SPORTS THIS WEEK – 2011 might just be the year of Novak Djokovic. For a start, Djoker, as he is called, helped his native Serbia win the Davis Cup. He has now bundled out Roger Federer in the semi-finals of the Australian Open in no uncertain fashion.
In one of those rare encounters, one saw Roger outhit and outmanoeuvred by a younger, faster opponent, one who has removed the one kink in his armour that kept him from reaching the very top. Djokovic never had a serve to match the rest of his game. The second serve was short and sat up, allowing players like Federer to attack him. Over the winter break, Djokovic has remodeled his service action and the delivery is now unrecognizable from what it used to be.
That has tilted the balance in his favour. This tilt was visible at the Rod Laver Arena where Djokovic produced a master class. His speed and lack of unforced errors allied with the improved serve meant that there was nowhere that Roger could attack him. It remains to be seen whether Novak can continue to maintain this stratospheric standard in the final and the rest of the year.
With Nadal injured again, Novak Djokovic could be the player to beat in 2011. In the other semi, the perennial runner-up, Andy Murray beat a resurgent David Ferrer, who had beaten an injured Rafael Nadal. The final has thus been set up between Murray and Djokovic, two of the best defensive players the game has seen.
Murray is still looking for his first major title. His defensive game inevitably runs out of ideas against a top player who is in the zone after having played five or six matches. Murray has been solid throughout but to win a major requires a little more inspiration and a lifting of the game. Until he can do that he might just be remembered like the great English perennial runner-up of the 30s, Bunny Austin.
In the women, Li Na of China created history by reaching the final. This should give a great boost to tennis in her country, despite her loss to Clijsters. It was good to see a slimmed down, svelte, Sania Mirza give Justin Henin a run for her money. Sania won the first set and had she served better, could have won. Sania has an awful serve and she might consider contacting Djokovic to find out how he fixed his. The sky could then be the limit for the gutsy Sania.
Here in Islamabad, the Pakistan Tennis Federation is getting its act together. Their under 14 team has done quite well in Burma while the Fed Cup team is training for their event in Bangkok. There has been a bit of a controversy over some equipment that was donated to the PTF by the ITF over the last few years.
It seems that a lot of it is missing and the new office-bearers are querying the previous officials to track it down. A stringing machine, worth about $1500 is missing. A large amount of racquets and balls given by the ITF for the schools programme are also reported to be missing. Dilawar Abbas and Rashid may have caused irreparable damage to Pakistan tennis with their mismanagement, but alleged misappropriation could be a much more serious issue.
Pakistan’s cricket seems to be in an endless grind of controversy. Or perhaps it is the media that is blowing everything out of all proportion. The latest issue is the World Cup captaincy. The PCB chairman is in New Zealand, where he is evidently, going to announce the captain. It seems the PCB is not delighted over Shahid Afridi’s leadership skills and feels that the calm and cool Misbah might be the flavour of the month. For once, Ijaz Butt might be right. Afridi is a match winner with both bat and ball. He is also a bit of a maverick.
Loading him with the responsibilities of the captaincy could detract from his instinctive play. Misbah is just what the doctor ordered. He is superlative under pressure and his batting could shore up the middle order. With Younus, Azhar and Shafiq in the middle order followed by Afridi and Razzaq, Pakistan’s run making would be well served. Thought should also be given to Afridi opening the innings.
His scoring arc is very narrow and he inevitably gets caught in the deep. With a shiny hard ball, even his mishits would clear the power play field. And should he fail with the bat, there is always his bowling. South Africa pipped India in the final ODI of their series. This was a contest between two of the favourites for the World Cup. India were without Tendulkar and Sehwag, yet they managed to keep it close.
Their batting was at sea against the South African pacers but the placid subcontinent wickets during the World Cup will be a considerable dampener for Steyn, Morkel and co. England are snapping out of their Ashes hangover and have won their fourth ODI against Australia. The Ashes have taken their toll on both sides, with Hussey and Tate injured as well as Swann and Stewart Broad for England.
With Anderson, Shehzad, Bresnan and Tremlett joining the aforementioned England could have the most potent attack in the World Cup. Their middle order is suspect, with Pieterson and Collingwood not among the runs. Should they click, and with the talented Morgan rounding out the batsmen, England must be in with a great chance.
The World Cup in the West Indies was so long that people got sick and tired of it. This edition promises to be as long. Let’s hope we are not doing too much of a good thing and killing the goose that lays the golden egg. But for the diehard cricket fan, this should be nothing but a feast of cricket at its most compelling.
