WHO THE CAPS FIT……..MURRAY AND SERENA EMERGE KING AND QUEEN OF NEW YORK IN FLUSHING MEADOWS…

It was written in the stars. History was made at the recently concluded US OPEN TENNIS TOURNAMENT. However gratifying as the competition was from start to finish, British fans wouldn’t have survived another day had Andy blown the opportunity to hoist his first Grand Slam trophy in his 5^th final. But they might have been consoled of course by the gold medal he won a couple of weeks ago in front of the entire Britain so to speak.

The 2012 US OPEN commenced without the 2010 champion, Rafael Nadal who was(and is still) nursing a knee injury that has kept him out of 4 major competitions since lost to a certain Lukas Rosol at SW19 (Wimbledon). But that didn’t take away the spectacle and excitement that the United States Open brings year in, year out. The tourney still boasted of stellar names like King Roger Federer- Tenniss’ GOAT, defending champion-Novak Djokovic, Jo-Willy Tsonga, 09 Champ, Juan Martin Del Potro (otherwise known as the Tower of Tandil), 07 Semi-finalist, David Ferrer, Mardy Fish, the retiring 03 CHAMP, Andy Roddick, Czech power player and Giant Killer, Tomas Berdych, etc.

The Anticipated semi-final contest between Murray and King Roger was not to be because Mr Berdych stopped the Swiss Living Legend in the Quarter-Final…ousting him in 4 sets. Murray dispatched Berdman (Berdych) subsequently in the Semis and thus set up a tantalising, mouth watering, marquee Final v the Serbian warrior, Novak Djokovic who is arguably the most difficult tennis player to put away in any era ever. The 2011 ATP Player of the year by a country mile was contesting his 3^rd major final of 2012…same as the previous year…but was on the losing end the last time he played (lost to Nadal in Paris). In contrast to 2011, Djokovic was suddenly beatable again, but he still posed the stiffest test on the ATP tour. Murray was buoyed by the fact that he was in his 2^nd US OPEN Final (lost in 08 to King Roger) and come Tuesday (3 days ago) he would climb above his friend Rafa into the no 3 position on the ATP/S.A AIRWAYS RANKINGS.  Murray was confident that finally, he could play a game that would rattle the Djoker. In Ivan Lendl, Murray possessed a man who knew everything about heart break and success. Like the Scot, Ivan also lost his 1^st four Grand Slam finals and 9 of the 17 he played.. This was Murray’s 5^th and he intended to win his 1^st.

The Scot took the 1^st 2 sets…even though he let a 4-0 lead slip in the 2^nd… But Vintage Nole came storming back from the snare of collapse to even the match at 2 sets apiece in breathtaking fashion. It was a final worth mentioning in the books of great tennis writers such as Steve Fink and Bud Collins. The Djoker of the last year or two will make you fight for every point you intend to win against him. He is the definition of RESILIENCE. H e is no longer the annoying guy who would retire when he senses he is way behind in a match. But Murray wouldn’t let this slip. Not when Greats like Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Sean Connery were among those who cheered him on. Both men were Scots too and would have been disappointed if he lost a match he led quite convincingly at least until Djokovic upped the stakes. Murray came out smoking in the deciding set and af5ter breaking Djokovic, he never faltered from there on, taking the set 6-2 and the match in 5 phenomenal sets. The likes of Mat CRONIN, John MCENROE,  his brother-Par, Craig Gabriel were quick to tag the match one of the all time greats in the modern era. They weren’t far from the truth.

At last, Murray has ended the British Grand Slam drought which has lasted for 76 years (since 1936)… Fred Perry’s ghost would no longer haunt the young man and other Brits who kept wailing and biting their nails until the last point was played on Monday. A huge Burden which weighed down the likes of Tim Henman, has been binned by the new World Number 3 who would hope to kick on from here. Who knows? Melbourne might be just the perfect atmosphere for Slam no 2….After all, he’s lost 2 finals there already in his career. (10-Federer, 11-Djokovic). He can join his friends,  Rafa, King Roger-and Nole as the only men to reach all four grand slam finals in this era if he goes one better than his 2011 semi-final showing in Paris. Nadal is returning to Grand Slam play in Australia,  Federer hasn’t triumphed there for 2 years and  Novak is the 2-time defending champion so it might be a tall order. He is capable of beating all of them on his day. Only Rafa Nadal has beaten him (Murray) more than 10 times.

Serena Williams has won a staggering 14 grand slams.. Any other mortal would have since stopped especially when dogged by injury and fitness problems, but not Serena and her older sister, Venus who between them have won just about everything Tennis has to offer. Standing between her and a possible 15^th was World Number one, Viktoria Azarenka. The Belarusian has been the woman of 2012…Since winning her maiden slam in Australia, she’s gone on to play some awesome tennis all through the year, winning tournaments for fun and taking friends and colleagues to the cleaners along the way.  But even with such terrific run, she was aware that she had her hands full v the 3-time US OPEN Champion who she had only beaten once in 10 outings on tour-the 09 Key Biscayne Final in Miami…and in that match, Serena was barely fit.  The American superstar also just whipped her silly at Wimbledon and the Olympic games. The odds were against Vika as Aazarenka is fondly called, but she was willing to fight her way out.

Serena began as predicted…smashing and blasting in serves and aces like they were going extinct. She deservedly took the 1^st set 6-2, but in a rather bizarre manner, she mentally collapsed and allowed Viktoria into the match. The Belarusian took her chance and even the scores at  1set all with a 6-2 2^nd set win of hers. She carried on the momentum into the 3^rd set and served for her 2^nd slam at 5-4. It was then the multiple Slam Winner remembered that she was about to lose her 2^nd straight Grand Slam final at Arthur Ashe…(lost to Stosur in straight sets last year). In the first 3 set women’s final in 17 odd years,  Serena capitalised on Aza’s hesitancy and delivered a crushing blow just when it mattered. She swept through the next three games to win the set 7-5 and take the match in dramatic fashion. How she won, she would never be able to explain as she admitted to have already prepared for her 2^nd consecutive runner-up speech…. He was a worthy winner…This time, clearly without controversies like the one v Clijsters in 09 and Stosur last year when she couldn’t control her emotions and acted stupidly in the heat of the moment. All that was history now as she once again wore the Queen’s crown in New York. Something she last achieved in 08-(trounced Jankovic).

HEARTY  CONGRATULATIONS TO  BOTH CHAMPIONS….LEGENDARY STATUS CONFIRMED!

Ohireime P. Eboreime

Ff me @ohiskaka1990