Welcome To The Blog For Sports And Motivational Articles

Roger Federer & His Secret of Success?

2012-03-03T15:52:00.000-08:00

One of my friends mentioned to me:Life is tough, why is is that others have been able to achieve so much ascompared to her. She debated with me onhow luck is a strong factor in deciding who gets all the fame. How she hastried hard and now given up on her goals because of the setbacks she receivedin the process?

While debating with her, my mind wentback to US Open 2009 where Roger Federer was a set up and 5-4 in the second setand still ended up losing the match. That was still alright but come 2011, helost the French Open Final once again to his friend/rival Rafael Nadal. To addmisery to his year, he lost the QF of his favorite GS -Wimbledon after being 2sets up. Then came all the talks about his being turning 30 and how his eraseems to be on the decline. If this was not enough, he had a shocking andhumiliating defeat by the hands of the player of the year-Novak Djokovic (afterhaving 2 Match points in his bag)

What can be more disappointing thanthe feeling that one day-you are the indisputable king of the world and theother day, you have been failed by your own standards and the entire worlddoubting your abilities! You are bound to give up in life—won’t you?

But then that’s not who Roger Federeris. He didn’t give up or grieve about his loss, took a break of 6 weeks andcame back strong winning 3 back to back tournaments in 2011, Rotterdam and now Dubai . Noone predicted this kind of comeback from this champion after his loss in AOthis year. While everyone was writing off his chances, he was busy preparinghimself for his goals in life.

The Reason for his success: He Never Ever Gave Up.

He is an experienced person who knowswhat he is capable of and what he can achieve. Even during those tough moments, he didn’t stop believing in himself . It’s very easy for all ofus in life to blame our failures on destiny and not work hard enough to findout where the real problem lies.

In Federer’s own words: I went throughsome tough moments as well where I was frustrated and I didn't like it asmuch. But, I don't know. I always stay positive. I'm a very positive person”

During the 6 week break after US Open2011, Mirka (his wife) told him: “It’sO.K. to lose one or two matches very closely, but you can’t start losing moreand more and more. Then maybe something’s wrong in your corner. So you justhave to question yourself and check with the entire team, see what everybodythinks.’

Isn’t this truefor all of us too that something might be wrong in our corner. If we haven’tbeen able to achieve our goals, then there is something still to be improvedupon by ourselves. So next time, when you think of quitting, remember thatquitting for sure will not make you reach the goals but trying hard enough in asmart way can definitely help you inch closer toward the goal post.

Life is allabout preparing, competing, dealing with tough situations and seeing how youare doing. You never know what can happen and that’s what makes it sothrilling. So always have faith, never ever give up and go for your goals.

"There maybe tough moments maybe for, you know, an hour or a couple ofdays potentially, but life goes on and you get a second chance. Everyday push yourselfand strive for trying to be better than the day you were before becauseeverything else won't do your job. Being manage to able to do all those thingscan create really extra ordinary things that you thought was never possible" - Roger Federer

And that’s why hehas achieved so much. So why can’t you?

Also: Will Roger Federer Bounce Back And The Myth of Age 30?

Roger Federer- The Last Link To The 90's?

Anger: Difference between Good (McEnroe,Murray) & Great (Federer,Nadal)

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com, http://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA or http://on.fb.me/pouTOy

The Ice Cool Lendl Effect!

2012-03-02T07:21:00.001-08:00

"If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow."

It has been just 2 monthssince Lendl joined Murray Camp and what a difference he has already started tomake. Andy Murray seems to have found a new self completely different from hisolder version. From the whining kid who used to shout more than the winners hiton the court, he has transformed into a calm and focused man.

Breakingracquet or glass is the option tried out by many including Murray but courtesyLendl the most important lesson he has learnt is the ability tochannelize his frustration to positive energy and vent it out in his game just like Djokovic/Nadal. No matter how tough his situation is, he now tries to battle it out rationally rather than losing it.

Andtoday was a perfect example of the above. Leading 5-2 in the match and servingfor the set, Murray lost his serve for the first time in the match. Soon thescoreline read 5-5 and it was looking like Djoker was back again in the match.But Murray kept his cool never once showing his frustration and went on to winthe set and match at 7-5.

Everyonewho has been following Murray will agree- In today's performance what stood outthe most was his approach and attitude. And there is no denying that Ice Cool Lendleffect has started to rub upon this Scot in a positive manner.

Notonly Murray but there is one more person who will be smiling today afterDjoker's loss- Rafael Nadal. Look out tennis fans, the season has been spicedup with Murray finally clawing his way back to hopefully claim hisfirst GS this year, Nadal working really hard in his one month break andFederer already proving that age is no barrier for his masterclass play. As forDjokovic, I am sure this one loss will ignite him even more to play his best inthe next tournament.

Allin all I will end with this quote from Lendl: "You have to keep your emotions level, whether in the stands or on court."Otherwise you can't make good decisions"-Ivan Lendl

What do you think?

Also: Roger Federer & His Secret of Success?

Jeremy Lin: Against the Odds- Lin-spirational Story!

Emerson, Sampras, Federer: The Myth of Invincibility?

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com, http://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA or http://on.fb.me/pouTOy

Jeremy Lin: Against the Odds- Lin-spirational Story!

2012-02-15T18:10:00.000-08:00

Article first published as Jeremy Lin: Against the Odds He Succeeds on Technorati. By Apeksha HA

Undrafted out of college,

Cut by two teams (Golden State Warriors & Houston Rockets).

Few days away from losing his spot in New York Knicks.

In the first 23 games of New York Knicks - just 55 minutes of total play.

No apartment to live in.

Can things go any more wrong for a person? When faced with such situations, most of us give up in our lives blaming it on destiny and stop fighting it out. But not Jeremy Lin!

What does he do? He grabs the opportunity presented to him and emerged as one of the most inspirational players off late. He has wowed everyone in his first 6 games. People have gone crazy and Lin-ysteria can be seen everywhere. In his first five games as a starter: he is averaging 27.2 points per game on 50 percent shooting, with 8.8 assists. He is just three points behind John Drew with the most points scored in his first five games as an NBA starter (136).

We can go on and on about this Asian American and this space will not be enough. What needs to be learned from the above is that in life, giving up is not an option. Imagine where this kid would have been if he would have stopped working towards his goal in the wake of so many disappointments in his life!

The more difficulties one has to encounter, within and without, the more significant and the higher in inspiration his life will be. Don’t let your fear or disappointment of failures stop you from achieving your goals in life. Richard Branson once said that if one man can do it- so can you!

Lin-spiration is there for all of us to see and admire. All I want you is to stop for a moment and think about yourself when you cheer on for Lin. Think about your goals and take a cue from this rising star and go achieve them with confidence. Disappointments will be there but one day the right opportunity will knock at your door- face it with confidence and achieve the Lin-possible!

After all, the best people find strength in their disappointments. As Vince Lombardi Once said- “It does not matter how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get up."

Isn’t Jeremy Lin a Lin-credible example for this?

Also: Will Roger Federer Bounce Back And The Myth of Age 30?

Lost Hope?

Inspire Others- Share your Stories!

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com, http://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA or http://on.fb.me/pouTOy

Roger Federer- Low on Mental Toughness?

2012-02-10T12:21:00.000-08:00

Federer lost to John Isner in 4 sets today to hand a 2-0 lead to USA in the Davis Cup tie. No doubt Isner played well but what was noteworthy to watch was the way Federer wilted under pressure. It has been long known that when it comes to playing pressure points, Federer has the tendency to become defensive and more often than not, he ends up losing the game or match against the top players.

Even today in the third set, inspite of having many break points, he lost the set. In the fourth set, after being unable to break Isner in the 5th game (3 break points opportunities), it was evident from his game that the desire to fight was missing. Result- Federer gave up and lost the set and match 2-6.Even his languid body language in itself pretty much told the entire story. Imagine the boost it must have given to Isner to see Federer so demotivated!

If anyone who has been following Federer's matches off late, he/she will agree that the motivation to fight back is somehow on the downhill. It's amazing when you compare it with Nadal/Nole who seems to give more than 100% on each and every point irrespective of the situation. Remember Nadal fought back against Isner in a similar situation last year at French Open in the first round after being down 2 sets to 1.

If one must have observed Federer even during his SF match against Nadal, after the 10 minutes mandatory break due to firecrackers, Federer came back as a rattled player and lost the second set easily without a fight. For Federer it's now more of a mental fight than physical as on the tour he is still one of the fittest players around. If he really has to win tough matches, he will have to dig deep and find the motivation to give his 100% on every point rather than giving up so easily.

It's pretty surprising to see arguably the greatest player in the history so low on mental toughness. When it comes to holding up their end and not giving up, Nadal and Djokovic really are one level up than Federer. Things are not looking good for this aging champion and if he has to really win his 17th GS, he will have to pull himself up and get to the level of Nadal/Djoker to give his all on each and every point rather than getting rattled by his inability to break on pressure points.

That's what champions are all about- To fight and fight till the end! Isn't it?

In the end I will just end with this quote: Nothing could be worse than the fear that one had given up too soon, and left one unexpended effort that might have saved the match!

Also: Evolution of Novak Djokovic- Australian Open (2007-2012)!

Lost Hope? (Maria Sharapova)

5 Inspiring Moments from Australian Open!

Emerson, Sampras, Federer: The Myth of Invincibility?

Anger: Difference between Good (McEnroe,Murray) & Great (Federer,Nadal)

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com, http://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA or http://on.fb.me/pouTOy

5 Inspiring Moments from Australian Open!

2012-02-03T00:39:00.001-08:00

5 days gone but still the hangover persists! For me and I am suremany of the fans out there, it was the best Australian Open of the decade. Never have I seen a Grand Slam withsuch heroic battles, brilliant comebacks and above all a test of stamina,determination and endurance of the top athletes.

As Roger Bannister rightly said: "The man who can drive himself further once the effort getspainful is the man who will win."

Wasn’t it what we witnessed as Australian Open culminated with thebiggest battle in a GS?

So I thought let’s take a look back at the top 5 inspiring moments during the first GS of the year 2012:

5) Company Matters: Just one month back, Andy Murray was a player whose anger management issues, on thecourt were more popular than his achievements on the court. But with thearrival of Ivan Lendl in Murray’scamp, things seem to have worked for this immensely talented Scot as he showedus his fighting attitude for the first time during the SF against Djokovic. Itwas really difficult to imagine such a huge transformation in a matter of 2week’s time. But that’s the lesson to be learnt: Surround yourself with positive minded people, whom you respect fortheir special qualities, you will be changed!

“Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift youhigher”- Oprah Winfrey

4) Irrelevance of Pressure: There are two types of people in thisworld- One who succumbs to pressure andthe other who rise high in the same circumstances. Sam Stosur and Bernard Tomic in my mind are theperfect example of the above respectively. Bernard Tomic’s victory over Verdascoin five sets after being two sets down was a lesson to the tennis world that pressure will be a factor only if you thinkit to be one.

“Everythingnegative - pressure, challenges - is all an opportunity for me to rise”- KobeBryant

3) Just one more step: If you are 4 match points down against a top 5 player, why would you even thinkof trying? But Kim Clijsters taughtus that taking that one more step in theright direction instead of quitting can lead to victory in the end.

“They quit on the one yard line. They give up at the lastminute of the game, one foot from a winning touchdown and that’s why they lose”– Ross Perot

2) Never Give Up: Therecan be nothing better than to see a tennis player fight his heart out for hisgoals. There is a possibility that youmight not reach the destination but every effort that you make takes you aninch closer. And who better a example than Rafael Nadal. His quest to win the mental battle against defyinghis body and mind was one of the features of Australian Open

“Our achievements speak for themselves. What we have to keeptrack of are our failures, discouragements, and doubts. We tend to forget thepast difficulties, the many false starts, and the painful groping. We see ourpast achievements as the end result of a clean forward thrust, and our presentdifficulties as signs of decline and decay.” – Eric Hoffer

1) Belief- The key tosuccess: People who have accomplished great things in life have had agreat aim, have fixed their gaze on a goal which was high, one which sometimesseemed impossible. Whenthe entire world talked about Fedal and how no one will be able to match them,Djokovic was silently getting prepared to prove everyone wrong. “I have to saythat even though that he’s the best and everybody thinks that he’s unbeatable,I say he’s not unbeatable. He’s beatable, you know.”-Novak Djokovic afterlosing to Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinal of Roland Garros in 2006.

And look where he is now- 7 times in a row he has defeatedNadal!

“Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you canmake anything happen." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

(Have a look at what motivated Nadal/Djokovic to produce the world class tennis in the epic final)

In case you like this article, Pleasedon’t forget to share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter!

Also: Lost Hope? (Maria Sharapova)

Evolution of Novak Djokovic- Australian Open (2007-2012)!

Emerson, Sampras, Federer: The Myth of Invincibility?

Anger: Difference between Good (McEnroe,Murray) & Great (Federer,Nadal)

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com, http://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA or http://on.fb.me/pouTOy

Novak Djokovic (The Steel Man) wins the Battle of Will against Rafael Nadal!

2012-01-29T07:16:00.000-08:00

“I can defeat Rafael Nadal 7 times in a row- Because I am NovakDjokovic- The player with indomitable will and confidence.”

The message that was conveyed to the entire tennis world as Djokovic tore his t-shirt after winning thelongest match (5 hours 53 minutes) of the Grand Slam in the open era.

Result: Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal in 5 sets:

5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 7-5

Djokovic who was just 2 points away from winning his 5^thMajor GS in the 4^th set was taken to the fifth set by the sheer tenacityand determination of Nadal. It was a match filled with so many twists and turnsthat nobody knew until the fifth set asto who is going to win the match. But in the end, Djokovic simply outclassed Nadal through hismental strength and calm attitude during crucial moments in the match to claim this third Australian Open GS title!

Nadal played beautifully during the first set, getting his first break against Djokovic at 2-2. Djokovic was pretty flusteredafter the break as he threw his racquet and went for a t-shirt (color) change.That pretty much set the tone of the match. Although Djokovic broke back again2-4 down only to be broken back again at 5-5. Serving at 6-5, Nadalfinally managed to win the set on his third set point in 1 hour 20 minutes.

Just when it looked like Nadal had finally got toterms with Djokovic in terms of mental advantage; Nole came back with a zenlike approach and got a break at 2-1 in the second set. Nadalheld the serve and then with his resolute determination broke back to levelthe match at 5-4. When it looked that Nadal has bounced back in thegame, Nole stepped it up and from 30-40 (after a correct overrule by theumpire), won the set on a double fault by Nadal in 66 minutes.

The third set proved to be a nightmare for Nadal wholost it very easily. He was broken two times in the set and Djokovic won it 6-2 with just 7 unforced errors. Just when it looked like Djokovic will cruisethrough the match, Nadal somehow hung in there fighting his heart out at everypoint. The turning point came during the 8^th game of the 4th set. At3-4, Nadal faced 3 crucial break points. The set went in for a tie break whichNadal won 7-5.

In the fifth set, a tired looking Djokovic was unableto hold his own serve as Rafa took a lead of 4-2. But then this is Djokovic weare talking about- the calmest tennis player. He broke back twice to take alead for 6-5 and served out the match. In the end it was the fighting spiritand calmness of Djokovic that prevailed and he won the the marathon match. Thiswas a win which reminds you of Nadal’s epic win in ‘09 in two 5 set matchesagainst Verdasco and Federer. The only difference- the winner is different!

What was more inspiring to see was the way with which Djokovic & Nadal fought this battle mentally as well as physically. After losing to a guy6 times in the final, when Nadal was down mentally, he nearly reversed the battleof minds and clearly today, it was a match of pure will and determination!

More importantly, it showed to the world that anythingis possible till the last moment. You need perseverance, determination andbelief to make it possible.

This match will probably go down as the matchwhich has taken the tennis to a whole new level. Great Warriors, Fighters andFriends with each other- Djokovic and Nadal will be saluted by tennis fans for thebest match of the season!

In the end, I will sum up the match with this quote:

"The spirit, the will to win, and the will toexcel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more importantthan the events that occur.”

Also: 5 Inspiring Moments from Australian Open!

Lost Hope? (Maria Sharapova)

Evolution of Novak Djokovic- Australian Open (2007-2012)!

Novak Djokovic- Inspiration To All (Fans,Tennis Players And People All Over The World)

Roger Federer- Responsible for his own Downfall?

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com, http://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA or http://on.fb.me/pouTOy

Lost Hope?

2012-01-28T02:37:00.000-08:00

Scenario: 17 years old rising tennis player- wins her first Grand Slam ofher career. Surely there were more to come and everyone expected her to becomethe queen of the world. But then life does not always goes the way it isplanned-does it? At the age of 21 injury strikes you and you have to undergo acareer threatening shoulder injury. What do you do then?

You either give up or decide that I can do something else. That’swhat so many people do when faced with a tough situation: blame their destinyand give up. Then there are very few whoknow the pain of quitting and decides not to give up. They give their best tillthey achieve their goal no matter how many hurdles come in their way. Amongstthese very few people is one player called Maria Sharapova.

In 2008, in midst of her booming career she suffered a shoulderinjury- the kind of injury where there was a possibility that she might notrecover at all. In her own words shesaid:

“As positive as I always try to be,you always question what you’re doing, obviously, because sometimes things workout and sometimes they don’t, I knew some examples of some people that did notquite recover from surgery and that was a little scary, ”

So what does she do, she decided towork hard and return to the former self. “So it was either give it a go or notdo anything about it”

But one question which arises is whygo under such pressure and do so much of hard work when she had other easieroptions available. She could have switched to a modeling career. That wouldhave been easy no?

Easy way out is the most dangerousone. As Lance Armstrong put it : “Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever.”

And who better than Sharapova to knowthat? She could have gone for easier ways in life but putting a limit on what shewill do could have jeopardized her chances of what she was capable of doing.

And that’s what she did:“Of course it took a long time and itwas a process, but it was just something that was in my steps that I had to gothrough. And I did.”

She didn't win today, butafter her injury she has already reached to 2 GS finals and is back in top 5 after sliding down to126. With the kind of determination she has, one day the GS victory will alsocome back to her again.

Reason being simple, : "When you start from nothing, whenyou come from nothing, it makes you hungry. I am proud of where I came from andI know what I want. I want to win."-Sharapova.

She knows what she wants to achieveand has risen before earlier - be it defeating Serena Williams at Wimbledon orwinning 3 GS titles or playing competitive tennis once again when many hadquestioned her return from the surgery.

In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson -"Our greatest glory is not innever failing, but in rising up every time we fail".

She will achieve her goal one day butone thing we all can learn from her nomatter what roadblocks you face, get up, face them and give your best to reachyour goals! Your destiny awaits you- go get it!

Also: 5 Inspiring Moments from Australian Open!

Not Tennis Anymore, It’s Officially Battle of Minds - Djokovic & Nadal (How Rafa can turn the tables?)

Evolution of Novak Djokovic- Australian Open (2007-2012)!

Roger Federer- Responsible for his own Downfall?

Emerson, Sampras, Federer: The Myth of Invincibility?

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com, http://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA or http://on.fb.me/pouTOy

Djokovic/Nadal's Mind War: What does the stats indicate?

2012-01-27T06:26:00.000-08:00

After witnessing probably the best match of the tournament so far (Djokovic/Murray),we are all set for the most awaited battle of minds between Nadal and Djokovicas they come face to face again for the first time in 2012 on Sunday atAustralian Open.

Let’s see what does the stats (2011 Wimbledon+ US Open Final matchstats) say so far:

Career Stats	Nadal	Djokovic
Current Ranking	2	1
Head to Head Record	16	13
Grand Slam Record	5	2
2011	0	6
Hard Court Record	5	10
Match Stats* (Wimbledon + US Open Finals)	Nadal	Djokovic
1st Serve %	72	69
Aces	7	14
Unforced Errors	52	63
Winning % on 1st Serve	58	69
Winning % on 2nd Serve	43	48
Winners	53	82
Receiving Points Won %	38	46
Break Point Conversions	45	50

Djokovic who is the best returner in the world is currently theplayer with no weakness in his game. Nadal is not far behind but if we look attheir last two GS matches, clearly Djokovic has come out the best amongst both.He does not only have strong defense like Nadal but he is more aggressiveamongst the two. 82 winners above against 53 of Nadal defines the story. Notonly that, he has won more receiving points and has performed better underpressure than Nadal (Break point Conversions: 50%).

More important than the above is the mentalblock that Rafa has against Djokovic after his 6 defeats in the finals last year. Nadal has to comeout on the court with a positive mindset believing that he can defeat him. Just like how Federer lost the advantage during the semi finals due to his hesitance at crucial moments , it can turn out to be the same for Nadal if he does not step it up mentally.

Till now in Australian Open, Djokovic has won 51% of receiving points against 43% of Nadal. The good thing is that theyhave hit almost equal number of winners so far in the tournament (219-Djokovic& 218-Nadal). This shows that Nadal knows if he has to beat Djokovic, hewill have to play more aggressively than normal.

Nadal’s advice to Murray before the SF was: “Be aggressive and take your chances”. Now it’s time for him torepeat the same.

Novak Djokovic:“To behonest, I think I matured as a player. I started to believe on the court Icould win majors. It was very hard to take away the titles from Rafa & Roger. They will not give you titles, You have to earn it”

All in all, it will be an ultimate physical and mental battle.Djokovic is going to be tired after the grueling match against Murray but thenNadal won the ’09 championship under the same circumstances against Federer and Verdasco. So nothing should be taken for granted between these two champions.

Like Sunzi said: “Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where youare not expected”.

Djokovic wsa a perfect example of this in 2011. Can Nadal followon his footsteps this time?

Also:Lost Hope? (Maria Sharapova)

Not Tennis Anymore, It’s Officially Battle of Minds - Djokovic & Nadal (How Rafa can turn the tables?)

Evolution of Novak Djokovic- Australian Open (2007-2012)!

Roger Federer- Responsible for his own Downfall?

Emerson, Sampras, Federer: The Myth of Invincibility?

Anger: Difference between Good (McEnroe,Murray) & Great (Federer,Nadal)

For updates, you can follow my Facebook Page, Twitter Account or Site)

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com

Not Tennis Anymore, It’s Officially Battle of Minds - Djokovic & Nadal

2012-01-27T02:18:00.000-08:00

INSIGHT INTONADAL'S MIND AND HIS BATTLE AGAINST DJOKOVIC:

Just a year back, Nadal was at the top of the world recording easy wins over his opponents.It seemed that nothing can go wrong and was being thought of as the topcontender to surpass Federer's record of 16 GS.

And all of asudden, a wave free of Gluten hit him and knocked him down from his World No. 1ranking as well as Wimbledon & US Open Crown.

After being called as the best,you lose to a person whom you have defeated 12 times and he rips you apart clueless 6 times in a row, ! Imagine yourself - Bestworker year in and year out –Suddenly your co-worker (2 places down since 3-4years) comes and takes away the crown not once-6 times! No matter how hard youtry, you are not able to surpass him/her at work-place.

Result- Youare bound to feel demotivated ,loss of self-belief in yourself no matter howmany times close ones tell you to remember you are the best! At least I will! Willcoming second or beating other colleagues even matter?

Nadal who wasthe best all of a sudden lost 6 finals in a row in 2011 against Nole! The main reason, Ifeel, is the loss of self-belief, and the mind wanting to reverse his resultsagainst Djokovic! When he lost once or twice to Djokovic last year, hethought he would be able to bounce back! He believed he was the best- that’swhy he defeated everyone in French Open. He thought he can defeatDjokovic but now after 6 times, his confidence has been finally shaken and hismind can see a repetition of trend! He has really started to doubt his game! And that’swhy, although he is still the same, his mind has one thought-Will he be ableto defeat Djokovic ever?

What I amtrying readers to understand is the psychology of a human mind! Nadal is nodifferent. He is also human. No matter as fans of Nadal, we would want him towin thinking why has he all of a sudden started to play so vulnerably, ishis game over? My answer- No, simply because- he is still amongst the best. It’sjust that he is trying to find a solution to defeat Djokovic. And once he doesthat, he will return to normal!

We can lookat Federer, after 2008 he has not been the same old Federer we were so used tosee! Why? Because he still hasn’t been able to find a convincing answer toNadal! And the trend has reversed for Nadal- with Djokovic posing a mentalbattle to his mind! I believe that till the time, he finds an answer toDjokovic, no matter where and against whom his wins are- he won’t be the sameNadal we have known since 2006.

HOW CAN HEOVERCOME DJOKOVIC?

It’s a stepby step process: A father took his boy (who wasvery good at mountain climbing) to the biggest mountain in the country and toldhim to climb that! He tried to climb, he failed. Tried it for multiple times,and still the same result. So the father after seeing this told the boy- youhave been the best since last 5 years, stop thinking this is the biggestmountain- break it down into small goals and think you can do it! And when yourmind poses doubt or fear, just think of me and moments when you have climbedmountains like this! And the boy thus climbed the mountain.

1) Shut outhis mind about the past and stop thinking about Djokovic as the unstoppablemachine:When Nadal played in Wimbledon/US Open-the thoughts of losing to Djokovic were present in his mind! And headmitted the thoughts had an effect on him! This time when he plays Djokovic, he will have to take the match game by game. Look at Federer in the SF 2 days back, when he was a set and break up, he crumbled and gave away the match. Especially at the crucialpoints, Nadal will have to shut out his mind.

2) Findout someone to look upto at crucial points:I know it’s difficult to shutout your mind- it is bound to go back. In those moments, he will have to findor think of someone ( & certainly his family can help showing positivesigns and believing in him) whom he can look up to and give him the strengthand belief that he can win during the game. The outbursts of his father andfamily during Wimbledon could have made anyone nervous!

Weall have one such person in our lives- Whenever I am in toughest of situations-I think about 1993- Wimbledon Finals (Steffi Graf against Jana Novotna 1-4 down30-40 in the third set and how she managed to win Wimbledon) & instantly myfears vanish -be it my exams, interviews or anything! My mind is instilled witha belief and confidence! Only if at 5-4, In Wimbledon Final, Nadal could havenot committed those 2 unforced errors! And no guesses why those two happened atcrucial points!

And Nadalhimself said last year - He didn’t suffer that much, the reason why it’s a bittough on him.For Nadal fans: In words of Helen Keller:

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Onlythrough experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened,ambition inspired, and success achieved."

So Nadalright now is in phase 1 of suffering and if we go by words of great HelenKeller, he is bound to rebound back and achieve success!

Also: 5 Inspiring Moments from Australian Open!

Lost Hope? (Maria Sharapova)

Evolution of Novak Djokovic- Australian Open (2007-2012)!

Roger Federer- Responsible for his own Downfall?

Emerson, Sampras, Federer: The Myth of Invincibility?

For updates, you can follow my Facebook Page, Twitter Account or Site)

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com

Djokovic - Murray Semifinal Preview- What do Australian Open Stats Indicate?

2012-01-26T18:16:00.000-08:00

After the classic Fedal semi-final showdown yesterday, wehave an equally intriguing match up lined up today: Novak Djokovic vs. AndyMurray.

Not much separates these two players. Their H2H is 6-4. Theyhave met only once in a GS (Australian Open Finals 2011) and Djokovic won thateasily.

Let’s take a look at their game stats till now in AustralianOpen:

Stats	Murray	Djokovic
1st Serve %	57	60
Aces	31	38
Unforced Errors	112	115
Winning % on 1st Serve	75	75
Winning % on 2nd Serve	61	62
Winners	181	173
Receiving Points Won %	49	55
Break Point Conversions	42	59

Their game stats till now has been almost the same exceptreceiving points won%. Murray really will have to come out blazing with hisfirst serve which was a poor 44% in QF.

In my view, everything will come down to who is mentallystrong at crucial points. It will be a tough test for Murray’s mental toughnesswhich is known to be a bit vulnerable against top 3. Hopefully with Ivan Lendlat his side, he will come out with a better mind frame than previous meetings.

But then it’s too soon to comment on their partnership.Keeping in mind how impressive Djokovic has been playing since the last oneyear (Check out his game stats vs. top 4) , I will pick him as my favorite in 4.

Also: Roger Federer- Responsible for his own Downfall?

Emerson, Sampras, Federer: The Myth of Invincibility?

Anger: Difference between Good (McEnroe,Murray) & Great (Federer,Nadal)

Evolution of Novak Djokovic- Australian Open (2007-2012)!

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com, http://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA or http://on.fb.me/pouTOy

Roger Federer- Responsible for his own Downfall?

2012-01-26T04:55:00.000-08:00

He might be 0-6 against Djokovicbut one thing is for sure, Rafael Nadal always had a big psychological advantage against Roger Federer. Andtoday was no different. Nadal won a tough4 setter against Federer to extend his H2H 18-9. I have been a Federer fan forlast 6 years. And to see him on the down roll after playing such vintage tennisthroughout the tournament was heartbreaking. More than Nadal’s performance, he should be disappointed as he himself is to be blamed for the defeat today!

5 reasons leading to Federer’sdownfall:

1) Obstinate Federer: Time and again wesaw Federer hit the short return towards Nadal's forehand. Result - Either it was in the net or Nadal came out with a Forehand passingshot winner. Even though there were times when it was obvious that Federerneeds to hit the shots on Nadal’s backhand, he still repeated the same mistake!It was clear by the fourth set that hewill hit the approaching shot always on Nadal’s forehand and lose the point.Even the tennis analysts were puzzled by his stubborn approach.

2) Unforced Errors: I had said in my preview how crucial this can be and it turned out to be the match changer.63Unforced Errors from Federer in the match vs. 34 of Nadal. The number in itself is a goodenough explaination for his defeat.

3) No answer for Nadal’s Forehand: He simply didn’t have the answer to highloopy top spin forehands of Nadal. Nadal had one game plan and he executed itto perfection with constantly hitting his forehand to Federer’s backhand.Federer also supported him by hitting it back to his forehand. Althoughat the start of the set, it was a complete different scenario with Federercoming out and exposing Rafa’s backhand just like Djokovic did last year. Butit was for a brief period of time only.

4) Lack ofConfidence: It’s a well known fact that Rafa is in Roger’s head and it was clear on crucial points.Whenever Federer was a break up, Rafa broke him back immediately. Inspite ofbeing ahead in the second and third set, he couldn’t capitalize against Nadal.It was all a mental game between both of them.

5) Lack of Variety: The drop shots whichhad worked so perfectly against Tomic and Del Potro were gone. He did try unsuccessfully in the first set once or twice but then they gotextinct till the fourth set.

Although I must say that Nadal came out with a specific game plan(attack Federer’s backhand) and stuck to it no matter what. The tenacity thathe showed in following his game plan was really commendable. Roger had a blistering start to the match butas Nadal has always done, he wetted out the storm and hung on. Just likeDjokovic showed us last year against Nadal, today Nadal showed it to us againstFederer that if you can stick to yourgame plan, even if there are roadblocks at the start (he lost the first set),you will win. Hats off to Nadal.

Federer will have to do some realthinking if he is to defeat Nadal again in a Grand Slam. Till he sorts it out mentally and gets the belief back in himself thathe can defeat Nadal, it will be difficult for him to improve his 2-8 GS recordagainst Nadal. He needs to stick to the game plan and Nadal’s backhand: somethingwhich Djokovic has mastery upon.

Is this the end of Roger Federer’s era? Certainly not. He is the youngest 30 in the history of tennis and still inmy heart, I believe that the great champion that he is, he will be able tomotivate himself and dig deep to make astrong comeback just like Agassi did in 1999.

Also: 5 Inspiring Moments from Australian Open!

Lost Hope? (Maria Sharapova)

Emerson, Sampras, Federer: The Myth of Invincibility?

Anger: Difference between Good (McEnroe,Murray) & Great (Federer,Nadal)

Evolution of Novak Djokovic- Australian Open (2007-2012)!

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com, http://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA or http://on.fb.me/pouTOy

Federer/Nadal Epic Semi- Final - What do Australian Open Stats Indicate?- Part 1

2012-01-25T03:48:00.000-08:00

Ithas been an amazing 10 days of mesmerizing tennis played on the grandest stageof tennis, Australian Open. And now we have come to the showdown which theentire tennis world was hoping for since the start of this tournament. It’sgoing to be a FEDAL battle just like 2009 finals at AO!

More than the final on the line, it will be a battle ofminds too. Federer will be eager to stamp his authority and prove to theworld that he can defeat Nadal at Grand Slams too. Until now the record is 2-7for him. But with the renewed confidence of player who finished 2011 on a17-match winning streak after winning titles in Basel, Paris and the ATP WorldTour Finals, he will be raring togo and continue his winning streak. Whereas Nadal will be determined to reach hissecond Australian Open Final and not let the mental advantage he holds againstFederer go by.

Federer is playing the best tennis of his career as was evident duringthe clinical demolition of young Tomic and Del Potro. Nadal on the other handhas slowly but steadily risen to his old lethal form and if the last two setsof his QF is to be taken into account, there is no doubt that tomorrow’s battle promises to be one of thetoughest in the history of tennis.

Let’s take a look at the career and game stats (at AO) until now!

Career Stats	Federer	Nadal
Current Ranking	3	2
Head to Head Record	9	17
Grand Slam Record	2	7
Australian Open Record	0	1
Hard Court Record	5	4
Game Stats	Federer	Nadal
1st Serve %	60	72
Aces	41	23
Unforced Errors	96	94
Winning % on 1st Serve	83	80
Winning % on 2nd Serve	62	55
Winners	181	182
Receiving Points Won %	44	44
Break Point Conversions	51	44

Nadal has won 80% of his first serve points with only 94unforced errors in 4 matches. He has 182 winners and has made 72% of his firstserve in. This will be a sign of worry for Federer- if he has to wintomorrow; he will have to come out firing winners.

Federer in turn has hit 181 winners (he has played one matchless than Nadal) and 41 aces. His receiving points won are same as Nadal- 44%. Thisis what Nadal will have to be careful about: Not let Federer break his serve aswith such strong serve, Federer will need only one break to win the set.

Rafael Nadal: “So I will keep fightingwith positive attitude. But if I playlike the third or fourth set, hopefully I will have my chances.”

Roger Federer: I'd like to play Rafabecause of our great epic match earlier in the finals here a few yearsago. I'd like to get a chance to playhim again here. It's going to be moreathletic and tougher. I'm ready for that."

Overall it will be a fascinating encounter to watch these twoathletes give their best to leave a mark on the history. Who knows tomorrowhistory repeats itself and Federer does to Nadal what Nadal did to Federer in2009 AO epic final?

Also: Twitter Reaction- Federer/DelPotro Match!

Emerson, Sampras, Federer: The Myth of Invincibility?

Anger: Difference between Good (McEnroe,Murray) & Great (Federer,Nadal)

Evolution of Novak Djokovic- Australian Open (2007-2012)!

Roger Federer- The Last Link To The 90's?

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com, http://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA or http://on.fb.me/pouTOy

Twitter Reaction- Federer/DelPotro Match!

2012-01-24T15:05:00.000-08:00

Twitter is a social mediaplatform where you can connect with all,celebrities, players, reporters, fans, friends, everyone! So I thought wouldn’tit be an interesting idea to see the twitter reaction to Federer/Delpo match!

Here are some interestingtweets for you where you can see the media, player’s and fans reaction toFederer’s win yesterday:

Darren Cahill -Scary goodperformance by The Federer
Christopher Clarey - Don't look backJimmy. Fed's 232 GSlam victories just one behind Connors' open era record. 30GSlam semis just1 behind Connors, too #ausopen
Matt Cronin-Federer yanks DelPo around& wins 64 63 62, thru to his record 9th straight semi at Aussie Open. Veryimpressive to say the least.
TompaSthlmOpen -Roger dominatedtoday's game against Delpo. Interesting to see that hitting the ball hard isnot always the right thing to do....
PatrickMcEnroe-What do we owe you Rogerfor that master class?
Mahesh Bhupathi- If Roger continues toplay like he did today, you gonna have to throw the rankings out of the windowand peg him as the favourite.What say?
niketennis -1000 matches. 232 grandslam victories. 0 sets lost this tournament. The #Federer Mastery continues.#makeitcount
kmcg016- Federer is being added to thethesaurus as an alternative for beautiful, classy, sublime, remarkable,inspiring , elegant, GOD!! #Federer
rogerismygod-It is safe to say that Roger#Federer has made my life much more beautiful . Congrats on the reaching 1000matches.
ShaynaJay-I can't be to upset my fave isout, fed was just at another level....awesome win for ur 1000th match fed!

Funny tweets which were tweetedduring the match:

Christopher Clarey - BREAKING:Federer has sweat marks on his shirt.
RD_Tennistalk - Clijsters hasFederer-Del Potro point
James LaRosa - Roger Federer, fromthe Latin "Rogerus Federum," which means ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
Delpotweeties - Lucky I like you somuch Federer, otherwise I'd be very mad #federer #delpotro
TheSportBird -When I watch with mydad I find myself saying things like, "What an attractive man" ratherthan, "YOU ARE SO HOT, ROGER!"
cindy67- Rog, got a date with Mirka andthe twins in 30 mins?( Considering he just finished the match in 1hr 59 minutes)

Random tweets worth mentioning

kmcg016-Wen my alarm goes off at 7.30 forwork I usually cry today I bounced out of bed at 5.30 to watch the champ ..Thepersuasion of Fed #Federer
anna_tennisfan - All 4 men who playQF today are sponsored by Nike. #random

So which one was yourfavorite?

I will be publishing TwitterReaction regularly, in case you have more interesting tweets for the matches,please feel free to let me know at https://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA.

Also: Federer/Nadal Epic Semi- Final - What do Australian Open Stats Indicate?- Part 1

Emerson, Sampras, Federer: The Myth of Invincibility?

Anger: Difference between Good (McEnroe,Murray) & Great (Federer,Nadal)

Evolution of Novak Djokovic- Australian Open (2007-2012)!

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com, http://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA or http://on.fb.me/pouTOy

Roger Federer- The Last Link To The 90's?

2012-01-24T13:02:00.000-08:00

Is it just me or everyone else also thinks the same? I was left wondering after Federer’s easy win in the QF against Juan Martin Del Potro. Federer didn’t even seem to break a sweat in his QF match at Australian Open.

Throughout the past few years, I have never seen Federer tired or stressed out during the match. His style of play looks so effortless. In the current game where power is the main factor in the shots of top players, here is a player who seemed to me the epitome of style and effortlessness.

Every now and then we hear of injuries to the players. Federer seems to be a class apart and rarely comes in the news for his injuries. Even his single handed backhand in the game full of double handed powerful backhands is a treat to watch. To me, Federer is the single link that remains in the game which has transitioned from the serve-volley era to the powerful down the line forehand/backhand winners.

Whenever I see Federer playing, he reminds me of the past era and the playing style prevalent during the 90’s. During his US Semifinal match against Djokovic last year, he never showed any signs of tiredness. Believe me, it’s a lot of hard work to show a 3-4 hour match look so effortless and elegant.

In the finals- both Nadal and Djokovic were exhausted after the match which was an exhibition of power hitting contest with long rallies. Federer lost the match but he is the only person who has defeated and again came so close to defeating the player of the year 2011- Djokovic.

I really don’t know how tennis will be in the absence of Federer, but one thing is for sure that we are really lucky to watch him play. The more he plays, better it is for tennis fans. With his goodbye, we can also unofficially call it an end of the one handed backhand shots in tennis.

Even people who are not his fans will have to agree that with him out of the picture, who will they talk about, criticize and have long discussions on the forums. Tennis will lose its charm and elegance for a lot of tennis fans. No matter how harsh it may sound but he has single-handedly kept the interests of the 90’s fans still alive in the game.

All in all, Life will not be the same once Roger Federer says adieu to the game! Is it just me or everyone else also thinks the same?

Also: 5 Inspiring Moments from Australian Open!

Lost Hope? (Maria Sharapova)

Will Roger Federer Bounce Back And The Myth of Age 30?

Emerson, Sampras, Federer: The Myth of Invincibility?

Anger: Difference between Good (McEnroe,Murray) & Great (Federer,Nadal)

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com
My Facebook Page: http://on.fb.me/pouTOy

Djokovic/ Ferrer: What does statsmeter indicate?

2012-01-24T13:00:00.000-08:00

Statsmeterhas got 2 out of 2 now for rightly predicting the winner and the number of setsof the first 2 Qf (Federer in 3 and Nadal in 4)!

Coming onto QF 4: Novak Djokovic vs David Ferrer. Till now the head to head record is6-5 and on hard courts it is 5-2. Ferrer won the last meeting that took placebetween them at ATP World Tour Finals.

Let’stake a look at the statistics till now in Australian Open for both theseplayers:

Game Statistics	Djokovic	Ferrer
1st Serve %	65	62
Aces	35	14
Unforced Errors	76	110
Winning % on 1st Serve	77	74
Winning % on 2nd Serve	60	50
Winners	135	130
Receiving Points Won %	55	49
Break Point Conversions	63	71

I willlet the stats do most of the talking here this time. If Ferrer has to win, hewill have to improve his first serve, reduce his unforced errors and mix up hisgame today.

ForDjokovic, if he has to win- he just has to play like DJOKOVIC. He is playing even better than 2011, is feeling fit and healthy and is fully confident to repeat 2011.Need I say more?

My pick- Djokovicin 3. What about you?

Also:Twitter Reaction- Federer/DelPotro Match!
Nadal/Berdych- What does statsmeter indicate?

Federer vs. Del Potro – Statistical Preview of Australian Open Quarter Final!

Evolution of Novak Djokovic- Australian Open (2007-2012)!

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com, http://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA or http://on.fb.me/pouTOy

Nadal/Berdych- What does statsmeter indicate?

2012-01-23T15:00:00.000-08:00

A veryquick look at the men’s QF no .2 today:Rafael Nadal vs. Tomas Berdych: The match record is 10-3 between both of themand on hard court- it is 5-3 ( With Berdych winning all the 3 matches back in2006).

Below are the statistics till now in Australian Open for both these players:

Stats	Nadal	Berdych
1st Serve %	73	55
Aces	17	70
Unforced Errors	64	148
Winning % on 1st Serve	81	86
Winning % on 2nd Serve	58	58
Winners	125	205
Receiving Points Won %	47	37
Break Point Conversions	46	37

In myview, Nadal will be all over Berdych today as Berdych strong point is his servewhich is a mere 55% in this tournament. With the crowd’s support fully behindNadal, I think Berdych will have to play two opponents today following hisinappropriate behavior in the 4^th round.

Nadalneeds to attack on Berdych’s serve and make sure he is not able to set in any rhythmwith his serve. If Berdych wants to win, he will have to put in more of hisfirst serve, winners and hope that Nadal is not 100% fit so that he can dictateplay.

Just oneword of caution: Berdych has hit 80 more winners than Nadal so Rafa needs to beaggressive right from the start and take on his chances.

My pickNadal in 4!

Also: Federer vs. Del Potro – Statistical Preview of Australian Open Quarter Final!

Evolution of Novak Djokovic- Australian Open (2007-2012)!

Roger Federer- The Last Link To The 90's?

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com, http://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA or http://on.fb.me/pouTOy

Federer vs. Del Potro – Statistical Preview of Australian Open Quarter Final!

2012-01-23T02:04:00.000-08:00

It’s the showdown many fans havebeen waiting for at Australian Open. The comeback player of 2011 takes on arguablythe greatest tennis player in a rematch of 2009 QF in Australian Open.

Although many people are predictingan upset, I thought it will be a good idea to look at their performance so farin Australian Open:

Stats	Federer*	Del Potro
1st Serve %	61	60
Aces	36	40
Unforced Errors	74	101
Winning % on 1st Serve	81	78
Winning % on 2nd Serve	63	48
Winners	143	124
Receiving Points Won %	44	48
Break Point Conversions	48	59

*Federer has played 3 matches in AO

Roger Federer

My Opinion: Federer is clearly playing well and has already hit 143 winners (19 more than Delpo) in 3matches. The clinical display of tennis by Federer on Sunday evening wasbreathtaking to watch and there is no denying the fact that if Federer can embracethe pace of Delpo’s shots by mixing his shots and attacking more on Delpo’s second serve (48% win record),he has a strong chance of repeating 2009 AO QF result again.

Tip: To defeat him, one needs to hope that he has a bad day withserve and makes a lot of unforced errors. (As a recap in US Open Final in 2009,Federer served only 50% on his first serve, double-faulted 11 times, hit 62unforced errors and converted only 5 Break points out of 22- a mere 23% BP conversion rate)

Quote: "I thought Del Potro had a chance to be No.1 to be honest, he was playing that well."

Juan Martin Del Potro

My Opinion: After his returnlast year, he rose from 485 to no. 11 in the world. An incredible feat achieved only by a few, no doubt he is thefirst choice of analysts about who has achance of entering top 4. If he has to beat Federer, he will have to hit his thunderousfirst serves and hope to outplay Federer with his punishing forehand, the wayhe did it in 2009.

Tip: To beat him, one will have to serve well and mix up his shotsin terms of drop shots and volley.

Quote: “Roger isthe best tennis player of the history, and of course he's the favorite. Iremember three years ago I play in quarters against him and I only won threegames.”

Allin all, we have a blockbuster match lined up which will be played in toughconditions during daytime. It will be atest of fitness for both the players and heat can definitely play an importantrole in the outcome of the match. I think the way the conditions will be,it can favor Roger as he likes to play on a faster court (as being played in the daytime) and is one of thefittest player around!

My pick- Roger Federer! What about you?

Also : Nadal/Berdych- What does statsmeter indicate?

Evolution of Novak Djokovic- Australian Open (2007-2012)!

Roger Federer- The Last Link To The 90's?

Juan Martin Del Potro - Fall and Rise Of The Fighter?

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com, http://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA or http://on.fb.me/pouTOy

Federer vs. Tomic: Clash of Two Generations?

2012-01-21T04:00:00.000-08:00

The entire nation of Australiawill be hoping for a miracle when Tomic plays against arguably the best player ever: Roger Federer - in the most hyped clash between two generations at Rod LaverArena on Sunday.

John Tomic once claimed thatBernard can win 10-15 Grand slams. Well he will be up against the only personever to win 16 GS till date: Roger Federer. A lot of people are predictingupset for this 4^th round match but can this really happen?

Instead of predicting the outcomeat first, let’s look at the game statistics for both these players at AustralianOpen so far:

Statistics	Federer*	Tomic
1st Serve %	62	66
Aces	23	26
Unforced Errors	46	150
Winning % on 1st Serve	80	69
Winning % on 2nd Serve	66	57
Winners	98	115
Receiving Points Won %	42	37
Break Point Conversions	42	35

* Federer has played only 2matches so far in AO

We can clearly see that Federeris ahead of Tomic in almost all the areas of the game. It’s hard to believe thatTomic can create an upset here unless he plays extraordinary tennis andoutplays Federer in his own game. Both of them have met once before on grasscourt and Federer was the winner in 4 sets. The stats for the match were asfollows:

Player	Federer	Tomic
1st Serve %	67	62
1st Serve Points Won	71	68
2nd Serve Points Won	74	39
Winners	61	51
Unforced Errors	35	48
Return Points Won	43	28
Break Points Conversion	46	43

The one factor that canplay a very important part in this match will be the crowd as they will becheering for Tomic. But Federer’s experience and calm approach should certainlyhelp him ease through this match. All in all, Tomic no doubt is the futureof tennis and provides flair to the game of tennis with his variety, but as ofnow it certainly seems like Federer should win the match tomorrow! What do youthink?

Also: Evolution of Novak Djokovic- Australian Open (2007-2012)!

Rafael Nadal: Strong Signs of Revival?

Nadal/Federer Controversy: Is There Something More To It?

Serena Williams, Kim Clijsters & Petra Kvitova- Statistical Precursor to Australian Open 2012: Part 3

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com, http://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA or http://on.fb.me/pouTOy

Evolution of Novak Djokovic- (2007-2012)!

2012-01-20T00:51:00.000-08:00

As per one of the tennis analyst on TV, NovakDjokovic is the most complete player at present in tennis. He has every shot inthe books and is the most flexible player amongst the top 4. So I thought itwill be interesting to see how he has evolved over the years in his journey since 2007!

Here are his comments since 2007. (Notice: Especially the way his confidence levelseems to be going up and the positivity in his tone!)

Year	Comments - Novak Djokovic
2007	“I think I've improved a lot. Results are showing that I did everything -- I did everything right like I should do. I like playing here. I like being here. But I never had any big results in Australia. And this year I'm unbeaten still in singles, so it's really good thing.”
2008	“I've been trying to work, you know, recently on some elements in my game which I think that are missing so I can be one of the challengers for the No. 1 or No. 2 spot in the world."
2009	Well, look, there is a pressure. But it didn't affect me today, no. I'm still trying to find the rhythm and slowly getting there.
2010	So physically I'm ready. I mean, I'm moving well, and more or less game‑wise overall I think I'm playing good enough tennis to challenge the best players in the world.”
2011	“Hard court. Hard court is my favorite surface. Two finals in US Open and two finals here. It's obvious; results are showing everything. But, still, I feel I can do well at French Open and Wimbledon.”
2012	I feel that I’m at the peak of my career. I feel that physically, mentally, game-wise, I’m right up there. I can perform equally well on any surface, as I have proven in 2011. That’s my focus. That’s something that I’m thinking of. Just taking it slowly, step by step. I just believe that I can win, especially against the biggest rivals in the major events. “

What’s interesting is to see how he has gradually reached his goals.His goal in 2007 was to get a big result in AO which he achieved in 2008. Then his goalbecame to find his rhythm, and challenge the best players in the world which hemanaged to achieve in 2011. Then his goal was to do well in FO and Wimbledonand achieved the same in 2011 itself.

Now his goal is to repeat the best year(2011) of his career - “But, look,I've done it once. Why not twice? Why not stay optimistic and positive about thewhole season? It's a start.”

Only time can tell us whether he will be able toachieve his new goal or not. But one thing is for sure with hard work and positive attitude; one can achieve his/her goals inlife no matter how tough the situations are. Who better an example thanNovak Djokovic himself?

Even if we are fans of Federer, Nadal, Murray, Tsonga or any other tennis player in the world, let's pause for a minute and take inspiration from this person who singlehandedly proved everyone wrong in 2011. If he can do it, so can we! Take charge of your life and reach the heights that you want to-Remember you are the writer of your own destiny!

Also: Roger Federer & His Secret of Success?

5 Inspiring Moments from Australian Open!

Roger Federer- The Last Link To The 90's?

Jeremy Lin: Against the Odds- Lin-spirational Story!

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com, http://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA or http://on.fb.me/pouTOy

Rafael Nadal: Strong Signs of Revival?

2012-01-19T22:13:00.000-08:00

Rafael Nadal cruised to the fourth round of Australian Open witha comfortable straight sets victory over Lucas Lacko : 6-2, 6-4, 6-2. The goodnews for his fans seems to be that he is really playing good tennis with nosigns of physical discomfort in his knees. He has not lost a single set tillnow and looks to be in impressive form.

His service seems to be improving with every game and heseems to be playing even better than 2010.

If we look at his statistics on hard court since 2010, wecan clearly see the improvement. The effort that Nadal has put in during offseason to make sure he is ready to take on the challenge against Djokovicseems to be paying off!

Nadal	2010	2011	AO*
1st Serve %	64	65	70
Aces	204	142	13
Unforced Errors			50
Winning % on 1st Serve	76	71	82
Winning % on 2nd Serve	59	56	56
Winners			105
Receiving Points Won %	39	42	47
Break Point Conversions%	40	45	56

* includes all the rounds

The most noticeable change in his game seems to be the newfound aggression in his game where he plays close to the baseline and tries totake control of his shots rather than taking a defensive approach. He already has hit 105 winners in 3 matches against78 this time last year.

This is a good sign for Nadal as he will needthis kind of aggression if he is hoping to go past his biggest rival of 2011-Novak Djokovic. In the words ofSunzi: “Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected”

Hold on to your seats as we prepare to go down in the secondweek as this tournament can prove to be a make or break for Nadal’s confidence. And for now- Nadal is looking prettystrong- What do you think?

Also: Evolution of Novak Djokovic- Australian Open (2007-2012)!

Nadal/Federer Controversy: Is There Something More To It?

The Big Four (Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Murray) & Del Potro- Statistical Precursor to Australian Open 2012: Part 1

Serena Williams, Kim Clijsters & Petra Kvitova- Statistical Precursor to Australian Open 2012: Part 3

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com,

http://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA or http://on.fb.me/pouTOy

Rafael Nadal- Early Signs Of Improvement!

2012-01-17T22:11:00.000-08:00

Rafael Nadal eased into the third round defeating Tommy Haasin straight sets: 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. The positive sign for Rafael Nadal was hismovement on the court which was as swift as it can be. He was aggressive and incontrol of his shots. If early indications are to be believed, putting extraweight on his racquet seems to have worked in his favor as the shots hit hadmore power and speed.

If we compare his stats with 2010 hard court stats which washis best year so far, one can see that he is on course and playing with thesame aggression and precision:

Rafael Nadal	2010	2011	AO
1st Serve %	64	65	65
Aces	204	142	11
Unforced Errors			31
Winning % on 1st Serve	76	71	8
Winning % on 2nd Serve	59	56	5
Winners			78
Receiving Points Won %	39	42	48
Break Point Conversions%	40	45	60

*includes first and second round

What’s more heartening to see is his win % on 1^stserve seems to have improved than 2011 which is a good sign. His serve has beena point of concern against Djokovic and improving that can be a huge factorwhile playing against the top guns.

What can be concluded from after watching him play in twomatches is:

1) He is fully fit with no signs of knee problem.

2) He is playing aggressively and putting in morepower in his shots to hit more winners and come out of his usual defensivementality.

3) He is getting himself ready to break the mentalbarrier against Djokovic by putting in extra effort on and off the court.

As Todd Blackledge has rightly said: The Six W's: Work will win when wishing won't.

All in all, the early sings indicate Rafa is getting readyto take his rivalry against Djokovic to a new level. It will be really interestingto see how he handles pressure once he reaches the SF stage!

Also: Evolution of Novak Djokovic- Australian Open (2007-2012)!

Bernard Tomic:The Future Of Tennis?

Nadal/Federer Controversy: Is There Something More To It?

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com, http://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA or http://on.fb.me/pouTOy

Novak Djokovic's First Round Victory: Repeat of 2011 Performance!

2012-01-16T20:22:00.000-08:00

Defending Champion Novak Djokovicmade an impressive start to his season by winning 17 consecutive games frombeing 1-2 down in the first set. It wasa classy performance by World No. 1 as he cruised to the second round of theAustralian Open comfortably in straight sets against Paolo Lorenzi.

The match ended in just 92minutes with the score line: 6-2, 6-0,6-0. However just for the starters, I thought it will be a good idea to see howhis game stats looks like for the season 2012 vs. 2011 Hard Court Stats!

Djokovic	Hard Court-2011	First Round
1st Serve %	65	73
Aces	220	4
Unforced Errors		13
Winning % on 1st Serve	73	73
Winning % on 2nd Serve	54	47
Winners		22
Receiving Points Won %	46	67
Break Point Conversions %	49	69

*Courtesy Australian Open Match Statistics

Clearly as we can see thatDjokovic has started off this year from where he left off. Shoulder Pain,Fatigue, Pressure everything is now all gone and what we saw today was the sameold Djokovic of 2011 who won 3 GS and had one of the best seasons in thehistory of tennis.

A warning sign for Nadal & Federer and an exciting signfor all the fans as it looks like we have some breathtaking tennis awaiting forall of us in the coming two weeks.

For Tennis fans, I will leave you with the tweener hit by Djokovic in this match: Reminded you of something-now didn't it :)?

Also : Evolution of Novak Djokovic- Australian Open (2007-2012)!

Nadal/Federer Controversy: Is There Something More To It?