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India’s Davis Cup hopes dented by unkind draw, Serbia loom large


Leander Paes (the dubakour) and his former dou...

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India’s chances of progressing further in the Davis Cup World Group were dealt a severe blow by an unkind draw.

India have to contend with top seeds Serbia in the first round to be played in the first week of March, next year.

The Serbs have Djokovic, Tipsarevic , Troicki and Ninad Zemonjic in their ranks.

The Indians can count on Paes and Bhupathi to win their doubles rubber but the other two points will have to come from Bopanna and Somdev Devvarman.

Somdev is capable of springing a surprise but the dice are heavily loaded in the Serbians’ favour.

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World Group For Davis Cup 2011 – Part 2


This is the second and final instalment detailing the World Group at the Davis Cup.

Eight unseeded teams are pitted against the top eight teams.

The teams at the lower end of the spectrum, for the 2011 edition , in alphabetical order, are :

Austria, Belgium, Chile, Germany, India, Kazakhstan, Romania and Sweden.

What do these teams have to offer?

Can they cause any major upsets?

A peek at the teams and their crusaders!

Quote of the day:
There is always more misery among the lower classes than there is humanity in the higher. – Victor Hugo

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World Group For Davis Cup 2011 – Part 1


BARCELONA, SPAIN - DECEMBER 06:  Spanish players Feliciano Lopez (L), David Ferrer,  Fernando Verdasco (C) Rafael Nadal (2R) and team captain Albert Costa celebrate with the Davis Cup trophy at the end of the final match between Spain and Czech Republic at the Palau Sant Jordi stadium on December 6, 2009 in Barcelona, Spain.  (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

The draw for next year’s Davis Cup is scheduled to take place in Brussels on the 22nd of September, 2010.

Sixteen nations play the World Group of the Davis Cup every year, eight seeded and the other eight unseeded.

The two finalists of the previous year’s edition help form the two halves of the draw.

A quick look at the eight top teams in the World Group for Davis Cup 2011.

Quote of the day:
Criticism is prejudice made plausible. – H. L. Mencken

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A Comeback Lesson In Serve And Volley


JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA  - SEPTEMBER 20:  Somdev Devvarman of India celebrates his win during their Davis Cup match between South Africa and India at the Ellis Park Indoor Arena in Johannesburg on 20, September 2009 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

Aided by the sultry Chennai weather, the Indian Davis Cup team scripted a famous come-from-behind victory at Chennai, outplaying Brazil in both the singles matches on Sunday, the 19th of September, 2010.

This time though, the victory was achieved in a thoroughly professional manner with the entire team carrying its weight.

 Rohan Bopanna and Somdev Devvarman had their say. They have reassured Indian tennis fans that the country’s Davis Cup hopes are in secure hands for the foreseeable future.

Bellucci caved in to cramps and dehydration in the morning after just a set and a half. Somdev Devvarman was left feeling a little bemused but why look a gift horse in the mouth?

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2010 US Open:Captioning The Captured!


Highlights from the 2010 US Open. Some from the sidelines, some from the action. Capturing the moods , captioning the moods!

NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 13: Rafael Nadal of Spain rolls on the ground in celebration of his win over Novak Djokovic of Serbia during their men's singles final on day fifteen of the 2010 U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 13, 2010 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

The only time Nadal appears vulnerable on court is when he’s prone! Unfortunately, for his opponents, he’s prone after the fact! Nadal celebrates on court on beating Novak Djokovic.

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Tennis, boxing, cricket and wrestling: Indian sport makes waves


ADELAIDE - SEPTEMBER 22:  Rohan Bopanna of India in action during his 3-6, 5-7 loss to Scott Draper of Australia in the third days play in the Davis Cup World Group Qualifying Tie between Australia and India being played at Memorial Drive in Adelaide, Australia on September 22nd, 2002. (Photo by Nick Wilson/Getty Images)

India take on Brazil on Friday the 17th of September , 2010 at Chennai on hard-courts in the Davis Cup World Group playoffs.

The first day’s play features two singles matches : Thomas Bellucci versus Rohan Bopanna & Somdev Devverman versus Ricardo Mello.

Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi take on Bruno Soares and Marcelo Melo on Saturday in a crucial doubles encounter.

The reverse singles will be played on Sunday.

Suffice to say, at least two singles matches will need to be clinched for India to progress to the next round.

The weight of Indian expectations rest on Somdev’s shoulders. Bopanna is not favoured to win either of his singles.

Can Somdev pull it off? The Indian tennis fraternity certainly hope so.

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Rafael Nadal: How Our Disbelief Obliterates His Many Achievements


Rafael Nadal of Spain, winner of the 2010 U.S. Open tennis tournament, poses with the trophy at Times Square in New York, September 14, 2010. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT TENNIS)

Now that Rafael Nadal has staked his claim to being the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT), let us examine the reasons why tennis aficionados are still leery of anointing him the heir to  Federer’s not yet vacated throne.

Is it that he is a Spaniard not too familiar with the nuances of the English language?

Is it that he does not typify the usual tennis player? Is it that he appears to be a muscle-bound hulk?

Is it that he’s built more like a boxer or a sprinter?

Is that what blinds us to his ever improving court craft?

Or are we just peeved with the alleged illegal coaching by his Uncle Toni from the sidelines?

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2010 US Open: The Dad Versus The Uncle


LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 04: Tony Nadal, the uncle and coach of Rafael Nadal of Spain, looks on during the Men's Singles Final match between Rafael Nadal of Spain and Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic on Day Thirteen of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 4, 2010 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: Dijana Djokovic and Srdjan Djokovic, parents of Novak Djokovic, watch play between Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Roger Federer of Switzerland during the men's singles semifinal match on day thirteen of the 2010 U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 11, 2010 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

A rain-delayed Monday US Open final dawns.

Can Djokovic repeat his moment of magic against the top seed, Rafael Nadal?

Nadal is the overwhelming favourite going into the Flushing Meadows final.

But Djokovic should look no further than his own box, more specifically his father wearing an extraordinarily loud T-shirt with the Joker’s mug smiling back at him for awesome motivation.

Djokovic’s dad , Srdjan Djokovic, dares to look ridiculous just so his son Djokovic can feel that he’s not alone struggling on that blue quad.

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Roger Federer: Now A Fish Out Of Water


Roger Federer of Switzerland walks with his head down after losing a point in his 5-7, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 defeat to Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the Mens Semifinal at the U.S. Open Tennis Championships in Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City on September 11, 2010. UPI/John Angelillo Photo via Newscom

The writing is on the wall.

We’ve dismissed suggestions that Federer is fading and have hoped against hope to be rewarded with another Slam this year but we were destined to be disappointed.

Federer has lost his aura of invincibility. We just failed to recognise it for what it was.

We believed that it was only Nadal who stood in his way. How we have demonised that man from Mallorca!

But we forget that our Gods are human too. We forget that they age too.

That they succumb to their mistakes.

That their creaking bones may no longer withstand the rigors of a gruelling tour.

Quote of the day:
It is better to have a permanent income than to be fascinating. – Oscar Wilde

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2010 US Open: The Ladies’ Final Preview


U S Open 2010 D9 07/09/10 Kim Clijsters (BEL) wins first set in quarterfinal match Photo Anne Parker Fotosports International Photo via Newscom U S Open 2010 D10 08/09/10 Vera Zvonareva (RUS) wins quarter final match Photo Anne Parker Fotosports International Photo via Newscom

Who would have believed it?

Vera Zvonareva gets to her second successive Grand Slam final.

She’s flown under the radar. She allowed Wozniacki and her shorter-than-short dress steal the limelight; she warms up in sweatpants and a jacket despite the sweltering heat and now she has knocked out the Danish sweetheart without so much as a by-your-leave.

Vera Zvonareva, you are going places and how!

Caroline Wozniacki found the pressure of expectations too much to handle and caved in to a much calmer, much hotter  (in terms of the tennis) Vera on a day of one upset and two disappointments at the US Open 2010.

Quote of the day: The price one pays for pursuing any profession or calling is an intimate knowledge of its ugly side. – James Baldwin

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