I should have tried my hands on some jackpots last week. My prediction in the last blog for the last four of
the French Open came exactly right, thanks to my stars being in their best
positions! Though I missed out on making a fortune, I decided not to miss the final and took my rightful place in front of the TV very early. On a Sunday evening, that is a very dangerous proposition considering how volatile my better half can be when she wants!
Today morning Cricinfo had
the preview of the Champions trophy clash between Sri Lanka and New Zealand themed as Ferrer vs
Murray of cricket. Ferrer was NewZealand. They didn't call him an underachiever
but he, most appropriately, was termed as someone who has the ability to just remain
in the top bracket while never being able to truly challenge the top four when it
comes to trophies. In essence, they called him a honest trier. We all know that
ilk, we respect them, we admire them for always giving their 100% but they lack
something that true winners have. That extra ounce of talent, that inimitable
aura, that ability to bounce back when everything seems lost. If Ferrer is to
change that image tonight, he has to bring his A game to Roland Garros and hope
that Rafael Nadal had a late night drinking binge and then shows up with a twisted ankle. That is just to show what Rafa is capable of on clay than to show
that how hopeless Ferrer is when it comes to hoping!
First Set: Ferrer showed up in bright green Tee while Rafa
flaunted his Tarzan like biceps in a white shirt. Nobody quite knew how Ferrer managed to break Rafa's serve in the first Set. Rafa was
practically bulldozing from the baseline. There were numerous occasions when all
he had to do was wait for the right time to open up and unleash his trademark
forehand. Everything is going according to script. Nadal 6-3 Ferrer.
Second Set: As soon as the
first few drops of rain fell, I could see pink and green umbrellas coming up.
Paris, fashion capital? Really? But unlike last year, the drizzle soon subdued
and didn't last long enough to trouble Rafa's game. In the blink of an eye, he
raced to a 3-0 lead. Though Ferrer improved his game over the course of the
set, the damage had already been done. The good thing was Ferrer managed to
break Rafa in this set too and the bad thing was that Ferrer had already given
his opponent a 2 game break head-start. And, on clay, against Rafael Nadal,
that is a cardinal sin. By the end of the second set, it is clear that Rafa did
not have a late night drinking session and his ankles are doing just fine.
Third Set: if you need any
proof that Ferrer is a quick learner, you just have this watch this set in
which he played some forehands which even Rafa would have been proud to execute.
With the Championship on the line he upped his game and gave Rafa a few
problems. He managed to get even with Rafa until the 8th game in which his
double fault gave Rafa the break and he safely served out the match & the
championship in the next game. On watching Ferrer being wrong footed on his
forehand, Rafa fell on his back covering his face, clearly overcome with emotion.
He became the first man on the planet ever to win the same Grandslam a record 8
times. It is fair to say that he likes this red dirt more than the African
elephants.
Epilogue: Just after Ferrer lost to Nadal in straight sets, New Zealand somehow managed to drag themselves to the brink of defeat, chasing 139 against Sri Lanka but won by 1 wicket at the end. So it is not all that bad for honest triers around the World today.
