What happened to Roger Federer

Being a Roger Federer fan, i just could not digest that he could ever lose a Wimbledon match. I just did not have the heart to watch him suffer silently in the match. The forlorn look he wore at the presentation ceremony gave it away. In fact, except for a brief period when he came back from the brink in the third set to win, he did not look like the old Federer, we are used to watching. Federer's tennis reminds one of John Keats's famous poem 'A thing of beauty is joy for ever'. The way Federer plays tennis is indeed a joy for ever. He is just poetry in motion. The racquet appears like an extension of his arm and his movement is like a gazelle around the court. The slowmo ad of Federer for Rolex showcasing his movement is a sight to behold. Federer's game is pleasing to the eye. The connoisseurs, the cynics and the ordinary public loved to watch him play.

But how long can somebody carry one like this. Father time has caught up with him. Now younger legs are starting to catch him. Nadal and Djokovic are two formidable adversaries he has to contend with from now on, even though the former has been around for quite some time. It is looking like Federer is not enjoying himself as he used to when he was winning everything. This year, particularly, he has looked very vulnerable. From now on every other tennis player would be looking forward to defeat him in a tennis court, which till recently, was only a dream, which could never be fulfilled.

Now that Federer has lost at Wimbledon, I hope that he retires immediately from professional tennis. Fans of Federer would not like to watch him losing to all and sundry. Federer must forget about records. Records are nothing when compared to the pleasure one had while witnessing his matches. Now-a-days he looks like any other tennis player not the divine one he was a few months ago. Roger, we dont like you to labour around in the court. Thanks for the pleasure you gave us all these years. It was sublime tennis not witnessed by me at least, for all these years i have been watching tennis on television.

Blog for foodies

I happened to search for a dish's name which was referred to by my friend. I came across this blog which has some wonderful recipes -------- http://akshayapaatram.blogspot.com/. Hope u find it useful. It does contain links to quite a number of related blogs -------- http://akshayapaatram.blogspot.com/2007/06/pantry-essentials.html It is quite amazing to note that there is such a lot of information available on the net, which should be of great use to many. Happy cooking and eating.

Tour de France

The Tour de France is one of the most exciting and fasinating sporting spectacles that I look forward to watching every year, on television. I have been watching Tour de France for the past 10 years. I just love watching the tour. You get to watch France in great detail during the three weeks that the tour progresses through the entire length and breath of France.

The number of people who come out in the open to watch the tour is simply great. The french people really love the tour and millions of them are out on the road to watch the tour. It is a indeed a great spectacle. You get to see various castles (chateau or chateaux) built as early as the fifteen century, right across france. They are simply breathtaking. You also pass through various small towns with their unique architecture, age old buildings, breathtaking country side with huge fields, forests, mountains, valleys etc.

No doubt the tour is so popular right across the world. I am a bit disappointed with its coverage in the print media and television media in India. They just do not give enough coverage to the tour. They just keep highlighting only the negatives of the tour viz., the doping countroversies etc.

Leave aside the media coverage, any body who gets a chance to watch it, better watch it. You will love it. It is one of the most grueling sporting events held every year. The tour offers everything to different kinds of riders, yellow jersey for the overall leader, green jersey for the sprinters, polka dot jersey for the king of the mountains and white jersey for the best young rider. Apart from the scenic beauty, you get to see some breathtaking cycling. The riders have to ride an average of nearly 200 to 250 kms everyday for nearly three weeks. The speeds at which the riders cycle is also incredible reaching nearly 70 to 80 kms per hour. At times their heart rate touches nearly 170 to 180 beats per minute generating a power of nearly 800 watts, which is quite incredible.

The best part of the race is the one which takes place in the Alps and Pyrenees mountains, where one gets to see the breathtaking valleys, mountains.

During this period, the likely winning group of riders get away from rest of the riders and at times there is a time lag of nearly 2 hours between the winner and the ones who form the rear of the race. In the flatter course of the race, the Peleton (the largest bunch of riders who keep riding together) is a sight to behold. The manner in which the Peleton devours the break away group of riders is awesome. It is very rare that any rider can actually win a stage by breaking away from the main Peleton.

The last stage of the race is in Paris, where one gets to see the riders cycling around Champs - Elysees, which is again a sight to beyold. I am looking forward to watching the tour over the next three weeks. My only wish is to visit France and get to see the places. I am really looking forward to it. I happened to vist google.com/tourdefrance2008 which is also quite breathtaking to watch.

I am not sure if there is any such tour which is available in India which can showcase the entire landscape of the country. I hope one such event can be held in India also, which has got even greater diversity when compared to france.