'I am the best, no?' - At the moment, yes.

Ouch!

Excerpt from Ford's article at tennis.com

The yes man
New world No. 1 Rafael Nadal has worked nearly as diligently on his English as his grass- and hard-court games, but he retains the charming habit of ending his sentences with a conversational "No?'' It's certainly not indicative of any negativity. The 22-year-old Spaniard has answered in the affirmative to every single competitive question people had about him this season, and he's done it with grace and verve. We might have predicted Nadal would win an Olympic gold medal simply by the undiluted enthusiasm he radiated when he marched in the Opening Ceremony. It was a muscular embrace of the moment that has been characteristic of the way he's approached the challenge of making up the once enormous-looking gap between second and first in the rankings. If it hadn't been for one incandescent, flawless match by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the Australian Open semifinals, Nadal would be contemplating the possibility of a Golden Grand Slam. His accomplishments this season aren't without irony. Nadal was the most vehement of the top players in voicing (albeit politely) his displeasure with this year's compressed schedule. In turn, many observers -- including yours truly -- openly doubted whether his body could withstand the pounding. Yet the steady work seems to have agreed with Nadal. Felicitations are in order. Si?

Nadal's "no?" is quite addictive, growing up on me at least. Well if you look at it, seeing him interviewing as a champion after every major victory this year, one is bound to pick it up. Looking at the new order of the ATP ranking and not seeing the favorite name at the top makes me wince but if there is anyone whom I or the TMF fans could bear to see replacing him is undoubtedly Rafa. Interestingly, Rafa has done everything right and earned the crown with every possible conviction unlike Jankovic, who was possibly the shortest-lived leader at the WTA board. A new era dawns upon tennis, lets see how long does this one last.

That said, the real challenge has just started for TMF, can he overcome the adversity in terms of results and show his mettle to claim the highest acknowledgement in tennis from Sampras? Now is the time because he is against the best competitor he ever saw and his usual preys are coming with a mentality that they can defeat him, which is very unlike the times till last year when most of them conceded the match even before it started. And, seeing him so happy after winning doubles Gold was such a refreshing sight.

Nadal thrashes Federer like never before

World No. 1 Roger Federer was beaten down in one of the most humiliating Grand Slam final's defeats ever ever. He won 4 games in total and displayed a terribly languid performance. Probably he made a record of unforced errors today; I did not have the heart of reading anything about the match afterwards, so cant confirm. I have heard of players having an off day but the Swiss was looking far from even making an effort, which is a scarier news.

Anyways, its a well-deserved credit to the 22 yr old Spaniard whose record is stellar on clay. I see him winning 2-3 more French Opens easily. This is his day and lets not take it away from him by blaming Federer for playing bad. It is Nadal who defeats him, sometimes physically and sometimes mentally.

Federer's real struggle starts now

Roger Federer, the most anxious player to claim the French Open title before its too late, has three considerable hurdle en route to victory. Although, the World No 1 is looking in good shape, the real tests begin only now when he plays some big names.

• QF against Fernando Gonzalez : not as simple as one may think. The Chilean is capable of pulling surprises and he got the better of the Swiss in their last meeting in 2007 as well.
  
• SF against Ferrer : The Spaniard (another clay court specialist) has had two 5 setters in last 2 rounds but has survived names like Hewitt and Stepanek. He troubled Nadal in Barcelona finals and may prove a hurdle in Federer's track. This is all meaningless if Ferrer loses to the local favorite Monfils, who eliminated Ljubicic earlier, in the QF. It may be a close call given that Spaniard's exhaustion may play a role.

• F against Rafa/Nole : Well, the SF between the No. 2 Spaniard and No. 3 Serb would be as mouth-watering as any Grand Slam final itself. If their match in Hamburg was any indication, this SF will be nothing less than a treat to watch. This should go to 4 sets in worst case and unless Nole has picked up some new tricks, Rafa will prove to be an unsolvable mystery once again. It will be a matter of who can survive and persist longer in the end.
  If Federer makes it till here, which he should, he will have to display an unparallel determination and confidence if he is dreaming of his career grand slam this time. Saddened to say but he doesnt have much time left to prove himself and as seen in Monte Carlo and Hamburg, he needs extra mental toughness and self belief to defeat Rafael Nadal. Probably, it will be better for him to face Novak Djokovic in the finals just to avoid that mental block against Nadal. In any case, his actual fight begins only now. Lets see if third time is lucky for him.

Tennis at its uniquely best - Vamos Rafa!

I did not imagine writing a blog with this title after a match not involving Federer but here it is. Everyone was looking forward to the answer of 'Can Rafa defend his kingdom'. Nadal did answer and what a magnificent reply it was. In a match, that is the best on clay I have EVER seen, one could easily see why the match was so badly awaited. One could see why Djokovic deserves to contend for No. 2 and one could also see why Rafa IS No. 2.

The semi final at Hamburg was a delight to tennis fans, having the strong dose of power play and the right blend of emotions and drama. Some fingers raised, some sulks at error, some smiles at a winner by the opponent, some chest thumping on a motivating shot and some racquet-bashing, the match had it all. For a 3 hour running match, the contenders put in everything they could and in the end, it proved too much for the Serb. But one thing that Novak Djokovic did win, was a reinstated respect as a sincere player and a serious contender for top rankings in the years to come. He had only nerves to lose in this match and he did not lose it exactly. But the way Nadal makes the opponent earn every point, it rattled the momentum for the Serb who just burned out after a few stunning winners from Nadal in the final set. Though Nole made Rafa wait for 6th match point, he could not himself convert 4 break points in the last game. The crowd who gasped, sighed and cheered at the breathtaking winners from both the players had probably not witnessed a more intriguing match.

With 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 victory, Nadal held on to his second ranking and the title of 'King of Clay'. He seemed troubled in the first few games when probably he was still delving upon the possibility of slipping to the third place in ATP charts. But once he regained his composure, he rolled on in the first set wil some amazing rallies and drop shots. Serb struck back impressively in the second set and did what just 2-3 players have done till now, snatch a set from the Spaniard. But final set was a visual fantasy when a sensational passing shot from him broke Djokovic in the very opening game. Novak then tried to come back surviving rallies and carefully selecting the shots but unfortunately broke his racquet string on the break point in second game. After that, he never recovered from the stupendous cross court overhead shot that left him helplessly smiling when Nadal was leading 3-2.

It was very evident how hard Nole tried and one could feel sad by the time he lost it. But I have a feeling that he might figure the inevitable question better than Federer himself - "how to defeat Rafael Nadal on clay!". We will surely see much more of him on clay next year (assuming French Open is too soon to expect a drastic recovery) and may he achieve what no body has. As of now, its once again No 1 Vs No 2 clash at Hamburg Finals tomorrow where Rafa's fatigue from today's marathon may have a role to play.

Federer succumbs, Nadal wins singes and doubles at Monte Carlo 2008

courtesy: tennis.com

The Monte Carlo 2008 final, a re-match of the 2006 and 2007 finalists Nadal and Federer, was the very same when it came to producing the winner too. Nadal, unbeatable on clay with a record 98 victories in 99 matches did not give it away to the Swiss, the only player to have defeated him once on clay sice 2005. Talking of records, Rafa is the only modern era player to hold Monte Carlo Masters trophy for a consecutive fourth time. His consistency needs no references.

Match was a delight (except the outcome of course :-) ) to watch. Federer opened unbelievably superbly in both the sets and had the first chances. Both players beaten with one breaks initially in the first set showed some good play, though not a lot of long rallies. They played almost comparably till Fed's backhand started betraying him and Nadal took the first set 7-5. But that was not the end of story since the Swiss returned phenomenally with intelligent angles in the second set to get a staggering 4-0 lead. It seemed like it was a new Federer that Rafa was witnessing. But Roger's accuracy could not have waxed and then waned at a worse moment. Just when he looked like taking the match to a decider third set, the errors started to bleed off his serves. Nadal's focus, aggression and precision proved too unbeatable for the first seed and he succumbed to a 7-5 7-5 defeat.

I am sure he is utterly disappointed since he was getting the tactics right in patches but the performance was just not consistently up to the mark to trouble the defending Spaniard. Rafael Nadal - what can be said, he is awesome. And who wins 4 matches in 2 days like that?
"I thought lose with 6-2 if I have to lose, at least not with 6-0"
- Rafa on his trailing 0-4 in second set.
How amazing is that attitude! Mark of a champion for sure because many players would think its not worth the effort after having a set lead and that they would fight in the next set.

Monte Carlo action was a double treat for the weekend and a perfect start to the clay season. Lots of action coming up with Masters Series in Rome(5th May), Hamburg(12th May) and then the climax in Roland Garros.

Final highlights

Federer moves past Novak in Monte Carlo 2008

courtesy: Pete Boro, tennis.com

It took a long time to get the chance to write a success story for Swiss against the Serb this year. And a lot to write, I guess, since the climax did not adhere to the norm.

First, a breeze through the game itself. The match started beautifully with both the players stylishly winning their first service games. None was looking weak or willing to relinquish, just yet. The welcome change was to see Federer not too much conscious of his current form and giving his full into the game. Few stupendous passing shots made his new coach give away a smile of satisfaction over the Swiss's progress. Well poised initially, the Serb got the first break point on Fed's 3rd serve. A bit of luck helped Federer save 3 break points that proved too costly for Novak later on. He was seen getting ruffled a bit easily and the inability to encash the breakpoints reflected in his weaker serves and double faults later on. Federer held on and continued to break the opponent at 4-3 to finally wrap the set at 6-3. While both the players displayed some great baseline action with strong forehands and passes, Federer remained calm and the Serb appeared to give up. When Roger again broke the Serb in his 2nd serve in the second set, the red and white flags could be seen gusting all through the beautiful court at Monte Carlo. But Serb came back right on to break Roger equalling the score. This did not give much of an advantage since too many error cost him another service game and he looked flushed. Then, something happened and he gifted the match to the Swiss. Federer was declared the winner as the Serb left the court in a disappointed (and disappointing?) state.

One need not be a sportsman herself to imagine how much would have this match and the consequent victory meant to Federer, whose career had been in the worst of down slide for him since his loss to this very Serb at the start of this year. And the half hearted smile he gave on being announced as the winner revealed that he had been robbed off his victory. But, leaving that apart, he is through to his 3rd consecutive Monte Carlo finals where Rafa is waiting to thrash him.

The Swiss-Serb rivalry is getting dirty just like the surface. One would be wrong to compare it with that of gentlemen like Pete Sampras and Agassi because the business here is not at all sophisticated or sportsmanly. The debate over why Serb decided to retire in a match which possibly had just few more games shall go on for a while. Apparently he had been not feeling well and dizzy since the start, which was surprisingly not visible to many people until he lost the first set. And another spicy stuff from the match - Federer had to ask the Djoko family to keep it down during the first set. Novak's parents have been in news for sometime now for their weird behavior towards their son's competitors. But again, who can define how far should the players go or how should their parents behave. I hope Novak had good reasons to retire and Roger meant no disrespect. Lets leave this at that. I wish both would be more professional.

And now, about amazing Rafa. I saw few points from his semifinal clash against Davydenko and I can say that Federer will not be the favorite in the final. The Spanish bull just moves brilliantly on clay and he is 'everywhere'. He can run from the baseline to retort to a cunning drop shot and angle it so acutely that the opponent(disarmed coz he is so sure of winning this point) at net can only watch the passing shot hitting the ground just before the sideline. He loves the clay and it seems that clay loves him equally. So here is Rafael, as brilliant as ever on dirt and there is Federer, stronger and more aggressive on clay.

Overall, awesome stuff! The finale should be very strong. Predictions? My loyalty forbids me to state practicality and so, I would go with 3 set win for Roger Federer.

and here comes the emperor in style

Finally the day for all the fans of the great Federer. He has beaten his supposed arch rival at the moment - Nadal. The news has literally made my day!

[excerpt and photo from bbc news]

Federer ends Nadal's clay streak

Roger Federer beat nemesis Rafael Nadal 2-6 6-2 6-0 to win his fourth Hamburg Masters title and end the Spaniard's record run of 81 straight wins on clay.

The French Open has become all the more interesting now and I wish so damn much that Fed continues his newly gained form. The critics who had started jabbering after he was struggling on clay and Nadal beat him on the battle of surfaces, I think this will shut them up till the upcoming grandslam.

Just a few days back, the legendary Sampras (watch his amazing 360 degree shot video here) backed him up: "He is the best player in the world. He is going to go on and break all my records," Sampras told reporters. "He can win 16 grand slams." Thats a big thing to come from the veteran who speaks seldomly in press. The interesting thing is Fed is playing without a coach. I am at loss for any words, I am just waiting for the French Open finale and to see a history being written.

There are few perfectionists, there are fewer heroes and there's a still higher rare category of champions like Federer.

Forget the West Indies, lets move to Roland Garros

2007 is one year Indian cricket fans wouldn't like to remember. I dont know if theres any consolation in winning the up-coming Indo-Bangladesh tour or if it'll mitigate the seething anger of a defeated game-loving nation but I am sure it'll take more than a world cup defeat to remove cricket craze from India. But why brood upon the Port of Spain shocker, lets move on to the more exciting world of clay, tennis and an interesting rivalry.

The comfort of watching a game in which ur home country isnt a strong contender is that u can enjoy the 'good' game irrespective of patriotic loyalty. You can support the top-notch player and feel good about victory, that is a mirage in ur home game such as cricket. I'll stop bashing the cricket devotion here and talk about what I love to watch - tennis. Some people say its getting boring - monotonous would be a better word. Even Federer fans are waiting for an upset for a change (this doesnt include me). I am game for perfection and luckily for me, perfection doesnt get prosaic ever. What would have been humdrum is if one was winning by the sheer incompetency of other contestants but with Roger, that is not so. What works for him is his own impeccable play more than the lack of talent on other side of the net. It is true that he is far ahead of any of the other players and that it would have been good if he had stronger rivals. But by saying this, are we not just admitting how fantastic he is?
What makes Roland Garros special is that it promises more struggle for Fed'ex' than rest of the grand slams. And that is precisely the reason I am looking fwd to see the otherwise 'lesser' interesting championship. I lost my interest in this event since Pete Sampras never advanced beyond 2nd round (apart from 3 QF n 1 SF) through-out his career. To watch him play has been one of the simple pleasures of life. If he couldn't play on clay, I lost interest in the brown surface without any other consideration. What I haven't yet understood is that why only men players have this clay fear; most of the great ladies players have been able to achieve the dominance uniformly on all the surfaces..be it Navratilova or Graf or Seles or Hardenne. Agassi has been the exception in men but somehow I never think of him as legend on the same level as Sampras or Federer. So, to see a man coming up strongly on clay after his grass forte is very interesting.

Nadal is the answer of prayers of people who cant stand Fed's praises (for what weird reasons, I've no idea!). He has provided the only considerable challenge to the Swiss genius in past 3-4 yrs. While he is the eccentric one and crowd finds him more colorful than the 'keep it simple and straight' swiss, I think its merely the variety in the winners list that crowd is longing for. I mean how boring is it to see the same name in front of all grandslams in the winners' list. He has already broken siginificant no. of records and is heading consistently to make more than he breaks. 2007 might be the year of having a uniform winner for all the 4 major championships but what I would like to see is a good, hard-to-win match. I think we can rely on Nadal for that. The action begins 27th May. If last finale is any indication, we can look forward to a killer match since Fed is improving relentlessly and Nadal isn't going to give up the clay so easily.