RAFAEL NADAL
FROM SAMPATH’S DESK:
(Scaled
a new peak in the Australian Open 2022)
It was just the sword of magic and
miracle that Rafael Nadal wielded that saw him bounce back from
the rock bottom in the Australian Open 2022 at Melbourne, Australia.
Yes, the Spanish Lawn Tennis ace and
iconic player Rafael Nadal Parera did what he wanted by
scripting history winning 21 Majors with his Australian Open 2022 triumph at Melbourne
on 30.1.2022 (Sunday) by dislodging his Russian opponent Daniil Medvedev in a
fight-to-the-finish 5-game thriller 2-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.
If it was anybody else, his morale would
have hit the rock bottom after going down in the first two sets (2-6, 6-7) to
hopelessly give it up, but since it was Nadal - a volcano of zeal,
Tsunami of killer-spirit, reservoir of fortitude and resilience, a come-back
storm, storehouse of skills, thriller talents, with a never-say-die attitude, a
never-give-up approach, etc - he bounced back to re-emerge like the Greek
mythological Phoenix from the ashes.
For an ordinary Joe, it would have been
an already given up match at the end of the second set itself (both going against
him), but with Nadal it was a different riposte - overtaking and
overwhelming his opponent.
He had proved his explosiveness and
mettle during his dazzling performance at the finals which was like that of a
crouching tiger waiting to pounce on the victim (his opponent).
Fit and fresh, Nadal entered
the event with no designs on a little run. He just wanted to enjoy the game
after recovering from injuries. But his drive to fight and succeed has given
him the opportunity, and at last, he succeeded in it too. Congrats to him.
Even earlier also, one could
see Nadal scripting a chapter of his history in golden letters by
notching up his 1000th career triumph over his compatriot
Feliciano Lopez at Paris Masters on 4.11.2020 in a fight to the finish 4-6,
7-6, (7-5), 6-4. He was then the fourth male player in Tennis history to cross
the 1000-win-milestone after Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, and Roger Federer. It
certainly was a big achievement for a player at the age of 34 to register that spectacular
and epoch-making victory. Nadal had already equalled the rankings
record with Jimmy Connors by completing 789 consecutive weeks as a top-10
player.
Sheryl Swoopes once said, “No matter how
far life pushes you down, no matter how much you are hurt, you can
always bounce back.” That is what exactly Nadal has done
overcoming and warding off his trying times for the past couple of years.
He seems to have asserted “My setbacks
may have amused you, but my comebacks are going to confuse you.”
Any true champion
can bounce back. That’s what a champion is all about - being able to overcome challenges and trying times and bounce back gallantly and flamboyantly.
Challenges are what make one's life interesting. Conquering them is what makes it meaningful. Nadal very well knew
what it meant to bounce back and made it too astoundingly. Yes, he did it at Melbourne in
his indomitable style on that memorable Sunday (31.1.2022) splendidly.
R.SAMPATH
1/2/2022
Right assertion his comebacks are going to confuse all. A good one on the super star player.
ReplyDeleteYour post on Rafael Nadal is so well written and I am not sure if I can compliment you enough. Though we have been reading so much about this Super Star yet I enjoyed your style of singing his accolades.
ReplyDeleteThanks
Kamala Subramanian
27.2.23