Bye bye Fred

Perry stood a long time. 76 years to be exact. Murray now has his name etched in British history to be the latest British grand slam winner in tennis. The signs were there for all to see. He took a set off Roger at SW19 and then went one better at the Olympics final to land the gold. With Rafa out of the way and Federer falling at the quarters, the only impediment to history being created was Nole. They slugged it out against each other and against the elements in equal measure. The gust only seemed to accentuate the test of finesse and stamina that took place at the Flushing Meadows. Only 5 sets could split them and Andy made sure he didn't have to suffer another heart break after being two sets to nil up. We have had the top four seeds win one slam each this year and the flood gates might as well open for Murray with this win. Novak and Andy have the best two handed back hands in tennis and its difficult to get better of them from the baseline. May be a more serene setting would have favored the number one seed. After winning 3 slams last year, he has to be satisfied with just one this year. Such is the quality of men's tennis these days, that one wouldn't bet against a Berdych or Tsonga landing a slam next year. I would not hazard a guess as to how long would Roger be on the scene. Rafa's knees seem to be troubling him again and he perhaps wouldn't have as long a career as Federer has had. Would be interesting to see who takes these two slots in the coming year or two. The usual pretenders or a new kid on the block.

Serena held her nerve to get the better of Victoria for the women's crown. Her mental strength puts her at such a vantage point that her rivals surrender more often to her grit than her shots. With Venus on the wane, she continues to be a dominant force on the women's side. The faster surfaces suit her high octane serves and forehands and there may still be a few slams left in her. The women's game cannot be more different than the men's right now. With Serena not playing most tournaments, Sharapova, Azarenka, Radwanska, Kvitova, Stosur and a host of others are always in the mix to contend for glory. Adds a bit of unpredictability to the game. Good or bad..take your pick.