If there's one thing I absolutely cannot wrap my mind around, it's people who don't see the beauty, triumph and inspiration in sports. Even if you're the most nonathletic div to ever have a pulse, how can one not appreciate the passion, skill and kinetic genius that makes up the core of every athlete, and the epic lessons that are to be learned with every victory and loss? Nothing builds character like seeing your opponent celebrate and rejoice when you've just given up your mind, body and soul for the game, only to fall short. There's a feeling of immense disillusionment, remorse, anger, jealousy and hopelessness. You try to turn it into inspiration to do better, but the truth is, some losses will sting forever. There are some defeats in which it's hard, if not impossible, to see the bright side. Time eases the sharpness, but it still jabs at you with its blunt edge from time to time, reminding you of what you'll never have. The pain is self-inflicted, but it's real. I've felt it more than once, during particularly brutal losses during my 12-year soccer career. But I doubt that any of those combined could ever amount to the emotions that must have been felt by tennis player Andy Roddick after today's defeat at Wimbledon.
When you look at Andy, you're overwhelmed with the desire to hug him. His tousled blonde hair, youthful candid smile and handsome face all exude a very specific kind of charisma, one that is surprisingly genuine for such a successful man. Fame tends to wear down the edges of one's integrity, but as soon as you hear Andy talk you know he has avoided this fate. Well spoken, eloquent, heartfelt and passionate is his speech, all these traits are reflected tenfold in his playing. Known for his unfathomable 155 mph serve, when you see his back arch and his racket slice the air in two, you start to wonder if Roddick is the reincarnation of Christ. The way he manipulates the court and the ball are magical, and seeing his shameless reactions after every point makes you realize that this man lives and dies for the sport of tennis. That kind of devotion is something you rarely find between people. It transcends the bonds of humanity, and it delves into something more intricate -- the love of courage, the need to be tested, and the willingness to fail. Sports often illuminate the very best in people, in a way even the ones we love most never could.
Roddick's shining moment in his career was his Grand Slam victory in 2003 US Open. Since then, he has reached the finals of 4 Grand Slams -- Wimbledon three times and the US Open once -- each time losing to Roger Federer. Federer has been a dream snatcher for Roddick all these years, so it was only fit that in this Wimbledon final, emotions would get involved. Feds was tied with Pete Sampras for having the most Grand Slams in the history of tennis - 14. The man is a beast on the court, but what makes it hard to relate to or root for this fantastic athlete is the fact that, throughout his epic career, he seems to remain somewhat stoic in the face of his accomplishments. Although you will see Federer become extremely enthused once in a blue moon and pump his fists, or maybe even cheer or raise his voice, Federer is an uncannily nonchalant individual. He seems to lack the unbridled enthuisiasm that makes passionate players like Roddick so likable and relatable. By disallowing himself to get lost in the game, be vulnerable or be overcome with emotion, Federer has isolated himself in a place that none of us can really comprehend. He seems to be elevated far above our reach -- the fact that he might be the greatest tennis player of all time, coupled with his rather drab personality, make it seem as though he is too good for us mere mortals. The fact that he doesn't seem to get excited about his unbelievable success makes it hard for us to do so as well. On a personal level, it's hard to root for Federer; on a tactical level, it's easy as pie. The man is a genius, albeit one we wouldn't necessarily enjoy as a dinner date.
In this year's Wimbledon, Andy became the unsung hero for all of the broken, battered, restless souls who needed someone to look up to. The British Andy Murray was a huge fan favorite and, since the tournament was on his native soil, held all of the United Kingdom on his shoulders. A Brit has not won Wimbledon in over 73 years, the longest drought ever. But with Murray's emerging success, everyone harped their hopes and dreams on this formidable man from Scotland, hoping he would catapult their nation to greatness. However, the alternate Andy defeated him in the semifinals, in a heartfelt and tireless display of powerhouse tennis. Hearts broke across the land, but for some reason, they found a new hero in Andy #2. Roddick became their surrogate favorite, and they all fell under the charm of this young American who was dying for one more Grand Slam to put to his name, eager and ready to face the one man who had so many times caused him dissappointment. One fan expressed this new love perfectly with a sign that was displayed during the Wimbledon finals -- it said "Let's Go Andy Murray!" but the "Murray" was crossed out with a big red X, and to it's right was scrawled the name "Roddick!"
Thus, Roddick won us all over. We were able to build up an emotional attachment to this man, the underdog, the Yank kid with nothing to lose and everything to gain. We knew it was a long shot, but we became invested in his every move, and found ourselves, despite all better reason, feeling, hoping, predicting that he would stun the world with an improbable victory. And, when Roddick took the first set against Federer 7 games to 5, we were convinced that a miracle was well underway.
Federer is all about ease, grace and composure, while Roddick takes chances, plays with less tact and more heart. Throughout the match, we saw Roddick roll around on the court, diving for balls and almost twisting ankles, while Federer appeared to listlessly prance around the baseline as though he was barely exerting himself. Though this could be attributed to his unprecedented skill and athleticism, to the untrained eye it just seems boring and heartless. It isn't necessarily Federer's fault that we perceive him this way; after all, the man must be doing something right to be number 1 in the world. And he certainly has established a solid fan base that has been loyal to him since his first Grand Slam years ago. But, to me and countless others, the 29-year-old doesn't get my blood to boil, doesn't make my heart pound or my stomach flutter. He just plays tennis really well.
After his victorious first set, in which he broke Federer to pull ahead 7 to 5, things were looking rather glorious for Andy. Even though he was literally sweating through the brim of his white Lacoste hat, he seemed like he had all the energy in the world. However, the next set proved a bit of a downfall as he fell to Federer in a nerve-racking tie break, 7-6 (6). Despite the fact that the match was now even at one set apiece, we thought back to Roddick's victory over Murray and remembered that, after being tied in identical circumstances, Roddick was able to come back and reign victorious. Hoping history would repeat itself, we were eager to let the third set commence, with the inkling that Roddick would reward us. However, our hearts broke a little when, in tiebreak style yet again, Federer just barely nudged ahead of Roddick 7-6 (5). Close-ups of Roddick's face revealed a man who was swimming in thoughts, trying to psych himself up, keeping the faith despite almost insurmountable obstacles. Being a set behind Federer is like being 10 sets behind any other player -- his prolific ground strokes and solid serve could intimidate the pants off anybody. But if anyone could put this stoic Swiss man in his place, we knew it was the adorable, sweaty kid across the court.
After two straight sets of defeat, the fourth set was an amazing showcase of magnificent, beautiful tennis that put Federer in his place. Roddick beat him by a large margin of 6 games to 3, breaking Federer's serve twice more, for 3 breaks in the match. Feds had yet to break Roddick on serve, which was a testimony to Roddick's composure and skill under pressure. After seeing Roddick kneel down and pump his fists after his fourth set victory, who didn't want to jump down from the stands and high five him? His passion was infectious, and before long, even Federer fans had to admit that today might be Roddick's day.
The fifth and final set was a mental, physical and emotional test for both players. Unlike other grand slams, the final set of a Wimbledon match does not end in a tiebreak. A player must win by 2 games. That said, no one was surprised when, after 6 games a piece, both players were tied and extra games were needed to determine a winner. However, nobody counted on the unforgettable display of tennis that would ensue afterwards. During every point played, nobody dared breathe, as these two athletes tried their hardest to gradually wear the other down. At this point, victory was so close that you couldn't help but wonder what your reaction might be if Roddick were to beat the best player in the universe. I pictured him slamming one of his trademark aces into the grass, falling down in an unadulterated display of raw emotion, shedding tears of joy, jumping up and down. My heart burned to see it happen in real life, as tears were already starting to well up behind my eyes at the thought of such a stunning victory. I was ready to jump, to cry, to scream with Roddick, to taste his success in my mouth like it was my own. Every nerve ending in my body was ignited with the anticipation of this moment, and having it so close was torture.
But we all know that life isn't fair. And if that's true, that must mean sports is not only unfair, but downright cruel. It doesn't make sense by any stretch of the imagination that a man who outplayed, outserved, and outlasted his opponent could possibly fall short at the end. It just doesn't sit right that Roddick, after breaking Federer thrice and never having his own serve broken, and winning the fourth set by the largest margin in the entire match, could actually falter and see the championship dissolve before his eyes. But, as we were forced to see, such is life. Roddick fell to Federer after playing, battling, churning, fighting, for 4 hours and 16 minutes, miss-hitting a forehand and losing the match 14 games to 16. It was the longest men's Grand Slam final in history at 77 games total, and the longest fifth set in a men's Grand Slam final in history. To put it simply, it was unlike anything the world had ever seen. And, with that victory, Roger Federer's Grand Slam titles rose to 15, giving him the most prestigious record in tennis -- all time Grand Slam leader.
The match had absolutely every detail in line to be one of the best upsets of the sport -- Federer going for the record, Andy having not won a Grand Slam in 6 years, and the reason for that 6 year dry spell due to Federer himself. Everything about this match today was aching to exist in Roddick's favor. Brits and Americans alike all held hands in support of this man, which is no easy feat. However, Roddick fans were left feeling absolutely crestfallen as the match ended, and our united hope proved not enough. But as slighted as Roddick fans felt, it was but a trifle compared to the expression on Roddick's face, as he himself comprehended the loss. His head hung low, arms crossed over his knees, he embodied the most bitter kind of disappointment. And as he slowly raised his head and tears squirmed out of his eyes and down his face, I felt my own throat close up and my entire body quivered with the loss. It was like hearing the most beautiful song in the world, and suddenly having the last 15 seconds of the track skip and lag, the discordance almost unbearable.
However, although we felt cheated out of an amazing emotional victory through Roddick, something spectacular took place with the loss -- as Federer watched Roddick's forehand drift out of bounds, he actually jumped up and down, pumped his arms several times, screamed out loud and smiled big and wide for all to see. The world had now seen something entirely new -- Federer got lost in the moment and let feelings sweep him away. And while tears aren't enough to save poor Roddick from another disappointment, seeing Federer jump around, dance, cheer, feel, was a small, redeeming victory in its own right.
The two great players congratulated each other during the awards ceremony in amiable, genuine ways that made the ending more bearable for everyone. Andy turned to Pete Sampras, the previous record holder, and with a smile said, "Sorry Pete, I tried to hold him off for you." And we all laughed, knowing that this charming man would be just fine. And as his name was announced as the runner-up of Wimbledon, the thunderous applause from everyone in the audience was proof that his efforts were not in vain.
Roddick, stay the course. One day, some day, your time will come.
- LAP etc.
In this year's Wimbledon, Andy became the unsung hero for all of the broken, battered, restless souls who needed someone to look up to. The British Andy Murray was a huge fan favorite and, since the tournament was on his native soil, held all of the United Kingdom on his shoulders. A Brit has not won Wimbledon in over 73 years, the longest drought ever. But with Murray's emerging success, everyone harped their hopes and dreams on this formidable man from Scotland, hoping he would catapult their nation to greatness. However, the alternate Andy defeated him in the semifinals, in a heartfelt and tireless display of powerhouse tennis. Hearts broke across the land, but for some reason, they found a new hero in Andy #2. Roddick became their surrogate favorite, and they all fell under the charm of this young American who was dying for one more Grand Slam to put to his name, eager and ready to face the one man who had so many times caused him dissappointment. One fan expressed this new love perfectly with a sign that was displayed during the Wimbledon finals -- it said "Let's Go Andy Murray!" but the "Murray" was crossed out with a big red X, and to it's right was scrawled the name "Roddick!"
Thus, Roddick won us all over. We were able to build up an emotional attachment to this man, the underdog, the Yank kid with nothing to lose and everything to gain. We knew it was a long shot, but we became invested in his every move, and found ourselves, despite all better reason, feeling, hoping, predicting that he would stun the world with an improbable victory. And, when Roddick took the first set against Federer 7 games to 5, we were convinced that a miracle was well underway.
Federer is all about ease, grace and composure, while Roddick takes chances, plays with less tact and more heart. Throughout the match, we saw Roddick roll around on the court, diving for balls and almost twisting ankles, while Federer appeared to listlessly prance around the baseline as though he was barely exerting himself. Though this could be attributed to his unprecedented skill and athleticism, to the untrained eye it just seems boring and heartless. It isn't necessarily Federer's fault that we perceive him this way; after all, the man must be doing something right to be number 1 in the world. And he certainly has established a solid fan base that has been loyal to him since his first Grand Slam years ago. But, to me and countless others, the 29-year-old doesn't get my blood to boil, doesn't make my heart pound or my stomach flutter. He just plays tennis really well.
After his victorious first set, in which he broke Federer to pull ahead 7 to 5, things were looking rather glorious for Andy. Even though he was literally sweating through the brim of his white Lacoste hat, he seemed like he had all the energy in the world. However, the next set proved a bit of a downfall as he fell to Federer in a nerve-racking tie break, 7-6 (6). Despite the fact that the match was now even at one set apiece, we thought back to Roddick's victory over Murray and remembered that, after being tied in identical circumstances, Roddick was able to come back and reign victorious. Hoping history would repeat itself, we were eager to let the third set commence, with the inkling that Roddick would reward us. However, our hearts broke a little when, in tiebreak style yet again, Federer just barely nudged ahead of Roddick 7-6 (5). Close-ups of Roddick's face revealed a man who was swimming in thoughts, trying to psych himself up, keeping the faith despite almost insurmountable obstacles. Being a set behind Federer is like being 10 sets behind any other player -- his prolific ground strokes and solid serve could intimidate the pants off anybody. But if anyone could put this stoic Swiss man in his place, we knew it was the adorable, sweaty kid across the court.
After two straight sets of defeat, the fourth set was an amazing showcase of magnificent, beautiful tennis that put Federer in his place. Roddick beat him by a large margin of 6 games to 3, breaking Federer's serve twice more, for 3 breaks in the match. Feds had yet to break Roddick on serve, which was a testimony to Roddick's composure and skill under pressure. After seeing Roddick kneel down and pump his fists after his fourth set victory, who didn't want to jump down from the stands and high five him? His passion was infectious, and before long, even Federer fans had to admit that today might be Roddick's day.
The fifth and final set was a mental, physical and emotional test for both players. Unlike other grand slams, the final set of a Wimbledon match does not end in a tiebreak. A player must win by 2 games. That said, no one was surprised when, after 6 games a piece, both players were tied and extra games were needed to determine a winner. However, nobody counted on the unforgettable display of tennis that would ensue afterwards. During every point played, nobody dared breathe, as these two athletes tried their hardest to gradually wear the other down. At this point, victory was so close that you couldn't help but wonder what your reaction might be if Roddick were to beat the best player in the universe. I pictured him slamming one of his trademark aces into the grass, falling down in an unadulterated display of raw emotion, shedding tears of joy, jumping up and down. My heart burned to see it happen in real life, as tears were already starting to well up behind my eyes at the thought of such a stunning victory. I was ready to jump, to cry, to scream with Roddick, to taste his success in my mouth like it was my own. Every nerve ending in my body was ignited with the anticipation of this moment, and having it so close was torture.
But we all know that life isn't fair. And if that's true, that must mean sports is not only unfair, but downright cruel. It doesn't make sense by any stretch of the imagination that a man who outplayed, outserved, and outlasted his opponent could possibly fall short at the end. It just doesn't sit right that Roddick, after breaking Federer thrice and never having his own serve broken, and winning the fourth set by the largest margin in the entire match, could actually falter and see the championship dissolve before his eyes. But, as we were forced to see, such is life. Roddick fell to Federer after playing, battling, churning, fighting, for 4 hours and 16 minutes, miss-hitting a forehand and losing the match 14 games to 16. It was the longest men's Grand Slam final in history at 77 games total, and the longest fifth set in a men's Grand Slam final in history. To put it simply, it was unlike anything the world had ever seen. And, with that victory, Roger Federer's Grand Slam titles rose to 15, giving him the most prestigious record in tennis -- all time Grand Slam leader.
The match had absolutely every detail in line to be one of the best upsets of the sport -- Federer going for the record, Andy having not won a Grand Slam in 6 years, and the reason for that 6 year dry spell due to Federer himself. Everything about this match today was aching to exist in Roddick's favor. Brits and Americans alike all held hands in support of this man, which is no easy feat. However, Roddick fans were left feeling absolutely crestfallen as the match ended, and our united hope proved not enough. But as slighted as Roddick fans felt, it was but a trifle compared to the expression on Roddick's face, as he himself comprehended the loss. His head hung low, arms crossed over his knees, he embodied the most bitter kind of disappointment. And as he slowly raised his head and tears squirmed out of his eyes and down his face, I felt my own throat close up and my entire body quivered with the loss. It was like hearing the most beautiful song in the world, and suddenly having the last 15 seconds of the track skip and lag, the discordance almost unbearable.
However, although we felt cheated out of an amazing emotional victory through Roddick, something spectacular took place with the loss -- as Federer watched Roddick's forehand drift out of bounds, he actually jumped up and down, pumped his arms several times, screamed out loud and smiled big and wide for all to see. The world had now seen something entirely new -- Federer got lost in the moment and let feelings sweep him away. And while tears aren't enough to save poor Roddick from another disappointment, seeing Federer jump around, dance, cheer, feel, was a small, redeeming victory in its own right.
The two great players congratulated each other during the awards ceremony in amiable, genuine ways that made the ending more bearable for everyone. Andy turned to Pete Sampras, the previous record holder, and with a smile said, "Sorry Pete, I tried to hold him off for you." And we all laughed, knowing that this charming man would be just fine. And as his name was announced as the runner-up of Wimbledon, the thunderous applause from everyone in the audience was proof that his efforts were not in vain.
Roddick, stay the course. One day, some day, your time will come.
- LAP etc.
0 comments:
Post a Comment