Last week or so has been quite an eventful one in the sporting world.
Three 'legends' have retired from their respective sport leaving behind a legacy that will be admired and remembered for ages and ages. Three cherished champions namely Andre Agassi, Martina Navratilova and Michael Schumacher announced their retirements. Though Schumacher's retirement does not get effective before the end of the season, its announcement this weekend brings to dawn the sport without his presence.
Schumacher has given a lot to the sport of Formula One. He has gained rewards, awards and criticism for the last 15 years he has been in the sport. I did not even know what Formula 1 is when he won his first two Championships is 1994 and 1995, but I have read about it a lot over the years and everywhere I read, I get the following statements: "Had Ayrton Senna survived in Imola in April 1994 what would the world of F1 be with Schumi and Senna battling it out!" I think it spells a theme of the Schumacher story: the talent, the vision, the courage, the achievements and yes, there is a dark side of the moon!
His Seven and maybe Eight World Championships (if he manages to dislodge Alonso in the next three races) have been a success Formula1 might not witness again.
His 1994 victory in Benetton powered by Ford was overshadowed with two events - Death of Ayrton Senna which F1 still mourns and remembers vividly after 12 years on; and His famous clash with Damon Hill in the final race at Suzuka to win his First Championship with a solitary point! A champion and a chapter in Formula 1 controversies was born that day. 1995 in Benetton that was powered by Renault, he kind of walked away with the Championship for a second year running to silence the speculation of whether he deserved the first. And they say when people were gazing at his abilities; he shocked them by signing to Ferrari which was then literally known for its failures. Ferrari had not won a championship since 1979 and were desperate to find a winner. Can you imagine the Monza crowd going berserk in 1996 when he won his first Italian GP in the Maranello's home circuit? What a fitting way to announce his retirement after winning the same Grand Prix 11 years down the line. 1997 was the year I got introduced to the World of Formula One. The year that was the most spectacular according to a lot of viewers as the rivalry of Jacques Villenueve and Michael Schumacher 'revved' into forefront culminating into another crash in the final GP and ruled against Schumacher to be eventually stripped of all the statistical records for the year (after finishing the year as Second behind Villenueve).
In 1999 British GP he collided into a wall (and broke his leg - hence was out of the sport for 6-7 months returning for the final three races) and the scenes of Imola 1994 were revisited but thankfully not quite. The next year was definite for Schumacher and Ferrari when Schumacher won the Driver's Championship, the first Ferrari had seen in 21 years, though they had to wait a year longer to get the Constructor's trophy a season later from McLaren. Then started the Ferrari legacy for five years bludgeoning their way through, turning opposition into snails in a cat race.
Winning five consecutive World Championships and setting a record that would stay for a while. There was something to Schumacher that attracted mass appeal. This can also be gauged by the familiarity his name has in households that have no idea about the sport whatsoever. His flamboyancy, readiness to bend and stretch the rules to suit his requirement attracted public interest and criticism just the same. But I admired Schumacher because of his abilities and the power to convert ability into performance! Quite contrary to Villenueve’s remarks made recently, I don’t believe he will be forgotten in a jiffy. Hope he can bow out in style in a very typical Schumi way by winning the Championship this year aged 37!
When you talk about age, there comes a champion who has defied the belief that age has anything to do with sports. Martina Navratilova won her 59th career Grand Slam at the mixed doubles event (with Bob Bryan) at the age of 49, soon to be 50! Having already announced that it was her final tournament, it was a fairy tale ending to a story that is more like a dream. Martina is a cherished champion, the best women’s tennis player in history; the best volleyer to be seen on the tennis court. To have a desire to fight at the very top at that age is beyond imagination requiring much more than bravado and courage. To achieve success after that is just divine. Imagine: The first Grand Slam Martina won was in 1978, 28 years ago!! Roger Federer would be born 5 years after that.
Record books will have her name repeated the most for her achievements (maybe another record for that!) but one she notably missed out was a Grand Slam year (though she had four Grand Slams during a time from French Open 1984 to Australian Open 1995). Steffi Graf will be remembered for her Golden Grand Slam in 1988 which included the Olympic Gold. But heavy salutes to a living legend in the truest sense!
Another crowd favorite, someone by the name Andre Agassi announced his retirement from tennis a week back. I think the sport owes him a lot and he got some of his due as he entered the locker room and got a standing ovation from his fellows. Playing in his 21st straight US Open, he achieved something unique and incredible considering the rigors of men’s tennis.
The earliest memories of tennis I have as a viewer are the Becker-Edberg rivalries dueling with the Steffi-Navratilova ones. The exuberance of Boris Becker with his diving volleys and temperamental attitude were too great for me as a kid. Then as I grew, came across Andre Agassi and the tennis world changed. There was another man called Pete Sampras who was catching the eyes of the greats and the experts, but Agassi was catching the eyes of the spectators. Which one is more important or crucial is a matter of argument, but yes the bandana made a revolution on its own. Agassi revolutionized the outlook of tennis. He brought in much needed glamour to the sport. He had rejected the idea of playing at Wimbledon for the All England club demanded players in white apparels! Ironically his first Grand Slam win came at Wimbledon in 1992. The players he beat: Boris Becker in the Quarters (3 time champion), John McEnroe in the semis (another 3 timer) and Goran Ivanisevic in the Final. I loved Ivanisevic. What a character! Had gotten emotional when he eventually won in 2001. He had served a record 206 aces that year beating Becker’s record of 85! But on the other side of the net was a short man, baseliner style that was considered a useless skill at Wimbledon, but he had something special: “The return of serve” – the best a sport has seen. When everyone would play the blast service a couple of steps beyond the baseline, Agassi would step in and bank on his supernatural reflexes hit the return ‘on the up’ getting the reverse momentum before the server recovered his balance.
He also refused to go down under to the Australian Open till 1994 for whatever reasons, but when he did, he did in style winning the Grand Slam four times in years to come. The Kangaroo land jumped up to take notice of the Phenomenon.
But the record that will etch Andre Agassi in all record books and will always puzzle the purists/experts is the career Grand Slam winning all four majors. A record only shared by four other men remembering that when those four achieved it, three of four Slams were played on grass!
Andre Agassi does owe a lot to his rivalry with Pete Sampras, who owes it back equally. The duo gave life to tennis in the 90’s when the tennis world was short of heroes and players to match the generation of the prior decade. Agassi came from Las Vegas and knew what publicity is and the ways to win hearts, may it be by wit or by emotions and he won a lot of hearts in the way that he bid adieu sobbing in front of a full house at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. He definitely would be the Elvis of the tennis world.
Three 'legends' have retired from their respective sport leaving behind a legacy that will be admired and remembered for ages and ages. Three cherished champions namely Andre Agassi, Martina Navratilova and Michael Schumacher announced their retirements. Though Schumacher's retirement does not get effective before the end of the season, its announcement this weekend brings to dawn the sport without his presence.
Schumacher has given a lot to the sport of Formula One. He has gained rewards, awards and criticism for the last 15 years he has been in the sport. I did not even know what Formula 1 is when he won his first two Championships is 1994 and 1995, but I have read about it a lot over the years and everywhere I read, I get the following statements: "Had Ayrton Senna survived in Imola in April 1994 what would the world of F1 be with Schumi and Senna battling it out!" I think it spells a theme of the Schumacher story: the talent, the vision, the courage, the achievements and yes, there is a dark side of the moon!
His Seven and maybe Eight World Championships (if he manages to dislodge Alonso in the next three races) have been a success Formula1 might not witness again.
His 1994 victory in Benetton powered by Ford was overshadowed with two events - Death of Ayrton Senna which F1 still mourns and remembers vividly after 12 years on; and His famous clash with Damon Hill in the final race at Suzuka to win his First Championship with a solitary point! A champion and a chapter in Formula 1 controversies was born that day. 1995 in Benetton that was powered by Renault, he kind of walked away with the Championship for a second year running to silence the speculation of whether he deserved the first. And they say when people were gazing at his abilities; he shocked them by signing to Ferrari which was then literally known for its failures. Ferrari had not won a championship since 1979 and were desperate to find a winner. Can you imagine the Monza crowd going berserk in 1996 when he won his first Italian GP in the Maranello's home circuit? What a fitting way to announce his retirement after winning the same Grand Prix 11 years down the line. 1997 was the year I got introduced to the World of Formula One. The year that was the most spectacular according to a lot of viewers as the rivalry of Jacques Villenueve and Michael Schumacher 'revved' into forefront culminating into another crash in the final GP and ruled against Schumacher to be eventually stripped of all the statistical records for the year (after finishing the year as Second behind Villenueve).
In 1999 British GP he collided into a wall (and broke his leg - hence was out of the sport for 6-7 months returning for the final three races) and the scenes of Imola 1994 were revisited but thankfully not quite. The next year was definite for Schumacher and Ferrari when Schumacher won the Driver's Championship, the first Ferrari had seen in 21 years, though they had to wait a year longer to get the Constructor's trophy a season later from McLaren. Then started the Ferrari legacy for five years bludgeoning their way through, turning opposition into snails in a cat race.
Winning five consecutive World Championships and setting a record that would stay for a while. There was something to Schumacher that attracted mass appeal. This can also be gauged by the familiarity his name has in households that have no idea about the sport whatsoever. His flamboyancy, readiness to bend and stretch the rules to suit his requirement attracted public interest and criticism just the same. But I admired Schumacher because of his abilities and the power to convert ability into performance! Quite contrary to Villenueve’s remarks made recently, I don’t believe he will be forgotten in a jiffy. Hope he can bow out in style in a very typical Schumi way by winning the Championship this year aged 37!
When you talk about age, there comes a champion who has defied the belief that age has anything to do with sports. Martina Navratilova won her 59th career Grand Slam at the mixed doubles event (with Bob Bryan) at the age of 49, soon to be 50! Having already announced that it was her final tournament, it was a fairy tale ending to a story that is more like a dream. Martina is a cherished champion, the best women’s tennis player in history; the best volleyer to be seen on the tennis court. To have a desire to fight at the very top at that age is beyond imagination requiring much more than bravado and courage. To achieve success after that is just divine. Imagine: The first Grand Slam Martina won was in 1978, 28 years ago!! Roger Federer would be born 5 years after that.
Record books will have her name repeated the most for her achievements (maybe another record for that!) but one she notably missed out was a Grand Slam year (though she had four Grand Slams during a time from French Open 1984 to Australian Open 1995). Steffi Graf will be remembered for her Golden Grand Slam in 1988 which included the Olympic Gold. But heavy salutes to a living legend in the truest sense!
Another crowd favorite, someone by the name Andre Agassi announced his retirement from tennis a week back. I think the sport owes him a lot and he got some of his due as he entered the locker room and got a standing ovation from his fellows. Playing in his 21st straight US Open, he achieved something unique and incredible considering the rigors of men’s tennis.
The earliest memories of tennis I have as a viewer are the Becker-Edberg rivalries dueling with the Steffi-Navratilova ones. The exuberance of Boris Becker with his diving volleys and temperamental attitude were too great for me as a kid. Then as I grew, came across Andre Agassi and the tennis world changed. There was another man called Pete Sampras who was catching the eyes of the greats and the experts, but Agassi was catching the eyes of the spectators. Which one is more important or crucial is a matter of argument, but yes the bandana made a revolution on its own. Agassi revolutionized the outlook of tennis. He brought in much needed glamour to the sport. He had rejected the idea of playing at Wimbledon for the All England club demanded players in white apparels! Ironically his first Grand Slam win came at Wimbledon in 1992. The players he beat: Boris Becker in the Quarters (3 time champion), John McEnroe in the semis (another 3 timer) and Goran Ivanisevic in the Final. I loved Ivanisevic. What a character! Had gotten emotional when he eventually won in 2001. He had served a record 206 aces that year beating Becker’s record of 85! But on the other side of the net was a short man, baseliner style that was considered a useless skill at Wimbledon, but he had something special: “The return of serve” – the best a sport has seen. When everyone would play the blast service a couple of steps beyond the baseline, Agassi would step in and bank on his supernatural reflexes hit the return ‘on the up’ getting the reverse momentum before the server recovered his balance.
He also refused to go down under to the Australian Open till 1994 for whatever reasons, but when he did, he did in style winning the Grand Slam four times in years to come. The Kangaroo land jumped up to take notice of the Phenomenon.
But the record that will etch Andre Agassi in all record books and will always puzzle the purists/experts is the career Grand Slam winning all four majors. A record only shared by four other men remembering that when those four achieved it, three of four Slams were played on grass!
Andre Agassi does owe a lot to his rivalry with Pete Sampras, who owes it back equally. The duo gave life to tennis in the 90’s when the tennis world was short of heroes and players to match the generation of the prior decade. Agassi came from Las Vegas and knew what publicity is and the ways to win hearts, may it be by wit or by emotions and he won a lot of hearts in the way that he bid adieu sobbing in front of a full house at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. He definitely would be the Elvis of the tennis world.
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