Last
night I was watching the semi finals of French Open between Djokovic and Nadal.
Born in a cricket crazy country, I take pride in being fascinated towards
tennis. I love this sport for the way it carries itself. My all time favorite
player remains Pete Sampras and after his retirement, I started watching
Roddick and Nadal play it with elegance and poise. I became Agassi’s fan after
reading his book “Open”. I also admired Monica Seles for the way she came back
to the game even after she was stabbed during a match between her and Steffi
Graf. Now, I love watching Serena Williams win every match and admire her
comeback after a life threatening lung condition. Back home, I am an ardent fan
of Leander Paes for his passion towards the game. No offense but he is a relief
amongst those players who run even after cents leaving the nation disgraced. I
actually congratulate myself for never being fascinated towards cricket lest
today I would be cursing the tainted players for wasting my time watching them
tuck their towels and signal the bookies. The thought of many hidden names
coming to limelight sickens me.
Back
to the match that I had watched yesterday, I previously watched a match between
Djokovic and Nadal which went on for more than 5hrs. The game was more about
mental strength than physical stamina. I was in the gym working out and
everyone with me in the gym stopped working out and were glued to the match.
Djokovic won the match finally and the match is famous even now for its long
rallies between the 2 players. I remember that match very well though it has
happened almost 2 yrs. back. This time too, I wanted to watch the match between
the 2 great players of this generation. I consider Nadal and Serena as the
Title favorites keeping in mind their ferocious come back. Yesterday’s match
went on for 4 and 1/2 hours. By the time I started watching the match, Nadal
and Djokovic won a set each. Nadal went on to win the 3rd set and
was serving for the match as the 4th one began, Djokovic was under
pressure as the crowd went on to chat Nadal’s name. He was losing the shots at
the line. As I started to feel sorry for Djokovic, he took me by surprise by winning
that set and the next one too. Both of them won 2 sets each and the last one
was the crucial one for both the players and Djokovic was leading by playing
strong forehands and long rallies. Nadal was visibly exhausted. I was excited
watching the match. Amidst audience support Nadal went on to win the match. Not
to mention, Nadal was playing to win his 8th French Open title,
highest by any player. He was just a step closer to realize his dream.
While
Nadal was celebrating his success by throwing away his wristbands towards his
fans, I caught Djokovic packing his belongings in silence and leave the stadium
after waving at the crowd for their support. He was visibly upset at his loss
after coming too near to win the match. He must have practiced very hard to win
the title but unfortunately he fell a step before. My heart went out for him.
But what impressed me was that his eyes spoke more than his actions. He had
that determination sealed in his heart that showed up in his eyes. He isn’t the
one who would easily give up on his dreams. Hoping that he cracks the next
title, all it struck me was that each one of us at some point in our lives must
have been so close to achieve something but must have missed it in the last
moment. But all we need to remember that amid of difficulty comes an
opportunity and only the ones who are passionate about their dreams capitalize
it.
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