PROGRESSION

Roger Federer set the bar for contemporary tennis.  On the backs of the giants that came before him, he built a legacy that elevated tennis to new heights.  He evolved the game.  Rafael Nadal propelled the sport even further by finding ways to defeat Roger Federer.  And now Novak Djokovic takes tennis to a stratosphere it has never been before.

Perhaps we are too quick to declare a present day event or player as the "Greatest of All Time".  But, in the case of what we witnessed last night in Rod Laver Arena at the Finals of the Australian Open, it's nearly impossible to resist the label.  The match set the standard as the longest Grand Slam Final ever played at just under six hours, with Djokovic defeating Nadal 7-5 in the fifth and deciding set.  Those are the numbers.  But, as always in sports, the story goes much deeper than the statistics.  We saw two perfectly-conditioned athletes, who have trained their entire lives for the moment, break through boundaries and ceilings to discover new limits to their immense potential.  Both champions were forced to confront their limitations, then find solutions to the problems created by those limitations.  The mind, the body, and the spirit were each put to the ultimate test.  On display for the world to see, these men of men plunged the depths of their souls to mine reserves they never knew they had.  Together, they redefined what was possible.  They transcended tennis.

One may read this spiritual analysis of a tennis match with cynicism and say it's only a game.  I contend it was far more than that.  Combining the skill of the classic Borg-McEnroe encounters with the will and determination of the John Isner-Nicolas Mahut marathon at Wimbledon last year, this Djokovic-Nadal match will stand the test of time as a vivid reminder of why human beings compete against each other.  In short, to see what they are made of.  

OPEN FOR DISCUSSION

During the U.S. Open, I had an ongoing email chat with a lovely young female friend of mine. We'll call her Anastasia (even though nobody else calls her that). The two of us have decidedly different rooting interests, but share a passion for tennis.   Our back-and-forth went a little something like this:

RE: WEEK 1

Me: What's up with all the rain at the Open? The schedule is getting pretty messed up. Could make for an incredibly dense day of tennis tomorrow. I still think it's Djokovic and Serena hoisting the trophies...

Anastasia: I do not like this rain, not one bit. Now we're going to miss some of the action, and the quality of play will be compromised. Boo! Get a roof built already! I'm sticking with Roger. I think he can do it! As for the women, I could care less. Did you see Serena's interview about the foot fault at the beginning of the tournament? She has no class, and she's kind of an idiot.

Anastasia: Is it obvious I don't like her? :)

RE: WEEK 2

Me: So, what'd you think? I'm sure you were quite pleased Serena went down. How'd you feel about Djokovic crushing Nadal's spirit? I thought it was a great day for tennis (Monday Men's Final), no matter what the outcome.

Anastasia: Indeed, it was a great tournament, for sure. Obviously, I was crushed when Novak took out Fed, but the men's final was a great match! I'd be happy if Djokovic won the next 7 majors, as it will only cement Roger's Grand Slam record :) He fucking deserved it, too. He's in incredible shape...

Me: Roger was so close. That one go-for-broke shot, and Djokovic's reaction to that shot, changed the energy on that court. From that point on, it was all mental. Fed's game is still right there. He should have won. It was his. He would've beaten him in the semis of the French and the U.S. Open, and completely wrecked the Djoker's dream season. Instead, Djokovic takes 3 out of 4, all the Masters Series titles, and is etched in history. Djokovic owns Nadal. Nadal owns Federer. And then there's Djokovic/Federer, which is clearly a toss up.

Me: This is a Golden Age of men's tennis. The bar keeps getting raised. Technology and fitness have revolutionized the game. The talent pool is much deeper than it's ever been. And the game is being played at a higher level than it's ever been played. And, yet, these three astounding athletes at the top have collectively been dominating the game for years now. They are so good a player as supremely talented as Andy Murray can't even win a single major.

AIN'T IT GRAND

When one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments is taking place in the world, my life is richer.  If I'm not working, which I prefer not to do during the Majors if I can help it, I can camp out on the couch and spend a televised day in Melbourne or Paris or London or New York.  A phenomenal feature on DirecTV allows me to choose which court to watch, if the network coverage is not showing the match I want to see.  If I happen to be working during a particular Slam, my DVR makes sure I have wall-to-wall tennis waiting for me when I get home.  No matter what's going on in my life at the time, I feel busier during a Grand Slam.  There's more to do.  I feel energized, alive.

But when a Grand Slam ends, a massive canyon-sized hole is created in my world.  That sensation came over me once again yesterday, one day after the French Open concluded its annual clay soiree.  I woke up with no clay court tennis in progress.  Nothing to catch up on.  No match to anticipate later in the day. Instead, it was just a Monday.  Granted, the grass court season began right away in England, but I wasn't ready for a Wimbledon tuneup quite yet.  Although, I must say, the thought of Wimbledon just a few weeks away will make it a lot easier to get through this tough transition.  In fact, on the tennis calendar, these two Slams are by far the closest together.  Mercifully, my melancholy and misery will be short lived.  But before I go back to wallowing, let's review the thrilling events from the weekend at Roland Garros.

On Friday, Rafael Nadal took care of business with a hard-fought three-set victory over a game but overmatched Andy Murray.  Their clash was but a mere amuse bouche to an incredible meal, for later that day, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer played an instant classic.  With the number one ranking, a ton of pride, and a shot at the title on the line, Nole and Fed put on a shotmaking show.  To watch Federer move around the court and strike the ball so cleanly, you would never know that he has been slumping this year.  You would never know that tennis folks have been beginning to mourn his inevitable decline.  Fed looked every bit the 16-time Grand Slam Champion against the hottest player on tour in Novak Djokovic, who was riding one of the great win streaks in tennis history.  Djokovic seemed to be affected by the moment.  With a four-day layoff between matches due to a walkover in the quarters, his timing was off in the first set, and Federer took full advantage.  But Nole has been playing so well, struggling through a set meant that he would force Roger to win it in a tiebreaker.  Federer kept the momentum going in the second set, Djokovic let down a bit.  Fed won the set 6-3 and took a commanding two sets to love lead.  But the Djoker has too much confidence in himself and his game these days to roll over like he may have done in the past.  He fought back, broke Roger, vigilently held serve, and took the third set 6-3.  The fourth set produced some spectacular tennis, with so much riding on the result and neither man willing to budge.  Fittingly, it came down to a tiebreaker in near darkness. If Fed won it, the match was over.  If Djoker won it, they would return to the court on Saturday morning to play a winner-takes-all fifth set.  Echoes of Federer's loss to Nadal at Wimbledon with darkness encroaching reverberated throughout Stade Roland Garros.  But Roger was up to the task this time.  He gained the advantage, withstood every effort by Nole to level the match, and won the tiebreaker before nightfall.  When Federer finally took match point, he proudly wagged one finger in the air, as if to say, "You all forgot for a second that I was the greatest, didn't you?"  And then he screamed the kind of cathartic scream that comes from prolonged periods of intensity ending in sweet relief.  The scream allowed us a rare peek behind the polished veneer and into the burning heart of the fiercest of competitors.  Federer had vanquished Djokovic.  The streak was done.  But Roger was not.

Saturday provided us with a Women's Final that may have lacked star power but was not short on intrigue.  The defending champion, Francesca Schiavone, was looking to repeat the magic that won her the title last year and prove she was no one-Slam wonder.  With the absence of Justin Henin, Schiavone has surprisingly stepped in and filled the void as the tour's clay court dame.  But Li Na (or Na Li) was not about to hand her the trophy.  After reaching the Australian Open earlier this year but falling to Kim Clijsters in her bid to become China's first Grand Slam winner, Li was motivated to make history.  Schiavone etched her name into the tennis history books by beating Sam Stosur in last year's French final, taking the first Grand Slam title for the women of Italy.  Li Na came out firing in the first set, undaunted by the magnitude of the moment.  She hit the ball harder and crisper and prevented Schiavone from finding her rhythm.  The Chinese woman secured the first set 6-4 and went up a break in the second.  Schiavone played much better tennis in the second set, getting to net as much as possible and expertly angling her volleys.  When Li Na served at 4-3, Schiavone's aggressive nature prevailed and she broke back to level the set.  The Italian then seemed to gain the momentum.  She went up 6-5.  With Li Na serving to stay in the set, an overruled line call swung Uncle Mo back to the Chinese player.  She held to force a tiebreaker.  With history on the line, she didn't blink.  In fact, she skunked Schiavone 7-love in the breaker, then fell onto her back in celebration.  The crowd showed their appreciation for the quality of the match and Li Na's tremendous achievement at 29-years-old.  She can now forever boast that she won a Grand Slam title.  And China will never forget her.

Sunday brought us another treat -- the 8th Grand Slam Final between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. The two living legends have played in more Grand Slam Finals against each other than any duo in the history of men's tennis.  Going into the match, Rafa was 5-2 in finals against Roger.  Nadal won four meetings at the French and one at Wimbledon, Federer won two at Wimbledon.  With respect to Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe, Federer and Nadal can lay claim to the greatest rivalry ever on the men's side.  (Evert and Navratilova obviously own that distinction on the women's side.)  Nadal also needed to win the match to retain his number one ranking.  If he lost, Novak Djokovic would take the top spot in tennis away from him and Federer would take his crown.  But the sensational Spaniard would not be denied.  Though Federer played fantastic tennis to make him earn it.  Fed went up 5-2 in the first and looked good doing it.  But as he has so often in the past, Nadal flipped a switch and won the next 5 games to take the set.  Nadal went up a break in the second and served for the set.  A brief but hard rain fell from the sky and caused a delay (the first of the tournament).  When play resumed, Federer stormed back, broke Nadal, and forced a tiebreaker.  But Nadal rebounded by taking a 4-0 lead and cruising in the breaker to win the second set and go up two sets to love.  Again in the third set, Nadal went up a break.  At 4-2, it looked to be over.  But Federer dug deep into his champion heart and refused to give in.  He broke Nadal twice and won the set 7-5.  There was a glimmer of hope in the Federer camp.  But it was brief.  Nadal dominated the fourth set, breaking Roger repeatedly and closing it out 6-1.  When it was over, Rafa dropped to his knees then exchanged a warm embrace with Roger at the net.  Uncle Toni stood and screamed "Vamos!" three times.  This may have been the 6th time Nadal has won this title, but it seemed just as sweet to them as the first.  And for tennis fans, we got to experience these two magnificent players produce the kind of tennis we always wish for when they do battle.  Though the fourth set itself may have been anticlimactic, the men's final satisfyingly capped off an epic three days of tennis.

Of course, I wished I was in Paris to witness it all firsthand, but I can honestly say there was no shortage of emotion and enjoyment while watching from the comfort of my own home.  To me, there is nothing like Grand Slam tennis.  Although, to fight off depression, I'll probably tune in tonight to watch my Miami Heat go for a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals.  I guess that'll help a little.

EL REY

B'DAY ON CLAY

Rafa Nadal downs Andy Murray, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 to reach the French Open Final.  It'll be the 6th time in 7 years he plays for the title.  Now we have to wait and see who will be across the net from him...

Yes, I'm well aware this picture is from last year, but I wanted to pay tribute to the man on his birthday. Many many more Happy Birthdays to you, Rafael Nadal.  All together... Vamos!

THERE'S A NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN

Though both the official rankings and unofficial clay court power rankings still have Rafael Nadal at the top, Novak Djokovic is now the best tennis player in the world.  Including two Davis Cup wins late in 2010 to help secure the trophy for Serbia, Djokovic has won 39 straight matches.  He won the year's first major in Australia and has not lost in 2011.  With his most recent victory on Sunday, he has also beaten Nadal in four straight Masters Series finals -- Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, and Rome.  

Djokovic has drastically improved his serve (the only real weakness in his game) and exponentially improved his physical conditioning.  The Novak Djokovic who struggled with breathing problems and retired early from tough matches no longer exists.  The current Novak Djokovic seems unbeatable.  His movement around the court is incredible, outrunning the fleet-footed Nadal, who is regarded as one of the most athletic men to ever play the game.  

Djokovic's shotmaking and decision-making have been near perfect.  And most importantly, his arrogance has turned to self-belief.  With confidence oozing out of every pore in his body, one can easily read in his demeanor that his mind is strong, that his will is unshakable, and that he somehow he knows that he is going to win every match he plays.  John McEnroe, who holds the longest win streak to start a calendar year (42 matches in 1984), says he thinks Djokovic's streak is already more impressive than his own.  Given the deeper pool of talent and physical demands of the modern game, McEnroe believes Nole's run is unprecedented.  And when John McEnroe talks tennis, everyone listens, because he may just be the game's smartest commentator and biggest advocate.

Sunday's final in Rome was a spectacular match.  Though the scoreline might indicate a fairly routine 6-4, 6-4 victory for Novak Djokovic, it was anything but.  From the opening serve of the match, Nole and Rafa played tennis of the highest quality.  Only a few key points separated them.  But almost all of those big points went to Djokovic.  Rafael Nadal appeared frustrated at times, unable to come up with the goods when he needed it most and unable to put the ball past Djokovic's amazing defense.  With loses in four finals in some of the biggest tournaments of the year outside the Slams, Nadal knows he is no longer king of the mountain.  In interviews, he admitted that losing the number one ranking is a forgone conclusion.  Djokovic will most likely take over the top spot after the French Open, regardless of who wins the title.

Personally, I feel for Rafael Nadal.  He spent so much time at #2 when Roger Federer was the dominant man in the sport, and now he finds himself right back in that familiar position on the second step of the podium, only this time with Novak Djokovic standing on the top rung.  All this is happening at a time when Federer's considerable talents have waned and planted him firmly in the #3 slot.  Both Nadal and Djokovic have been defeating Roger with relative ease this season. This should be Nadal's time to dominate tennis.  But last year may have been the closest Rafael gets in his career to a stranglehold on the men's game.  He won 3 out of 4 Grand Slams, and gave it a great run in Australia to make it 4 in a row (though it would not have been a "Calendar Slam").  Despite a slight sadness for Rafa, because he is the player I root for the hardest since Andre Agassi retired, I am grateful that tennis's next great rivalry is upon us.  Though Djokovic has won all four of the Masters finals they've played against each other in the past few months, each of the matches has been a hotly contested affair.  I was lucky enough to attend the final in Miami, and witnessed a stupendous duel between two jawdroppingly awesome players.  As has been the case in their battles, a mere two or three points decided the match, with the Serb just a little bit better than the Spaniard when it mattered most.

As I imagine Uncle Toni will do, I would tell Rafa to keep his head up if I had the chance to speak to him directly.  He is a brilliant striker of the ball and a master tactician.  He is a champion who has been knocked down before and gotten up to answer the bell for the next round.  Djokovic has defeated him two times in a row on clay, but both of those matches were best 2 out of 3.  At the French, Nole is going to have to win 3 sets to wrest the title from Nadal, who is considered one of, if not the greatest clay court player to ever swing a racquet.  It is a credit to Djokovic and the level he has raised his game to that the feat even seems possible.  As a fan of Nadal, I can only hope he finds a way to crack the code and exact revenge.  As a fan of tennis, I eagerly anticipate the prospect of another monumental clash that will surely be etched in the annals of the sport's history.  Either way, I can't lose.