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Showing posts from July, 2019

Jottings - Slice of life - 312 ( The master bows to a fit successor - Novak wears the Wimbledon crown)

Jottings - Slice of life - 312 ( The master bows to a fit successor - Novak wears the Wimbledon crown) Tennis is a lonely game at the highest echelons of the sport. All the intense match preparation, prodigious talent, enormous fan following, must be left behind in the locker rooms, or laid at the altar of the game, to stand alone - existentially alone - without any props whatsoever, to face the opponent on the other side and play the game as it unfolds every match. Precedents don’t matter, previous records are mere numbers on paper, what matters is this day, this match, this game, and well — this upcoming point in question. No matter how big a champion one is, or how much of history one brings to the court, the game has its own inimitable way of leveling the playing field. The game of tennis is not merely mastering a set of physical skills or techniques to perfection; but more of a psychological battle; preparation of the mind and the ability to get into the opponents’ mind as wel

Jottings - Slice of life - 311 ( A Romanian princess is crowned at Wimbledon)

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Jottings - Slice of life - 311 ( A Romanian princess is crowned at Wimbledon) On 18th July 1976, in the Montreal Olympics, a young Romanian, Nadia Comaneci, aged fourteen had just finished her routine on the uneven bars for twenty-three seconds, only to find the scoreboard reflecting seven 1.0’s, the lowest score possible in gymnastics. There was confusion, some amount of pandemonium in the stadium, and the referees looked at each other in disbelief. The young girl was flawless in her execution of the difficult routine, and the score on the Omega powered screen didn’t seem to make sense. A few minutes later, one of the judges stood up, amidst the impatient humming and dissonance in the crowd, and announced that Nadia had achieved a perfect 10, a score considered impossible in the sport of gymnastics and that the scoreboard was equipped to display a maximum of 9 and not more than that. So when a score of ten was posted by the judges, the screen could only display “1.0”. There was a

Jottings - Slice of life - 309 ( Roger Federer - the fusion of an artist and a mystic)

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Jottings - Slice of life - 309 ( Roger Federer - the fusion of an artist and a mystic) If tennis is likened to Painting, then Roger Federer is its Rembrandt revered for his mastery of depth, light, and color on the canvas; If tennis is Music, then Federer is its Mozart who could draw out infinite mesmerizing melodies on a single theme ; if Tennis is dance, the Federer is its Nijinsky whose irresistible energy, timing and dedication blurred the boundaries between the dance and the dancer; if tennis is fiction, then he is the incarnation of Dickens who was emblematic of immaculate structure and grace in every sentence; and If Tennis is religion, Federer is the very soul of the game epitomizing all that is best in the sport. It is hardly imaginable what Tennis would be after Federer. Would the game produce one more champion in the same mold as he? Chances are bleak. However, the question, as of now, is merely hypothetical because the master is still in full flow, and in absolute com

Jottings - Slice of life - 306 ( Cori Gauff - impressions)

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Jottings - Slice of life - 306 ( Cori Gauff - impressions) The greatest pleasure of watching tennis (or any game for that matter) over long periods of time is to be able to spot that precise point in a game when a blistering serve, a soft nudge, a forehand that comes of the middle of the racket with a resounding twang, or that look of unbridled confidence in the eyes of an emerging champion when a cross-court winner whistles past the opponent like a bullet, or that singular point in a game when the body, mind, and soul come together to achieve a synergy of form and strategy. On first of July 2019, at the center court of Wimbledon, such a moment arrived for the young fifteen-year-old American "Coco" Gauff( her father nicknamed her Coco) against the veteran champion Venus Williams. It came in the fourth game of the first set, when on serve, Coco effortless orchestrated a crosscourt forehand win, leaving Venus stranded. For most observers, it wouldn’t have been a big deal, b

Jottings - Slice of life - 305 ( living out of Hotels - musings, advice, and reality)

Jottings - Slice of life - 305 ( living out of Hotels - musings, advice, and reality) When I checked out of the hotel I was staying in New Jersey this week, I was unaware that I had crossed the one million points landmark. A lady called me from customer service yesterday, and in sugary voice appreciated my unremitting loyalty to the brand, and how the Hotel was privileged to have me as their staunch customer and patron. She further extracted a guarantee ( it unconsciously slipped out of my mouth) that I would continue filling their coffers as long as I travel, and that an entire battalion of support staff was instantly available should I have any concerns. I felt pleasantly happy that the Hotel called, but quickly I was alarmed at the implications of this number. I am not very proficient at quick math. However, on an average depending on the brand of the Hotel property ( this chain has many brands ranging from budget to luxury), a night’s stay will fetch around 1000 points, which m