.: The Red Brick – Dubai College's Student Newspaper :.

What a year this season has turned out to be. In years to come, will we look back at 2011 and raise the question about whether this was ‘the greatest year, ever?’ A couple months ago, that question will have been automatically have taken to mean ‘did Novak Djokovic have the greatest season, ever?’ Having witnessed the last couple of months of a gruelling year of tennis pan out, the short answer to that question is no.

The reason I’ve asked this question is because, after the superb run of Roger Federer in the fall, culminating with his sixth year-end championships title, he has transformed the accepted year of Djokovic into a much broader year about tennis, in general, itself. What I mean is that this year might have been the most exciting, enthralling and unpredictable years in recent tennis history. And it is something that all the top players take credit for but especially Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. This year was full of shocks and surprises but it also produced big winners in Djokovic and to a certain extent, Federer. It also produced frustration for the likes of Murray, provided hope for the likes of Tsonga and Ferrer but also gave the tennis world a lovable loser who up until this year, was on his way to becoming one of the GOAT’s (greatest of all time) perhaps surpassing Federer (that debate can be saved for another time). Of course, I’m talking about Rafael Nadal and despite him having a season that anyone outside the top three will take in the blink of an eye; Rafa has had one long, tough and arduous year. To be perfectly honest, Djokovic really got into Rafa’s head (just like Rafa got into Roger’s mind after the 2008 Wimbledon final) after he struck those two huge blows with those two massive wins over Nadal in Madrid and Rome on the surface that Nadal so adores – his beloved clay. After that, the tennis world was given an insight into the Spaniard’s life with his admirably frank comments that opened up his windows and showed that there was a troubled soul behind it. Having said that, we are most likely over-analysing, as, Rafa is one of, if not the best, competitors that the game has ever seen so I wouldn’t write Nadal off just yet!

Of course, rewind all the way back to January 2011 and all the talk was about Nadal, who had wrestled the number one ranking away from Federer for the second time and was the dominant force heading into the Australian Open. He had just completed his career Grand Slam and had now acclaimed nine Grand Slam titles. People often forget, that twelve months ago, no one was even mentioning Djokovic in the conversation. It was all about Rafa and Roger and people were discussing Nadal’s likelihood of surpassing Federer’s 16 Grand Slam titles and becoming the GOAT. As the old cliché goes, how quickly things can turn. Tennis was all about the Federer-Nadal rivalry back at the start of the year, yet by the time they met for the final time this year, in the round-robin of the tour finals, it seemed like a nostalgic match. This was because no one could have anticipated the rise of Djokovic and the force he would become in 2011. It had all started off with his win over Murray in the Australian Open final where he simply blew Andy away and Murray was, once again, labelled with the unwanted tag of choking when it came to the very big occasions. This was seen as Murray’s moment – he didn’t have to face his conqueror (Federer) of the past two slam finals he had competed in and Nadal wasn’t in town for the final Sunday in Australia. This was his big chance and he blew it. Little did we know what would happen next in the story of 2011.

Would anyone have had the audacity to predict that Djokovic would end the year 10-1 against Federer and Nadal? Djokovic was 6-0 against Nadal and had beaten him in every single final they met this year. To put things into perspective on what a fine line there is between a phenomenal season and a poor one, in Rafa’s case; if this was 2010, Rafa would have probably pocketed 3 or 4 more titles, including two more Grand Slams, but unfortunately for him, he ran into a brick wall – what some might say; a taste of his own medicine. Some people even suggested that Novak Djokovic might be the single reason why Roger Federer will remain to be regarded as the GOAT.

Of course, the French Open this year (one of the highlights of the year) was a tournament where the tennis world witnessed a bit of foreshadowing. Roger Federer played some of the best tennis he had ever played on clay to dispatch Djokovic in four, enthralling sets of tennis and set-up a meeting with Rafa in the final (his only slam final of 2011, and surprisingly on his ‘weakest’ surface.) Everyone had said that this was Roger’s big moment; the time when he could beat Rafa on Clay in Paris. He started off the match with a blast and was up 5-2, and had set point when he played an inopportune drop-shot that sailed a millimetre out. Nadal roared back, won the set and the rest, as they say, was history. Federer battled back valiantly but couldn’t see out the win. At that stage of the season, it was all even; Djokovic had one slam, Nadal had one and Federer reminded everyone that he was still one of the top dogs.

Some critics suggest that the French Open was a wasted opportunity for Nadal, as he didn’t use it to build up his confidence. He went on to lose to Djokovic in, again one of the matches of the season; the Wimbledon final and after the French Open, Nadal didn’t go on to win a single title in 2011. From a neutral’s perspective, two of the biggest regrets of 2011 were Federer’s loss to Tsonga in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon and to a lesser extent, Djokovic’s loss to Federer at the French Open semis. Starting with the latter, I’ll explain why. It was in complete agreement that, had Djokovic met Nadal in the final in Paris, they would have played a mammoth match in which Djokovic was the slight favourite to win which would have set him up for the Grand Slam (winning all four slams in a season – something Nadal and Federer could never achieve). So in a slightly ironic way, both Nadal and Federer fans were hugely grateful that Federer stopped the Djokovic juggernaut. Nadal’s 0-6 record against Djokovic may prove to be the greatest thing that has happened to Federer in some time. Don’t think he’s unaware of how badly damaged has been. The second biggest regret of the year is the fact that Federer and Djokovic didn’t meet in the semis of Wimbledon (the only slam they failed to do so in 2011). Given the pair’s meetings at Roland Garros and the US Open, who knows what they would have conjured up on Federer’s most-favoured turf? It will always be one of those ‘what if?’ questions. Personally and I think most would agree – that was Federer’s biggest disappointment of the year; for the second season running he fell short at his most favoured Grand Slam. Having said that, it all sets it up beautifully for the 2012 Wimbledon championships and, don’t forget, the Olympics!

When Djokovic won the US Open, saving two match points in an epic against Federer, with that forehand return on first match point, and then going on to win another epic against Nadal in back-to-back matches; the story was set. The chapters were written and this was set to be the greatest season in recent history, not only because of what Djokovic had achieved – winning five Masters Series titles in a season, breaking the record set by Roger and Rafa and winning three Grand Slams, but also because of the stunningly sublime quality of tennis that he produced that was needed to overthrow possibly the greatest two players that have ever played the game. That remarkable 10-1 record over those two icons will forever be one of the greatest achievements in tennis.

Djokovic’s drive to complete the greatest year ever became the dominant story – one that lasted all of one week. This was because, in the Davis Cup semi-finals, Djokovic had to be helped off court in a loss to Juan Martin del Potro in Belgrade. He was devastated and the full extent of the injury would later be known – he didn’t play again until the end of October. He also didn’t win a title after the US Open and compiled a lacklustre 6-4 record. He was clearly suffering from injury but was also suffering from fatigue – both physical and mental. While Djokovic’s year was coming to a shuddering halt, Murray’s so-far poor year was gaining momentum that set him up for a grandstand finish. After the US Open, Murray went on a tear, similar to Federer’s in the fall of 2010, and won three consecutive titles in the process. As for Nadal, this seemed like an opportunity to take advantage of Djokovic’s absence or on the number one’s vulnerability at the final three events of the year, but it was one that Rafa couldn’t take. Instead, a visibly shattered and fatigued Nadal looked nothing like his former self and any thoughts of him mounting a late-season charge disappeared very early on at the tour finals.

Enter, Roger Federer. Now, it wasn’t like he entered stage right as if he had been absent from the tour for the majority of the year. There were plenty of signs throughout the season that Federer was still to be a force to be reckoned with. Those signs came from his 2010 resurgence during the fall, that stunning win over Djokovic at the French Open to reach the final where he played some of his best tennis ever on clay and coming within one swing of the racquet away from reaching the US Open final. All along, Federer kept shrugging off those loses and conceded that Djokovic had been playing some sublime tennis You also got the feeling that deep down, Federer was just hanging on there and asking himself ‘how long can Djokovic’ domination last?’ And while many were labelling Federer deluded over the fact that he felt he could still keep in touch with the top, he showed admirable patience and confidence to pounce when he sniffed spilt blood. Djokovic didn’t hurt Federer as much as he did Nadal, but one thing is for certain; Federer was plain cooler, smarter and was the more patient one of the two. His experience and maturity was there for all to be seen and that is something that he holds over his rivals, at age 30; this ability to shrug off disappointing losses and to regroup and come back stronger. Time and time again, he has done it, and so it proved to be another renaissance of Roger Federer in the fall of 2011. This year, Federer proved that he’s not just a great champion (something we already knew) but that he’s also one of the most resilient players of all time (something that wasn’t so obvious until recently.)

Federer kept his own and quietly laid out the plans for the rest of the year. He always stated that the fall was important to him as he plays in his home-town event of Basel and the World Tour finals – a tournament that Federer had always taken extremely seriously. He decided to take a six-week break to recover and recuperate from the heart-breaking loss to Djokovic, not before he flew to Melbourne the following day to play for Switzerland and help them beat Australia to return to the World Group in the Davis Cup. His hiatus from the tour allowed Murray to overtake him in the rankings, something which, at the time, added impetus to the theory that this was the beginning of the end for Federer and that he was on a steep downward curve. What was to come would have surprised many but not Roger Federer. He had always said that he was playing great tennis and that his time would come and so it showed. He won 17 consecutive matches after his loss to Djokovic, including a crushing 6-3, 6-0 win over Nadal and bagged three titles in the process. Federer was dialled-in, confident and relaxed and his win over Nadal was a fitting comment on the state of each man’s game and mind. Although Djokovic and Nadal didn’t come up with anything new or interesting following the US Open, Federer gave everyone in the world a lesson in the meaning of the word ‘regroup.’

In a year full of twists and turns, you can’t possibly turn a blind eye to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who had a large say in this year’s events, particularly on Federer. It could be said that the Frenchman is the player who inflicted the most damage on Federer and his reputation this year. Look no further than the Wimbledon win over him in five, becoming the first player to ever come back from two sets down to Federer and win (incidentally, like London buses, Djokovic became the second to do so in the following Grand Slam). Tsonga had also beaten him in Montreal this year, blowing him away in the final set and it looked like Federer would blow the Tour Finals title after Tsonga saved match point and took it to a deciding set. Instead, Federer regrouped and won a record-breaking sixth season ending Championship and capped off a stunning year of tennis.

A final word on Djokovic’s season, to put it into perspective with the other ‘greatest’ seasons in the open era. After the US Open, Novak was 64-2 with a winning percentage of .97. However, in the following three months, he went to 70-6 and failed to win the season-ending championship, the way Roger Federer did in all of his finest seasons. If the season ended after the US Open, then Djokovic’s season would rank as the second-best, behind Rod Lavers of 1969. However, now, I think Novak’s season ranks behind Federer’s 2006 (three slams, 92-5 record, 0.948 winning %) and into the same area as McEnroe’s 1984 (two slams, 82-3 record, 0.965 winning %), Connor’s 1974 (three slams, 93-4 record, 0.959 winning %), Federer’s other prime years (especially 2005 – two slams, 81-4 record, 0.953 winning %) and perhaps Nadal’s 2010 (three slams, 71-10 record, 0.816 winning %). Note how Nadal’s greatest ever season, doesn’t even rank in the top ten in terms of winning percentage! The debate will rage on for many years to come, but given his combined 10-1 record against Nadal and Federer, I would rank Djokovic’s season as the third greatest of all time!

As Pete Bodo from tennis.com stated: “Hats off to Novak Djokovic, the three-Slam man of 2011. Condolences to Rafael Nadal, blind-sided and seemingly still in a state of shock. Kudos to Andy Murray, for his resurrection from a dismal start to the year. But raise your glass to Roger Federer, the last man standing in 2011.”

And here’s hoping to an even more stunning 2012!
 

8^th December 1980: The murder of John Lennon

John Lennon, the famous and revered English musician and peace activist, was shot dead outside of an apartment building in New York City by a mentally unstable fan, later identified as Mark Chapman. Lennon will always be remembered for the immensely successful music of The Beatles as well as his later iconic songs such as ‘Imagine’. Since his tragic death, Lennon has been posthumously recognised into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and is consistently voted into ‘The Greatest Britons Of All Time’ lists.

9^th December 1579: The Saint Martin de Porres was born

Martin de Porres is the Peruvian patron saint of mixed-race people and all those seeking interracial harmony. He was noted for work on behalf of the poor, establishing an orphanage and a children’s hospital, as well as his austere lifestyle, which included fasting and abstaining from meat. Among the many miracles attributed to Martin de Porrres were those of levitation, bilocation, miraculous knowledge, instantaneous cures, and an ability to communicate with animals.

 10^th December 2009: Obama receives Nobel Peace Prize

 In a controversial move President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009,   for his ‘extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples.’  He stated that the U.S. must uphold moral standards when waging wars, in his speech in Oslo, also defending the U.S. role in Afghanistan by arguing that the use of force could bring lasting peace. Controversy was heightened since ceremony in the Norwegian capital came days after Obama announced he was sending thirty thousand additional soldiers to the war in Afghanistan.

11^th December 1946: UNICEF established

The United Nations General Assembly establishes (UNICEF) United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund was established to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated by World War II. In 1953, the organisation became a permanent fixture in the UN system. It is now present in 190 countries worldwide and has been awarded various peace prizes for the noteworthy help it has provided for children.

12^th December 1913: The Mona Lisa is recovered

The Mona Lisa was recovered in France after its dramatic theft right off the walls of the Louvre just two years earlier.  Its recovery was started when well-known antique dealer placed an ad in several Italian newspapers for art pieces and received an anonymous letter from someone claiming to have the stolen Mona Lisa; it was signed simply as “Leonardo”. The dealer arranged a meeting and alerted the police, eventually leading to the arrest of Vincenzo Peruggia, who had simply grabbed the Mona Lisa and walked out of the Louvre with it hidden under his smock.

13^th December 1939: Premiere of ‘Gone with the Wind’

‘Gone with the Wind’ is an American historical epic film set in the deep south that tells a story of the Civil War and its aftermath from a white Southern viewpoint. It became the highest-grossing film of all-time shortly after its release, holding the position until 1966, and after adjusting for inflation, it has still earned more than any other film in theatre rentals. It regularly comes near top in Greatest Films of All Time lists and was selected to be preserved by the United State National Films registry.  It also gave us one of the most famous cinema quotes ever – “Frankly , my dear, I don’t give a damn.”

14^th December 1503: Nostradamus is born

Nostradamus was a French apothecary and seer whose prophecies are now incredibly well known and publicised, often being accredited with predicting major modern word events, including the Great Fire of London, Napoleon, Hitler and even 9/11. However most modern historians dispute these similarities as the text being altered or misinterpretations, and disagree with the popular reputation Nostradamus has gained.

Ever been told to stop yawning? Or been glared at by the teacher when a yawn unwittingly escapes your mouth during their lesson? Well, recent research revealed that yawning is actually designed to keep us AWAKE! Yes, that’s right. It is NOT a precursor to sleep as most parents and teachers would have us believe. It certainly isn’t because we’re bored during an interesting discourse on how many rivers and mountain ranges there are in Guagadudu, or when we’re being initiated into the stimulating world of trigonometry by our ebullient teachers..or even an inbuilt reflex to draw in more oxygen when our body is short of it, as older medical research suggests.

The real purpose of yawning, researches now say, is to COOL the brain so it operates more efficiently and actually keeps you AWAKE. Researchers Gary Hack, of the University of Maryland School of Dentistry and Andrew Gallup, of Princeton University, revealed that “The brain is exquisitely sensitive to temperature changes and therefore must be protected from overheating. Brains, like computers, operate best when they are cool.” So basically, when our brains heat up, say for example, during an ‘exciting’ history lesson, the yawns help it to cool down and keep us awake?

This theory explains another puzzling question: Why are yawns contagious? The brain cooling system says that when we contagiously yawn we are participating in an ancient, hardwired ritual that evolved to help groups stay alert and detect danger.

It’s not copying another person’s sleepiness, say scientists at the University of Albany in New York, who are behind the latest research. “We think contagious yawning is triggered by empathic mechanisms which function to maintain group vigilance,” says Dr Gordon Gallup, a leading researcher at the university. This belief is further supported by the observation of University of Maryland’s Robert Provine that paratroopers report yawning before jumping!

But there are other theories. It’s been suggested contagious yawning could be a result of an unconscious herding behaviour – a subtle way to communicate to those around us, similar to when flocks of birds take flight at the same time. Yet another theory suggests contagious yawning might have helped early humans communicate their alertness levels and co-ordinate sleeping times. Basically, if one decided it was time to sleep they would tell the others by yawning and they would do it in return to show they agreed.

And as further proof that humans originate from the ape family, apparently chimpanzees also suffer from contagious yawning, according to researchers at Kyoto University in Japan. They are thought to be the only other creatures, apart from humans, who do so.

My take on the matter? Yawn on!

“Good evening, and welcome! To a night at the Opera.” I declared, scrunching up my face in concentration. Veronika, sitting in front of me outside the canteen at lunchtime, watched me dispassionately. “Or should I put the emphasis on the Night? Good evening, and welcome to a NIGHT at the opera!” She spooned some pasta in her mouth, which for some strange unknown reason she was apparently finding more interesting than my conversation. I took a deep breath and shut my eyes. “Good evening, and welcome to a night.” I opened my eyes dramatically, the effect of which was lost because Veronika wasn’t looking. “At the Operaaaaaaa!” I flung my arms out and knocked half of her pasta off the table. Further talk of a night at the opera or wishing anyone a good evening was a strictly taboo topic for the rest of lunchtime.

The oratory rehearsals were intended for playing a host in, as you may have cleverly surmised, A Night at the Opera. It was to be held in the Music Centre, featuring the finest of Dubai College vocal as well as instrumental talent, meticulously prepared by Mr Zambonini, Mr Crawford and the teachers of the music department. The stage was set, the scene was an elegant flurry of bow tie suits and pretty evening dresses, and parents waited with baited breath and anxious video cameras for their sons and daughters to captivate and enchant in the language of romance, betrayal and passion: opera.

Backstage, it was an altogether different scenario. Violins, trumpets, trombones and cellos all tuning up to different notes at the same time yield nothing but a load of frustrated musicians telling their fellow purveyors of melodic excellence to shut it so they can hear themselves. Throw in some nervous singers all belting out Doh-Mi-Soh-Doh-Soh-Mi-Doh on varying syllables and varying keys to warm up and you’ve got yourself something worthy of Cacofonix the bard (as in Asterix? No? OK). No amount of panic backstage, or anything even life threatening for that matter, however, would deter a dedicated Dubai College musician to deliver less than an outstanding performance, which is what the Chamber Orchestra did in their wonderfully slick Suite, from Carmen by Bizet. Ryan Evans captured hearts with a sweet, pure voice and Sophia Cafoor-Camps, Florence Prosser and Sophie Middleton, accompanied by Mr Hardman, each served up stunning solos that soared effortlessly and lingered glittering in the listeners’ minds long after their last notes.

In stark contrast to the sometimes austere refinement of the older performers, Ethan Ebdon and Isabel Snaas had every member of the audience overcome by a strong urge to sigh “Awww”. Their portrayal of tired, hungry and utterly adorable Hansel and Gretel was a clear success as the singers curled up to sleep after their Evening Prayer, prompting a mass reaching for the tissues on the other side of the stage. Meanwhile, Abby, Prianka and Niamh’s O Mio Baabino Caro, from Gianni Schicchi by Puccini, held everyone spellbound as they conjured up images of a young girl pleading with her father to let her marry the man she loves. Violinist Charles Barsaga and the orchestra quickly followed with the haunting Meditation from Massenet’s Thais, a controversial opera with themes of religion, lust and denial that have ensured its lasting popularity.

The virtuosic streak was maintained as a rousing rendition of Triumphal Chorus from Aida by Verdi was superbly executed by a new ensemble at the school, the Chamber Choir, with solos by Dorottya Nagy (trumpet) and Kinara Rodrigues (flute). After two hours of being treated to some of the most beautiful compositions ever written, the concert was brought to a spectacular end with Sophie and Rory Blincow leading the Senior Choir in Verdi’s effervescent, glorious Brindisi.

As we returned home that night, having had rather more of the excellent complementary canapés and éclairs than necessary, the splendid performances of the young musicians were no doubt ringing in the ears of every listener, each better than the last, but we knew what took the cake. That night, music and the timeless magic of opera was the winner.

The last man standing for a record-breaking sixth time!

Barring the upcoming Davis Cup final between Spain and Argentina the 2011 tennis season has come to an end and what a season it has been. From the very first match in January to the finale at the O2 arena where Roger Federer successfully defended his title and won the World Tour Finals for an unprecedented sixth time, we have been so fortunate to witness one of the best tennis seasons in recent memory! Today, I’ll be taking apart the 2011 World Tour finals and over the next couple of days, I’ll be reviewing the 2011 season in detail and then casting an eye to the upcoming 2012 season!

For now, I’m going to completely focus on London and the climax to the season. The week started with the draw splitting the top eight into even and intriguing groups. In Group A, we had the world’s number 1, 3, 5, 7 and their corresponding counterparts 2, 4, 6, 8 in Group B. At the beginning of the week I said that we were in store for some cracking matches, as we always are at the WTF but we really were treated to a lot of unexpected storylines. My predictions were pretty solid and the two biggest ones I made were that Nadal would not advance from his group with Tsonga taking his place and Federer retaining his title for a record sixth time. Both predictions panned out pretty well with my other semi-finalists being Murray and Djokovic. Djokovic disappointed me with his showing in London and was visibly fatigued and Murray just had the misfortune of suffering an injury and having to pull out after his opening-round loss to Ferrer.

Here is a day-by-day recap and then round off the biggest stories we have learned this week.

Federer d Tsonga 6-2, 2-6, 6-4

Nadal d Fish 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (3)

The tournament got off to the best possible start with both crowd favourites being pushed all the way before prevailing in three sets, respectively. We started off with Federer against Tsonga which turned out to be a good, if slightly odd, affair. The match flew by with rallies at a premium. Federer looked on course for a routine triumph when he dominated the first set, breaking twice and dropping only three points on serve but Tsonga responded brilliantly in the second set and took the fight to Federer in the decider. But Federer showed all his class and experience to strike late in the final set and get the vital opening win in the presence of a capacity crowd that loved the match and created a great atmosphere. Another interesting thing I took from this match was how the court looked pretty slow and how some bounces around the service line were particularly low. This would be something that would help Federer as the week wore on and so it told.

In the evening match, a visibly unfit and lacking match-practice Nadal battled past Mardy Fish to win his opening match. Nadal eventually triumphed in a cracker of a match in two hours and 53 minutes of enthralling competition. Fast indoor courts have never been Nadal’s most favoured surface and so it showed once again this year. Nadal didn’t look right, had to rush off to the toilet looking pale and ‘feeling bad from the stomach.’ Fortunately for the Spaniard, he was facing a tournament debutant who looked incredibly nervous in his new surroundings and played a poor first set. Fish however, battled valiantly and came back t pocket the second set 6-3 with some brilliant aggressive groundstrokes and volleying. He kept with Nadal in the decisive set but he could not get close enough to get the win over Rafa who was incredibly relieved to start the tour finals in the best possible manner. So it was all set for the 26^th edition of Federer vs Nadal and what a match that turned out to be …

Ferrer d Murray 6-4, 7-5

Djokovic d Berdych 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3)

Murray suffered the worst possible start to his campaign with a straight sets defeat by David Ferrer. It was a bitterly disappointing performance from the Brit and we later understood why. He was suffering a groin injury. Murray came into this match as the firm favourite, with a 17-1 win-loss record since the US Open and victory in each of his last five meetings with Ferrer on hard courts. It was a turgid, poor-quality affair in which the Scot accounted for 44 of the pair’s combined 79 unforced errors. Ferrer, who is vastly underrated, enjoyed a good match where he stuck with Murray and managed to recover from being broken in both sets to secure an excellent victory.

In the other match, Djokovic put his recent injury troubles behind him to grind a three-set victory over Berdych. Abdominal, back and shoulder problems have limited Djokovic to only seven matches since winning the US Open. Overall, it wasn’t Djokovic’s stinging backhand or his superb forehand, his ability to switch from defence to offense or his serve that secured the victory. It was his aura. Of course, his case was helped that he was playing an opponent who could stick with and outplay the best players in the world but when it matters most, he’ll do the greatest damage to himself by simply ‘choking.’ It was another case of so close, yet so far away for Berdych as he held match point and then threw it away carelessly.

Tsonga d Fish 7-6 (4), 6-1

Federer d Nadal 6-3, 6-0

Alright, hands up – which of you predicted that result between Federer and Nadal? Yeah, thought so – not even the most die-hard Federer fans would have seen that coming. Yes, Federer was playing well and on a 13 match unbeaten streak and was the favourite but was he really going to demolish Nadal in what is arguably the best match he has ever played against him? Well the answer is a resounding yes. As Neil Harman of the Times so eloquently put it: “Federer could have walked from the O2 arena straight into a modelling shoot for one of his Credit Suisse ads last night and not even had to pause to flick a hair back into place. Such was the beauty with which Federer played that cut Rafael Nadal, one of the greatest figures of any era, to shreds.” Not since they met in the semi-finals of this tournament in Shanghai four years ago had the Swiss maestro been quite as destructive. Federer couldn’t have walked to the other side of the court, placed the balls down where he wanted to hit them and hit them over and over again and more perfectly than he did. In this mood, on his most favoured surface, surrounded by an adoring crowd, Federer remains the most majestic and enjoyable player to watch. A total of 28 winners (!) to only 4 from Nadal summed up the one-sided, cruel nature of the match. This was the third time that Federer had ‘bagelled’ Nadal, adding to his one on grass in the 2006 Wimbledon final and in the 2007 Hamburg final on Nadal’s beloved clay. As Harman also mentioned: “the thud, thud, thud of winners was incessant. In the last couple of games, Nadal gave up any pretence of pursuing the ball, something which you do not see from him very often.” After his breathtaking victory, Federer ranked this victory as one of his all-time favourites: “It’s definitely one of the nice ones, that’s clear. I had some good ones in my lifetime but this one ranks high because it’s against my biggest rival. At least I’ve got one surface that goes my way.” Federer qualified for the semis with a match to spare and on an almighty high.

Earlier on in the day, Tsonga wowed the O2 Arena with a display of stunning power to see off Mardy Fish and keep alive his hopes of reaching the knockout stages. Both men went at each other with an impressive display of full-out attacking tennis that thrilled the crowd. Tsonga’s serves was on fire and was hitting his forehand brilliantly. In the end, once he got away from Fish and pocketed the opening set, he managed to run away with the second and seal the American’s fate. Tsonga and Nadal would play a winner-takes-all match next.

Berdych d Tipsarevic 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6)

Ferrer d Djokovic 6-3, 6-1

Tomas secured his first win of the tournament with a hard-fought win over Janko Tipsarevic, who had replaced the injured Andy Murray. Janko won the first set at a canter but Berdych stuck back at the Serb in the second set and broke in the eighth game of the 2^nd set to force his way back into the match, with the third set producing some terrific, tight, bold tennis from both men. Tipsarevic then held match point but, it was a case of Berdych this time being on the fortune side of some opportune choking. Janko double-faulted on match point and subsequently lost the match.

If Federer crushing Nadal was a surprise, this result was one of the shocks of the year. Like I’ve said, Ferrer is a player who is vastly under-rated and people often forget that he reached the finals of the 2007 tour finals (then called the Masters Cup) and was hammered by Federer. But tonight, he really played some superb tennis albeit against a man who looked terribly flat – almost uninterested and deservedly suffering his fifth defeat in 75 matches.  Djokovic later described it as “the worst match [he’d] played all season with so many unforced errors.” Djokovic would have known that he needed to play well and be at his best to beat the ever-battling Ferrer, but he probably didn’t expect Ferrer to be quite this good! In the end, Ferrer’s performance was good enough to be called Federer-esque. Ferrer had now qualified to the semis with a match to spare.

Federer d Fish 6-1, 3-6, 6-3

Tsonga d Nadal 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-3

Federer continued his serene progress at the tour finals beating Fish in three sets to finish the group stage with a 100% record for a second consecutive year. He recovered from a mid-match wobble to remain on course for his sixth season-ending title.

Tsonga had previously only beaten Nadal twice in eight attempts and this was a winner takes all clash. Tonight, Tsonga lit up the O2 arena with a stunning display of late-night aggression to send Nadal crashing out of the tournament for the second time in three years. The eccentric Frenchman offered notice of the threat he can post to the big four in 2012 through the sheer brutality of his groundstroke’s and the touch and finesse of his volleying. Tsonga beat Nadal in two hours and 42 minutes finishing with an incredible 48 winners! It is not the end of Nadal’s year as he has the Davis Cup in Seville on the outdoor clay to look forward to but it has been an unsuccessful sojourn in London. Once again, Tsonga showed how an all-out aggressive outset, contrasting to Nadal’s defensive and high, looping balls, to be the most effective tactic at the O2.

Tipsarevic d Djokovic 3-6, 6-3, 6-3

Berdych d Ferrer 3-6, 7-5, 6-1

On the final day of round-robin play, Djokovic crashed out of the tour finals at the group stages for the second time in three years after suffering a shock defeat by Tipsarevic. His loss coupled with Berdych’s three-set win over Ferrer sealed his fate. Tipsarevic had no chance of reaching the last four but came from behind to secure arguably the biggest win of his career. Although Djokovic dominated his close friend in the opening set, he looked visibly jaded as Janko stormed back to win and inflict Djokovic his sixth fourth loss since the US Open (compared to the solitary two he had pre-US Open). Tipsarevic had hit a purple patch of late, winning in Kuala Lumpur to lift his first ATP title, collecting another in Moscow and reaching the final in St Petersburg. His best-ever year allowed him to showcase some of his sublime shot-making at the O2 and the crowd certainly enjoyed it!

In the other match, Berdych staged a dramatic comeback to fight off David Ferrer and finish top of Group A thus forcing Ferrer to have the un-enviable task of facing Federer, a man he was 0-11 against. Ferrer won the first set and was twice up a break in the second only to suffer a startling collapse in front of a captivated crowd in London. Berdych took advantage in ruthless fashion to book a semi-final against Tsonga.

Federer d Ferrer 7-5, 6-3

Tsonga d Berdych 6-3, 7-5

Federer moved to within one win of a record sixth year-end crown after beating Ferrer in straight sets to reach his second consecutive final at the O2. The Swiss Maestro was not at his vintage best but still had too much for Ferrer winning in one hour and 25 minutes. He would contest his 100^th career final and leapfrog Murray to finish the season as world number three – his ninth straight top-three year-end ranking. “I’m very happy to have played so well again,” said Federer. “That’s what it takes to beat David. He’s had an amazing season and tournament so far.” Federer had now won all 12 of his meetings against the Spaniard and was only the third player to reach the year-end championship final seven or more times. Federer sent yet more records tumbling, as it was his 806^th match win, tying him with his childhood hero, Stefan Edberg for sixth all-time in the Open era. The thing that stood out most for me was the adulation that Federer received in his post-match interview. Once the crowd realised that Sunday would be his 100^th career final, Federer received a standing ovation that lasted 40 seconds! He then replied with “I don’t think I’d reach 100 finals, to be quite honest, in my career. But one thing I’ll tell you is that I won’t retire after my 100^th final! Look, I knew I could reach my 100th final, possibly win my 70th title. It’s an amazing career I’ve had. I’m so fortunate, so lucky and it shows I’m still standing, still running. I don’t know how I do it. 100 finals and I’m still walking normally! I feel healthy, fit and really motivated and it’s been wonderful playing for so many years at the highest of levels” With a support like that, why would Federer ever want to retire from the game he so very adores?

In the other semi, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga combined some ballistic serving with yet more brilliant shot-making to sweep past Tomas Berdych 6-3, 7-5 and reach the ATP World Tour Finals final for the first time in his career. Tsonga dazzled the crowd with his exquisite forehands and volleys and sets up the third straight Sunday where Federer will face the Frenchman with the Swiss prevailing in the Paris Masters final two weeks ago before beating Tsonga 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 in the opening round-robin match.

Federer d Tsonga 6-3, (6) 6-7, 6-3

It was a fitting finale between the two best players of the World Tour finals and, arguably, the fall. It was a thrilling match which dropped the curtain on a stunning season of tennis. Roger Federer became the most successful player in season-end championship history with his third consecutive victory over Tsonga. Federer marked the 100^th final of his career with his 70^th career title and an unprecedented sixth at this event winning in two hours and 18 minutes of awe-inspiring, splendid tennis. A set and a break up, Federer almost had both hands on the trophy only for Tsonga to roar back in breath-taking fashion to take the second set in the breaker, saving championship point in the process. But the 16 time Grand Slam champion showed all his class and experience after dropping the second set, for the third time this week, to retain the title in front of a capacity crowd at the O2 arena. The 30-year old also became the oldest player to lift the trophy and joined Ivan Lendl on an unmatched 39 match wins at this tournament, replacing Andy Murray as the world number three in the process. “I couldn’t be happier, I couldn’t be more exhausted,” Federer said. “Jo sapped every last bit of energy out of me. There couldn’t be a better way for me to finish the season.”

As Steve Tignor of Tennis.com stated: “From Federer’s side of the net, there was two competing narratives at work in the third set of the London final on Sunday. On the positive side, there was the story of his late-season form. For the second straight year, Federer was trying to outlast his rivals and finish the year at his best. On the downside, though, as the third set progressed, Federer still appeared to be haunted by the other, less-happy story of his 2010 and 2011: the curse of the match point. His last two seasons have been largely defined by his inability to close out seemingly certain wins. The most famous instance came in his semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic at the Open, and now it looked like it could happen again. This time, though, the curse was broken, and Federer made his late-season excellence the tale of the day by winning 6-3 in the final set.’

More importantly for the future and for Federer, he remains the king of the long haul. While the likes of Murray, Djokovic and Nadal are knackered after a long, gruelling season, the 30-year old Federer was swiping jaw-dropping forehands and backhands match upon match in the fall and was savouring and enjoying each and every moment, culminating with his record-breaking sixth title in London. He finishes 2011 not as the best player in the world or a multiple grand-slam champion but as the last man standing, the last man smiling, the last man crying, the last man winning. And you get the feeling that he’s nowhere near done yet, not with the Olympics around the corner in 2012, not to mention the fact that he’s now on a 17-match unbeaten streak. You can bet your bottom dollar that Federer will be one of the perennial favourites for the upcoming Australian Open and you’d be foolish to suggest that Federer won’t be hungry to snap his Grand Slam barren run. He’s hungry and he’s ready to pounce on his next victim. Tennis world, beware.

The kiss of death; a title to savour for Federer

Within the next couple of days, I shall review the 2011 tennis season in depth, while casting an eye on what is to follow in 2012. I will also be discussing the needs for a ‘shorter season and the change in tennis rankings.’ I shall also preview the Mubadala tennis championships, which will feature Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Tsonga, Ferrer and Mofils, in Abu Dhabi that will set 2012 off with a bang! So, enjoy the one month break from competitive tennis – we’ve all needed it!

“Infinity is a floorless room, without walls and ceilings.”

This description of the vast expanse that is infinity would leave most of us clueless, if not a little frightened. How does one begin to deal with something that never ends – infinity seems to defy all our logic and attempts to tame it. A few, however, saw in infinity not a vast expanse of frightening proportions, but a world of endless possibilities, free to be explored and delved into. The realms of infinity represented a world where anything and everything could happen, and a few of the greatest minds reveled in this freedom.

One such mind was Georg Cantor (although he was eventually placed in an asylum). He was the inventor of set theory, a mathematical way of expressing collections of objects. His most important work came with the definition and classification of infinite collections of objects. He defined infinity, and proved several results, including the fact that there are an infinite number of infinites.

The easiest way of thinking about infinity is to think of the largest number you can think of, then add one, and repeat the process. What Cantor aimed to do was to define infinity mathematically, and prove some of the counter-intuitive aspects of it. We can explain some of these aspects using the idea of a hotel with an infinite number of rooms – an analogy developed by David Hilbert, the great German mathematician, in his attempt to explain Cantor’s work.

Hilbert asks us to imagine a hotel with an infinite number of rooms, and that each room is occupied. The rooms are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4… and so on. Remember, there is no room labelled infinity, since there will always be another room. He tells us that every single room in the hotel is occupied – not one room is unoccupied. He then asks what happens if another customer comes along asking for a stay at the hotel? Can we accommodate them?

In fact we can. All we do is ask the person in room 1 to move to room 2, and the person in room 2 to move to room 3 and so on. You might ask where the person in room infinity moves to – there is no room infinity! And so, the first room is left unoccupied and we are able to accommodate the extra customer. And yet, at the start, every single room in the hotel was occupied. We can extend this argument to any number of customers that arrive wanting to stay at the hotel. If two customers arrive, we ask the person in room 1 to move to room 3, the person in room 2 to move to room 4, and so on. If n customers arrive, we ask the person in room 1 to move to room n+1, the person in room 2 to move to room n+2, and so on, freeing up n rooms. This defines the operation infinity+n = infinity, which is rather counter-intuitive.

Hilbert then asks what happens if an infinite number of new customers arrive. Is it still possible to accommodate the all? Incredibly, it is. Before you look at how it can be done, think about it for a few minutes. What we do is move the person in room 1 to room 2, the person in room 2 to room 4, the person in room 3 to room 6, and so on (move the person in room n to room 2n). Thus, all the odd numbered rooms are left unoccupied, and since there is an infinite number of odd numbers, we can accommodate the infinite number of new customers – again quite paradoxical. The operation is thus defined as infinity+infinity = infinity. What happens if two buses carrying an infinite number of people each arrive – we can use a similar argument, and accommodate all the new customers. Thus, we can extend the operation to infinity+ n infinities = infinity.

What happens then if an infinite number of buses come carrying an infinite number of people arrive? The mathematics here is a little complex – it is however, still possible to accommodate all the customers! Cantor, using a method known as the diagonalisation argument, shows that this incredible notion is indeed true. He was, however, stumped when asked whether it would be possible to accommodate all the rational numbers, another infinite set. Surely this was possible? Through some clever logic, Cantor established that it was not, and herein lays his greatest and most paradoxical of achievements. He had proven that infinity had size – that some infinites were larger than others. Two sets that were infinite did not necessarily have to be the same size as each other.

As paradoxical as it seems, it is indeed true – the mathematical proof is absolute. It is little wonder that Cantor was fascinated by the world of infinity, with its incredible and surprising quirks. Some might ask what is all the use of this, where can any of this be put to practical use. What is the point of it all? The point is, does it have to have a point?

Raaghav Ramani