Let me confess at the outset that I have never held tennis racquet in my lifetime. The confidence is given to me by these gladiators from the arena. I now can return even the burning cannonball with the racquet alone.
Read Mr Parth's article on Federer on Facebook and was awed to no extent. Every word he used fits so aptly to Federer's persona and the play that hardly anything is left behind. But yes major chunk is still not dealt with. His opponents! Federer is Federer because of his opponents.
My heart really goes out to Rafael Nadal, once an infant terrible! Graduated into tennis at a very tender age by his paternal uncle is an athlete to the last 'T'. Actually, he was equally eloquent in football too. But studies, as reprimanded by his father, football and tennis was too much for a boy in his early teens and so out went the football and tennis became the life. Maybe it would be pertinent to put it here that Nadal had defeated Roger Federer when he was just seventeen and grand slam titleholder, at Roland Garros at the age of 19.
What makes you a winner on the tennis court is your ability to chase the ball running cross-court from one end to other in seconds and the presence of mind where to place the ball exactly noting the opponent's position. Though short height- ed as compared to Federer or Djokovic, Rafa with his well built muscular torso, makes you feel the task so easy that when he falters you chuckle and say' What! Rubbish !' He takes you with him on the court with his play and you don't, rather can't remain the silent spectator.
If Roger is the 'Man' of tennis, I would label Rafa as Boy-man of the tennis. Those tiny eyes sparkling with vigour laced with zest to win makes him boy next door, you want to cuddle. Maybe more, in my case, because he is younger to my son only by two months!
4th round is not round to lose. You come all the way from two down to 5th set and hold the front for more than 1 hour and 30 minutes, requires a lot of stamina, spirit and last but not the least 'True Grit'. Maybe it was not his day. Muller immediately got knocked out in next round, had it been otherwise ....
The lad played tennis in most adverse physical conditions many times. In 2014 when he lost Australian Open to Wawrinka his palms were raw with ulcers and he had to serve only after having the spray of anaesthetic pain killer every time. Even then he did not let Wawrinka win in straight sets. Roger had rather easy this time. I missed Rafa sourly!
I wonder how many of our high earning celebrities know of charity? They are most of the time bothered about getting taxes exempted for their gifted Ferrari s or trying to grab the land from the government under one pretext or other to start some sort of so-called academy. Rafa runs charitable institutions here in India at two places, how many of you know ?. One education foundation along with Tennis academy at Anantpur in Andhra Pradesh and one In Chennai.
If Roger can do it at 35 Rafa is way still younger. He can do it!
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