Saturday, June 29, 2013

Wimbledon, through my amateur eyes !

A final post before I leave my sweet home and embark on a half-day journey to one of the remotest places in the world, a place where people appear flummoxed about their nationality, to continue pursuing my proverbial 'aim in life' in more than tedious conditions and circumstances. I would request all who will read further to bless me. Thank you, may God bless you.

As the green grass near the baseline dwindles, it means we are a week into the oldest tennis tournament in the world. The Wimbledon Championships, as it is named, is so littered with tradition that I can't help but feel myself being in a time of the erstwhile kings and monarchs of the 17th and 18th centuries. Starting with the most obvious white-only dress code, to the immaculately dressed officials and the uniformed ball boys and girls, to name a few, Wimbledon surely looks the part when it comes to Grand Slams.

And the 2013 edition will not be the most memorable Wimbledon, for me at least. French Open winner Nadal crashed out in the very first round, first time that Rafa's been out of the tree for the second round in a Grand Slam. It was somewhat sad for me, having grown up idolizing Nadal, it's such a shame to see him in such dire straits. If my opinion were considered, I wouldn't have advised him to play while carrying an injury. And the following days produced further shocks, sweetest of all being the ouster of Roger Federer in the second round. Aggrieved by the losses of my favorite ladies in Sharapova, Azarenka, Ivanovic and Wozniacki, I now owe Mr. Sergiy Stakhovsky a big thanks for that giant-killing of Federer. Federer is such a great professional, but I have my reasons to hate him, about which I will talk a bit later.

So, it's become pretty straightforward now for the top seeded Djokovic and Williams, although I anticipate Andy Murray and Agnieszka Radwanska to go the distance. Speaking of Murray, the Scot who missed the French Open and still managed to hold on to his World No 2 while Nadal won in France yet slipped to fifth, a pang of pity arises in me for him. Not-so-broad shoulders, and the burden of high expectations. His every winner is cheered across the Blighty and every unforced error followed by a wave of tension. The famous 'Henman Hill' gets renamed 'Murray Mound' every time Murray steps onto those hallowed grass courts. Britain's really crazy and with no fear of Federer this time around, Murray must get his act together and deliver the nation its ultimate prize.

Henman Hill
Speaking of national pride, another player making waves is Britain's Laura Robson. The new kid, just 19-years old, made her way into the round of 16. And yet again, crazy Brits found a way to rename 'Henman Hill', this time with 'Robson Ridge'. Why don't they call it "British Bump" and stop the drama once and for all?

Roger Federer, it's hard to find an athlete like him in generations. He is such a great personality, a giant of his era and the epitome of success. And my compliments end there. At the time when I seriously started following tennis, Roger Federer was the man dominating world tennis, collecting trophies at will and leaving opponents biting the dust. And you can forgive/condemn me for having a special liking for underdogs, I wanted somebody to rise up to his virtually unconquerable challenge. Enter Rafael Nadal, the peculiar Spaniard donning sleeveless tops and 'pirata' shorts. Over the coming years, Nadal appeared to be the best bet to overhaul Federer and bring a halt to his monopoly, and so he did. Nadal became nemesis no1 for Federer and the Swiss never remained the same again.

The Championships has still got a week more to run, and although the frequency of matches is going to lower, the intensity will still be the same. Big games will be the order of the day as the tournament reaches its climax. I, for one, would like Andy Murray to win but I can't really see anyone other than the 'Djoker' lifting the trophy. The same goes for Serena Williams in the ladies' section, although I would love some fresh face like Aga Radwanska to win it. Fingers crossed nonetheless, but Wimbledon 2013 has been an event to forget for me.

P.S. Federer fans please take no offense, the opinions above are limited to me and me only, and I am fully entitled to my opinion.

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