Opinion The winning swagger
This golden era in tennis shows no sign of abating.
The US Open 2011 has come alive. And,while the fans and experts alike are searching for the next great rivalry in mens tennis,the current scenario is unique in many ways. If one looks at trends over the years,there has usually been a consistent pattern of dominance where the greatest of their time suffer a slow but painful decline in success and capability,leading to the dawn of the next great batch of aspiring champions. Agassi and Sampras,Becker and Edberg,Connors and McEnroe,the list goes on. But the rivalries in mens tennis that are shaping up today have a unique appeal. There is no doubt in anyones mind as to who the overwhelming favourite at this tournament has been: Novak Djokovic. Even his critics cannot disclaim the year he has had and no matter how it goes now at the US Open,hes not nearly done yet.
Ironically,Rafael Nadal seems to have the same mental block against Djokovic that Roger Federer had against him. He gets testy and cannot come up with solutions when pushed into a corner during his matches against Djokovic. Seeing Nadal as an underdog battling for confidence is a rare sight,but Djokovic does have that effect on him. Djokovic has more trouble against Federer,and the semi-finals will be a real test for him. Federer seemed comfortable and cool against his recent nemesis,Tsonga,and one things for sure: Roger will be a handful even for the man who has a mind-numbing 62-2 record this year.
Luck favours the brave and the great,and throughout their careers,Sampras,Federer and Nadal have faced their share of debutantes and one-ace wonders in grand slam finals. A die-hard Federer loyalist,I can honestly say that he owes his resurgence and permanent place at the pinnacle of achievement to a gentleman by the name of Robin Soderling. Soderling,by belling the prowling Nadal in the Round of 16 at Roland Garros in 2009,ensured that Federer would not suffer the same fate as Sampras,McEnroe,Edberg,Becker,Lendl,and friends. Attributing luck to a career grand slam,a cemented reputation as an all-court and all-surface player with no asterisks at the end of his list of accolades,and an extended career window of five years,seems excessive,but Nadal has been the beneficiary of numerous four leaf clovers and rabbits feet himself.
This is why Djokovic finds himself in a unique situation: one fraught with risk,but plenty of reward. He is emerging at a time when Federer is still contending,and Nadal is one vamos away from stringing together a series of memorable performances. Murray has been disappointing thus far,but he has also been unlucky in that the quality of his opponents at grand slam finals has been stellar. How a grand slam title will alter his confidence and psyche is anyones guess,but history has been kind to grand slam champions across sports. Take Phil Mickelsons example. And,although Djokovic is playing at a surreal level right now,and will be favoured against the Del Potros,Murrays,Tsongas and Fishs of this world,the business side of this and other grand slams will feature the real champions: Nadal and Federer. Djokovic is without doubt the future of mens tennis,given that he has a huge fan following among the younger,feistier fan-base. And,if Nadals injury worries persist,his fans will likely migrate to Djokovic in the near future. Djokovic is an acquired taste,and personally I shudder to think of the time when Federer and Nadal will no longer be gracing us with their contrasting yet benign presences at grand slam finals but that is inevitable.
One things for certain: the winning swagger is up for grabs at this years Open,and for the next couple of years at least. And that in itself is a slam-dunk for tennis lovers who have been treated to the golden years of Federer and Nadal and maybe someday Djokovic or Murray.
Womens tennis,on the other hand,is far more predictable. Serena Williams,when she decides to show up,is virtually unbeatable. Her combination of power,strength,speed and aggression is unparalleled. In fact,the Russian surge in womens tennis is starting to resemble the Spanish armada of yesteryear in mens tennis. There was a span of almost five years,in the early 2000s,when there were up to seven Spaniards in the top 20 at any given time,dominating on clay and contending on hard courts. The Russian women are in a similar position,but lack the one ubertalent who can keep the passion burning as Nadal has done for Spain. Sharapova is still battling injuries and confidence issues,Kuznetsova and Zvonareva have been unable to string together a year of consistency,and the rest are too young or limited in their games to ever pose a consistent legitimate threat to the elite.
The writer is a sports attorney
express@expressindia.com
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