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.