Sports Blog

The world has found two new Tennis Superstars in Novak Djokovic and Joe Wilfried TSONGA and Djokovic has come out victorious in the battle between two extremely talented youngsters. He has become the first from Serbia to win a grand slam when he beat TSONGA in the 2008 Australian Open final today with the score line reading 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 5-7,

Today’s match didn’t see the artistry TSONGA had shown in the semi final against Rafael Nadal with magical touch and drop shots. It was just brute force that did Djokovic in. Djokovic, a great athlete himself like Rafael Nadal and normally one of the best movers on the court was a mere spectators on many cross-court passing, down the line, forehand, double-handed backhand shots by TSONGA.

That Djokovic was the favorite to win the tournament was clear when he humiliated long reigning world #1 Roger federer in Friday’s semi final. But spectators at the Rod Laver arena were clearly behind the charismatic and Md. Ali lookalike TSONGA. He didn’t disappoint them taking the first set in 52 minutes. It was the first time that anybody in the last fortnight has taken a set off him.

In the first set TSONGA used his brute force and at moments Djokovic was just a spectator to powerful strokes by TSONGA. But soon the Serb got his rhythm back and took the 2nd set. In the meantime TSONGA lost his touch and started to make lot more unforced errors. The fearlessness and magical strokes that destroyed Rafael Nadal were absent today. None the less - he stil could match Djokovic shot for shot and thats really scary to other players on the tour.

The franchises of city teams slated to kickstart the Indian Premiere League (IPL), a counter venture of Twenty20 cricket by the Indian Cricket Board against rival Indian Cricket League has been auctioned recently heralding a new beginning in the cricketing world. The auction has fetched  Board Of Control For Cricket In India (BCCI)a whopping $723.59 millions against a base price of $400 millions.

It is no secret that Cricket is the biggest box-office attraction along with Bollywood in India and it was proved  once more with big corporate houses and tycoons bidding hand in hand with biggest filmstars.  Mukesh Ambani, the richest Indian and chairman of the Reliance industries got the ownership of the Mumbai team after quoting $111.9 millions - the most expensive team so far. The IPL promises to have glamor quotient in abundance with bubbly Preity Zinta winning the Mohali team with her boyfriend Ness Wadia. Shah Rukh “The King” Khan has become the proud owner of the Kolkata Team along with his business partner Juhi Chawla. If it is not enough than one can get flamboyance with Bijay Mallya who is in sports big time and owns a F1 team - not to mention his sponsorship of the Kolkata footbal teams.

But the success of the IPL will depend mostly on how much entertainment value it can provide to the audience. It is to be noted here that, IPL has already signed up some of the biggest stars in the cricketing world including legends like Shane Warne and Glen McGrath.

In a repeat of the first semifinal at the 2008 Australian Open at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, the super talented Serbian Novak Djokovic has humbled the world number one player Super Cool Roger Federer in straight sets (7-5, 6-3, 7-6). yesterday, Rafael Nadal was nuked by Muhammad Ali look-alike and unseeded but talented French youngster Joe Wilfried TSONGA. This guarantees a new grand-slam champion who has never won one before.

This victoryby Djokovic over the king of tennis is not a surprise to Tennis pundits because he burst onto the scene, he has been showing flashes of his talents. Last year he beat Federer in the Tennis Masters Cup. The legendary Aussie Doubles Specialists Mark Woodforde has predicted yesterday that Djokovic can really upset Federer in the semis.

Like the first semi-final between Nadal and TSONGA, this match also saw the underdog attacking Federer since the first point. Djokovic approached to the net again and again and put Federer on the defensive. He also exploited Federer’s double handed backhand on down the court shots which Bijoy Amritraj described as the slightest achiles heels in the master’s game.

So the question arises- has the slide begun for Federer after reigning world tennis longer than anybody i the history of the game? Only time will tell as there are many more tournaments including three grand-slams left for the year 2008.

Well done Djokovic. Wish you best of luck and waiting for a grand, electric and attacking game of tennis in the final on Saturday.

Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar today notched up his 39^th test century at the Adelaide oval on first day of the ongoing 4^th and last test between India and Australia. Many, including Australian spin legend Shane Warne has predicted that Sachin would play some special innings during this Australian tour as it might be his last tour Down Under. At 34, he is not getting any younger and he has had few injury scare over last couple of years.

Sachin started his innings cautiously, but true to his billings, he started to open up after lunch and he had a 160 runs partnership with V.V.S. Laxman who made a patient 51. Sachin literally toyed with the Aussie attack hitting 10 boundaries and 3 huge sixes. He reached his first century at the Adelaide oval in just 133 balls when a drive raced through a diving Hogg to the boundary. Later on Sachin told the media that he is enjoying his game right now and does not want to spoil it by thinking when he shout hang up the boots.

Well done Sachin.

As the title said – Rafa, the ever number two tennis player from Mall orca, Spain has been hit by TSONGA Tsunami in the first men’s semifinal of the Australian Open, 2008. Joe Wilfried TSONGA, the unheralded French player has comprehensively beaten the world number two in straight set in a match played under electric atmosphere at the Rod Lever Arena (6-2, 6-3 6-2), Melbourne.

Of course there was hint of the talent that the 22 year old charismatic TSONGA always had with him. He had an excellent career in the junior circuit winning the Australian and US opens in the junior category. But since turning professional he has been sidelined for a long time due to shoulder and abdomen injuries and played only eight tournaments last year.

TSONGA who beat 9^th seed Andy Murray of Britain, his compatriot the 8^th seed Richard Gasquet and the 14^th Seed Russian Mikhail Youzhny on his way to semifinal relentlessly attacked Rafael Nadal from the first game. He broke Nadal in the 4^th game of the match and won the set easily with the score reading 6-2. Nadal had no chance against superbly controlled magical drop shots of TSONGA. In the second set, Nadal somewhat got back his rhythm and both players fought for ascendancy till the 8^th game when TSONGA through two magic moments broke Nadal to take 5-3 lead. He easily held his own serve to take the second set. The third set was no better for Nadal as TSONGA broke him on the 3^rd game and romped home with 6-2 scoreline.

The most notable aspect of the match has been – nobody have, not even Roger Federer have dominated Nadal in such a manner. He just got annihilated by a player who had everything – powerful forehands, artistic drop shots that almost looked like magical and big serves. Much to the rapturous applause of the capacity crowd an inspired TSONGA displayed all of his talents that rendered Nadal as helpless spectator.  It was not that Rafa was out of form. But TSONGA was just a better player.

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