From the shadow of a giant

Stan Wawrinka's maiden grand slam title would have brought a smile to many faces, none more than that of Roger Federer. As much as the 17 time slam champion would have celebrated a compatriot's achievement, the fact that Rafa Nadal was halted in his march towards the all time record would have made the semi final loss a little more bearable. Stan was the overwhelming underdog coming into the final but the way he blasted his more fancied opponent off the court in the first set signalled the possibility of a long fight. As the world number one has shown time and again, you don't say die till the last point is done and dusted. But this was not the everyday Nadal, this was a wounded champion fighting his spasmed back as much as a fired up Swiss on the other side of the net. A medical time out in the second set drew some jeers but it was soon clear that those were misplaced. With no serve and ability to go after the balls in the same way as he usually does, Rafa brought out a rear guard action to net the third set. However, it was too good to last and without his precious lunges, the number one seed was left a spectator to Wawrinka's high octane tennis. It was all over in just over two hours and if there is more heart ache left for the Spanish giant in Melbourne, it will take a strong cardioid to take it. I am sure that the matador will be back next year to have another go at a double career grand slam but with every passing year and the mileage that his body runs up, there won't be too many opportunities left.

The "Stanimal" won the Chennai open at the start of the year but not many thought it was a harbinger of bigger things to come. His one handed backhand has fired like a Stan gun and with a new found confidence under Magnus Norman, the now number 3 in the world has truly emerged from the shadow of his more celebrated country man. The soft spoken Wawrinka defeated the number one and number two seeds at Melbourne and now promises to bear the Swiss flag that Federer has flown high for so long. Will he be able to make this breakthrough count and be able to do bigger things in the season? As long as his back hand remains the redoubtable force it was in the last two weeks, he will be a contender come the second weekend in the slams to follow. So, now we go to the Roland Garros, the red dirt that is owned by the losing finalist to see if the king's rule continues.

Li Na had it third time lucky after getting better of the pint sized Slovakian Cibulkova. Having not had to play anybody from the top ten in the whole tournament, the draw did seem kind to the Chinese number one but then you make your own luck. Her ground strokes and the killer back hand down the line took her to a second grand slam title. Li is one of the more liked players on the WTA tour with her candid interviews and cheerful personality. She has mad the most of her abilities in the twilight of her career and there may still be a slam or two left in her before she hangs up her racket. As for the others in the draw, it was an opportunity missed with the heavy weights like Serena and Sharapova falling by the wayside early, particularly so for Agnieska Radwanska. It has been a thriller of a start to the tennis season and one can just look forward to more riveting action in the coming months.

Labors of the walk

Its the umpire's decision everyone says. When you nick it, you stand your ground till the man in the coat shows the dreaded finger. Just another way of tempting fate when you know your time is up. Or to average out the lemons that have come your way in the course of having to go when the willow touched leather but you were declared having your leg before the wicket. As in a match, so over a career, most cricketers struggle to call it a day. Hanging onto one's exploits that keep playing on sports channels to fill telecast gaps and reminds them of past glories is more the rule than the exception. It rarely matters if there is a talent waiting in the wings to fill those boots and has checked all boxes that need be to take over. Emptying one's slot for someone else is as foreign to most as are the pitches where they graft out their years of dusk. Two of the most important batting positions in the Indian test line up have shown what imbecility it was to hanker at the retirement of the purported legends. Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli have gone on to show that stars always shine brighter than comet tails. It took two long years for an Indian number four to score a test century and the onus for the long wait squarely lies on some shoulders that should have stopped wobbling some time back. Gerontocracy is a word that was the highlight of Indian cricket till some sense prevailed. Instead of letting go at an opportune time and allowing the new guard plant their foot properly in home matches, the end came at the close of the home season leaving the green horns tackle pitches of the same color. Not that the replacements have run aground. They have just serenely taken on the job at hand and shown the world, how a walk well timed  can benefit everybody including the reputation of the walker. 

The first grand slam of the year in the Aussie open in upon us. The slam of the Asia Pacific is usually played in temperatures that are not high just because of the exponents' game. The big four on the men's side has been shrunk to the big three but it would take a courageous betting man to put his money on anything else than a final between the top two seeds. While Roger is no longer a favorite and would play with a larger racket head that should be more forgiving on his mishits, his presence always lends that grace to the proceedings. With three former greats in Lendl, Edberg and Becker making their way into the coaching staff of top guys, they should renew their erstwhile on court rivalry from the stands. Serena Williams would be an odds on favorite to get past Vica Azarenka to inch closer to the all time record. Would Novak make it four in a row. The chances are good but the man who stands in his way will make sure, it takes more than just sweat from the world number two to get there.

For them who made '13 toll

As we bid adieu to 2013, its time to take sporting stock. Athletes who set their arenas on fire with their performances and left in their wake a legacy that would be remembered as special. The year didn't boast of a major tournament but wasn't bereft of drama by any means. With the world athletic championships to two versions of the Ashes, there was enough on the plate to keep the enthusiast engrossed. So, while we anticipate the biggest show on the planet in the soccer world cup in its adopted home of Brazil next year, here is a flashback from the year bygone.

Andy Murray's knighthood would have been secured after landing the coveted Wimbledon trophy in what was a spectacular year for Great Britain. Mo Farah followed up his Olympic show with a stellar world championships with a 5000 and 10000 m double to secure legendary status on the field. That Usain Bolt won the 100, 200 and 4X100 m titles again was expected but it seems he did it on a platter. There aren't many chasing him down and a repeat in Rio is not unfathomable.

Rafael Nadal returned to his beloved tennis courts after a long hiatus forced by his aching knees but what a comeback it was. He blazed through the field winning two grand slams in his favorite French and not so favorite US Open. That nobody else except the indefatigable Novak was able to stem the Spaniard's game was proof enough that the matador is back to his deadly best and Roger's record of most grand slams is within sights. Twas a poor year for the erstwhile magician Federer with no grand slam final appearances and his record of consecutive slam appearance brought to a grinding halt, Whether he has it in him to make one final stand will be clear in a month's time at the hard courts of Melbourne park. Serena Williams dominated the women's tour and looks good to extend her hegemony.

The Ashes were fought over twice in a year and the home teams scored. The Aussies completed a fourth victory at the MCG today with a lackluster performance from the Poms that bordered on the pathetic. While the Aussies did give a fight to the English earlier this year, the return series has been all one way traffic. Would the Barmy army be spared the humiliation of a 5-0 white wash at Sydney? We will know in a week's time. Its time for a change in the English cricket setup and my guess would be that Andy Flower would be the first sacrifice at the altar. The best all rounder to have played the game in Jacques Kallis said goodbye to the test arena with a stoic yet characteristic century.

Sir Alex Ferguson went out on a high with the red devils winning the English premier league again. His successor Moyes has found it difficult to maintain a similar drive and focus with the team languishing in the pecking order till the year end. Real Madrid bagged another Galactico in the form of Bale but Barca kept snapping at their heels. Among such big hoopla for the English and Spanish giants, it was Bayern Munich that landed the Champions League to show case the often disregarded efficiency of German soccer.

While Tiger Woods took the perch again in the golfing world, it was time for some deserving first time major champions. Adam Scott, Justin Rose and Jason Dufner all bagged their first majors in what was an open golfing season. With Phil Mickelson wining the Open Championship for his fifth major, Tiger's wait for extending his major wins will have to wait another year.

Sebastian Vettel left everyone gobsmacked with a season of incredible driving winning his fourth driver's title in a row. He won the title with so much to spare that he wouldn't have had to race the final four races. That he broke Schumacher's record for the most wins in a season was just icing on the cake. He also helped the Red Bulls win a third constructor's title and going by his performance, there is still so much more to come.

While the above were news makers for the right reasons, there were others who made the headlines for all the wrong ones. Lance Armstrong admitted to his doping regime and that certainly took all the sheen off his great wins. Boston suffered bombings at its marathon and the ugly face of today's world showed itself on the sporting field as well. While the blips were few, the champions shone bright. Here's gearing up for a stupendous 2014.