Tennis

The fire may have extinguished, but the smoke is very much there.Mahesh Bhupathi once again hit back at the AITA, accusing the Indian tennis’ governing body for creating "divide-and-rule" policy and its "dictatorial attitude".Surprisingly the veteran tennis star put his sympathy for Leander Paes, with whom he is at daggers drawn.Taking a u-turn, Bhupathi told the media he does not blame Paes for the London Games fiasco over the selection of the teams.He said, “Leander is not to be blamed for this. He is playing the part of a professional player and he wants to do the best he can do for himself.”Singling out AITA president Anil Khanna, Bhupathi made a scathing attack.He alleged that Khanna was playing "dirty politics" and creating rift among players, particularly between him and Leander Paes.According to him, "Khanna has redefined the term divide and rule, and at this year's Olympics he used Leander's shoulder to fire the gun against me multiple times. Unfortunately the media terms this a Bhupathi-Paes rift and the true underbelly is left unquestioned."He has enjoyed the rift between Leander and me as no other."No one made an effort to talk to me or Leander.

At least there are two representatives in the women's circuit. The Williams sisters. But Andy Roddick's retirement leaves the United States without an active men's Grand Slam champion for the first time in 129 years. With him goes the face of American men's tennis.

There was another 'first' on 4th August, 2010, when no American turned up in the top 10 of the ATP Ranking. Since 1973, the year when tennis ranking system started, it never happened before.

If we consider the first 100, then only eight from United States will come up. Amongst them John Isner, who is at 11 holds the highest ranking. After Isner, there are Sam Querrey (22nd), Mardy Fish (23rd), Roddick (27th), Ryan Harrison (51st), Brian Baker (55th), Michael Russell (94th), Jesse Levine (97th).

Have we gone through the ranking points of these nine players, the facts would be more alarming. Amongst them no one is with more than 2300 ranking point. Isner with 2250 is the highest. Apart from him only three have more than thousand ranking point- Querrey 1310, Fish 1255 and Roddick 1095. The others are hanging there some how with Harrison 695, Baker 656, Russell 454 and Levine 651 points.

The Scot Andy Murray's countrymen and the rest of the world can get off his back as he wins the 2012 US Open beating Novak Djokovic in the longest men's final of almost 5 hrs., 7-6, 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2. Murray in his fifth final caps off a golden summer beating Roger Federer in the Olympics with his first Grand Slam title.

Not since Fred Perry in 1936 has a British man won a slam.  Murray also broke the 100 some year Olympic void when he won this summer. Virginia Wade helped the Brits by winning three slams, and set the nation off in glee by winning the women's singles at Wimbledon in 1977. Murray should get a parade for his Herculean efforts.

After winning the first set and going up 4-0 in the second, Murray had his typical lapse. When Djokovic won the next two sets, it seemed that he couldn't break his curse of just being talented, ala Anna Kournikova.   

Murray said that he was most improved in his fitness. The proof was in the fifth set as Djokovic was getting treatment for cramps, Murray had enough left to get in some key second serves and persist in some long rallies.

Turn your volume down if you're watching women's tennis this week-end. Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka have played three times this year and each time, after a few games I felt the need to turn my volume down. Nothing was worse than Friday in Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York during the US Open Semi-final match which Azarenka won 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. They out-dueled each other not only in strokes but shrieks, with the third set unbelievably loudest of all. Both could rival rush hour on Wall Street or a 757 landing at LaGuardia Airport. Can you imagine the resounding sound in Ashe Stadium?

This brings up an on-going issue of grunting in women's tennis. It was so bad in the Australian Open by the two aforementioned players that it re-opened an issue that had died out since the days of Monica Seles in the 90's.

It was almost inevitable. But as the concerned person is Roger Federer, there was slight hope. But he could not win this particular match. His hope that Rafael Nadal will appear for Spain's Davis Cup semi final against United States next week lost.

The Spaniard says his knee injury will keep him out of the court for at least another two months.

This also makes his appearance in the ATP World Tour Finals in London doubtful, effectively ending his 2012 season.

He will get just a little more than a month to prepare for the Australian Open in January.

"I really want to be back competing and enjoying the tennis tour," he said on Monday,

But the eleven-time Grand Slam champion said, "I have many years in front of me and my knee needs some rest. I will be back when I have no pain and am able to compete. I feel better after the meeting with my doctors and happy knowing that the evolution of the past weeks has been positive and surgery has been avoided.

"I will continue to work with the plan my doctors have established to be able to compete as soon as possible in the right conditions."