Wimbledon 2010

I am still disappointed at the way Wimbledon has ended. After three consecutive years of nail biting finals this year one was a total let down. It was like a mere formality. With all due respect to the champion, I felt cheated and deprived. Deprived of all the action at the highest stage of tennis entertainment. All because of the absence of a great player, no wait, greatest player :Roger. I wouldn't have shouted this louder if he was there in the finals. What a shame to wind up in straight sets.

Let’s face it. There is no final like the Fed-Rafa one. When I mentioned in this post that Federer would be successfully defending his title I did keep Rafa in mind and didn't write him off. The 7 times final presence may have eclipsed my other thoughts. 7 times he had made it and 8^th time would be a walk on the grass, I thought. Obviously that wasn't the case. All his weapons proved futile.

And I must confess he played shabbily. He did say about his injury in the press conf (which he should never have mentioned in the first place. It just denigrates your class.) but that should not keep him from playing in his grass. His grass. Whenever is steps in the court he is not expected to lose.His returns were skewed, backhand was awful and he looked so tired. Very tired. Like all other fans I did expect him to rebound. After all, he did this every other time, didn't he? 5 setters are always an added advantage to Fed. But not this time. He faced a rare 4 set loss which includes a breadstick. .

Expect Rafa all the recent Fed losses were against big hitters. Del Potro, Soderlng, Berdych. For some reasons Roddick and Djokovic couldn't capitalize on their added advantage. Whenever someone beats Federer the media showers praises on that someone with titles like most promising player, devastating force etc etc. Most of them however do go into oblivion. Sooner or later these big hitters do go through the injury phase and may never be the same again like Del Potro.

As always critics are up against him. Some said age is catching up with him. Some said he is no more a dominant force. Some has this strange prophecy skills predicting his retirement. Some were busy counting Rafa’s slam tally @ the current rate and coming out with questions like will he pass Fed’s mammoth total? As someone rightly said you loss but not win is remembered. It amazing how people write off some one like Fed who did it again and again and a loss always makes him face the wrong end of the stick. As always I stand in the thick and thin of the Mighty Emperor and hope to see his arsenal increase and fight till the last calorie in his muscle to increase his slam tally to 17 @ the US open. And yes I still expect a Sampras-tying seventh next summer.Hail Federer.

P.S: In the finals Rafa was brutal to say the least which I wouldn't have agreed in any other given circumstances. Fed fan after all. .