Of Berdych, Aisam, Serena and Ajmal

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As the last Grand Slam event of the year draws to a crescendo, the semifinals are populated by the usual players, with the striking exception of world number one Roger Federer. Federer was knocked out in the quarters by Thomas Berdych, a player he has had trouble with throughout his career.
It was the big serving Czech who eliminated Federer in the Athens Olympics and has continued to torment the Swiss champion to the extent that he now leads Roger 4-3 in the last seven matches, although he trails in overall results. Berdych has a huge game, everything is hard hit and on the occasions when he has his brittle temperament under control, he can beat anyone. He now faces Andy Murray for a place in the final.
Murray has shown a greatly improved temperament and is playing more aggressively ever since his Olympic win. He should fancy his chances against Berdych. In the other semifinal, Novak Djokovic plays David Ferrer, the diminutive Spaniard who punches much above his weight. Djokovic was in sublime form against Juan Martin Del Potro, and some of their rallies beggared belief.
It looks like another Murray-Djokovic final, a repeat of their Australian Open and the Olympics. The two have been friends from childhood but all that would fall by the wayside should they both reach the finals. The US Open is the one major event in which the semifinals and the finals are played on consecutive days. A lot will therefore depend on which finalist has an easier semi win.
Djokovic has had an easy run till now and Ferrer is not expected to trouble him. But, should Murray and Berdych get embroiled in a long draw encounter, then it would put the odds greatly in Djokovic’s favor as he would be playing with fresh legs and it is the legs that, as they say, feed the wolf.
It was yet another good performance by Aisam Qureshi and Jean-Julian Rojer as they made their way into the semifinals. But the Bryan brothers were yet again a bridge too far as they succumbed in two quick sets. The Bryans then decayed Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek for their twelfth major title. They are now tied for the top position and also hold the Olympic title, so should be on the short list for the greatest ever teams of all time. This time the draw had opened up for Aisam and they took advantage by cruising to the semis, but the Bryans were too strong. Aisam’s quest for a major title continues to be elusive, but there is no reason – should the draw be kind and they get some luck on their side – for Aisam and Rojer to not succeed in winning at least one major.
In the women’s singles, the top three Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka and Sara Errani were the semi finalists. Serena was much too good for the Italian Errani while Azarenka got by Sharapova in three sets. Errani was in awe of Serena’s power, comparing her to the 400-500 ranked men players. Indeed, Serena Williams is playing at a level never before seen in women’s tennis. At Wimbledon she averaged two aces per game and her ground strokes were powerful and unerring.
But the men’s game is an entirely different matter. A few years ago, at the Australian Open, a match was arranged between the Williams sisters and the 1000 ranked man on the tour. Karsten Braasch was the player. He had retired and was commentating at the event. A cigarette smoking, beer drinking ex player, Braasch took off his headphones, borrowed a racquet and proceeded to demolish both girls in next to no time. Such is the gulf between the men and the women tennis players. But if ever there was a woman player who should fancy her chances on the Futures or Challenger tour, it would have to be Serena. No one else even comes close.
Pakistan and Australia are involved in a wham bang series of ODI and T20 matches. Australia shaded Pakistan in the ODIs but Pakistan, inspired by Nasir Jamshed and Saeed Ajmal, as well as the return of Umar Gul and the evergreen Abdul Razzaq, first outclassed the Aussies and then edged them in a dramatic encounter to take the series 2-0. Nasir Jamshed was very impressive in both the ODIs and the T20s. He took the attack to the bowlers without taking undue risks. He looks a complete player for all formats of the game. Saeed Ajmal is the magician of today’s game. His bowling seems to be delivered in an undecipherable code that no batsman has been able to unravel. It is not just his doosra, which in itself is a deadly delivery. It is the entire range of deliveries, including top-spinners, off breaks and their variations, that causes severe mental trauma to all opposing batters. Truly a genius, he is today as commanding a presence as Warne and Muralitharan in their heyday.
What can one say of Abdul Razzaq, the evergreen all-rounder to whom Pakistan turns to in the crunch, and more often than not he delivers. It was startling to see that he is still only 32 years old in the books. He seems to have been playing for ever. Perhaps he has found the elixir of youth and will continue to play on for another two decades! But, as Razzaq will undoubtedly say, age is but a number. It is performance that counts and there Razzaq has few peers.
Pakistan will enter the World T20 in Sri Lanka, full of confidence, while Australia will find themselves in the unprecedented position of being ranked below Ireland. Such are the vagaries of sport.