A year of significance!

Although US Opened has carved out a name for itself in the history of tennis as a Grand slam which does not welcome surprises,this year it went for something new!

While in the women's game,it was the comeback queen and super mom Kim Clijsters who made all the headlines,in the men's tour..the center of attraction was some 6-foot-6 Argentine who caused one of the biggest upsets in the history of tennis by humbling a 15-time Grand Slam champion in a tight five setter!

It was Kim's third tournament since her comeback after a two year off and her victory sprang up as the greatest surprise as she was the first mother to win a Grand Slam since 1980 Wimbledon!

Juan Martin del Potro,a lanky baseliner from Argentina went all the way to clinch the first Grand Slam title of his career but the importance of the trophy increased manifold considering the person on the other side of the net!It was the Grand Slam man,Roger Federer!
All the credit to this 20-year old from Tandil who held his nerve throughout the final to score his first and probably the biggest win over the Swiss maestro!He really stepped up his game when it really mattered with his thunderous serves and nuclear missile like forehands of 110mph!Thanks to some uncharacteristic errors form Federer,del Potro got his breakthrough when he was just two points away from defeat and Federer ,two points away from equaling Bill Tilden's record.

Though Federer lost the Slam and allowed Bil Tilden's ghost to rest in peace for a longer period,it cannot be denied that this year he deserves the Grand Slam man of the season award!After the Australian Open at the beginning of the year,watching a teary Roger after his loss to Rafa in the final even his staunchest supporters would have given up the hopes of seeing their man lifting another Slam title to make it 14 overall.The idea of Roger winning his 15th would have completely vaporized from their hearts and minds.

Nadal's early exit from the Roland Garros and his absence from competitive tennis owing to tendinitis in his knees might have created a crack in Federer's seemingly closed mental door but it was largely due to the champion's indomitable will power and thousands of hours of hard labor that let the world witness one of the most stirring comebacks seen in the history of the sport!

Roger Federer became only the sixth man in the history of tennis to have a career Grand Slam to his name when tears rolled down his eyes in disbelief after his name got carved in the Roland Garros trophy!He had equalled Pete's record of 14...and was on a mission to accomplish the most daunting feat of becoming the most successful man in the history of tennis at Grand Slams!He completed his mission in the following Grand Slam at Wimbledon but this time he had to overcome the challenge from an inspired Roddick!Clearly the Roddick who had lost to the same man in previous two finals was no more there that day!It was the resurgent one but Federer had an answer for everything.In the process...he moved to his familiar spot(#1) which had been usurped by some Spanish gladiator from Mallorca!

As someone has rightly said-People don't become champions by their accomplishments, champions have something inside them which demarcates them from the rest!For Roger,this something is his immense self-belief,strong inner drive to brave the storms and challenges on his way,single minded devotion and a stubborn determination to succeed.His consistency in the majors(22 straight semifinal appearances),the artistry of his shot making ,the perfect combination of speed,power,precision and accuracy,gracious and elegant demeanor on and off court as well as his fair play and true sportsmanship undoubtedly provide strong arguments in favor of Roger being arguably the greatest ever to grace a tennis court!

This year was meant for history to be created.Though this year marked the rise of DelPotro as a serious Grand Slam contender and ended with Roger on the losing side,yet this year was not about what he failed to achieve but about what he accomplished and how did he!Most of the spoting records hold their charm for a small span of time but some like Federer's have created a league of their own and probably can never be matched!