Sports Then and Now

Andy Murray could do little but watch as Roger Federer claimed his 16th Grand Slam title.

Early Sunday morning, and the Great British public has risen early, as one, in the expectation of witnessing something special. It is the growing burden that Andy Murray has borne since he strode into battle in the Australian Open two weeks ago.

With every passing round, with each bigger foe put to the sword, the battle cries have grown.

Now, finally, the lights blaze over the perfect sweep of the Rod Laver arena and the crimson daylight subsides over the Melbourne skyline for the last time.

After two weeks of intense competition, it all comes down to this: Just two men standing.

They are the best that tennis has to offer on this last day of January. The three-time Australian champion, Roger

Federer, is attempting to hold off the aspiring first-time champion, Murray.

Federer has done it before, in the U.S. Open, but 18 months, many matches, sharper skills, and increased maturity have swelled the stature of the young Scot’s shoulders.

And there is something more. In the night sky beyond those spotlights, the stars seem to have shifted into alignment. This is Murray’s 17th Grand Slam in his 22nd year, the very number of Slams and years it took Federer to win his first title. Read the rest of this entry →

Andy Murray struggled in his second Grand Slam final against Roger Federer.

One Murray showed up to play Rafael Nadal on the Australian Open quarter finals in Melbourne this year.  He came out on fire, pouncing on short balls, using his versatility on every shot, and playing ‘circus shots’ as soon as the chair umpire said ‘play.’  As if he knew that was what it took to get by a player with the talent of Rafael Nadal.  And as if he was motivated to get beyond the quarter finals.  As if he was the same age as the guy across the net, and just as good a player.  This Andy Murray played without letup for two whole sets.  Relentlessly aggressive, and respectful of what he was going to receive from the other side.

Another Murray showed up to start his semi-final match against Marin Cilic this year. Listless. Nervous. But when it looked like he was going to be out of the tournament, he came to life. The ‘other’ Murray manifested!

Let’s invent an avatar for this other Murray, and call him William Wallace Murray. We even have a visual to to with the avatar – it is the roaring face of Andy Murray at break point in the second set of the Cilic match! With face painted blue!

The second Murray showed up to play the final against Roger Federer. We can invent an avatar for this player too. We could call him Bonnie Prince Charlie – Murray, but that would be cruel. OK, let’s be cruel. There’s a visual to go with this avatar too. I can picture it now, a moment in 2008 at the Roger’s Cup in Toronto against Rafael Nadal, when he missed a put away and slammed his racket to the ground and made a mock barfing face. Or we could use one from this final: a grimace as he missed, yet again, one of his famous forehands down the line , one that he makes all the time on other, less momentous, occasions.

BPC-Murray (let’s shorten it) is not a total disaster. Against players outside of the top ten, BPC-Murray is crafty, capable, confident, in control. A great example of the efficacy of this Murray is his play against American John Isner in the 4th round. Even an American football player, visiting in the stands, could perceive the scary, deliberate, craftiness of this Murray as he probed and found the weaknesses of Isner, and then cruelly (and beautifully) wrapped him up, like spider with a fly. Read the rest of this entry →

Richard Williams told us it would be so. And Venus predicted her greatest rival would be her sister.

I, for one, discounted all this talk, back in the day. But now it’s been 10 years! Time flies. Serena is a great champion.

So it’s time to take a look back at the years and the moments in Serena’s career.

This is not meant to be a comprehensive review, just a brush up on the times and the significance of Serena’s wins, and a comparison with past champions.

This picture is from Serena’s first appearance at Indian Wells at the age of seventeen, where she defeated Steffi Graf in three sets. It was 1999.

Remember 1999? We were all afraid of the software bug that was going to hit us at the turn of the millennium and destroy the world as we know it.

Song: It’s the End of The World as We Know It [r.e.m.]

For fun, I’ve attached a playlist to this slide show so that you can ‘listen’ in as the times roll by. You’ll need iTunes to take full advantage of that particular feature.

Read the rest of this entry →

Justine Henin reached the finals of her first Grand Slam tournament in two years.

This post was provided by tennis fan Jo Shum. Sports Then and Now is happy to post submission by sports fans, so please feel free to contact us if you have a story or sports memory you want to share.

I don’t understand why, but I feel miserably sad watching Justine Henin lose the Australian open.  By any measure, this is a far-fetched coming back only in one month and an unbelievable fight into the final.  But as she said, the dream goes on… and somehow I would really want to believe in it that it may come true.

I think she is an amazing player with such gifted techniques and steely mentality, and just for once it would be great to show that you could possibly move the mountain by determination.  Almost, almost did.

I have not seen Justine so nervous in the entire tournament, and there the same goes for Serena.  They must be battling so much in their minds.  Justine was probably trying too hard, too much, out of reach of her own ability at this stage of comeback.

She would have played excellently just by doing exactly the same as the previous matches.  But I guess this is a lesson to learn.  God’s plan, when it is meant to be.  You can do only so far so much, the rest is to god.  I do hope that she would eventually find god and trust in him.  Peace.

I feel unbelievably sad, been catching up on the news of her and finding myself so involved in her experience, her life, her passion, her breakdown, her nerves, her competitiveness, her happiness and her disappointment. Read the rest of this entry →

In a companion series to ‘Queens of the Court, ‘Great Men of Tennis’ takes a look at the men who have left an indelible mark on tennis.

Don Budge, Wimbledon 1937

• Dwight Davis
• Bill Tilden
• Rene Lacoste
• Godfried Von Cramm
• Don Budge
• Fred Perry
• Jack Kramer,
• other Musketeers
• Pancho Gonzalez
• Roy Emerson
• Ken Rosewall
• Rod Laver
  
• Lew Hoad

Serena Williams claimed her 12th Grand Slam title with a victory over Justine Henin.

The amazing comeback of Justine Henin didn’t quite have the final culmination she had hoped as Serena Williams, herself looking for personal redemption following her meltdown at the 2009 U.S. Open, defeated Henin in three sets to win the first major of 2010.

Playing in her first major since the 2008 Australian Open, Henin rolled through the field to reach the finals of the Australian Open for the first time since retiring due to illness in the middle of the 2006 final against Amelie Mauresmo.

This time around, Henin made it through the entire match, but it was a tough three set affair against the player that has replaced Henin as the top player in the world.

While Henin was looking to make the Australian Open her statement tournament following her 18 month retirement, Serena Williams was looking to regain some professional dignity following her disqualification at the 2009 U.S. Open.

The defending Australian Open Champion, Williams was looking for her fifth Australian Open title and 12th overall Grand Slam title.

Williams had tough quarterfinal and semifinal matches against Victoria Azarenka (4-6, 7-6, 6-2) and Li Na (7-6, 7-6), but managed to reach the Australian Open finals for the fifth time in eight years.

Squaring off in a Grand Slam final for the first time, Williams and Henin battled through the first two sets.  Williams claimed the initial set 6-4, but Henin battled back to win the second set 6-3. Read the rest of this entry →