HOW ABOUT FEDERER AND NADAL

I slept very little last night, thanks to the weather around the All England Club.

I've watched Ivan Lendl, Steffi Graff, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and other tennis greats played against their worthy opponents but boy did Fedex and Nadal redefined excellence in sports and all it embodies. By the time I set my eyes on the game, Nadal was two sets up, with Federer leading 5-4 in the third. I watched the third just to see how Federer would finally succumb to Nadal who not only maintained his brute force in his game but added accuracy and sheer determination to win where Federer reigned supreme for the past five years.

Although Federer lost, boy is he a great player. Down by two sets, to Nadal no less, he clawed back and saved two championship points in the fourth set on his way co-produced the best tennis match ever played. How I wish I was there.

I'm a casual tennis fan who watches selective matches. Even when Nadal was here, I chose not to watch him against Gasquet but preferred Sampras-Federer because Sampras has the biggest Grand Slam medal collection and Federer might just surpass him soon.

There's a newfound respect and admiration for Nadal after the marathon slugfest where power, determination, control and artistry collided in a game called tennis. They elevated their game to art where everything we mere mortals thought impossible was on show for the whole world to see. Countless jaws dropped countless times, followed by collective gasps and applause of appreciation, not just at the center court but at least in one living room in the wee hours in KL this morning.

Words can't begin to describe how excellent the whole game was. A treat of mastery and sheer beauty where they were not mere players but the finest of craftsmen in whites moving around the court with speed and tenacity in an unwavering believe that he and he alone would rule the night and reign supreme. Federer and Nadal were above above the rest in that game and it's not farfetched to say I fell in love with tennis last night. It was probably a one night stand but it is one to savor and remember for years to come. It's a pinnacle of never-say-die attitude where both were equal until the last two points.

Coming back to earth, how I wish Malaysian athletes have 10% of their tenacity, determination and belief. If our athlete did, Asian Games would be our mere playground, at least in some sports. That's a subject for another day.