It wouldn’t be wrong if this year is termed as the “Year of Resurgence” as the world of tennis has seen its two greats, whose careers in the past few years had been marred by injuries and dips in form
GROUND REALITY
It wouldn’t be wrong if this year is termed as the “Year of Resurgence” as the world of tennis has seen its two greats, whose careers in the past few years had been marred by injuries and dips in form, returning to their best. This incredible turnaround has been down to radical changes in their training and playing schedule, which have given an astounding boost to their performances. These two legends of the game have proved their insatiable appetite for success in a bid to supplant their rivals and dominate the sport.
Roger Federer, especially, is having the time of his life after shutting down his season last year in the wake of a semi-final loss to Canada’s Milos Raonic at Wimbledon, and later skipping the Olympics to nurse his nagging injury. He had been reckless over the last few years in major tournaments and had been missing his mojo that has earned him the status of GOAT. His last major triumph before 2017 came at Wimbledon 2012.
He made his return at this year’s tune-up events for Aussie Open and has since then captured two grand slams (Australian Open and Wimbledon) while the French Open was annexed by Rafael Nadal who has also shown glimpses of his former, explosive self.
Federer’s decision to miss the French Open also paid off as he and Nadal had battled out for hegemony in the Australian Open final, which was a clear indication that the Spaniard would reign supreme on his favourite surface (clay).
In the build-up to Wimbledon, Federer crashed out in the first round in Stuttgart before bouncing back to claim his ninth title in Halle.
His serve has been lethal, he has been finding it easy to keep his opponents at bay with his sumptuous display, and he has been in complete control of his nerves in gruelling situations. He is being more aggressive from the baseline and is trying to avoid long rallies which is helping him stay more fit. He is hitting the ball with more pace and deeper into the court.
And above all, even at the age of 36, he is loving the game that he has ruled for most part of the last decade along with the other three giants of the Big Four. What could possibly go wrong when the Swiss starts dictating his own terms on the court?
The Wimbledon final between Federer and Croatia’s Marin Cilic was a one-sided affair, which the former sealed in straight sets.It was the first time since 1976 when a player won Wimbledon without dropping a set.
The world number three capitalised on the woeful showings of Serbia’s Novak Djokovic and world number one Andy Murray of Great Britain. Djokovic has faced a significant slump in form since capping an historic achievement last year by completing his career grand slam after lifting the French Open — the only major title missing from his trophy-laden shelf before 2016. He has himself admitted that he has been struggling to find the motivation that made him a formidable force and catapulted him to the top of the rankings. He will sit out the remainder of the season with an elbow injury. Meanwhile, Andy Murray has also been combating injury problems since enjoying incredible last six months of 2016 that saw him rise to the top.
Federer and Nadal have staged remarkable comebacks and they are the men to beat.
Wimbledon 2017 had its ups and downs as where men and women players produced mouth-watering and high-quality tennis, the All England Club drew the ire of many for shunting women players off top courts to please broadcasters.
Australia’s bad boys Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic had to depart from the tournament early. Kyrgios, who is regarded as one of the finest players of this generation, had to withdraw from the tournament after retiring hurt during his first-round match. Tomic, however, threw away his match to his opponent in horrendous fashion. He didn’t even try and was hitting the ball as if he had no desire to win, which was an insult for all the spectators who had showed up in the hope of witnessing an entertaining game of tennis. Both the Aussies had been in the news for hurling racial slurs and meltdowns on the court, and had been axed from their country’s Rio Olympics squad owing to their despicable behaviour.
The match between Nadal and Luxemburg’s Giles Muller was the match of the tournament as it lasted for 4 hours and 48 minutes, involving breathtaking rallies and many a times brought the spectators to their feet. Nadal was eventually sent packing in what was a captivating battle.
Moreover, Spain’s Garbine Muguruza, who prior to the tournament wasn’t even the bookmakers’ favourite, defied all the odds by stunning United States’ Venus Williams in the women’s singles final. She became only the second Spanish woman after Conchita Martinez to win the Wimbledon. Venus, who could etch her name into the history books by becoming the oldest Wimbledon champion, had no answer to Muguruza’s hard-hitting tennis and she failed to make the most of her sister Serena William’s absence from the tournament.
This year has seen the women’s field opening wide since Serena has been out of action. All three major titles have been claimed by different players, which manifests Serena’s influence over the years.
Maria Sharapova, who returned to action this year after completing her ban for taking the banned drug meldonium, will be the one to watch when she recovers from an injury she picked before Wimbledon.
She has faced a barrage of stinging criticism from some of her fellow players who called her a “cheat”, and are against the decision of the World Tennis Association (WTA) of giving her a second chance.
Besides Muguruza, new world number one Karolina Pliskova and number two Simona Halep will be the biggest threats in the forthcoming events.
With so much on the line, Federer and Nadal have clearly emerged stronger than the rest of the top stars. Their renewed resilience must be a morale-booster for others. While Federer will be chasing his third grand slam title this year at the US Open, Nadal will be all out to fire on all cylinders and look to thwart him. The Spaniard, the holder of 15 grand slams, seems to be the only one capable of denying Federer another feather in his cap, at least this year, which will make him the conqueror of 20 grand slam crowns.
Not only this, Federer could have a crack at the top of the rankings. If this happens, we will be travelling back in time to 2007, when the Swiss snared three grands slams and rose to the top, while the French Open was captured by Nadal.
