Changing of the Guard | DePar727's Blog

It took the Detroit Pistons what seemed like forever to get over the Boston Celtics hurdle. And it took the Chicago Bulls, the Jordan Rules and the 3-headed monster (Bill Wennington, Luc Longly and Will Perdue) to knock off the Bad Boys, but tennis is a different sport. This is not a team game. And although you may see some fist pumping, screams of agony, cheers of elation, in this start, stop, volley and lob, smashing serves with speeds up to 129 mph, backhands, forehands, there is less cocky brash behavior and more poised professionals that gut it out for grueling hours at a time; this is a gentleman's game. It takes a true champion to knock-off a champion. Rafael Nadal defeated Roger Federer in this year's Wimbledon and it was an instant classic. Five sets that could've continued for another five. This was a match that lived up to its billing. The 5-time consecutive reigning champion Federer trying to eclipse a record set by Bjorn Borg and earn 6 straight titles. And the kid, Nadal, trying to win his first Wimbledon. Last year with Nadal come up short against his nemesis. But this year there it seemed inevitable Nadal would claim supremacy. After making mince meat out of Federer in the French open, a clay court where Nadal is seemingly invincible, an interesting storyline was etched in the imagination of tennis fans for Wimbledon. This time, Federer seemed as if he would not be denied. Power serves. 20 Aces. Nadal was up 5-2 in the fourth tiebreaker set before Federer rallied to win and push a fifth set. There weren't any questionable calls, or fluke shots. These technicians crafted an epic event that held sports fans captive and wanting more. This rivalry gave us better things to cheer about than the Red Sox - Yanks, the Celtics - Lakers and the Bears - Packers. The changing of the guard in England was spot on.

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