
The greatest player often gets noseated
A
s the Greatest Player of all times, Roger Federer, is about to finish yet another journey to Grand Slam Glory, viz. The Championships – Wimbledon, we write this article in the genuine hope that people will be able to admire the greatness of the man and visualize clearly how tough the competition has been which Roger Federer has vanquished in all earnestness and distinction, worthy of a Great Champion that he is.
Everybody knows that nobody but Rafael Nadal, considers himself (or indeed herself) meritorious enough to incapacitate, the Michael Jackson (albeit an alive one), the Maradona (albeit a one who doesn’t dope), and the Obama (albeit with a little less hope) of tennis, from adorning the crown of tennis – the Grand Slam of Grand Slams – the Championship of Championships – The Wimbledon – with his own mug.
We live in best of times to witness all this
Great are the days indeed for us mortals to behold this great artisan at work chopping and chiseling away sculpture after sculpture of glory and fame. And that too even as level of tennis has reached its summit, and we witness great tennis rivalries unseen in the past (and one does venture to be so bold as to say that future generations will not be beset by any greater battle for tennis supremacy, as seen by the present generation, either).
The quality of tennis and the level of competition is so high that we can barely convince ourselves to call what we see being played out in the fair grounds of Wimbledon – tennis – considering that the term has been used historically (as pejorative, it seems) to quantify what used to transpire between individuals of least ability at either side of the netting streched across the middle of a tennis court, in the pre Federer era. Yes Sir, sometimes it is hard to submit to the fact that the coarse, philistine and most ruffian-like conduct, that the likes of Sampras, Laver, Borg, McEnroe, Connors, Becker, Edberg, etc. succumbed to, in their sorrow-arousing-times, should be addressed with the same name as the exquisite and masterful, play and gamesmanship that King Roger Federer exhibits. But such is force of tradition, we have to live with calling it tennis!
Quality of Men’s Tennis
Returning to the central theme of the article, quality of men’s tennis has been soaring to such a dizzy heights that seeds 1 and 2 have played the Wimbledon final since the year of 2004, i.e. for the past 5 years! And what’s more 4 out of these 5 times, number one seed has been the winner! Even this year chances are number 2 and number 3 seeds will be in final. With no Nadal, Federer and Murray are the de facto number 1 and number 2 seeds. Great is the competition indeed. And, the situation has not been much different in any of the other Grand Slams either.
If it was not for the great quality and depth of tennis, even the “almighty” Gawd (that is the one who apparently sits above in the heavens, not RAAger Federer – that is if the two are different) must have felt ashamed with so much amount of predictability and consistency in His “random” world and might have shed a tear or two looking at all this from heavens.
But what great competition our Great, Great, Great, … n times, Lord has seen! And, while other players of bygone era, might fizzle out in such competitive times out of boredom of an excess of competition, the Great Lord keeps on piling Grand Slam titles to his name, such is the tenacity and doggedness of our Great Lord. Not only that, the Great Lord reverbrates with extreme pleasure upon being encroached by articulate witticisms uttered to his advantage. It is indeed true that only a true Champion knows how to revel in such circumstances.
Quality of Game of Roger Federer
Those who doubt the quality of Roger Federer might consider this fact. In 2008, a clay court specialist, viz. Rafael Nadal, came and conquered our Great Lord in his very home, Wimbledon, the abode of Grass court tennis, and our Lord cries like a charming little baby (what more can a person vouchsafe for greatness!). Nadal has the Great Lord running for his diapers, and now that Nadal is out of competition the Great Lord is back in “prime” and “pristine” form. No longer are his shoulders dropping. No longer is he seen with that grim expression on his face (as if his grand mother had died the same day). And there is a conspicuous spring in his step.
So much so for those who say that there is no competition in men’s tennis. You ignorant, ignominous, and jealous fools, be ashamed of your over-zealousness in persecuting and harassing the Greatest Player of All Times.
Long Live the Lord!
Long Live Roger Federer!