PETE SAMPRAS - TENNIS' GREATEST

The retired U.S. tennis legend Pete Sampras shocked the present World No. 1 Roger Federer Saturday by 7-6, 6-4 in the Venetian Macao Tennis Showdown, the last stop of their Asian exhibition match tour.

"I guess it's one for the old guys," Sampras joked at the award ceremony. He said at the press conference later on, "I made it competitive and I am serving very well."

"Pistol Pete" displays his trademark serves and volleys Saturday. The former world top player won the first set on a tie-break by 10-8 when neither player could reach a break of serve.

Sampras got the first but vital break of the match at 4-4 in the second set and went straight for the victory by 6-4.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I am not coming back, " Sampras said when asked about whether he would return from retirement.

36-year-old Sampras, who retired from professional tennis five years ago, had won a record 14 Grand Slams.

Pete Sampras has defeated Roger Federer in the final of their three scheduled matches this time in Macau. Sampras took it to Federer in straight sets winning 7-6(10-8), 6-4 in 70 minutes.

I have to say, well done Pete Sampras. Bravo. This is truly an extroadinary sporting achievement in time and in the modern game of tennis. Whether or not Roger Federer played at his absolute best is irrelevant, Pete Sampras after five years out of the game has defeated the grand master, where others have failed and failed again.

Sampras who fired down a number of trademark his massive serves put the current world number one into severe difficulty. Federer who was defeated by Sampras in the final of the three match series said that "Sampras could still be a top five player"...try a number one player Roger!

But in all seriousness Sampras has done very well in the shorter version of the game and to his credit notched up a victory. The 36 year old Sampras, who at times pumped out some major first serves at up to 210 km/hr, according to Federer could still be a top five tennis player in the world standings.

Sampras who has no intentions to return to world tennis, certainly put in an admiral stand where the rest of the world has struggled in recent times to put a dent in Federer's armour. After the match, Sampras who has been retired from the game for five years mentioned how much the game has changed with a lack of serve volley tennis, and the developments in tennis racquet technology being a catalyst for this.

With Roger Federer dominating the men's game, I think it was amazing to see Sampras take on Federer, hold his own, and change it up with Roger to great effect. The question is, if Sampras, as accomplished as he is, can still take it up to Federer with being out of the game for so long, what is wrong with the seasoned professionals on the men's tour? Why can't we find a group of all court challengers to Roger Federer like in the days of Sampras, Edberg, Agassi and so forth?

"I'm sort of surprised. This guy can play tennis, you know," Federer said after his loss.

He put on a positive spin on the match, saying he wasn't embarrassed to lose to his idol.

I would say on his day, Sampras can defeat anyone.

PAOLO MALDINI - THE GREATEST FOOTBALLER

On Tuesday (Feb 22, 2007), AC Milan's Paolo Maldini played in his 100th Champions League match. In an age with plenty of living legends, Maldini is that rarest of things – a legend not only living, but still playing. And in his own quiet way, Maldini, 38, continues to build his case as the best defender of all time.

His professional connection to Milan stretches back nearly three decades. His father Cesare was a star with the club. Paolo was first signed at age 9. He made his senior debut as a speedy, offensive-minded fullback at age 16. In the late '80s and early '90s, he earned a reputation as the finest left back in history – it's really not a point of argument.

But as his career stretches into its second phase, he continues to ladle on the laudables. Should Maldini drive Milan to its seventh (and his fifth) European crown this year, it might be time for a serious discussion about The Greatest Ever.

The best indication of his current stature is what is known as The Maldini Effect. Whenever a young striker sprints in toward the Milan goal and sees il capitano standing before him, his nerve goes. He passes when he should have run on or shoots long before he has the proverbial snowball's chance at hitting the goal. Wayne Rooney was a notable victim a couple of years ago.

Maldini is well aware of his imposing reputation. When he makes international appearances these days, opposing players not only ask to exchange jerseys, some request autographs. Maldini always obliges.

The Effect, like his feet, is only another tool Paolo Maldini uses to cripple the opposition.

He was always a chess player plotting in the midst of a field full of dervishes. His thoughtfulness has the result of slowing the game to his preferred pace – glacial. Thus, a Maldini highlight reel would make fairly unimpressive viewing, considering the superlatives that circle around him.

Most of his best plays involved snuffing out an offensive movement a heartbeat before it actually got started. He wasn't the quickest or strongest, but he was always the smartest. His unerring field intelligence allowed him to use his considerable physical gifts to their greatest purpose. Had he been as dominant an offensive player as he has been as a defender, he would likely be regarded as the finest soccer player ever.

In his 30s, he developed serious knee problems that put his career in doubt. Rather than give in, he adopted a more static role in the centre of the defence. Along with another superlative defender, Alessandro Nesta, Maldini helped build the Muro Milan – the Milan Wall.

The knees still bother him. But during the second stage of his career, he's been named to the FIFPro starting World XI and finished eighth in 2005 world player-of-the-year balloting. Pretty nifty for a makeshift centre back.

The Maldini legacy continues apace for the Rossoneri. In an echo of family history, Paolo's 10-year-old son Christian has been signed to the club's youth set-up. Although Milan has already promised to retire the elder Maldini's No. 3 when he decides to quit, special arrangements have been made for Christian to inherit his father's number if and when he makes the senior team.

But what would happen if the pair were to play together? Though retirement rumours have swirled around Maldini for years now, he has publicly mused about playing until he's achieved 1,000 games for Milan. To get there he must make 166 more appearances – roughly six seasons worth at his current rate. If Christian proves as prodigious as his father, there is the faint hope of two Maldinis in one Milan lineup.

For any other player, these would be laughable goals. In the case of the peerless Maldini, and in the hearts of his fans of all stripes, it's a fervent hope.

And today...

Italy and ACMilan great Paolo Maldini has confirmed he will end his 24-year career at the end of this season. Speaking to Italian TV channel Mediaset Premium after Milan's 4-2 Club World Cup triumph over Boca Juniors of Argentina, the 39-year-old claimed he would not play past his 40th birthday - which arrives just a week after the end of the Italian season.

"It's wonderful because it's difficult to reach 39 years old at a great club such as Milan, a club that has always given me the possibility to play for important trophies," said the left-back.

"Now, I feel really satisfied with what I have achieved." Maldini has set many records during his remarkable career, including earning 126 Italian caps, with 74 of those coming as captain, playing in 170 European club matches - although his return of just three goals is less impressive - and playing 603 Serie A matches.

"I have absolutely no regrets," he said of his decision to end his career next June. "I have done everything possible during my football career."

The Rossoneri beat Boca Juniors 4-2 yesterday to clinch the trophy and cap off an impressive year.

"Today I truly feel satisfied with what I have achieved," said Maldini, who earlier this year lifted the Champions League trophy. "In June I will retire without any regrets."

As far as honours go, the 39-year-old defender has had his fair share including five Champions League titles, two Intercontinental Cups, four European Super Cups and seven Serie A titles.

But the Club World Cup is the icing on the cake for the iconic defender. "It's great to have won this trophy, because it's difficult to be playing at 39 at a great club like AC Milan," he said.

"I have had everything in my football career but I have pain. I still have a lot of fun, but the pain is beginning to take over."

Kaka, who is expected to win the Fifa World Player of the Year award today, set up two goals for team-mate Filippo Inzaghi and scored a wonderful solo effort to help the European champions beat the Argentine side in the final.

STUPIDITY AT ITS BEST!!!

These are the stupidest laws, according to percentage share of public vote.

Most ridiculous British laws:

1. It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament (27%)

2. It is an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing the British monarch upside-down (7%)

3. In Liverpool, it is illegal for a woman to be topless except as a clerk in a tropical fish store (6%)

4. Mince pies cannot be eaten on Christmas Day (5%)

5. In Scotland, if someone knocks on your door and requires the use of your toilet, you must let them enter (4%)

6. In the UK a pregnant woman can legally relieve herself anywhere she wants, including in a policeman's helmet (4%)

7. The head of any dead whale found on the British coast automatically becomes the property of the King, and the tail of the Queen (3.5%)

8. It is illegal not to tell the tax man anything you do not want him to know, but legal not to tell him information you do not mind him knowing (3%)

9. It is illegal to enter the Houses of Parliament in a suit of armour

10. In the city of York it is legal to murder a Scotsman within the ancient city walls, but only if he is carrying a bow and arrow (2%)

Most ridiculous foreign laws:

1. In Ohio, it is illegal to get a fish drunk (9%)

2. In Indonesia, the penalty for masturbation is decapitation (8%)

3. In Bahrain, a male doctor can only examine the genitals of a woman in the reflection of a mirror (7%)

4. In Switzerland, a man may not relieve himself standing up after 10pm (6%)

5. In Alabama, it is illegal to be blindfolded while driving a vehicle (6%)

6. In Florida, unmarried women who parachute on a Sunday could be jailed (6%)

7. In Vermont, women must obtain written permission from their husbands to wear false teeth (6%)

8. In Milan, it is a legal requirement to smile at all times, except funerals or hospital visits (5%)

9. In Japan, there is no age of consent (5%)

10. In France, it is illegal to name a pig Napoleon (4%)

Third time lucky for new champion Raikkonen

Finally, after two near-misses, Kimi Raikkonen has his very own world championship. It may have been a long time coming but what a one to win. By bettering double world champion Fernando Alonso and the sport’s newest superstar, Lewis Hamilton, Raikkonen has secured Ferrari their first driver title of the post-Schumacher era and denied former team McLaren their only compensation from a difficult season.

Back at the season-opener in Australia, Raikkonen was already looking like a champion-in waiting. Taking pole, victory and fastest lap to boot, he dominated the Melbourne race weekend. Of course, the McLaren duo were also in the mix, as was Raikkonen’s team mate Felipe Massa, but it was the Finn who looked to have the advantage.

Fast forward to mid-season, however, and it was different story. As Hamilton, Massa and Alonso traded wins, Raikkonen seemed to slip by the wayside. Struggling to adapt to the new Bridgestone tyres, the 28-year-old went six races without a victory. With less than half the points of championship leader Hamilton, his title chances looked decidedly bleak.

For one thing, luck seemed to have deserted him. An electrical failure in Spain and an accident during qualifying in Monaco were just two of the mishaps which seriously dented Raikkonen’s mid-season challenge. A faulty wind tunnel back at the factory was also wreaking minor havoc on Ferrari’s programme of development.

But just as matters looked to be irretrievable, fate moved in his favour. In France, whether down to clever strategy, hard work or just plain good fortune, Raikkonen began to look at ease in the F2007. Backing up his victory at Magny-Cours with another in Silverstone, a revival was on the cards. Even the hydraulics failure at the Nurburgring did little to dent Raikkonen’s resurgence. With the impetus on his side, the quietly determined Finn hauled in valuable points to close on leader Hamilton.

Although reliability problems continued to plague the Italian squad, it was Massa who seemed to bear the brunt of their effects with the Brazilian’s title fight eventually petering out after his suspension strife in Monza. Raikkonen’s charge, meanwhile, was unrelenting. With his title hopes further strengthened by dominant victories in Belgium and China, the Finn arrived in Brazil for the final race of the season still in the running.

Seven points adrift of Hamilton, and three shy of Alonso - he needed a victory to seal the deal. He had history on his side, however. Back in 1986 - the last time three men were still in contention at the season finale - outsider Alain Prost had taken the championship in Adelaide after a sterling drive for McLaren, pushing out Williams team mates Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet. In Sao Paulo, Raikkonen was favourite to win the race, but his title hopes would rest just as heavily on the performance of his rivals. But as with Prost, it all came together. He won the race, with team mate Massa protecting him in second. Alonso had no answer to the Ferraris’ pace and gearbox gremlins demoted Hamilton to seventh.

Despite Raikkonen’s title challenge taking some severe knocks in the early stages, the ‘Iceman’ has fought back with admirable determination. Against the odds, he has done it. By outstripping team mate Massa, taking on the might of the McLaren duo and muscling his way into the title showdown in Brazil, Raikkonen has shown himself not only to be a worthy replacement for Michael Schumacher at Ferrari, he has also proved himself a worthy world champion. Congratulations Kimi!

In the end, Ferrari came away with everything, and McLaren virtually with nothing. Having already had their points in the constructors’ championship annulled, the Anglo-German team lost the drivers’ title too, at the 11th hour.

With tyre wear being a major concern, the odds were always going to favour the Ferraris here since they used their tyres better over race distances, and thus it proved, though Lewis Hamilton was able to demonstrate with the second fastest lap that there wasn’t a lot to choose between the two teams on sheer pace.The red cars owned the race from the start, and his ability to run three laps longer in the second stint proved crucial as the new world champion Kimi Raikkonen sped home to a deserved sixth victory of the year. Felipe Massa, having started from pole and led much of the race, dutifully did the right thing by not trying to make a race of it as his team mate needed the 10 points for victory. Some days it’s tough being a hero, but Massa carried it off with dignity in front of his adoring countrymen.

Fernando Alonso said he could hold the Ferraris initially, but not once they really began to push. And that said it all. But had his gearbox not selected neutral on the eighth lap, before resetting itself, Hamilton might still have had his crack at the title. As it was, he was able to fight back to seventh place, bringing his points tally equal to Alonso’s but taking second overall on countback on the strength of five second places to Alonso’s four.

'I'm not really feeling my age' - Shaun Pollock

Chatting to Shaun Pollock about as-yet-unreached career milestones is a lot like trying to pick out a birthday present for a billionaire. What do you give the man who already has it all?

Take a glance at Pollock's career statistics. He's already played his 100th Test (against New Zealand, 2006); he's already taken his 400th Test wicket (India, 2006); he's already scored his 3000th Test run (India, 2004); and, even though he's nominally a fast-medium bowler, he's already scored two Test hundreds (Sri Lanka and West Indies, both 2001).

His one-day international record reads much the same: he's already scored his 3000th ODI run (Bangladesh, 2007 ); taken his 350th ODI wicket (New Zealand, 2006); and scored his maiden ODI hundred (against the Asia XI in 2007). Oh, and he's also captained the national team already - in 26 Tests, 97 ODIs and, lest we forget, in South Africa's 1998 Commonwealth Games gold medal campaign. So could Shaun Pollock possibly have any milestones left to reach?

"Yeah, I do," he nods. "You've got to have goals, you know. If you have nothing to strive for, your passion will start to dwindle. So yes, I do still have some goals. But that's not my main focus and I'm not the kind of person who puts them out there. There are, at the back of my mind, some milestones that I'd like to achieve. And you'd love me to tell you what they are, but ..." He closes his lips into his familiar naughty-schoolboy grin.

Ag, c'mon, Polly.

"Okay, I'll give you one," he relents. "I'd like to get 400 one-day wickets. And I'm not too far off." Indeed not: at last count, Pollock had 383 ODI scalps.

It all seems a long way from his illuminating maiden ODI, against England at Newlands in January 1996, when as a wide-eyed, red-haired youngster he thwacked an unbeaten run-a-ball 66 and took 4 for 34 to announce his arrival on the international scene. He was named Man of the Match and then Man of the ODI Series, having already averaged 26.60 with bat and 23.56 with ball in the Test series.

Pollock's early reputation - no doubt fortified by his famous family name - was based on what was perceived as an ability to intimidate the batsman. "People had this big impression that I was a tearaway quickie," he says. "But I've never enjoyed pinning people, and I still don't get any pleasure out of tonking someone on the head. I had quite a quick bumper back then, and another one that nipped back at the right-hander and tended to follow him, so that probably got the batters into more trouble than my actual pace."

Come to mention it, Pollock's pace has faded over the years - to the point where there's now talk that his time as a top-level cricketer may be coming to an end. But all that talk has been limited to press opinions, commentator chatter and idle around-the-water-cooler office debates. Speak to Pollock himself, and it's clear that he's not ready to call time just yet.

"I'm not really feeling my age," he shrugs. "Yes, you get sore, but that's part and parcel of playing international sport. You wake up some mornings and think, 'Gosh, how'm I gonna get out of bed here?' But that's also part of the mental side of things, of lifting yourself every morning, lifting yourself out of disappointment, lifting yourself when you're feeling sore to come back and fight and put in another performance."

So were we wrong, in our World Cup previews earlier this year, to suggest that 2007 would be his last World Cup? Is he saying that he'll stick around till 2011?

I'd like to challenge myself outside of the game for a while, and then maybe come back to it at a later stage. I've always been very passionate about cricket and I believe you have to be passionate about what you're doing in order to get the best out of yourself
"Ja, that's not going to happen!" he laughs. "Look, I've always been very conscious of not overstaying my welcome. I don't want to be here for longer than I should. But then I also don't want to cut my career short prematurely. I still want to be contributing and helping South Africa win games. And when I'm not doing that, the time will be right to retire."

But when? And where?

"That's difficult to say," he says. "But it is something I do give thought to. It's not like I'm putting my head in the sand here and saying I'll stick around forever or until someone kicks me out. I've had a lovely career. I've enjoyed everything. And I believe I still have a part to play for now. And when I feel like I don't ..." He sighs.

"You know, you hear guys talk and they'll say they knew when the time was right to retire," he says. "Well, for me it hasn't felt like the time's right yet. You have times when you think, you know, it's more time away from your family, your body hurts, you're getting older ... but I'm 34. The other guys were finishing when they were 38."

We put it to him that he might, as others have in the past, decide to retire from one form of the game, and focus his energies entirely on either Tests or ODIs. "I've given a lot of thought to that," he nods. "But that's the funny thing: for now I'm still enjoying both. So we'll have to see."

Ag, c'mon, Polly. Gun to your head, which one would you choose?

"Gun to my head? At this stage I'd probably choose one-day cricket," he says. "And that's just because of the time you're away from home in Test cricket. The strain on your body, bowling 30 overs a day. In one-day cricket you know you've just got ten overs per match."

It's obvious - and it's been obvious from the start, from that warm January evening at Newlands in the summer of '96 - that Pollock has had a particular affection for cricket's abbreviated form. "It's the hype," he says. "It's the adrenaline rush. And you know what you're going to be doing. You know how many overs you're going to bowl, you know where you're going to bat. It's something you can deal with. Test cricket is the true test of the game: it's where your proper skills are tested and it's where the proper players tend to come to the top. So it's going to be sad, but just from a holistic perspective it would make a lot more sense to retire from Test cricket first."

At the insistence of the no-nonsense TWC editor, we're still probing: How about the full England tour in 2008? Wouldn't that, then, be the obvious (grand, fitting, etc) occasion to call time on Tests?

"I'm not even 100 per cent clear in my mind at this stage."

***

Pollock is that rarest of things in the current Proteas side: a family man. While some of his team-mates are filling the pages of South Africa's gossip rags with their swimsuit girlfriends and, erm, their late-night exploits, Shaun Pollock is a husband and father. And as much as he loves playing cricket for his country, he hates spending too much time away from Tricia and his two girls, Jemma and Georgia.

"I think it's more difficult on them than it is on me," he says. "When I'm away on tour I'm surrounded by a squad of 20 guys. But there's a lot of downtime for my family, and there's a lot of pressure on Tricia having to deal with the kids and the household while I'm away. I've been very fortunate in that they've made the sacrifice and allowed me to live my dream and pursue my career. But the more you play and the older the girls get, the harder it gets for me to go away and for them to understand why."

Pollock suggests that as the international cricket calendar becomes more and more filled up, senior players like himself might start selecting which tours they'll go on. "Like the golfers and the tennis players do now," he says. "They don't play in every event. They work out their schedules so that they're peaking for the majors. You might find if you're going to play against Bangladesh at home, where you'd be expected to win, that the selectors might bring in the younger players. Keep the nucleus of older guys, but throw in the young brigade to give them a bit of experience, and then rest the other guys.

"But it's a delicate balancing act, and it's not always popular with the media, with the spectators, and sometimes even with the players. I know from a player's perspective that none of us likes to miss a game. We like to play and we don't like to be rested - especially when the team's playing at home. You want to be out there in front of your own crowd where the battle's happening."
Judging by the ICC's Future Tours calendar, there'll be plenty of time to play - and to rest - in the coming months. After the Twenty20 World Cup, South Africa face series against Pakistan (away), New Zealand (home), West Indies (home), Bangladesh (away) and India (away). And that's just between now and April.

Ticking another box: Pollock gets his maiden ODI hundred, earlier in the year © AFP
For Pollock, that's a mixed blessing. "It's good for the game that there's a demand for that amount of cricket," he says. "At one stage with the match-fixing and all that, people were worried about where cricket was going. But that's not saying it's good from the players' perspective, because the workload is not ideal. And you always want the big players to be playing; that's what makes the product good."

Returning, gingerly, to retirement talk, we press Pollock for what his plans are when he does ultimately decide to hang up his gloves.

"I think I'd take a six-month sabbatical," he says, with the air of a man who's thought this all through already. "I'd like to challenge myself outside of the game for a while, and then maybe come back to it at a later stage. I've always been very passionate about cricket and I believe you have to be passionate about what you're doing in order to get the best out of yourself. So I'd have to find something else that I'm passionate about and that I'd want to put all of my time and energy into. I'm not too sure what that would be. I've got a Bachelor of Commerce degree, so maybe I'll have to go back to some work at some stage."

And discover, perhaps, that there's more to life than cricket?

"I know there's more to life, trust me!" he says. "But my focus has been so much on cricket that there are things I've not been able to do. For example, I've never been able to go skiing in case something happened to my knees. So that six-month sabbatical will be time where I do the things I wish I could have done while I was still playing.

"Not," he adds, "that I would have changed anything."

With more than 100 Tests, more than 400 wickets, more than 3000 runs, and nearly every ODI milestone reached (except, of course for that elusive 400th wicket), it's hard to imagine much Shaun Pollock would have changed about his career. Except, perhaps, for the idea that at some point it will all have to come to an end.

Mr Unpredictable

Craig McMillan was one of those players who always dominated the conversations of New Zealand cricket fans. Whether the discussion focused on his dismissal after attempting a reverse sweep or dancing down the wicket to hit his first delivery for six, he was never far from the action.

It's ironic that McMillan should now exit the game of his own accord, when so many people over the last ten years have called for his dropping on many occasions. His ability has never been in question, but his decision-making at the crease often frustrated New Zealand supporters.
But when that decision-making paid off, there were very few batsmen in international cricket that could entertain as well as McMillan. His unpredictability not only frustrated fans, but also opposition bowling attacks. At times it was impossible to predict what he would do. He may dance down the wicket, play a reverse sweep or even play a beautiful cricket shot that would please Martin Crowe or Glen Turner. This style of batting was never more evident than in March 2001 when he hit 26 off a Younis Khan over to break the record for the most runs scored in a Test over.

McMillan made his debut for New Zealand in the 1996-97 season, but he would not play a Test until the following summer. From those early days, he was never scared to take on his opposition. He had some interesting verbal exchanges with a few Australian players. He liked to dominate Shane Warne with the bat and the two had some great verbal battles over the years. They later became good friends, particularly after McMillan played for Hampshire in 2005 under the captaincy of Warne.

When he first entered the New Zealand team, there were high hopes that McMillan would become an international star. After a good start to his career, he never quite made it to the level some expected him to reach. Many argue that his shot selection was why he failed to score more runs. But McMillan liked to dominate bowling attacks. He would refuse to get bogged down, particularly in the one-day game. If he had to risk his wicket to keep on top of a bowler, that's what he would do.

He was also explosive at the bowling crease. Although he did not have the pace to scare opposition batsmen, his energy and determination gave him an uncanny ability to break up longstanding partnerships.

Scoring over 3000 Test runs at an average of 38.46, he has contributed a great deal to his national side in the longer form of the game, even if the record is not spectacular. His ODI statistics look less impressive, but they do not tell the whole story.

His overall batting average in the one-day game is just 28.18 and he has reached three figures on only three occasions in his 197-game career. But as a middle-order batsman, he often came in during the death overs and had to sacrifice his wicket. Despite the low average, he did play some useful innings for his country.

The other interesting thing about McMillan is his fighting spirit. It was never obvious to spectators or viewers that he had to regularly take his diabetic medication. He refused to let that affect his game. This fighting spirit was also evident on the field and through his determination to get back in the team when he was dropped. This first happened when he was dropped for the New Zealand tour to Sri Lanka in 2003. When he was re-selected for the tour to India later that year, he scored 83 not out to save his team in the first Test. He followed that up with a century in the second.

But the more remarkable comeback followed his failure to secure a contract with New Zealand Cricket in June 2006. After his re-selection later that year, he would dominate the Australian bowling attack in the 2006-07 Chappell-Hadlee Trophy. The highlight was the final game where he was instrumental in chasing down 346 to see his team win the series 3-0. His century came off 67 balls and he was later dismissed for 117. McMillan followed that performance up with 228 runs at 32.57 in the World Cup earlier this year, while he was New Zealand's highest run scorer in the recent ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa.

His explosive nature on the park and fighting spirit will be missed by his team-mates and New Zealand cricket fans. He may go down in history as someone who could have done more, but no-one can deny his determination and natural ability.

Michael Owen is back

A weaker character than Michael Owen would have been destroyed by his injury nightmare, but the England striker is reaping the rewards after refusing to give in. Owen is emerging from an injury-ravaged 18 months looking better than ever and he underlined his resurgence with a clinical double strike against Russia. It could all have been very different if the most gifted English finisher of his generation had listened to the doom merchants who predicted a series of problems, most seriously cruciate knee ligament damage, would curtail his top-level career. From suggestions he had lost the blistering pace that was such a vital part of his game to accusations the injuries had dulled the voracious appetite for goals all top forwards need, Owen heard every possible slight.

But he has tremendous reserves of self-belief and determination. The barbs only added fuel to Owen's fire as he embarked on a gruelling recovery programme after Dr Richard Steadman operated on his knee last year. Owen's resilience is paying off. He has scored five times in four games for club and country - his best run of form for nearly two years. The crucial goals in the 3-0 win over Russia showed his predatory instincts remain as sharp as ever. Not that Owen ever doubted that would be the case. "We all know mentally I'm a very strong person," he said. "There might be a lot of people that have got a lot more skill than me but not many that are mentally as strong as me. When it comes to long-term injuries, lack of form and criticism then I have got thicker skin than anyone. I never doubted I would be back. I went to the best surgeon in the world. I did the best rehab you could ever do. My willpower to come back was strong. I don't think anyone could say I've come back worse than when I got injured. Everyone knows I've never been arrogant or bigheaded but I've always been a confident player. It always helps when you score a few goals."

Owen's goal tally for England has reached 40 and he is only nine away from equalling Sir Bobby Charlton's record as the country's all-time leading scorer. The former Liverpool star admitted he would love to break the record, even if it takes another three or four years.

"I have thought about getting the record because since I scored my 31st and 32nd I get asked about it every time," he said. "I hope I get asked nine more times if I'm lucky enough to get there. It would be a wonderful achievement and I would be very proud if it were ever to happen but it's still quite a long way off. As we all know, internationally if you score three or four goals in a full year you've done well. If that's the case then I still need to keep my form and play for another three or four years."

Owen is more concerned with medals than records and, thanks to his goals, England are back on course for another shot at a major trophy. After wins over Israel and then Russia in the space of five days, Steve McClaren's side, who lie second in Group E, are finally in control of their own destiny in the race for Euro 2008. Owen admits it is about time England started to fulfill their potential. "It's a good group of players. We know that despite what anyone said over time," he said. "We've proved far too infrequently really so these two games have been encouraging. If we can keep progressing like that we will be onto a big thing."

A key to Owen and England's resurgence has been McClaren's decision to bring Emile Heskey back from a three-year international exile. Heskey has been Owen's preferred partner since their time at Liverpool and he has thrived again alongside the muscular forward. "Emile has come back from a long time out of the international fray and in both games he has played particularly well," Owen said. "He got a standing ovation both times. That says it all and I'm really pleased for him."

NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATION

On 9 August, 2007 Singapore celebrated its 42nd National Day and I had the pleasure of watching the celebrations very closely. We started at around 2 from NUS. We had earlier tried to have lunch inside NUS, but the canteens were closed (National Day!! obviously it was a holiday). So we went to City Hall and hoped we could get something there. Alighting at City Hall I was surprised to find a big mall there. We searched for an Indian/Vegetarian food stall. Having found one, we had our late lunch there. The roti prata (they spelt it this way) we were given was bathed in oil. Even mess food seems much tastier in front of all this. Well, we got out and I got the first view of 'Durian' or 'The Esplanade'. It is similar to the Sydney Opera House in functionality. It is shaped like a microphone (mic). This one building that the Singaporeans are proud of.

After roaming about for a while, we reached the place where the celebrations were to be held. There was a sea of people lining up for the event. Actually there are tickets sold for the event, but as it is done 2-3 weeks prior to the day, we and many others had none. We lined up on the bridge and the area surrounding the platform. As the usual stadium was under renovation, this year it was held on a floating platform. At 4pm the bikers provided entertainment for the crowd by performing stunts. At around 5pm the paratroopers started their bit. They jumped off a helicopter and sprinkled red color all over the place. They land accurately on the platform though they jump from far off place. As the natural lights grew dimmer, the natural lights took over. The crowd grew excited and the major part of the show began. There were performances (songs and dances) for the people who bought the tickets, we had nothing to do. So we snacked. There were many helicopters flying above our heads at regular intervals so as to keep us awake for the fireworks. If that was not enough they brought a copter at a very low level on the river and this copter splashed water on us. The air from the copter was so fast that the river water flew everywhere and it felt like a shower when it dropped on us. Then the big balls of light (they are called mermaid or something) tied on the motor boats moved from one corner of the river to the other. They looked like floating balls of light. There was laser lights and fountains too. Will see more of them in Sentosa. Then after the singers had sung their lungs out, the dancers had danced their strength out and the crowd swore their tongues out - it started.

The most awaited fireworks. It lasted for just 10 minutes. After having seen Diwali celebrations year after year, I didn't feel that it was worth the wait, but yes it was awesome. Everybody ran for the MRT station as soon as the fireworks went out. The crowd in the train was too much. Policemen had been stationed to guide us along the way and to maintain proper order. We had dinner at the same place we had lunch, only this time we barely managed to get vegetarian food. We had salad with rice, no dal or sambar. It was okay and as I was hungry I liked it. We took the MRT to Buona Vista and then the bus 95. At 11pm on a national holiday we didn't expect the internal shuttle bus to function. So we walked our way back to PGPR. I was too tired to do anything and fell asleep the time I hit the bed.

PRINCE GEORGE'S PARK RESIDENCIES

PGPR is a big big place. With around 3000 rooms it is the place where you can find many people. There are some 30 blocks with each block having around 100 rooms. Each of the blocks has 7 floors. Each floor has 15 rooms.This is called as a cluster. I am in the 15th block on level 3 room 'N'. A word about the locks to the door. The locking system is good for security but if you want to make new friends or even contact others this security system is a big hindrance. We have a transponder which when used can take us only to our floor. You cannot go to other floors. If you want to go to another floor or block, you need to go with a friend who has access to that block or floor. Each floor has a kitchen which is shared by 15 people. With Chinese, Malays, Singaporeans, my kitchen smells like a slaughter house. Anyways the kitchen has a microwave, refrigerator, toaster, electric stove, oven, dining table.

With a cupboard which has a locker, table, chair, bed, mattress, dust bin my room looks nice. The view from the window is cool. I see all this and wonder as to when will we have such infrastructure. When we told some Indians here that they were planning to increasing the number of IITs, they couldn't believe what we said. They cursed the system and remarked that we would rather improve the existing IITs. And then think of increasing the number. I approve. When I was in IITM, I was like this is the best institute one can have, but after I have seen this, I feel like a frog in a pond. Everything is so organized. The buildings are superb. The classrooms are awesome. Shuttle bus, canteens, roads, traffic everything working in harmony. The professors here do not hold even half the power IIT profs hold. A students grade depends on his work and not on his impression on the prof. I hate to admit it but yes, in IIT sometimes your grade depends on how much closer you are to the prof. If you butter him you can sail through a course. The prof takes classes and the academic section takes care of grading assignments and exams. They let the prof have time for his research, not bog him down with grading stuff.

We had a dance bash on 3 Aug here in PGPR. People from 'all over the world' came. That is to say exchange students from many countries were there. Next post - Happy 42nd Birthday Singapore

SINGAPORE

I left Madras on 1 Aug at 2 early morning. The checking and boarding was fine. The ride was not as good as one would have wanted for a first overseas trip still it was fine for me. As the plane took of I looked at the bright lights from Madras going dimmer and dimmer. The cars got smaller and smaller. And as I kept looking out of my window seat, I suddenly realized that I could no longer see the lights, i was among the clouds. It was a great feeling. To look out and see big tufts of cotton floating in air. We were cruising at high speeds but those things kept moving at snails pace. It was heavenly. We were shown some tam movie which from what I heard has been the only one they have been playing from the past 2 months. I put on the radio instead. They provided some snacks at round about 2:45 after which I moved into a delightful slumber. I was excited about every little thing that was going on. I woke up only when the sun shone directly into my eyes. It was round about 8:30 (Singapore time). I heard an announcement saying we were going to land at Changi airport in a few minutes. This was probably the first time I 'wasted' or 'lost' time without my own fault. I quickly pulled my camera out and here are a few snaps ...
I got ready for landing. I just kept clicking while we were landing and you can clearly see the jerk in the pics ...


I got down and finished my check-out. Went to the Changi MRT station and took a train to Buona Vista. Met an Indian Flight Captain in the train. He was supposed to be flying people from Singapore to Bombay that night. Captain Fleury was kind enough to guide me till Outram Park (this is where he was staying) and after a few stops I alighted. I was surprised to see so many Indian faces in the train. Some of them were tams and some bongs. As I found out later, most of the Indian are either tams or bongs. Anyway, at Buona Vista I found a couple of students from India. Went to them and inquired as to how I could reach NUS. They helped me into a cab and I was taken directly to Prince George's Park Residencies, my new hostel for this semester. At 11 or so I was in my room. More about it in the next post.

SUMMER ENDS

I came to Madras on 21 May hoping to utilize my summer effectively. I am leaving today, so I thought it would be nice to pen my activities of the last two months.

The first week was complete time pass. Did not do anything worth remembering. From the next week we (three of my classmates and me) were introduced to the team that was going to work together. There were three guys from NITs. Prashant and Hemant from NIT Trichy and Mukund from NIT Allahabad. Sree Harikrishnan, Y R Venu, Deivapalan and Kasiranjan were the MS scholars who were there to guide us. More about them later. As days passed by, I started to go to the lab and sit in front of the computer passing time. The work moved very slowly and I was running out of patience. I watched many movies, classics like 12 Angry Men and Pulp Fiction ..., old hindi movies like choti se baat ... and new releases. Two and a half men was running side by side. No work and all play.

Then I saw every one working and finishing stuff at mind-blowing rate. So I thought lets chip in too. And because of this state of mind I was able to contribute something, though a minute drop in the ocean. In the beginning it looked as if I was going to waste my time and regret doing this, but by the last week this changed completely. I realized that I was having a nice time and surely, nice it was.

Now about the people:
Hari - He is the sweetest guy you will find. You can call him any time you want and he will be ready to help you. Others might say read this or search for this or that but this guy will sit with you, tell you everything he knows about the thing and if he doesn't he will search for the answer with you. It was because of him that anything was achieved at all. He works day and night. Leaves lab after midnight and the next morning he will be there even before you are there and much fresher than you are after ten hours of sleep. I asked him if he even slept or watched movies, he said he did both. Well he kept track of Wimbledon. Though out of everyone here, I was the only one who saw the matches live on tv. He's on his way to Switzerland in the best university there for recognition and the like to do his PhD. Great guy. And thanks for the treat.

Venu - He is largely interested in speech and the like. He is from Electrical so he doesn't help with coding and stuff. Any problem related to waveforms and all, he was to be contacted. Not in lab always but then he says he has to go to his own lab in Elec Department. No comments on that. Lazy and will do anything to stop work.

Kasi - He dealt with UTF-8 and all. He's going to Morgan Stanley. Easy to talk to and helpful. Clarified doubts whenever I asked him. He too practically lives in the lab. Though he said that as he's leaving now, he's spending less time in the lab. Can't imagine what he did during the semester. He accepted that he worked on Sundays too. Well if you want to patent something may be you have to work on Sundays too. Thanks for the treat.

Deiva - Perl, Python, Script and so on. I may not even have heard the names. Clear fundaes and was the one driving the Labeling Tool. But he had the most driven one amongst the seven of us, so his work was easy. When madam asked him to check our design documents, he worked like hell. Took all our codes, read them, understood them and put comments like a seasoned programmer. I had a tough time trying to do what he asked me too. But I had a victory too. He was bowled over by my design doc. Yes, yes I suck at coding but ask me to talk and write, I will put some good stuff together.

Now the visitors
Hemant - This guy watches movies, sitcoms and what not. south park, x-files, two and a half men, blackadder ... well so have I. Dunno when he finishes his work and leaves. So quick. Read some pseud papers before starting work and the outcome was great. Wants to do MS abroad. And he is very much worried about it. Will talk to anybody regarding it. Interested in dramatics. He even mails a prof in IITM (some hss prof) in this matter. I have never heard of her and I'm sure neither must have ninety nine percent of the people here.

Prashant - He was either preparing for GRE or for his placements. Put hazaar fight for aptitude part of the placement test. In one of the apti tests, he put full marks but not even half in the electrical test. All of his remaining friends did the other way round. The person who visited the lab the least. In his college he is BP 2. Nine pointer. Name any crap movie and he would have seen it. Ask him about a good movie and he is clueless. As Hemant rightly put it - 'If Prashant says a movies is good, then its bad. If he says its good, you know you would not want to watch it.'

Mukund - Mobile manic. Keeps talking and talking on his cellphone. I don't know how many times he has recharged, because I know one thing which everyone else accepts - we have gone to get a recharge for him more than we have gone for ourselves. He's in elec but a much better programmer than rest of us six put together. perl, python, java, script, seg ... I really don't even know all the names. He did more of my part of work than I did myself. And this was after he had done so much of his own part. Literally lives in the lab. If you have a look at the register in which the lab closer and lab opener puts his name, you will find his name on all the days of the two months.

These guys together really made this two months enjoyable. It was fun working with all of them and I will remember this time for a long long time.

THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

The 2007 Wimbledon Gentlemen's Single Final is over and Roger Federer has won it again, defeating Rafael Nadal again. What a match. 7-6(9-7) 4-6 7-6(7-3) 2-6 6-2. The champion was made to work for each and every point he won. Finally there was someone who could stand in front of him and treat him as the way he does others. The only reason the result turned in his favour was that he played the big points as a seasoned campaigner.

The first set - In the beginning it looked as if Roger would run away with the title with a 3-0 lead. But Rafa had other plans. He fought and returned the favour and the set went to the tie-breaker. Roger always led in the tie-breaker and won it 9-7 not before Rafa put a decent fight.

The second set - It was Rafa's set. He outplayed Roger and this was just the beginning of Rafa's brilliant performance.

The third set - Both tried to out-do the other but to no avail. The tie-breaker settled this one too. If only Rafa could play tie-breakers better, the match would have finished in 4 sets itself.

The fourth set - Rafa all the way. The composure he showed was admirable. He ran up a 4-0 lead, breaking Roger twice. This was the best point of the match. One could see Roger troubled. Well he was receiving his own medicine. At that point of time it was looking as if Rafa would finally be able to stop the master on his own favourite surface. Breathtaking cross court winners. Roger's net approaches were responded with great winners. And yes Rafa would better improve his backhand. His backhanded spin is great but the backhand shot is a matter of concern.

The fifth set - Rafa pressurized Roger in the beginning with 4 breakpoints in 2 games. But this is when the champion showed why he is the best. He won the big points as he had the tie-breakers. Whenever he was in trouble he resorted to his best weapon - big serve. And those aces made his game. Once Rafa was broken, Roger never looked back.

Rafa had just 1 ace to Roger's 24. He also lacked speed. But he is getting used to grass. Only 40 odd matches on grass and he has got into the Wimbledon final twice. And the second time, nearly winning it. If he improves his serve and backhand, he can surely win the prestigious title. Hats off to both of them for an exciting match.

GIFT OF NATURAL TALENT

Continuing on with the sports page -
Sport is mostly about effort. More often than not it is about perseverance, hard work, hours of practice in search of elusive perfection, about stretching the limits of physical and mental possibilities to achieve set goals.
A Rahul Dravid, his face reflecting levels of concentration only Zen masters are capable of achieving, dodging bullets and standing tall amidts ruins. An Iranian weightlifter straining every sinew to hoist above his head the sort of weight six or seven of us will struggle to lift together. A Lleyton Hewitt digging deeper and deeper to fight his way past a more gifted opponent.
But thankfully there are times when you take effort away and sport becomes a thing of sheer beauty - outrageous, gorgeous, timeless beauty. And it is precisely on such occasions that the reason for playing sport and the reason for watching it seem to have been gloriously realised.
Each genius-propelled burst of inspiration has a stamp all its own. Like the glorious hour when Pete Sampras 'walked on water' in the 1999 Wimbledon final against Andre Agassi. Diego Maradona's impossible second goal against England in the 1986 World Cup.
At the end of the day, a Boycott might have a better batting average than a Richards and a Prost more titles than a Senna but this is not all about numbers.

SPORTS PAGE

I am a great fan of Nirmal Shekar (sports reporter the hindu). Here I would like to present a few of her great works -

A HERO GOES OUT IN HIS PATENTED STYLE
On Steve Waugh's retirement (just to remind you, his last test was against India and in his innings he played his trademark saviour innings)
...in walked the man. It was time to get into the trenches and do battle...one more time, one last time.
Waugh fights; therefore he is. Nothing better describes the Australian captain than what he does in the cauldron in an hour of crisis. The great man needed to come up with his signature tune at the death one more time.
Not another jaw-dropping work of genius, not another fantastic fairytale farewell innings of unmatchable beauty but merely a workmanlike 80 crafted with blood and sweat in the trenches by a working class boy from the Sydney suburb of Bankstown.
Man is not defined so much by success as he is by failure, by how he faces up to the possibility of failure, by how he deals with crisis, how he stretches his resources, both physical and mental, to turn failure, near-failure, into a glorious triumph.
This not only something that is character-revealing but-also, more significantly, a defining process that separates not merely boys from men but the men themselves from gladiators. And Steve Waugh is the greatest gladiator of his era in the world of cricket. No single cricketer in modern times could have faced up to failure and turned it into a triumph with quite the same gladiatorial intensity and single-mindedness, as has Steve Waugh time after time after time.
Sports is at once a fascinating laboratory for observations as well as a cruel business because the situations it creates strip a man to his essentials. There is nowhere to hide, nothing to cover yourself with.
The tighter the rope, the deeper the abyss, the colder the air, the greater the overall threat, the better it is for Waugh. Average challenges are for average people. Only the big ones inspire him.
Great warriors like nothing more than to fight equals and here, atlast, the most successful captain in Test history found a visiting team that had the skills and the determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with the champion and trade punches.

KING OF CLAY REIGNS

Nadal defeats Federer again for a hat-trick of French Open titles. The match lasted more than three hours. Federer played good initially but lost steam in the third set. Nadal was good and he never let the tempo off. Federer committed more than twice the number of unforced errors than Nadal, he had to pay the price. The Musketeers trophy was handed to Rafa by Gustavo Kuerten(97, 00, 01 French Open winner).

Some of the interesting comments made by(who else) the commentators. During the fourth set, Rafa was leading two sets to one, he was all charged up. They said 'Its interesting to see how much physical strength a scoreboard can give you'. Another one - 'Nadal turned 21 this June. He celebrated his birthday with a win'. Well in a few months from now I am going to be 21 and I have nothing to show. Nadal has won more than 10 millions. He is known worldwide. He is in the history books with 81 consecutive victories on clay, hat-trick of French Open titles. Name, fame, money. Not to forget the physique. Its surprising how much one can achieve in the same amount of time. Yes, I have cracked JEE, but presently it can hardly compare with what he has done. Its not that I have not slogged. For that matter its not that all the losers of today have not. Its just that they have done it more. Talent and mind too plays a part. What I am trying to say is that any amount of slogging you do, you can always do more. Then you become strong mentally.

ULTIMATE FINAL

The day has finally arrived. Its Nadal vs Roger. They could as well just let them play a match and decide the winner of a French Open. As for cricket, we need to decide the other finalist who plays Australia(though the winner is known beforehand). Roger is the best player in the world, still I feel he should atleast let others win French Open. Its like Roger wins the other three and pushes Nadal to put in his best to keep French. But Roger can never match Pete Sampras on grass. He wins Wimbledon from the base line. I have always felt that serve and volley is the way to play tennis(I am no player, its just that I like it) and anyone who wins Wimbledon without it, is cheating the game. French Open, not my favorite but will watch the final.

MUSIC

This May's edition of Reader's Digest contains a nice article of how a doctor in New York uses his i-pod. As an alarm clock, for patient information, some audios related to heart sounds and yes for mp3 files. It's a good read. But as you read it you need to remember that the reason one has all these benefits is that some music lover racked his brains hard and brought this device out(I am not sure though!).
Lately I have been listening to many songs, and I have found that I can spend hours together. Its a kind of pain reliever, makes me forget everything. The pace of the music I like to hear depends on my state of mind. If I am sleepy, I dive in mellow songs, sweet voice. Alka Yagnik and Shreya Ghoshal have bewitching voices. And it works both ways. If I listen I feel kinda sleepy. When I want to be charged up I hear a racy track, rock. Linkin Park. Oldies like Rafi and Co., remind me of my own past, the saturday night movies. For ghazals, I have not found anyone better than Jagjit Singh. On the most debated remix songs, well as long as the song turns out good I have no problems. Also the Indian community abroad has done a great job. Rap, R&B, bhangra. Rishi Rich with Jay Sean delivers the goods. Movie songs are good too. AR Rahman is the ultimate composer. Listening to all this I find no time to write.

A NEW BEGINNING

There is always an excitement whenever one does something new. I have been thinking of starting a blog for a month now, just waiting for a day and a topic to suit the 'big' occasion but here i am doing it on an 'ordinary' day. This will serve as a window to my thoughts and actions (no not the naughty ones). As I write this I have one eye on the clock (for the people who do not know about iit madras - internet stops working from 1 am). To move to a thought that is bothering me for some time, I do not know why but I cannot sit and read my course books. As Lincoln once said - "If I had 8 hours to cut a tree, I would spend 6 of them to sharpen the axe." I faithfully follow that but the problem is that instead of sharpening, I watch movies and sitcoms. If that was not enough those remaining 2 hours never come... This is not just a bother for me, but for more than half of the people here. The rest either don't care or they don't know that pleasures such as these do exist in life. I have not reached at a concrete solution for this but have a gut feeling that I will be able to crack the code by next semester. Meanwhile let me enjoy these days as I have learnt to.