One may say that a defining hallmark of a true sportsman is his ability to acknowledge, after a defeat, the fact that he has been beaten by a better man. At the finals of the 2009 Australian Open Men's Singles Championship, Roger Federer did just that through the use of a few tears. It seemed as if the round of applause and cheering that the crowd provided as he stepped up to speak after receiving the runners-up shield had overwhelmed him, but deeply, he may have realized that all that support was now starting to stem out of empathy rather than appreciation. He would have realized that, for the second successive Grand Slam final against his nemesis Rafael Nadal, he threw everything but the kitchen sink at him, yet failed to even cause a dent in the Spaniard's machinery. Rafa slowly but steadily absorbed everything the Swiss ace launched at him, and then demonstrated the magical capabilities that enabled him to dethrone the then king of Wimbledon. He also showed that his record against Fedex was no fluke; that he, indeed, was the better player. Armed with a fierce forehand and a bundle of energy, Nadal ran Roger ragged, picking him apart at will. He displayed absolutely no signs of the tiredness that everyone predicted he would experience, coming on the back of a 5+ hour marathon against compatriot Fernando Verdasco in the semis less than 48 hours earlier. When the dust had finally settled, Rafa stood tall, knowing that he had yet again mastered his fiercest rival, physically as well as mentally.
Having said this, I would definitely be rooting for Federer to overcome the odds in Paris, come May. He has a massive challenge ahead of him now, and the horror of the final at Roland Garros a year earlier would definitely be playing on his mind. But a win at Paris this year would surely cement his place in history as arguably the greatest player the sport has ever seen. One thing is for sure, he would be much more determined than ever this year at the French Open.....the feud is now slowly developing into a battle for personal pride more than for Championships in the case of R-Fed.
South of the equator, the downfall of another champion(s) was witnessed - Ricky Ponting and his (not so) merry men. The Aussie cricket team has endured a horrific last 6 months, slumping from defeat after defeat. It all started with their tour of India, when the men in blue shocked the cricketing world with the ease with which they dispatched the Aussie brigade 2-0 in the test series. Returning to their homeland stunned and disheartened, they restored some pride with a test series win against neighbours New Zealand, although they did flatter to deceive in the process. On came the South Africans, riding high on a wave of successes earlier in the year. The Proteas came into the series with a dismal test record in Australia, but they capitalised on the poor form of the home side to deliver a 2-1 thumping to them in the test series and a 4-1 mauling in the ODI series, in the process becoming the no. 1 ODI side in the world. Cricket fans all over the world stared dumbfounded at the petty joke that the Australian side had been reduced to. Sure, everyone expected the absence of the likes of McGrath, Warne, Lee and Gilchrist to have a major impact on the quality of the side, but nobody would even in their wildest dreams would have imagined 6 months ago that the Aussies would capitulate as tamely as they did. Even today, I sit here writing this after watching them get beaten by a rookie New Zealand ODI team, after being bowled out for a paltry 181.
It really is sad to see so many champions around the world falling one by one, although some may look at it positively and say it does wonders for the game - nobody likes to see a sport dominated by one person or one team. A little healthy competition never hurts!! And hey, I'm not really complaining.......as long as the trend continues and we witness the demise of yet another champion side - this time in football - namely, Manchester United!!! ;)
Until the next...
P.S : 11.30 pm.....late addition to the post :
Toooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssss!! Yeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh!! Liverpool 2 -0 Chelsea!!!! El Nino is up and running again, Red Devils beware!!! Cmon u Reds!! YNWA!!!
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