Fedex dethroned, Tennis gets its new Emperor

Hey there. I know its been ages since I have posted something worth reading. But I was painfully caught up with some high-end political drama in the Parliament over the trust vote and nuclear deal. Following which, the terrorist joined the party and invited more work for me.

Knowing the sports fanatic I am, team India's performance in Sri Lanka is adding on to some mixed emotions. With the Olympics nearing by the day, I seem to see truck loads of work making its way through. But irrespective of all the these sporting events that are topping my mind, one such thing that has caught my attention is none other than Rafael Nadal successfully dethroning Roger Federer, as he becomes number one in ATP rankings.

Ever since I have been following the game of tennis, the battle I really thrived on was the ones between Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. But in no time another such great rivalry between the Swiss Emperor -- Federer and the Spanish Prince -- Rafael Nadal grabbed all the attention. The invincible Fedex seemed to have jinxed the 'numero uno' rank, as he has been adorned the throne for five years. But for the first time, his greatest competitor invaded his territory, to bag the coveted title of being the best in the world.

The Spaniard closed in, and this great rivalry reminds us of all those great players that have emerged out of sheer competition. I wonder what would have Roger been without Rafa and vice versa. The two of them have brought the best in each other, whether it has been Fedex's fiery forehand or Rafa's muscular return volleys.

Federer would be dreading the fact that that he has not been able to claim the French title yet. But, Rafa would be elated that he beat the master in his own battlefield -- the Wimbledon. The marathon match, which saw Rafa being crowned the new Wimbledon champion, changed the careers of both these players. Ever since that historic win which saw the end of Federer's five year reign, the emperor has seen a steep downfall. He failed to make it through the first round of the Rogers Masters and did not qualify for the fourth in Cincinnati Masters.

This sudden aquaintance with consecutive losses in different tournaments assisted the Spaniard to capitalise on his rank and climb the ladder with unimaginable pace. I have always been a strong supporter of Rafael Nadal and believed that he has the ability to become one of the best players the game has to offer. It just took this lethal talent more time than his liking, to come kiss away the emperor goodbye.

What I wonder is... Is this the start of the Nadal era? After seeing Fedex rule the ranks for 235 consecutive weeks, now that Nadal managed to dethrone the King, will he be able to sustain his rank for as long as Roger did? Only time can tell if Rafa can go past the emperor.