the new french open has been crowned and surprise surprise is mr roger himself. does this title that has been eluding him for so long make him the greatest to have ever played the game?
Dont get me wrong i have no particlular aversion to the man, on the other hand i think that he is one of the most stylish players of the game. his movement on court seems so stylish and effortless. neverthless i have never been an ardent supporter.
After shocking and surprising loss to soderling there were no surprises as to who would probably win the title. the other challengers were dropped along the wayside not making much progress - djokovich and murray in particular. though federer huffed and puffed his way to the final very unlike the man he didnt have to much of a challenge on the other side of the net.
soderling was probably just relishing and enjoying his moment in the sun. federer on the other hand didnt have his nemesis on the other side of the net pumping his humongous arms and sending federer on a fetching challenge from one side of the court to another. life could not have been better for the man who painfully lost the oz open earlier in the year. seems like the wedding and the baby on the way were some sort of good luck charm.
would fedex have claimed the title, even if rafa was on the other side of the net. according to me it is highly unlikely. federer was in poor form all through the tournament and nearly lost a couple of matches. all were against players unlikely to reach the semi's or even the finals for that matter. if rafa was in the menacing form that he was in roger would probably be goin to london wondering if he would ever be able to conquer the clay of roland garros.
is he the greatest of all time? if we look at the number of grandslams and the time that he won them in then the statistics defininetly point to the fact that he is the greatest. but stats are not the only determining factor. technology has changed drastically for instance. rod lavel didnt have hawk eye, neither did john mconroe. the rackets, the shoes medical advances and the like.
roger, for the most part of his career didnt have a rival who could challenge him. he only had himself to look upto to reach higher and higher. andy roddick kept up for a while, but that was short lived. with the immergence of rafa, roger found his empire being taken away from him one by one. at the age of 23 how many tennis stars can boast of the success that rafa has had.
roger has entered his name in the history books for sure. rafa too has the potential to lead the next generation of players into the the next era of tennis. he too has the potential to become one of the greatest players. whether he can sustain the intensity to continue, only time will tell.
the debate will continue to rage on. is fedex the greatest. well i think hes one of the greatest. and i here i rest my case.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
apple??
apple's products can be termed as a cultural phenomenon world over. from the youngest to the oldest everyone wants something apple. be it a macbook or an ipod or the host of other accessories for the apple stables. one of the most innovative products from the company has been the iPod. dont get me wrong, its not that i dont like iPods , I even own one, but I have always wondered why the product is still selling like hot cakes.
These days, and you just move around the school, work, shopping malls, or just in any place youll see that many people, listen to their ipods. You may see some cool accessories, such as portable speakers, calm to find cases, tape recorders, FM transmitters, remote control and more. Let face it, the Apple I - pod has become the most popular MP3 players and the surrounding it doesn't seem to think that it would loose # 1 spot at any time as soon as possible with all the new gadgets. Well, the Apple I - so popular pod
iPods are so popular because of excellent marketing. They are also popular because of the many cool accessories that are available (BMW with iPod dock?).
The major reason for their popularity is they're easy to just get up and take with you. You can slip the paper-thin iPod nano into your pocket, whether you're driving, commuting , or relaxing at home. People who love music will tell you, this means having their favorite songs all day long, everyday.
And the other major reason is the simplicity. Apple iPods have been applauded for having the easiest menus and interface to use, period.
The quality of the sound can blow you away too. Most people can't tell the difference between an iPod and a CD. In many cases, there is no difference. I've never heard anyone who was unhappy with the sound quality of an Apple iPod. A
apple started chomping away at the MP3 market as soon as the first Apple iPod was released. Since then, they've become the market leader for portable music. The iPod Nano is probably the most popular model right now. This is why when you look at Apple iPods in the store you see like 20 different colors of the nano to choose from. They don't make that kind of variety without a reason.
With their feather-light weight and credit card size, the iPod Nano is essential for anyone who not only has to have the latest gadget, but also wants to take their music with them anywhere. This is the best option out there. People love the color display and the storage seems to be getting better every year! All of this put together make it pretty clear why the iPod nano in such high demand. Apple, with all of its insight, has undoubtedly redefined the way we listen to our music.
the california based music company launched mini the music player 5 years ago on October 23, 2001 and has never looked back as sales of the trendy gadget have continued to skyrocket.
Part of the iPod's success can be attributed to its small size, the smallest model easily fits in a shirt pocket, and its hefty memory which allows owners of the larger models to store up to 20,000 songs. Its international appeal was also helped by the fact that Apple designed the iPod's menu in multiple languages, including Japanese
Popular with students and young hipsters, iPods have, however, been snapped up by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and US President George W. Bush, according to media reports.
to be honest apple really has no competitors in the mp3 player market. microsoft's zune failed to live up to the hype. companies like samsung and sony have launched their own mp3 players but none have lived up to the ipod.
apple has constantly updated their ipods. each version seems to be better than the other with more and more exciting features. the latest is the voice over feature in the shuffle. chances are that mp3 players will continue to roll out from the apple workshops for all us apple maniacs to drool over....:)...
These days, and you just move around the school, work, shopping malls, or just in any place youll see that many people, listen to their ipods. You may see some cool accessories, such as portable speakers, calm to find cases, tape recorders, FM transmitters, remote control and more. Let face it, the Apple I - pod has become the most popular MP3 players and the surrounding it doesn't seem to think that it would loose # 1 spot at any time as soon as possible with all the new gadgets. Well, the Apple I - so popular pod
iPods are so popular because of excellent marketing. They are also popular because of the many cool accessories that are available (BMW with iPod dock?).
The major reason for their popularity is they're easy to just get up and take with you. You can slip the paper-thin iPod nano into your pocket, whether you're driving, commuting , or relaxing at home. People who love music will tell you, this means having their favorite songs all day long, everyday.
And the other major reason is the simplicity. Apple iPods have been applauded for having the easiest menus and interface to use, period.
The quality of the sound can blow you away too. Most people can't tell the difference between an iPod and a CD. In many cases, there is no difference. I've never heard anyone who was unhappy with the sound quality of an Apple iPod. A
apple started chomping away at the MP3 market as soon as the first Apple iPod was released. Since then, they've become the market leader for portable music. The iPod Nano is probably the most popular model right now. This is why when you look at Apple iPods in the store you see like 20 different colors of the nano to choose from. They don't make that kind of variety without a reason.
With their feather-light weight and credit card size, the iPod Nano is essential for anyone who not only has to have the latest gadget, but also wants to take their music with them anywhere. This is the best option out there. People love the color display and the storage seems to be getting better every year! All of this put together make it pretty clear why the iPod nano in such high demand. Apple, with all of its insight, has undoubtedly redefined the way we listen to our music.
the california based music company launched mini the music player 5 years ago on October 23, 2001 and has never looked back as sales of the trendy gadget have continued to skyrocket.
Part of the iPod's success can be attributed to its small size, the smallest model easily fits in a shirt pocket, and its hefty memory which allows owners of the larger models to store up to 20,000 songs. Its international appeal was also helped by the fact that Apple designed the iPod's menu in multiple languages, including Japanese
Popular with students and young hipsters, iPods have, however, been snapped up by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and US President George W. Bush, according to media reports.
to be honest apple really has no competitors in the mp3 player market. microsoft's zune failed to live up to the hype. companies like samsung and sony have launched their own mp3 players but none have lived up to the ipod.
apple has constantly updated their ipods. each version seems to be better than the other with more and more exciting features. the latest is the voice over feature in the shuffle. chances are that mp3 players will continue to roll out from the apple workshops for all us apple maniacs to drool over....:)...
Thursday, March 5, 2009
terrorizing cricket
the attack on the sri lankan cricketers has been a rude and rather unfortunate awakening experience for world cricket. in terms of concrete steps, till date the icc has done absolutely nothing. it was for fear of absolute embarrassment that the champions trophy was postponed (embarrassment that most teams wouldn't even have showed up). rather diplomatically the icc has stated that its up to visiting teams as to whether they want to tour the country, depending on advice from their countries. on several occasions pakistani cricketers and politicians stated that terrorists would probably not even think of attacking international cricketers. the fact that the cricketers that were attacked came from a country in the cub continent rubbishes this claim.
the bigger question at the moment is the upcoming world cup which is going to be hosted by pakistan india sri lanka and bangladesh. the possibility of matches being hosted in pakistan at the moment looks slim. on the other hand if the icc allows the cup to progress as scheduled, chances are high that most teams will refuse to travel to the country. the men who play this game are not going to put their lives on the line for the sake of a game, however patriotic they may be.
pakistans chances of hosting international matches or teams at the moment looks slim. no cricketer in his right mind would want to even travel to the war ravaged country. since the bid for the cup was a joint one, one wonders if it may have to be totally shifted out of the subcontinent. the bcci on the other hand is confident that it will carry on as planned, even if is just 3 countries that are hosting the world cup. considering the power that the bcci has, there is a possibility that things could move ahead as scheduled.
the fact that india hosted england successfully after the mumbai attack should stand them in good stead. the steps that were taken seemed foolish and over the top but as they say better safe than sorry. there were some cardinal mistakes that were made by the pakistani security authorities, which they should focus on instead of all the finger pointing all round. very similar to what happened after it was known the mumbai attackers were pakistani citizens.
the war of words between broad (the umpire) and butt (pcb chairman) will probably go on for sometime. thought the pakistanis claim that their own policemen were killed, fact of the matter is that the incident should never have even been allowed to happen. if the security was so good, as they claimed it, how did the attackers get so close to the players and officials. pakistan must accept responsibility for the attack. and the fat is that this attack has serious consequences for cricket and sport in the country.
its high time pakistan stands up and takes responsibility. as a cricketing nation they have suffered a great deal. the death of their coach bon woolmer, the entry and exit of a number of captains and coaches, loss of players to the icl and now this - it will probably result in a nomadic existence for cricketers in pakistan who may choose nomadic pastures such as the icl and other 20-20 leagues.
the world need pakistan cricket - known for their flamboyance and color. its time for the pakistani governement to stop pushing matters under the table and take responsibility.
the bigger question at the moment is the upcoming world cup which is going to be hosted by pakistan india sri lanka and bangladesh. the possibility of matches being hosted in pakistan at the moment looks slim. on the other hand if the icc allows the cup to progress as scheduled, chances are high that most teams will refuse to travel to the country. the men who play this game are not going to put their lives on the line for the sake of a game, however patriotic they may be.
pakistans chances of hosting international matches or teams at the moment looks slim. no cricketer in his right mind would want to even travel to the war ravaged country. since the bid for the cup was a joint one, one wonders if it may have to be totally shifted out of the subcontinent. the bcci on the other hand is confident that it will carry on as planned, even if is just 3 countries that are hosting the world cup. considering the power that the bcci has, there is a possibility that things could move ahead as scheduled.
the fact that india hosted england successfully after the mumbai attack should stand them in good stead. the steps that were taken seemed foolish and over the top but as they say better safe than sorry. there were some cardinal mistakes that were made by the pakistani security authorities, which they should focus on instead of all the finger pointing all round. very similar to what happened after it was known the mumbai attackers were pakistani citizens.
the war of words between broad (the umpire) and butt (pcb chairman) will probably go on for sometime. thought the pakistanis claim that their own policemen were killed, fact of the matter is that the incident should never have even been allowed to happen. if the security was so good, as they claimed it, how did the attackers get so close to the players and officials. pakistan must accept responsibility for the attack. and the fat is that this attack has serious consequences for cricket and sport in the country.
its high time pakistan stands up and takes responsibility. as a cricketing nation they have suffered a great deal. the death of their coach bon woolmer, the entry and exit of a number of captains and coaches, loss of players to the icl and now this - it will probably result in a nomadic existence for cricketers in pakistan who may choose nomadic pastures such as the icl and other 20-20 leagues.
the world need pakistan cricket - known for their flamboyance and color. its time for the pakistani governement to stop pushing matters under the table and take responsibility.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
can we do it in nz??
india are on yet another tour of new zealand. a country that they have always struggled to do well in. after the first two 20-20's the signs look inauspicious. teams from the subcontinent have always struggled in a country that is rugby crazy (the first 20-20 was played in a rugby stadium). dhoni is a captain who rarely complains (atleast so far), so he just suggested it was a challenge to play in a rugby stadium.
the plush green pastures and beautiful landscape is more suitable for a holiday rather than a long, hard cricket tour. the unpredictable weather often makes things very uncomfortable for most of our players, especially for a bunch of boys who come from a hot n sweaty country, where conditions are no where close to what one experiences in new zealand.
the constant travelling could also effect the players. consider this, the team will reach napier, the venue of the first odi, the evening before the match, because of a shortage of hotel rooms. many visiting team complain of hectic schedules when touring india, but it is highly unlikely that they reach the venue on the eve of a match.
on the positive side new zealand is not even remotely cricket crazy. chances are that a majority of spectators in the stands will be indian immigrants. the indians will be able to take a walk in the park virtually unnoticed. hopefully the fact that they have a limited amount of pressure on them should help.
its time for this new look indian team to dig their heels into the ground and prove themselves to the world. can they do it? well they have got a rude shock in the form of two losses. on the other hand, they had no practice matches and the 20-20 matches would have given them a feel of things.
they have a fearless and tough leader who seems to be able to last the distance. one hopes that ishant's injury is not serious. the bowling will be in trouble without the young mans pace and heart. this team has more potential than most teams that have toured this pituresque country. a billion fingers are crossed. it will be tough, and we could call it india's final frontier. with a little bit of faith n lots of adaapting, this team will definitely go the distance.
all the best to the men in blue!
the plush green pastures and beautiful landscape is more suitable for a holiday rather than a long, hard cricket tour. the unpredictable weather often makes things very uncomfortable for most of our players, especially for a bunch of boys who come from a hot n sweaty country, where conditions are no where close to what one experiences in new zealand.
the constant travelling could also effect the players. consider this, the team will reach napier, the venue of the first odi, the evening before the match, because of a shortage of hotel rooms. many visiting team complain of hectic schedules when touring india, but it is highly unlikely that they reach the venue on the eve of a match.
on the positive side new zealand is not even remotely cricket crazy. chances are that a majority of spectators in the stands will be indian immigrants. the indians will be able to take a walk in the park virtually unnoticed. hopefully the fact that they have a limited amount of pressure on them should help.
its time for this new look indian team to dig their heels into the ground and prove themselves to the world. can they do it? well they have got a rude shock in the form of two losses. on the other hand, they had no practice matches and the 20-20 matches would have given them a feel of things.
they have a fearless and tough leader who seems to be able to last the distance. one hopes that ishant's injury is not serious. the bowling will be in trouble without the young mans pace and heart. this team has more potential than most teams that have toured this pituresque country. a billion fingers are crossed. it will be tough, and we could call it india's final frontier. with a little bit of faith n lots of adaapting, this team will definitely go the distance.
all the best to the men in blue!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
the changing face of world cricket
india, australia or south africa?
the race to the top of world cricket is as hot as an egg in a frying pan...
before the depature of the big names in australian cricket there was a constant debate as to whether they would be able to hold on to their vice like grip on international cricket. a country which was immensely proud of its cricket structure - a domestic hotbed of talent, and a team which at one point seemed unbeatable.
it was a known fact that it was virtually impossible to find a place in the national team no matter wat your domestic credentials were. A 30 something year old mike hussey is such a case. but things have changed. the australian team and selectors are equally puzzled and confused. new faces are being pushed into the side at a never before seen pace. a reminder of the ian border times.
india on the other hand have found a way to ressurect themselves after the 2007 world cup debacle. the fresh face of captain ms dhoni and his band of fearless boys has transformed indian cricket. their undying belief in themselves as well as the fact that these boys seems to have their head on their shoulders has held them in good.
the selectors seemed to have temporarily lost their way in the appontment of kumble as captain. dont get me wrong, i have tremendous respect for the man both as an individual and as a cricketer. but how in the world can we think of appointing a man at the twilight of his career as the captain. not the way forward especially after the rahul dravid saga. things seemed to have gotten back on track with dhonis appointment as captain of the test team. a post that he should have been given with dravid's resignation in the first place.
south africa also seem to have taken off from the ashes like the mythical phoenix. their recent victory in oz proves this fact. for years they brandished the tag of the perrennial under achievers and under performers but this coat was finally peeled of with their series victory.
graeme smith in a lot of ways is like dhoni. talented, young but with his head on his shoulders. he too was given an ageing team in ruin and despair and his never die attitude has turned things around.
smith like dhoni has learnt to concentrate on cricket and ignore the extras that seem to be flying around these days (might i say primarily from australia). ricky ponting could do well to learn to learn from them. concentrate on your cricket the rest will take care of itself.
ponting on the other hand inherited a polished team. used to winning no matter how and when they played. losses for the aussies were few and far between. he now has a team that too has a certain extent has no focus and no direction. no clear cut roles as well. though if they change their focus to playing an honest game n truly being gentlemen i am sure things will begin to look up.
at the end of the day the aussies have to admit that other teams india and australia in particular are beating them at their own game. these young teams are willing to play with them at their own game both the cricket as well as other aspects i shall not mention.
times are changing india and south africa are on the way up. consistency is something they will have to learn. on the other hand australia have the talent to remain at the top they just need to figure out team roles and player roles.
the race to the top of world cricket is as hot as an egg in a frying pan...
before the depature of the big names in australian cricket there was a constant debate as to whether they would be able to hold on to their vice like grip on international cricket. a country which was immensely proud of its cricket structure - a domestic hotbed of talent, and a team which at one point seemed unbeatable.
it was a known fact that it was virtually impossible to find a place in the national team no matter wat your domestic credentials were. A 30 something year old mike hussey is such a case. but things have changed. the australian team and selectors are equally puzzled and confused. new faces are being pushed into the side at a never before seen pace. a reminder of the ian border times.
india on the other hand have found a way to ressurect themselves after the 2007 world cup debacle. the fresh face of captain ms dhoni and his band of fearless boys has transformed indian cricket. their undying belief in themselves as well as the fact that these boys seems to have their head on their shoulders has held them in good.
the selectors seemed to have temporarily lost their way in the appontment of kumble as captain. dont get me wrong, i have tremendous respect for the man both as an individual and as a cricketer. but how in the world can we think of appointing a man at the twilight of his career as the captain. not the way forward especially after the rahul dravid saga. things seemed to have gotten back on track with dhonis appointment as captain of the test team. a post that he should have been given with dravid's resignation in the first place.
south africa also seem to have taken off from the ashes like the mythical phoenix. their recent victory in oz proves this fact. for years they brandished the tag of the perrennial under achievers and under performers but this coat was finally peeled of with their series victory.
graeme smith in a lot of ways is like dhoni. talented, young but with his head on his shoulders. he too was given an ageing team in ruin and despair and his never die attitude has turned things around.
smith like dhoni has learnt to concentrate on cricket and ignore the extras that seem to be flying around these days (might i say primarily from australia). ricky ponting could do well to learn to learn from them. concentrate on your cricket the rest will take care of itself.
ponting on the other hand inherited a polished team. used to winning no matter how and when they played. losses for the aussies were few and far between. he now has a team that too has a certain extent has no focus and no direction. no clear cut roles as well. though if they change their focus to playing an honest game n truly being gentlemen i am sure things will begin to look up.
at the end of the day the aussies have to admit that other teams india and australia in particular are beating them at their own game. these young teams are willing to play with them at their own game both the cricket as well as other aspects i shall not mention.
times are changing india and south africa are on the way up. consistency is something they will have to learn. on the other hand australia have the talent to remain at the top they just need to figure out team roles and player roles.
Monday, February 2, 2009
the slam down under
so here goes after years of reading loads of blogs ive decided to start my own:)
i guess my first post will be bout something youll probably be reading about - tennis!!!
the oz open was filled with the expected and unexpected.
expected
the heat
roger rafa final
long matches going early into wee hours of the morning
shocking exits
retirements
upsets
player complaints
unexpected
rafa capturing his first oz open crown on a surface he is least comfortable on (being a fan i must say i was hoping he would!)
fedex bursting into tears
murray losing early on
dokic capturing the imagination of australia (yet again)
an all spanish semi final (verdasco in particular)
yuki winning the junior boys title
indians winning the most number of titles at a grand slam
the tournament had its share of exciting ups and downs right before it started with many players calling for a rescheduling of matches. happens year after year, understandably with global warming and other factors, one can understand their frustration. have absolutely no idea how one can manage a 5 hour game of tennis in the searing heat. as it is the season is pretty demanding. am sure that certain changes can be made to accomodate the players. after all its the players who bring in the crowds and the money. one may argue that the oz open has been traditionally played at the beggining of the year but traditions are meant to change. its highly unlikely that rod laver had to play half as many tournaments as rafa or roger.
longevity is important in a game like tennis where the fan base takes a while to build. n with tennis stars emerging out of regions that rarely produced players in the top 100, players health must be considered. a few extra weeks off would not hurt anyone. i am no expert, but i think that the human body cannot possibly take such strain and stress for such long periods of time.
the new drug policy has also got players worked up. with complaints flying in furiously from the top to the bottom.
the womens final was over even before the croed got comfortable in their seats. safina sinply got blown away by a ruthless serena williams who made the final look like a practice hiting session with a junior player.
but the mens final was something that will be spoken about for years to come. though at the rate that these 2 are going the next final will probaby be even more intriging.
roger must hate the sight of rafa at the other side of the net. no matter wat the shot or where the ball lands the man from spain has an answer.
at 22 rafa must fabcy his chances of writing his name in the history books. he has achieved more than what most critics ever thought he would. he has adapted his game to suit all surfaces and has proven time n time again that he can be successful anywhere.
i am sure if he continues to work as hard as he has and has that never say die attitude he will definitely rewrite the history books. his attitude (oz open presentation ceremony) has won him many fans n admirers world over. even the harshest critic has to got to give him the credit thats due to him!
VAMOS RAFA
how bout another one at the french open??
i guess my first post will be bout something youll probably be reading about - tennis!!!
the oz open was filled with the expected and unexpected.
expected
the heat
roger rafa final
long matches going early into wee hours of the morning
shocking exits
retirements
upsets
player complaints
unexpected
rafa capturing his first oz open crown on a surface he is least comfortable on (being a fan i must say i was hoping he would!)
fedex bursting into tears
murray losing early on
dokic capturing the imagination of australia (yet again)
an all spanish semi final (verdasco in particular)
yuki winning the junior boys title
indians winning the most number of titles at a grand slam
the tournament had its share of exciting ups and downs right before it started with many players calling for a rescheduling of matches. happens year after year, understandably with global warming and other factors, one can understand their frustration. have absolutely no idea how one can manage a 5 hour game of tennis in the searing heat. as it is the season is pretty demanding. am sure that certain changes can be made to accomodate the players. after all its the players who bring in the crowds and the money. one may argue that the oz open has been traditionally played at the beggining of the year but traditions are meant to change. its highly unlikely that rod laver had to play half as many tournaments as rafa or roger.
longevity is important in a game like tennis where the fan base takes a while to build. n with tennis stars emerging out of regions that rarely produced players in the top 100, players health must be considered. a few extra weeks off would not hurt anyone. i am no expert, but i think that the human body cannot possibly take such strain and stress for such long periods of time.
the new drug policy has also got players worked up. with complaints flying in furiously from the top to the bottom.
the womens final was over even before the croed got comfortable in their seats. safina sinply got blown away by a ruthless serena williams who made the final look like a practice hiting session with a junior player.
but the mens final was something that will be spoken about for years to come. though at the rate that these 2 are going the next final will probaby be even more intriging.
roger must hate the sight of rafa at the other side of the net. no matter wat the shot or where the ball lands the man from spain has an answer.
at 22 rafa must fabcy his chances of writing his name in the history books. he has achieved more than what most critics ever thought he would. he has adapted his game to suit all surfaces and has proven time n time again that he can be successful anywhere.
i am sure if he continues to work as hard as he has and has that never say die attitude he will definitely rewrite the history books. his attitude (oz open presentation ceremony) has won him many fans n admirers world over. even the harshest critic has to got to give him the credit thats due to him!
VAMOS RAFA
how bout another one at the french open??
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