CLAYm to history

Two dodgy knees made a reappearance around this time last year. Joints that were out to grab eyeballs if you would forgive my liberty with anatomy. The man who stood on those legs was a legend already but the pinnacle of sport can be as unforgiving as it can be ecstatic. The soft red dirt certainly provided a cushion not forthcoming on the slippery grass or hard plexi. Walking out onto the clay, you could see those eyes twinkling with as much anticipation as a toddler would have after being reunited with his beloved toy. What followed was a season that bagged Rafael Nadal a stupendous eighth Roland Garros title on the heels of almost complete domination of the slow courts. There is certainly no doubt that he qualifies to be the best ever clay courter if not all around. The one blemish that the Mallorcan had to encounter was a loss at the principality of Monte Carlo at the hands of the challenger Novak. Its been a repeat this year of the unpleasant result with the other indomitable Spaniard Ferrer getting the better of an off color Rafa. This could be a good omen if the past is anything to go by and while we are talking about the casino city, betting against the defending champion in Paris in a month's time will take more than a brave man. Getting past him in a best of five setter takes super human abilities, evident in the fact that the matador has been beaten just once since he made his debut on the Parisian dirt. Its certainly gearing up to be a season for rewriting record books.

Its over bar the shouting for the Merseysiders. And i am talking about both Liverpool and Everton. With three games to play, the reds top the table with a handy lead and if they can negotiate Chelsea at home, Steven Gerrard's tears will take some stopping. Its taken some time coming and one just hopes the idiom about the slip between the cup and the lip doesn't choose Rodger's side to illustrate its gravity. Manchester United looked stunned against an inspired Everton side in spite of the latter's former coach being in their wings. The purpose with which the blues attacked the ball showed how much they would like to kick among the big boys in the Champions League. They have a few tricky encounters to settle as well before the fat lady actually sings.

 

Mercedes made it another one two in Shanghai but the surprise package was Fernando Alonso's podium finish. The Ferrari ace has been in the shadow of others the last few seasons and it was welcome to see him back amidst the champagne. While the race itself ran out on expected lines, a certain excited steward handed the chequered flag to Lewis a lap in advance. One just wonders if a red face would have been the only after effect of the zealousness if Nico had over taken Hami in the last lap. With Nicole Scherzinger by his side, it does look like the Briton is well on his way to another world title. Is Jessica Michibata going to be on the Button? Only a few more races would tell.

You will never walk alone

The kop is buzzing this season. Anfield hasn't had it so good for some years and the Reds have given their fans something to cheer about. With five games to play, Brendan Rodger's team lead the table by a small but important two points. Liverpool have been the perennial under performers in the recent history of the premier league, ironically enough given their free scoring ways. It has been a calendar that has brought back memories of glory days past. Luis Suarez has put his delinquent days behind and his prolific form in front of the goal has put him within striking distance of a record number of goals in a season. He has partnered well with cap Gerrard and is in line to be named the PFA player of the year. The other team in reds however has suffered a decline in fortunes with the departure of their talisman manager. David Moyes hasn't been able to live up to the expectations of the United fans with his team not in the reckoning for the Champions League title this year and fighting to bag a spot in the premier competition the next. In contrast the Blues have made the semis again and are running Liverpool close for the league title. The chosen one certainly has made a difference for the London side. The clash between Liverpool and ManCity tonight would go a long way in determining who would ultimately lift the premiership but the end to the Machester hegemony has certainly added an element of mystique to the EPL. 

Two Spanish, one German and one English team would vie for the Champions League which is a fair summary of the quality of soccer played in the different European leagues. The two Madrid sides in Real and Atletico would want to make in an all Spanish affair in Lisbon. Standing in their way are Bayern and Chelsea respectively. Munich in particular would be looking to justify the favorites tag they carry being the defending champions. They are one of the strongest sides in European football and a match up against Real Madrid is worthy of a final but the draw of lots doesn't always serve up fanciful results.

The formula one season is also under way and there has been a lot of noise about the lack of it with the new hybrid engines not being able to pump adrenaline with their meek sounds. The Mercedes team has done a Red Bull at the start of the season with all three races in  Australia, Malaysia and Bahrain bagged by the UK based outfit. Lewis Hamilton has won two but Nico Rosberg leads the championship race by the virtue of finishing all three races and won one. Force India climbed the podium after an extended lean period. Unless the other teams can get a little more fizz out of their ensembles, its gearing up to be another run away by one team, albeit a different one. One wonders why a changes in specifications leaves such a big gap between constructors making it a wee bit maudlin for the fans.

Augusta had to get the Masters underway without Tiger in a long time. The conditions have not been ideal and previous champions like Mickelson and Angel have had to bite the cut. Bubba Watson leads the way at the time of writing this with a second win in three years well in sight. Unless he has a meltdown akin to Rory, the green jacket should sit on his proud shoulders again. Debutant Jordan Spieth has a good chance to eclipse Woods who won his maiden Masters aged 21 years and three months. Under par scores have been difficult to come by in hot and fast Georgian conditions and a few birdies may seal the fate of the contenders.

Turning the clock back

Two men with their names etched in the history of the games they embellish have staged a rear guard challenge, the naysayers never thought them capable of. Champions are so because they believe in themselves and not the press. Arm chair critics have long written premature obituaries but the last nail in the coffin is not struck till the hand is of their own. To temper the blow of age with a mix of experience and skill is painstakingly difficult if not impossible. To have managed the trick with such aplomb is testimony to the rarefied competence of these legends.

Khanty Mansiysk, Russia is one of the colder places on the face of earth. That it was host to the qualification candidates tourney for the World Chess Championship 2014 would have raised the degrees by a notch. The winner would earn the right to challenge the "Mozart" Carlsen for the title of world champion. With eight of the strongest GMs battling their wits, this was one of the strongest field fighting for the honor. Vishy Anand made it only on the back of being the losing half of the championship match last year. The start of the year at London and Zurich was bleak and the clamor for retirement had gone up a few decibels. He arrived in Russia as the sixth seed and an expectation to finish in the top four. Armenia's proudest son Levon Aronian was considered the strong favorite. The five time world champion was out bar the official announcement. Would Vishy last the grueling 14 rounds of intensive battle or go down meekly as he had against the genius of Magnus in Chennai. If the first round was anything to go by, the Anand of past had resurfaced. He caught the favorite off guard and a facile win with white was all he needed to kick start his fight. What transpired over the next few days is surely going to become part of chess folk lore. While the others in the fray displayed an inconsistency expected of Vishy, he played chess as if free of any burden ending up as the only undefeated man with 3 wins to boot. The oldest man in the challenge, the Madras tiger has once again bared his fangs. Come November, he would get another chance to lock horns with his nemesis to win back the coveted crown. Whether Vishy crosses that final hurdle will only time tell but in getting thus far, he has just put a stamp on what the great Kasporov said " He embarrasses people who ask for his retirement".

2013 was a year Roger Federer would like to forget in a hurry. With back problems and his confidence at a nadir, there were only straws to clutch at for the GOAT. The murmurs of disquiet about the Swiss no longer being able to run with the top men were getting louder. On the wrong side of 30 and with no double handed back hand to lend him that extra power, Roger finally shifted to the larger racquet head he had been experimenting with. A semi-final place at Melbourne that included a win against the redoubtable Djokovic indicated that the maestro may be on his way back up. He had dropped down to 8 in the ATP rankings and even the comers fancied their chances of getting the better of the man once invincible on the tennis courts. A win in Dubai and a final at the BNP Paribas at Indian Wells have rocked him back in the top 4 with a further rise to 3 quite probable. The other challengers in Murray, Del Potro, Ferrer and Berdych have all been marred by inconsistency and the first few months of the season bode well for Roger to increase his tally of slams. Next up on the calender is the clay court season which has been taken on the platter by Rafa for more years than one can remember. The grass at Wimbledon would provide the best chance for the seven time champion to get one back at the doomsayers. A relaxed and aggressive game that he has displayed this season will go a long way in decorating the twilight of his already distinguished career.