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Wimbledon 2012 has been full of ups and downs this far. Seeded players have not had matches swing their way, while certain unseeded ones have made merry with the playing conditions. And one unseeded player who has made the most of this tournament is American Brian Baker. Between the potentialities of Roger Federer winning his record-equalling seventh title and Novak Djokovic repeating his 2011 magic, Baker’s surrealistic presence promises a different-yet-pleasing outcome, as opposed to the usual run-of-the-mill expectancy at the tournament.
To start the year as the 500th ranked player and to finish within the top 100, within just six months of getting back into the groove of playing professionally, isn’t exactly achievable for everyone. And for those who have done it, maybe it’s because of consistency of sorts or maybe because it’s that sheer flippancy that comes when the players know they have nothing to lose, but lots to gain. Or maybe it’s about determination to succeed and to finally be able to make a mark in an arena, where dreams were about to come true and where life would have been perfect, as imperfect as it could be.
Man proposes nature disposes is a very old adage that finds practicality in the most mundane of scenarios. In case of Brian Baker, the adage conformed – perhaps a little too much – to transform his life and career to unanticipated extents. From being a gifted teenager, to an unknown entity hollowed out by injuries, Baker has seen and faced it all, to state it prosaically.
But where words are prosaic, his return to the game isn’t. After undergoing five surgeries – averaging one per year – on his elbows, hip and for herniation between 2007 and 2011, the 27-year old seems to be finally gluing it all together, after years’ worth of delay. Taking each day as it comes, and without any coach or trainer to provide him with mentoring assistance, Baker gained a second-week place that many seeds failed to achieve, thus earning not only ranking points but also a valued addition to his existing fan-base. A fan-base that will stick on irrespective of his fourth-round, straight-sets loss to German Kohlschreiber.
In an unpredictable sport like tennis, where no one knows what the future will bring, Brian Baker is an example worth looking up to. And irrespective of ability to replicate his strong run for the rest of the season, Brian Baker’s performance thus far, is not a mirage or an illusion, but a reality that coincides with elements of fantasy.
