The Fergie Factor

The English Premiership has had me hooked from the time they started broadcasting it in these parts of the world in the early nineties. Even in those embryonic days of regular club football viewing, the name Alex Ferguson (the ‘Sir’ came after the treble in ’99) stood like a colossus, a larger than life figure, a bigger name than all the big name players in his first team at Manchester United. His words carried greater weight in the footballing world (referees, media, administrators) than those of the Ayatollah in Iran.  Since those days, till last night’s daylight robbery for United over Liverpool, I have watched the Premiership intently, as an Arsenal supporter, but otherwise essentially a neutral student of action on and off the pitch.

They say in football, decisions even themselves out for a team over a season. Somehow, for Fergie’s team, they never seem to do. Over the past few seasons, I have seriously given thought of maintaining a stat sheet over the entire season counting the number of incorrect potentially game changing refereeing decisions that go for and against Man U over the course of the entire season. I have never managed to do so, but a random look at this season and the count stands at 2 incorrect penalties awarded and an incorrect red card (still waiting for a decision to go against them).  Wenger, Mourinho, Ancelotti and Mancini  (the other premiership winning managers that I have seen) have all made claims to their side being short changed, but for their teams the whole ‘decisions even themselves out’ factor probably holds true – if anything Mancini has probably been at short end of the stick more often than others.

What then ticks for Fergie and United- I will not go as far to claim that officials are bought off. That would be puerile. However, the undeniable fact remains that the intimidation factor of Sir Alex far weighs heavily in the mind of an official while having to make a split second, game changing call. Imagine the position of the referee while having to officiate on the Welbeck or Valencia ‘dives’ this season.  Even he is wavering towards the side of a non-call, his sub-conscious probably starts weighing up the implications of a post game Fergie rant vs a Brendan Rogers rant, and within the fraction of decision making time, the damage is done. If I had a dime for every time I’ve seen Paul Scholes go unpunished for the type of challenge Shelvey was sent off, I’d have been a far richer man.  

The other thing to factor in this is that over in the European Competitions, this Fergie intimidation factor is lost and you find a lot less managers bemoaning the refereeing advantage to United in Europe.

Sir Alex has even famously targeted referees before a game making statements in his pre-match interviews about how the gentleman had cost his team points in a previous game -  a gambit that has played havoc in the official’s mind before the starting whistle. Would the man then dare brandish an early card for a cynical foul in the opening few minutes of the game?

These issues are greatly downplayed by the media and the English refereeing association is a bad joke and I fathom ,till the great man stays in the job United will get the rub of refereeing green just that wee bit more often than his rivals. What I’d be really interested in seeing is the first Man U season after Sir Alex hangs his boots. While I’m convinced the decisions will be far more even, there’s even a chance that United may suffer from a few awry ones fuelled, by the sub-conscious relief of officials finally free of the yoke of the Fergie factor.  

Previewing a Marquee Weekend

This is the first real marquee weekend of a still embryonic English football season – at least in England where Arsenal travel to Man City and Manchester United play at Anfield against Liverpool.

Matchday of the Season thus Far

Things appear to have somewhat changed , early though the season is, as compared to May for both the Gunners and City.

Back then, Arsenal were dealing with the impending departure of talisman Robin van Persie and desperately looking around for replacements that would enable them to compete and yet meet their business model at the club. The season began with 2 goalless draws and it portended to be another long and weary season for Arsene Wenger. However, the clinical win at Liverpool, the thrashing of Southampton and the crucial (albeit lucky) win at Montpellier has seen a new wave of Optimism sweep through the Emirates. Lucas Podolski and Santi Carzola have settled into the physical nature of the league like ducks to water – the Spaniard has apparently created an astonishing 18 goal scoring chances in the 4 games thus far. While Podolski’s finishing has been far more clinical than what I expected, even more impressive about the German has been his willingness and not altogether negligible skill in dropping back to defend – a crucial factor considering left back Kieran Gibbs has a tendency to go missing at times. The defence has never looked this solid in years and key players like Wilshere , Sagna and Rosicky are on the verge of a first team return.  There are still many questions to be answered ! Will Giroud turn out to be another Chamakh ? The goalkeeping scenario also appears a bit iffy with Szczesny throwing in that howler last week and then injuring himself. While Manone has been safe , he still has a long way to go before proving himself consistently dependable. All in all, the most promising start to the season for Arsenal in years but Sunday will provide the first real acid test of their title credentials.

City, on the other hand, were conspicuous by their relative inactivity in the transfer window. Javi Garcia, Jack Rodwell and Matija Nastasic were not exactly the first names on the big managers’ shopping lists. Though still unbeaten in the league, City got out of jail against Southampton and have looked indifferent at times through a relatively easy opening 4 games (well, perhaps with the Exception of Stoke away). The crippling blow was provided in the mid-week when Real Madrid came back virtually from the dead to snatch that late win at the Bernabeu. If City are to be counted among the European elite, these are the kind of fixtures they must hit back in. They still have the best squad of players in the league and the game against an upbeat Arsenal should be a real treat for the purists with both continental managers likely to put out attacking sides.

Manchester United have bounced back in typical style after the opening day loss at Goodison Park. The RVP solo show against the desperately unlucky Saints followed by the rather more convincing win against Wigan has got the crowd at Trafford (and millions outside) quite enthused. The Man U midfield and defence still look doubtful at times but the brilliance of their wingers (especially if Nani comes to the party) and the best forward line in the Premiership should , on paper, not have too hard a time at Anfield against a winless Liverpool looking desperately short of squad depth.

But then again – this is Man U against Liverpool – and I do not quite know how, but over the past 2 or 3 seasons , the Reds somehow always manage to turn up for these fixtures (the results notwithstanding). I do not expect anything different this time around. With the backdrop of the recent Hillsborough revelations, there never will be a time for a thin quad to punch above their weight. Another classic in store, though, I hope, there are no more of those dreadful Evra-Suarez – will they-wont they-handshake fiascos.

There is a lot of action on hand this weekend apart from the marquee premiership clashes, with the Singapore GP and the Bayern Munich –Schalke clash being other lip smacking offerings. However , keep an eye on the  PGA Tour championship, which  is already halfway through. All eyes will be on a precocious Northern Irishman to see if he can make an unprecedented hat-trick of Fed-Ex cup playoff tournaments. Also, if the 10-inning game I was any indication, the remainder of the Yankees-Athletics series at the Bronx should be a riveting affair, with both teams still harbouring very realistic playoff ambitions.

Happy Viewing !!!

A September Russian Roulette

Analyzing a Lip Smacking MLB Regular Season Finish

As if last season’s September run in wasn’t enough , the 2012 Major League Baseball season is headed towards another roller coaster home stretch with no team still assured of their place in the playoffs and a whole host still interested , especially with 2^nd wild card spot up for grabs this season. So in essence this is how the playoff spots are decided.

The top teams each from the Eastern, Central and Western divisions of the American and the National leagues gain automatic entry with the next two teams with the best overall records facing off in a one game shootout for the fourth playoff spot. Not only does the Russian roulette of the one game playoff , make it imperative for the teams to top their respective divisions but it gives a number of teams added incentive in September to clinch that 2^nd playoff spot.

American League:

July in long gone, when the New York Yankees (East) and the Texas Rangers (West) were being comfortably tipped to top their respective divisions. The Yankees have managed to lose a 10 game lead and are now willing every weary sinew to try and stay atop the Baltimore Orioles (one of the 2 surprise teams of the season) and the “always dangerous in September” Tampa Bay Rays. The Yanks have had their share of injuries with the core pitching staff of CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova and Andy Petitte all spending more than enough time on the disabled list. Add to that an inconsistent offence, which has at times been carried on his shoulders by their 38 year old captain, the incomparable Derek Jeter. It’s a miracle that they are still one game atop the AL East and will need the other big bats like Alex Rodriquez and Robinson Cano to step up to win the pennant. Both the Orioles and the Rays have been punching above their weight on the back of some outstanding starting and relief pitching; however over the home stretch you have to believe the Yankee offence would have that little bit extra to scrape through.

Derek Jeter : Captain Fantastic

The AL Central is a neck and neck 2 horse race. The Chicago White Sox have led for the most of the season but the Detroit Tigers are only one game behind. Detroit probably have the best pitcher in the majors in Justin Verlander and the best hitter in Miguel Cabrera and you wonder if it is this quality which might just see them make the grade. It is also imperative for the Central division teams to win their division as both Chicago and Detroit are unlikely to gain the wild card spots if they finish second.

After the start the 2011 World Series Runners Up, the Texas Rangers had , it is startling that the Rangers are only 2 games ahead of the inspired Oakland Athletics – for the uninitiated in India – the same Oakland portrayed in “Moneyball” with the same GM Billy Beane. However, the A’s success this time around hasn’t been due to Moneyball tactics but some outstanding rookie pitching and clean power hitting. If the Playoffs were to begin today , the A’s and Orioles would battle it out for the wild card spot to join the Yanks, Sox and Rangers – however a lot may change since then.

Miggy : Key to the Tigers Challenge

Over in the National League , things are much clearer with the Washington Nationals, Cincinnati Reds and 2010 World Series Champs, San Francisco Giants having established comfortable leads in their respective divisions. The Atlanta Braves appear to have the first wild card spot all sewn up, and though no one in the Braves camp will have forgotten last season’s September meltdown, surely lightening will not strike twice in successive years for them to squander yet another comfortable lead.

The real battle in the NL is shaping up for the 2^nd wild card spots with likely to be captured by either defending champions the St Louis Cardinals or the star studded LA Dodgers. With veteran ace Chris Carpenter making a long awaited return for the Cards next week and the Dodgers Ace, Clayton Kershaw set for a possible DL stint with a hip injury – pitching might just well be the area which clinches it for the champs ; after all they are no stranger to late September heroics:  Will David Freese please step up !

Two Contrasting Champions

Serena Williams and Andy Murray winning the US Open singles titles were perhaps not altogether the most unexpected occurrences in sport in recent weeks.  Both had clinched the Olympic singles gold for their respective countries and though Andy had faltered somewhat in the hardcourt leadup tournaments , you somehow felt this tournament was destined to be his , especially after Federer was sent packing in the quarters.

An affirmed Legend and another in the making

Serena now surely deserves her place among the absolute top legends of the women’s game – the likes of Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova and Margaret Court. With 15 grand slams, Olympic gold medals, a fair share of doubles crowns, she has easily been the most consistently dominant player over the past decade and a bit.  It was not always thus – at the outset, her sister Venus burst onto the circuit earlier and more successfully and for a while it seemed that Serena would play bridesmaid to her. However while Venus has had her unquestioned moments in the sun, Serena’s career has comfortably outmatched hers.  The 2 sisters span 2 different generations of ladies tennis – right from their initial rivalries with Graf and Lindsay Davenport following to the battles with the Belgian duo of Justine Henin Hardenne and Kim Clijsters and on through to the modern day , where they (Especially Serena) have maintained their hold over the bumper crop of eastern European talent.

Serena’s game never had the panache of a Navratilova at the net, or the gazelle-like court coverage and powerful yet artistic groundstrokes of Steffi. Yet she used and still does to this day the asset she has been amply been blessed with, a cartload of power, which when accurately unleashed makes her nigh unstoppable. Both her playing style and the number of on and off court controversies she has courted, have ensured that she is hardly the most loved player on earth, especially for a generation like ours, for whom the ladies game effectively came to a halt with the retirement of Graf. Yet to not give the American her due would be a great disservice to a true champion of the game.

Andy Murray has been the tearful runner up in more tournaments than he would wish to remember, like his coach Ivan Lendl, losing his first 4 slam finals. For a long time, especially in the light of Djokovic’s awe-inspiring 2011 deeds, Andy seemed destined to remain a distant fourth in the quartet of modern powers, the other 2 being the incomparable Federer and Nadal. The London Olympics proved the perfect catalyst to spark the flame in the emotive Scotsman which has culminated in one of the oldest clichés in British sport finally being laid to rest at Flushing Meadows – the first British winner in a Grand Slam since Fred Perry. The future looks especially rosy for Murray if he can maintain fitness and consistency.  Still only 25 years of age, Andy has just stepped into what should be his most productive 3-4 years of professional tennis.  His rise in form comes at a time when his main rivals have all been dragged back towards the peloton, making Murray, if not the best player on the circuit , a definite favourite every time he enters a tournament. Federer has had a renaissance year but that aura of invincibility has long gone. There are now a number of players (none of them called Nadal) who believe they can beat the great man. Rafa himself has yet to step onto the court after his shock Wimbledon exit, and as the long term recuperation from injury continues , one wonders just what kind of toll his unforgiving style of play has taken on his body.  He may yet come back at the highest level and is still sure to dominate on clay for still some years but we might never the Nadal of late last decade ever again. Djokovic has struggled to reattain the Olympian heights of last season where he was the best , 2^nd best and 3^rd best player on the Tour. The Serb is still a potent force and his rivalry with Murray could well be the defining match-up for this decade , just like the Federer-Nadal showdown in the one.

All in all , Andy Murray has the world at his feet and having overcome that initial Slam hurdle, more  are likely to be just that trifle easier. The big question now on all minds is that having won the Olympic Gold in the hallowed turf of SW19, can Andy make that one step up and win Big W. He for once will be desperately hoping that this is one area where doesn’t end up emulating his coach Lendl. 

A Romance in Oranje

Chronicle of an everlasting love affair with Dutch football

International football for me, pretty much for the entire duration of my life has been a romance in orange – a tragic romance, but an overwhelmingly faithful one nevertheless.

The Netherlands ‘so-so-near-yet-so-far’ loss at the 2010 world cup final....and not just a loss...a loss in the 115^th minute , after Arjen Robben had missed a gilt edged one-on-one with the goalkeeper chance which he normally buries nonchalantly with both his feet tied together and his eyes blindfolded...so continued my seemingly everlasting wait for the Oranje to win at a major international competition since Euro ’88, when Van Basten’s outrageous volley converted me to a dutch football fan for life.

International football from that moment on (culminating in WC 2010) has comprised fleeting moments of pure joy interspersed by the rather more plentifully incessant agony. If Dennis Bergkamp’s three touch bamboozlement of Roberto Ayala in 98 remains the favourite footballing moment in my life, it is mired somewhat like hope in pandora’s box amidst Branco’s incredible free kick , the penalty defeats to Brazil in 98 and Italy in Euro 2000 , Arshavin’s wizardry in Euro 2008 and 2 outrageous goals (in Euro 2004 and WC 2006) from an otherwise average Portugese midfielder bearing the Indianised name of Maniche. Truly, when the Dutch undid the Brazil jinx at last in 2010, coming back from a real pasting in the first half , I believed that the time was nigh when my footballing hopes would be realised akin to those in other sports (Aussie cricket, Lakers in the NBA, Schumi in F1 etc). Andreas Iniesta ensured otherwise deep into injury time and my wait to celebrate dutch footballing glory continued.

Marco van Basten : The Volley of Genius

The one thing football has taught me is that no matter how earth shattering the result, there is always the next game around the corner....and so I waited.... for Euro 2012...knowing full well that Spain were still the strongest team in Europe and Germany, the most promising team on the horizon and well what followed, threatened my support for the Oranje to fatal proportions. The signs were there during Van Marwijk’s entire reign- the fluidity and delight of the Dutch game were replaced by a pragmatic , hard tackling no nonsense football. The team was built around midfield enforcers like Van Bommel and De Jong at the expense of that extra creative player. At the front Robin van Persie has long proved that even when fit, he is not half as good a player in international colours as that in those of his club. Even for battle hardened Holland supporters, it will take time to regain faith in the team after the debacle at the Euros. The Dutch need that one inspirational player to capture the imagination but it is difficult to see who that might be. The core group of RVP , Huntelaar, Schneider, Van de Vaart just lack that little something. Arjen Robben, on talent is probably still the best player in orange but fitness, form and confidence have been all too transient in the enigmatic winger. Dutch football is in crisis and under the dictatorial leadership of Louis Van Gaal, the crisis may either be resolved or deepen along the lines of the French in recent years.

Cutting over to the club football scene - once cable TV featured prominently in our lives in the mid-nineties and the European Leagues became an unavoidable weekly commitment favourites developed in this arena as well. Not unsurprisingly all the teams I have grown to support have or have had strong dutch connections....Arsenal of course , as the home of my favourite footballer through the nineties, the incomparable Bergkamp ; Ajax Amsterdam....well simply because they are dutch and in the mid-nineties were the epitome of footballing artistry (not too dissimilar from the modern day Barcelona) and Barcelona, for in the late nineties-early nougthies they fielded teams with more Dutchmen than Spaniards (counting randomly : Kluivert ,Overmars ,de Boer brothers , Riezeger , van Bronckhorst, Cocu)....while my footballing admiration for Messi’s  team is as great as any that I’ve seen play, their recent holier than thou attitude has somewhat cooled my support for them. Merely the name AC Milan excites the pleasure centres in the brain in fond remembrance of the days of the trio of Van Basten , Gullit and Rijkard. Those days are long gone – Inter Milan and Manchester United have more Dutch players than AC or Arsenal but the early associations have strengthened pretty much into eternal support.

Methinks I shall remain a footballing martyr for life – destined to hope , be disappointed and hope again , but as Ernie recently proved in the Open Championship, maybe once, just that once the never-ending hope of seeing the Oranje win international gold will bear fruit.  

Let the words "Dennis Bergkamp" suffice

Cracks in the Wall

Analyzing India's home series win over the Kiwis

In the end it was a rather facile 2-0 victory for India against a side that have really hit rock bottom in international cricket. Anything other than this result would have been a shock to the Indian system, desperately seeking to regroup after 2 high profile retirements and the horror show in Australia and England.

However to any discerning observer, there are noticeable cracks in the system, which if anything have accentuated over the long sabbatical from the long format. At the face of it, the 2 youngsters in the middle order , Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara were the best Indian batsmen. There are still visible flaws in their technique. Kohli at times plays carelessly around his pads, which might make him a leg before candidate on more helpful pitches and against faster seamers. Pujara has yet to be truly tested against the short and moving wall. However the initial signs are encouraging that though the departure of Dravid and Laxman will still be missed, the Indian middle order might not leave as big a void in the middle as the current Australian lineup shows (especially once Hussey hangs up his boots). For me, Sachin has too often been doubted (by all including me) and proven doubters wrong, to get thinking about three consecutive bowled out dismissals. If anyone can and has sorted out technical issues repeatedly, it is him and I do not doubt that he will overcome this as well. True Dravid started getting bowled repeatedly in the Australia series but I don’t think the Sachin issue is the same. The real challenge for Sachin is to decide when he wants to quit and inform the team well in advance so that the shock may be slowly absorbed. Can you imagine an Indian Test Batting lineup without him, however his recent form might be. Opposition captains from the toss would have a smile on their faces.

The real issue with the Indian batsman is the opening slot. Gambhir is in a totally wrong test mindset. I’ve actually lost track of the number of times he’s played that silly dab into the hands of the keeper or slip over the past year. Not perhaps time for him to be dropped yet, but the Delhi man will be looking over his shoulder with every failed inning. Sehwag has struggled too and though he might come out and score a hundred in a session in any game, I think it would be more prudent to move him down the order and give the prolific Ajinkya Rahane his shot at the top. Rahane has been the most consistent domestic batsman and deserves his chance. Sehwag should take Suresh Raina’s spot in the middle order as the southpaw has frankly never looked like he could make the grade in test cricket.

Sehwag : Time to shift down the order ??

Equally interesting is the slot of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. His impressive counterattacking scores on home pitches can never completely overshadow the fact that his has an abysmal overseas record. Thinking about Dhoni’s spot in the team is likely to generate as much controversy as debating Sachin’s spot, but I feel in the long run, India should look for a different test keeper (especially in overseas conditions).

For a side that restricted its opponents to under 300 in 3 of the 4 innings it bowled, India’s bowling has papered over the cracks in its surfaces. There were glimpses in the 2^nd test even when small partnerships were on that both spinners went on the defence quicker than would be expected. England and Australia will post sterner tests for them and while neither team has the batting mettle that really boasts it can handle spin, the performances of the spinners is likely to be more indicative of what they might produce in overseas conditions – the real test of character for an Indian spinner. The fast bowlers were hardly called upon and hence their performance or form cannot aptly be judged, though Umesh Yadav’s 2^nd test spell was exciting. This boy really is an interesting prospect.

So on the whole, a comfortable series win but for discerning minds , there are cracks to see. The powers that be would do well to take note and sort them out or India’s 8-0 away record is likely to reach double digit figures. 

European Footballing Weekend Summary

If Robin van Persie stays fit and plays over 35 games in the premiership, Manchester United will coast to the title. If the Dutchman could carry a lurching Arsenal to 3^rd place on his shoulders alone, surely this Man U team has that extra bit of pedigree. The defence remains United’s big and surprising worry. However they need to wrap RVP in cotton wool and cross all possible fingers and toes every time he goes away on international duty (and they will come thick and fast given that it is world cup qualifying season).

Arsenal were the English team of the week. A composed defence and a sparkling midfield performance ensured that they took thoroughly deserved honours at Anfield.  The things the Gunners need is to keep that defence fit and to get Olivier Giroud to start scoring. Thus far in the season he’s only managed to look a more refined version of Marouanne Chamakh. If the Frenchman doesn’t heat up soon, Wenger will be enforced to play Lucas Podolski up front instead of the left side, where he’s made such a promising start to his Arsenal career.

In other results of note, City gained a mundane win over QPR while Spurs conceded yet another late equalizer to draw Norwich.

In Spain Real Madrid gained their first la Liga victory of the season while Barcelona maintained their home stranglehold over Valencia thanks to a ripper of a goal from Adriano. The real talking points over the week in Spain were the alleged tears of Christiano Ronaldo after their win. Ronaldo later apparently admitted that there is cause for professional dissatisfaction for his at Madrid. Watch this space - I can already sense Man City and Chelsea reaching for their chequebooks.

European Performance of the Week : Bayern Munich , who after conceding midway through the first half produced at 6 goal blitz in 20 minutes either side of half-time – truly scintillating to watch. 

Chronicling 2 High Profile Retirements

With Kim Clijsters and Andy Roddick announcing that the US Open will be their swansong (the Belgian already out of the tournament), there is a certain inevitability about further retirements of higher profile names in their generation in the not too distant future – notably the likes of Roger Federer and the Williams sisters. Clijsters and Roddick were never the best players of their generation but were both enormous crowd pullers.

Kim and daughter Jada : One of the more enduring tennis images of  recent years

I remember well the days of the late nineties – Steffi Graf was on her way out, the power of the Williams duo was destined to rule the game for the next decade. In the midst of this you heard names of 2 teenagers who were pipped to really take on the battle against the Americans – Martina Hingis and Clijsters. Their careers could not have been more different. Hingis blossomed early , won a slew of grand slams in her teens, reached number one and just when it seemed that the world was at her feet, injuries and loss of form struck from which she never recovered. Klijsters on the other hand looked like the early promise may have been overdone. There were a number of good performances and the odd slam final but the crown somehow always eluded her. Add to it the high profile engagement and subsequent breakup with Lleyton Hewitt and her premature retirement due to injuries, and it seemed that the single US open title would be the only one in her repertoire. However, in one of the more stunning comebacks in sporting history, she returned as a Mum and displayed a level of excellence that fetched her three further slams. Her game was never as artistic as that of her compatriot Justine Henin or as powerful as that of Serena and Venus , but she covered the court with amazing dexterity (all the more commendable as she hardly was the smallest player on the tour). The fact that she was one of the most likeable ladies didn’t hurt her cause. Always smiling, gracious in victory or defeat and without a trace of controversy ever dogging her, Kim became the darling of tennis crowds worldwide (especially in Australia and the US , the scenes of her grand slam triumphs). She leaves a unique legacy in that a post retirement comeback of such success is scarcely likely to be replicated, in the men’s or the women’s game.

Andy Roddick : Good Player in an Era of Legends

I have actually felt sorry for Andy Roddick many a time over his professional career. Pretty much the sole heir to the golden era of American Men’s Tennis, it was always going to be an improbable task to emulate Sampras, Agassi and Courier.  The booming serve was his forte, the powerful forehand a great asset but both his backhand and net skills left a bit to be desired as he was to eventually come up against some of the greatest ever in the game. He won his first (and only) slam in Flushing Meadows before Roger Federer had his first and got tennis writers all over predicting a rivalry for the ages over the years. The rivalry bit was true but the name Roddick didn’t feature in it. He was ever the Ivanisevic to the Sampras of Federer (all those Wimbledon final losses) – and unlike Goran, he will not now get an unlikely name on the trophy. True, he nearly denied Roger his destiny in that 16-14 fifth set final, but that game apart, A-Rod was consistently second best to the Swiss maestro over a host of meetings on all kinds of surfaces.  The emergence of the Nadal and Djokovic pretty much made it impossible for Roddick to sneak in that 2^nd slam. It was inconceivable that all three would play below par in a single tournament and hence , for a player to go the whole way, he would have to produce 2 weeks of scintillating tennis, to outmatch these masters similar to the likes of Krajicek , Safin and Del Potro over the years. It didn’t need rocket science to note that Andy didn’t really have the game for that. Andy was and still remains an immensely likeable fellow with a penchant for the humorous at his press conferences. He leaves the game, probably to his legion of supporters (mostly Americans wondering what happened to their dominance in the men’s game) having underachieved. However to the more pragmatic, Andy will probably be the guy who was overburdened by expectations that perhaps never should have been his lot in the first place.