Hi. I am back from hibernation from which I only got out occasionally to catch up on my sleep. Now that I am back, I just have to share my joy with you guys because I am sure the crazy ones like myself are just as ecstatic about it as I am. Without further ado, let me tell you that I am talking about the thriller, the drama, the Wimbledon 2008 final clash between the titans – Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on July 06, 2008.
So those of you who missed out on the thriller, here’s your chance to catch up...more like get an inkling of what it might have been had you watched it yourself and consequently and justifiably develop infinite guilt for not having been able to or worse not having chosen to! Although I was shamelessly biased in favour of Nadal who I have been backing for the last 3 Wimbledon finals, I couldn't help but appreciate the wholesome entertainment, the supreme quality tennis and the roller-coaster thrill the two together provided. I knew it from the beginning that it wasn't going to be anything less than Shakespearean drama but at the same time I was praying from the bottom of my heart that Nadal finish it off in 3 sets. After 2 sets I was hopeful but never sure. After 3 sets, I was flinching. After 4 sets, I was freaking out and in the 5th set, well, I am surprised that I got out alive. Many of you might have felt the way I did but I was alone in that house with no one or nothing to distract me or provide any sort of moral support, consolation or motivation and all of that, made it dramatic, almost maddeningly so.
Anyway, I strongly feel that had it not come down to tiebreakers in the 3rd and the 4th, Nadal would have won it long back. The moment it was tiebreak time, I knew it was a Federer terrain because of the kind of serve he possesses and the number of aces he conjured throughout the proceedings. However, what kept me going was the knowledge that there is no tiebreaker in the final set. Nadal was the one who quite consistently broke Federer; Federer was regularly failing in that department so somewhere in my heart I knew that Nadal had better chance of taking the 5th set. And how he did! Although, like I said before, I wished for Nadal to beat Federer in straight sets, had that really happened, we would have missed out on being a part of the greatest match the game of tennis has produced (at least in my tennis viewing lifetime) and the great spectacle the two champions put together.
Any less intensity, any less vigour, any less stamina, any less power, any less mental toughness and any less desire to hold that golden cup in one's hands from either of the players and this match would have long back been either one's but that was not to be! The zeal with which they were fighting for the cup, it was obvious that the cup had long back ceased to be only a cup and had instead become a symbol of pride!
When Nadal had his first championship point, I didn't take it seriously because it was off Federer's serve in the 4th set tiebreaker. The second championship point, I begged for him to do it but I somehow thought that the chance was a thin one. The third championship point in the 5th set (I don't remember exactly when) I somehow couldn't summon enough faith in Nadal but something whispered inside me during the fourth championship point. It said, "This is the right time, this is the only time." I told Nadal that if he didn't do it that time, he would never do it. I thought he was destined to win with the kind of opportunities he had created for himself and managed to be a little in the driver's seat almost throughout the match. I was literally on my knees, begging Nadal to do it, to make it happen for himself, (I decided otherwise and went and sat on the sofa so as to not make him nervous with my expectant stance) and I tell you I must have been in a trance during those few seconds. Finally, he did it and I cried more than probably he did, I hopped around putting a Kangaroo to shame, my heart skipped a few beats and a few seconds later, I could not recollect how Nadal had done it. I say I was in a trance because I remember each and every point from the match except for the last one. There was so much emotion brewing that the facts just didn't register!
So now you know how I spent my day and half the night yesterday. In fact, during the second rain halt, with doubts being raised by everyone of suspension until Monday, I considered going to bed since I had office today but I said what if they manage to play it out and how can I even think about missing that special moment of a Nadal victory, of watching him roll on the ground in disbelief, his victory speech and his tears. I am glad I changed my mind because otherwise I would have missed out on the best tennis match ever!
So that's it for now folks. And I am sure after reading this crazy long mail about something as "trivial" as a tennis match, you are hoping I go into hibernation once again. We will see about that.
So those of you who missed out on the thriller, here’s your chance to catch up...more like get an inkling of what it might have been had you watched it yourself and consequently and justifiably develop infinite guilt for not having been able to or worse not having chosen to! Although I was shamelessly biased in favour of Nadal who I have been backing for the last 3 Wimbledon finals, I couldn't help but appreciate the wholesome entertainment, the supreme quality tennis and the roller-coaster thrill the two together provided. I knew it from the beginning that it wasn't going to be anything less than Shakespearean drama but at the same time I was praying from the bottom of my heart that Nadal finish it off in 3 sets. After 2 sets I was hopeful but never sure. After 3 sets, I was flinching. After 4 sets, I was freaking out and in the 5th set, well, I am surprised that I got out alive. Many of you might have felt the way I did but I was alone in that house with no one or nothing to distract me or provide any sort of moral support, consolation or motivation and all of that, made it dramatic, almost maddeningly so.
Anyway, I strongly feel that had it not come down to tiebreakers in the 3rd and the 4th, Nadal would have won it long back. The moment it was tiebreak time, I knew it was a Federer terrain because of the kind of serve he possesses and the number of aces he conjured throughout the proceedings. However, what kept me going was the knowledge that there is no tiebreaker in the final set. Nadal was the one who quite consistently broke Federer; Federer was regularly failing in that department so somewhere in my heart I knew that Nadal had better chance of taking the 5th set. And how he did! Although, like I said before, I wished for Nadal to beat Federer in straight sets, had that really happened, we would have missed out on being a part of the greatest match the game of tennis has produced (at least in my tennis viewing lifetime) and the great spectacle the two champions put together.
Any less intensity, any less vigour, any less stamina, any less power, any less mental toughness and any less desire to hold that golden cup in one's hands from either of the players and this match would have long back been either one's but that was not to be! The zeal with which they were fighting for the cup, it was obvious that the cup had long back ceased to be only a cup and had instead become a symbol of pride!
When Nadal had his first championship point, I didn't take it seriously because it was off Federer's serve in the 4th set tiebreaker. The second championship point, I begged for him to do it but I somehow thought that the chance was a thin one. The third championship point in the 5th set (I don't remember exactly when) I somehow couldn't summon enough faith in Nadal but something whispered inside me during the fourth championship point. It said, "This is the right time, this is the only time." I told Nadal that if he didn't do it that time, he would never do it. I thought he was destined to win with the kind of opportunities he had created for himself and managed to be a little in the driver's seat almost throughout the match. I was literally on my knees, begging Nadal to do it, to make it happen for himself, (I decided otherwise and went and sat on the sofa so as to not make him nervous with my expectant stance) and I tell you I must have been in a trance during those few seconds. Finally, he did it and I cried more than probably he did, I hopped around putting a Kangaroo to shame, my heart skipped a few beats and a few seconds later, I could not recollect how Nadal had done it. I say I was in a trance because I remember each and every point from the match except for the last one. There was so much emotion brewing that the facts just didn't register!
So now you know how I spent my day and half the night yesterday. In fact, during the second rain halt, with doubts being raised by everyone of suspension until Monday, I considered going to bed since I had office today but I said what if they manage to play it out and how can I even think about missing that special moment of a Nadal victory, of watching him roll on the ground in disbelief, his victory speech and his tears. I am glad I changed my mind because otherwise I would have missed out on the best tennis match ever!
So that's it for now folks. And I am sure after reading this crazy long mail about something as "trivial" as a tennis match, you are hoping I go into hibernation once again. We will see about that.
2 comments:
I know a lot of people would agree with you. More than anything else rivalry, history and statistic made that match so special, wouldn’t you agree? So let the T20 final between India and Pakistan be the greatest ever cricket match (two arch rivals from subcontinent, last over decider etc. etc.). But then what about South Africa’s 434 chase in an ODI? What about Australia and South Africa’s semi-final tie in 1999 word cup, India’s 326 chase against England in Netwest series, 2001 kolkata Test between India and Australia, 1998 Independence Cup final between India and Pakistan when India became first side to chase down 300 plus total, etc. etc. ?
If I had to tag any tennis match greatest ever then I would be confused between ivanisevic-rafter - wimbledon 2001 final (6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 2–6, 9–7) (someone asked me at the beginning of the that wimbedon that who will be the champion. I said I don’t care I just want a final between ivanisievic and rafter as they both were my favourites and both were at the end of their careers, so I wanted anyone of them to win but I couldn’t pick) and safin-federer 2005 Aus open semifinal (5-7, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6, 9-7).
Point I am trying to make is in sports you just can’t have “greatest ever”. As I told you earlier also you can have greatest ever so far.
Go beyond one sport and compare matches and moments across the sports. Let’s also put sports in social context and compare. What was greater, youngest ever and first African American Masters cup champion Tiger woods or youngest ever and first of African roots formula 1 champ Lewis Hamilton? If you watched those two becoming champs, you would know they both did in dramatic and record breaking fashion. Both sports were closed for black (you know I hate this word but harsh reality of those sports can be described only by using the b word) for so long. Interestingly Tiger Woods won the tournament which didn’t invite any black player even at the club until the year Tiger was born.
There was Jordan’s championship winning jump shot against the Jazz so there was also Maradona’s gaols against England in 1986 world cup.
How can I forget your love for underdogs! So which one is greater India’s world cup win over mighty West Indian’s in 1983 prudential cup or Denmark’s win over Germany (reigning world champions) in 1992’s European cup (Denmark could only enter the tournaments when Yugoslavia faced Yugoslavian war and didn’t participate)? List and comparisons are endless.
As a sports buff every time I watched any match of any sports I just wanted it to be the greatest ever match, but I am glad that it wasn’t.
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