STRAY THOUGHTS-29.1.2017- BY AJU DESHPANDE

Like today is the special day in history of tennis with Connors playing John MacEnro sorry Federer playing Nadal in Australian open final.

Like some may say how does it matter whoever wins as they are not from India  but I would say it matters as much as it mattered then in seventies when only one Indian used to qualify for Grand Slam and please don’t ask who and how?

Like Federer Nadal rivalry has brought back glory of Borg, Connors, McEnroe era and still some can say how does it matter but it matters very much and don’t ask why.  When it’s highest level of tennis every final matters.

And like in era of Borg, or Borg era  he won and won and won and won and won in Wimbledon, no matter who was in final and regardless of how many sets he was down.

And like when McEnroe won he was powerful and popular and ruthless and skillful and that mattered whoever played against and whoever watched.

And like when Lendl won everything but Wimbledon, for him Wimbledon only mattered and still matters for any tennis player or tennis lover as much as Australian open mattered today for Federer and Nadal.

Like Edberg won Wimbledon twice apart from five other grand slams and Pat Cash of Australia only won Wimbledon once and it mattered for them though Pat Cash was from Australia and Edberg from Sweden.

And when Agassi of US won 8 Grand Slams and when he  played, was darling of the crowd as much as McEnroe and no less than popular Federer today and that matters for some and not for the game but more for media .

And that Edberg  was cool like Borg though he was neither Borg nor Sampras in terms of class who was also cool but aggressive in new aggressively ruthless  tennis which he (Sampras) invented and it mattered.

And that records speak for devastatingly consistent Sampras and that matters.

And that I must not miss our own Vijay Amritraj who reached quarters in Wimbledon twice and US Open twice and for  Indian it mattered.

And once upon a time, a Sports Magazine put pictures of ABC of tennis in  the world on cover page and want you to guess who were ABC and you must be knowing it, as a matter of fact as it mattered then.

And that when Federer won today he spoke mostly about Nadal and wished he would have loved to share trophy with Nadal  that is all about manners and it mattered.

And like it would be now interesting to watch Wimbledon with Djokovic,  Murray , Federer and Nadal in the race, not to forget Dimitrov and Wawrinka or any dark horse who might also matter.

And not to forget Williams sisters playing finals and winning title at 36 was not easy and for Serena it mattered even thought it meant defeating her sister .

And like Sania Mirza though lost mixed doubles it mattered and would have mattered more if she had won.

And that in today’s 20 -20 match between India and England whoever wins doesn’t matter much  for Sports lovers after grand feast at Melbourne and that’s it and that’s all what matters at least for me today.

See you next week with  more stray aces  and volleys on the eve of Australia tour of NZ, Bangladesh tour of India and Women world chess Championship at Teheran coming up in February.