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

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 huge sigh of relief and exultation that reverberated throughout the stadium, and young Nadia couldn’t believe what she heard. She had done the impossible in the most prestigious athletic event in the world. She had scored a perfect ten.
Today, on the 13th of July 2019, another Romanian stunned the world, but this time the sport is tennis, and the stage is Wimbledon. Simona Halep, the 26-year-old, dismantled the indomitable, gritty, and supremely talented Serena Williams in less than one hour( 56 minutes to be precise) at the center court of Wimbledon - universally considered the cathedral of the sport - to take home the first Wimbledon title of her career. It was a nearly perfect display of grass court tennis. Simona could just do nothing wrong on court. From the time, she sent in her first forehand return of serve, to the last point clinching the match with a deep forehand return that didn’t come back, the young Romanian didn’t put a foot wrong or execute a strategy incorrectly. Her movement on court, her racket preparation and body alignment to meet the force of Serena’s serves and stroke play, the depth of her groundstrokes, her ability to find the right angles both sides of the court at will, and of course, her supreme athleticism that helped her get to the ball a fraction earlier than most players would (which has always been Simona’s greatest strength) proved too much for the much experienced and slightly weary Serena. It was very evident that Serena is still feeling her way back to play championship matches. The speed and agility in her movement and the quality of groundstrokes lacked the intensity and consistency that she usually brings to big matches. Her game was belabored, and the probing angles that Simona explored left Serena no chance of ever getting back even. Serena’s break for motherhood a few years ago, and her subsequent return, while commendable and courageous, has still not brought her to the physical and mental levels needed to fight it out at the highest level. The quality of her Serena’s game today would have probably got past many players in the circuit, but not the likes of Simona at the peak of her form and age. The lack of match preparation was glaringly visible. The elusive twenty-fourth career Grand slam title is still within fighting distance; but Serena will have to wait another day, perhaps two months later. The US Open may be the venue. Until then, she has her work cut out. But today was Simona’s day of glory, and nothing can take away the quality of her achievement.
Chris Evert, the great champion of yesteryears, commenting on the game shared an important insight into Simona’s transformation on Grass court. She said, unlike other surfaces, on grass one needs an instinct to make the right shots. The surface offers very minimal time to think. Therefore, a player has to put in an enormous number of hours of practice on these courts, to the point that moving on these courts and the timing on the shots, becomes an unconscious part of the playing self. Without this effort, it is impossible to enjoy the game on grass or win at the highest level. Arthur Koestler, in his brilliant 1969 book “The act of creation” points out how any creative act stems from the highly trained autonomous nervous system, nurtured over years of practice. When the time is ripe, the skills become instinctual which can then perform without the intervention of conscious thought, allowing the brain the space to operate at higher levels of abstractions. Simona’s years of practice has finally welded into an instinct for the game on grass courts, and in today's match, it reached its crescendo. In her post-match interview, Simona confessed that this was her best two sets in her career. Not many who watched her will disagree.
One of the greatest things about Wimbledon is its tradition, which is scrupulously followed, and never bent for any player or reason. The code white, the Duke handing out the trophy to the ladies, the customary chat with ball boys and girls, the walk of the champion to the royal box where the hallowed dignitaries of the English nation along with some of the all-time greats of the game sit, the cherries, the green emblem with crossed tennis rackets, the wonderful crowd who define the meaning of the phrase “pin drop silence”, the clinical efficiency of mowing the grass at three inches and not a fraction more, the clockwork precision of every match - and above all, the sheer history of the champions who have embellished the stage with their style and excellence bears down on each game, and on each player taking stage on center court. Simona’s mother lovingly admonished her when she was ten years old, that if Simona wished to continue playing tennis, she should one day play at the Wimbledon center court to the Royal box. Little would she have realized that one day her daughter would not merely play, but lift the title emphatically and in great style?
The Men are waiting for the day to dawn. Federer and Djokovic take the stage tomorrow.
God bless…
yours in mortality,
Bala


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