Nadal brought down to tears in Australian Open 2009

Confused??? Everybody knows that it was Roger Federer who was all tears after he lost the Finals to Rafa. And who can forget the now famous words “God… its killing me” by Roger during the presentation ceremony, after which he couldn’t control the stream from within.

The audience on that day witnessed something incredible – the two best tennis athletes on the planet fighting it out till Rafael Nadal ended up victorious. The efforts of both the players who put their heart and soul, and everything else that an athlete could squeeze out, are worth inspiring scores of generations. I would even go to the extent of that becoming “a legend” in the days to come. But unfortunately, the cruel side of sport surfaced. Only one of them can win and the other has to wither down for that moment.

It so happened that Roger had to bite the dust this time as well as Rafa once again proved too superior. It was really heartening, though soul-wrenching, to see Roger break down during the ceremony. It showed how dearly he wanted to get hold of the magical figure of 14 grand slam titles, sharing space with the one and only Pete Sampras and the amount of dedication he put in to achieve. To go with Roger, he hadn’t done much wrong till the fifth and the deciding set. He played a tremendous game and at times he surpassed his own standards. But alas! It wasn’t enough against an inspired Rafa who desperately wants to prove that he is equally supreme on all kinds of surfaces and not clay alone. Who best than Roger to prove that point against? And he did exactly that.

Now, you must be thinking – why in the hell did I use such a title for what I’ve explained above – right? In fact Nadal was brought down to tears, but that happened in his semi-final match against compatriot Verdasco. He confessed with the media after that epic victory saying, “I was crying on the court”. It happened and I stand witness to it. That was the last game of the match and Nadal had three match points on Verdasco’s serve. One point was brilliantly saved and that was the moment when Nadal started to crack. The second point was also saved with another exceptional winner, one of 95, from Verdasco and Rafa cracked. It’s a pity that a double fault brought home victory to Rafa.

It’s the train of thoughts that goes within that makes anybody on the field. Nadal, in the semis, used all his powers to win and Verdasco seemed to have answers to break free and push the match further. Similarly, Roger, in the finals, used all his powers to win and Rafa seemed to have answers to break free and push the match further. The only difference is that Rafa’s effort paid off in the semis and ended up winning – the reason why we haven’t seen physical tears in his eyes and on the other hand Roger’s effort fell short and he ended up losing the match – the reason why he couldn’t control the emotional turbulence.

When somebody puts her/his heart and soul and are prepared to go any distance to achieve something s/he desperately wanted. And if there are hurdles not in their control stopping them time and again from achieving it, the agony is excruciating and if the hurdle is the same each time, the pain is all the more harder. And that’s exactly what happened to Roger and that’s exactly what Rafa meant when he said “I can understand what you are going through” to Roger during the award ceremony on the podium. Because, Rafa too felt the same agony during the semifinals.

Upstaged?

Now, the inevitable is out. Nadal has upstaged Federer to the top spot in International Tennis. One of the most formidable forces ever has been dethroned. By August 18th the rankings will change and the new Emperor will be crowned officially.

Recently, after his loss to big serving Karlovic in Cincinnati, Federer said, “I don’t care if Nadal or somebody else takes the No.1 spot. I just am focusing on Olympics in Beijing and the US Open, later this year. And then I will sit to analyze where my game is?”

Does this mean that Federer will not show any resilience in taking back his throne? This is the big question.

What, after his analysis of his game? Will he just play some select tournaments to collect at least 3 grand slams to become the highest collector of grand slam trophies? Will he try even harder to win the French Open, the one missing link in his career so far? Will he become what he was till the last yearend, winning everywhere and enchanting the crowds with his grace and unimaginable talent? OR will he start a new rivalry with Nadal, dethroning him from his Numero Uno position at the earliest chance he gets?

It will always be a sight for divinity to see him in full flow on a tennis court and none would really wish him to bid adieu to the game as Borg has predicted Federer might do after his defeat at Wimbledon this year. And I am no different from any of the normal human beings who would love to experience divinity.

Federer (Weatherer?)

Will there be an end to the supreme dominance of the man from mars on this planet? A question frequenting everyone’s imagination. No one dared to answer it in negation till the last year-end.

Come 2008, a new script is bared to all. So far it has been an unlike Federer year. A never imagined string of defeats, a draught of titles, accredited to mononucleosis and personal indifferent form, saw him become human. Figuring in the Australian Open semi final and the French Open Final along with the Hamburg Finals are the Oases to his deserted calendar so far. And the recent defeat against Nadal in the French Open is so battering (by a huge margin) that he figured in one of the worst defeats record ever. Round the corner, Wimbledon might just be the tournament that can bring the ‘Champion’ to his original self.

Nadal, on the other hand, has been in the form of his life in the recently concluded French Open and he looks to carry it forward into the Wimbledon and pose a threat to Federer in his own lair. Even though the surface doesn’t suit his style, Nadal has improved as an all round player, by leaps and bounds, which might push Federer out of his comfort zone. The super human strength he possesses is his best weapon against any form of Tennis and it would take a very special effort from anybody to beat Nadal, as Tsonga has shown in the Australian Open. Nadal will definitely push his limits further to have his hands around the coveted Wimbledon trophy.

Can Federer stand this rivalry is what we need to wait and see. The fact that he has reached the semis and Finals of the two Grand slams this year, even with below par performances, speaks volumes of his tennis ability (which was never in doubt). The psychological beating in the French Open Finals might have a bearing in their encounters for some time to come and he would do good to forget it at the earliest. All in all, Wimbledon seems to have a surprise package, even though, personally, I would root for Federer.