juan Martin Del Potro. If you remember 2009,Del Potro started the year with a ridiculously one-sided loss to Roger. Then he took Federer to five in this very tournament, and when they faced off in the US Open final, he finally knocked down the Swiss. For good measure he also defeated him in the World Tour Finals at the O2. I believe that Federer-Del Potro, if it does come to pass, will be one of the matches of the tournament. And if Roger does win that, he earns the chance to take on Novak Djokovic. Talk about a tough draw.

2. Some numbers and statistics

The rankings – Nothing will happen here, at least in the top three.

With over 1700 points separating the top two, the only thing that can stretch longer than that will be a final between these two. They played for 6 hours on a hard court, and for 2 hours (to complete just 2 sets) on clay last week. If these two do get to the final, I would strongly recommend that you stock up on some snack bars, energy drinks or a few litres of coffee or both.

3. The Curse of the Grand Slam Winner

Have you kept an eye on the performances of the last women’s Major champion in the next Major of the year? If not, you need to get alarmed. In the past one year, no Slam champion has gone past a couple of matches in her very next Slam. The title of ‘reigning Slam champion’ is an incredibly dangerous one, it seems. It might even be cursed. It all began with Kim Clijsters. She won in Melbourne last year. She then went out in the 2nd round in Paris, where Li Na won. Li Na lost in London in the 2nd round where Petra Kvitova triumphed. Kvitova crashed out of New York in the 1st Round. Sam Stosur won there and in her home Slam, completed the cycle by going out in straight sets in the 1st Round.

Keep your eye on Vika Azarenka while she lasts.

4. The “Grand” Slam

Novak Djokovic will enter this French Open as the holder of the titles at all the other three Majors. The last time a player had a chance to win the “Grand Slam” was when Rafael Nadal entered the 2011 Australian Open. Roger Federer actually came within TWO points of this glory. He won in Paris and London in 2009 and in Melbourne in 2010. He was 30-30 in the fourth set against Del Potro and was up 5-4.

Will Novak be able to do it, though, is a very tough question to answer. Firstly, Rafael Nadal has re-established his clay-court superiority. If the win against Novak in Monte Carlo wasn’t of much significance then the win in Rome certainly was. Novak was in good form there but Rafa was better. That win, more than the Monte Carlo one, might released Nadal from his mental shackles.

Novak can certainly do it. If he does do it…well, let’s wait for that moment.

No. 14 – John McEnroe

The year was 1977. A young American from the Queens borough of New York was taking his first steps in the world of top flight tennis. The lad had already had his first major success, winning the mixed doubles title on the red dirt of Roland Garros. He was scheduled to play next in the junior’s competition at the All England Club. Imagine his delight, then, when he found himself in the main draw after coming through the qualification tournament. And further imagine the spectacle when he went all the way to the semi-finals, a run that only came to an end at the hands of a certain great called Jimmy Connors. An Open Era record, still, for the best performance by a qualifier.

This was the world’s first look of the phenomenon that would become John McEnroe.

Born in Germany, where his parents were stationed with the US Air Force, McEnroe displayed prodigious skills from a very young age. He was able to strike a ball with a bat when he was just two and by the time he was four, he was able to hit it up to a considerable distance. He started learning tennis by eight and by the time he was 12, he was already winning matches. It was just a matter of time before the junior transitioned to the senior stage.

Three important events chronicle the career of John McEnroe.

The first was at Wimbledon, in 1980. McEnroe had already established himself as a strong grasscourt player. He had a brilliant serve; he volleyed with remarkable finesse and was highly adept at shot-making. After his semi-final run in his first ever Wimbledon, a lot was expected of him. He entered the event in 1980 seeded No. 2. He gave his seeding full justification by reaching the finals. Along the way, he extracted revenge over Connors in what was a highly tempestuous match. He received a code violation, but went on to win the match in four sets. As he walked on to the Centre Court, he was greeted with boos from the English crowd. He was up against someone who was exactly his opposite. Bjorn ‘Ice-man’ Borg was bidding to win a fifth successive Wimbledon title. It was a match made in heaven. And McEnroe was the first to take the lead, snatching the first set 6-1. But Borg gathered his game and drew level and subsequently went ahead too. McEnroe was down 2 sets to 1. Then began the fourth set, with both players staying with each other to force a tie break.

The Tie Break.

It lasted 20 minutes, the final score was 18-16 and McEnroe had saved FIVE match points to draw level. And suddenly the momentum seemed to have shifted towards the American. Surprisingly though, McEnroe was unable to break serve in the deciding set. After staying with the Swede for 12 games, he lost his serve. Borg took the set 8-6, and the match with that.

Event though McEnroe lost that match, he received a lot of praise for the way he played that tie break. The tie break is considered to be one of the best moments in sporting history. The match itself is considered to be one of the greatest matches of Wimbledon ever, right up there with the 2008 final.

McEnroe managed to extract revenge on Borg just two month later, defeating him in another full distance match in the final of the 1980 US Open.

Here is the video of ‘the Tie Break’.

The second thing that stands out in McEnroe’s life is a line which is also the title of his biography. In the lead-up to the 1981 Wimbledon final, McEnroe made a lot of headlines. He was fined $1500 after his first round match in which he called the chair-umpire “the pits of the world” and swore at the tournament referee. He was given the nickname “Superbrat” as he threw tantrum after tantrum, match after match. This was in complete contrast, as expected, to Borg’s ruthlessly cold progress through the tournament. It was in this tournament that McEnroe uttered a phrase, during one of his fits of protests, that would become uniquely his own, his identity. And I am being totally serious about this.

The second Sunday came and we had a rematch of the previous year’s final – Borg to face off against McEnroe. This time though, there was to be no on-court drama. McEnroe swept past Borg in four sets and bagged his first ever Wimbledon title.

Off-court, the drama continued. The All England Club did not award McEnroe their honorary membership, as they traditionally do to all Champions. In response he famously said, “I wanted to spend (the night) with my family and friends and the people who had supported me, not a bunch of stiffs who were 70-80 years old, telling you that you’re acting like a jerk.”

He did get the accolade though, after he won the title again in 1983.

But wait – what was the line uttered by McEnroe that became his very identity? Take a look for yourself in this video.

The third defining moment of McEnroe’s is actually an entire season. 1984 marks the year in which the greatest single-season record was ever compiled in the history of Open Era tennis. If you thought Novak Djokovic‘s 2011 or Roger Federer‘s 2005 was the best season ever by a single man, then you might want to reconsider your opinion. A staggering, astonishing and unbelievable count of 82 wins to 3 losses. McEnroe did not play in the Australian Open that year, otherwise the record might have been even more impressive. He did win Wimbledon again though, successfully defending his title, while also humiliating Connors, in a match that lasted 80 minutes. He also won the US Open, defeating Ivan Lendl in straight sets. He pocketed a total of 13 titles, including 2 Slams, a WCT title and a Master’s Grand Prix title. The only blight on this season was the French Open final. Unbeaten for 42 matches, McEnroe ran away to a two-set-to-love lead, coming ever closer to his first title at Paris. But in a remarkable display of spirit and brilliant switch of tactics, combined with McEnroe’s rising fatigue and his own temperament, Lendl rallied to take the title three sets to two. McEnroe would later go on record to state that this was the most bitter memory of his life.

1984 was also the year that McEnroe threw possibly his most (in)famous tantrum, in the tournament in Stockholm. This time he asked the chair umpire if he had never made a mistake in his life and then shouted, “Answer the Question, Jerk!”. Then he went over to his seat, swatted away a bottle with his racquet and … Oh well, take a look here:

McEnroe was just as good at doubles as he was at singles, taking home 9 doubles titles at the Grand Slams. He was ranked No. 1 in doubles for 270 weeks. His partner Peter Fleming, with whom he won 57 titles, once said, “the best doubles partnership in the world is McEnroe and anybody”.

McEnroe also was instrumental in reviving the US Davis Cup team. Since Arthur Ashe, no major star had represented the US in the team tournament. Neglected by biggies like Jimmy Connors, McEnroe led the US team to 5 titles in the 70s and the 80s. One of them included an epic 6 hour, 22 minute win over Mats Wilander, the longest match ever in Davis Cup history.

McEnroe was formally inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1999. He plays on the ATP Champions Tour, where also he has achieved great success, leading it to be jokingly referred to as ‘McEnroe’s Tour and Others’. He spends time these days as a commentator for the US Open and Wimbledon, while making cameos in movies and TV shows.

McEnroe lived life on court on his own terms. He always turned up to play with his all and often played under the belief that the whole world was against him. His tantrums and arguments with the line and chair umpires enthralled the spectators, gave the tabloids plenty of juice and always made the officials edgy. Underneath the stiff upper-lip and the predominantly whites of the All England Club, John Patrick McEnroe was a rainbow who stood his own.

Here are the other players who have made it so far:

No. 20 – Venus Williams; No. 19 – Justine Henin; No. 18 – Ken Rosewall; No. 17 – Andre Agassi; No. 16 – Pancho Gonzales; No. 15 – Monica Seles

Read the detailed write-ups on all the players in this list here:

The greatest tennis players of all time

Straight out of the Smurf's play-pen

The victorious Chennai team after IPL-3

After their clinical demolition of the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the final of IPL4, Ravichandran Ashwin of the Chennai Super Kings said that they have always strived to be the Manchester United of IPL.

There is certainly basis in his claim. Despite the stellar proportions that arise when you compare the history of the two leagues, both Chennai and the red side of Manchester have been one of the most successful and reliable teams in their respective leagues. In the four editions of the IPL gone by, Chennai have never failed to reach the semi-final/play-off stage. And everyone knows everything about Manchester. And while it is true that some of Chennai’s campaigns have been roller-coaster enough to send Doug Bollinger back into hair treatment, they have always been a tough squad to beat.

And they, like Manchester, are one of the sides which (to put it like Laxman Sivaramakrishnan) always give some of the best “Citi Moments of Success”. From Dhoni’s uppercut to his mandible after a fierce onslaught against Punjab to lead them to the semis, to Ashwin’s “Gayle of the first ball” in the final last year, they have the right to claim IPL as “namma territory”.

But this season, the squad looks far from the side that went undefeated at home last season. Sure Faf du Plessis is in stellar form and is regularly anchoring the innings from the top, but the rest of the batting line-up looks surprisingly shaky. Their bowling attack looks venom-less and friendly. There is almost no one in it who can surely be relied on.

A part of this lack-luster squad is due to unavailability of Mike Hussey and Ben Hilfenhaus, both on duty for Australia in the Caribbean. And the other major blow to them was the loss of their stalwart, Muttiah Muralitharan. Much has been said about Chennai’s success revolving around their retention of their core squad and the loss of Murali reflects that squarely.

The third reason would probably be the loss of the Midas-touch of their captain, M.S. Dhoni.

MSD needs to find his "instincts" again

MSD’s spidey-sense, his inner-eye, his seer like instincts seems to have suddenly vanished after the last IPL. Suddenly he is being subject to criticism from all quarters for his uninspired field placements, his irresponsible batting and for poor management of his players. While the tour to England was an understandable fiasco, the trip Down Under was not supposed to be what it turned out to be. Even the most die-hard Indian fan found no words to explain what he was seeing and much blame was directed squarely on the erstwhile Charmed Captain. And given that the Chennai team is built pretty much around their captain, this does not suit well with the men behind the team.

This season is far more open than the previous editions. Even though we are less than half-way in, there is no clearly strong team (there seems to be one clearly weak team though). Every team has had good displays in all departments but the consistency is lacking – which makes for interesting scenarios but is a poor advertisement for the IPL.

Manchester United is on course for another Premier League crown this season after spending most of it behind their rivals Manchester City. It remains to be seen if Ravichandran Ashwin’s claim will be justified.

The story of Indian sports is similar. Before the bug of cricket swarmed across the nation and infected every kid with an unquenchable urge to wield a willow, this country was really good at hockey and tennis. The Indian hockey teams of the past have attained almost legendary status, but the Indian tennis players are not quite as widely talked about. Which is why I have taken it upon myself to talk about them.

Chennai (formerly Madras) has always been a strong contributor to the crop of top tennis players from India. And Vijay Amritraj gives an interesting explanation as to why the city of Carnatic music and Kollywood is also a city that breeds good tennis players.

When the entire European continent put all outdoor sports activities on hold during the winter, professional sportspersons headed towards the southern hemisphere to continue their pursuits. And one of the major destinations for that was Australia. The Australian Open, back then the last grand slam of the year, was initially a grass-court tournament. And many European players who were making their way to Australia to participate in it would almost invariably halt in India and play some tennis here too. South India’s comfortable tropical weather attracted even those players who weren’t skilled or rich enough to make the journey all the way to Australia to come to India and play in the grass-court events held in the country. And having some of the best playing in your neighborhood meant that the youth of those times were exposed to some really high quality grass-court tennis.

That is why it comes as no surprise that one of India’s best tennis talents was a Chennai-grown grass-court player.

Ramanathan Krishnan at Wimbledon

Krishnan was a highly gifted athlete who made a name for himself and India in the 50′s and 60′s. In an era dominated almost overwhelmingly by the likes of Laver, Newcombe, Emerson and Pancho Gonzales, it would have been quite an achievement to make yourself even visible, and Ramanathan Krishnan was more than just visible.

Known for his beautiful finesse on court, his “touch tennis” style of play was described as “pure oriental charm”. He reached two Wimbledon semi-finals, the second in 1961, beating Roy Emerson on his way there. He lost both times to the eventual champion. But his greatest achievement was perhaps his remarkable comeback from 5-2 down in the fourth set against Brazilian Tomas Koch to take India to its first Davis Cup final. His victory over Rod Laver in Davis Cup (1959) and distinction of being the first Asian to win the Wimbledon junior title in 1954 were some of his other career highlights.

His son Ramesh Krishnan too was a Davis Cup hero. Thrice a Grand Slam quarter-finalist, he defeated the then World No. 1 Mats Wilander in the 1989 Australian Open. He led India to their second Davis Cup (1987) final by defeating Australians Wally Masur and Fitzgerald in the semi-finals.

Ramesh Krishnan

Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi have become household names in India for their exploits in doubles. In 1999, Paes and Bhupathi reached all four Grand Slam doubles finals, winning the French+Wimbledon double. They finished the year ranked the No. 1 team in the world. This was a new peak for Indian tennis. In 2004, they had quarter and semi-final runs in several events leading up to Athens. The Olympics doubles medal eluded the duo, but Paes made up for it by winning India’s only medal in tennis by grabbing the bronze in singles in Atlanta in 1996, where he lost to Andre Agassi in the semifinals.

Bhupathi-Paes, Wimbledon 1999 Champions

Unfortunately for Indian tennis, with the introduction of indoor tennis courts, the European players no longer needed to travel to the southern hemisphere during winter. Indian youngsters lost their valuable chance to get exposure to the sport. Along with the rising popularity of cricket, Indian tennis got lost somewhere along the way. Barring Sania Mirza, who briefly and meteorically rose to No. 27 and fell away just as quickly, it has been more than two decades since an Indian has made his or her presence felt in the top echelon of the game. While the old guard of Bhupathi and Paes are still on the doubles tour, they play with different partners now.

The future?

Maybe there is a kid out there, sweating it out on some court somewhere, his eyes set on the All England Championship trophy. But till he gets there, we’ll stick to cheering the Swiss and the Spaniards.

Read other articles on similar subjects

http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/04/05/davis-cup-preview-indias-boys-ready-to-become-men/

http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/02/08/age-is-about-how-you-feel-leander-paes/