2 Amazing Matches....2 Winners and No Losers

Watched two amazing matches yesterday. 1. ICC Cricket World Cup Finals between hosts England and New Zealand and 2. Wimbledon Men's Singles Final between World #1 Novak Djokovic and the all time greatest - legendary Roger Federer.

Both matches involved edge of the seat action and in both it was difficult to differentiate between the two sides/men.

New Zealand scored 241 and then - thanks to a last over overthrow drama - England also ended up with 241. In the super over, England scored 15 and New Zealand also scored 15!!! Yet, England won because the hit more boundaries in the regular innings. That is a bizarre rule but it was decided before the World Cup. I think no one objected as no one could have imagined that the scenario would actually play out!!!

I believe New Zealand was unlucky. The overthrow punched holes in their plans and later the rule to decide the winner on the basis of boundaries also went against them. It is also being said that the overthrows should have costed them 5 runs instead of 6. Not sure about that but if it is true then they have another reason to feel bad.

In the other match, Federer clearly looked like the better player. Djokovic looked nervous and was not his usual self. Yet, he hung in there and won the important points. It was a matter of who keeps nerves in control and who is fit enough to win the longest Wimbledon Finals ever!!! 

I was cheering for Federer and New Zealand and I was tad unhappy after both matches. England and Djokovic are the winners but New Zealand and Federer are definitely not losers!!!

King of Clay!!!

Asombroso....Amazing!!!

Almost perfect Wimbledon weekend. Serena won, Paes won, Sumit Nagal won. Federer's victory would have called for celebrations but Djokovic came and stepped on the cake!!!

The best Men's and Women's players in the history of tennis have cruised into the final weekend of Wimbledon 2015. Roger Federer and Serena Williams. Time/Age is failing to catch up with them. Their stats, consistency and longevity are truly amazing. Looking forward to watching both matches. And Paes is in finals as well!!!

Will Nadal Win 18 Grand Slam Singles Events?

Read a news article on Rafael Nadal's amazing 9th triumph at the Roland Garros. The article also had comments from Nadal about what he feels about his future in the game. It threw a light on what the player honestly believes regarding where he is headed. His comments were disappointing for his fans.

Nadal has 14 majors in his kitty and is currently tied with 'Pistol Pete' (Pete Sampas). After so many majors and a career Grand Slam, he is already a legend. However, he is not the leading Grand Slam singles champion...yet. He is still three short of Roger Federer's mark, who is still playing but is way past his prime. As a hardcore Nadal supporter, I would like him to go past 17 Grand Slam victories. However, it is not going to be easy and now it is out that Nadal believes the same.

Nadal is already 28 and not many have won a Grand Slam singles event after crossing 30. Tennis is a physically draining sport and at this age, players start to slow down and thus, leave the door open for younger and fresher legs. 

If Nadal has to go past 17 Grand Slam wins, i.e., 4 more titles, he cannot rely only on wins at Roland Garros. That would require 4 perfect years and he would be 32 by then. Thus, he has to do better (than everyone) in other Grand Slam events as well. However, his Grand Slam victory record is skewed as he has won French Open more than any other event. He does have an all-round game but he is not as dominating on grass and hard courts.

Grand Slam Singles Victories of 3 Leading Grand Slam Winners

The above picture clearly shows that though Nadal is an all-time legend, he has not been as effective on other surfaces as he has been on clay courts. However, that is true for most other greats as well. Federer has been extremely effective on grass and hard courts (both acrylic and synthetic) but has largely struggled on clay courts. Pete Sampras never won a French Open and he was more effective on grass and acrylic hard courts (US Open).

So, the challenge in front of Nadal is that he needs to win few majors other than French Open. That is NOT going to be a cake walk. His style of play puts a lot of pressure on his knees and ankles. Moreover, he does not only have to worry about the challenge posed by Novak Djokovic as on other surfaces, there are few others who can give a serious fight. Andy Murray has been effective on grass as well as hard courts. Others like Stanislas Wawrinka and Juan Martin Del Potro are no pushovers as well. Wawrinka defeated Nadal in Australian Open final (though Nadal was struggling with a back trouble). Del Potro is indeed enigmatic and injury-prone but on his day, he can beat ANYONE. He possesses one of the strongest backhands in tennis and that negates Nadal's strength.

It is evident from his comments that he understands that he has tough times ahead. However, at the same time, it is clear that Nadal is planning to have a serious go. He was cramping in the French Open finals on Sunday but on Monday morning, he hit a grass court to kick-start his preparations for Wimbledon, It is an extremely positive sign and is encouraging for his supporters, including yours truly. 

If he wants a serious go at 17+ Grand Slam victories, he needs to probably reduce the number of events that he plays in. He should pick and choose the right events, which will (a) give him match practice against decent opposition and (b) help him in preparing for the majors. He needs fresh legs and a fit body to be able to climb the 'Mount 18 GS' summit, which is not going to be easy at his age and with his current workload.

So the answer to the question, 'Will Nadal Win 18 Grand Slam Singles Events?' is not clear yet. We do know that it is going to be a big challenge but we also know that the Champ is gearing for the final push. That is what all of us want, isn't it?

Note: The picture has been 'put together' by Animesh Kumar but it contains several pictures and icons, which have been taken from other websites. All pictures, trademarks, icons and logos are acknowledged as the properties of their owners. 

Awesome Run!! More to Come

Stan won Aus Open, Rafa won hearts

Stanislas Wawrinka played great tennis in the last two weeks to win the Australian Open title. He is in great form; he also won the Chennai Open at the beginning of the year but that tournament is far less competitive than a grand slam like Australian Open. In the finals, he dominated and defeated Rafael Nadal. Rafa's game was affected by a back strain that he suffered in the second set but before that as well, Stan was dominating the court.

There are no two ways about the fact that Stan deserved to win. He played better and aggressive tennis. Rafa played short initially and was extremely slow later on, due to his injury. Stan produced some amazing forehand as well as backhand winners through out the match. 

However, the match left a bad taste in the mouth. Rafa took a medical break of 5 minutes that the players are entitled to but clearly, Stan as well as the crowd did not like it for some reason. Stan had an animated argument with the chair umpire and the officials. Later, the crowd booed Rafa when he returned to the court after the 5 minute break!!! That clearly had an affect on Rafa. He was already crumbling physically but the crowd behavior seemed to have affected him mentally as well. He was almost in tears after his return and physical pain did not seem like the only reason.

That crowd behavior was uncalled for. Indeed they had paid good money for the tickets and they wanted a full game but Rafa had more to lose than anyone else. Honestly, it did not seem like he would be able to continue and complete the match but he did. He did not play for the crowd, he did not play to complete the match and give a decent and deserving victory to Stan but he played as he had come over there to fight and to win. 

He pulled up his game in the third set and won it. That was completely unexpected. Probably the painkillers had started to take affect. He clearly was not at the top of his game but he was fighting. And that was so heartening to see. He played and fought like a champion. 

Eventually, Stan went past Rafa in the fourth set to win his first grand slam but that does not matter. There would be other days and more battles. What matters is that Rafa had the will to fight till the end. Most of his die-hard fans gave up after the second set and did not expect him to complete the match. But Rafa proved them (including me) wrong and demonstrated what fighters and champions are made of.

Rafa beats Federer in straight sets to reach the finals of World Tour Finals. This is probably the only significant tournament that Rafa hasn't won so far. Finger crossed!!!

I am happy that the Indian duo lost!!!

The much prepared team of Bhupathi and Bopanna lost in the second round of Olympics Doubles.....

...let me clear my throat.......

.....hoooohahahhaahahhaaaahaahaahaha!!!

They never had my support. They jeopardized India's chances of winning rare Olympics medal and I am extremely happy that they lost. 

Praying for a better show

We have finally entered the medals tally in the London Olympics. Gagan Narang has done India proud by winning the bronze in the 10 meter air rifle event. 

A lot of people had big hopes from the Olympics. A friend of mine had even predicted 4-5 Golds!!! Even I had a lot of expectations. Day after day, that hope and expectation is dwindling. I had more expectations from archery and shooting. It is not over yet and we can still win a few more medals but so far it has been disappointing. Even in case of Narang, most people were expecting Gold. I hope India puts up a better show in the remaining days. 

P.S. I still do not want Bhupathi-Bopanna to win a medal

Wishlist for Olympics

I do not think I have ever been as interested in Olympics as I am this time around. I will try to closely follow the mega event.

I think India should have a better medals tally this time around. We have a good chance in Shooting (possible golds for Narang and Bindra), Boxing (possible gold for Mary Kom and hopefully a few medals for the male boxers) and possibly Archery (Deepika Kumari).

However, if I am really really REALLY praying for someone to win then it is (a) in Hockey and (b) Paes and Vishnu Vardhan in Tennis Doubles!!! If Paes-Vardhan win, Walt Disney must make a movie on them

Pleasing Personalities

Sania Mirza had lots to say 'after' she qualified for the Olympics. She commented regarding male chauvinism and against how she was paired with Paes to please the star player. Pssch!!!

Her mother has been appointed as the manager of the Olympics bound women's tennis team!! Of course, her mother 'now' has the experience as she was the manager of the team in CWG and probably Asian Games as wel. But why did she get the job in the first place!!??!! Since Madam Mirza has been so vocal against 'pleasing' players, I believe that is not the reason. I wonder what is the reason. And I wonder if her Pakistani Mother-in-law would get to be the manager in the next event.

All the best Andy

Roger Federer won another Wimbledon title to his tally. He defeated Andy Murray of Scotland/Britain/ United Kingdom/England in a awesome four set match. It was a treat to watch as Andy played out of his skin.

The only issue with Andy is that he was born in the wrong era. Federer, Nadal and Djokovic have been and continue to dominate the tennis scene and thus Andy has not been able to win a grand slam event so far. He is indeed a good player and it is a shame that he has not won any of the Big 4.

There have been other examples in sports where someone exceptionally talented did not do too well as there was someone else who was dominating the scene. A name which comes to mind is Stuart Macgill, the leg spinner from Australia. In spite of being a great leg spinner, Macgill did not get to play too many tests for Australia as there was Shane Warne in the team. I am never too good with history and statistics but if I am not mistaken, in the few occasions that both the leggies played for Australia, Macgill did either better or not to bad compared to Warne. However, Warne was undoubtedly the better among the two and hence played more matches and enjoyed exceptional success. Had Macgill been born in another era or another country, he would have played a lot more matches.

Not drifting too far from the topic, I think Andy Murray put up a great fight against the King. He had the game, the crowd support. The only thing which was missing was the experience of playing such big matches. Federer, in comparison, played much below his best but his experience and temperament saw him through.

Though I do not like Brits winning any matches, I hope Andy Murray sees the success he deserves. Djokovic broke into the world of FedEx and Rafa dominated tennis and there is no reason why Murray cannot do it.

Paes-Stepanek lost to the 15th seeds in 5 sets in the 3rd round. Pssch. :(

Hesh-Anna lost to unseeded '???-???' in straight sets in the 2nd round. :D They should now ask SM Krishna to try and get even these results changed

So 'hesh-ania' crashed out in the second round!!! reminds me of a dialogue of shri gabbar singh, "nikal gayi saari hekdi??......aaaak tttthhhooooo"!!!

WTF

I have changed my mind.....with the latest developments regarding the selection of the teams to represent India in the tennis doubles event in Olympics, I believe that Leander Paes should definitely withdraw his name. And, unlike stated earlier, I will not be supporting 'Bhupathi-Bopanna'. This deal is really unfair and humiliating for Paes and I will no longer be supporting India's tennis campaign (unless Paes decides to play).

Foreign Minister, AITA member and most importantly, Bangalorean SM Krishna had a role to play in this selection in which the Bangaloreans had their way. :(

Match-Maker

Let me start by saying that I do not like Mahesh Bhupathi. I do not watch any of his matches and I do not support him even if he is playing in Grand Slam finals (doubles and mixed doubles (especially if it is with Mrs Pakistan)). Though it may be an exaggeration but I do believe that Mahesh Bhupathi would have been like "Bhu...Who??!!" if Leander Paes had not started playing doubles with him. Anyways, both of them played together, played well and made all of us proud. 

Now, they do not see eye-to-eye and do not play together. Makes sense. After all, doubles and mixed doubles events are 'team sports' and compatibility with the partner is extremely important. I am surprised how these two reached all 4 Grand Slam event finals and won two of them in 1999, when issues between them had cropped before that!!!

The issue staring at us is that India needs to send a team to Olympics. Bhupathi has made it clear that he does not want to team up with and wants to play with Bopanna. Paes wants to team up with Bopanna but is okay with any decision. Bopanna wants to play with Bhupathi but I do not think any one cares about his wishes/opinions. In any case, Mr. Bopanna is known for teaming up with just anyone. He can even team up even with a 'nasty, stupid, unfaithful neighbor', as long as he gets some news space. On a serious note, all of  them are good doubles players (with Bopanna bringing down the average; else I would have said 'great doubles players') and have tasted moderate (Mr. Bopanna caused this as well) to high level of successes. 

Though All India Tennis Association (AITA) wants to definitely include Paes (afterall, Paes is the highest ranked tennis player in the country), I believe it would make sense to send a Bhupathi-Bopanna team as they are good and more importantly, they share a good rapport and understanding. They should have a better chance than "Paes-Bhupathi" or "Paes-Bopanna". 

Other issue is related to Mixed Doubles. Here, Bhupathi-Sania is the best team that India can field. However if India decides to send only one doubles team and suppose that is 'Paes-Bopanna' then, if I am not mistaken, they cannot have a 'Bhupathi-Sania' combination in mixed doubles. All the more reason that Bhupathi should be part of the campaign. 

In my opinion, following are some possible solutions;

1. In case AITA decides to send only one doubles team, they should definitely include Bhupathi so that he can also team up with Sania for mixed doubles
2. In case AITA decides to send only one doubles team, Paes and Bhupathi should try to overcome their differences in case they feel that they can recreate the magic of 1999
3. In case AITA decides to send only one doubles team and Paes and Bhupathi cannot overcome their differences, it should be Bhupathi and Bopanna. If this happens, I would be behind this team as they would be 'Team India' 
4. If I am not mistaken, AITA does have the option of sending two teams. If that is correct, lets send 'Bhupathi-Bopanna' and 'Paes-Somdev' (even if Somdev is 75-80% fit). And there are no points for guessing which team I would be supporting in such a case)

Guys, this is not a Grand Slam event. You already have so many of them between all of you. It is Olympics and you would be representing the country. Lets try to put the best foot forward.

Rafa wins Roland Garros for the 7th time!!!

As Commodus said in the movie, Gladiator, " Your fame is well deserved, Spaniard. I don't think there has ever been a gladiator to match you!!!" 

Vamos Rafa!!!

Its all in the mind

(Pic courtesy: Toon Pool)

Nadal just lost in the US Open final. That is not particularly heart-breaking. You win some, You lose some. However, he lost once again to the Joker from Serbia. Now that's a worrying bit. 

Today's match was extremely close. Was stretched to the 5th set and either player could have crossed the finishing line. The first set did not have anything spectacular. They both played decent (read: Okay) tennis. Rafa managed to take the first set. In the next two sets and the first half of the fourth test, Djokovic completely dominated Rafa. Djokovic did play brilliant tennis but Rafa allowed himself to be dominated and that is another worrying bit. 

Rafa picked up his game brilliantly in the second half of the fourth set to take the set and he kept the momentum in the first half of the fifth set. Though Rafa did lose the fifth set (and as a result the match), there was nothing to be ashamed of the manner in which he played the fifth set. He played extremely well but so did the Joker. That's fine and acceptable.   

However, the consistency at which Novak Djokovic has been beating Rafael Nadal is amazing and disconcerting. The results of the recent and consistent losses to the Joker is showing on Rafa. The defeats seem to have created a mental block and Rafa has not been playing his normal game (for the most part) against Joker.

Rafa is a gifted athlete, who slowly but steadily wears down his opponents through long rallies. Plus the angles that he creates with his shots make the court much larger to cover for his opponents. Though he is still successfully doing that against most opponents, he has been unable to do that consistently against Joker. So what is so different? What has changed off late?

No matter how much I dislike the Joker, I cannot stop myself from admitting that his game has improved immensely in the last year and half. He has always been strong with his forehand as well as backhand but his forehand has suddenly become a lethal weapon. Not only it has become much faster, it has also become much more accurate. With an extremely effective forehand, a decent backhand, a good serve and a supremely fit body, he is definitely a package that is difficult to beat. If only he was not so irritating, he would have won some more fans. Not that he cares. He should be happy with the rankings, trophies and moolah!!

The sudden improvement in Joker's game caught everyone by surprise. From being a close 3rd, he suddenly got into top gear and overtook everyone else. He has been beating everyone, including Rafa. The first 1-2 losses seemed like 'Rafa was defeated by a better player on that day'. On those occasions (first few losses), there was not much wrong with Rafa's game. It was just that everything was absolutely flawless about Joker's game.

However, the defeats started affecting Rafa (that is my theory, Rafa has not told me that. Honestly!!!). Now, there seems to be a mental block. Quite often, he becomes a little too defensive against Joker. The shots become much shorter, the angles are usually missing and he tries to keep the ball in play rather than make Joker run around. As a result, Joker gets to show off the might of his supreme forehand. He makes Rafa run all around the court and he beats Rafa in long rallies!!! It may be an exaggeration but Nadal's defensive strategy is pretty similar to what Martina Hingis used to adopt or was made to adopt against Venus Williams!!! In that case, of course there was a huge difference in the abilities (as per my opinion....and the statistics). Yet Venus Williams, through her powerful game, was able to affect Hingis much more mentally than anything else. The same seems to be happening to Rafa against Joker.

Rafa should try to exploit the weaker backhand (weaker only compared to the forehand) of Joker ut he seldom manages to do that. Moreover, he seems to be trying to do a little extra with his first serve, which has so far not been a particularly successful ploy. He ends up making mistakes and the decreasing first serve percentages are an indication. That is not alarming though. This ploy does help Rafa win some easy points. It is just that when it does not click, the situation is worsened by an extremely defensive and weak second serve. His second serve is nothing but cannon fodder for Joker!!!  

It is not that Rafa lags behind through out the game. When he sees a window, he picks up his game and starts putting pressure. He did the same thing at the end of the fourth set and through out the fifth set. He played like usual....brilliantly. Yet, Joker won the fifth set as he played marginally better and he handled pressure a lot better.

There is nothing wrong with Rafa's game. It is not that he cannot beat Joker. However, he needs to overcome the mental block. He has to believe in himself like I and his millions of fans believe in him. If he plays his usual game against the Joker, he should be able to substantially decrease Joker's dominance on the outcome. Today's match was indeed an evenly-fought contest but that was probably because Rafa played his usual game only in patches. Had he been his usual self, the result could have been different. 

You must overcome the mental block Rafa and should not allow Joker to manipulate your game.  I know that you can do it Rafa!!! Vamos!!!

And ya, well played today (in patches)!!!