Desicritics Category: Sports: Tennis

Chakravyuh 2010, IMT Ghaziabad - Your World Stops Here

Ankur Bhatia — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 07:59:21 EST

Chakravyuh, the sports festival organised by IMT Ghaziabad is nothing short of being spectacular. This year was my first time and the three days i spent there were really some of the best days of my life. I have written in a post some time back about how many days of your life can you remember. Well, lets just say that i added three more to my total.

I reached IMT after a two-hour drive from my college on the eve of 4th feb and was totally exhausted. As you drive into the campus you can see the parking right away but i did not. My eyes were fixed on bright lights coming from around the corner right opposite the parking lot. As i drove round the corner, the scene appeared in front of my eyes, A football ground all decked up and ready for the first kick and over 300 students dressed in their respective team kits waiting for the opening ceremony to start. For a few seconds i was dumbstruck as it just looked like a dream, too good to be true. After the opening ceremony and dinner all the teams were called to the amphitheater for ...well.. a welcome of sorts, like no other. So all teams filled the amphitheater and the welcome started. All team captains were asked to introduce their teams and others including the very witty hosts made fun of anything and everything that was being said. By the time the insult session was over, the fixtures were out and it was down to business.

Over the next three days all teams battled it out for the top spot in various sports. Our team had major heart breaks in Cricket and Badminton and we failed to win anything. As a sportsman I hate losing, really hate it. However, for some reason i did not mind it that much. That was the beauty of those three days as It was there that I learnt, it's not always about winning or losing, at times its just about doing what you love. Imagine three days when no matter what time u got up, there was always a sport happening, no matter where you went, people were talking about who won or who lost and no matter how tired you were, you still wanted to play more. I didn't understand all this while i was there. It was only when i was leaving that these thoughts came to me. That is why as i left after three grueling days of non stop competition, taking back nothing but my bruised and battered body with me, my heart refused to leave. I was already thinking about the next Chakravyuh even before i left this one. It was very addictive and it had me totally hooked.

Some teams that deserve a special mention for their performances are The Titans and Kshatriyas of IMT who were just spectacular in multiple games, MDI played some special Table Tennis and Football, FORE School of Management whose Basketball and Badminton teams made a real fight of impossible matches. On top of that there were a few players who were a joy to watch, Rajinder from Amity, Gladson from XIMB, Pulkit Garg from MDI, Vishal Mehra from Titans and Sumit Arora from FORE (comeback of the tournament after being down 1-11).

For me this Chakravyuh 2010 was about the electrifying atmosphere, making friends, appreciating fine sportsmen, watching some truly remarkable matchups, sleepless nights, realization that i need to lose weight if i wanna compete and above all doing what i love the most, play till i drop. Hats off to IMT for giving us these three days every year over and over.

Roger Federer Wins Fourth Australian Open

Aaman Lamba — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 18:48:21 EST

Roger Federer, or Fedex, won his 4th Australian Open title against Andy Murray 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (13/11). This is his 16th Grand Slam title and shows he's still on top. Andy Murray on the other hand, remains unenviably lacking a single Grand Slam title. Federer holds the longest Grand Slam streak, two ahead of Pete Sampras. After last year's defeat to Rafael Nadal, which saw him sobbing uncontrollably, this victory meant no tears.

The game saw Murray exhibiting a passivity that led Roger to not break a single set, despite the longish third set. After the first set, which was somewhat mixed and Murray had three break points, Federer upped the ante in the second, pouring on the pressure until Andy couldn't bear the burden and Fedex took the set. The third was nail-biting, and Andy could have taken the set at least five times, until Roger broke the stalemate and took his third match point.

It is now 74 years since the British have won a Grand Slam title, since Fred Perry beat Don Budge in 1936. Roger Federer acerbically termed the period "150,000 years" ahead of the match Friday. As master of the Grand Slam, he might be excused this grandiloquence.

Australian Open: Fedex Leaves Tsonga Perplexed

sufferingsocrates — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 08:50:50 EST

Federer tore into Wilfried Tsonga to storm into the Australian Open finals. He defeated Tsonga comfortably in straight sets, 6-2,6-3,6-2. Federer now has reached 23 consecutive Grand Slam semi finals, and has also been at the finals of all the Grand Slams, starting with the French Open final in 2008. That's an incredible 8 consecutive Grand Slam final appearances including the Australian Open 2010, adding up to an astounding 22 Grand Slam Finals appearances. The Swiss master has stood tall amongst his own generation of players like Hewitt and Roddick, and continued to dominate the current generation as well.

Federer seems to be the one everyone wants to beat. The current crop of young generation players like Tsonga, Djokovic, Murray, Nadal, Cilic, Del Potro are all in the early 20s. It is their aggression, power hitting coupled with an incredible sense of self belief that has diminished the invincible aura that Federer had till 2007. It is quite astonishing that, even now he is the one who everyone is after to hunt down. Federer is now 28, and already holds records which will probably take decades to break if not centuries.

It’s not just the skill and the sublime plays that Federer brings to the game. It’s also his passion for Tennis, his modesty and appreciation for the opponents and past greats alike. He continues to march on and competes effortlessly with players of any generation. With Nadal's injury worries continuing to plague him, Federer's finesse and grace will boost his chances of bettering his own 15 Grand Slams. Murray may be leading Federer in head to head games 6-4 and may cause an upset over Federer at the finals. But Federer has already reached the pinnacle of greatness and really doesn't have to prove it to the world again.

Sporting Comebacks - They Came Back, Saw and Conquered

sufferingsocrates — Fri, 8 Jan 2010 08:14:11 EST

What is it about sporting stars, which inspires them to mark dramatic comebacks? The success stories of comeback stars may not be that obvious in the face of it. But few do stand out. Some stand out because of the reasons surrounding an earlier retirement. Michael Schumacher's (Schumi) comeback from retirement is probably the most recent one. Just by the stature of the man and his achievements, he deserves to be in the limelight of comebacks. But what intrigues me more, is the reminder of how many women tennis players have made comebacks and highly successful ones too!

Jennifer Capriati is a classic example. A teenage tennis prodigy at 14, she lost it to marijuana, charges of shoplifting, but struggled through to make a determined comeback. And when she did comeback, she literally dominated women's circuit. She won 3 Grand Slams during her comeback streak from 2001 to 2002, winning the Australian Open twice and the French Open. Her comeback has been regarded as one of the greatest comebacks of the past decade. The very opponent she fought out to win the French Open in 2001, Kim Clijsters also made an equally big comeback last year.

The Belgian tennis star, was touted as Grand Slam champion material since she stepped onto the tennis circuit. But somehow, unlike her other compatriot Justin Henin, never won a Grand Slam. That was until 2005 when she won the U.S Open. Two years later, she retired from the women's tennis circuit. Henin in the meantime continued her dominance. But when the spunky Clijsters announced a comeback, it was dramatic.

Clijsters had a personal promotion of becoming a mother during her 2 year hiatus, and then got a wild card entry into the U.S. Open in 2009. It is something movies are made of. In true movie style, she overcame the favourite of the tournament, Serena Willams under controversial circumstances and eventually won the tournament after 4 years. It was a treat for the eyes and as remarkable a comeback as Capriati's. And Clijsters doesn't seem to have ended it yet.

Clijsters' comeback prompted her compatriot and an even bigger star, Justin Henin to come out of her own retirement. Only the Wimbledon has eluded this former world no 1. Though Henin's comeback has not been as dramatic as that of Clijsters' or Capriati's, one can safely bet that there will be enough and more competition for the Willams' sisters to look forward to now. In a remarkable coincidence and true rivalry spirit, the two Belgian stars will test their comebacks when they face off in the final of the Brisbane International this week.

Game, Set, Match - The Best Decade of Tennis

KG — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:03:39 EDT

They are coming.

The Giants.

Together. All at once.

Fittingly, 2010 promises to be the most thrilling year in tennis we've had this decade- possibly its defining year.

And that is not hyperbole.

The past five years have been all about two men. Roger and Rafa have ruled the tennis courts with impunity- each pushing the other to greater limits.

Portents of this great rivalry were sown all the way back in 2004 in Miami when Roger was handed a shock 63 63 defeat by a then unknown Nadal. I remember watching Rafa playing Lleyton Hewitt earlier that year at the Australian Open and marvelling at the 16 year old's athletic abilities- but his exploits over the last five years have been extraordinary- never before has a player transitioned from clay to grass with such elan. Borg of course did the Roland Garros-Wimbledon double -5 times to boot from but he never really changed his gritty baseline style. That pioneering two handed backhand won him a lot of matches.

2008. Wimbledon. Indisputably the greatest tennis match ever played. The first two sets were all Rafa. But then in the third set tiebreaker, at 46 46 down and match point down in the tiebreak- when seemingly all was done and dusted, a masterfully timed backhand down the line turned the tide.

That backhand down the line will go down in history as the shot that ALMOST rewrote history. As the gutsiest shot ever hit on match point. As the shot that showed the world that a champion never ever quits. Definitely as the shot that gave us tennis' greatest match.

Of course its place in posterity may be rivalled by a different shot- the cross court forehand hit by Roger 67(4) 57 down, on break point at 4-4 in the third set of the 4th round at Roland Garros in 2009- which BECAME the shot that wrote history- riding on which Federer got his Holy Grail.

Into this bipolar duel entered a new player in 2009. A Giant from Argentina- Delpo showed a courage that only 2008 Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic had showed before (apart from Rafa). He beat the master on his own turf at the US Open. Del Potro further did something never done before- he beat Roger and Rafa in the same Slam.

And in 2010? A rejuvenated Federer- all his goals accomplished- the career slam, the record 15 Grand Slams, with no more questions asked about his abilities- will he be the unstoppable force he was in 2004-05? Unlikely. First, because he has younger, more formidable opponents. And secondly-because that awesome foehand of his- that great, destructive, versatile forehand- certainly isn't what it was in 04-05. It is still daunting, but not invincible.

The 2010 season promises to be thrilling- a relaxed Federer, unshacked by history- free to play his natural game, a smouldering Rafa- the fire of loss burning in him, a determined Andy Murray, shouldering all the hopes of a nation- desparate to prove he's the real deal, a flashy Del Potro- unafraid, undaunted and a determined Djokovic- wanting to prove he's no one Slam wonder. A season that promises more drama than ever before. And much respect to Sampras, Agassi, Becker and Courier- but this could probably end up becoming the Golden era of tennis.

The women?

Ah yes.

Tennis is probably the only sport where the women can potentially be as exciting to watch as the men. And that's no mean thing for women in Sport.

Somehow, the women this decade have not delivered all at once. There is no doubt that the Williamses took the game to the next level physically. Serena Williams may not have Graf's numbers, but at her best she can be an unstoppable force. And here, I'm going to be blasphemous and say it- Serena is probably the greatest player of all time, for at her brilliant powerful best, no one- and I mean no one- not Graf, not Navratilova, not Evert- no one could have defeated her.

Well, almost.

She might have met her match in a petite 5'5 Belgian called Justine Henin- who, armed with a backhand like lightening (a stroke John McEnroe called the best backhand in the game- men or women) has had Serena's number. Justine's fierce will is rivalled only by Serena's.

Boy, do those two dislike each other.

But their rivalry- which could easily have been as thrilling as the storied Roger-Rafa one, had it come to full fruition- did not develop for a variety of reasons. In her 2002-03 pomp, Serena was untouchable. And Justine was still developing her game. Nevertheless, the only grand Slam loss Serena has was at Roland Garros 2003- in a controversial outcome at the hands of Henin. Then as Serena fell to the vagaries of injury and personal loss, Belgian tennis took center stage with Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters facing off repeatedly. By the time Serena had gotten her mojo back, Kim had retired. Justine was indisputably number 1 and defeated a sub par, out of shape Serena in 3 successive Slams- the last one at the US Open 2007 making Justine the only player to defeat both the Williamses and win a Grand Sam (a feat recently replicated by- who else? Kim Clijsters in 2009).

Then Justine retired in 2008, as Serena made a blazing return to fitness and glory.

Venus of course has been the undisputed queen of grass- reaching 8 Wimbledon finals in the past 10 years and winning 5. Her losses? To Serena Williams.

But now in 2010, order will be restored. Serena is fit and playing well again- her fearsome serve and athleticism restored. Kim Clijsters- that wonderful timer of the ball has returned to great success. And Justine Henin- with the great backhand intact- is coming back- her eyes firmly fixed on Wimbledon, the only major she hasn't won. The same Wimbledon which has been Williams turf for so long now. Where the defending Champion will be- Serena.

It is for the first time in their careers that these four players- Serena, Venus, Kim and Justine will be at their peaks.

So what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?

A catfight? You bet.

And I want to be there to watch it.

US Open 2009 - It Must be Love

KG — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:43:24 EDT

They say sport is the ultimate form of competition.

An arena where gladiators fight tooth and nail for the ultimate prize.

A profession where sentimentalty should be consigned to the rubbish heap. No point being nice here.

THAT was where the 2009 US Open was different.

It didn't have epic matches.

It didn't have stunning breathtaking tennis.

It didn't even have a Roger-Rafa final.

What it did have- as even the advocates of the determinedly 'non senti' approach to sport had to admit- were human stories.

Of course it is a well worn cliche' to pass most things off as 'human stories'- a somewhat compulsive need of journalists to fashion fiction from fact. But this time, even hardcore tennis lovers- the ones who obsess over Federer's footwork, know that Yaroslava Schvedova plays for Kazakhstan, wonder at the non progression of Nicholas Almagro and rue the absence of Fabrice Santoro and Justine Henin- even those idiots were won over by the kitschy soppy stories written by life- which seemed more suited to be on an after school special than on the tennis court.

It seemed foretold that the great F would reach the final at the very least. It seemed foretold that he would face either a dour Scot or a fire breathing Spaniard there. And the odds were that he would top either of them for a record 6th consequetive title.

It wasn't even too much of a surprise was that the Tower of Tandil- a massive 6'6" JMDP reached the final by absolutely destroying the formidable Bull from Mallorca- after all he had lost only one match since Wimbledon.

What came as a surprise was the final. A 20 year old's refusal to wilt. Even a sub par F is a formidable challenge- so used is he to willing himself to victory. Unleashing the most powerful forehand in the game today, the Giant triumphed in five- curiously reversing the situation months ago in Paris where F had similarly come back to win in five sets after being down two sets to one.

At one stage two points from defeat, Delpo unleashed a monstrous forehand which barely clipped the line to break F- who launched into a tirade using that very letter quite a bit.

Opponents wouldn't have failed to notice his fifth set collapse- a sight becoming a little familiar- FYC- Wimbledon 2008 (THAT match), Australian Open 2009 and now the US Open 2009.

And then, the Giant from Argentina wept. The whole town of Tandil wept. The garrulous rowdy yet undeniably fascinating South American crowd wept, drank and lived it up. Tandil- until a few days back a little known town in Argentina- welcomed its hero like nobody's buisness. And JMDP- the 6'6 prodigy who had beaten the greatest of all time on his own turf- the Giant who had flattened another legend in the making before that- he wept throughout the procession. The coming of age of a new generation- fearless and undaunted- was a joy to behold.

Yet he was hard pressed to steal the thunder from the women.

What remains the defining picture of the year is a luminous Kim Clijsters beaming on court with the trophy in one hand and her sparkling daughter in another. Never has a champion radiated such warmth as Kim.

She did it the hard way. She lit up the awful, embarrasing state of women's tennis in a way no one else could- on the way defeating the lissome Venus Williams and outplaying the great, the legendary fighting skills of Serena Williams.

And she got people who had washed their hands off the women as a lost cause talking again. Do they deserve equal prize money? Of course not. Leaving alone the best of five arguement for a while, the women in the current crop are so woefully bad- barring the Williamses- that it is tough to support their claim to the money.

Not in entertainment though.

Kim proved stunning. Her semifinal against Serena, although immortalized by the latter's outburst was the best match of the year- quality wise.

No theatrical screaming, no sexy clothes- just pure sport. Unleashing a powerful crosscourt backhand, an accurate serve and a good forehand, the new Mum was all over the court- giving as good as she got against her generation's greatest player.

In the end- after all the dust was swept off Arthur Ashe Stadium, the newly crowned Champion brought her daughter and husband onto court. Those were the most gratifying moments of the Open.

Because it showed that whether it is the close sisterhood of the Williamses, the unabashed love of Clijsters or the importance of the twins in RF's life- family is still the most important thing to the greats of their era.

And that's an encouraging thought.

Fourteen For Federer!

sufferingsocrates — Sun, 7 Jun 2009 11:32:50 EDT

When Del Potro faced upto Federer in the semis of the French Open on Friday, there was only one man the entire Rolland Garros crowd was supporting. A man, chasing two kinds of history - an elusive French Open title, and in doing so, equalling a record 14 Grand Slam which Sampras held. Del Potro was upto the task, though he had a 0-5 losing streak against the Swiss superstar coming into the match. Del Potro started strongly, using his tall 6'6'' frame, and rushing Fedex all over the park. One wondered if Federer would lose out on a big opportunity. But as the game wore on, Federer was the stronger, as he held his nerve and won a tight five setter.

The stage was set today for Fedex to chase history, and Soderling was at the receiving end. It is destiny, that Soderling had defeated Nadal en route to his dream run to the final. Though not a Nadal, this was as good as Federer v/s Nadal at a Grand Slam final yet again. But Federer had nothing to do with any such thoughts and came out guns blazing against Soderling. Soderling had no clue what hit him, as Federer wrapped up the first set 6-1 in under 30 minutes.

The second set was more tight, with neither player giving a break of serve. The tie breaker saw Federer keep his cool, and win it comfortably, 7-6(1). The crowd was more expectant and badly wanted Federer to win the 1 title, he deserved to win, for the sheer consistency of his appearances at the Finals in the last 4 years. But which had been denied to him by a relentless Rafael Nadal.

As the match drew to a close and Federer served out for the title, the next debate started sprouting in all tennis fans' minds. Is Federer truly the greatest ever ? In terms of talent, arguably the most gifted, for his sheer mastery of all surfaces. At Grand Slams, 20 consecutive semi final appearances at Grand Slams, including the French Open this year, which is incredible in any era. Federer, undeterred by history and expectations and determined to etch his name in history books, closed out the set 6-4, retaining his unbeaten record against Soderling, thus increasing his win-loss record to 10-0 against the Swede. Federer won in straight sets, 6-1, 7-6(1), 6-4.

In true historic gesture, Andre Agassi handed over the trophy to Federer, being the last man to have completed the 4 Slams, thus becoming only the 6th man in history to complete a career Grand Slam. Thus with 2 monkeys off his back (French Open and 14 Grand Slams), Federer, just 27 will probably be more clinical and dangerous for all his opponents in the tournaments that follow.

Cynics might insist, losing consistently to a contemporary (Nadal) certainly takes the sheen off his claim to all time greatness. Nadal though has to be wary of a new Federer, who has more freedom, more at ease and mentally feeling better than he was a year back. But to keep the cynics happy, it is sufficient to add that something should be there in the record books to show that Federer was human after all!

Roger Federer Wins French Open To Tie 14th Grand Slam Streak

Aaman Lamba — Sun, 7 Jun 2009 11:27:13 EDT

Roger Federer succeeded on his fourth attempt at Roland Garros to bag all four Grand Slam championships, and equalled Pete Sampras' haul of 14 Grand Slam titles. Pete Sampras himself never won the French Open, and Federer joins only five others to have bagged all four major singles titles, the others being Don Budge, Fred Perry, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, and Andre Agassi. He won the match 6-1, 7-6, 6-4 against the 23rd-ranked Swedish Robin Soderling, who defeated Rafael Nadal on his way to the final.

Strong gusty winds and rain were an additional hurdle for Federer to cross before his win. The event was also briefly interrupted when a fan got onto the court and attempted to put a beret on Federer's head. He was taken away by security personnel soon after, and this did not appear to affect Roger's equanimity in the third set. The clay victory did bring him to his knees, and a shout of exultation, before he buried his face in his hands. He might have preferred his opponent to be arch-rival Rafa, but took pride in the victory nevertheless. Andre Agassi presented the trophy to Roger, and the crowds went wild.

Roger Federer can now easily be considered among the greatest tennis players in history. He has not had a pretty good streak of late, defeating Rafa most recently at the Madrid Open, but losing other tournaments this year, and losing to Nadal in the Australian Open earlier in 2009.

Rafa's Rolland Roll Ends

sufferingsocrates — Mon, 1 Jun 2009 08:28:14 EDT

Watching the match between Rafael Nadal and Robin Soderling yesterday was indeed a privilege for me. For here was a man, who was undefeated since his first ever attempt at Rolland Garros in 2005, pitted against a rival who has struggled to find his footprint on a ferociously competitive men's tennis circuit. Rafa, as Rafael Nadal is fondly called, was defeated by a more resolute and clinical Soderling 6-2, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 in the Fourth Round at the French Open yesterday.

There is no doubt in anyone's mind, that if ever Rafa plays a five setter against any player, there can only be one winner. Rafa. Nerves of steel and hours of concentration which are as yet arguably unknown to men's tennis. That's what Rafa owns. Or atleast till yesterday's big upset. Soderling had to make sure he wraps up the match in straight sets or four to have any chance of overcoming the relentless Rafa. Soderling did just that.

Roger Federer would be as pleased as he would be surprised at this early exit from the Spanish Armada. Rafa has been the biggest nemesis to Federer's aura of invincibility, having a stupendous 13-7 win loss record against the Swiss maestro till date. Credit to Federer to have an astounding 19 consecutive grand slam semi final appearances or better. Rafa though has been always there to spoil Federer's quest for ultimate greatness when he won the Australian Open earlier this year, denying the Swiss from equalling Sampras' all time record of 14 Grand Slam titles.

Federer has been the closest to rival Rafa on clay and has been in the Finals at Rolland Garros for the last 3 years. Federer had a torrid final last year when he won only 4 games against Rafa. This year, there won't be a Nadal in the final. Going by the recent match ups, this is probably Federer's best chance at the French Open. The funny part though is, even if Federer wins the French Open now, it will be a hollow victory for him. Being the champion that he is, Federer would definitely want to beat Rafa in a French Open final to lift the elusive trophy. On the flip side, Rafa has tended to be all over Federer in all their recent Slam Final meetings.

In last year's US Open final, Federer was at his clinical best. He dismissed Murray's chances and won a lopsided final , after Murray had upstaged Nadal in the semi finals. I am sure if Nadal had faced up to Federer in that final, things would have been totally different. That is the effect Rafa has had on Federer, more mentally than the skills. All said and done, Federer has been the the second best player at the French Open and does deserve his fair chance at Rolland Garros. Even if that be without his nemesis around.

Sania Mirza & Mahesh Bhupathi Win Australian Open Mixed Doubles

Aaman Lamba — Sun, 1 Feb 2009 01:43:12 EST

The Indian tennis firmament seems to be shining brighter this year, first with Yuki Bhambri's win at the junior Australian Men's event and now with Sania Mirza-Mahesh Bhupathi winning the mixed doubles event at the Australian Open.

They won the finals against Nathalie Dechy (France) and Andy Ram (Israel) 6-3, 6-1. This was their second consecutive year in the finals, and followed a rather lacklustre year for Ms. Mirza. Their opponents were unseeded, and the match was won handily by the duo. This is the seventh Grand Slam title for Mahesh and the first for Sania. He lost the Men's Doubles finals

The excitement continues at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne Park with the Men's Finals between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, their first face-off on hard courts, coming on the heels of a tense semi-final match for Nadal against Fernando Verdasco that last over five hours.

The wins of Bhupathi-Mirza and Bhambri will enthuse the sport in India but also bring into scrutiny the negligent attention given to Indian tennis by the Sports Authority and other bodies.

Update: Rafael Nadal defeated Roger Federer in the Men's Finals through a five set 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-2. Ths was the fourth consecutive loss for Federer against Nadal and a four and a half hour long match.

At the awards ceremony, where the cup was given away by Rod Laver, Roger Federer could not hold back his tears, leading to Nadal consoling him, and saying, "Roger, sorry for today. I really know how you feel right now. Remember, you're a great champion, you're one of the best in history."