Roger Federer created a history by becoming the first player to win 15 grand slams. In a nerve-wrecking encounter at the centre court on 5th july 2009m, he overcame a stubborn Andy Roddick by 5-7 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 16-14 to rewrite the history books. It was a great win and an epic final played in front of the former multiple champions.
(Source: Wimbledon.org)
Our Perspective:
It is no longer a news that Federer won the the wimbledon and thus rewrote the history books. But what we want to do is look at how this epic final changes the dynamics of current men's tennis. We would like to start first by paying our tribute to Federer for his win and his career in which he has reached 21 consecutive semifinals and 19 finals winning 15 of them. It is a lot to ask for and even Rod Laver at his prime might have struggled to beat that feat.
While everyone has been focussing on federers win and rightly so, we want to see the positives that we have been able to witness in these two weeks of glorious tennis. For some times past men's tennis has only been about Federer and Nadal, with sometimes Andy Murray showing flashes of brilliance that he is capable of. But here, during the tournament, we witnessed two former world number one's claiming their stakes at the very top level, in Andy Roddick and Lleyton Hewitt. Although Hewitt lost in the quarter finals, that was against a resurgent and very determined Andy Roddick, who was himself making his own comeback. With his injury problems behind him, it is very clear that Hewitt is destined to become a formidable force once more in his career.
Roddicks dip in form over the last two seasons must have forced him to questioned himself why he was playing this game. With federer and nadal fighting for the grandslams, he had to either improve himself on every department of his game or quit playing forever. He chose the former option and hired Larry Stefanki as his coach. Stefanki helped him lose 6 kgs which resulted him in being more mobile over the court. Also he has worked on his groundstrokes and previously one dimensional roddick who only depended on his serves and looked out-of-sorts when it did not work, seemed to be a match in every department for Federer.
Although federer won the match, it was in fact Roddick who had more break of serves than Federer. Federer didn't have any answer for his serves until the last game, but did his best to hang on there and wait for the right opportunity. Roddick always found a way to get out of trouble with his first serve, and if he continues the way he did here, it will be tough to bet against him at the flushing meadows. Who know what might happen there with the home crowd behind him.
Men's tennis seems to have a lot to offer with Roddick and Hewitt coming back to form, and when Nadal returns from his injury it will be a treat to watch them plying their trade against each other. Andy Murray is still learning and already ranked third in the world. With Fernando Verdasco, big serving Karlovic waiting in the wings it will be a tough ride for Federer to defend his US Open, but who is there to bet against it???
Monday, July 6, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Sports: Rubina creates cricket history
Rubina Chhetri became the first ever Nepali cricketer to take a hat-trick in international cricket when she took five wickets in five balls against Singapore in the ACC Women’s Twenty20 Cricket Tournament at the Selangor Turf Club in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.
Asked to bowl the last over of the match by skipper Ritu Kanoujiya with Singapore just two runs away from victory, Rubina made a confident start with a dot ball. She then claimed three wickets in the next three balls to complete the hat-trick - the first ever by a Nepali player in any form of cricket in international level.
Her next ball went wide that put both the teams level at 79. But Rubina’s heroics were not over yet and she claimed two more wickets in the next two balls. The match was decided in the bowl-out and Nepal registered a 2-1 victory. “I was scared and not willing to bowl when captain (Ritu) came to me and gave me the ball,” Rubina told The Himalayan Times. “I was not happy even when I got the first wicket as I had a feeling that we are going to lose the match,” said 15-year-old Rubina, who hails from Kakkarvitta of Mechi Municipality in Jhapa district.
“When the fourth ball went wide, I was so scared that I was on the verge of crying while bowling the next ball,” said emotional Rubina. “I got five wickets but I came to know about the hat-trick only during the presentation ceremony,” said the multi-talented Rubina, a 10th
grade student at North Point School in Jhapa, who also plays volleyball in school. She also holds the domestic record for best bowling figures in women’s cricket, taking six wickets for three runs in 3.4 overs against Nepalgunj during the Fifth National Games.
“I got into cricket by watching others play around me,” she said. Her brother, Pawan Chhetri, also played cricket in school and college. “My family (mother and brother) have been supporting me,” she said.
(Source: TheHimalayantimes.com)
Our Perspective:
Well done Rubina. When all others are faltering at their responsibilities, the ladies cricket team has held its head high. Congratulations once again to Rubina and her captain Ritu, who believed in her at the time of crisis, and her team which made it possible.
Our sports is well dominated by the officials, rather than the players. We have had very good players in the past, who have done well in one tournament and then fade away, because of different reasons. In a male dominated country where even the male sportspersons have struggled in their livelihood as players and have fade way in time to other professions, it is hard to believe Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) will be able to forge this team together for long. The long history shows that as long as they are well supported by their family, players keep playing but then gradually stop playing due to their family responsibilities. Unless extraordinarily rich, an average nepalese family cannot support anyone for long period, thus it is harsh but real that players have to give up playing.
An example of CAN's lack of responsibilities can be seen from its website, where almost every sections of the webpage are under construction, Players Profile page has an invalid link, but the organization chart showing the officials of the CAN is pretty well constructed. We might have been cynical, but it is the reality. Anyone can check the website at CAN's Website.
We hope CAN starts a contract system for its players so that they have a ray of hope that they can live and build their career as a player. Until then we have to learn to live with this harsh reality that we may never hear about these talented players again.
Asked to bowl the last over of the match by skipper Ritu Kanoujiya with Singapore just two runs away from victory, Rubina made a confident start with a dot ball. She then claimed three wickets in the next three balls to complete the hat-trick - the first ever by a Nepali player in any form of cricket in international level.
Her next ball went wide that put both the teams level at 79. But Rubina’s heroics were not over yet and she claimed two more wickets in the next two balls. The match was decided in the bowl-out and Nepal registered a 2-1 victory. “I was scared and not willing to bowl when captain (Ritu) came to me and gave me the ball,” Rubina told The Himalayan Times. “I was not happy even when I got the first wicket as I had a feeling that we are going to lose the match,” said 15-year-old Rubina, who hails from Kakkarvitta of Mechi Municipality in Jhapa district.
“When the fourth ball went wide, I was so scared that I was on the verge of crying while bowling the next ball,” said emotional Rubina. “I got five wickets but I came to know about the hat-trick only during the presentation ceremony,” said the multi-talented Rubina, a 10th
grade student at North Point School in Jhapa, who also plays volleyball in school. She also holds the domestic record for best bowling figures in women’s cricket, taking six wickets for three runs in 3.4 overs against Nepalgunj during the Fifth National Games.
“I got into cricket by watching others play around me,” she said. Her brother, Pawan Chhetri, also played cricket in school and college. “My family (mother and brother) have been supporting me,” she said.
(Source: TheHimalayantimes.com)
Our Perspective:
Well done Rubina. When all others are faltering at their responsibilities, the ladies cricket team has held its head high. Congratulations once again to Rubina and her captain Ritu, who believed in her at the time of crisis, and her team which made it possible.
Our sports is well dominated by the officials, rather than the players. We have had very good players in the past, who have done well in one tournament and then fade away, because of different reasons. In a male dominated country where even the male sportspersons have struggled in their livelihood as players and have fade way in time to other professions, it is hard to believe Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) will be able to forge this team together for long. The long history shows that as long as they are well supported by their family, players keep playing but then gradually stop playing due to their family responsibilities. Unless extraordinarily rich, an average nepalese family cannot support anyone for long period, thus it is harsh but real that players have to give up playing.
An example of CAN's lack of responsibilities can be seen from its website, where almost every sections of the webpage are under construction, Players Profile page has an invalid link, but the organization chart showing the officials of the CAN is pretty well constructed. We might have been cynical, but it is the reality. Anyone can check the website at CAN's Website.
We hope CAN starts a contract system for its players so that they have a ray of hope that they can live and build their career as a player. Until then we have to learn to live with this harsh reality that we may never hear about these talented players again.
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