A SMALL STEP FOR HINGIS, A GIANT LEAP FOR SANIA MIRZA

First Indian to win a ladies Grand slam doubles title. 

There is an air of history and nostalgia when you talk about Wimbledon. More than any other sporting place, this venue values tradition; remembers its past champions and one way or the other welcomes them back into its serene surroundings. Martina Hingis is a name for the tennis historians and irrespective of her retirement at a young age, she was welcomed back to a place where she started winning Grand slam titles. For Hingis, these seventeen years has been a lifetime's wait.

Life has come a full circle for Hingis after the victory in women's doubles. From being the youngest grand slam winner (Wimbledon doubles 1996),  in which she flourished under the guidance of the more experienced Helena Sukova; this time around she was the one who called the shots, guided Sania Mirza and together they played their best tennis in recent times.

Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis have been undoubtedly the best lady players to represent their respective countries, India and Switzerland. They reached the peak very early in their lives, then hit a plateau............ - and now together they are on an adventure to climb yet another peak. There is a lot that's in common between these two; though they have different playing styles. They complete each other's weakness on the court and in tandem, they have been refreshing on the doubles circuit.

In Martina Hingis, Sania Mirza has finally found a doubles partner with whom she can complement her partner's finesse and thought process. When they got together to play doubles, I felt there was something right about this combination and I am more so convinced now after looking at the way they fought back in those final two sets. They are enjoying their tennis.  

A pair destined for many more victories 

INDIA'S LONG WAIT FOR FAME

Twelve years ago, Sania, a child prodigy won the girls doubles event at Wimbledon. Since the time she turned professional, she has been living a life burdened with expectations. India is a country where people have a lot of hopes, where expectations come from all corners of the land and we all saw a dream, the dream of Sania lifting a Grand slam title.

Playing singles proved to be a tough battle ground; her power play and return was good to finish off few opponents - but her lack of pace to move around the court and her inability to pick the right spots to place the ball did not help her cause when she faced the top ranked players.

In spite of these weaknesses, she did progress consistently beyond first round and her best singles display at a major slam came a decade ago in New York. A fourth round appearance at the US Open facing Maria Sharapova. At that point, she had achieved enough (including a WTA singles title) to rest on her laurels as no other Indian female tennis player had come this far.

In fact, in the open era, there has never been a lady from Indian tennis who has won this consistently in singles - barring Nirupama Sanjeev (previously Vaidyanathan) who was the first Indian woman to win a round in a grand slam event (1998 Australian Open) and Shikha Uberoi who emulated that feat later at the 2004 US Open. The days of celebrating 'round' wins were long gone ever since Sania Mirza turned professional. Within a short span of time, she took the nation's expectations to another level - a place never seen before among Indian women tennis.

SINGLES TO DOUBLES

Being among the top 30 ranked women happens to be the highlight of Sania's singles career (with highest ranking of  27). However, her success was not just limited to singles; steadily she took part in many of the doubles tournament with some success. After 2007, her play was more consistent on the doubles circuit than on the singles. An athlete is never far away from getting injured and Sania's tryst with injuries started to dictate her choices and since 2008 she withdrew from many tournaments owing to discomfort in her back and right wrist.

Playing singles became more challenging, exasperating and after a string of poor performances, focussing solely on the doubles game seemed practical. Having a partner in a game was less stressful physically and with only half-a-court to cover, it suited her style of play. Since 2011, her success rate in many of the WTA competitions was on the upward trend. In these four years, she took part in 29 finals and won 18 of them - all of this contributed in her being ranked number one doubles player earlier this year.

INDIANS PLAY DOUBLES BETTER

Why do Indians play better doubles game than singles? Looking at the history of Indian tennis, there has been a strong 'tennis doubles' culture barring few sporadic, spirited individual displays. In the last sixty years, there has been junior players winning the Grand Slam title, but no one went a step further and win the seniors. The best singles performance in the recent past happens to be the bronze medal win of Paes at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Bronze Medal in singles at 1996 Atlanta Olympics 

The first Grand slam title of any kind for India came in 1997 and it was Mahesh Bhupathi-Rika Hiraki pair who won the mixed doubles at the French Open. Since then, there has been a series of Grand Slam titles in doubles category - men's and mixed. Now, with the recent Wimbledon victory, Sania Mirza completed this 'doubles set' by winning the ladies doubles.

Mahesh Bhupathi started the trend of winning Grand Slam titles for India in doubles - French Open 1997 

THE TRENDSETTER

In a country which is obsessed with end results, Sania Mirza has had to endure a lot of unwanted attention at times to get to a position she is right now. Forget the facilities, forget the funding and forget the support for a moment, what Sania has achieved speaks volumes about her innate qualities; her determination; her grit; motivation and the will of a world-class athlete. To these, add family support, facilities, funding and opportunities; results will definitely follow. This is how winning is done.

First Indian woman to achieve number one ranking in doubles 

What does this victory mean to Sania Mirza and to Indian tennis? Firstly, she is the top-ranked doubles player in the world and if you ain't winning, then you can forget being at the top. Sania, quite rightly expects to win every tournament she takes part in and sadly it isn't the same for other ladies in Indian tennis. While there are talented girls who sweat it out each day, it would help a great deal if they asked a question each day -  why am I sweating it out? In this era of intense connectivity, one can always find a way to secure sponsors, train at better facilities - but why? If that 'why' and 'what' is clear, then 'how' will become clear. Sania Mirza's ascent to the top in spite of the adversities she faced with injuries and personal scrutiny is an example, a template for an Indian female athlete who wishes to achieve big and not just stop at dreaming.

In 1998, the top seeded pair of Martina Hingis and Jana Novotna won the ladies doubles title and seventeen years later, the top seeded pair of Hingis and Mirza won the honours on the same court. In between, Martina Hingis has had a roller coaster ride when it comes to her tennis career and personal life. While it can be said, it is just another step forward in what has been an illustrious career for the Swiss Miss, this Wimbledon victory with Sania Mirza (first for an Indian woman in ladies doubles) is a giant leap for Indian tennis. 

YOUNGEST GRAND SLAM WINNER - MARTINA HINGIS

Youngest Grand Slam Winner in the history of tennis, Martina Hingis at 15 years 282 days

Growing up, just like many, I spent most of my time after school hours playing with my friends. Be it cricket, hand tennis, badminton or just about any game - everyday this ordeal was followed without fail. I thank my parents for not getting me the video games or any of the gadgets! 

Coming back from play, I used to switch on the television and straight away select the sports channel and watch many of the sporting contests that were being streamed live or recorded on the two sports channels available on cable network. Life was simple and one didn't need any aid of remote controls to switch channels as I did my homework during the commercial breaks. I just had to ensure my sister was was not around and I was relieved when she was still out playing or talking to her friends. 

This routine was easy in the months of June and July as there were no unit tests, assignments or the pressure to study. Wimbledon was a tournament that coincided with the beginning of a new term at school. While we were adapting to new subjects, teachers, uniforms and lot of other things, Wimbledon remained a very popular topic. 

Life got even better in the year 1996, when a certain teenager won the hearts of many like me - it was the beginning of an era, the era which saw Martina Hingis take giant strides towards stardom. As I watched that year's Wimbledon coverage, she was on the verge of becoming the youngest grand slam winner at the Wimbledon.

CZECH REPUBLIC AND SLOVAKIA COMING TOGETHER

In the singles, the progress of Hingis was smooth until the fourth round, where she had to face Steffi Graf, which the German had no difficulty and won comfortably in two sets. 

In tandem with Helena Suková (Czech Republic), Hingis (born in Slovakia) found an able partner - this mixture of raw talent and experience proved to be a lethal combo. The first three rounds went by with ease and the first fierce challenge of their campaign came in the quarter-finals when the eighth seeded duo faced Jana Novotná and Arantxa Sánchez Vicario - the top seeds. 

Novotná and Sánchez true to their billing started off very well, won the first set 6-3 and seemed like they had the match under control. Things began to get close in the second set as the determined Hingis and Suková matched their opponents evenly - the set was to be decided by a tie-breaker. Unlike other games in a set, the tie-breakers require optimum concentration. A slight opening gave Hingis and Suková to make a comeback in the match. They won the second set.

Two crucial breaks in favour of Hingis and Suková and they had beaten the top pair of the tournament. Winning against a top team provided them the much needed impetus as they won both semi-finals and finals in closely fought three sets. 

History was re-created as Martina Hingis claimed her maiden Grand Slam title - the youngest to hold a Grand slam trophy across the eras. She was just 15 years and 282 days - and narrowly nudged the previous record holder, Lottie Dod (singles title at Wimbledon in 1887) by just three days. 

ALMOST A PERFECT GRAND SLAM YEAR - MARTINA HINGIS IN 1997

1997 French Open was the first Grand Slam tournament Hingis took part ranked as number-one women's tennis player. She was the youngest and only the seventh tennis player to achieve numero uno, since the computer system was introduced in the 1970's.

She was on a winning streak of 31 matches and had not lost a single match in 1997. And then, freak! She got injured: cruciate rupture of the left knee and was advised a break in excess of a month. This happened in the third week of April and with five weeks to go for the French Open, she found herself unable to straighten her left leg. She underwent arthroscopy, and during this frustrating time, her fighting mode comforted her and as soon she felt good, her first words to herself were: "I am Martina Hingis, and I will be back".

HER PASSION FOR HORSES

Martina Hingis took to horse riding at age eleven. With time, it became her greatest passion, more than tennis at times. Riding was convenient, as there were horse stables close to her former residence at Trübbach. Though riding on horses isn't exactly safe for a tennis player, Hingis was quick to saddle up on those horses, found at ease and off-she went!

Her mother cum coach Melanie always encouraged horse riding as she felt it would be a welcome change for Hingis from the rigours of training and playing tennis. This was Hingis's unique way to relax and round off a training session. Accidents were not new while she was on the horse, but it never was serious. In fact, during the 1997 Australian Open, which she won, in the second week of the tournament, she had a fall from a horse and that never came in the way of winning her maiden Grand Slam singles title.

But few weeks later, it was a different story. While she was riding high and winning every match she took part in, the horse fall came at the most unexpected time. "It was not my own horse and we went for a few jumps towards the end. I was tired and for the first time I felt something like fear". Fear does creep in when you are no longer the 'underdog'. Martina was number one favourite and people expected this sixteen-year old to perform 'miracles' each time she went out on the court. The clay court season was about to begin - Hamburg, Berlin and Rome leading up to the premier clay event at Roland Garros. She was number one now and she must not get injured, those thoughts came to her mind while she was on the horse one day and next moment, she experienced the ill-fate Humpty-Dumpty did in the nursery rhyme (had a great fall).

1997 FRENCH OPEN

35 days was all it took for Hingis to be back on the tennis court. Without any practice, she enters the clay courts of Roland Garros and wins her first match. In her second game after the comeback, she was under pressure. The Italian Gloria Pizzichini, after taking the first set was five points away from winning the match. The bounce-back ability of Hingis kicked in, she broke Gloria's game, took the second set and then breezed her way through to the next round, which was a walk in the park against her future doubles partner Anna Kournikova.

"I knew that if I made it to the second round I would become dangerous". Barbara Paulus, the sixteenth seeded Austrian showed some fight - but was not able to sustain the pressure to cause an upset.

THE LAST WEEK

This is the business end of any Grand Slam. The last three matches and much tougher opponents. How will Hingis and her body hold up? Was age on her side, which normally helps to heal and recover much quickly? Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, winner of two French Open titles leading up to this match (in total she was won three, the last of which was in 1998) found no rhythm and not once was she in the game. 6-2, 6-2 in favour of Hingis and next up was the third seeded Monica Seles at the semi-finals.

The three-time winner at the Roland Garros was good, but nowhere as frightening as she was before the stabbing incident in 1993. The match went close, really close into the third set. Both players moved around the court in search of that pivotal 'break' in the opponent's serve - it was Hingis, who managed to hold on and win 6-4 in the third set. Her wins for 1997 had now stretched to '37' and looked set to win her second consecutive Grand Slam title.

   

YOU JUST KILLED ME TODAY

Iva Majoli, the nineteen-year old Croatian was in her first Grand Slam final. Though she had come through a string of wins against good opponents, the pundits gave her no 'chance' against the world number one. Bulk of the crowd, the experts, hoped she would give a good fight to the child-prodigy Hingis, who was the clear favourite. Few minutes into the game, it was anti-climax. Majoli, the ninth seed was in total control and the 'underdog' tag helped her to play more freely. Hingis was unable to contend Majoli as the Croatian took the first set 6-4. In second set, the top game of Majoli continued and forced Hingis to make errors one-after the other, and soon she delivered the upset by taking the set 6-3  to become the first Croatian to win a Grand Slam.

"I don't know why, but something wasn't going the right way, the way I wanted it on the court. If something didn't work before, I always had another weapon to get out of the pressure, but today, I didn't have anything, and she was just better".

Holding the runner-up platter, Hingis was shocked about her own inability to have answers to this onslaught by Majoli. "I won 37 matches this year and you're the only one who beat me". With no past champions in the finals since a decade, the crowd saw a newly crowned women's champion and against the odds, Majoli was the one who prevailed in the finals of two teenagers.

"I was feeling like an underdog, but that helped. I knew she was confident, but I knew she's not unbeatable. My plan was just to attack her serve, put more pressure on her forehand, just be aggressive. Luckily, today everything worked", the joyous Majoli after she became the lowest-seeded woman to win a Grand Slam in the Open era.

The French Open finals was one such occasion which tested Hingis, the mental aspect of a high pressure match coupled with her physical ailment - a raw occasion of how Hingis would react when things didn't seem to go her way. Mind you, Hingis was the number one player and with it came different expectations. Did these expectations weighed heavily under crunch situations, just like she found herself against Iva Majoli? Hingis took a strategic bathroom break, the break did no good. On the last game of the match, Hingis took an injury timeout and treated herself to a massage and did few extension exercises to her left leg (the one she had surgery five weeks ago), but to no avail.

"Maybe I didn't play my best tennis in this tournament, and my serve will always be a little problem, especially if I'm getting tired. In a Grand Slam, you just don't feel every day in your best shape" - conceded Hingis after her first loss of the year.

ALMOST A PERFECT YEAR

Post Roland Garros, all eyes were on Hingis to see if she could live up to the initial promise and hype. In a month's time, she claimed the most sought after trophy in tennis, the 'Wimbledon' defeating Jana Novotna and few months later, she faced Venus Williams at the Flushing Meadows and won it comfortably 6-0 6-4 to cap off a almost perfect Grand Slam year.

The year 1997, more than any other time in her career, she displayed her repertoire, be it the variations in height and length, the chess-like plays, those use of drops and lobs. With each victory, her fame grew and the Swiss teenager became the talk of the tennis town. Praises and superlatives were common and why not; Hingis was in a zone of almost perfection, a state which most tennis players aspire to reach and only few have attained that state of 'nirvana'.

Hailing from a country which is obsessed with patterns, formula etc, Hingis and her tennis always had a surprise element or two. Her opponents, and even spectators had a tough time adjusting to her unpredictable play. Defeats came rare as though it didn't exist in her playbook for most parts of the year. Hingis of 1997 was simply a level better than her opponents. With 75 wins in 80 games, twelve victories in 13 finals, she played one of the best seasons in the history of tennis.

In 1997, very few could refute the fact that, she played as though she was one of the most complete tennis players of all time.

MARTINA HINGIS AND THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN: MEMORIES FROM THE HAPPY SLAM

There were not many who could stop Martina Hingis at the Australian Open from 1997-2002

Twenty years ago in 1995, a circumspect teenager entered the courts of the Australian Open with lots of confidence and a talent in plenty. It was the debut year at the Grand Slams for Martina Hingis and little was expected from a player who had turned fourteen barely few months ago.  She lost at the first hurdle in doubles and went one step further in singles. In the next seven years, Hingis would enter the quarter-finals each time - and from 1997 till 2002  she never missed a finals appearance in both singles and doubles.

She once said on Australian Open - "Even though I hated the preparation in December, I was always ready afterwards. The Australian Open was a real welcome tournament; everyone is happy to see everyone. This series of six consecutive finals is one of my greatest achievements. The surface helped me; you could win with any kind of game. I also loved playing in front of that audience".

EARLY DAYS

Hingis's first set in her maiden appearance in Australian Open was a statement in itself. She won 6-0 against the Austrian and five years her senior, Barbara Schett. That confidence and momentum was sufficient to win the next set and with it the match. She made the headlines and was termed as 'a future champion' by many experts as long as she would turn up consistently on globetrotting tournaments. Her fairytale start was cut short by the Japanese Kyoko Nagatsuka in straight sets in the next round. However, Martina Hingis had arrived on the big circuit and her first round win ensured she would be the youngest player to win a Grand slam match.

A year later, she was more experienced by playing on the mean courts with more seasoned professionals. She won four consecutive matches which took her to the quarter-finals without dropping a set and there she lost to the South African Amanda Coetzer, nine years her senior.

THREE WONDER YEARS

Ranked fourth coming into the Australian Open 1997, Martina had already tasted many successes on the WTA circuit and had a Grand Slam title to her name (Wimbledon doubles in 1996). The 16-year old sensation from Switzerland steadily made her way to the second week with a dominant display of smart play and placement of strokes.

Like the previous year, she did not drop a set and overcame the final three hurdles to claim her first singles Grand Slam title. I had a laminated poster of hers posing on a Melbourne tram with the Daphne Akhurst trophy. At 16 years and 3 months, she was the youngest Grand Slam winner in the Open era. (Lottie Dod won the Wimbledon as a 15-year old - however it was way back in 19th century before the Open era). She paired with Natasha Zvereva to win the doubles title as well.

With two more titles at Wimbledon and US Open - and a narrow miss at the French Open (lost to Iva Majoli in the finals), she was undoubtedly the favourite to defend her title. And defend she did, in a dominant fashion winning her second consecutive Australian Open defeating Conchita Martinez in straight sets. It was a twin delight as the duo of Hingis and Mirjana Lučić won the doubles second year running.

Having been displaced to number two by Lindsay Davenport, Martina Hingis was faced with a sizeable opponent who had outplayed her in many of their contests in 1998. The odds of Hingis-Davenport was the talk of the town in 1999 and it looked good going into the last two rounds of the tournament. While Hingis breezed through Monica Seles in the semi-finals, Davenport was stunned by the French sensation Amélie Mauresmo. Mauresmo was the dark horse of the finals - but Hingis had a better day on the court and won her 3rd consecutive Australian Open in straight sets. She teamed with Anna Kournikova for the first time in a Grand Slam and the 'spice girls' of tennis had their hands on the winner's trophy at the end of it all.

Martina Hingis with her winning doubles partners at the Australian Open 

SO CLOSE AND YET SO FAR!

Things started to go downhill after the victorious start in 1999. It was evident Hingis lacked power in her repertoire and was found wanting when she played the likes of Davenport and the William sisters. French Open 1999 was a disaster when she lost the plot completely after having Steffi Graf's number for two-thirds of the match. She wept in presence of her mother and wished she had not exhausted mentally over a controversial line call during the match. She had not moved on from that disastrous evening at Roland Garros. The scars of French Open was evident as she exited in the first round at the Wimbledon two weeks later; and the loss at the hands of Serena Williams at the US Open made her vulnerable to the game of power tennis. Move over chess-tennis.

BEATEN AT THE LAST HURDLE THRICE

At the start of 2000, Hingis returned to what she calls 'happy slam' and it certainly was a paradise. A defending champion for the past 3 years, she breezed into her fourth consecutive Australian Open finals. The two top ranked players faced each other and Davenport prevailed to dethrone Hingis in straight sets. This was a jolt to Hingis. She once said "If an opponent could blow me off the court, things got dangerous for me" and precisely this was the case whenever she played against Davenport and the William sisters. Very soon, another American would join the list. Hingis lost the doubles finals and for the first time in four years, she left without a title from Australia.

Next year, a resolved Hingis approached her play better. If there was one surface she felt at home, it was the hard courts of the Melbourne Park. En-route to her fifth consecutive finals, she won a marathon battle against Serena Williams and followed by a walk in the park victory over her elder sister, Venus. The finale was Swiss vs. America and this time against the revived Jennifer Capriati. Capriati in search of her first title made a great come back to tennis after having lost her way in the wilderness in the late 90's. She had it easy against Hingis in the finals. 6-4, 6-3 in favour of the American who had to wait a good 11 years for her first Grand Slam title. The year 2001 was the time when Hingis called off her coaching relationship with her mother for a brief time, lost her number one ranking to Capriati and a surgery to her right ankle. She would have another first round exit at the Wimbledon the same year.

After having recovered from the injury, Australian Open 2002 was the right place Hingis hoped to revive her career. She made her sixth consecutive Australian Open finals and it was a re-match from the previous year. Hingis started off well and took the first set and at one stage led 5-1 in the second set. Capriati saved three championship points and forced a tie-breaker. Capriati would save one more championship point before taking the second set. How would Hingis come back from this?

Hingis breaks Capriati's serve and goes 2-1 up in the third set. And that was that for Hingis as Capriati took control of the game there onwards winning five games in a row to win the championship. I remember watching the game with disbelief. Well, that's tennis!

Her sixth consecutive doubles finals at the Australian Open ended on a happy note as she took her fourth Australian Open doubles title. However, this victory was shadowed by the missed chances in the singles finals. Would have we lost Hingis at the age of 22 if she had won that title?  If she had won, would it have kept her in good spirits when she soon underwent a surgery to her left ankle? Tennis was no longer fun for Hingis as she was constantly in pain physically - and mentally with those 'missed opportunities'. The two aspects of her life were out of sync and Hingis, the girl that she was (22) did not want to give up the 'fun' aspect. She chose horse riding, her passion and decided to complete her studies when she announced her first retirement in 2003.

RETURN AS A SHADOW

Martina Hingis winning the mixed doubles title in 2006 with Mahesh Bhupathi 

She was not the same when the audience saw her return to her favourite hunting ground, Melbourne. It was in 2006 and Hingis was just 25! Although she was beaten at the quarterfinals in singles, she did go on to claim her maiden mixed doubles title partnering with Mahesh Bhupathi. For Hingis, it was good to be back, winning just like she did so many times in the past in Australia. In 2007, she lost to Kim Clijsters once again in the round of eight. She retired once again that year and this time she was under the investigation for testing positive for a metabolite substance of cocaine. ITF suspended her for two years later that year.

AND NOW SHE IS BACK AGAIN

As it stands, Martina Hingis in 2015 is focusing on doubles and mixed doubles. After winning the Brisbane Open partnering Sabine Lisicki. A third-round exit in doubles (with Flavia Pennetta) and still in the race with Leander Paes (in semi-finals) for the mixed doubles title. 

NOW AND THEN

How I wish to see her win this trophy one last time!

And memories they are, my time as a teenager when I used to wake up to watch those matches of Hingis at the Australian Open. Call me a victim of the past, I just cannot stop the fact of recollecting Hingis and her many a victories at the Australian Open. For six years from 1997 to 2002 - I watched women's tennis for Hingis and Hingis alone - and if I look at it now, I feel I have lost the 'attachment' which binds a fan crazily, living the emotions of the stars, constantly enthralled by  their play and presence on the court. What happens when it all ends, all of a sudden without any notice? you drag yourself forward and that's all we fans can do. It happened to me when Hingis retired in 2003 and I moved on slowly recollecting those wonder years once in a while. 

TEEN SENSATION MARTINA HINGIS AND HOW I BECAME A FAN OF HERS

Growing up I saw many of my cousins rooting for their famous tennis star. Here, I am talking strictly about ladies tennis. One cousin remarked at the play of Gabriela Sabatini, the other for Steffi Graf, Monica Seles and some even for Martina Navratilova. What do I remember from those days? I spent a lot of time with my cousin who disliked Steffi Graf - because she used to win a lot!

The frustrating season happened to be the season of 1993. I supported my cousin and started to root for any player but Graf. Back then, I did not have any favourites and among the players that were on the circuit - Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Mary Joe Fernandez, Conchita Martinez, Jennifer Capriati, Jana Novotna, Mary Pierce, Anke Huber, Amanda Coetzer and Helena Sukova. And none became my favourite.

I remember the 1993 season opener which saw Monica Seles defeating Steffi Graf to take the Australian Open. There was a division between our cousins, a healthy one and I did not know what was happening.

The much anticipated rivalry in women's tennis - Graf vs. Seles  

MONICA SELES STABBED

If there was any reason one of cousins started to hate Steffi Graf, it was the incident of Monica Seles getting stabbed with a 9-inch long knife. It was Hamburg on April 30 during a quarter-final match between Magdalena Maleeva; Seles ranked #1 was leading 6-4, 4-3 and looked good for a victory. Günter Parche, an obsessed Graf fan ran to Seles in between the serve breaks and stabbed between her shoulder blades. She was rushed to the hospital and Seles was out of tennis circuit for a good two years. Was it politically motivated (after the Yugoslavian split), was it intentional by Steffi Graf fans? Not sure. All it was later reported - that Günter was mentally unstable and was not jailed because he was found to be 'psychologically abnormal' and he was sent for psychological treatment. Just when I had found interest in supporting a tennis player, she was out of the circuit. She made a comeback two years later - but it was never the same again.

Monica Seles stabbed by Günter Parche (right)

ANYONE BUT GRAF

The story of Monica Seles influenced me not to support Steffi Graf, moving forward. It seems silly - it was a strong feeling back then with my cousin and I looked up to him for more tennis insights. Steffi Graf won the French Open against Mary Joe Fernandez after having lost the first set. The German ace won the Wimbledon against Jana Novotna in spite of losing the second set 1-6 and a hard fought tie-breaker in the first set. With little opposition on the circuit, Steffi Graf finished the year winning the US Open against Helena Sukova in straight sets.

Jana Novotna being consoled after losing to Graf at Wimbledon 1993 

It was disheartening for Monica Seles fans to watch Steffi Graf win these titles back-to-back against easy opponents. While my cousin expressed his disappointments once in a while, I was still in search of my favourite lady tennis player. Luckily, my other favourite was Pete Sampras and he started to perform consistently and stayed away from major injuries!  

A GOOD YEAR

After winning three years in a row, the champion Monica Seles was not to take part at the 1994 Australian Open. Any guesses, who won the title? It was Graf again - she had it easy over Sanchez Vicario winning in straight sets. Then came the joy period for my cousin and I. Steffi Graf losing to Mary Pierce at the French Open semi-finals and biggest smile arrived on our face when Lori McNeil managed to knock out Graf in the first round of the Wimbledon. At the 1994 US Open, it was the time for Sanchez Vicario to pull one victory over Graf. For anyone other than Graf fans, 1994 was a pretty good year!

FIRST GLIMPSE

Steffi Graf did not take part in the 1995 Australian Open and we were happy to hear - that she would not be winning the title! The title was won by Mary Pierce. A 14-year old happened to make her Grand Slam debut and she wins her first round match against Jolene Watanabe - thereby becoming the youngest player to win a Grand slam match. She could not make it beyond the second round. Honestly, I did not notice this player then!

Teen prodigy Martina Hingis 

Steffi Graf was back in action and won the French Open against Sanchez Vicario two sets to one. It was a re-match between these two champs in Wimbledon and Steffi Graf proved a bit too strong for Sanchez Vicario.

1995 US Open and the tournament saw the emergence of rivalry which had ended two years ago prematurely. Monica Seles now appeared like a shadow of her previous self reached the finals and had a point to prove against Steffi Graf. Seles was now a US citizen and the crowd favourite. Graf won the first set and Seles fought back winning the second set 6-0. In anticipation of a miraculous comeback, it was clear who the crowd wanted to win that night. Alas! Graf proved to be a spoilsport, ends up winning the third set and the match, the title and what not!

After watching three seasons of tennis, I was still in search of my favourite player in the ladies circuit - one who would complement Pete Sampras. Having just entered double-digits in age, having favourite players was a top priority.

Steffi Graf did not take part at the 1996 Australian Open. After a gap of three years, Monica Seles took the title - her ninth and also turned out to be her final grand slam singles victory. Graf stamps her authority in the next three Grand Slams - winning all the three. The finals of the US Open 1996 was also the last time the world saw this short-lived rivalry of Seles and Graf. Seles was a better player than most other players on the circuit - but her best days were behind her.

Only if Seles was not stabbed - how well this rivalry would have shaped up? 

SHE'S THE ONE

The year 1995 saw the emergence of Martina Hingis - the teenage sensation from Switzerland. She took the tennis world by surprise; with victories against experienced opponents, she progressed till the fourth end at the US Open. Not bad for a 14-year old.

Martina Hingis - taking strides forwards

Next year was only a step forward for this child prodigy. I was eleven years old and she was fourteen and it did not take too long for me to be a big fan... wait, biggest fan of hers. Coming from India in the 1990's with no internet and with cable television just warming up - it was a big deal to follow a player religiously - especially for a non-cricket sport.

Her performances in 1996 appeared frequently on the pages of  'Sport star' - a weekly magazine which I was a subscriber. She had reached the quarter-finals in Australia; third round at Roland Garros; fourth round at Wimbledon and semi-finals at the Flushing Meadows, New York. It was interesting to note - that both in Wimbledon and US Open, she was beaten by Steffi Graf. 

She had won her first WTA title at Filderstadt, Germany. The icing on the cake was her victory at Wimbledon's doubles partnering Helena Sukova - a feat which made her the youngest doubles winner in the history of women's tennis and the youngest Grand Slam winner in the Open era.

Wimbledon doubles title 1996 with Helena Sukova 

If 1995 was about winning the Rookie of the year, 1996 was about winning titles and progressing further. She finished second at the season conclusion WTA finals losing again to Steffi Graf in a thrilling five-setter.

Losing to Graf at the 1996 WTA finals 

For the first time in my life, my days to have a favourite player among men and ladies had finally arrived. I could boast now to my sports-geek friends whenever they asked my favourite tennis players. With a smile, I used to say - Pete Sampras and Martina Hingis! 

Have I seen Federer one last time at Wimbledon? Deja-vu from 2002

My mind went to the memories of 2001 last year when I saw Andy Murray defeating Roger Federer to claim the gold medal at the 2012 Olympics at the Wimbledon. I was in my class 12 then in 2001 as I watched a young Swiss playing his heart out against a champion, a legend when it came to playing on the grass courts of Wimbledon.

Roger Federer met Pete Sampras for the first time at Wimbledon in 2001. The nineteen-year old from Switzerland had nothing to lose. His compatriot, Martina Hingis the top seed at that year’s Wimbledon was knocked out in the first round – so my hopes all rested on the American to defend his title yet again. He looked set to win his 8^th Wimbledon title.

Call it arrogance or simply blind faith at that time; I thought there was nobody who could beat Sampras at Wimbledon. It is true, the likes of Marat Safin had won against Sampras against all odds at 2000 US Open, but common on, we are talking about Wimbledon and with such thoughts occupied in my mind, parallely the game went on nervously, it affected me and to many who were present live watching the match. Finally, the nerves got the better of the person, who had expectations from almost everyone.

Tense is an understatement and all I could hope at that time was, the best shall prevail and the best to me was Sampras. No doubts about it. The few images I had of Federer were that of a Sportstar photographs with him next to Hingis and the one holding the Hopman Cup. I was a huge fan of Martina Hingis and I followed their exploits early that year when they ended up on the winning side at the Hopman Cup (2001) in Australia. Long hair, small eyes and a head band to go with, was all I had known of Federer before the match against Sampras.

My worst fears came true as I saw the return from Sampras hitting the net and the next moment Federer down on his knees. He had caught the big fish on the market and he didn’t quite know how to celebrate it. He was the talk of the town and though he didn’t went on to win the championship; the quality of his strokes and play was showcased in a grand way to the tennis audience across the globe. An era was about to come to an end, the domination, the long streak which Sampras enjoyed came to an abrupt halt.

The defeat of 2001, what do I make of it? All I said then was I need a good 18^th birthday present next time around when Sampras played Wimbledon in 2002. I was like that back then, and that's how I viewed sports. Sampras battled on for the rest of the season and had lost US Open finals towards the end of the year to another rookie Lleyton Hewitt. He was clearly not winning the titles, but consistently he was making it to the title clashes. Sampras was good, but nowhere near his peak form.

Next year Wimbledon, same hopes and this time Sampras played not as a defending champion anymore. The only time previously he played without defending the Wimbledon title was in 1997 and prior to that was in 1992. This was 2002 and he had lost just three matches in those last 10 years, he played at Wimbledon. He was two months shy of being 31, so there were no issues with ageing. I still had hopes on him to turn it around and win the oldest Grand Slam tournament for the 8^th time.

Then the news came as a shock. Pete Sampras knocked out of Wimbledon at the second round by George Bastl. Who the hell is this Bastl? A lucky loser from the qualifying tournament which enabled him to play in the main draw; and coincidentally he was a Swiss too.

I felt and I am sure a lot others felt too, then and there at that moment Sampras time was up. No regrets. Sometimes things do not go as we wish and so be it; he lost yet another five setter match, in consecutive years at Wimbledon and both the winners hailing from the same country. Why make a big deal and instead I chose to relish his 13 victories thus far.

All I hoped was a good farewell and that he got at the US Open, when he won his 14^th Grand Slam title in front of his home ground against his countrymen and a rival for many years, Andre Agassi.

I knew, he played his last match and the scene of his wife Bridgette Wilson, wearing a beige coloured outfit exchanging smiles and pleasantries with an emotionally drained Pete Sampras is still etched in my memory. In a span of few months, both my favourites at that time had faded away. First the Swiss Miss, Martina Hingis and now Pete Sampras. 

Image Courtesy: CBS.com

No matter how easy or difficult it is, or was – you just move on. Never in my life had I thought Federer would be the man I would choose to support once Sampras retired, even when he defeated Sampras in the 2001 encounter. Times change and as a sports lover, you gotta pick up someone or fancy someone to win, or else there is no fun. And so, it was Federer, the instinctive choice to support next.

To me, Federer was an ideal replacement for Sampras. Serve and volley at Wimbledon was all there to be seen. Federer won his first title the following year in 2003. Since then and more so from Wimbledon 2004, he has marched on reaching to new heights which yielded him 17 Grand Slam titles, a career Grand Slam, Olympic doubles gold medal and a silver medal. Amongst those conquests, he fought many fierce rivals of the likes of Nadal, Djokovic and since couple of years Andy Murray.

His record streak of reaching 36 quarterfinal appearances is now done and dusted. The last time he went out this early was in 2002 Wimbledon championships. I was talking and thinking about his first win in 2003 while I was cooking tonight and then few moments later I got to know of him crashing out of this year’s Wimbledon. No Maria Sharapova too in the current tournament, my other favourite and now Federer’s exit has made an unknown Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky enter the limelight at this year’s Wimbledon. 

First it was Nadal’s exit, but he was never consistent barring at the French Open and now Federer’s exit is big news for the Fedex fans and to the media; his defeat is even bigger news for Staskovsky and his contingent of supporters.

Now my whole scribbling of memories of the past 10 years begs the question. Have I seen the last match of Roger Federer in Wimbledon? He will be 32 come this August 8^th and looks fit to carry on. It isn’t about how fit he is, it is more than that to remain in the peak form when it comes to playing tennis.

For now, I won’t say anything more and I shall wait for this year’s Flushing Meadows before asking the inevitable question which I asked about Sampras to myself eleven years ago at this time of the year.

There is nothing wrong in retiring; it takes a lot more than poor form or injury to give up the sport you love. Legacy is the last thing an athlete should worry and in this case, I am confident Federer knows when it is time to call it quits.