Yo-kovic

He can run a tread mill down to ground. He can hit a mean return. And he can do a good Gangnam. Is there anything that Nole cannot do? Last year he played two excruciating matches in the semis and the finals, not to mention against two of the best retrievers and fittest men in tennis and came out on top. If Stan Wawrinka thought he could wear the defending champion out, wishful thinking is what I would call that. Stan outgunned Nole for the first set and a half but once the single handed backhand started misfiring, the tireless legs of Djokovic took him past the finish line. There were cramps but those came only on the Swiss' number two's legs. The Serb doesn't miss much from the racquet and his belief is at a level where nothing can bog him down. Novak is grinding down the big hitting Czeck Berdych as I write this and for all the fire power that the big Berd possesses, an entry to the big four club will remain elusive till he finds another dimension to his game.

A draw which has had Davydenko, Tomic, Raonic, Tsonga and probably Murray and Djokovic is a mine field that would worry any explosives expert. Roger Federer however has the pedigree, experience and class that can defuse all that comes his way. In showing young upstarts Tomic and Raonic who the boss is, he has made a loud statement. That the lion may be a bit old but can still handle the cubs in the pride. In the twilight of his career, the Swiss master has lost none of his touch and his calm is befitting royalty. The game on which he has spanned an incredulous 35 consecutive grand slam quarters is the reason why he still rules the roost at 32. Wonder if any of the current top five blokes can boast of the same 5-7 years down the line.

The women's draw has been highlighted by the demolition acts of the two favorites, Serena and MaSha. Sharapova has lost a total of 9 games in her first five matches and though a bulldozer is not something you would associate with the lithe Russian, her performances have been just like one. Her return game has touched an all time high and the only person in the draw who could stand her is the younger Williams. With the sisters out of the doubles draw, Serena would have all the more motivation to notch up another grand slam. Her form has been imperious and the way she serves would be a good match up for Maria, should the final that is most likely to materialize actually happens. Looking forward to a smouldering weekend.

The Soap Oprah

Blood transfusions, EPO, cortisone.. the skeletons have rolled out of the cupboard and the bones have shattered the myth of miracles. Whatever convinced Lance to come clean on his dalliance with doping certainly came a trifle too late. Probably he had nothing to lose and a clear conscience would have seemed inviting. The cancer survivor who won seven Tour De France titles certainly closed a sordid chapter that he opened himself. This leaves the world short on heroes bereft of one of the most iconic figures to don the sporting landscape. Would he still be a pin up boy for others fighting the dreaded scorpion or a disgrace that needs to be shunned. Armstrong leaves a legacy that will be debated for years to come. Just hope that his story is more a lesson than inspiration to all who loved and hated him in equal measure.

The grand slam of the Asia-Pacific is well under way and there have been no major upsets other than the plucky Laura Robson sending Kvitova packing in the second round. The seeds have had a smooth sailing and that would only help them in the searing Melbourne summer. The match up of Roger and Davydenko presented the epitome of contrasting styles between two contemporaries. Federer, the master of technique, disguise and cat like court coverage versus the hard hitting two handed backhand of Nikolay. That Federer went through in straight sets is testimony to the fact that a goldsmith still calls the shots when it comes to a slugfest with an iron-smith. The other top seeds in Murray, Nole and Ferrer have been nothing short of sublime either and it would probably take a big upset to see one of these not making the final four.

Manchester United have a strong grip on the BPL title with a clear 7 point lead over their neighbors. Sir Alex would not forgive a slip from this position and the tophy looks destined for its favorite home in Manchester. Rooney may be missing spot kicks but has not lost any trust from his team in front of the goal. With RVP in prime form, he may just need to take those a little more carefully. Pep has decided to add his Barca touch to Bayern but  he would not have a certain Messi to replicate the deluge of silver ware that he won with the Spanish giants. Does a coach make the team...we shall see.

All things Aussie

Another sub continent team bit the dust down under. SriLanka were never hot favorites to make the Aussies sweat in their own bastion but a capitulation like the one they suffered wasn't expected either. The Lankan batting is generally filled with batsmen who are flat track bullies. Dilshan, M Jayawardene and Samaraweera all have test averages biased towards innings in sub continent conditions. Even Sangakara couldn't provide the spark he did the last time in Hobart. There were a few glimpses of good batsmanship with Dilshan scoring a ton and Mahela getting a couple of purring half centuries at Sydney but one swallow doesn't make a summer. The Australians on the other hand were clinical after facing a reverse against the Proteas earlier in the summer. Phil Hughes seems to have filled the big void made by Ponting reasonably well and their skipper is in the middle of such a purple patch right now that he fills in for two batsmen. Hussey was consistent as ever in his last series in international cricket. His was a career that bloomed late but his exploits made up for the time lost. He was one of the cricketers you can count upon to deliver more often than not in testing conditions. The sobriquet he earned with his dedication to the game was not ill deserved. The Aussies have now lost two legends in quick succession to father time and it won't be long before they notice this absence. They travel to test India and though the current Indian line up should not be cause for nightmares to them, they would not sleep easy either.

The Australian Open beckons and the memories of last year's men's final still lingers. There would be no Rafa around this time for an encore but the Rod Laver arena should see some interesting tennis nonetheless. Roger has announced that he is fit and eager to compete with the best and with Del Potro getting back into some of his best form, Novak will have a good fight on his hands to make it three titles in a row. With Murray breaking his grand slam duck and Ferrer fighting like a hound, there won't be a dearth of contenders for the crown on the men's side. The women's draw should be open likewise but more because of the fragility of its exponents. Serena, Sharapova, Azarenka, Wozniaki and Kvitove should all be in the mix but a surprise winner would not be considered an upset. Djokovich and Serena start as favorites for me. Let the summer simmer with some exquisite tennis.