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All-Williams and Fedal: Stuff of dreams, embellishment of legends

Would you have believed it, dreamt it, envisioned it? Yet, we can savour it—the stuff of dreams, the embellishments of legends—another glorious chapter in the annals of tennis history.

A fitting ending to two momentous occasions—nostalgic yet novel.

An all-Williams final that culminated in Serena’s 23rd singles Grand Slam win and a Fedal encounter lasting a pulsating five sets that saw Federer reverse his hoodoo against his younger opponent Nadal equalling Jack Nicklaus’ golfing record of 18 Slams.

Roger ‘Tiger’ Federer, take a bow while Serena pirouettes with her trophy.

Vamos, Rafa, see you at Roland Garros, hopefully biting into the silverware.

Venus Williams: I deserve this

​”Should I look across the net and believe the person across the net deserves it more? This mentality is not how champions are made. I’d like to be a champion, in particular this year.The mentality I walk on court with is: I deserve this.”

—Venus Williams.

Saina Nehwal: Likes

“… I get over a million likes when I meet our political leaders or film actors; I get around a few lakh likes on winning matches,  or for snaps from monuments or foreign landmarks.” 

—Saina Nehwal. 

Dileep Premachandran: Glass ceilings

“Those that shatter glass ceilings have to put up with multiple indignities along the way, and any softness or weakness will be pounced upon.” 

—Dileep Premachandran. 

CLR James: Cricket, an art

“Cricket is an art, not a poor relation , but a full member of the community. It belongs with theatre, ballet , opera and the dance. ”

—CLR James.

Ana Ivanovic: Character

​”Fame and success and titles stay with you, but they wear out eventually. In the end, all that you are left with is your character.”

—Ana Ivanovic. 

Virat Kohli: Confidence versus rudeness

​”A fit body gives you confidence. And there’s nothing more impressive than a great attitude, which you can wear on your sleeve. But you’ll have to remember the difference between being rude and being confident.”

—Virat Kohli. 

Milind Soman: Running lights me up

“Something triggers internally the moment when my bare feet touch the earth. To put it simply, running lights me up. The light that burns within me reaches my soul when I run – it alerts my mind, and my body simply loves it. Nothing compares to the light within me when I run.”
—Milind Soman. 

Bishan Singh Bedi: Majority of one

“I derive a lot of my mental and my physical strength from my spiritual strength. If spirituality doesn’t teach you to speak up, what price are you paying? Speak up not for the heck of it but when desired. I’ve often been told that I’m a crusader kind of person. They say ‘you are in a absolute minority’ but I say, ‘No, I am, by the grace of God, in a majority of one’. ”

—Bishan Singh Bedi. 

Sunil Subramanian: Newer mistakes

“The challenge is that you should be making newer mistakes. Newer mistakes means you are learning.” 

—Sunil Subramanian, Ravichandran Ashwin’s mentor,  describes his evolution as an off-spinner.