Bleacher Report - Articles by Shikha

Rafael Nadal: The Story Inside-Out (Pt 2: A Page Turned)

Shikha — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 08:15:53 -0400

You don’t win, there's a next time. You can’t play, what do u do? It was in the final against Ljubibic in Madrid 2005, when the first signs of serious injury struck, lurking throughout the year-end season. Rafa played an agonising game of 3 hours, forcing out excessive effort, at the end of which were found several affected areas in his foot. The pain prevented him from playing his usual tennis and disrupted his rhythm and play-level comfort. Could he get back to top form again? And meet the demands of the gruelling tennis calendar? For the first time, it was he who doubted... Yet hopes were crushed and nothing got better. The test results were out, the injury seem to worsen and Toni concluded he would not play the Shangai cup, missing out an opportunity to match himself with the best swords in tennis. It affected and tampered with his hard-court season, clutching its hold all through January and knocking the Australian Open off his calender. His parents couldn't stand seeing their ever-optimistic, enthusiastic son downcast. Tennis was all he worked for all through these years, and unexpected, he stumbled among unresolved unknowns.

Begin Slideshow

Rafael Nadal: The Story Inside-Out (Part I-The Promise)

Shikha — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:23:36 -0400

The game. The fans. The thrill. Hard losses. Sweet victories. Players. Personalities. Sport has all of it. But amidst eveyrthing, lie few names, that burn brighter than the rest. Tennis has had it owns share to that list of marvels who transcend sport. Rod Laver. Bjorn Borg. John McEnroe. Pete Sampras. Andre Agassi. Roger Federer. Perhaps are just a few to name. They shape their era of tennis, raising the bar to new heights and building rivalries of unique kinds, doing things their way, and leaving it all imprinted in the tennis books forever. So young, so quick, one man from Mallorca, has had his own journey up there. Get to know Rafael Nadal. A player like no other.

Begin Slideshow

Living That Dream: Melanie Oudin—Belief Exemplified

Shikha — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:29:59 -0400

The tennis world’s seen it. Not once, not twice, yet rarely, that few.

They storm into the battle-yard, young and fearless, unexpected, unpredicted, and with that break-through, bring in their own story to be written in the tennis books, bidding those days of anonymity, for once and for all, goodbye.

To that list of names like Michael Chang, Boris Becker, Bjorn Borg, Justine Henin, Maria Sharapova, Rafael Nadal,

Perhaps 2009 is a witness to another, this year's US Open’s biggest story: America’s new darling and the recent over-night teenage sensation, 17-year-old Georgian, Melanie Oudin.

One who calls Justine Henin her idol, this youngster's love for tennis was inspired by her grandmother who gifted her rackets.

To spend more time for her game, Melanie began to be home-schooled from seventh grade. She knew it was the right choice, seeing her results pick up immediately, but just like every other teenager, she does admit envying her (fraternal) twin sister’s experiences at a regular school.

Back then, in 2008, came the reply,

“My goal for the end of this year would be to be in the top 200 in the WTA rankings because I think that would be possible, but I only get [to play in] so many [pro] tournaments, and I don’t know how many tournaments I have left this year. I don’t think it’s that many.”

“So if I can do well, maybe get that wild card into the US Open and win a round or two there, that would help a lot.’

A dream come true, this September, she’s back in New York, ranked number 70 in the world.

After an amazing run in Wimbledon, defeating some top seeds, No. 29 Sybille Bammer, Yaroslava Shvedova and a third round with the world No. 6 Jelena Jankovic in close three-set encounters, she had left the lush lawns of London, with some pride and contentment, falling to Agnieszka Radwanska in the fourth round, 6-4 7-5.

But her 2009 was not done yet. The Tennis World didn’t know.

There was more to come.

“I’m so excited. I can’t believe it” were the first words uttered by an exhausted and elated Melanie, on a Thursday that witnessed her biggest upset in career, to send packing the No. 4 seed Elena Dementieva 5-7 6-4 6-3.

Invigorated, it was confidence riding high, yet she knew the third round was not to be a push-over or a Saturday with the 6 ft 2” Maria Sharapova across the net, an easy one.

As double faults and unforced errors crept up from all corners that afternoon, with faltering breaks gracing the match, it was a game, more of nerves and grit, with both women just refusing to give in.

She did not dominate, nor did she always consolidate, yet she was right there, challenging Sharapova all the way to the finish line, matching the Russian’s power with her own, getting tougher as the match went on.

In a nail-biting, simply unpredictable decider that had seven breaks of serve, a brilliant forehand return down the line saw Melanie get the 5th break and a chance to serve out for the match.

With Adrenaline and excitement, and a vitalised crowd right with her,

It was nerves that came into play giving Maria an effectively utilised chance to get back in the game.

Back to levelled scores.

This time? It was 5-all, after two hours and 50 minutes.

However, yet again, a jaded, frustrated and even more surprisingly, a fairly quieter Sharapova failed to hold on, with her 20th double fault giving Oudin a 0-30 lead.

Melanie had less to do as with a little more help from the Russian, it was break point converted at 15-40.

A 6-5 lead. Just one solid service game and the match was hers.

After three hours of nothing short of drama, remarkable athleticism and unrelenting tennis, that had the Arthur Ashe crowd gripped to their seats, it was double match point for the 17-year-old American in a final game wrapped up with three unforced errors and one double fault.

The stadium came alive, a proud mother, coach and boyfriend watching, she finished with a gutsy forehand winner to clinch another upset, as the crowd erupted in applause and delight.

Exhaustion, Disbelief, and above all, Ecstasy, all woven into one as she had tears in the eyes, unable to hold back emotion.

“When I play with no fear, that's when I play my best. I don't worry about anything. I just play my game, and it usually works.”

Indeed, Melanie Oudin has "Believe," engraved on her shoes...

And etched in the heart.

Sledging: In Retrospect: A Humor Touch

Shikha — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 21:51:40 -0400

From badinage to the ire, within the limits and few over the lines, sledging has always been a common part of cricket. Defined for the dummies: The verbal use of comments to intimidate or put off an opposing team player. Apparently, the purpose is to try to weaken the opponent's concentration, and cause him to underperform. With the batsman standing within hearing range of the bowler and certain close fielders; and vice-versa, it can be effective, yes. In shorter words, ‘MENTAL DISINTEGRATION’, as former Australian captain, Steve Waugh puts it. As to whether this reflects poor sportsmanship or good-humoured banter, the debate is still not closed in the cricketing world. Sparks to insults, the comments have varied over the intensity. Well, Sport is a well-priced package deal: Not just the game, we have personalities, rivalries, the ecstasy of wins, the disappointment of loses, arguments and along with all, few laughs.

Begin Slideshow

The One Chapter They All Fall Short

Shikha — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 06:44:38 -0400

1-18 2-15 0-11.

Doesn’t feel so right to look at it that way.

Wasn’t it 18-1 15-2 11-0? That’s the angle from which the tennis world saw it.

Like some (or most?) biased tennis fanatics once used to think, ‘What could have been if Rafa wasn’t there?” and the imagination flies with Roger in the centre of the picture.

Everyone loves a winner. And so was it with Federer. Again and again, he conquered, and set himself up that pinnacle. Yet while he proceeded on to develop the realm of his success, others were shunted aside.

Perhaps Roddick, Hewitt, Safin and a bunch of others could have rightly thought too, “What could have been if Roger wasn’t there?”

Take Roddick, for example. He was the World No. 1 prior to Federer, in-form, playing great tennis and then suddenly in his place was the all-mighty Swiss, who preserved his throne with meticulous execution and care with some scintillating shows.

How ironic: Andy’s supposed to be one of the best serves on the planet with amazing speed and yet, it is Federer who gets the better of this part of the game too, in their matches.

And in the middle of the “Federer Era” came the One Slam wonders, they too existed, and perhaps was all that they could be, live on a transitory gain, while the recurring phenomenon at Paris was something else, one to be expected either way.

True, Roger is one who has elevated the game of tennis to new heights and challenged the rest - “Come on, catch me.” He was just too fast.

Many strived. Few strived harder. But even if they did, it was ephemeral.

Roland Garros 2009 needs no introduction.

Just weeks away, and all of us remember the moment, all tears and joy, as it crowned Federer with the career grand slam and almost, the greatest ever title.

And on the other side, was the surprise and shock, yet one overcome soon.

Achieving the unthinkable, the unexpectable, and even more, he kept up his level. Fourth round. Quarter-Final. Semi Final. Final. Ah, and that was where it had to end for Soderling, Alas.

Party over.

Admitted, Roger is exceptional. A majestic beauty he brings onto the court with every stroke of grace and an elevated level of play.

Yet, we often don’t see the other side of the equation.

One dark horse riding high, may have one of the, or even the best week of his tennis career.

But it’s cut short from the ultimate, as he succumbs to Federer.

True, French Open final 2009 saw some solid tennis from the Swiss yet on the other side of the coin, Soderling obviously did not produce his best tennis ever.

He did not come up with the required and he fell short. He could not bring himself up to match the man on the other side of the net.

It's not just "Roger did". It's also "Soderling did not".

“No one beats me 11 times in a row”

Big words, considering one man has done that to so many others.

Déjà vu. Fourth Round.

Yet grass, not clay.

Wimbledon, not Roland Garros. London, not Paris.

How much true that shall turn, only time will tell.

Certainly an "I'll match you today" mindset rather than “Roger, you rule; you gave me a tennis lesson” would prove more worthy.

The day. The hour. The moment. The match. Is all that matters.

Why the 2009 Wimbledon Crown Will Be Rafael Nadal's

Shikha — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 05:53:20 -0400

The Dream. The Vision. The Hope. The Desire. The Passion. The Conviction. It is this fire within that drives the best from oneself.

Few believed him when he said "I want to win Wimbledon."

Just a mere clay-court specialist, how could he?

The Tennis World laughed it off back then, when hardly anyone expected him to reach a Wimbledon final, let alone repeat it again, come even closer and finally, attain the glorious crown.

But yes, he did. “I would hate to lose knowing that I hadn’t given my all,” says the warrior who fights till the last drop of sweat.

July 6, 2008 bore witness to a magnum opus wielded by two tennis titans, who have carved their own niche, and etched their own significant place in tennis history.

And on a day the Tennis World shall never forget, a match that has been lauded the greatest ever, with a virtuosic display of patience and precision, dexterity and prowess, it was the Mallorcan who hung on in optimism, and emerged the victor, the deserving champion.

Indeed, it was a realization of years of perseverance and hard work.

He never dreamt too far ahead, he could not put all his thoughts into coherent articulation, but his actions spoke volumes for him, as dreams undreamt evolved into reality as he achieved the phenomenal, to rewrite for himself the annals of tennis, with the foundations laid on clay.

He was a man who built his game on precision, focus, and tenacity tinted with originality.

Rafael Nadal’s shock loss at Roland Garros 2009, the problem of a persistent knee injury and the possibility of a small but lingering mental setback, some seem to be fairly convinced to expect a below-par performance by the Spaniard.

And meanwhile, on the other side of the coin, the pressure is off and the Swiss Maestro is as ecstatic as his astronomical number of fans. Blissful in his demeanour and play. And so, Wimbledon 2009 shall be Roger’s, they say.

Fans, media and tennis pundits call clay ‘a favourite surface’ for Nadal, but his own words are put carefully as ‘a surface on which I achieved great success which I’m very happy for.’

But this formidable Spanish conqueror has also emphatically expressed his love for Wimbledon. His dream and desire to win it. And the journey and joy of the achievement, which he still reminisces with elation and bliss.

He may not like to compare grand slams—the French and Australian too have their own significance for him—but Wimbledon will may always have meant a trifle more than the rest.

As his first grand slam outside la terre battue. At the world’s beloved tournament, perhaps because of its uniqueness as the only grand slam on grass, tradition, audience or the name, whatever it maybe, one always considered the most prestigious. The consummation of a long toilsome race.

He gave his best. He chased each ball. He fought every game. He lingered till the end with a never-say-die attitude.

He lived to strive, he lived to fight, he did not assume, and so he continues on the trail of his quest to improve.

And despite all odds, the virile, vivacious Spaniard from Mallorca, who captured hearts round the world, shall emerge the winner once more, I say, because the will power and desire burning in his veins shall drive him there.

To relive that moment. Exhilarating but serene. Intangible yet lucid. Ephemeral yet everlasting.

Otra Vez.

Scene at Roger's Camp: The Subsequences of The Nadal Earthquake (Humor)

Shikha — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:11:13 -0400

31 May 2009

After a relaxing shower following an almost enervating training session, Roger Federer helped himself to some Pasta to attend to his growling stomach, and proceeded to the sofa to switch on the television.

His eyes pop out in shock as they incomprehensibly absorb the strange numerical curves and lines on the scoreboards.

SOD 2 6 6

NAD 1 6 1*

"Holy S***!! Where did that come from? Rafa, You can't be serious!,"

his thoughts swayed in utter shock. "Is that "Sod" guy that good?? How come I haven't heard of him before?"

And he calls out, "Mirka!?" "MIRKA! Where are you? You have to see this!"

Just woken up from sleep, Mirka was washing her face, only to hear Rog calling her with such hysteria.

She may have been surprised, but was also a little drowsy from sleep as she went to the living room to see what was all the urgency for.

"What happened Rog?" she asked, still in a slightly dreamy state.

"Look Mirka!" Rog responded. "Look! I can't believe it! Some Sod guy is finishing off Rafa. Four match points! Oh my gosh! It's the fourth round too!"

And the volley goes long...

Soderling jumps in joy, looking incredulous...

Feeling more awake now, it was Mirka's turn to be amazed, as she screamed, "Goodness gracious, that Spanish bloke lost!?"

"Well that changes things," Roger started, a smile slowly creeping up his face. "Of course I'd rather prefer screwing him in the final this year and getting that cursed Coupe des Mousquetaires. But no, I'm so not complaining!"

"Jesus you rule," Federer thought to himself in amazement. "I couldn't have asked for a better early Christmas present, Santa. Ah well there's our Federer Junior, but this Roland Garros sure means as much to me!"

"After all these years of misfortune and torture I had to endure...*sigh*. Surely I deserve the trophy this year! And no I don't mean another lousy metal plate. Oh please, I've got enough un-required utensils from Paris the past three years. Why can't someone else take on the environmental contribution in regard to its utility for once?"

Mirka gave him a big hug and kiss, and exclaimed, "Aw.. I'm so happy for you, honey."

"But either way, YOU are always my champion."

Roger smiles, blushing.

......................

SCENE: Rafael Nadal's Post-Match Conference.

"Federer is dee favorite, in my opinion. It wud be great (if he wins it), so dat he can complete dee Grand Slam. If anybudy deserve it, it’s 'im"

Roger Federer thinks to himself, looking smug, "Aw.. so sweet. Well for once I take your word. And this year when I (hopefully) win, don't worry Rafa, I'll dedicate my victory speech to you (Jou are dee best on clay. Thank you).

........

"So there goes the saying. Everything happens for the best", Roger chuckled to himself. "Amen to that."

And he goes to bed, contented but excited and yet peaceful, drifting in happy dreams through his soundest sleep this year....

♫.....I dream a dream...

A song to sing....

That helps me cope...with anything.

This is a great wonder...

That the Spanish Bull is out,

And La Coupe des Mousquetaires will be in my trophy closet.

I believe in angels,

Something good in everything I see.

And the losses and the tortures,

Make it worth the win

I dream a dream.

Oh what a miracle..... ♫

Earthquake Strikes Paris

Shikha — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 09:50:47 -0400

The future of Roland Garros 2009 seemed as certain as it's recent history in the record books.

La Coupes des Mosquetaires seemed destined to be the Clay King's, Rafael Nadal's. Yet again.

And ok, if that sounds far-stretched, all the 127 men who arrived in Paris this year looking to survive at the (we might as well call it) Nadal open were completely convinced that The Spanish bull shall leap his way to the final, no matter what happens le Juin 7.

Probably like all the laid-back Rafans all over the world, I too remained assured that it was only a matter of time for Rafa to further prove his mettle on his beloved clay—la terre bautte and rewrite the history books. Yet again. Such seemed the clay King's demeanour last year.

I'll admit—I couldn't really digest the pink shirt at first but regardless, I took it in.

As for the frequent short adjustment which is the only other thing that irks me most about Rafa, there requires no introduction.

Nevertheless, the undying admiration and love for Rafa all comes down to his demeanour, on and off-court, his irresistible face, the pleasing talk, the lovely smile, the grit and determination, the will to excel, the never-say-die attitude, the burning desire, and stern belief.

And in regard to his form, last match against Hewitt, the 4th round pretty much should have been a one-sided affair, a victory with ruthless efficiency.

The first set gone. Unbelievably, in Soderling's favour on a two-break lead. Ah well, I thought, all right, but that's as much Soderling can get out of this match today. How wrong was I.

Second set: Unable to hold on to his break of Serve, Rafa was soon broken back and the result was a tiebreak which Nadal ran with.

The third set: Soderling's.

And suddenly it's a 2-1 set lead in Soderling's favour.

The Fourth begins. A matter of do or die for Rafa. One more set lost and its au revoir to Roland Garros, his chase for the 5th, La terre bautte and Paris this year.
Early Break for Rafa. 2-0. YES YES YES!!

But it wasn't sustained and the next thing we knew, it was to be another tiebreak at six all.

I held my breath. So did the growing audience at the Philippe Chatrier. Seven points, POINTS, not GAMES that mattered. What if...? Anxiety and suspense.

Tiebreak: 1-2 for Rafa.

And suddenly out of nowhere, it raced to 1-6. Goodness gracious, five match points, five CONSECUTIVE match points for Soderling. What IS happening?

Another long rally. Match point saved. Phew! 2-6

Four more?? An intuition hovered. And soon...
The volley was long. It was all over.

Au revoir Roland Garros, Au revoir Les Coupes des Mosquetaires cinquième. An opportunity to carve an even bigger piece of history for himself slipped from the fingers.

The Clay King falls at Paris.
End of trail for the fifth.

Too impossible to consider. Mais comment ce s'est passé??

But yes, it has happened. Somehow unfathomably. An absolute shocker as the aftermath of the earthquake that has struck Paris still lingers.

1) Robin Soderling is NOT any clay court specialist.

2) His only title wins came on indoor surfaces, carpet/hard.

3) May 31 marked his ONLY and FIRST fourth round progress at a Grand Slam event

4) Just a month ago, he received some ruthless drubbing by Rafa at the Miami masters, managing only one game.

And yet. And yet. He is the only man to topple the Clay King on the red dirt of Paris.

Perceptively, Nadal never seemed to be deep into the match comfortably. Those familiar strokes of brilliance lingered solitarily here and then, from a man who could win even playing his 90 percent, but for most of the match, Rafa seemed to employ only simple defense and like he himself acknowledged, "I didn't play my tennis out there."

Too incongruous, isn't it?

And still the gentleman he is. With the most down-to-earth humility, he accepted, "It's not a tragedy, I had to lose one day. I must accept my defeats with the same level of calm that I accept my victories. I have to move on," said he.

And despite all, Rafa concluded, with utmost sincerity, "Federer is the favorite, in my opinion. It would be great [to see him win it], so that he can complete the Grand Slam. If anybody deserves it, it’s him."

The twinge of disappointment shall hover, perhaps even more than; nevertheless, forever, he shall be, a champion in our hearts.

And This, isn't the dead end. There's still much more to come from this Genius.
Just to lie in await.