The Top 4 (Djokovic/Nadal/Federer/Murray) In Tennis And The Story Of Statistics So Far:

Game Statistics are misleading or are they? Have a look yourself:

Djokovic/Nadal/Federer/Murray- Statistics for the year 2011 so far:

Statistics*	Novak Djokovic	Rafael Nadal	Roger Federer	Andy Murray
Matches Played	49	57	47	36
Aces	239	196	333	302
First Serve	66	67	64	59
First Serve Points Won	75	72	78	74
Second Serve Points Won	58	57	57	48
Service Games Won	89	85	89	78
Break Points Saved	70	66	65	59
Points Won Returning 1st Serve	35	35	34	37
Points Won Returning 2nd Serve	58	58	51	56
Break Points Converted	48	47	39	46
Return Games Won	39	36	27	36

 * Stats (%) except Matches Played and Aces.

Key Takeaways:

1) The stats clearly show that Djokovic has a better overall game amongst the top 4. No doubt that he is now known as a player with no weakness.

2) Djokovic has an edge over Nadal in two key areas: Service and Return Games Won. Result: He has defeated Nadal in all the 5 meetings this year.

3) Federer on the other hand has had a good year with strong service games. But he has lacked in a very important area: Return Games Won. He is 12 % points and 9 % points behind Djokovic and Nadal respectively. A huge margin. So if he wants to win US open, he will have to win more on Second Serve Returns and Break Points.

4) Murray is one of the best returners in the game currently. But if he wants to  break the top 3, he will have to win more on his service games. He is 12 % points behind Djokovic. Especially his focus should be on his Second Serve Points which seem to be his vulnerable point.

People sometimes say that statistics cannot help predict a player’s game and performance. Right but if you are looking at one and not the entire game statistics. Overall game statistics can be very  important as it can help a player identify his strengths and weaknesses. So that he can focus on becoming the best player like Djokovic did last year. Not only this, but it also helps the coaching staff and player to decide on the opponents weaknesses and strengths and decide the strategy for the game.  

And clearly Djokovic statistics tell the entire story, isn't it true?

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com
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Also: Can You Be Like AGASSI In Your Life?

Women's Soccer World Cup Final: Japan Defeats US To Inspire A Healing Nation!

Article first published as Women's Soccer World Cup Final: Japan Defeats US To Inspire A Healing Nation! on Technorati. (Author-Apeksha HA)

What a final it was? Inspiring, Amazing, Classy – no words can be fitting enough to describe the emotions that have engulfed the hearts of the millions of people around the world. It was a match between the favorites: USA and The Sentimental Favorites: Japan and will go down in the history of the World Cup as one of the most complete and entertaining finals of all.

If there was a nation that needed this world cup victory more than ever, it was Japan. This victory for Japan is more than a soccer match win, people will look at it as the most inspiring tale in their history and will give them hope to fight and become one of the best again. As Hope Solo said: "As much as I wanted this, if there was another team I could give it to, it'd be Japan.". For the first time, US fans won’t be disappointed by the loss of their own team.

Both teams played mesmerizing soccer to keep everyone glued to their seats. Twelve shots in the first 30 minutes and only one on the target; this stat will come back to haunt the memories of every US player for the coming years. IF ONLY they could have capitalized. But saying that, we cannot take anything away from either team as both deserved to win this World Cup Final equally.

This was the best game that US has played in this World Cup and got 1-0 up by a brilliant goal by Alex Morgan in the 69th minute. But the Japanese team who had won with Germany in extra time and came back a goal down in the Semi Final, was not to give up so easily. On a rare lapse from the US defense, Miyama equalized the score in 81st minute. It was a case of being at the right place at the right time. With 1-1, the Finals went into extra time, third time in the history.

In the extra time, US again took the lead with Abby Wambach scoring in the 104th minute(her 13th World Cup career goal) to give US the lead second time in the match, only to be equalized by Homare Sawa near the end of the extra time. But the most critical moment came in 120th minute when Azusa Iwashimizu of Japan sacrificed herself for the team to save a probable goal by fouling Lloyd near the penalty area and received a red card. She is the real hero as Japan then went on to win in the penalty shootout with US scoring only one out of 4 chances.

To summarize: My key learning(s) from today’s match:

1) Never Give Up In Life: Even if you are the underdogs, you can still come back and win. Japanese team by its grittiness and belief rewrote history today.

2) Keep your cool under pressure: Japan was able to win the match because they handled pressure better than US team did.

3) Winning is not the only way to rule the hearts of millions of fans around the world: US team by its classy play and attitude throughout the World Cup will definitely be a rage in the world!

A Journey, A Dream: US Women All Set To Rewrite History

Article first published as A Journey, A Dream: US Women All Set To Rewrite History on Technorati. (Author-Apeksha HA)

It was the fourth time in World Cup history that a team came back to win after falling behind in extra time, and a first at the Women’s World Cup last Sunday. But this was just the beginning.The fairy tale continued on Wednesday for the US women’s soccer team at the World Cup as US defeated France 3-1. Abby Wambach, the star forward again came to the rescue again with a late goal in 79th minute which spurred the comeback.

This is the same team which had faced a possible exit in the quarter finals against Brazil if not for the magnificent late goal in 122nd minute of the second half of extra time by Wambach. It was in 1999 that the US last won Women’s World Cup and since then haven’t been able to produce a team with that huge fan appeal. Until now.

This dynamic team has taken the entire US nation by storm and frenzy. People are gathering all over the country at sports bars, households,streets to support their team. Not too far behind are the social media sites which have been inundated with floods of messages of support for this wonderful team.

What is so special about this team is their will to fight back and never give up in any situation. This was evident in both their previous matches where they bounced back at the last stages of the game. What marks this US team is their indomitable spirit and the way they have believed in themselves to perform resulting in huge support and admiration from people all over the world.

The next hurdle and the most important one will be in the form of Japan who are on a course of defining history themselves. Plagued by the memories of the devastating earthquake, the Japanese are all the more geared up to write their own story.

But in the words of Wambach-“This is our journey, This is our dream.”

This US team is certainly not going to give up on their dream of winning the most coveted championship in soccer and more importantly mark the turning point of the growth of soccer back home.

Novak Djokovic- Inspiration To All (Fans,Tennis Players And People All Over The World)

While everyone was busy talking about Federer/Nadal, how these two great players were invincible, one player was making efforts slowly to begin his new era. For 4 years he was No.3 in the world before finally figuring out his destiny.

Often in life, we face adverse situations and think that we don’t have it in us to achieve our goals. However, what we often forget is that nothing is impossible in this world. I have always said that sports can change an individual’s life. We can learn so many things from any sport that we like. I happen to like tennis and this past Sunday, I learnt the most important lesson in my life:

“No one is invincible. Everything is possible.”

Who would have thought at the start of the year that Novak Djokovic would be the player to beat (even by Federer/Nadal - two of the greatest in the game)? Very few I guess. Who would have thought that he will be number 1 by Wimbledon’11? None I guess. But here he is - World no.1, with 48-1 winning streak and 2 grand-slams this year.

Since Feb 2004, none of the current/former tennis players have been able to dethrone the kings of tennis - Federer/Nadal. Anyone in their position might have been demoralized and frustrated. After trying so hard to achieve their goals and after years of failure, they might have even given up. The truth is that most of them did. But Djokovic didn’t. What is it that sets Nole apart?

From my viewpoint, it’s simply two things:

Belief in Himself:  In spite of being defeated 30 times by Federer/Nadal in the past 4 years, he did not lose confidence in himself. In the words of Jack Welch, Belief is probably the most important trait of a successful leader. After years of failure to break into the top two, he did not give up and kept his belief in himself when others had lost in themselves. Obviously, to back up his belief he has put in a lot of hard work which everyone does too, but nowadays, Tennis has become a mental game too. That’s why Nadal is considered a master in this game. And this belief (when most of them don’t have it) that he can defeat the best, gave an edge to Nole.

Ability to Change:  The only constant thing in life is change. However clichéd this may sound, if you continue to improve, only then you can survive; and if you don’t, you can get obsolete. That’s what Djokovic has been doing since last 3 years; he has been continually striving to become the best. Trying out additional coaches and team members (Mark Woodforde, Todd Martin in the past, nutritionist responsible for his all famous gluten free diet) shows his dedication towards improvement. He is a perfect example of “turning his weaknesses into strength”. His forehand and serve have improved significantly. His health (allergies because of which he retired a couple of times at a grand slam) has improved. Not only in his play, but also in his manner on the court, he has grown from a whiner to a calm and composed player who has won hearts of millions now. This has happened because he was ready to try out new things and accept changes. In Nadal’s own words he has become “A player with no weaknesses”.

Come to think of it, this player has done the unthinkable and has given life to so many dead beliefs. He is now a symbol of hope, happiness, success, belief and inspiration to people in Serbia, to every tennis player and to all the people in the world. Consider the impact on the tennis world - Now everyone will look at Novak Djokovic- the person who did the impossible. This can be a bad sign for Federer/Nadal as everyone will now work with a renewed enthusiasm that if Nole could do it, so can we. But I am sure, the great champions that these two players are; they would leave no stones unturned to respond to the challenge. Overall it is a very good sign for tennis.

So the next time, when you have failed and are feeling low, remember not to lose belief and be ready to change yourself for the best. When that will happen, at the right opportunity, things will click in your favor (just like Davis Cup win in 2010 for Nole) and the result will be obvious: You will become Novak Djokovic in your life.


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I Am Who I Am

“I stand outside in the light,

Looking far away in the sky.

I am confused, puzzled,

Asking God to show me a ray of light.

I stand there thinking about my past,

I stand there thinking about my present, 
What am i worth of?

Do I give up now and rest forever?

Or shall I take control and lead my destiny?

A flush of air breeze past my face,

Asking me to WAKE UP.

In that moment I realize, Never give up.

Don’t let others control your fate,

I am the leader of my life,
I can do anything not because I am invincible,

But because I Am Who I Am.

No one can bind me, No one can hold me back,

I will continue to move forward, step by step,

as I Am and will always be Who I Am."

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Also: Its Better Late Than Never  (What one can learn from LiNa,Roger Federer & Dirk Nowitzki) 

Djokovic Demolishes Nadal To Become The New Wimbledon Champion

Article first published as Djokovic Demolishes Nadal To Become Wimbledon Champion on Technorati.(Author Apeksha HA)

My prediction On Saturday was: Who knows tomorrow history repeats itself and Nole does to Nadal what Nadal did to Federer in 2008 epic final. How true it has been!

Q. What does it take to defeat the person who has :

- won 20 of his last matches at Wimbledon,

- won 4 out of 5 of his last Slams played,

- won 10 grand slams titles,

- won 2 of his last Wimbledon played,

has defeated you 5 times in Grand Slams finals?

Ans. You need to name yourself Novak Djokovic, who has now defeated Nadal in last 5 matches in 6 months. He is now 48-1 this year and after 4 years of being no.3 since 2007, he is officially World no.1 and has won 2 grand slams this year.

It all started with the victory in Davis Cup at Belgrade and what an amazing year Djokovic is having, and to win his first Wimbledon Championship against Nadal, he has finally stamped his authority on World No. 1 ranking. He is currently the best player in the world and after today’s scintillating performance, there has been no doubt in anyone’s mind that Djokovic-the-future-of-tennis is here.

He won in 4 sets: 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3

But the score line does not show the kind of dominance he had on Nadal throughout the match except the third set. It was more of a battle of minds out there with Nadal being outplayed in his own game by Djokovic. To sum it up: Djokovich is Nadal of 2008: Defense as strong as Nadal but with Better Offense.

When was the last time, Nadal seemed perplexed, lost in the match? It was just breathtaking to see Djokovic hit winners consistently and outplay probably the best player in the world for last 3 years. He got in the head of Nadal and for the first time Nadal was out of answers in a grand slam final.  Djokovic is now the second player to defeat him in a Grand Slam final after Federer.

In the first set, the game was up there with Djokovic 5-4 up and Nadal serving at 30-30. Two winners from Djokovic and the set was sealed. Although both the players took a lot of time between the serve points, Djokovic destroyed Nadal in the second set in 33 minutes 6-1.

But the fighting spirit that Nadal is known for came to display in the third set. Nole appeared to be under a bit of pressure and Nadal pounced upon him taking the set 6-1.

Djokovic went up 2-0 in the fourth set only to see Nadal fight back to 2-2. At 4-3, it all started with a double fault at Nadal’s serve and a backhand miss proved costly for Nadal as Djokovic took advantage and sealed the game with his shots to get a break up. Djokovic finally won the fourth set and match on his serve, 6-3 keeping his cool.

I had said earlier too that Nadal need to be vary of Djokovic returns and his ability to generate break points. That's what happened today. To sum up the match: 15 unforced errors and only 21 winners by Nadal as compared to 12 unforced and 27 winners by Djokovic. Djokovic won 38% of the receiving points and even Nadal after the match said “probably he is the best returner in the game”.

Djokovic’s family was in tears after the match and in Djokovic’s words: “A couple of good days at office” on becoming World No.1 and Wimbledon champion. : “The best day of my career and life”.  Not only for him but also to all the fans all around the world, this was a joyous moment. It goes on to show that with hard work and determination, you can achieve anything in the world, even defeat the best player.

What was today seen on the center court was something special, a match to be remembered. They say History has a way of repeating: It all started with Nadal (no.2 seed) winning in 2008 against the favorite: Federer and today we saw it again: Djokovic (no. 2 seed) winning against the favorite: Nadal.


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New:Novak Djokovic- Inspiration To All (Fans,Tennis Players And People All Over The World)
Also: I AM WHO I AM (Motivation)

Djokovic/Nadal Final- What do Wimbledon Stats Indicate?

It has been an amazing 13 days of mesmerizing tennis played on the grandest stage of tennis, Wimbledon. And now we have come to the Grand Finale where two current best players will play each other tomorrow to determine the Champion. It’s going to be a battle between the present world no.1 Rafael Nadal and the future world no.1 Novak Djokovic (come Monday).

More than the championship on the line, it will be a battle of minds too. Djokovic will be eager to stamp his authority as No.1 and prove to the world that he can defeat Nadal at Grand Slams too. Until now the record has been 0-5. But with the renewed confidence of the only player this year to defeat Nadal 4 times in a row, he will be raring to go and continue his dominance this year (47-1). Whereas Nadal will be determined to make it 5 out of 6 Grand Slams and not let Nole take the psychological advantage again.

Rafael Nadal who before French Open was in doubts about his confidence after facing back to back loss to Djokovic is back to his destructive self after winning his 6^th French Open title and cruising to the finals of the All England Club this time. He is currently 20-0 in Wimbledon and has reached this year in his 5^th  Wimbledon Final. He has been playing impeccable tennis this summer determined to increase his tally of grand slams to 11 (which would tie him with Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg).

  Lets have a look at the stats until now in Wimbledon (including semifinals):

Statistics	Nadal	Djokovic
1st Serve %	402/577=70%	387/572=68%
Unforced Errors	60	99
Winning % on 1st Serve	319/402=79%	303/387=78%
Winning % on 2nd Serve	104/175=59%	110/184=60%
Winners	244	199
Receiving Points Won	254/658=39%	265/638=42%
Break Point Conversions	27/55=49%	30/68=44%

Nadal has won 79% of his first serve points with only 60 unforced errors in 5 matches. He has 244 winners as compared to 199 by Djokovic until now. This will be a sign of worry for Nole, if he has to win tomorrow; he will have to come out firing winners.

Djokovic in turn has won 42% of the receiving points and 68 break points opportunities in last 5 matches. No wonder he is the best returner in the game. This is what Nadal will have to be careful about: hold on to his serve against the best returner.

Overall it will be a fascinating encounter to watch these the two athletes ready to give their best to leave a mark on the history. Who knows tomorrow history repeats itself and Nole does to Nadal what Nadal did to Federer in 2008 epic final.

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Also:Novak Djokovic:New World No.1: How he joined the league of Federer/Nadal