Aussie Kim!

When Kim Clijsters announced her retirement in 2007, I was one of her many fans who was shocked and saddened. Clijsters was always an excellent role-model for girls who played tennis. She was elegant yet powerful, stylish yet strong, well-mannered and not prone to temper tantrums, and most importantly, played her best tennis against an impeccable opponent that lead to a famed Belgian rivalry.

Cheering for Kim while lauding Henin's wonderful serves and volleys was a favourite pastime. Her retirement, therefore, left a huge void in women's tennis. In 2008, Clijsters gave birth to a daughter Jada Ellie. And in 2009, she was back playing the game she loved, a game that missed her presence. Players on a comeback often tend to take some time to get rid of the rustiness in their game. But not Kim Clijsters, who won the US Open title in only her third tournament back, becoming the first mother since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1980 to win a major. 

And since that win, there has been no looking back for the 27-year-old. Pictures of Kim holding the U.S Open trophy while hugging daughter Jada tell the tale of a remarkable fairytale comeback. Kim Clijsters, it seems clear, is now the poster girl for the working mother. 

While her arch-rival Justine Henin made a comeback in 2010, it was clearly Kim who was still on top of her game. She successfully defended her U.S Open title, to make it her second Grand Slam victory after her comeback and ended 2010 with a ranking of World Number 3. This new year has gotten off to a great start for the Belgian.

When I wrote my preview post to the Australian Open two weeks back, I was hesitant about picking the favourites for the year's first slam. But of Clijsters, I was sure. It wasn't about the fan in me who wanted Clijsters to win, but going just by form and performance, Kim Clijsters was the sure favourite. And she proved all those predictions right by winning the Australian Open, coming back from a set down against Li Na  3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

When Clijsters was engaged to Australian tennis star Lleyton Hewitt in 2003, she was affectionately nicknamed 'Aussie Kim' by her many Australian fans. After winning the Australian Open title now, an emotional Clijsters thanked her fans amidst tears saying "I finally feel like you guys can call me 'Aussie Kim' because I won the title."

Call her Aussie Kim or Belgian Kim or Mother Kim, tennis fans around the world are delighted to see Clijsters back, with the same legendary grace and power. And possibly as more of an inspiration for mothers around the world. Welcome back, Kim. Tennis is a better place with your comeback.

Related Links:

'Aussie Kim' claims her crown

Never-say-die Clijsters wins Aussie Open

Dial C for Cricket Commentary

Cricket is a funny old game. And that is a clichéd line that almost every cricket commentator has used. When it's a test match we're watching, punctuated with long periods of snail-paced action, it's the commentary that can hold our interest. Witty, incisive commentary, the likes of Ian Chappel, Richie Benaud, Harsha Bhogle and Barry Richards can hold the viewer's interest and even, provide an enjoyable experience. The likes of Ravi Shastri, Laxman Shivaramakrishnan however, tend to be unintentionally hilarious. 

Richie Benaud is considered to be one of the best cricket commentators

Cricket commentators tend to be of two types : the first type is of sports analysts and writers like Harsha Bhogle, Charu Sharma, the tribe that is fast becoming extinct. The second type is the more dominant one - cricket commentators who can be summed up in two words: Retired Cricketers. The problem with cricketers sharing their thoughts about the game, ball-by-ball, is that while they may have played the game well, not many can talk about it well. 

There was a time when people 'watched' cricket matches by listening to legendary cricket commentators on the radio. Now is the time when most people prefer to watch the match on TV with the volume on mute. The predictable phrases and idioms of our commentators and sometimes their bias, irks many a viewer. It would be wrong to trivialise the importance of good commentary and it is also important to acknowledge that excellent commentary on cricket is not as easy a task as it may seem. Dean Jones created a major controversy when he was heard on air calling bearded South African player Hashim Amla a 'terrorist'. As Harsha Bhogle points out:

"You have to assume that the microphone is always on. There will be some network somewhere who will be on live even when there is a break. We have directorial microphones too, so we have to be very careful. Sometimes producers do tell us that it is leaking, be careful. I have made up my mind not to swear even when not on air."

While not controversial, many commentators are a source of parody for their predictable one-liners. The twitter handle Shastribot whose bio reads 'I'm a cool customer and just what the doctor ordered. Twitter, are you ready?' is an amazing, brutally honest parody commentator who replies to any situation, any question with the same, inimitable Shastri dialogues. If overusing a phrase is sufficient to ban it, all tracer bullet references would have been long banned. 

It is very tough to be an excellent cricket commentator just as it is supremely easy to be a bad one. Commentators have that rare opportunity of lending their voice to a historic moment, or echoing the sentiments of a million cricket fans. It's a job that is more than the sum of its clichés.

Recommended Reading:

Aussie cricket commentators have been a breath of fresh air on air 

About Those Cricket Commentators

Australia Calling

The Australian Open is the first big challenge of a new year for any tennis player. Not only is engrossing, it also tends to set the tone for the year. Or not. Roger Federer tamed Andy Murray to be crowned Champion of the first Grand Slam of 2010. Incidentally, that was the only slam he won in 2010 which has come to be known in many tennis circles as the 'Year of  Nadal'

Nadal will be hoping to make the Australian Open his own

World Number 1 Rafael Nadal had an amazing 2010, winning the Wimbledon, French Open and U.S Open titles. The pressure is definitely on the Spaniard to prove his dominance and to capture the title that eluded him last year. Federer and his fans, on the other hand, will be hoping that he will manage to defend his title, and if possible, win it convincingly. Regardless of how it plays out, the Australian Open promises to be an exciting clash of the titans.

The usual suspects such as Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are also expected to rise to the occasion and provide some close matches. Australian fans will be cheering for homeboy Lleyton Hewitt, but the feisty tennis star hasn't been on top of his game. Hewitt's chances of winning the title aren't high, but here's hoping that he will play to his true potential.

As far as the women's draw is concerned, Belgian Kim Clijsters is seen as a clear favourite. Serena Williams, the defending champion who won the last two Australian Open crowns, is missing out due to foot surgery. Her absence takes out the sting in the competition, but this might be her sister Venus Williams' big chance to add the Australian Open trophy to her kitty.

Indian fans will be hoping that the 'Indian Express' can recreate its magic..

For Indian fans, the great news is that the legendary duo of  Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes, fresh from winning the Chennai Open, are at Melbourne to play for glory. Somdev Dev Varman received a wildcard for the Australian Open and will hope to do much better than his disappointing performance in the recently-concluded Chennai Open. But it won't be an easy task as he faces former World No 5 Tommy Robredo.

If Somdev's was a tough draw, Sania Mirza's was even tougher. The only woman representing India in the Australian Open is pitted against former World No 1 Justine Henin. As I write, Sania has fought hard to win the first set against Henin 7 - 5 and seeks to keep up the momentum.

Predictions, analysis and expectations aside, what makes tennis special is the surprises it offers. To a country ravaged by recent floods, one hopes that the Australian Open will bring a lot of joy.

Recommended Reading:
Australian Open: The Burning Questions
Cljsters taking it one match at a time

To The Chennai Open, With Love

For most players and fans, the yearly tennis calender usually begins with the Australian Open, the first grand slam. But if you ask some of us, tennis rings in the new year with the Chennai Open.

There is no legendary strawberries and whipped cream snack here. There is no fiery red clay court waiting for the players. The Chennai Open is where the world's best tennis players are made to use cricket bats to hit tennis balls to the cheering crowd. The Chennai Open is where mothers bring their eager kids and remind them to watch the match carefully and carry home tips for that elusive drop shot. The Chennai Open is where senior citizens earnestly debate Federer vs Nadal with College students. The Chennai Open is where you hear gems like 'What a straight drive!'

This is a tournament like no other. As a fan who has watched five editions of this ATP Tournament, The Chennai Open has become a personal experience, something close to my heart. Tennis fans have had the fortune to watch the likes of Rafael Nadal, Carlos Moya, Tomas Berdych, Ivan Ljubicic, Marin Cilic, Stanislas Wawrinka, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi here. And the players have been treated to an electrifying atmosphere and a crowd that will appreciate good tennis no matter who plays it.

2011 Aircel Chennai Open Champion, crowd favourite Stanislas Wawrinka

Feeble Mexican waves can be spotted amidst the mind-blowing cheer of 'India! India!' when 'Lee and Hesh' are playing. This is the crowd that takes upon itself to 'cheer up' and encourage a player who's just double faulted in a crucial point. Umpires might not love the din and explosion of sounds that come with the Chennai Open, but the players almost always seem to. Janko Tipsarevic remarked that the crowd made him feel like he was playing the Davis Cup in a home stadium. Compliments don't get any better than that!

Sport is not just about those who play it. Sport is also about the fan who won't move her fingers from her cheek or lean forward, fearing it might jinx the match. Sport is also about the young boy who does his homework between points, while cheering madly for his favourite player to win. Sport is also about the thousands of people who give a standing ovation to both the winner and the runner-up. The Chennai Open exemplifies this spirit of sport and the sport lover.

The tournament will stay in Chennai for the next two years and one only hopes that this can become a permanent fixture in the tennis calender. To all the players, the organisers and the audience who made this year's tournament as unforgettable as ever, a heartfelt thank you. To Xavier Malisse, this year's runner-up and 2007's champion, best wishes for a great year in tennis. To Stanislas Wawrinka, 2011's Chennai Open Champion, may this tennis year be as wonderful as your one-handed backhand. And come back to defend your title in this magnificent city!

Related Links:
Wawrinka clinches Chennai title
Stanislas Wawrinka crowned Champion

A Storm in Twitter

Twitter is many things: an amazing tool to share ideas, opinions, have wonderful conversations with various people from around the world. More importantly, it is also the playground of criticism, where everyone is a critic. If there is anything that Indians are supremely sensitive about, it is cricket. So when former England fast bowler Darren Gough, in a spirit of triumphalism after his team's recent demolition of Australia, said that England can beat the Indian cricket team "every day of the week", not many Indian fans were amused.

Darren Gough found himself facing angry Indian cricket fans on Twitter

Darren Gough, whose Twitter handle is @DGoughie, received a barrage of angry questions from Indian fans who seemed to consider it a matter of national pride to back their cricket team. Indeed so angry or caught up with arguing the strength of the Indian team over the England team were the fans, that Darren Gough soon became a 'trending topic' on twitter.

Gough took the time to explain his opinion to Indian fans: 'In England I'd back this team to beat anybody' he tweeted in reply to a fan. He also clarified the reasoning behind his statement: 'For all you Indian friends ,India are a fantastic team especially on the batting dept. My opinion is in English conditions England will win sorry.'

As is usual with conversations on twitter, especially emotional conversations, arguments often turn abusive and personal. To his credit, Gough responded to many an abusive comment sent his way by just chiding over-emotional fans. He tweeted 'Indian fans nothing wrong with been passionate but don't get personal let's wait and see till next year Happy new year lol'

And there indeed lies the crux of the problem with arguing on Twitter. Voices of sanity tend to drown in the chaos of abuse. Many cricketers, both retired and current, are on twitter. This  makes it an unbelievable opportunity for the cricket fan to interact with his/her idol. Such an opportunity could not have even been dreamt of earlier! Twitter has made the world even smaller and sending a message to one's favourite player, is just 140 characters away. Spoiling such an opportunity by abusing or sending hurtful personal comments to someone with a differing opinion, is in nobody's interest. 

As for Gough, his sense of humour is very much intact: 'Even after all the stick from India, celebrating new year with 25 people at mine with an Indian delivery from my local restaurant. Awesome.'


Recommended reading:
England can beat India 'every day of the week': Gough
Harbhajan blasts Darren Gough

Be A Sport!

I'm an avid sports fan and when I mention that in casual conversation, the first question thrown at me is most probably 'Oh..so what sport do you play?'

I often reply hesitantly 'Well, I don't really play many sports. I used to play tennis, but I wasn't very good at it' and receive sympathetic nods. Sometimes, I've been brave enough to say 'Well, I'm excellent at scrabble'. Some laugh and point out that scrabble 'is not a sport.' Well, it is a serious sport in Senegal. But this is not the case in many other countries.

Which leads to the questions that confront me today: 'What makes a sport? What is the criteria that must be satisfied for something to qualify as a sport? Does sport, by definition, refer to a process that involves 'physical' skill? If so, why is chess a sport? How is scrabble any less a sport than chess?

The debate over the very definition of sport is a complicated and highly-contested one. Scrabble and Chess, for instance, involve more concentration than test match cricket would. Wikipedia defines sport as '…activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively' This is a broader definition, and one that in my opinion, is better suited. 'Mind games' often involve more strategy and intense concentration than a traditional sport.

A scrabble competition is underway..

Joel Sherman, National Scrabble Champion from San Diego makes an important point: "I trained for 100 hours in the past month. It's been proved that as we're thinking, we're burning calories at a rate similar to doing an activity that requires physical exertion." Extending this logic a little, one can think of spelling bees, that phenomenon that Indian-origin kids have made their own, as a sport too. 

Much of the concept of sport evolves from a conventional idea of a 'sport', that people are conditioned to think of as a physical experience, one of sweat and injuries. Scrabble, for instance, is seen as too casual a household game, something like monopoly. But the truth is that professional, 'serious' scrabble involves a lot of skill, a lot of knowledge, a lot of quick thinking to form words, a massive vocabulary and a skill to form words and connect words with any given letters. Professional scrabble, that works with a timer and involves a lot of thinking and stress, is closer to chess than it is to monopoly.

Opinions vary regarding what makes something a sport and what doesn't, and it doesn't look like this very fascinating debate will conclude any time soon.  What's your take?

Recommended Reading:

Open Mic: What is a sport?

What is or isn't a sport?

A Letter to Daniel Vettori

Dear Mr.Vettori,

I’m probably the only Indian who felt more than a twinge of sadness that New Zealand received such a thrashing and was blanked out in the ODI series by India. As someone who has been a New Zealand fan for more than five years, the steady sloppiness of the team is disheartening.

But why would an Indian be a fan of New Zealand? Indeed it seems more acceptable for an Indian fan to support England or Australia or Sri Lanka, than New Zealand. After all, NZ hasn’t won a single world cup or major tournament. They don’t have a legend like Lara to boast of. They’re not big scorers. Nor are they amazing wicket-takers.

The question remains: Why this fascination for the New Zealand team? My answer would be that the fascination stems from an entirely old-fashioned, romantic idea of the game. This is an idea of a team that plays the ‘gentlemen’s game’ in the real sense of the phrase. This is an affinity towards the chivalrous underdog; the proverbial David who takes on Goliath.

Yours is a team that has won the ICC Spirit of Cricket award twice in a row. The cynics often say  that the spirit of cricket is all well and good, but cricket is about winning. This is a concept that a team that lost to Bangladesh 0-4 would find tough to understand, they point out. To them I say, I’d rather watch Vettori’s boys lose yet be sportsmen than watch Harbhajan slap Sreesanth.

It is wonderful to see a team that is exactly that: a team. A unit that is not always dependent on the big names to fire. Of course there is a Vettori and McCullum and there was a Bond, a Hadlee and a Cairns. But the players are never bigger than the team. Even at their best, when they’ve been touted as the ‘Dark Horses’ of any tournament, it was the team that was feared, not just a Bond or Vettori. This emphasis on team over self is one of the reasons it is lovely to see the NZ team field. Indeed your team has often made fielding seem like a synchronized, athletic art form.

Part of the charm of cricket, in my opinion, is the fact that for every instance of sledging, there is a cricketer who ‘walks’. For every Harbhajan and Symonds, there is a Rahul Dravid and a Daniel Vettori. And that’s exactly the reason I’m a New Zealand fan. Your team might not, in fact won’t, win every match it plays. Many a time I’ve turned on the TV to watch a game, knowing well the Black Caps won’t have an easy match. But it is so heartening to see your team put up a fight. It is the same reasoning that made Slumdog Millionaire a phenomenal success: there is nothing quite like rooting for an underdog and rejoicing when they triumph. 

It is time the NZ team stepped up and proved the 'nice guys finish last' cliche wrong. There is a lot of work to be done, but there is nothing impossible. You are an excellent cricketer whom I admire very much and I hope you shall review the awful performances over the past few months, without giving up. Nobody expects much from New Zealand now. Which is probably why this is the best time to do an overhaul if needed and get things right.

I shall be watching this team, as I always have, with expectations and hope that you will perform to your true potential.

Always a fan,

Kals

Related Links:

NZ Cricket hits rock bottom

Daniel Vettori expects captaincy to be reviewed after New Zealand's series defeat to India