The Day 16 of the tourney saw the first contender in the final line up, for the singles encounter as the 'Mortal Combat' claimed a brutal victim. Here is the update.
Saurav vs Vijay:
There were very high expectations from this game as both Vijay and Saurav looked strong. But the 'NO MERCY' logo was still evident on Saurav's jersey as he took no time and effort to crush his opponent. I think Saurav has taken the our compliment pretty seriously, he does not want to be second, he wants to be 'The Achilles', the greatest and ruthless warrior to walk on this earth. For the match, Saurav outclassed Vijay in all departments of the game, be it service, be it returns, be it long rallies. Moreover Saurav was able to induce a lot of spin in his shots. It seemed as if, he was finger spinning the ball. Moreover his placements were very accurate, he made it very difficult for Vijay to even reach the ball, and if Vijay did so, the spin would play havoc with Vijay's return. In the entire match Vijay had only one game point and that too was taken by Saurav in deuce. But no discredit to Vijay, he had fought his way hard into the semis. Congratulations to Saurav for making it to the second final (doubles as well as singles) and we can hear the Greeks cheering, Achilles, Achilles, Achilles, Achilles,..................................
Final scoresheet: Saurav beat Vijay: 6-0,6-0
Today's Upcoming Action:
In 'Mortal Combat' for today, it is the clash of room mates, a platform to settle all the bathroom and kitchen squabbles, as Suchit-Pai clash against the Maratha duo of Parag-Deepan. The closest rivals of all time, these guys practise against each other almost every day and we haven't seen 2 teams so closely matched. Our prediction for the day is expect a gruelling 3-setter. Again for some news from the grape vine, we hear that both the teams have had their own one on one sessions to discuss strategies and more than that, there was an evilous silence in the house yesterday night, as some kind of strategies were being cooked .......... lagta hai poori daal hi kaali hai ......... :-) So be there guys to watch this entertaining 'Muqabla'.
Mr.Weather Man is a bit sad, as he has only a few days of job left, but still he predicts a nice weather for today with temp around the 80 deg and partly cloudy skies. It is going to sweltering as the relative humidity is to stay above 60% for most of the time and the sun sets at 8.17pm. And oh, the Weather Man has been courteous enough to give a traffic update as well. The entry to the tennis courts from Bloomfield Villas was closed in the morning, you might have to use Squirrel Road to reach the courts or else you might as well like to walk down, what say health freaks..................
Friday, August 26, 2005
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Tennis Tournament Day-17
Welcome to the updates for Day 17 of the Tennis Tourney as the Mortal Combat took it's first victim.
Venkat-Saurav vs Subhash-Viru:
As per expectations this match started on a tough note when the first game went for a deuce. Viru kept his service and the Sholay duo took the game. As the match progressed from here on, there were some good hard hits, as both the teams are known to be aggressive. Both Subhash and Saurav are aggressive and agile players at the net. There were a few rallies in between which the ball did not bounce, it was a racquet to racquet rally. Moreover a ball hit to Saurav or Subhash would end the point then and there itself. As both of them got their placements right and hit back hard. But it seemed the Sholay boys had the edge as they went on to lead the first set 2-1 but soon enough our Achilles came to form and Venkat-Saurav were leading 3-2. At 4-4 in the first set, Venkat-Saurav were able to break through Viru-Subhash and took the set 6-4. From then on there was no looking back for them as Venkat-Saurav took 5 games in a row to take a convincing lead in the 2nd set 5-0. Subhash-Viru gave a last ditch attempt and took one game but that was just not enough. A Heartiest Congratulations to the winning team for they make it to the finals of the tourney ........... sahi hai bhidu..
Final Result: Venkat-Saurav beat Subhash-Viru: 6-4,6-1
Today's Upcoming Action:
The Indian inspiration needs to work big time today as Vijay faces the Mighty Achilles, Saurav. Again, 2 contrasting styles of play, Saurav, aggressive, fast and agile and Vijay Mr.Slow but consistent. In all his singles games till now, Saurav has the distinction of not losing more than 2 games per match. Will Vijay be able to break this jinx, will he be able to hit the Achilles heel. Or atleast can he put up a respectable fight like 'Hector', be there at 6pm to witness this amazing encounter.
Venkat-Saurav vs Subhash-Viru:
As per expectations this match started on a tough note when the first game went for a deuce. Viru kept his service and the Sholay duo took the game. As the match progressed from here on, there were some good hard hits, as both the teams are known to be aggressive. Both Subhash and Saurav are aggressive and agile players at the net. There were a few rallies in between which the ball did not bounce, it was a racquet to racquet rally. Moreover a ball hit to Saurav or Subhash would end the point then and there itself. As both of them got their placements right and hit back hard. But it seemed the Sholay boys had the edge as they went on to lead the first set 2-1 but soon enough our Achilles came to form and Venkat-Saurav were leading 3-2. At 4-4 in the first set, Venkat-Saurav were able to break through Viru-Subhash and took the set 6-4. From then on there was no looking back for them as Venkat-Saurav took 5 games in a row to take a convincing lead in the 2nd set 5-0. Subhash-Viru gave a last ditch attempt and took one game but that was just not enough. A Heartiest Congratulations to the winning team for they make it to the finals of the tourney ........... sahi hai bhidu..
Final Result: Venkat-Saurav beat Subhash-Viru: 6-4,6-1
Today's Upcoming Action:
The Indian inspiration needs to work big time today as Vijay faces the Mighty Achilles, Saurav. Again, 2 contrasting styles of play, Saurav, aggressive, fast and agile and Vijay Mr.Slow but consistent. In all his singles games till now, Saurav has the distinction of not losing more than 2 games per match. Will Vijay be able to break this jinx, will he be able to hit the Achilles heel. Or atleast can he put up a respectable fight like 'Hector', be there at 6pm to witness this amazing encounter.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
SORRY!!!
I know these Tennis tournament updates have been killing everyone. But this tournament is talk of the month here! So please bear with me. Plus I am winning!, so its but obvious that I am excited about it :)
Yes, me and Surav won todays semi-final encounter against top seeds Subhash and Viru. So we are all set to play the finals on coming Wednesday. Wish us luck :)
Lots of exciting things are actually happening. As the summer is coming to an end, we are trying to make the most of it. That explains our roaming out almost each weekend, playing tennis almost daily. And to add to all this, I am very busy work-wise too. There is no free time!! I feel sleepy in office daily now, but alas I cant :(. Anyway this was a quick update from my side, hope it alleviates somebit of your anger :)
Almost forgot: I will be joining the DCX softball team for my Director. This too promises to be a lot of fun. Also joined ASHA Detroit, but no contribution timewise as of now. Hoping to get a little free before I plunge into some work for others for a change ;-). Obviously the inspiration for this is Kaddu. And for tennis its Kutty. Hoping to learn enough to give him a good fight once I am back in Swades!!
Yes, me and Surav won todays semi-final encounter against top seeds Subhash and Viru. So we are all set to play the finals on coming Wednesday. Wish us luck :)
Lots of exciting things are actually happening. As the summer is coming to an end, we are trying to make the most of it. That explains our roaming out almost each weekend, playing tennis almost daily. And to add to all this, I am very busy work-wise too. There is no free time!! I feel sleepy in office daily now, but alas I cant :(. Anyway this was a quick update from my side, hope it alleviates somebit of your anger :)
Almost forgot: I will be joining the DCX softball team for my Director. This too promises to be a lot of fun. Also joined ASHA Detroit, but no contribution timewise as of now. Hoping to get a little free before I plunge into some work for others for a change ;-). Obviously the inspiration for this is Kaddu. And for tennis its Kutty. Hoping to learn enough to give him a good fight once I am back in Swades!!
Tennis Tournament - Day 16
Today we start with the 'Mortal Combat' (semifinals) of our tourney. A win here, takes you, just a step away from glory. But a loss here and well I don't think we have a 3rd prize, so you bite the dust. But before we move on here is a small update on the last day of Mahasangraam. The Day 14 of the tourney saw quite a few upsets.
Prashanth vs Subhash:
Prashanth and Subhash continued their game with 1 set each and the 0-0 in the third set. The first six games saw both the players losing their serve and now it was just a matter of who can keep one of his service and get set and the match. Subhash did so, atleast the first step. He kept his serve in the 7th game and took a 4-3 lead but Prashanth was equally determined. he kept his own serve and took the 8th game to make the set 4-4. The points and the games were won by very small margins and after hard fought rallies. It seemed as if this set would take an eternity. Just after 8 games, the set had taken almost an hour. Soon our guys went into a service breaking mode and took the scores to 5-5, It was here that the cool headed Prashanth started scoring. He broke Subhash, took a 6-5 lead and was serving for the match. Subhash gave him some nasty returns and got a few points, but in a game where consistency, stamina and mental fortitude matter, Prashanth had the edge. He got only one match point and did not err in taking it.
Final scoresheet: Prashanth beat Subhash: 3-6,6-3,7-5
Krishna vs Suchit:
In yet another exciting encounter of the day, it was Krishna Beri who got the better of Suchit in a 3 - setter. The highlight of this match was that all the 3 sets took place on the same day. It was an excruciating test of stamina as the 2 battled all the way. It was Krishna took the first set 6-4 only to lose the 2nd one 2-6. Suchit suddenly improved his game. He got his backhand going and was dominating the game. But the test of stamina got better of him, he could not hold on and Krishna took the 3rd set 6-4 to win the match.
Final scoresheet: Krishna beat Suchit: 6-4,2-6,6-4
Vijay vs Shashwath:
The stylish but struggling Vijay finally beat Shashwath. With the scores tied at a one set each, the match started with Vijay leading 3-1 in the third set. Shashwath fought hard but ended up making too many mistakes at crucial points. Nonetheless he still took 4 games in this set, but boss you gotto win 6 games atleast to win a set. It seems the Indian inspiration working ...... enna Vijay????
Final scoresheet: Vijay beat Shashwath: 6-4,4--6,6-4
Today's Upcoming Action:
The Sholay duo of Jay(Subhash)-Viru face the Achilles and his Myrmidon (Saurav-Venkat) in the first one of our Mortal Combat. Both of these are aggressive teams and have won convincingly against their opponents in the previous rounds. They should be equally matched and the encounter should be worth watching. The match starts at 6pm today taking into consideration the early sunsets these days. Be there to cheer our guys, as they sweat it out in the heat today, so what does our weather man have to say.
Prashanth vs Subhash:
Prashanth and Subhash continued their game with 1 set each and the 0-0 in the third set. The first six games saw both the players losing their serve and now it was just a matter of who can keep one of his service and get set and the match. Subhash did so, atleast the first step. He kept his serve in the 7th game and took a 4-3 lead but Prashanth was equally determined. he kept his own serve and took the 8th game to make the set 4-4. The points and the games were won by very small margins and after hard fought rallies. It seemed as if this set would take an eternity. Just after 8 games, the set had taken almost an hour. Soon our guys went into a service breaking mode and took the scores to 5-5, It was here that the cool headed Prashanth started scoring. He broke Subhash, took a 6-5 lead and was serving for the match. Subhash gave him some nasty returns and got a few points, but in a game where consistency, stamina and mental fortitude matter, Prashanth had the edge. He got only one match point and did not err in taking it.
Final scoresheet: Prashanth beat Subhash: 3-6,6-3,7-5
Krishna vs Suchit:
In yet another exciting encounter of the day, it was Krishna Beri who got the better of Suchit in a 3 - setter. The highlight of this match was that all the 3 sets took place on the same day. It was an excruciating test of stamina as the 2 battled all the way. It was Krishna took the first set 6-4 only to lose the 2nd one 2-6. Suchit suddenly improved his game. He got his backhand going and was dominating the game. But the test of stamina got better of him, he could not hold on and Krishna took the 3rd set 6-4 to win the match.
Final scoresheet: Krishna beat Suchit: 6-4,2-6,6-4
Vijay vs Shashwath:
The stylish but struggling Vijay finally beat Shashwath. With the scores tied at a one set each, the match started with Vijay leading 3-1 in the third set. Shashwath fought hard but ended up making too many mistakes at crucial points. Nonetheless he still took 4 games in this set, but boss you gotto win 6 games atleast to win a set. It seems the Indian inspiration working ...... enna Vijay????
Final scoresheet: Vijay beat Shashwath: 6-4,4--6,6-4
Today's Upcoming Action:
The Sholay duo of Jay(Subhash)-Viru face the Achilles and his Myrmidon (Saurav-Venkat) in the first one of our Mortal Combat. Both of these are aggressive teams and have won convincingly against their opponents in the previous rounds. They should be equally matched and the encounter should be worth watching. The match starts at 6pm today taking into consideration the early sunsets these days. Be there to cheer our guys, as they sweat it out in the heat today, so what does our weather man have to say.
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Tennis Tournament - Day 15
Welcome to the Day 15 of the Tourney. Mahasangraam saw two more exciting matches yesterday. Here is the update.
Vijay vs Shashwath:
This one was yet another 3 setter as Shashwath put back his first set defeat to take on the second set. Stylish Vijay started off from where he had left in his first round match. There were slow and long rallies where accuracy mattered more than the pace. Shashwath tried putting the ball on all the places in Vijay's court but Vijay ran hard and returned almost everything thrown at him by Shash. Moreover Shashwath committed a lot of unforced errors. Vijay took the first set 6-4 but Shashwath took the second 6-4. Only 4 games could be completed for the third set after which bad light was called by the Umpires.
Scores till now: Vijay vs Shash: 6-4,4-6,3-1.
Saurav vs Deepan:
Deepan a tired player after his arduous match with Shubha, seemed to be no match to the class of the Achilles. Moreover there were unpredictable winds which seemed to change direction almost every second. Saurav returned everything thrown at him by the Maratha and treated him some immaculate placement for which Deepan had no answer. Deepan was able to take 2 games against him though but well that did not seem to be enough. Saurav won the game in straight sets.
Final Result: Saurav beat Deepan: 6-1,6-1
Today's Upcoming Action:
Today we'll be treated with 3 exciting encounters. Subhash and Prashant face off to continue their match from the 3rd set, the scores are tied at 6-3,3-6.
Vijay and Shashwath will continue their encounter today, hope the Indian inspiration works today.
There were rains earlier today so the courts could be wet but the sun is out now and the courts could dry soon. Strong storms are forecasted for 6 pm today followed by partly cloudy skies later. Temperature to remain around 85 deg and high winds. The sun sets at 8.26 pm today.
Vijay vs Shashwath:
This one was yet another 3 setter as Shashwath put back his first set defeat to take on the second set. Stylish Vijay started off from where he had left in his first round match. There were slow and long rallies where accuracy mattered more than the pace. Shashwath tried putting the ball on all the places in Vijay's court but Vijay ran hard and returned almost everything thrown at him by Shash. Moreover Shashwath committed a lot of unforced errors. Vijay took the first set 6-4 but Shashwath took the second 6-4. Only 4 games could be completed for the third set after which bad light was called by the Umpires.
Scores till now: Vijay vs Shash: 6-4,4-6,3-1.
Saurav vs Deepan:
Deepan a tired player after his arduous match with Shubha, seemed to be no match to the class of the Achilles. Moreover there were unpredictable winds which seemed to change direction almost every second. Saurav returned everything thrown at him by the Maratha and treated him some immaculate placement for which Deepan had no answer. Deepan was able to take 2 games against him though but well that did not seem to be enough. Saurav won the game in straight sets.
Final Result: Saurav beat Deepan: 6-1,6-1
Today's Upcoming Action:
Today we'll be treated with 3 exciting encounters. Subhash and Prashant face off to continue their match from the 3rd set, the scores are tied at 6-3,3-6.
Vijay and Shashwath will continue their encounter today, hope the Indian inspiration works today.
There were rains earlier today so the courts could be wet but the sun is out now and the courts could dry soon. Strong storms are forecasted for 6 pm today followed by partly cloudy skies later. Temperature to remain around 85 deg and high winds. The sun sets at 8.26 pm today.
Monday, August 22, 2005
Tennis Tournament - Day 14
Day 14 of the tourney, proved our prophecies about tough encounters in Mahasangraam right. We could hear this name raging around the court, like an 'Aakashwaani'. Here are the updates.
Deepan vs Shubha:
There are times in sports history, where both opposing players/teams, raise their game to such a level where winning or losing becomes secondary to the quality of the game they display. We as spectators then speculate, why should some one lose, why can't both be the winners. This encounter was a demonstration of this and it was a privilege to watch this game. Deepan and Shubha started from where they had left with scores of 2-6, 4-2. The second set was taken by Deepan 6-3 but that was just the beginning. Shubha fought hard in the first 2 games of set 3, against an opposing wind to win both of them. As the courts changed the Tiger got the advantageous side and won 2 more games. All this while, he had to face some hard hits and accurate placements from the Maratha. Thus the Tiger was leading 4-0 in the third set. At precisely this point Deepan unleashed his deadly game. Amidst long and tiring rallies, Deepan took 3 games on a trot. Even playing against the wind, he was able to hit powerful shots. At 4-3 the set looked evenly balanced. Then the longest game of the match began with Shubha to serve. We had 9 deuces and the advantages shared equally by both the players at 4 each. Shubha took the game finally but he had lost a lot of energy serving almost 24 times in that game. At 3-5 it was Deepan to serve to save the match, he took the game and the scores were at 5-4. Spirited Shubha, served for the match and got one match point but his weariness was evident. He lost the game and the set was even at 5-5. Deepan then got his reserve energies to play and took the set and the match 7-5. Finally, yes, there has to be a winner and there has to be a loser. For Shubha he fought like a tiger, not only against a tough opponent but also against an aching back and shoulder. For Deepan it was a hard fought victory, it was evident in his victory leap after the match. DVD coaching put to test ............. hmmmm.............. :-) .Hats off to both of you. A special thanx to Shubha for playing on the scheduled date against physical difficulties, respecting the schedules.
Final Result:: Deepan beat Shubha: 2-6,6-3,7-5.
Suchit-Pai vs Suraaj-Shashwath:
In yet another excitng encounter yesterday, Suchit-Pai were pitted against Shashwath-Suraaj. Suchit-Pai lived to their reputation initially and took a 3-0 lead in the first set, but Suraaj-Shashwath fought back to level the set 3-3. Then each team took one game at a time. There were long rallies, hard hits and volleys, as both the teams were fighting hard. At 5-5 in the first set, Suchit-Pai, broke through Suraaj-Shashwath to win a cliff-hanger of a set 7-5. There were some costly mistakes at crucial times from Suraaj-Shashwath which costed them the set. But so also was the net game of both Suchit and Pai. Both the players were agile at the net and snatched points from there opponents. The second set saw a bit more domination from Suchit-Pai but the fight was still on with the second set changing from a 4-0 lead for Suchit-Pai to 5-4. Amidst some great action to cap off the match Suraaj-Shashwath fought back a few match points but Suchit-Pai clinged on to win the match.
Final Result: Suchit-Pai beat Suraaj-Shashwath: 7-5, 6-4
Today's Upcoming Action:
In the first game for today, it will be the Stylish Vijay Ratthinam to face Shashwath Shetty in their singles match Shashwath beat Girish and Vijay beat American Pai in their round 1 matches. On the Center Court we heard someone saying 'Shash no big deal, look who I defeated in round 1, American Pai...'
The clash of the Titans continues as The Great Maratha Deepan meets The Achilles, Saurav. Deepan again a buoyant soul after his win yesterday, but has the fight at the back of his mind. Saurav is Mr.Confident after his 2 consecutive victories but this time the opponent is tougher.
Deepan vs Shubha:
There are times in sports history, where both opposing players/teams, raise their game to such a level where winning or losing becomes secondary to the quality of the game they display. We as spectators then speculate, why should some one lose, why can't both be the winners. This encounter was a demonstration of this and it was a privilege to watch this game. Deepan and Shubha started from where they had left with scores of 2-6, 4-2. The second set was taken by Deepan 6-3 but that was just the beginning. Shubha fought hard in the first 2 games of set 3, against an opposing wind to win both of them. As the courts changed the Tiger got the advantageous side and won 2 more games. All this while, he had to face some hard hits and accurate placements from the Maratha. Thus the Tiger was leading 4-0 in the third set. At precisely this point Deepan unleashed his deadly game. Amidst long and tiring rallies, Deepan took 3 games on a trot. Even playing against the wind, he was able to hit powerful shots. At 4-3 the set looked evenly balanced. Then the longest game of the match began with Shubha to serve. We had 9 deuces and the advantages shared equally by both the players at 4 each. Shubha took the game finally but he had lost a lot of energy serving almost 24 times in that game. At 3-5 it was Deepan to serve to save the match, he took the game and the scores were at 5-4. Spirited Shubha, served for the match and got one match point but his weariness was evident. He lost the game and the set was even at 5-5. Deepan then got his reserve energies to play and took the set and the match 7-5. Finally, yes, there has to be a winner and there has to be a loser. For Shubha he fought like a tiger, not only against a tough opponent but also against an aching back and shoulder. For Deepan it was a hard fought victory, it was evident in his victory leap after the match. DVD coaching put to test ............. hmmmm.............. :-) .Hats off to both of you. A special thanx to Shubha for playing on the scheduled date against physical difficulties, respecting the schedules.
Final Result:: Deepan beat Shubha: 2-6,6-3,7-5.
Suchit-Pai vs Suraaj-Shashwath:
In yet another excitng encounter yesterday, Suchit-Pai were pitted against Shashwath-Suraaj. Suchit-Pai lived to their reputation initially and took a 3-0 lead in the first set, but Suraaj-Shashwath fought back to level the set 3-3. Then each team took one game at a time. There were long rallies, hard hits and volleys, as both the teams were fighting hard. At 5-5 in the first set, Suchit-Pai, broke through Suraaj-Shashwath to win a cliff-hanger of a set 7-5. There were some costly mistakes at crucial times from Suraaj-Shashwath which costed them the set. But so also was the net game of both Suchit and Pai. Both the players were agile at the net and snatched points from there opponents. The second set saw a bit more domination from Suchit-Pai but the fight was still on with the second set changing from a 4-0 lead for Suchit-Pai to 5-4. Amidst some great action to cap off the match Suraaj-Shashwath fought back a few match points but Suchit-Pai clinged on to win the match.
Final Result: Suchit-Pai beat Suraaj-Shashwath: 7-5, 6-4
Today's Upcoming Action:
In the first game for today, it will be the Stylish Vijay Ratthinam to face Shashwath Shetty in their singles match Shashwath beat Girish and Vijay beat American Pai in their round 1 matches. On the Center Court we heard someone saying 'Shash no big deal, look who I defeated in round 1, American Pai...'
The clash of the Titans continues as The Great Maratha Deepan meets The Achilles, Saurav. Deepan again a buoyant soul after his win yesterday, but has the fight at the back of his mind. Saurav is Mr.Confident after his 2 consecutive victories but this time the opponent is tougher.
Friday, August 19, 2005
Tennis Tournament - Day 13
Some of the best clashes of the Mahasangraam were witnessed yesterday, on the Day 13, of the Tourney. 3 doubles teams have already made their way to the semifinals, one match today will decide the complete semifinal line up for the tourney. Here are the updates for the yesterday's games.
Saurav-Venkat vs Aakash-Shubha:
The Bengal Tigers are finally hunted down, as their dream run in the tourney, has ended with a defeat at the hands of 'The Achilles' and his 'Myrmidon'. But this was not without a fierce battle. The Tigers had a game plan, they stuck to it and were able to draw the first blood. They were leading 3-0 in the first set, when the tables turned upside down. Saurav-Venkat overwhelmed the Tigers by a continuous 9 game winning streak. They took the first set 6-3 and were leading the second 3-0. All of a sudden both Saurav and Venkat had found their touch while their opponents lost it. The Tigers did not recover from there and it was a straight sets victory for the Saurav-Venkat. Take from this game, there are chinks in Achilles' Armor, but can someone find them.
Final Results: Saurav-Venkat beat Aakash Shubha: 6-3,6-2.
Subhash vs Prashant:
This one was yet another match to watch, as players with contrasting styles and an amazing will to win, faced each other. Both the players kept losing their services initially and the scores were tied at 2-2. At this moment Subhash won 2 games at a stretch and drew the first blood by winning the set 6-3. Apart from the aggressive services by Subhash, there were long rallies which used to go on for more than a minute. Prashant was able to reply some of the most aggressive shots from Subhash, which frustrated the latter. The rallies used to end with one person making a fatal error. This is Prashant's style of play, he was able make Subhash run on the court. As opposed to this Subhash loves to hit a few decisive shots to seal the point. Prashant soon made Subhash play on his terms and took the second set 6-3. At this point the Umpires took a call to continue the match later due to bad light. This is the 2nd, 3 setter of the tourney and above all it is a singles game.
Scores till now: Subhash vs Prashant: 6-3,3-6
Today's upcoming action:
In the first game for the day, it will be Suchit and American Pai taking on Shashwath and Suraaj. Both the teams have had comfortable round 1 matches with straight sets victory on their opponents. Suchit-Pai is yet another strong team but their untested opponents are equally matched as well. Suraaj plays well at the nets and Shashwath can serve fast (need to get it more accurate though). This will be an interesting one.
In the second game of the day, the match between our Bengal Tiger Shubha and Deepan continues the scores currently stand at 6-2, 2-4. This is going to be an interesting one as we might have a prospect of third set..
Saurav-Venkat vs Aakash-Shubha:
The Bengal Tigers are finally hunted down, as their dream run in the tourney, has ended with a defeat at the hands of 'The Achilles' and his 'Myrmidon'. But this was not without a fierce battle. The Tigers had a game plan, they stuck to it and were able to draw the first blood. They were leading 3-0 in the first set, when the tables turned upside down. Saurav-Venkat overwhelmed the Tigers by a continuous 9 game winning streak. They took the first set 6-3 and were leading the second 3-0. All of a sudden both Saurav and Venkat had found their touch while their opponents lost it. The Tigers did not recover from there and it was a straight sets victory for the Saurav-Venkat. Take from this game, there are chinks in Achilles' Armor, but can someone find them.
Final Results: Saurav-Venkat beat Aakash Shubha: 6-3,6-2.
Subhash vs Prashant:
This one was yet another match to watch, as players with contrasting styles and an amazing will to win, faced each other. Both the players kept losing their services initially and the scores were tied at 2-2. At this moment Subhash won 2 games at a stretch and drew the first blood by winning the set 6-3. Apart from the aggressive services by Subhash, there were long rallies which used to go on for more than a minute. Prashant was able to reply some of the most aggressive shots from Subhash, which frustrated the latter. The rallies used to end with one person making a fatal error. This is Prashant's style of play, he was able make Subhash run on the court. As opposed to this Subhash loves to hit a few decisive shots to seal the point. Prashant soon made Subhash play on his terms and took the second set 6-3. At this point the Umpires took a call to continue the match later due to bad light. This is the 2nd, 3 setter of the tourney and above all it is a singles game.
Scores till now: Subhash vs Prashant: 6-3,3-6
Today's upcoming action:
In the first game for the day, it will be Suchit and American Pai taking on Shashwath and Suraaj. Both the teams have had comfortable round 1 matches with straight sets victory on their opponents. Suchit-Pai is yet another strong team but their untested opponents are equally matched as well. Suraaj plays well at the nets and Shashwath can serve fast (need to get it more accurate though). This will be an interesting one.
In the second game of the day, the match between our Bengal Tiger Shubha and Deepan continues the scores currently stand at 6-2, 2-4. This is going to be an interesting one as we might have a prospect of third set..
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Tennis Tournament - Day 12
Welcome to the updates for Day 12 of the tennis tourney. The Mahasangraam, took toll on one more team yesterday and the winners made their way to the semifinals. Here is the update.
Subhash-Viru vs Sanjay-Prakash:
Sanjay-Prakash, before the start of the tournament, were rated as the Underdogs or Average Joes, but they showed their mettle when they handed over a humiliating defeat to VIkram-Viral. Yesterday they were pitted against one of the best in the Center court, but they showed a lot of character and courage. Each point was a fight and each game a struggle. There were rallies where all the players were running throughout the court. But, for Sanjay-Prakash their opponents were far too good. Viru-Subhash won most of these close fought points and kept their heads up. They broke almost all the services from their opponents and kept their own services. This resulted in a straight sets victory for the Sholay duo and secured their semifinal berth.
Final Result: Subhash-Viru beat Sanjay-Prakash: 6-1.6-1
Today's upcoming action:
Today we have 2 games lined up in Mahasangraam. In the first one it is the Bengal Tigers Aakash-Shubha pitted against the formidable duo of Venkat-Saurav in their round 2 doubles match. Aakash and Shubha had a tough round 1 match, it was the first and only 3 setter of the tourney till now. But since then Shubha is going great guns, he has improved his game a lot and given his opponents a run for their money. Aakash seems to be low on practice but he should be able come into his own soon enough. As for Saurav-Venkat, it is the Achilles and his Myrmidon, they have subdued their round 1 opponents without losing a single game, so will the Tigers be the Hunters or the hunted, let time decide.
In the 2nd action for the day the classy and technical Prashant faces the agile and energetic Subhash in their round 2 singles encounter. Both of them are good players and each one has his own strengths/weakness. They have contrasting styles of play as Subhash is more aggressive and attacking whereas Prashant is Mr. Cool , Mr. Slow but Mr. Consistent.
Weather Man forecasts partly cloudy skies with temperatures around 78 deg. Humidity is around 58% and importantly the sun sets at 8.31 pm.
Subhash-Viru vs Sanjay-Prakash:
Sanjay-Prakash, before the start of the tournament, were rated as the Underdogs or Average Joes, but they showed their mettle when they handed over a humiliating defeat to VIkram-Viral. Yesterday they were pitted against one of the best in the Center court, but they showed a lot of character and courage. Each point was a fight and each game a struggle. There were rallies where all the players were running throughout the court. But, for Sanjay-Prakash their opponents were far too good. Viru-Subhash won most of these close fought points and kept their heads up. They broke almost all the services from their opponents and kept their own services. This resulted in a straight sets victory for the Sholay duo and secured their semifinal berth.
Final Result: Subhash-Viru beat Sanjay-Prakash: 6-1.6-1
Today's upcoming action:
Today we have 2 games lined up in Mahasangraam. In the first one it is the Bengal Tigers Aakash-Shubha pitted against the formidable duo of Venkat-Saurav in their round 2 doubles match. Aakash and Shubha had a tough round 1 match, it was the first and only 3 setter of the tourney till now. But since then Shubha is going great guns, he has improved his game a lot and given his opponents a run for their money. Aakash seems to be low on practice but he should be able come into his own soon enough. As for Saurav-Venkat, it is the Achilles and his Myrmidon, they have subdued their round 1 opponents without losing a single game, so will the Tigers be the Hunters or the hunted, let time decide.
In the 2nd action for the day the classy and technical Prashant faces the agile and energetic Subhash in their round 2 singles encounter. Both of them are good players and each one has his own strengths/weakness. They have contrasting styles of play as Subhash is more aggressive and attacking whereas Prashant is Mr. Cool , Mr. Slow but Mr. Consistent.
Weather Man forecasts partly cloudy skies with temperatures around 78 deg. Humidity is around 58% and importantly the sun sets at 8.31 pm.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Tennis Tournament - Day 11
It is a privilige to provide you the details for round 2. Yesterday marked the start of the Mahasangraam and it showed it's flavours. The Day 11 of the Tennis Tourney saw some of the toughest matches yet. Here is the update.
Saurav vs Parag:
Yesterday saw the fall of one more warrior to the Mighty Achilles but this time not without a tough fight. Parag fought valiantly against his mighty competitor and was able to break Saurav's dominating streak. Parag won 2 games against him. This is the first time in the tourney that Saurav has lost any game. The scoresheet shows a dominant win for Saurav but we have seen him sweating and gasping on the court. There were many games which went into deuces and many hard fought rallies. Many points which took our breath away. Both the players were slicing the ball so well that we felt as if they were 'finger spinning' the ball. Saurav stayed cool all through, he did not rush into his shots and did seem to be in a hurry. But he was hitting hard as and when required. Some good volleys, dropshots and some exquisite placement from Saurav won him the match.
Final Result: Saurav beat Parag: 6-0,6-2
Shubha vs Deepan:
Some predators make their prey run and tire before pouncing for the kill. We saw our Bengal Tiger, Shubha doing it all through the match. His placments made Deepan run the entire court end to end and forced him into mistakes. Shubha himself was going great guns and did his part of the running too, but Shubha has a powerful backhand and his placements with the backhand were immaculate as well. The first was dominated by Shubha and he took it 6-2. The second set saw the Maratha coming into his own. Deepan started hitting shots he is known to hit and reduced is unforced errors. He was leading the second set 4-1 and all of a sudden the tables seemed to have turned on Shubha. This game though had to be discontinued due to bad light.
Score as now:Shubha vs Deepan: 6-2,2-4 match to be continued later
Today's Upcoming Action:
In the lone game for today, it will be Sanjay-Prakash against the Sholay duo Viru-Subhash(Jay). Over a period of 2 weeks Sanjay and Prakash have improved their game. Prakash has found a new agility and has started playing well at the net. Sanjay on the other hand has discovered a new and consistent first serve. Both of them can hit the ball hard. For Subhash-Viru are one of the best rated teams for this tourney but I think they have a fight on their hand.
Weather man predicts scattered showers for today with temperatures around 80 degrees. The sunsets at 8.33pm today so guys please be on time for the match.
Saurav vs Parag:
Yesterday saw the fall of one more warrior to the Mighty Achilles but this time not without a tough fight. Parag fought valiantly against his mighty competitor and was able to break Saurav's dominating streak. Parag won 2 games against him. This is the first time in the tourney that Saurav has lost any game. The scoresheet shows a dominant win for Saurav but we have seen him sweating and gasping on the court. There were many games which went into deuces and many hard fought rallies. Many points which took our breath away. Both the players were slicing the ball so well that we felt as if they were 'finger spinning' the ball. Saurav stayed cool all through, he did not rush into his shots and did seem to be in a hurry. But he was hitting hard as and when required. Some good volleys, dropshots and some exquisite placement from Saurav won him the match.
Final Result: Saurav beat Parag: 6-0,6-2
Shubha vs Deepan:
Some predators make their prey run and tire before pouncing for the kill. We saw our Bengal Tiger, Shubha doing it all through the match. His placments made Deepan run the entire court end to end and forced him into mistakes. Shubha himself was going great guns and did his part of the running too, but Shubha has a powerful backhand and his placements with the backhand were immaculate as well. The first was dominated by Shubha and he took it 6-2. The second set saw the Maratha coming into his own. Deepan started hitting shots he is known to hit and reduced is unforced errors. He was leading the second set 4-1 and all of a sudden the tables seemed to have turned on Shubha. This game though had to be discontinued due to bad light.
Score as now:Shubha vs Deepan: 6-2,2-4 match to be continued later
Today's Upcoming Action:
In the lone game for today, it will be Sanjay-Prakash against the Sholay duo Viru-Subhash(Jay). Over a period of 2 weeks Sanjay and Prakash have improved their game. Prakash has found a new agility and has started playing well at the net. Sanjay on the other hand has discovered a new and consistent first serve. Both of them can hit the ball hard. For Subhash-Viru are one of the best rated teams for this tourney but I think they have a fight on their hand.
Weather man predicts scattered showers for today with temperatures around 80 degrees. The sunsets at 8.33pm today so guys please be on time for the match.
Monday, August 15, 2005
Tennis Tournament Day-9
Parag-Deepan vs Girish-Prashant:
Day 9 turned out to be a day of white washes with one team devastating the other. This one was no exception as the Maratha Power reigned supreme. Parag and Deepan had their combination and strategy going right from the word go. They took the first set 6-0 without any pains or fight back. We don't recall any games going into deuces. Soon enough defeat was evident in the body language of Girish and Prashant. But Parag and Deepan also started playing casually, they handed over one game to Girish-Prashant but took the set 6-1 to clinch the match.
Final result: Parag-Deepan beat Girish-Prashant: 6-0,6-1
Saurav-Venkat vs Vijay-Krishna:
In the other white wash of the day, Saurav-Venkat destroyed the challenge from Vijay-Krishna. In just 2 matches of the tourney, Bihari Babu Saurav has earned the reputation of 'The Achilles'. He has the pace, he has the strength, the agility, the stamina and above all the consistency. Moreover he has the Killer Instinct and he is ruthless on his opponents. I felt as if his jersey read NO MERCY. This was his second dominating performance, this time in a doubles game though. As for Venkat all that can be said is that this lad has been practising with 'The Achilles' himself and has developed into a great player. The duo won this match in straight sets without losing a single game.
Final result: Saurav-Venkat beat Vijay-Krishna: 6-0,6-0
Today's upcoming action:
The day of Indian Independence marks the start of round 2 for the tourney which we would like to call the 'Mahasangraam'. With round 1 eliminating the weak links it is now a tussle between the 'Maharathis' to fight for a berth in the semifinals.
In the first of our action for the day, the Peshwa Raosaaheb Parag fights the mighty Achilles, Saurav. We don't think more words are needed for Saurav. As for Parag he is a player of character with great temperament. He can stay cool in demanding situations and give a good fight. But the question is will he be able to hit the 'Achilles' Heel'.
In the second but more intriguing battle, it's again the turn of our Bengal Tiger Shubha who is up against the Great Maratha Deepan. Shubha dominated his singles round one encounter against Sanjay. He is player of courage and accurate placement. He has some strategies up his sleeve too. Deepan is Mr Consistent, Mr.TextBook ........... ab err ......... Mr DVD .......... :-) . His shots are powerful and he can slice and spin the tennis ball. This is going to be an interesting one.
Partly Cloudy skies will look down on the Mahasangraam today with the temperatures around 75 deg. It is going to be a pleasant and not so humid weather with the relative humidity around 50%. Weather man says all is well if it doesn't rain.
Article by Vikram Tungare
Day 9 turned out to be a day of white washes with one team devastating the other. This one was no exception as the Maratha Power reigned supreme. Parag and Deepan had their combination and strategy going right from the word go. They took the first set 6-0 without any pains or fight back. We don't recall any games going into deuces. Soon enough defeat was evident in the body language of Girish and Prashant. But Parag and Deepan also started playing casually, they handed over one game to Girish-Prashant but took the set 6-1 to clinch the match.
Final result: Parag-Deepan beat Girish-Prashant: 6-0,6-1
Saurav-Venkat vs Vijay-Krishna:
In the other white wash of the day, Saurav-Venkat destroyed the challenge from Vijay-Krishna. In just 2 matches of the tourney, Bihari Babu Saurav has earned the reputation of 'The Achilles'. He has the pace, he has the strength, the agility, the stamina and above all the consistency. Moreover he has the Killer Instinct and he is ruthless on his opponents. I felt as if his jersey read NO MERCY. This was his second dominating performance, this time in a doubles game though. As for Venkat all that can be said is that this lad has been practising with 'The Achilles' himself and has developed into a great player. The duo won this match in straight sets without losing a single game.
Final result: Saurav-Venkat beat Vijay-Krishna: 6-0,6-0
Today's upcoming action:
The day of Indian Independence marks the start of round 2 for the tourney which we would like to call the 'Mahasangraam'. With round 1 eliminating the weak links it is now a tussle between the 'Maharathis' to fight for a berth in the semifinals.
In the first of our action for the day, the Peshwa Raosaaheb Parag fights the mighty Achilles, Saurav. We don't think more words are needed for Saurav. As for Parag he is a player of character with great temperament. He can stay cool in demanding situations and give a good fight. But the question is will he be able to hit the 'Achilles' Heel'.
In the second but more intriguing battle, it's again the turn of our Bengal Tiger Shubha who is up against the Great Maratha Deepan. Shubha dominated his singles round one encounter against Sanjay. He is player of courage and accurate placement. He has some strategies up his sleeve too. Deepan is Mr Consistent, Mr.TextBook ........... ab err ......... Mr DVD .......... :-) . His shots are powerful and he can slice and spin the tennis ball. This is going to be an interesting one.
Partly Cloudy skies will look down on the Mahasangraam today with the temperatures around 75 deg. It is going to be a pleasant and not so humid weather with the relative humidity around 50%. Weather man says all is well if it doesn't rain.
Article by Vikram Tungare
Friday, August 12, 2005
Tennis Tournament Day-8
Suraaj-Shashwath vs Algy-Dhiraj:
This turned out to be a good contest. Shashwath served for the first game and the fight began. Shashwath was serving the fastest amongst the 4, but the Old Foxes were successful in returning the ball out of his reach. Moreover he forced himself into a number of double faults. The first set went along with the scores tied at 3-3. At this point Shash came into his own and started covering the whole court, on the baseline. He was ably supported by Suraaj at the net. Suraaj started getting his drop shots right. He made both Dheeraj and Algy run for their shots. The young duo took the set 6-3. In the second set both Algy and Dhiraj tried to put up a fight but the splendor of the youth prevailed. Shashawath double faulted in the 8th game to make the scores 5-3 but by then it was too late, and Suraaj-Shashwath broke in the very next game to win the match.
Final scoresheet: Suraaj-Shashwath beat Algy-Dhiraj: 6-3,6-3.
Shubha vs Sanjay:
This game saw a total domination by the Bengal Tiger. After the first set was tied at 1 game each, Shubha took six games in a row to take the first set 6-1 and lead the second 1-0. Whatever fightback Sanjay had to give came in the 2nd set, he took 3 games in this one. But one interesting statistic says that Sanjay could not hold on to his serve. He lost all the games he had served for and the hence the result was obvious. Shubha took the second set 6-3 to seal the fate for Sanjay.
Final scoresheet: Shubha beat Sanjay: 6-1,6-3
Deepan vs Viru:
If you think we were stingy with our words for the earlier matches here is the reason. This match was an absolute cracker. The players were equally matched. They both played some classic tennis and as if from a rule book, they refrained from playing shots above six feet. This game had all the elements, great service, long rallies, amazing placements and equally amazing returns. Young people learning tennis could have a taken a lot out of this game. As described earlier it was the clash of Titans and a merciless draw forced one of them out of the tourney in round one itself. It was Viru who had to bow out after some consistent and amazing display by the Great Maratha. I think someone was helped by watching the DVD .... kyon Deepan....
Final Scoresheet: Deepan beat Viru: 6-3, 6-3
Today's upcoming action:
Today we have 2 doubles encounters. It will be a an immense powerplay as the Marathas, Parag-Deepan take on the young Carnatic duo of Girish - Prashant. Parag and Deepan is another formidable combination of thie tourney and when they get their acts together, one can only expect the best. On the other hand, Prashant has a singles victory on his mind while Girish is all set to survive this tournament through doubles.
On the other side of the field, Vijay-Krishna take over Venkat-Saurav. Vijay-Krishna seem to be a perfect pair with a steady baseline player VIjay and aggressive Krishna. But beware, those who witnessed Saurav conquering the singles first round match, would surely have to think twice before competing him. To add to this, its Venkat with his powerful and quick reflexes. It is surely going to be a match to watch.
Weather could play a spoil sport today, as our Weather Man cautions, scattered thunderstorms for the evening. Temperature's around 88 deg F and it is going to be humid with 67 % relative humidity and the sun sets today at 8.38 pm today.
Articly By Vikram Tungare
This turned out to be a good contest. Shashwath served for the first game and the fight began. Shashwath was serving the fastest amongst the 4, but the Old Foxes were successful in returning the ball out of his reach. Moreover he forced himself into a number of double faults. The first set went along with the scores tied at 3-3. At this point Shash came into his own and started covering the whole court, on the baseline. He was ably supported by Suraaj at the net. Suraaj started getting his drop shots right. He made both Dheeraj and Algy run for their shots. The young duo took the set 6-3. In the second set both Algy and Dhiraj tried to put up a fight but the splendor of the youth prevailed. Shashawath double faulted in the 8th game to make the scores 5-3 but by then it was too late, and Suraaj-Shashwath broke in the very next game to win the match.
Final scoresheet: Suraaj-Shashwath beat Algy-Dhiraj: 6-3,6-3.
Shubha vs Sanjay:
This game saw a total domination by the Bengal Tiger. After the first set was tied at 1 game each, Shubha took six games in a row to take the first set 6-1 and lead the second 1-0. Whatever fightback Sanjay had to give came in the 2nd set, he took 3 games in this one. But one interesting statistic says that Sanjay could not hold on to his serve. He lost all the games he had served for and the hence the result was obvious. Shubha took the second set 6-3 to seal the fate for Sanjay.
Final scoresheet: Shubha beat Sanjay: 6-1,6-3
Deepan vs Viru:
If you think we were stingy with our words for the earlier matches here is the reason. This match was an absolute cracker. The players were equally matched. They both played some classic tennis and as if from a rule book, they refrained from playing shots above six feet. This game had all the elements, great service, long rallies, amazing placements and equally amazing returns. Young people learning tennis could have a taken a lot out of this game. As described earlier it was the clash of Titans and a merciless draw forced one of them out of the tourney in round one itself. It was Viru who had to bow out after some consistent and amazing display by the Great Maratha. I think someone was helped by watching the DVD .... kyon Deepan....
Final Scoresheet: Deepan beat Viru: 6-3, 6-3
Today's upcoming action:
Today we have 2 doubles encounters. It will be a an immense powerplay as the Marathas, Parag-Deepan take on the young Carnatic duo of Girish - Prashant. Parag and Deepan is another formidable combination of thie tourney and when they get their acts together, one can only expect the best. On the other hand, Prashant has a singles victory on his mind while Girish is all set to survive this tournament through doubles.
On the other side of the field, Vijay-Krishna take over Venkat-Saurav. Vijay-Krishna seem to be a perfect pair with a steady baseline player VIjay and aggressive Krishna. But beware, those who witnessed Saurav conquering the singles first round match, would surely have to think twice before competing him. To add to this, its Venkat with his powerful and quick reflexes. It is surely going to be a match to watch.
Weather could play a spoil sport today, as our Weather Man cautions, scattered thunderstorms for the evening. Temperature's around 88 deg F and it is going to be humid with 67 % relative humidity and the sun sets today at 8.38 pm today.
Articly By Vikram Tungare
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Tennis Tournament Day-7
Saurav vs Aakash :
The lone game on day 7, was marred by an anticlimax as it turned out to be. Mukhi da was no match for the class of our Bihari Babu and took no time to tumble. But Saurav himself was not playing to his full potential. He was a bit hesitant with his shots although his placement was bulls - eye. He ran hard and returned back almost everything thrown at him by dada. There were quite a few hard fought points. So what made this match a one sided affair, well dada again played in his own world of horrors. He was consistently hitting the net or outside. Moreover he failed to take advantage in returning Saurav to his backhand. We think this would have been good ploy against a class player like Saurav. It was a straight sets victory for Saurav.
Final scoresheet: Saurav beat Aakash: 6-0,6-0.
Today's Upcoming Action:
Today we will be treated with not 1, not 2, but 3 games. One doubles encounter and two singles games. In our first attraction for the day. it is youth against experience as Suraaj-Shashwath face off Algy-Dhiraj. Dhiraj and Algy are the Old Foxes of this game and are almost in their 3rd Tennis season. They have taken serious efforts and have been practising hard. This is their first game for the tourney. As for Suraaj - Shashwath both are young and callow, moreover Suraaj has one singles defeat in his memories but Shashwath has one victory to his credit. Again as always it is more of a mental conflict as much as a physical one, so teams get your mindset right and put up a good show.
In the 2nd game of the day, our lone Bengal Tiger Shubha faces Sher-e-Punjab Sanjay Sharma in their round 1 singles match. Sanjay is high on confidence due to his doubles victory but so is Shubha. The news around the court is that both of them have formulated a strategy against each other .... umm hmm .... daal mein kuchh kaala hai...
And in the third game today which I would call the clash of the Titans, it is a showdown between The Great Maratha Deepan Choudhary and our very own Viru paaji. Viru paaji is a tough competitor, his combination with Subhash (Jay Paaji) has been working good. On the other hand Deepan is again a technical by the book guy. Another news hovering around the center court says someone has been watching 'How to Play Tennis' DVD twice, thrice and over .........
All the Best to all of you guys.
Weather man cautions a cloudy sky today with the sunset at 8.40 pm. There are low winds, humidity around 53% and temperatures about 78deg. He advises a timely start to the games.
Article by Vikram Tungare
The lone game on day 7, was marred by an anticlimax as it turned out to be. Mukhi da was no match for the class of our Bihari Babu and took no time to tumble. But Saurav himself was not playing to his full potential. He was a bit hesitant with his shots although his placement was bulls - eye. He ran hard and returned back almost everything thrown at him by dada. There were quite a few hard fought points. So what made this match a one sided affair, well dada again played in his own world of horrors. He was consistently hitting the net or outside. Moreover he failed to take advantage in returning Saurav to his backhand. We think this would have been good ploy against a class player like Saurav. It was a straight sets victory for Saurav.
Final scoresheet: Saurav beat Aakash: 6-0,6-0.
Today's Upcoming Action:
Today we will be treated with not 1, not 2, but 3 games. One doubles encounter and two singles games. In our first attraction for the day. it is youth against experience as Suraaj-Shashwath face off Algy-Dhiraj. Dhiraj and Algy are the Old Foxes of this game and are almost in their 3rd Tennis season. They have taken serious efforts and have been practising hard. This is their first game for the tourney. As for Suraaj - Shashwath both are young and callow, moreover Suraaj has one singles defeat in his memories but Shashwath has one victory to his credit. Again as always it is more of a mental conflict as much as a physical one, so teams get your mindset right and put up a good show.
In the 2nd game of the day, our lone Bengal Tiger Shubha faces Sher-e-Punjab Sanjay Sharma in their round 1 singles match. Sanjay is high on confidence due to his doubles victory but so is Shubha. The news around the court is that both of them have formulated a strategy against each other .... umm hmm .... daal mein kuchh kaala hai...
And in the third game today which I would call the clash of the Titans, it is a showdown between The Great Maratha Deepan Choudhary and our very own Viru paaji. Viru paaji is a tough competitor, his combination with Subhash (Jay Paaji) has been working good. On the other hand Deepan is again a technical by the book guy. Another news hovering around the center court says someone has been watching 'How to Play Tennis' DVD twice, thrice and over .........
All the Best to all of you guys.
Weather man cautions a cloudy sky today with the sunset at 8.40 pm. There are low winds, humidity around 53% and temperatures about 78deg. He advises a timely start to the games.
Article by Vikram Tungare
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Tennis Tournament Day-6
Suchit - Pai and Abhishek - Rakesh:
Buoyant Suchit was able to pull Pai along with him to win this game in straight sets. But it was not an easy one for them. Abhishek and Rakesh were chipping in with good shots and as we could we see, Pai was still feeling the pressure till the time the first set was won. Once this happened American Pai came out of his self-dug grave and started moving his feet freely on the court. In the second set we saw what we expected of Pai, athletic, focussed and emotional. Suchit, Mr.Ice Man was going good on the other end. As far as Abhishek and Rakesh go, we think they missed out on practice. 3-4 days more and they could have put up a better show. Nonetheless they showed their will to fight, when they fought back from 7 match points to stay in the game just that little longer. One more good point was that all the players were relaxed especially in the second set and were not playing in their shell.
Final scoresheet: Suchit - Pai beat Abhishek - Rakesh: 6-2, 6-1
Today's upcoming action:
Again today we have only one match for the day but guess what this is going to be a crazy one. Be ready to watch the show down between 'Babu Moushaai' Aakash Mukherjee and 'Bihari Babu' Saurav Snehvrat. Mukhi da is known for his styles and strategies and of course he has one hard fought double's victory at the back of his mind. As for Saurav he is a player to reckon with, he is a class apart and plays some amazing tennis but man please get your mindset right.
It's again a sunny forecast from our weather man, with humidity hovering around 55%, so it's going to be pretty humid too.
Article by Vikram Tungare
Buoyant Suchit was able to pull Pai along with him to win this game in straight sets. But it was not an easy one for them. Abhishek and Rakesh were chipping in with good shots and as we could we see, Pai was still feeling the pressure till the time the first set was won. Once this happened American Pai came out of his self-dug grave and started moving his feet freely on the court. In the second set we saw what we expected of Pai, athletic, focussed and emotional. Suchit, Mr.Ice Man was going good on the other end. As far as Abhishek and Rakesh go, we think they missed out on practice. 3-4 days more and they could have put up a better show. Nonetheless they showed their will to fight, when they fought back from 7 match points to stay in the game just that little longer. One more good point was that all the players were relaxed especially in the second set and were not playing in their shell.
Final scoresheet: Suchit - Pai beat Abhishek - Rakesh: 6-2, 6-1
Today's upcoming action:
Again today we have only one match for the day but guess what this is going to be a crazy one. Be ready to watch the show down between 'Babu Moushaai' Aakash Mukherjee and 'Bihari Babu' Saurav Snehvrat. Mukhi da is known for his styles and strategies and of course he has one hard fought double's victory at the back of his mind. As for Saurav he is a player to reckon with, he is a class apart and plays some amazing tennis but man please get your mindset right.
It's again a sunny forecast from our weather man, with humidity hovering around 55%, so it's going to be pretty humid too.
Article by Vikram Tungare
Monday, August 08, 2005
Tennis Tournament Day-5
Vijay vs Pai:
'Slow and steady wins the race' was perhaps the apt description for this encounter. Both the players were taking it easy, they were refraining from hard hits and volleys. This ensued a battle of long and slow rallies and it felt like a badminton game. There was tension in the air all the while and we could smell it. The generally flourishing and hard hitting American Pai was on the backfoot, trying to play conservative and correct, instead of being aggressive, which is his strength. This perhaps forced him into a number of unforced errors. He lost the first set 6-3 and was down in the second 5-0 just when VJ had a moment of horror. While playing a shot he injured right leg and our own Dr. Ali Irani (Bhaskar Krishna) had to be called in. This was a moment which Pai should have seized. But as they say 'Mental injury is worst than physical one'. Limping Vijay was still able to hold on to his nerves and eventhough he lost 3 games in a row, he came back in the 9th game to clinch the match, thanx to his inspiration .....
Final scoresheet: Vijay beat Pai: 6-3,6-3
Shashwat vs Girish:
This I felt was tougher game. Again the same mistake made by both the players, playing in their shell and not playing their natural game. Shashwath, Mr Fast Serve was serving pathetically slow. It felt as if a Ferrari was being pulled by bulls. Nonetheless Girish was happy to return the ball equally slow. Shashwath did chip in with some rapid serves later in the game. But again I should say it was Girish's unforced errors which helped Shashwath. The players seemed to be equally matched but Shashwath attacked Girish's weak backhand and won the game.
Final scoresheet: Shashwath beat Girish; 6-4, 6-2
Today's upcoming excitement:
Today it is a clash of the old friends as Suchit - Pai faceoff with Abhishek - Rakesh. Suchit and Pai are rated again as one of the Top teams second only to Subhash and Viru. They have been playing good in practice matches. Suchit is buoyant with his singles victory over Viral but Pai has to get yesterday's game off his mind. As for Abhishek and Rakesh, well Rakesh used to be seen on the tennis courts but we never had a chance to see Abhishek's game. So is there a surprise package in store??? We'll let time decide that.
Weather Man says sunny skies for today with mild winds.
Article by Vikram Tungare
'Slow and steady wins the race' was perhaps the apt description for this encounter. Both the players were taking it easy, they were refraining from hard hits and volleys. This ensued a battle of long and slow rallies and it felt like a badminton game. There was tension in the air all the while and we could smell it. The generally flourishing and hard hitting American Pai was on the backfoot, trying to play conservative and correct, instead of being aggressive, which is his strength. This perhaps forced him into a number of unforced errors. He lost the first set 6-3 and was down in the second 5-0 just when VJ had a moment of horror. While playing a shot he injured right leg and our own Dr. Ali Irani (Bhaskar Krishna) had to be called in. This was a moment which Pai should have seized. But as they say 'Mental injury is worst than physical one'. Limping Vijay was still able to hold on to his nerves and eventhough he lost 3 games in a row, he came back in the 9th game to clinch the match, thanx to his inspiration .....
Final scoresheet: Vijay beat Pai: 6-3,6-3
Shashwat vs Girish:
This I felt was tougher game. Again the same mistake made by both the players, playing in their shell and not playing their natural game. Shashwath, Mr Fast Serve was serving pathetically slow. It felt as if a Ferrari was being pulled by bulls. Nonetheless Girish was happy to return the ball equally slow. Shashwath did chip in with some rapid serves later in the game. But again I should say it was Girish's unforced errors which helped Shashwath. The players seemed to be equally matched but Shashwath attacked Girish's weak backhand and won the game.
Final scoresheet: Shashwath beat Girish; 6-4, 6-2
Today's upcoming excitement:
Today it is a clash of the old friends as Suchit - Pai faceoff with Abhishek - Rakesh. Suchit and Pai are rated again as one of the Top teams second only to Subhash and Viru. They have been playing good in practice matches. Suchit is buoyant with his singles victory over Viral but Pai has to get yesterday's game off his mind. As for Abhishek and Rakesh, well Rakesh used to be seen on the tennis courts but we never had a chance to see Abhishek's game. So is there a surprise package in store??? We'll let time decide that.
Weather Man says sunny skies for today with mild winds.
Article by Vikram Tungare
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Tennis Tournament Day-4
Subhash - Viru (Jay/Viru) vs Ganesh/Sriraj:
As we had earlier pointed out this was a contest to watch. The scoresheet though does not do any justice. It looks like a straight set victory for the Sholay duo but we as spectators know, how hard the fight went for each point, each game. We had far too many deuces and rallies which seemed to go on for ages. For the first time in this tourney, both the teams were not playing within their shell, they were aggressive and ruthless on their opponents. Subhash played some exquisite volleys which returned with equal vigour by both the opponents. In the end it seemed as if Subhash had learnt his lessons from the singles game. His game inspired Viru as well and the victory was theirs.
Final scoresheet: Subhash - Viru beat Ganesh ? Sriraj: 6-1, 6-3
Sanjay-Prakash vs Vikram-Viral:
If I had to write a headline for this it would say ? Mumbai and Jamnagar lashed out by Torrential rains from the North ??????? ?. Yes it was a total disaster and a lackluster performance from the Westerners as Prakash and Sanjay crushed them to a straight set victory. It was perhaps the shortest match of the tourney. There was no real fight back from Viral-Vikram. It was hard to believe that this was the same duo who had beaten Prakash ? Sanjay from 2-4 down to 6-4 up in one of the practice encounters. All in all, a disappointing scoresheet and a poor show.
Final scoresheet: Sanjay-Prakash vs Vikram-Viral: 6-0,6-0.
Today's upcoming action:
Well we have 2 singles games today as the stylish Vijay Ratthinam faces American Pai. Pai is an ever exciting player to watch putting all the emotions into his game nonetheless both are good competitors and VJ has some inspiration back home which might help him win ?.now what?s that don?t ask me.
In the second encounter Rakshas Raaj Girishaasur (Girish Swamy) faces the Mr Fast Serve Shashwat Shetty. Shashwat is known to hit a very fast first serve although he needs an improvement in his overall game. As far as Girish goes, he is again one of our Mr. Classical and Clinical.
Once again a sunny day for our games today.
Article By - Vikram
As we had earlier pointed out this was a contest to watch. The scoresheet though does not do any justice. It looks like a straight set victory for the Sholay duo but we as spectators know, how hard the fight went for each point, each game. We had far too many deuces and rallies which seemed to go on for ages. For the first time in this tourney, both the teams were not playing within their shell, they were aggressive and ruthless on their opponents. Subhash played some exquisite volleys which returned with equal vigour by both the opponents. In the end it seemed as if Subhash had learnt his lessons from the singles game. His game inspired Viru as well and the victory was theirs.
Final scoresheet: Subhash - Viru beat Ganesh ? Sriraj: 6-1, 6-3
Sanjay-Prakash vs Vikram-Viral:
If I had to write a headline for this it would say ? Mumbai and Jamnagar lashed out by Torrential rains from the North ??????? ?. Yes it was a total disaster and a lackluster performance from the Westerners as Prakash and Sanjay crushed them to a straight set victory. It was perhaps the shortest match of the tourney. There was no real fight back from Viral-Vikram. It was hard to believe that this was the same duo who had beaten Prakash ? Sanjay from 2-4 down to 6-4 up in one of the practice encounters. All in all, a disappointing scoresheet and a poor show.
Final scoresheet: Sanjay-Prakash vs Vikram-Viral: 6-0,6-0.
Today's upcoming action:
Well we have 2 singles games today as the stylish Vijay Ratthinam faces American Pai. Pai is an ever exciting player to watch putting all the emotions into his game nonetheless both are good competitors and VJ has some inspiration back home which might help him win ?.now what?s that don?t ask me.
In the second encounter Rakshas Raaj Girishaasur (Girish Swamy) faces the Mr Fast Serve Shashwat Shetty. Shashwat is known to hit a very fast first serve although he needs an improvement in his overall game. As far as Girish goes, he is again one of our Mr. Classical and Clinical.
Once again a sunny day for our games today.
Article By - Vikram
Friday, August 05, 2005
Tennis Tournament Day-3
Tigers Roar to a victory:
The cliff hanger was finally resolved when the Bengal Tigers finally silenced the Carnatic music. But I think the echos of the music are still ringing in their ears. Aakash - Shubha were able to get better of Sesha - Pavan in 2 straight games. Although it looks like an anticlimax but the Tigers know what they had to go thru. Nonetheless this should give the Tigers a good confidence boost for their next encounter. I believe they will learn from their past mistakes. Once again Thanx a lot guys for putting up a good show and also to the Umpires to have taken good calls at right times.
Final result: Aakash - Shubha beat Sesha Pavan: 1-6,6-3, 9-7
Viral vs Suchit:
This match was supposed to be another tough encounter considering the fact that both players are not supposed to be agile on the field. But it turned out that Suchit had his energies reserved for the match. He was running hard and it reminded me of Arjuna Ranatunga. Moreover there were some unforced errors on Viral's part which helped Suchit on his way to victory. Suddenly the odds stacked against Suchit have reduced and his doubles combo with Pai seems to be a formidable one.
Final result: Suchit beat Viral: 6-1, 6-0
Vikram vs Krishna Beri:
This one was a keenly contested encounter. As it turned out both players played a pretty conservative game. They were not serving hard and were interested in slow rallies rather than putting in some quick decisive shots. No volley, no dropshots, all in all a lacklustre straightforward game. Well what decided the outcome. It were Krishna's few superb services, coupled with some exquisite returns for which Vikram had no answer. Moreover there were some crucial unforced errors from Vikram. This coupled with a poor back hand gave Krishna the edge that he needed to win the match. Vikram gave a good fight back all through. He was able to stretch the second set to the 12th game but Mr.Vikram it takes a little more to make a champion.
final result: Krishna beat Vikram: 6-4, 7-5
Today's upcoming action:
Today we have 2 doubles encounters and the one to really watch out for is the one between Subhash-Viru and Ganesh-Sriraj looks like a south zone final. Subhash and Viru are rated as perhaps the best team in doubles but mind you Ganesh and Sriraj have been practising hard and the ones who have played against them, have seen a huge improvement in their game. They have the ability to hit hard and their combo seems to be working good on the courts.
The second one will be another exciting contest as the West zone (Viral & Vikram) face the north zone (Sanjay & Prakash). These teams are again well matched but Sanjay and Prakash have got their acts together in practice and will face weary opponents in the form of Viral and Vikram. It will be an acid test for the Westerners to get their mood up and play this one. Remember Westerners this your only chance to stay in the tourney.
Again the quote from weather man is that the rain is still in Spain and it should be sunny on the courts.
Article By - Vikram Tungare
The cliff hanger was finally resolved when the Bengal Tigers finally silenced the Carnatic music. But I think the echos of the music are still ringing in their ears. Aakash - Shubha were able to get better of Sesha - Pavan in 2 straight games. Although it looks like an anticlimax but the Tigers know what they had to go thru. Nonetheless this should give the Tigers a good confidence boost for their next encounter. I believe they will learn from their past mistakes. Once again Thanx a lot guys for putting up a good show and also to the Umpires to have taken good calls at right times.
Final result: Aakash - Shubha beat Sesha Pavan: 1-6,6-3, 9-7
Viral vs Suchit:
This match was supposed to be another tough encounter considering the fact that both players are not supposed to be agile on the field. But it turned out that Suchit had his energies reserved for the match. He was running hard and it reminded me of Arjuna Ranatunga. Moreover there were some unforced errors on Viral's part which helped Suchit on his way to victory. Suddenly the odds stacked against Suchit have reduced and his doubles combo with Pai seems to be a formidable one.
Final result: Suchit beat Viral: 6-1, 6-0
Vikram vs Krishna Beri:
This one was a keenly contested encounter. As it turned out both players played a pretty conservative game. They were not serving hard and were interested in slow rallies rather than putting in some quick decisive shots. No volley, no dropshots, all in all a lacklustre straightforward game. Well what decided the outcome. It were Krishna's few superb services, coupled with some exquisite returns for which Vikram had no answer. Moreover there were some crucial unforced errors from Vikram. This coupled with a poor back hand gave Krishna the edge that he needed to win the match. Vikram gave a good fight back all through. He was able to stretch the second set to the 12th game but Mr.Vikram it takes a little more to make a champion.
final result: Krishna beat Vikram: 6-4, 7-5
Today's upcoming action:
Today we have 2 doubles encounters and the one to really watch out for is the one between Subhash-Viru and Ganesh-Sriraj looks like a south zone final. Subhash and Viru are rated as perhaps the best team in doubles but mind you Ganesh and Sriraj have been practising hard and the ones who have played against them, have seen a huge improvement in their game. They have the ability to hit hard and their combo seems to be working good on the courts.
The second one will be another exciting contest as the West zone (Viral & Vikram) face the north zone (Sanjay & Prakash). These teams are again well matched but Sanjay and Prakash have got their acts together in practice and will face weary opponents in the form of Viral and Vikram. It will be an acid test for the Westerners to get their mood up and play this one. Remember Westerners this your only chance to stay in the tourney.
Again the quote from weather man is that the rain is still in Spain and it should be sunny on the courts.
Article By - Vikram Tungare
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Tennis Tournament Day-2
Aakash - Shubha vs Sesha - Pavan:
It is said that competition brings the best out of us and our guys proved it. It was a tough encounter which hasn't finished yet !!! Sesha - Pavan dominated the first set with a mix of some classic dropshots and hard hitting. Both players played well at the nets which was found wanting from their opponents. Sesha - Pavan took the set 6-3. The nerves had got to the Bengal Tigers and they seemed to be tamed, but not for long. In the very next set they roared back. The tigers raised their game to a new level and clinched the set 6-1. So in the 2nd day and round 1 of this tourney we had a 3 setter. The tigers continued their form of the 2nd set to lead the third set 4-1 when things started to change. The Carnatic duo started giving an amazing fight back and soon enough they levelled the set at 5-5, the score sheet read something like this 1-4, 2-4, 3-4, 3-5, 4-5, 5-5 ????? It was a treat to watch for us spectators and now it was no more a physical game but a mental contest. Who can hold on, who can fightback, who can win? There were moments of anxiety, ecstasy and emotional frenzy. These engulfed all of us watching as well. A commendable job for the referees who kept their cool all through. The battle raged for 4 more games. Sesha - Pavan fought off 3 match points with the third set tied at 7-7 after which the game had to be called off due to bad light. This match will continue today at 7 pm so be there and don't miss the excitement. And oh.. lest I forget thank you Mr. Rain God for going to Spain (that's too far off .... OK Rochester ... well I donno ... :-) )
Today's upcoming action:
Today, 2 room mates have their first encounter with destiny as Vikram faces Krishna Beri and Viral faces Suchit resply. in their singles encounters. It is going to be more of a surprise package match as we have seen all these guys practise on the courts and each one, on his day has shown 'Hum kisise kam nahi'. Also dont miss out the continuation of Aakash - Shubha against Sesha - Pavan.
Weather man says Make Hay coz the Sun will Shine.
Article by - Vikram Tungare
It is said that competition brings the best out of us and our guys proved it. It was a tough encounter which hasn't finished yet !!! Sesha - Pavan dominated the first set with a mix of some classic dropshots and hard hitting. Both players played well at the nets which was found wanting from their opponents. Sesha - Pavan took the set 6-3. The nerves had got to the Bengal Tigers and they seemed to be tamed, but not for long. In the very next set they roared back. The tigers raised their game to a new level and clinched the set 6-1. So in the 2nd day and round 1 of this tourney we had a 3 setter. The tigers continued their form of the 2nd set to lead the third set 4-1 when things started to change. The Carnatic duo started giving an amazing fight back and soon enough they levelled the set at 5-5, the score sheet read something like this 1-4, 2-4, 3-4, 3-5, 4-5, 5-5 ????? It was a treat to watch for us spectators and now it was no more a physical game but a mental contest. Who can hold on, who can fightback, who can win? There were moments of anxiety, ecstasy and emotional frenzy. These engulfed all of us watching as well. A commendable job for the referees who kept their cool all through. The battle raged for 4 more games. Sesha - Pavan fought off 3 match points with the third set tied at 7-7 after which the game had to be called off due to bad light. This match will continue today at 7 pm so be there and don't miss the excitement. And oh.. lest I forget thank you Mr. Rain God for going to Spain (that's too far off .... OK Rochester ... well I donno ... :-) )
Today's upcoming action:
Today, 2 room mates have their first encounter with destiny as Vikram faces Krishna Beri and Viral faces Suchit resply. in their singles encounters. It is going to be more of a surprise package match as we have seen all these guys practise on the courts and each one, on his day has shown 'Hum kisise kam nahi'. Also dont miss out the continuation of Aakash - Shubha against Sesha - Pavan.
Weather man says Make Hay coz the Sun will Shine.
Article by - Vikram Tungare
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Tennis Tournament Day-1
Subhash vs Diwakar:
This game was a total anticlimax. Subhash dominated the game and the only real challenge he received were few of the great shots hit by Diwakar which fetched him 2 games in the second set. But Subhash is a great competitor and Diwakar played with great heart against him. Take from the game; Well, as for Subhash, the Doctor advises 'Boss please get your first serve right and play your natural game', I think that should help him win matches more easily, moreover as we progress the competition will get intense. All in all a one sided game in the end. As aptly stated by Subhash 'it was a cake walk'.
Match Summary Subhash defeated Diwakar: 6-0, 6-2.
Prashant vs Suraaj:
I thought this was the toughest match in round 1. Both these players were equally matched. They have their own strengths and weaknesses but both of them are agile on the court and have a good stamina. Prashant plays the clinical, by the book kind of tennis and is away from flourishes whereas Suraaj has a good serve and volley and can hit the ball hard and accurate. The match was contested well, with both players playing their skin out. Infact Suraaj rallied well to go from 4-0 down in 2nd set to tie the set at 5-5. At one point Suraaj won 3 consecutive games to go from 5-2 to 5-5. But finally, it was Suraaj who is still callow, fell to Prashant's resilience. It was a pleasure to watch this young blood come good.
Match summary Prashant beat Suraaj: 6-4, 7-5.
Today's upcoming game:
The double's games start from today and the first match is where the Bengal Tigers Aakash - Shubha face some Classical Carnatic music in the form of Sesha - Pavan. Aakash and Shubha have the flurry of youth on their side. Their game is full of flourishes and should be really exciting to watch them. But watch out boys, Sesha - Pavan have pretty cool heads on their shoulders, they are clinical in their play but can hit shots which might take you on the back foot.
I hope the Rain Gods don't play a spoil sport today, as our weather man cautions; scattered thundershowers.
Article By - Vikram Tungare
This game was a total anticlimax. Subhash dominated the game and the only real challenge he received were few of the great shots hit by Diwakar which fetched him 2 games in the second set. But Subhash is a great competitor and Diwakar played with great heart against him. Take from the game; Well, as for Subhash, the Doctor advises 'Boss please get your first serve right and play your natural game', I think that should help him win matches more easily, moreover as we progress the competition will get intense. All in all a one sided game in the end. As aptly stated by Subhash 'it was a cake walk'.
Match Summary Subhash defeated Diwakar: 6-0, 6-2.
Prashant vs Suraaj:
I thought this was the toughest match in round 1. Both these players were equally matched. They have their own strengths and weaknesses but both of them are agile on the court and have a good stamina. Prashant plays the clinical, by the book kind of tennis and is away from flourishes whereas Suraaj has a good serve and volley and can hit the ball hard and accurate. The match was contested well, with both players playing their skin out. Infact Suraaj rallied well to go from 4-0 down in 2nd set to tie the set at 5-5. At one point Suraaj won 3 consecutive games to go from 5-2 to 5-5. But finally, it was Suraaj who is still callow, fell to Prashant's resilience. It was a pleasure to watch this young blood come good.
Match summary Prashant beat Suraaj: 6-4, 7-5.
Today's upcoming game:
The double's games start from today and the first match is where the Bengal Tigers Aakash - Shubha face some Classical Carnatic music in the form of Sesha - Pavan. Aakash and Shubha have the flurry of youth on their side. Their game is full of flourishes and should be really exciting to watch them. But watch out boys, Sesha - Pavan have pretty cool heads on their shoulders, they are clinical in their play but can hit shots which might take you on the back foot.
I hope the Rain Gods don't play a spoil sport today, as our weather man cautions; scattered thundershowers.
Article By - Vikram Tungare
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