What happened to Sania Mirza?

 But is that a fair question to ask?

At least we had an Indian tennis player who captured the imagination of the people.  Young boys and girls wanted to play tennis seeing her in action.  There was also as usual a spate of babies with the names ‘Sania’ born around the time she peaked in popularity.  So far so good. She also gave it as good as she got especially to the Mullahs who wanted our Sania to play as long as she wore a Burqua, possibly also hand gloves that extended till the elbow, a veil and basically they might as well had asked her to jump in a sack in the locker room before she came on to the court.  She was brave and also knew when to stop giving sound bites as much as she knew when to sound them. So far really good.  With resource limitations and the cascading effect it has on everything- quality of training, support staff, travel, accommodation, Sania still managed to overcome these and become the possessor of a decent game.  Believe me, this is a compliment of the highest order.  It is tough anyway to pick a game no plays and knows anything about apart from something or someone called Navratilova and McEnroe.  So she did smash the ceiling that ends with cricket.  Admirable, really.

But then came a spate of injuries, involving knee, hips, wrists, that can spell doom for your game. Surgeries followed and finally at 26, Sania has admitted that it takes longer to recover and there are always niggles; that she is ready to hang up her boots soon and hopes that she can win a few more slams before that.  At 26 the same age as Maria Sharapova or Marion Bartoli is 28 or Any Murray is 26.  But again, is it fair to judge Sania Mirza vis-à-vis the world’s top players?  Absolutely not.  So I shall continue with my column and keep these players entirely at bay.  They will be mentioned henceforth for reference purposes only. 

Whenever I have watched Mirza’s game, two things strike me immediately- the number of unforced errors and her attitude/ state of mind concerning her game off the court.  Sania Mirza’s highest ranking was 27.  Her approach to ‘unforced errors’ was very surprising to say the least.  When asked about it after a defeat (where these jokers played a very prominent part), she replied that unforced errors are not important and one has to look beyond them.  And here I thought that these errors cost matches! But then again what do I know, I am just an amateur player and commentator on the game.  In one of the matches against one of the top 10 players (I forget the name), the play was really lamentable, there were no rallies, the opponent would serve, Sania would hit, the opponent would return and Sania would hit into the net or wide or long or high anywhere but within the court.  Understandably, I could see the frustration on her opponent’s face. Are you surprised?  I am not, it is like a seasoned player playing a novice or a weaker player.  The caliber of the opponents play totally puts your game off, you cannot find the rhythm, there are no rallies that help you settle down in the game and also read your rival’s game.  But then reading it not that big a problem (the game is just one line long- she is making n number of unforced errors) as much as finding your rhythm is.  Finally the tragedy of this game ended shortly, Sania’s opponent was relieved and I am sure so was Sania.  My point here is what happened to Sania’s game? How did it dip to such a level where errors started costing her matches and threatened to loom over her entire game.  That she had a strong forehand was known, that she was courageous was a given (otherwise you cannot make in this individual sport) but how about some mental mettle?  How about that determination to excel? 

I have read reports of her requesting the CM of Andhra Pradesh to grant her land to start a training academy even when she was far from retiring. If I remember right, she had just started to blossom and media had taken notice of her and she was playing well.  I have never seen her game where I can just rest assured that this is going to be a winning shot. Alas, Sania had made friends with the net.  She has since moved on to doubling her presence in life and on the court in form of marriage and doubles.  But that is even more tricky.  I have watched Bhupathi and Sania in action and it can safely be said that while Bhupathi earned some great points, Mirza squandered them with wayward tennis, But they have managed to win the French Open Mixed Double Championship. Unbelievable but true.  It makes me sad to think that a player that everything going for her was let down possible because I feel that her desire to excel let her down. When you see the Top 20 and their training, dedication to train and improve, it make you feel that you are constantly falling short regardless of the effort you take.  Age-wise, 26 yrs. hardly the age to talk about retirement and I am not confusing this with the wisdom to know when to quit.

Sania Mirza has started the eponymous tennis training academy in Hyderabad and I hope, I really do that she creates little Sanias, both boys and girls in India who will hit a mean forehand..sorry a winning forehand and who do not know the meaning of unforced errors. I hope she and her team of coaches will instill in them this desire to excel and a determination to win.  Having a great support staff does leave you to deal with your game without any burdens in your heart or head.

Good Luck Sania!  

Now that Wimbledon is over.....

Britain’s wait for an English hero was over on 7^th July and ironically it was none other than a Scotsman who brought them this glory.  For women’s tennis, it couldn’t have been a greater anti-climax as Sabine Lisicki showed none of the stehaufmaennchen attitude that she is no famous for.  I an however understand her case of nerves and it is no different from an elocution competition or a speech competition of taking part in a play where there are hundreds, thousands pair of eyes watching your every move.  Stage fright, nerves and just mental meltdown.  I lost interest when Sabine was down 1-6 to Marion Bartoli.  But a one-sided match never makes for great viewing.  My heart goes out to Lisicki and also to Marion Bartoli who has said that she wanted to hug Sabine when she shed  a tear.  This is one unusual champion- fierce but all warm hearted and one who doesn’t forget to be human on a stage where is forbidden to show any vulnerability.  Bartoli has face misogyny from BBC and we are by now used to the broadcasting corporation fielding journalist who ask stupid questions and make irrelevant remarks under the guide of ‘hamfisted’ but ‘well intended’.  In this case John Inverdale of the beeb commented "Do you think Bartoli's dad told her when she was little: 'You're never going to be a looker, you'll never be a [Maria]Sharapova, so you have to be scrappy and fight'?"  Sad, outrageous and also the fact that he didn’t think twice before spitting it on millions of viewers.  But Bartoli was equally strong to take it on her chin and fling it back calmly saying that ‘she is not looking for modelling contracts’.  I admire this calmness that is anything if not contrary to her on-court restlessness.  I love Bartoli and I wish she continues her form for as long as she plays. And I know Sabine has talent by her sheer will to stay and fight. But consistency is the key as she well knows.  You cannot beat everybody by ‘going all out’ all the time.  It will burn you before you can burn the opponent.  So here’s a toast to Sabine and Marion, tennis ‘found again’ champions and hoping to see more of them in the future.

Meanwhile what are out tennis players doing now that there is a bit of calm till the last grand slam down under?

Lisicki is back in Berlin and her schedule is chock-a-block with press commitments before she retreats to Bradenton, Florida and starts training.

The dizzying heels that Bartoli waswearing were Louboutins. She will head back to Geneva, Switzerland where she resides.  Federer was lookng forward to playing on Centre Court as late as 23^rd June and was tweeting about wanting play Gstaad Open as early as 2^nd July. I admire the spirit in this man.  There is no embarrassment in playing Ranji trophy if you cant see the balls whizzing past you. He will also play in Hamburg which is ‘favourite tournament’, never mind that he hasn’t played there in more than 4 years. This was the tournament where he got his first wild card. 

Andy Murray had 11 rackets in his kit bag.  Djokovic hosted a party after the Wimbledon for his Novak Djokovic Foundation for raising funds for underprivileged kids in Serbia.  The foundation is run by Jelena Ristic.  The gala was held at the Roundhouse, Chalk Farm Road and guess who is the global ambassador of this foundation? None other than Sarah Ferguson or more commonly know and more likely recognised as ‘Fergie’.  Why Novak why! And I though there is nothing worse than your missed down-the-line backhands! Groan! It was a star-studded event with cocktails and dinner.Novak’s girlfriend Jelena Ristic wore a lovely black and white striped Oscar de la Renta and Djokovic looked like he stepped out of a photoshoot for GQ.  Naomi Campbell, Kate Hudson, Gerard Butler, local boy Boris Becker were there as well.  And so was Marion Bartoli in her Louboutins.  The lady doesn’t lie, she indeed loves her heels!

Vicgtoria Azarenka has bought a house in california and is currently rejuvenating by buying furniture for her new abode.  And to top all news- Our own Mahesh Bhupathi and his Globosport will team with Simon Fuller’s XIX Entertainment to manage Andy Murray’s commercial interests which will leave him in peace to concentrate on his core competency which is hitting balls on the court.  Bhupathi has announced that he will try and earn the rich man more riches inform of $200 million this year.  They will pursue Federer style endorsements where he will have his own personal line of clothing from Nike/ Adidas.  Well winner takes all Andy, make the most of it!

Semi Final no.1 Juan Martin del Potro V/s Novak Djokovic

1st Set, 7^th game- Its three sets all. Djokovic is serving.  We see that terrible cross court forehand from Del Potro and though Djokovic reached it, sheer power of that stroke rendered the return impossible.

Djokovic holds and is up four games to three.  Centre Court is choc- a- block and Henman hill retains its festive spirit outside. 

8^th game- Del Potro is serving.   A lame return gifts Djokovic a point and another big serve from the giant equals the score.  Djokovic hits the ball in disgust as he hits the forehand wee bit long off the baseline.   A wonderful volley from Djokovic  cuts Potro’s cross court backhand short and a well-earned point that.  The good news is both the players are playing their game without trouble. Though I see some signs of trouble in Djokovic’s down the line backhand that often catches his opponents on the wrong foot.  Twice now it has landed out.

9^th game- Dhokovic is.  Strong serves earns him 30-love.  Its 40 love now.  Djokovic’s service looking good.  Oh Oh another down the line backhand lands outside the sidelines. 7 unforced errors from Djokovic as against two from del Potro.  Potro hits a cross court backhand deep and then a down the line forehand to have Djokovic scrambling to return unsuccessfully.  But a terrific serve from Djokovic helps him hold and he now leads five games to four.

Potro serving in the 10^th game and another missed backhand, into the net it goes taking Djokovic’s tally of errors to 8, oh and one more, to 9.  Del Potro’s forehands are looking menacing with each game.  But he hits a backhand wide. Aha that forehand is good, it looked like he hit it deep so Potro moved behind the baseline but it fell way short of the baseline.  Djokovic serving the 11the game and misses oh that forehand from potro, it was over before Djokovic reached the net, Awesome crosscourt forehand but the linesman called it out and it was clearly out!
Del Potro is now serving to take the set to a tie break.  Del Potro hits a cross court backhand, seemingly unreachable if you run to hit, but Djokovic now puts his invisible skis on and slides into it and hits the backhand even as the slide continues. Extraordinary.  This is the backhand shot that I am talking about and the one that Djokovic has missed three to four times in the first set.  Long rally followed and a magnificent drop shot by Djokovic to win this one.  Potro now serving to stay in the set.  Oh oh, an error from Del potro and Djokovic ina position to break Potro.  30-40, Potro might want to hit an ace here to save a break point.  And Djokovic breaks Potro after 55 minutes takes the set 7-5.  Two errors from Del Potro proving costly.

Djokovic serving in the second set.  Looking all well ensconced. Strong forehand a good shot selection help Djokovic hold.  Djokovic leading one game to love in the second set.  That’s another backhand from Djokovic that has landed outside but it’s a return of serve so I am giving him the benefit of doubt.  And just when I thinks Del Potro’s game is dipping, he runs languidly to the ball and hits a forehand that is sharp, close to the net and come from top down at crazy speed. Ferocious!

Long tiring rallies look to be the thing of the present in this semi final. Mean rallies where the ball appears from centre of the court and lands magically at impossible nooks and crannies on the other side but the ball comes back as ever with more power and bounce and spin and trajectory that will put a missile to shame or should I say crazy ball? And del Potro clutches his knees after a seemingly endless one.  That’s great backhand from Del Potro, catching the serve early and returning as Djokovic was nowhere near the ball.  Djokovic holds his serve and now leads two games to one.  Up to this point I don’t see any serve and volleys at all. 

And as if reading my mind, De Potro comes to the net and makes himself vulnerable to a blistering forehand from Djokovic and it lands in the net (fortunately for him), 11^th or 12^th unforced error from Djokovic, the kind we see from doubles or lesser players.  Del Potro serving the 4^th game and holds.

Djokovic serving the 5^th game, fires two quick aces and is up 30 love.  Coming to the net is not really working for the players. The one time that Del Potro came, it opened up the court for Djokovic and the one time that Djokovic came del Potro won that point.  So far there have been a couple of drop shots from Djokovic, none from Del Potro, plenty of slicing and dicing and exactly one volley from Djokovic . There has been a lot of slicing primarily to give the players some breathing space when they have been at the receiving end of a shot.  It is the baseline that is dictating matters and who is able to outrun and outlast. Rallying with Djokovic is the wrong strategy. He can rally forever.  Now again as if reading my mind, Del Potro comes to the net and cuts his Djokovic’s full- on forehand with a crosscut volley. Well played and he fires an ace to level score at deuce.  A good serve and Del Potro in position to dictate the terms of the shot. Advantage.  Djokovic volleys and levels score. But a backhand hit wide earns him a break point.  Djokovic sends one into space and score is level again.  Djokovic rushes to the net again and uses the drop volley to gain him advantage.  Break point no 2.  A strong serve from Del Potro and score level again.  122 mph from the big man. 

Djokovic serving the 7^th game and a delicious forehand, on the sweet spot, on the line earns him a love 15.  What a point from Del Potro! He was well beyond the baseline when Djokovic hit a drop shot and he sprinted  to the net and flicked the ball.  Potro is now up love 40. Three break points and Del Potro breaks Djokovic for the first time.  Pumps his fists and celebrates.  Now will Djokovic come back roaring an not give Del Potro chance to leverage his break?

Its adavantage Del Potro now,  and he breaks! Del Potro now leads in the second by five games to three. Djokovic now serving to stay in the set and fires four aces in row and holds.  Will Del Potro be able to hold his serve or will Djokovic break him back?

Del Potro up at 15 love. Another goo d serve but a challenge from Djokovic.  Its 2.49 pm in London and Juan Martin del Potro takes the first set 6-4 in 44 minutes. 

Djokovic serves the first game of the third set.

A wonderful cross court from  Djokovic.  Approaching the net is not working again, And out of his hat, Djokovic hits his wonderfully nonchalant backhand down the line and on the line.  He holds comfortably. 

Del Potro serving the 2^nd game and he holds.  What has been the highlight of the match so far are the engaging rallies- long and exhausting .  testing the will of each player to reach the ball and hit it productively not just return.  Aha another interesting point.  Djokovic lobs, Del potro chases and turns around and hits a forehand, wide.  An ace down the middle and Djokovic is up 40 love. 

Djokovic serving the 5^th game of the 3^rd set and he holds after tense moments when it looked like Del Potro might break him. Del Potro serving the 6^th game, a rally of 17 strokes ends in the net and Del potro is up 15 love, in response Djokovic raises his hand as if to smash the racket….gently..nothing serious.  An error from Del potro gifts Djokovic his first point in the game.  Del potro holds after this last point of 21 shots.

Back from a half hour break, and Djokovic has won the set in a tie break that he won comfortably.  I see Del Potro tiring and he is playing the man who played the longest final (in a single day) in grand slam history- 5 hours and 57 minutes and won it against another giant- Nadal.  Are his knees troubling him? 4^th game, Djokovic is serving and he fires an ace to hold his serve.  Both are now two games all.

Del Potro serving the 5^th game in the 4^th set- and holds. 

Its 4.27 at Wimbledon and Del Potro works a beautiful forehand. 6^th game and Del Potro up love 15.  Djokovic serves down the T and score is leveled.  Djokovic hits a drop shot and Del potro runs to it comfortably but hit it out.  There is a brief smiling banter between the two players as Del Potro’s momentum carries him over to Djokovic’s side.  Djokovic holds.

7^th game- Another missed down the line backhand and he screams, looks heaven ward. 100 errors from Djokovic  forced and unforced (48 totally in the match).  And a great forehand, the ball coming above Djokovic’s shoulders.  An error from Del Potro gives Djokovic two break points. Second serve from Potro and two breaks points for Djokovic.  Defensive tennis has been abandoned and we see impossible tennis being played at this juncture,  forehands and backhand, drop shots and sliced forehand and then there are those slides from Djokovic that only he can do, barring clijsters  AND and he has the break, Djokovic breaks Del Potro and Djokovic leads 4 games to 3.  

8^th game- Djokovic serving- fires an ace and the score is 15 all. Another 122mph from Djokovic and another point in the bag.  By now Djokovic is missing those trademark backhands of his with a regularity that will delight Murray should both win their semi finals But wait, Del Potro wins a point and gets a break point and a magnificent forehand from Del Potro breaks Djokovic. Both are at 4 games each.

9^th game- Del Potro serving and a cracking return by Djokovic and one more return to send Djokovic up love 30.  But Del Potro holds and leads by five game to four.

10^th game- Djokovic serving now to stay in the set. Will it be a tie breaker in Djokovic’s favour or will it extend to a 5 set piece?

4^th set, tie break, Djokovic gets a min-break on Del Potro’s serve. He is up love 1, Djokovic serves and when a rally is in in full swing, Del Potro challenges a forehand hit by Djokovic and it is in, a costly challenge especially since he was in a position to return it.  But don’t worry, Djokovic returned the favour and Del potro won his first point of the tie break.  Djokovic is leading 4 points to 3.  Del Potro is serving to keep his dream of a Wimbledon final alive.  He hits a backhand in the corner that Djokovic returned and as he scrambled down the centre, Del POtro hit in the same spot Djokovic stumbles slips as he attempts to change direction.  Score is 4 all.  What a point! Djokovic hits deep and Del potro lobs as Djokovic  smashes and Del Potro returns and Djokovic hits a back hand volley.  Djokovic is now up 6 points to 4 and match point for him…..and this rally lasts 21 shots I think but give or take a few, the drama of this point doesn’t lessen- Djokovic  slides and lobs and Del Potro throws up his hands and racket to will the ball out and the ball lands out.  It is five points to four and Del Potro’s forehand levels the break…five points all. Please somebody check my blood pressure. And Del potro wins the 4^th set in a scintillating tie-break.

5^th set. Who will win?

1^st Game- Djokovic serving first, and holds comfortably and we are four hours and nine minutes into the match.  Djokovic is playing his 13^th consecutive grand slam final. Wow!

This is a semifinal truly worthy of a grand slam and worth every penny that has cost me for a ticket.  Del Potro’s forehand is coming good whenever he needs it, It comes at you from a height and descends suddenly like a roller coaster ride plunging into an abyss without warning. It has speed, precision, power and a finality of no-return!

Del Potro has risen to the challenge, has been a worthy opponent and has called on shots at his will. He has made Djokovic explore every inch of the court in case he has forgotten, played deftly, with certainty and not forgotten to smile! That is important. No this is not an obituary. It is only a testimony to a novel situation where  there are unfamiliar figures occupying the centre court and therefore different behaviours than we are used to.  While a Nadal or Federer or even Murray are playing, there are no smiles and no respite. Only ruthlessness and single minded pursuit of the opponent’s destruction 

It surprises me that Del potro has hit just three aces to nineteen from Djokovic.  Like the fastest of bowlers, he has probably traded speed for consistency and it has served him well.  Alarmingly less unforced errors as compared to Djokovic who is committing unforced errors like they are going out of style.

What a return, 5^th game, and Del Potro returns with a casual backhand down the line, Djokovic doesn’t bother to even make a move.  But Djokovic serves well and then rushes to the ball and finishes with a backhand down the line. Again a great serve gives him advantage. His last serve fired at 127 mph. His 21^st ace, 22^nd and counting, Djoko now up 40 -30 and game Djokovic. Djokovic leads three games to two.

It is 5.33, sky is holding well while Del Potro chomps on his banana as his physiologist massages his back and ribs.  The match is now 4 hours and 29 minutes long.

8^th game- And oh what a game what a game!.  Every joints, each skill tested to the limit, every muscle stretched in an effort to retrieve and return the yellow fluff.  Djokovic breaks Del Potro and leads by five games to three.  And here is where remains to be see as to who will blink, wil del potro come back to break Djokovic or will Djokovic hold and book his place in the finals? Or has Del Portro already blinked? But as an armchair enthusiast and a marginal player of the game it will be unfair for me to say that Del Potro blinked.  The logic being that every match has to reach its logical conclusion to make only one man the winner.  But beyond a certain point, there are no winners, there are only brave hearts!

In this match, every game has been different, dramatic, tense, and the much trodden ground around the baseline has been getting balder and balder; the surface gets slippery, Djokovic panting and serving. Djokovic hits a forehand deep so that potro has to run to out of the court to hit it and then Djokovic hits a badminton drop shot.  That was tense.  Djokovic serves, it is 30 all.  Del Potro shows no signs of nerves and plays as freely as if it were the first set and not like someone who is trying to save the match and wins a point to level the score.  That was a delicate drop shot from Djokovic.  Great serve from Djokovic and match point for him.  And he has got it, the down the line back hand delivering at last when it mattered.  The players hug and part. What a match, what a match,  Djokovic thumps his chest and roars.  What an extraordinary tennis match and a level of ferocity not seen from the gentle giant. Novak Djokovic wins to book his place in the second Wimbledon final.  

All you wanted to know about Jerzy Janowicz.....

but didn’t (because you hand’t heard of him?  The tennis world has been in search for rightful heirs to the Federer and Nadal. Janowicz has been largely overlooked in the sea of players like Tomic, Raonic, Grigor Dimitrov and even Dolgopolov. Not anymore.

At 6ft 8in, there are two players that eclipse him by an inch and two- John Isner, who played the longest professional tennis match in history at Wimbledon and currently world no.23 and Ivo Karlovic, currently world no. 153. Both these statistic are irrelevant as is his own ranking compared  to Murray's No.2  What matters is how well he is playing now. 

There have been tall players who had the advantage of height and raw potential who failed to enjoy sustained success on the tour.  Janowicz hasn’t had it easy at all and his story as an impoverished Polish tennis player who once had to depend on the benevolence of New York’s Polish for tennis shoes, will fascinate many and compel them to root for him.  Like all low ranked players, he has done his time- sleeping in cars, staying in budget hotels, to economizing with just one croissant before matches in Paris.  Last year at the Australian Open when Murray and Djokovic were battling it out at the finals, Janowicz did not compete as he could not afford the expensive flight tickets to down under. Instead he opted to head to England for gainful employment. 

Along with training or perhaps more than that, it will be the hardships he has had to face to come this far in his game and in world rankings that will have built his temperament, that in the past has been volatile echoing the self-destructive streak of the Russians players. We know what can be achieved if you are able to curb your temper and channelize constructively.  Federer once rivaled the greatest racket basher Marat Safin in talent and temper.  In Federer’s words they could have competed for who bashed the most rackets on court, but this couldn’t go on indefinitely and apart from entertaining the crowds didn’t bring any gains to the table.

 If Janowicz is able to control the reptile inside his brain that threatens to lash its deadly tail at every error or lineman’s call, it will take him away from his powerful game. He needs to conquer the inner demons that rear their heads inside his head before he bring his opponents to his knees with the 140mph heat missile in his quiver. It’s a good thing that he plays Murray who also gets angry, mutters reprimands and can hit his own personal crescendo in the anger stakes.  But Murray has the experience of playing at these levels for longer and is waiting for his sun to shine at SW 19 for the last two years.  Murray has pressure and at this stage Janowicz has nothing to lose.

Which means in Serena’s words, he can play with freedom and an unbearable lightness of being! 

Williams V/s Lisicki, Round 4

4^th Round and the much anticipated between Sabine Lisicki and Serena Williams, the world no.1 versus world No. 23. The rankings didn’t matter much really, for the first time I felt no one bothered with the rankings as much as with the thought that that Williams could possibly meet her match.  I saw Lisicki for the first time in Wimbledon 2011.  What struck me was her body language, it was high voltage but never high strung, she wore her emotions on her sleeve, smiling and mostly smiling. But it was never anger or verbal self-flagellation.  It was simply like she was on a practice court.  I think her emotions infected Serena as well for I saw her appreciate Lisicki’s shots and even mutter ‘great shot’ once.  Now that is rare.  Even after the match, the proverbial handshake was more than that and not a perfunctory brush of fingers between the conqueror and the vanquished. Serena had words for her and I saw Lisicki mouth thanks you twice.  I hope what Serena said was “all the best Lisicki, you can go all the way”.  

I loved this new Avatar of Serena. 

Yesterday I mentioned that Williams will win albeit in a three-setter.  The first will be a sitter for Lisicki but the second and third will be walkovers for Serena.  It could have come true if Serena had held her nerves, it  affected her game which was intact but for the numerous unforced errors which gifted Licki points at crucial times. Not to say that Lisicki was waiting for an attack of nerves from her opponent.  More often than not, if you don’t wilt under the Serena sun, you stand good chances.  You need to be mentally strong and not heed Williams’ reputation or her fierce stares or her 123mph serves.  

If you can get in edge ways than you can roam like a wild horse in Williams' head.  Lisicki did just that and her natural exuberance helped in blinding her to Serena’s nastiness and surprisingly Williams did not get nasty at all. Lisicki’s best serve came in the last game of the last set when she was serving out for the match.  It looked like the famed Williams flight of the phoenix when a resurgent Williams is absolutely unstoppable.  That’s when Lisicki served her 130mph serve and it whizzed past Serena. She followed it with yet another ace and it was just another few moments when she closed the match and fell face down in joy and disbelief.  She got up immediately and walked over to Serena.  Serena said that she played a super aggressive game and When you have absolutely nothing to lose you can play with so much freedom and you can be so loose. Gracious behavior and kind words personified from Williams. 

Now that I have said what I had to for the loser and the winner, I must say that I expected more from this huge match.  It was engrossing in the way that no one expected how Lisicki would respond to Serena getting ‘serious’ about her play if she wanted to win the 4^th round.  Serena has a better game than Lisicki’s.  There were nail biting moments that would invariably end in the painful anticlimax of an unforced error from Serena with routine shots that she wouldn’t even need to see to be able to hit them.  It was fascinating to watch Lisicki get on without being rattled even once, not at Seren’a winners and not at the errors she herself committed.  In the end you needed a strong head as much as a great pair of hands against the greatest players of our era. 

Day 2- Roberta Vinci V/s Li Na

Roberta Vinci is Sara Errani’s doubles partner and world no.11. I am favouring the World No.11 Li Na to sail through. But having seen how women’s matches go, it might be a three setter with the yo-yo swinging towards Li in the first, then lunging at Vinci in the second and finally towards Li in the third.  This has been happening a lot of late. ..

Anyways, here we go, first set with Vinci serving.  Right now Li Na’s shots-both forehand and back are looking strong as she makes Errani chase fluff in the opening game of the first set.  None have come to the baseline so far and the one time that Vinci does, she is caught wrong-footed with a cross court volley by Li Na. Vinci loses her service game.  Li Na breaks early!

And that’s Li Na’s husband with a grin on his face.  Oh Oh is Li Na going to double fault? A weak second serve but a down the line backhand hits the stands instead of Vinci’s racket.

Another backhand sails right past Vinci. I am impressed- perfect balance on the front right foot and there goes another forehand landing spot on the line!
Li Na’s backhand is the perfect text book variety, great control and the ball landing right where she wants. Li Na holds her serve and s up two games to love.

Vinci’s second serve is expectedly weak.  Li Na is attacking her game from the word go and stamping her authority or should I say stomping her authority of Vinci.  Will it be a double bagel? Well at least Li na knows that her game is rock solid. If anything I see in Li Na a strong opponent to Serena Williams.  She is setting her shots beautifully, constructing points , 3 backhands and then bam..a forehand down the line.  She is using all corners of the court and oh yes that text book- perfect backhand, She is almost kneeling on her right leg and the backhand goes kissing the net. I am seeing Li Na play after a long time.  Almost a year and her play though well-rounded wasn’t imprinted on my mind.  But now if this is how she plays (so far no unforced errors) and there goes one unforced error and also the possibility of Vinci breaking her. But the way I see it is that Li is not being stretched really. She is dictating the play, coming to the net if she thinks it’s a winning point; so no pressure here. And Vinci breaks Li Na. Li Na is still up 5 sets to 1.  Having said that it is painful to watch long rallies on grass being controlled from the baseline.   Vinci double- faults to level the score at thirty all but wins the next point with an ace.  We are 24 minutes into the first set and some lapses in concentration from Li Na.

While the commentators are saying it’s a lapse in concentration, I think for this point it was a last minute change in shot selection.  Technically perfect, is Li Na’s game fun to watch? I am unsure here.  It’s like watching Lendl play only its more staid, solid but staid.  Maybe it’s the opposition, maybe this is her style. But I like her double-handed backhand. Steady, balanced and poised on one knee almost touching the ground.  But then again, I have not seen her being stretched on her backhands.  She seems to have enough time to position herself well behind the ball to hit it at will. 

Li Na wins the first set 6-2.

Second set and Vinci serves.  That’s lovely down-the-line backhand under pressure from Vinci.  Li Na should have won this point by playing a cross court but was unsuccessful.  Vinci is serving and loses her serve.  The last point gifted free of cost as she netted a forehand volley in the net.  

Li Na up by three sets to love.  It’s not that Vinci is not a good player but lacking in strategy? Possibly.  Li Na’s game is faultless…backhand, forehand, serve, volley, finding all the corners of the court from the baseline and also her rushing to the net which is not frequent, has netted her points. Li Na holds her serve and is up four games to love.  Body language is now talking rather than the racket for Robert Vinci and it’s not positive.  Vinci loses her serve and Li Na is now leading at five games to love.  I still think if Vinci had rallied, she might have made a fight out of this score.  Li Na now serving for the match.  She now has 3 match points but a forehand sails wide and now she has 2 match points.  One more match point as Vinci scores one more point and Li Na wins. 6-2, 6-1. In sizzling form, Li Na in a mere 55 minutes. 

Vinci did not deserve this, she will be disappointed with this performance. 

Li Na now in the quarter finals of 2013, for the third time! Cheers and all the best Li Na!

Day 4..Wimbledon

Day 4 sees three players ranked 1 and 2 respectively play seeds 23, 20 and 13 respectively.

The 4^th round match will decide if the old order will be restored or continue to be shattered. 

Serena Williams expects to be tested against Sabine Lisicki, Murray will test his new-found calmness against the temperamental yo-yos of Michail Youzhny and Novak Djokovic will check out the resurgence of Tommy Haas who is cresting on his 17^th outing at the SW19. 

What are the odds that Serena and Novak will fall to Lisicki and Haas and Murray will be beaten in 5 sets? The Odds are low, very low in fact close to zero. Lisicki will probably take Williams to the three set wire but will crumble in the end to the menace of Williams.  Youzhny will be outplayed thoroughly. Haas will pose a problem to Djokovic.  Novak will win but not before Haas takes a set off the No.1 seed. This is my prediction for Day 4 on Centre Court.

The French players at SW19

The French have a brigade stronger than their army at the SW19. Lead by Jo Wilfried Tsonga, there is Richard Gasquet, Gael Monfils, Gilles Simon, Nicholas Mahut , Julien Benneteau and the lone woman ranger Marion Bartoli who is ranked at no.15.

Among these players, I love watching Richard Gasquet- the strongest reason being his single fisted backhand and that he gravitates to the net at every opportunity and treat the grass surface as grass and not hammer blows from the baseline.  The problem is we all know that the these players with the exception of Tsonga will not reach beyond the quarter finals.  

Gasquet has played in 7 Wimbledon championships and his best result has been the semifinals in 2007. Gael Monfils has never progressed beyond 3^rd round, Gilles Simon has done one round better than him and so has Benneteau. Bartoli has played in 10 championships and her best result came in 2007 as a Wimbledon Finalist. Tsonga has shown the most promising performance. Ranked at No.7, he has played in 5 championships and his best result has been the semi-finals in 2011 where he beat Federer and in 2012.

 All these players have been around for at least 10 years on the tour and may never beat their peak results which are at best average.  Many of them are in top 20 and their rankings will slide even further as years progress (Lleyton Hewitt at No.82). 

But Hewitt at least got the kiss the trophy in 2002 and enjoy a brief fling with being No.1.  

Wimbledon 2013

Roger Federer, current world no.3, will be targeting an unprecedented 8^th Wimbledon title ten years after he won his first.  For a number of reasons I am excited for a number of reasons this year at the all-white grand slam.  All the top 4 players are there without exception.  Djokovic, Murray, Federer, Ferrer and Nadal.  Only 4 rankings but 5 players! Due to an algebraic quirk, the equation that spews out the ranking system at Wimbledon has now ranked Ferrer ahead of Nadal.  A lot of hue and cry has been made in the media about the comedy of this particular act.  Having said that, I also think Ferrer fully deserves this ranking.  At 31 Ferrer is playing the tennis of his life and as he said, this is his last chance of getting the best results of his career on grass.  

Talking of age, 31 seems like the golden number- Serena Williams, Federer, Ferrer,  are all 31 and two of them are defending champions while the third is enjoying the highest ranking of his life at no.4, one place ahead of compatriot Nadal.  Then there is Berdych and Tsonga lurking dangerously close to the surface of the top 5 and are capable of pulling off an early upset.  Berdych’s recent clashes with Federer have all ended in his favour.   Del Potro  Richard Gasquet and Stanislas Wawrinka are at 8, 9 and 10 respectively.  I feel Wawrinka has the potential to reach the quarters and then the semis.  I love watching him play, probably at par with Djokovic because one can learn a lot by watching him.  He is the only player apart from Gasquet and Federer to practice the single-fisted backhand, his volleys are superb and generally he is not content to hammer from ball upon ball from the baseline. Should that happen and then per chance the opponent attack his back hand, he will simply whip  the racket and swat the ball very deep either down the line or across the court.  Unlike many of the top 10 players, most notably Murray, he does more than keep the ball in play from the baseline, he will mix his shots, vary the tempo, risk a volley and most importantly fearlessly leave the baseline.

The men’s tennis has been consistent and the top 4 rankings have been dividing the spoils of 4 grand slams between them. The lower ranked players have also been consistently been nipping at their heels and the slightest weakness will have them jump at the higher seeds.

What happening with the top 10 women? Plenty apparently…off court.  Serena Williams has been bringing a lot of mouth to the table aka press conferences.  The rape remark storm had barely died down when she made another comment about Sharapova going out with ‘the guy with the black heart’ (ref. Grigor Dimitrov) and ‘not being invited to the coolest parties’. Who cares!  Why in spite of sweeping all tournaments in her way and also swatting players like flies, Williams makes such juvenile remarks is beyond my understanding.  She has a certain stature is 31 years of age, has more than 10 years of pro play under her belt and ditto those many years of tour experience.  She has stumbled and learnt, been injured and written off more times than she cared and she has come back…and how. Yet she behaves like a teenager mentioning ‘coolest parties’. 

Why Serena, why? She collects her French Open trophy like a little girl who skips her way to the desired object, she giggles, pouts and pirouettes.  It’s  frankly disturbing.  But Williams is no 1 and the hot favourite to win the grass affair.  Sharapova and Azarenka are ferociously mewing at her heels.  But I have realized that something like black magic happens to the opponents when they play Williams, they crumble before the game even begins, they play strangely, make errors, and hand Williams the match; such is her power (playing power not black magic).  Serena’s appearance on the court is intimidating.  Her stares, fist pumps do the damage psychologically and her cheetah- like movements on the court take care of the best played shots.  Her confidence and menace is terrifying. The only thing I can hope for is score more competitive than a tame 6-4, 6-4.  

Of the rest of top 10, I consider only Petra Kvitova, Sara Errani and Li Na who have great game and will put up a fight.  I will just mention without commenting on Radwanska, erstwhile no. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, Angelique Kerber and Maria Kirilenko. Outside of top 10 are so many bright stars that behave like comets.  Sam Stosur for one is the brightest of them all.  This stupendously fit Australian has taken on Williams before and knows her in all her strength and ugliness and she has won. But one doesn’t hear of Stosur beyond round 3 or even 3 these days.  Sabine Lisicki has spunk and is not bogged down by pressure of higher rankings and then there is Elena Vesnina fresh from her victory at Eastbourne and the American Jamie Hampton who was the finalist at the Aegon International Title.   

Oops the clock is ticking…only 6 hours to go.

Dubai Duty Free Semi final between Djokovic and Del Potro

Del Potro V/s Djokovic. World no.1 tennis player who is actually a skier a disguise against the 6ft 7inch tower of Tandil. It's a no brainer actually.  Djokovic is hitting down-the-line backhand shots at will at time and placements of his own choosing.  The skier's slide is intact and allows him to beat Del Potro's advantage of height.  He is moving the ball and mixing his shots is at practise session.  I would give an arm and a leg for that killer backhand. And sorry folks, while Federer is still my favourite player, he stands no chance against Djokovic.  This guy is superhuman, he can adapt at will, emotionally I have always seen a tough g who has the grace to smile at an impossible shot that his opponent has hit and acknowledge as such.  I think this comes to his aid when the chips are down and he is ready to claw is way up and out of the hole.  Now enough of Nole, While I was writing this, Del Potro stopped my hand from writing his obituary and has broken Djokovic to go up 3-0 in the second set. That apart and whatever the outcome of the match maybe (Djokovic will win of course), I have always felt sorry for Del Potro who burst brilliantly on the international circuit by being the youngest player at 18years to capture the US Open title by beating Federer in 2008 when he was two sets down. After that he has not made good on the promise that he showed. Plagued by injuries, He was sidelined while other other players Djokovic and a little Murray surged ahead. And now as things as things stand, he will always be in the top 10.  

Coming back to the game, I realise that Dl Potro is merely responding to the Djokovic's game.  Engaging in rallies is ok, except that with Djokovic the rally can go on forever while he makes you do the corner to corner drill and then you commit an unforced error at the end of which you are exhausted while Mr.Djokovic is ready to do another ski jump.  It is useless.  I wonder where does the reed-thin Djokovic get his energy from or where he stores it.  Anyways Djokovic has broken back and is now serving to level the score at three games all.  My bets are 6-3in Djokovic's favour.  

Have to rush folks.  Will catch up on the game after an hour, by which time it will be done and dusted of course.

Tennis in March And the blue clay conundrum of Madrid Open

We are barely into the third month of the new year is and as I mentioned out tennis players are really ratcheting up frequent flyer miles. March sees only two ATP tournaments - The BNP Paribas at Indian Wells and The Sony Open Tennis at Miami both of which are ATP 1000 championships.  So March offers a brief respite before the onslaught of April and May tournaments that serve as a run up to the French Open at Roland Garros starting on the 25th of May.  All ATP tourneys in these two months are clay court tournaments. So while the players will have bang their shoes with their rackets to loosen the clay stuck to the soils, it will be easier on the knees. Nadal who broke in the new season by playing in Vinal del Mar in Chile has already asked to lower the number of games to sustain the longevity of the player as well as his fitness. Federer has already announced his plans of taking a two month break to spend time with this family.  He will be seen next playing in Madrid Open that starts on the 5th of March. 

 Madrid Open had generated a lot of heat last year when it unveiled a new blue clay surface. Former tennis champion Ion Tiriac own this tournament and was responsible for this change from red clay to a blue dyed surface. This provoked an unfavourable response from the top players like Viktoria Azarenka, Djokovic and the King of Clay, Nadal himself.  

To reach difficult shots on clay, professionals often slide on the crushed brick that blankets the surface, but they can usually stop and change direction without much trouble. Djokovic said he felt off-balance and unable to control the ball during his match against Mr Gimeno-Traver. Victoria Azarenka, reckons the blue clay has also affected the bounce of the ball.  This ATP 1000 tournament is seen as a warm-up for the French Open.

Nadal lost to compatriot Fernando Verdasco in the third round while playing on blue and Rafa threatened to skip Madrid Open if the organisers did not revert to the old, comfortable red clay.  "If things continue, [there] will be one less tournament in my calendar," said the Spaniard. Djokovic to has taken the same stance while Federer has asked The players to 'stop complaining'.  While he agrees that the blue clay feels definitely different, it's his job to play and adapt to changing conditions. "If you want to be a good clay court player, you must be able to play everywhere", was what Federer said of the this out of the 'blue, change. Serena Williams too echoed similar sentiments.  The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) allows any player who has clocked up more than 600 matches in his professional career to skip one of the year's eight mandatory Masters 1000 tournaments, which include the Madrid Open. Both Nadal and Federer are eligible for such an exemption (although their rankings could fall if they took advantage of it).  

However it won't come to that at all.  The blue clay used at Madrid Masters has been banned from all ATP World Tour events in 2013. "After careful consideration, I have decided that blue clay courts will not be allowed next year. I very much believe in innovation and exploring ways to enhance our sport. While the blue clay may have offered better visibility on television, there were clearly issues with the quality of the courts in Madrid this year ..." Executive Chairman and President Brad Drewett said in a statement after a meeting of the ATP Board of Directors in London.

So all's well with our world.

I was watching Berdych versus Tobias Kamke in the second round of Dubai Duty Free Championship. I have already said that this ATP 500Tour can rival the ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 arena.  It is a self sufficient global village hotels, restaurants, pubs, golf club and even a yachting club. But as of now, Dubai will have to wait because it will still have to fill the stands that are empty for such a world class event.  It's the same sad occupancy story with other second round matches except that of Federer's.  

People come to watch him play. Even the early rounds with wild card entrants, low ranked players and debutants are a full house if Federer is playing.  And now it makes more sense because chances of witnessing Federer in full flow are more probable in the early rounds and by the semi final round when all the top four meteors collide onto his path, his game becomes laboured and we have to go through the four setter exercises in futility.  However as long as Federer keeps his top spot Camp Murray will have to keep cribbing about how 'slot' favouritism leans toward Federer by scheduling all his matches for the more prime time evening viewing as was the case in the Australian open.

 That's the way it is and will be as long as you are successful,  and have camera candy.  Federer has both in abundance and with the addition the twins ( something that no players on the tour have and by that I mean children) his stock has risen really.  His twins and his fatherhood find a mention in all post match interviews.  People seem to love it.  Back to the third round of the Dubai Duty free and our little man Davydenko is playing Federer. He loses the first set 6-2.   I am seeing Federer in full flow including his patent down-the-line forehand on winged feet . The delicate volleys are intact and precise lobs are all there.  It's only a matter of time before Federer moves on to the quarter finals at his favourite destination-Dubai. 

For this championship, I have spotted Federer wearing his light grey t-shirt, dark horrors and pink shoes combination, a carryover from take Austrlian open.  He is wearing Vapor 9 Tour shoes from Nike.  Earlier in the day I say Berdych wear the same shoes in fluoroscent green colour.  The Vapor shoes from Nike seem to be popular on the tour. 

And predictably Federer has won the quarter finals against Davydenko 6-2, 6-2.

Dubai Duty Free Championship 2013

The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships is an ATP 500 tournament that has been played since 1993.  The total prize money is USD 2 million. Just like the O2 in London, this stadium in Garhoud, Dubai when not being used for tennis tournaments doubles up as a leading concert venue having played to acts such as Sting, Gerri Haliwell, Bryan Adams, Enrique Iglesias, Gloria Gaynor, Coolio, Shaggy, Sash, Maxi Priest, Big Mountain and Bally Sagoo, while former world boxing champion, Chris Eubank, staged his first Middle East bout on centre court in 1997. The complex is a self sufficient world village with the best 5 star hotels, restaurants offering an array of cuisines from across the world, pubs, souvenir shops, spas, golf and yacht clubs. Great for a holiday I think. Somehow I can't bring myself to plan one to Dubai. Is just not a holiday destination for me.  I have all the sun and sand that I need in India itself. No, Dubai doesn't do it for me yet. The association of Dawood with Dubai is just to strong for The image to shrug of easily. Doesn't float may boat Sir! 

Coming back to the championships, all top seeds crossed the first round hurdle except for Tipsarevic. Davydenko beat a surprisingly off-colour Tipsarevic 6-0,7-5.  I never understood how The frail looking Nikolai Davydenko manages to play a power sport such as tennis in this day and age.  by his own admission, the matches take a toll on him, whether the hot environs of Dubai or the cool of O2.   He won the ATP world tour championship in 2009 and if I remember right, he admitted in a post match interview that he loses as much as 7 to 8 kgs in a tournament and struggles to maintain his body weight.  Ranked 46th, Davydenko says that he is happy to just hang out in Top 50 now and he doesn't do a bad job of it either.  For someone who turned pro in 1999, Davydenko has been in Top 10 from 2005 till 2010. He still manages to pull off upsets of top seed like Tipsarevic ( in the current tournament) and he beat Ferrer in Doha earlier this month.  So all in all its a manageable ambition hat he has to stay in Top 50.  

Meanwhile Federer defeated Tunisian wildcard entry Malek Jaziri but not before the popular Jaziri had skimmed the first set off the world no.2.  W have the same story for other top seeds Tsonga and del Potro, where both lost the first set to bounce back.  So all is well with the top order. I was watching the first round match of the Dubai Open and I feel it has the potential to rival O2, even though the latter is an ATP 1000 event.  Where is scores is the crowds though.  You can have world class infrastructure and the best in business athletes competing in your event.  But the even an be a success only if it has the patronage of the spectators, the wild cheering and  full stands that was lacking in Dubai.  Lets see if the crowds thicken with the progressing rounds.  I am interested in 2nd round where Del Potro plays our very own hero Somdev Devvarman who defeated Igor Kunitsyn 6-1, 6-4. Wil update on the match meanwhile off you go for a camel safari in the dunes while I stay tuned.

Doha Open and some interesting tidbits

After the first grand slam of the year in Melbourne, our tennis stars are scattered all over the world- literally from South America to the Middle East, playing tournaments in sunny parts of the world like Doha, Qatar and Vina del Mar, Chile.  Qatar is turning into quite the center of attraction for world class atheletes. The connection is quite incestous.  Nasser Al Khelaifi is a Qatari businessman and the president of PSG or Paris Saint Germain FC.  Did I tell you that Khelaifi is also the general manager of al-Jazeera Sport, the Qatar-owned TV station and, after the PSG takeover, the media outlet bought up a tranche of Ligue 1 broadcast rights, to emerge as competition to the previously dominant Canal Plus. Al-Jazeera has launched the subscriber channels beIN Sport 1&2 in France to screen its matches and Khelaifi is an emerging media rights player. He refused to comment on whether he would bid for the overseas rights to the Premier League when they became available.

Money is obviously flowing like oil.  Al Khelaifi recruited Beckham on a 5-month contract to join PSG at 8,00,000 Euros a month or 1 mil USD that he will be donating to charity. An estimated 212 million pounds has already been spent.  The 38 year old Khelaifi is suave, smart and seriously well connected.  He also has some heavy- weight connections like that of crown prince of Qatar, Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani. They met through tennis. 

Oh and Qatar will also be hosting the World Cup (football) in 2022. 

Ok now back to out tennis stars and their activities for the next couple of months before Roland Garros.

The next hotspot of Miami, where the Sony Open will be played. Rafa played in Chile and then flew to Brazil to play in the Brazil Open in Sao Paolo which he won by defeating David Nalbandian.  This the Mallorcan's first trophy since his French Open win (def. Djokovic) in 2012. 

Meanwhile Victoria Azarenka defeated Serena Williams in Doha Open. looks like some surfing in Malibu did her good. Vika retained her title but lost the No 1 ranking to Williams who has climbed back on a good two year gap. 

The nest ATP world tournaments are places like Memphis, Marseilles, Buenos Aires, Dubai, Acapulco and Delray Beach.  And this is only the timetable till February end! Of all these ATP tournos, Dubai will have the maximum traction- there are all the usual culprits from Top 10 in men's and woman's tennis, with Maria Sharapova, Nadal, Murray, Ferrer being the only exceptions. Tickets can be found at www.timeouttickets.com

The Dubai Duty Free Tennis offers a grand spectacle the mundane name of the championship notwithstanding!

Playing tennis with the right gear- SHOES

I started playing tennis with an absolute beginner’s racket in terms of quality and pricing. It was a Kuaike.  But to play with it now, especially after I switched over to n-code from Wilson is like watching a black and white Crowne TV instead of a 72 inch wall mounted flat screen.  You get the point, don’t you?

If I remember right, I wore a pair of sneakers and later heavy soled running shoes to move about on the tennis court.  Bad choice, in fact terrible choice. I didn’t realise it then but that was the reason why I stumbled every time I had to so a Serena from one end of the court to another or had to rush to the end. I got to the ball but couldn’t hit it because I tripped. Every single time!
Now I wear a solid pair of Reebok with flat soles that do the trick of protecting my knees, at the same time are supple and thin enough for me to feel the surface I am moving on. Running shoes with fancy sole like mine- Reebok Verona II DMX ride were great for running, had wonderful cushioning (like a stuffed leather chair) but were awful as tennis shoes.  I literally had excess baggage that hampered movements on the court. My toes and sole could not get the feel of the court they were supposed to run on. They were completely insulated and you certainly do not want that. 

So when the sole came off and I had to buy a new pair, I tentatively asked the salesman for Tennis shoes and he pointed me over to a whole rack of delicious shoes waiting to be worn.  I was in seventh heaven. When I tried one on, I practically wept for the relief that my feet felt.  I could feel the hardness of the ground, the many layers that protected my joints did not inhibit that connection. ‘Thinking on your feet’in the literal sense is important for any racket sport- tennis and badminton especially and the right pair of shoes will help you enormously in upping your game. So get a pair that has a flat sole, not a chunky one.
Illustrated here for difference-

This is the Vapor Tour 9 from Nike, Roger Federer’s shoe of choice and he wore them for Australian Open. It is designed like a running shoe but with the support and stability of a tennis shoe. Because you don’t run mindlessly on the court. The shoes need to be designed for sudden starts and stops and changes in direction that enables you to reach the ball.  Your opponent has sliced the racket so you rush toward the net anticpating a volley, but the next moment the ball hit an arc high above the net, a lob. And you are suddeny running toward the baseline with all that you have got. The shoe needs to go with this flow.The Vapor Tour 9 is priced at USD 130 on http://www.tennis-warehouse.com

These are Ziglite Electrify running shoes from Reebok.  Look at the sole, it is thick, inordinately so for playing tennis.  So the natural choice for this sport is a shoe type like the Vapor and not the Ziglite. 

Since we are on the subject of shoes, might as well see what other top tennis players like Nadal for instance endorse. The bright pink shoes also from Nike are Air Max Courtballistec 4.3.  Bit more clunky for my liking, but I am thinking for Rafa’s intensely physical style of play, these shoes work as the cushioning takes the sting out of heavy landings.  The sole is still flatter than that of a running shoe. Priced at USD 130, these are available for sale on http://www.tennis-warehouse.com. I haven’t seen them yet in Nike stores in Chenai.

Rafa playing in Air Max Courtballistec at the VTR Open in Vina Del Mar in Chile

I also like the shoes that the Williams sisters wear. Both endorse Nike.  What you see is the Nike Air Max Cage, priced at USD 115 on http://www.tennis-warehouse.com







Bottomline- Get a shoe that is flexible, flat-soled and is able to negotiate movement patterns on the court that emulate the cardiogram. Don’t wear shoes that make you a leopard. Wear something that turns you into a hunter!

A comeback and other same old, same old

Welcome back Rafa!. 

Nadal has just won his first match after being laid low for seven months with a knee injury.  After the low of being defeated by Lukas Rosol at Winbledon, Rafa has won his first match at the VTR Open in Vina del Mar in Chile against Delbonis 6-3, 6-2. Not bad. Now we would like to see how long his knee holds. For the moment lets do some globe trotting at the far end of world. Where exactly is Vina del mar?

In the land that gave of Machu Picchu and colorful ponchos! Vina del Mar in Valparaiso is the fourth largest city in Chile and a popular summer beach resort. Vina del Mar means Vineyard by the sea in Spanish. Overlooking the Pacific, Vina is also a surfer's paradise with the Pacific throwing up record-breaking waves for the surfers to conquer.  Meanwhile our Spanish conquistadator, Nadal has fallen behind his main rivals - Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray - and now will be scrutinized as he attempts to win his eighth French Open, which starts in late May.  With Nadal turning 27 during the tournament and being the game's most dominant player on clay, the question is wil the knee trouble him or will be trouble the top 4?

Will it affect the rankings, now that he is back? Because David Ferrer grabbed the No. 4 spot, Murray is on 3 with Federer and Djokovic steady on 2 and 1 respectively.  Will Ferrer be able to hold on to his career best ATP ranking of 4 and most importantly who will Rafa dethrone- Murray and Federer or Muray but not Federer?

Elsewhere, Djokovic was busy with his eponymous foundation, where he spent time with differently able children.  Nole will help in equipping the school with special tools and fitness machines so that the children will be able to play.

Sloane Stephens, since her epoch match with her model Serena Williams has been busier than ever on Twitter. She has since appeared on The Ellen Degeneres Show

Andy Roddick is doodling on the other kind of green- the golfing kind, with Dustin Johnson at Pebble Beach.

And Andy Murray has reportedly bought the Cromlix House hotel near Dunblane, the 14-bedroom property that has been a popular wedding venue for more than 30 years and is believed to have bought the property, which was on the market at offers over £1.8m.

And world no 1. Victoria Azarenka is surfing in Malibu.  Well here's a well deserved R & R for the lady. Herels hoping her ribs don't cave in the next time and she handles the pressure better. 

Andy Murray burried in the hole by Nole

Sorry couldn't resist the pun!
So Novak Djokovic defeated Andy Murray yet again (for the second time) in the 2013 Australian Open Finals at Melbourne.  Andy Murray's form in the season opener was fearsome- not a set dropped, and all matched under 3.5 hours.  No gruelling five-setters for Andy this year which prompted me to change my thoughts on Murray being the 'slogger' in all his matches. As opposed to this, Djokovic had to negotiate some tricky matches-the punishing five setter, five hour match with Stanislas Wawrinka and Radek Stepanek.  Stepanek is a tricky player to face.  He plays a lot of doubles matches and doesn't hesitate to abandon the baseline in the favour of the net. Stepanek rushed to the net as many as 67 times and changed the baseline dominated rules of the game against his match with Djokovic. If I remember right then he also skimmed a set off Djokovic in the 2012 Wimbledon. Not bad for the 33 year old Czech. As for Stanislas, well he is Stanislas and I admire his game. He has a single fisted backhand to die for- unleashing huge power with his top-spin backhand and extreme accuracy that would put precision bomber to shame.
Anyways not digressing! 

The point being that Nole had to go through the grind but came out tops after each of his matches and who could forget Berdych the Brazen!  I can never trust the top four to win comfortably against him. His gaze doesnt betray the butterflies (I am sure he must be feeling in his stomach) his cold, unnerving gaze reminds me of Ivan Lendl.  Do check this out! But there he was, our Nole, disarming the advantage of the Berdych length and the breadth and winning in straight sets. The 2013 AO final was supposed to be tennis at its youngst best and finally out of the shadows of Federer. The 'pain game' that Murray called it and Murray was prepared to suffer.  "I 'll be ready for the pain," he added about the final," and I hope its a painful match. That means it'll be a good one."  The pain was there alright, but in its glaring absence! It was really an anti-climax.  There were no cliff-hanger moments, no drama which means that Nole was on top and rightly as predicted by the experts, Djokovic wrapped the AO final in 4 sets, in 3 hours and 23 minutes as opposed to 4 hours and 5 minutes and the slimmest margins last year. 

This year, Murray's crowning moment came in the semi-finals against Federer where he wrong-footed the elegant Swiss in a 5 setter that proved that the Scot was finally playing like he owned the court and not merely as a contender. There was no self-doubt there. He was playing flawlessly,alas Nole was the Serbian Superman here!

Women's semi-final- Azarenka V/s Sloane Stephens, Day 11

Yesterday's post very nearly turned into a rant with my unapologetic support of the young, 19 year old Sloane Stephens againt Serena Williams.  Whether she deserved to win is another matter entirely.  What I do know is that I am tired of Serena's tantrums.  She bashed her racket yesterday, took a medical time-out for a back spasm and then lost the third set and match to Sloane Williams. What I can guarantee is that had she not suffered the spasm, there was no way, Stephens would have been able to sneak into the semis of the Australian Open, the first of her career.  Not to say that she didn't keep her cool and averted a case of nerves to hold her serve and break Serena's and ultimately win the match.  Great for her, I am happy that we finally have a new tennis sensation who we can see going from strength to strength in years to come on the circuit.  Before that however Stephens faces an eye opener in form of Azarenka and as we can see the score reflects it.  Azarenka has won the first set 6-1 and both are level at two games each in the second.  While Williams certainly has the game, she lacks in experience. She needs to keep her calm and wits handy to make winning decisions which she has been unable to so far. When she sees her chance, Stephens blows it! She comes rushing in only to make an unforced error and hand her opponent the point. This, I think will be rectified with her spending more time on the circuit.
Right now, my money is on Vika.  Here's to Stephens whom we hope to see in many tournaments as a force to reckon with in the future.
Back to the quarterfinals between Federer and Tsonga.  Honestly, I had not given Federer a chance to survive Tsonga.  I knew it would be a five-setter and that Tsonga would come out the winner. Now on to Murray and Federer, my money is on Federer.  Surprisingly Murray still does not instill that winning confidence in me. Its going to be a Djokovic- Federer Final at the Australian Open 2013 and Djokovic is going to walk home with the crown.  Even as I write this, Vika is up 4-2 in the second set and serving now which she is sure to hold. Ok, back to the the men's Aus Open Finals. Unless Federer springs something that Djokovic's long legs, skiier's slide and his miraculous recovery time between shots fails to return, its Nole all the way!

And a little side bar

By the way, Serena Williams also entertained the crowd by her non-tennnis playing skills. Apparently she can break the racket as well as Marat Safin. Williams hammered her racket on the clay a couple of times.  The poor little misshapen strung out (racket I mean) could very well have predicted how the match would go! 

Andy Murray V/s Jeremy Chardy

In all championships there are always lesser players who elevate the game like a dark sky brightened by a brilliant but stray comet.  For the moment, your attention is diverted to its blaze, forgetting all about the giant planets who do their things.  So it was with Lucas Rosol at the 2012 Wimbledon when he defeated Rafa.  We won't even qualify Rosal as David.  And so it is now with Jeremy Chardy, who was born in France but now resides in Belgium.  I ‘write’ this to ‘play’ safe.  I have read Hercule Poirot and do not want to hurt Monsieur Chardy’s sentiments by calling him either French or Belgian!

Lets not forget, he is the man who brought the Tower of Tandil, Juan Martin Del Potro to his knees- 6-3, 6-3, 6-7, 3-6, 6-3.

Chardy was prepared to take the most risks, creating 17 break point opportunites and of which he took advantage of 5. However he also had a high count of unforced errors- 64 compared to 35 from Del Potro.

So how does he stand vis-à-vis Murray? My money is on Murray!  

And David defeats Goliath! Stephens wins against Williams in 3 sets!

Serena is serving to level the set at 5 games all.  Stephens wins the first point and pressure in on the server.  Stephens is showing steel and spine.  Rushing to the net and forces Williams to make an error.  Stephens is up 15-30.  Williams is two points away from losing!  Its 15-40. Match point for Sloane Stephens against the great Serena Williams.  Will Sloane do it? YESSSS

Yes World No 29, Sloane Williams DOES IT.  She has defeated Serena Williams 3-6, 7-5, 6-4.  She is seen sending a message from her phone.  Such a smile on her face. She is through to the semi-finals. Lets check out her tweet!

When asked who she texted immediately after the match, Stephens said during the post-match interview, “My mum was texting me during the match, I texted her back.”

“Stephens, you have a poster of Serena in your bedroom…  did you imagine you would do this one day?  “This is co crazy, I think I will put up a poster of myself now.” There were more laughs from the spectators.

“ Yeah you are the new Sloane Stephens not the new Serena Williams, so go out there and treat yourself to something nice”

“I thought I will buy one thing but now I will buy two!

Sloane Stephens will now play World no. 1 Victoria Azarenka.  My bets are on Azarenka.  However Stephens will now lose her reservations to go all out.  She has played and overcome Williams. Playing Azarenka should be like a walk in the Park- you may not find the exit but you will enjoy the walk nevertheless!