This trophy, his again

Wimbledon 2014: Djokovic d. Federer


And then there were two. Two Wimbledon titles, that is.

If anyone wanted to show an alien from outer space what an exquisite game tennis was, all they should do is play a tape of the first set that went down between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic at the Wimbledon Finals 2014. At the end of the first set, although it was Federer's way that the tie break ended up going, I paused and shook my head in disbelief. What a game. What top quality tennis. How beautiful. 
I later told my friend that it must have bee quite amusing to witness the conversation that unfolded between me and my other friend (Federer fan). She, who lost hope in the  beginning after he was 2 sets and 2-5 down, with Djokovic serving for championship point. And then, all of a sudden, he wilted, just a teeny little bit, and it was me who was depressed all over again with an image of the old Djokovic flashing before my eyes - the weak mental game and inability to psych himself back. 
It was even more unbelievable when Djokovic had another chance at match point when Federer's serve was called out. He summoned Hawk's Eye. It wasn't. And he survived in the match long enough to take the 4th and force a 5th set. This was classic Federer. Impeccable tennis. The aces, the calm demeanour, the barely breaking a sweat.

The Novak circa 2008 - 2009 would have buckled under that pressure, having championship point slip through his bare hands. He would have just wilted after sitting at the sidelines and the Federer we knew would have finished him off like a junior. Heck, even I didn't believe in him. I had resorted to giving up all hope after having shouted at the TV screen for almost 4 hours.

But this is 2014, and Novak Djokovic sat quietly at the sidelines, gathered himself to defy it all and found his way back to win the trophy.

It was an emotional end to the day for many. Firstly, for Novak himself who, after eating another blade of grass to continue his tradition, dedicated this win to his future wife and child and his late coach who had told him he was going to be World No.1.

For Federer who wiped away a tear, standing gallantly at the side watching Novak receive the trophy.
"Thank you for letting me win today," he had told the legend. And indeed, it takes two to tango. Without Federer, there would never have been such great tennis at play.

And for many of my friends, die-hard Federer fans...without whom this experience would not be half as fun.

Lynn posted this screenshot of our Whatsapp conversation where we gave ourselves bouts of palpitations during the match. 4 whole of years of enthusing over tennis matches and grand slam results and watching tennis is still as enjoyable with this girl. Federer v Djokovic clashes and Wimbledon would have never been the same if our paths hadn't crossed. 

So as of today, Novak is World No.1 again. The best in the world, they say. And perhaps winning this Wimbledon was just what he needed to end this 18 month drought of not winning any Grand slam titles. But such is the world of tennis, which is why I love this game so much. It is unpredictable and full of surprises and yet when executed brilliantly, so beautiful to watch. And I believe Federer's last day has yet to come. I also believe that there is much more this World No.1 will bring to his game in the near future. 

May the best man win

It has been 2 whole years since my last visit to Centre Court in 2012 where I watched Rafa Nadal crash out in the first round in front of my very eyes, 4 whole years since our first venture into the grounds of Wimbledon where I very unpleasantly turned 5 shades darker and after that, where the exhilarating experience of the Quarterfinals on Centre Court made everything worth it. 

Wimbledon 2012 

Fast forward 2 years later to 2nd July 2014, where I had just emerged from an amazing 3 hour experience of Transformers on the big screen. 

My  Wimbledon app bleeps a notification and I flick it open. 

WHATTT!!?!? Andy Murray, the defending champion of Wimbledon 2012 - knocked out of the Quarterfinals by an 11th seeder whom I had hardly paid attention to before this?

This had got to be the best day ever. 

"OMG Andy Murray is OUT of the tournament!" 

"Haha, told you it was gonna be another 77 years before he wins it again" 

"#spankedbacktoscotland"

It's difficult to describe why I feel so strongly against the poor chap. Perhaps because he isn't the most charismatic of tennis players and although he has matured greatly in the game since those early days, his attitude still annoys me on the court. But most importantly, last year, when I had been watching him diligently on the TV screen - the only Wimbledon match I had managed to catch properly amidst work - I had watched my Djoker defeated right in front of my very eyes. It was a devastating experience, if any, and didn't do my distaste for the Scotsman any favours. 

But this year....things were getting real. After watching Novak battle his way inconsistently in and out of being in the lead against Grigor Dimitrov last night to reach his 3rd Wimbledon final in 4 years, I had come to a surprising conclusion - that in fact, Roger Federer was probably more deserving of this championship than Novak this tournament. And that it was obvious yesterday from his breaking Milos Raonic in the first game of the very first set that sometimes, all you need is the spirit of a champion, and in that department, Roger was the clear winner. 

So I have to admit that although I am a Novak fan through and through, a small part of me is contented with Roger winning the championships this year. Mainly because it has been so long since he has last won a Grand Slam and because he has been close to flawless this tournament. Milos never stood a chance and I gave up after a few minutes of watching the youngster wilt against the 32 year old.

But as they say, may the best man win. Either way I look forward to another highly entertaining tennis match to watch.

Good luck, guys.

A Warrior, Reborn

At the Semi Finals in RG '13: the headlines finally read - Nadal d. Djokovic. 

After a whirldwind of a match lasting 4 hours and 37 minutes, just short of their historical 5 hours 53 minutes showdown in Melbourne in 2012, only one man could emerge the winner to move on to the finish line. 

And that man was always meant to be Rafa Nadal. 

Certain matches will always transcend our familiar definitions and labels, and this particular semifinal at Phillipe Chartier this year probably fell short of a few. It wasn't classic. It was not 'epic' either. It probably fell a little short of 'elegant' in more ways than one, particularly amidst the blindingly fast shots that zipped through the air and the 173 mph groundstrokes of Novak Djokovic that only one man could persevere and come through: and that one man was Rafael Nadal. 

It was a particularly stressful match for me to watch, and halfway there, I forgot that I was watching a semifinal and not the real deal as I had been last year. 

My heart ached when Djokovic played like he had ice in his veins during the second match, basically throwing it away, and lurched to 200 bpm when he seemed to suddenly regain his footing and come clean in the 3rd and 4th. 

The final and deciding factor, was however, that the Djoker still has much of discipline and consistency to learn, at the end of the day. And eventually, my heart wept for what might have been, and all the hope that I had been harbouring throughout the entire match. 

Perhaps more dramatic than should have been perceived, and perhaps it is such that one should never too much harbour only to have it crushed in front of your very eyes. But at the end of the day, I was clear about one thing: some things are just meant to be. Call it destiny, call it twists of fate, call it life. 

Perhaps what made this defeat even more unforgettable was how much my tennis experience had changed over the past 2 years or so. I remembered the days of me and Lynn - when we would be within the same time zone and easy contact of each other when watching matches. How she would always understand this perhaps 'over the top' excitement. 

Then I remembered how the last time a similarly epic encounter had occurred between these two men, there had always been that one person who would be sharing my nerve-wracking palpitations and cheering me on to never lose faith in my Djoker.

This year, it was JH who had to listen to my outbursts about this French Open semifinal - with a "What is wrong? Who is Djoker playing?" 

And then after that, "What??? Since when was Djoker World No. 1????" 

At the end: Nadal walked away with the trophy for the 8th time as expected. 

Sometimes though, fate tugs this way rather than the other. 

Next year, I will be there. And perhaps next year, it will be Novak Djokovic who will be the new King of Clay. 

The Downfall

I had to admit, it was a little hard to believe when this picture greeted me this morning. Never in a million years had I imagined that it would be Andy Murray of all people that Djoker would be crushed by. 

Andy Murray....with all his whininess and the eye-rolling worthy hype by the British press. 

Yet, perhaps it is that pride always comes before a fall. Or rather, in Djoker's case: his racquet-smashing tendencies ended up with him being completely smashed by the Scotsman. 

It was one of the most frustrating matches of my entire life to absorb. First things first, I had been all but bubbling with excitement at the thought that I could finally catch a US Open match because it was actually early enough for my BST night time (9 pm instead of the usual 12 am). 

When Djoker was broken in the first game, I knew something was amiss. 

The first set suddenly was over with Andy Murray in the driving seat and me venting my anger out to Coco on Gtalk. 

How different things were from the year before, where my US Open 2011 experience comprised of blurry snippets from another TV via a Skype conversation and me declaring that things were over for Djokovic when Federer led 2 sets up, only to be told later on that "NOOOOO where is the faith? A World No.1 is a World No.1 for a reason!" 

This year, my little bit of faith left in my Djoker was hanging on a rapidly fraying string when he again was trashed in the second set. Yet, I still persevered and told myself that things could turn around like it had against Federer. Like the commentator said eventually, it was a battle of the forehands, and the obvious winner who emerged was Murray. 

In the end, a few points shone clearly from this match. I went to bed annoyed for perhaps more than just the sole reason that Djoker was crossing the fine line between stubborn and dumb. I was also, perhaps, annoyed that everything had changed in the span of 12 months. 

Oh well. Next year, Nole. 

Till then, I hope you are happy now, Andy and Team GB. 

This King of Clay

No one deserved it any more than he did. 

A huge Congratulations to Rafa Nadal, a name that will forever be embossed in Grand Slam History. 7-time champion of the French Open and the most deserving King of Clay ever. 

When I first started following tennis years ago, I had grown from disliking Rafa to slowly developing a growing affinity towards him, and eventually, making him my inspiration with his resilience and discipline. 

This year, finally being rid of Med School exams and having the luxury of time at home, I was able to witness Rafa's moment in history. Given, it wasn't an easy match to follow, firstly because he was playing this man, whom I was rooting for: 

Djoker had just entered the finals from a thrilling straight-set win over Federer, which had been both slightly surprising for me and entertaining to watch at the same time. 

But the moment these two went head to head, it was very clear that the outcome would be as predicted. Rain or shine, Clay or Mud....Rafael Nadal was the reigning King of Roland Garros 2012.

And eventually, I found my affinity towards Rafa returning again. Especially when he shed those tears of joy the moment reality sank in. 

VAMOS, RAFA! I can only hope that I can learn to develop a tenth of the resilience and determination you possess. 

See you at Wimbledon! 

5 hours and 53 minutes

5 hours and 53 minutes.

That was how long these two men spent fighting the biggest battle of their lives, each not faltering or easing up on the power of their ground strokes even after we careened past midnight into 2 am Melbourne time.

It was one of the biggest tournament finals of my life. The night before, I was feeling restless...exasperated....I was doubting Djokovic's mental strength after watching him flail against Andy Murray in the Semis during the 3rd set where he just lost it completely. Rafa was at least twice the man Andy was, there was no doubt he could easily finish Djoker off if he wanted to.

I should have had more faith in him. Because as much as I like to lament, the truth remains as such: Nobody becomes the No.1 tennis player in the world through just pure luck.

It was exhilarating in so many ways. I was freaking out and hyperventilating, and simultaneously juggling all the insults hurled by the 'haters' at me, especially when Rafa lunged back out of no where to win the tie break and take the 4th set. And even when I couldn't finish watching the final set, I was pretty much in awe when I left....not at Djokovic or at Nadal per se, but at how amazing these two guys were. The level at which they pushed each other to and their determination to never stop fighting was jaw-dropping, at the very least. I was flabbergasted at how hard two people could still drive those power shots home to pin-point precision after 5 hours of such intense tennis. Even we were exhausted from just watching almost 5 hours of what would come down as the greatest opening show of 2012's tennis.

But sadly, there can only be one winner. And when Novak Djokovic collapsed on court with an insane cry of jubilance, the statistics later showed that he had spent almost 11 hours on court that day, of the 54 hours throughout this entire Australian Open tournament.

I almost felt sorry for Rafa. It surely could not have been easy to fight back as hard as he had done in possibly one of the hardest and, arguably, the greatest Grand Slam finals in history. The men's game had upped itself so much in the past 5 years, that only those with the best fitness and greatest mental strength and sufficient amount of aggression could break the Fantastic Four of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray.

But this.....this final was possibly the perfect match of unquenchable spirit and unbreakable strength, with the best outcome possible: demonstrating the edge that a true champion required to stun the world.

Standard protocol pretty much followed after Djoker raised the Norman Brookes championship cup yet again for the second consecutive year. I went around grinning from ear to ear, my flurry of congratulatory messages, with a few mixed grudging insults flooded my inbox, and as per tradition, we will be celebrating his victory this weekend. No fine dining this time, but no less momentous an occasion compared to the last.

5 hours and 53 minutes. That was all it took for Novak Djokovic to redefine the term 'Super-Human' and remind me all over again why I have become more and more in love with this game in the recent few years.

Congratulations, Djoker! See you at Centre Court this June!!

The Djokovic Factor

When these two great champions faced each other on court (or rather, grass), at SW19 before the Championships drew to a close this year, it was inevitably going to go one way or another.

And as though he was still sleep-walking and living his 4-year-old dream, it was eventually the Djoker who managed to follow through.

This was a moment of many firsts:

- This being Djoker's First Wimbledon Final EVER.

- The First time in years that anyone other than Nadal and Federer had dominated this renown title at SW 19.

- And ultimately, the First time anyone other than the greats Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer was World No.1....the last time being Andy Roddick in 2004.

But as much as Nadal put on a tremendous show and looked every inch the gallant champion he was last year here at the Championships, there was only so much that VAMOS RAFA could spur him. Because this year, it is all about the Djokovic Factor. And that proved to close that little gap between these two and give him the extra push towards living his dream.

And with that, we bid farewell to the grounds of Wimbledon, to the fantastic shows that the Championships brought this year....and to the perfect finale of it all.

See you again next year, Nole.

PS: In the meantime, I hope you realise how many meals I have had to buy my Tennis Partner in Crime this year, while you are happily on this winning streak. Perhaps the day will come when you will reimburse me.....or even acknowledge my existence. Lol.

The Djokovic Edge

As much as I rave about tennis, this is the closest I will ever get to playing. This was taken last year at Wimbledon, posing with a Giant Babolat.

This year....no Wimbledon, and hence no Giant Babolat.

Instead, books, books and more books. Oh Joy!

But a big day lies ahead tomorrow....because for the first time, this man is World No.1 AND has scored himself a ticket to the Wimbledon Finals:

It is hard to identify just what I like about Novak Djokovic. I recently read an article identifying that despite his arrogant strut, the mad gleam in his eyes, the pumping of fists in mad euphoria each time he wins just one point, and the many times he has battered his racquet to smithereens, earning cautions from the umpire along the way, there is just something about Nole that is charming in so many ways.

That would be the so-called more poetic reason I could draw out as to why I am one of the few Djokovic fans in this tennis world.

Honestly, I am not sure. There is a part of me that just relishes being different from the norm. When 90% of all people I know are Man Utd fans, I have stuck to my guns and maintained my position in the slowly diminishing pool of Liverpool fans. Perhaps I like the fact that I am actually one of that 'rare breed', perhaps I just am used to being taunted at by this guy and that, and the numerous Red Devils who modify names to 'Loserpool'.

And when many a tennis fan grabs their hair in admonishment and exclaim "YOU LIKE DJOKOVIC?!!", it is almost a reflex reaction for me to defensively say "What are you trying to insinuate?!"

Maybe I just like being different, as per being a Liverpool fan. Who knows?

But there is just something about Djokovic that stirs an indescribable bond with me. I have lamented continuously that it was boring how this man was 45-matches unbeaten this year and that someone should stop him, but the moment he lost to Federer in the semis of Roland Garros, I realised that old habits die hard. It took great effort for me halfway watching the match to realise that I was not supposed to be hurling insults at Djoker on the TV screen but should be silently applauding Federer for his brilliant efforts.

So as much as Rafa is my favourite Spaniard in terms of determination and resilience, as much as I salute Federer for his absolute grace and poise on court, and as much as my Djoker totally defies the rule of tennis being a 'Gentleman's Game', it is with this Serbian that my loyalties lie. Love is blind, they say. But it is too late to start over now.

But I have always been a rational girl, when it comes to tennis and football and any other form of sport I watch (read: none), so I will lay down the odds for tomorrow as such:

Rafa will probably take the cup, but please, compadres, do it in less than 3 hours so as to save our time! We are busy people, you see!

And as for my Djoker: we'll see how much of the 45-match-unbeaten-streak man he is tomorrow. As far as I was concerned, he was pretty much a shadow of it when he was playing Tomic and Tsonga over the past few days.

Perhaps celebrations will be in order after tomorrow. Buying my tennis counterpart a Michelin star meal at Heston Blumenthal's restaurant, maybe. Lol.

A girl can hope.

As It Happens....

....amidst 130mph serves, ground strokes that are pin-point precise, drop shots that make your jaw equally hang open in awe...and mind-boggling matches that persevere beneath the fabulous new technology of that Centre Court roof in spite of the temperamental English rain....it has taken much resilience on my part not to give in and visit the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club multiple times because, hallelujah: I still have exams. Which are yet to be sat. And preparation on my part is so slow that it is almost insane.

It took a great deal of self control the other day to relate my experience in Centre Court last year to my Reg and my firmmate when we drove past Southfields and the hoards of people (I threw them a dirty look as we drove past....pffttt) who were flocking to the grounds. I am sure it must have been devastatingly obvious how I had gone from monotonously naming the Clinical Features of Bipolar Disorder to suddenly raising my voice a couple of octaves when I retold my excitement at watching the great man himself, Roger Federer play.

This year, I have deteriorated horribly, so to speak. It makes me devastated to think that by the time I start working next year, I will probably not even know whenever a Grand Slam is being played. I have yet to find the time to watch a single Wimbledon match properly (blame my intense stress over trying to find one last stupid specialist visit ARGH!), and I have totally not been keeping track of my Djoker's performance this time around!

The most I have done is flick through BBC Videos at the end of the day, and placate myself with these:

The.....wait for it......LEGENDARY man himself: Roger 'Fed-Ex' Federer. Whom I am still hoping will dethrone Rafa this year, even if it means trampling on my Djoker to get to Centre Court on Sunday.

And who could forget the Near-Invicible creature this Serbian has become this year: the man who started it all by sparking off my interest in tennis - My Djoker.

So for the moment, as we cruise into Week 2 of this year's showdown of the creme de la creme of all Grand Slams, I am aware of how much I lack the euphoria and anticipation of the past year....simply because I lack the time.

And as much as I harbour resentment against these exams just because I am skewed in where my passions lie, I promise myself this: that next year I will frequent the grounds SO often that by the end of it, I will have exhausted Wimbledon in every possible way, and that means not just having to rely on a recapitulation of these amazing showdowns or ponder on a distant memory of my surreal moment in Centre Court in 2010.

Wimbledon, I'll be seeing you yet. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

The Real Winner

Unbeaten this year.... invincible, to say the least.

That is my Djoker for you :)

A 24 match winning streak, and STILL winning!

What started off as a disbelief in him reaching YET another final, and declaring adamantly that he would stand no chance against the King of a Spaniard Rafa Nadal, proved immediately where my loyalties (and heart) will always lie, the moment I watched the final set showdown between these two.

Instantly, I knew. Once a fan, always a fan.

Djoker must have sensed my escalating frustration with Liverpool and decided to give me something to cheer about this season, sports-wise.

And to quote:

'The real winner today has to be Tennis, as a sport. Both Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic deserve equal credits for a fabulous final'

And for the cherry on top of the cake, we decided to tweet Djoker to congratulate him. Different approaches, but both seambursting-laughter-worthy. Lol.

Let's go now, Nole! This is the Real Winner you were made out to be.

And it helps to put more smiles on my face as well :)

Faultless, he was :)

"If my Djoker wins the Australian Open this year, I will buy you dinner at some fancy place," she said.

"Dream long long lah," her friend said.

And then Novak Djokovic went on to make me eat my own words. LITERALLY. Except, maybe, in my case and Lynn's we will be eating at some fancy schmancy place this coming Saturday.

I happily oblige, in any case. Because this is a true poignant moment of nostalgia where I sat on my couch watching him seize Melbourne Park with his charm and lift the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup to be crowned Aus Open Champion 2008.

Back then, it was Tsonga who had startled the crowd by knocking King Rafa out to end up against Djokovic in the Finals. Back then, everyone was going on about how a weak Final it was to have two 'newbies' challenging each other for the title.

This year, the Djoker did it again :) And at a much fairer level at that....playing against his childhood friend, former doubles partner and World No. 5 Andy Murray - the UK's Darling and No.1 player, yet to win a Grand Slam of his own. (Ahem *withgoodreason* Ahem)

Unlike 3 years ago, I was unable to watch him reenact his amazing talent every step of the way, thanks to something called Time Difference and Hospital Placements and Neurology Clinics. Pfffttt. Either way, I was able to catch Djoker claim the first game in the first set within 10 minutes, and his last shot against Murray, i.e. Match Point.

Murray really didn't stand a chance. I do feel for him, simply because this country puts too much pressure on their sportsmen to WIN WIN WINNNN something, and they really need to learn how to lay off a little. He will achieve a Grand Slam title some day, just give him a break!

For now, everyone should applaud Novak Djokovic's triumph, because he definitely trumped everyone's ass this time around in Melbourne Park. A better serve, many more aces, an AMAZING mental state of mind (surprisingly) and no heat stroke.

This is why I have switched to becoming a major tennis fan rather than follow on with Liverpool's dismal performance in the EPL.

Because when Nole has it, he charges down everyone in sight to WIN it.

Who knows what will happen in the Roland Garros, or at the Championships in Wimbledon this year. He will probably never be the cool as cucumber Roger Federer in terms of class, nor as resilient as the Spanish warrior Rafa Nadal.

But for now, let me revel in my happiness:

No More Djoking around!!

A Whole New Level

I have been getting more and more stoked about Grand Slams since the Roland Garros last year, and I have been fuelling my own 'addiction', so to say, even though I wish I could be a tenth as excited about Neurology and Medicine as I am about the on-goings in Melbourne Park.

A friend commented on how huge a fan of tennis LX and I appeared to be when, the moment we met each other on Monday, began talking about Henin's game, Djoker easily brushing his opponent aside and Roger's smooth sail through to Round 2.

Even more so, when I looked back at this, and fondly remembered that late afternoon I was seated in front of the TV back home and could follow my Djoker all the way to victory.

Now the time difference is so awkward, I can't even watch anything except Highlights. Bleh.

And as much as I say that my tennis life is now 'complete', and I don't really need to go to anymore Grand Slams, I am positively itching to be at Melbourne Park right now, and I remember all the nostalgia from Centre Court last year when I was drunk on anxiety, excitement, frantically checking Djoker's score on the scoreboard from Court No.1 and the whole atmosphere of just BEING in this famed place that I had seen so many times on TV.

Of course, a new season means new outfits!! And Maria Sharapova doesn't fail to disappoint yet again in this stunner of an outfit. Not to mention the immaculate colour coordination!!! I am no tennis fashionista, to be fair, and I don't even play the game properly, but Nike never fails to disappoint :)

On another note, I really REALLYYY wish I could have been there to watch Federer play against Gilles Simon. Argh! Such an exciting Round 2 match, at that. And I won't even be able to watch it on Live Streaming.

My Novak-Djokovic-Experience

Super delayed post.

But definitely something that needs to be noted down to remember, nonetheless.

On the 24th of November, me, LX, Woogui and friends flocked to the O2 Centre to watch a potentially great showdown between two of the most talked-about names in the tennis world:

Rafa Nadal vs Novak Djokovic

(credits to Woogui and her amazing DSLR)

NB: On a side note, Rafa's outfit DEFINITELY deserves a mention of credit here. The colour combination is soooo amazing!

To be fair, it was just the first round of the Barclays ATP Finals 2010, but a showdown between these two was something I had been anticipating for a realllyyyy long time. Simply because I had already seen Federer and Murray play last Wimbledon, and by watching these two, my Tennis accomplishments were now complete, having watched the Top 4 in the world play within this year.

Okay, looking back retrospectively, I am able to put this in words calmly and enthuse about how lucky I was to be able to watch Djoker play the World No. 1 Nadal. But on the night before when I found out the Order of Play, I was absolutely bubbling with excitement. Elated, was probably an understatement in itself.

To FINALLY watch my Djoker play!!! (gasps)

Yes, he fails to bring his performance level THAT much higher every time and would be lucky to have a tenth the determination that Rafa possesses, but still.....perhaps I just like people who are Second Best. (Or tenth, in Liverpool's case)

After very entertaining and lengthy bus rides, we arrived at The O2 and managed to flock to the Fan Zone to check it out before the Doubles matches started:

We got our picture taken by a Professional Photographer with the Barclays ATP Finals Trophy that Roger 'FedEx' Federer got to hold in his arms as the Champion after. On the other side was the Premier League Championship Trophy and IRONICALLY, a picture of Torres, which I refused to take a picture with because obviously Liverpool will not be lifting it any time soon =P

There were a row of posters that the Top 8 (i.e. the participants of this Barclays ATP Finals) had artistically created. This is Djoker's. All of them were painted from tennis balls being hit (on target obviously) at a cut-out paper silhouette of themselves.

And this was the racquet he used. Not Babolat, unfortunately, but it is still Djoker's masterpiece after all ;)

Lynn and I then proceeded into the court, where we were greeted by a nice surprise! Djoker was practising with some unknown friend or tennis player.

After multiple attempts to take a picture of me with Djoker in the background, we came up with this:

Ahhhh, he is oh-so-gooodddd lookiinnnnnggg!! :) And brings much sentimental value as well, because it was him winning the Australian Open in '08 which sparked my exponentially increasing interest in Tennis.

Despite Rafa Nadal trashing my Djoker in straight sets, (Corneal Abrasion much? AHEM Inside Joke) my money was well-spent, the freezing journey into and out from the O2 Centre worth EVERY moment. No regrets, whatsoever. This year has been an awesome one in terms of my dapple with Professional Men's Tennis, and I am grateful for having all these incredible opportunities - being in this amazing city where all the happening stuff occurs - to be able to watch these guys play.

Also, much thanks and love to my Tennis buddies LX and Woogui for being so willing to come along with me every time I drag you to an event ;)

For the moment, I am glad that Rafa was FINALLY defeated by Federer, but this 24-year-old Spaniard definitely has a LONG way to go in terms of his career as yet.

Guess Who's In Town!

Looking dapper outside No. 10 Downing Street with Cameron (LUCKY GUY)

Here's another hint:

Did someone say Roger Federer? Rafa Nadal? Andy Murray? Novak Djokovic???

NB: This picture doesn't correlate with this year's contenders, just as a head's up. I couldn't seem to find the official poster for this year. Tsonga is out and Soderling is in.

What else, if not the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

And the boys are already in Londontown!

So fingers crossed, come this Wednesday, we will be breathing the same air in the O2 as Rafa or even.....dare I say.......Djoker. Either way, tennis is still tennis and I am on a mission to max out on my tennis tournaments here in London. Be it The Championships at Wimbledon, or this.

I'm smiling already :)

Seriously, I don't think I was ever this excited when it came to Liverpool.

Kidding!

The Championships.....THIS Year

When I blogged about the Championships last year, it had never ever crossed my mind that whole year later, I would not only be visiting the Wimbledon grounds on the 2nd day, but gracing the reknown Centre Court with my presence a week later.

Unfortunate as it was that the Federer Express faltered before my very eyes by the supposed NOOB Berdych who went on to trash my Djoker (not so Noob after all I guess), it was as amazing an experience as any. The shouts of "Let's Go, Roger!!" echoing around Centre Court and the surreal reality of watching the Hero himself in action, despite the steep price I had to pay, was definitely worth it. Alongside the fact that I can now check off 'Attending the Wimbledon Men's Quarter Finals' in my To-Do Book.

Perhaps next year Djoker will not disappoint as much. And perhaps next year, I will get to see him in full form.

For the moment, I am in awe of THIS spaniard.

Not because I think he is cute because he is NOT (and since when was I soooo shallow like that?! -flips hair- Lol) but because this guy is a fighter like no other.

When Berdych towed down the great Federer and then my Djoker like a lawnmower, he was on a roll, and yet at the end of the day he was no match for Rafa. As the commentator said, it was a pretty straightforward final - quite unlike the epic 5 hour match between Federer and Roddick that I watched at home last year, which was oh-so-frustrating, but it was a brilliant show of tennis nonetheless.

Someone once mentioned that the English football team (sorry to sidetrack a little) had a terrible weakness in terms of mental strength - that they played according to the scores and once they were down there was no way they could actually claw their way back on top in retaliation. Much like Liverpool, perhaps *cough cough*.

I saw that again in Djoker - this lack of determination and mental strength. So easy for us to say, yet when you are there on the spot and 2 sets down, it is so easy to just give in to defeat. I remember my squash tournament two years ago, when I was 2 sets up, and somehow managed to lose that lead, finding myself fighting for the final, determining set - how nerve-wracking that was, how easy it was to just slump into defeat because of the overbearing pressure.

I may not be a professional tennis player. But Rafa Nadal definitely is MY source of inspiration to fight through to the end. When the difficult bits of sitting for exams and slaving through mounds of material to mug for are over, the light and the reward will come.

Focus. Determination. Strength.

VAMOS RAFA!

VAMOS, SHING!!

Wimbledon 2010

Okay so this post is about a week overdue, simply because I haven't actually found the time to blog about my experience at the Championships, and I've been juggling so many other things this week amidst trying to set myself straight.

Tuesday 22nd June - Wimbledon Day 2.

Wei, LX and I arrived at the grounds for 'The Queue' at 7 am. The funniest thing had to be me voicing out doubts whether there could possibly be anyone as crazy as us that would be there at such an unearthly hour, seeing as the first match started at 12 pm.

Who would have thought....

We were beaten to the chase by just about 2000 people. The Queue Card said it all. So Ground tickets we had to settle for. Ahh well.

No matter anyway. I was excited enough just looking at the span of green lawn rolling out before me. Yes, first time. Easily satisfied. Zero expectations.

We amused ourselves by painting nails.

And taking many pictures with Wei's funky DSLR.

Inside the Grounds of the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club finally!

Gilles Simon on Court 6! I became a fan of this French dude after that day. And yes, it helps that he is quite the looker :)

On Henman Hill - where we watched Nadal trash Kei Nishikori's ass on the big screen.

Overall - I turned red first, and THEN black. And currently I am about ten shades darker than I originally was - which is quite a feat for me. (Congratulations, British Sun =P) But it was well worth a first time experience.

Except now I am soooo envious of all the spectators in Centre Court, and even more envious of Bao / Woogui!

Well, I am aiming in that direction :)

And as an end note: Confessions of a newly-converted Crazed tennis fan - I have been following The Championships more dilligently this year than the World Cup!

*cue GASSPPP*

PS: Credits to Wei for all these amazing pictures from that funky DSLR.