There's no better place in the world to make a comeback

Wimbledon Centre Court /
The thrill of victory 
on the most famous rectangle in tennis.

One year ago, Novak Djokovic left Wimbledon injured and uncertain of his future. On Sunday, the Serbian left the All England Club as the 2018 Wimbledon gentlemen's singles champion for the fourth time. As a further reward, he even got to share a dance with this year's ladies' singles champion, Angelique Kerber, at Sunday night's Champions' Dinner.

While the past couple of years have seen some dark, barren times for the 13-time Grand Slam champion, his 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (3) win over 32-year-old Kevin Anderson of South Africa in this year's Wimbledon final proved without a doubt that Djokovic is back – and, now, he's the newly ranked No. 10 player in the world.

Meanwhile, Anderson's memorable fortnight, which included a five-set victory over No. 1 seed Roger Federer in the quarterfinals that propelled him toward reaching his second Grand Slam final in less than a year, lifted him to No. 5 in the latest ATP rankings.

"Even though today is not the result I was looking for, I think in the next few days, just seeing my new career-high ranking is going to mean a lot to me," said Anderson during the trophy presentation following Sunday's final. "Looking back at some of the matches, especially my quarterfinal and semifinal match, it will really set, in what I've accomplished. I can be happy with that and use it for continued motivation."

At No. 21, Djokovic became the lowest-ranked male to win Wimbledon since Goran Ivanisevic won in 2001 while ranked No. 125.

Novak Djokovic celebrates his Wimbledon 
victory by waving to his family.

While the 12th-seeded Djokovic's victory, which came a day after his epic five-set semifinal win over World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, lifted him back into the Top 10, it's worth asking: just how good was Djokovic during this Wimbledon fortnight? Does this put him in the right frame of mind with the United States Open just a few weeks away? Can Djokovic win any more majors?

Tackling these pressing  questions one at a time, Djokovic remains the best returner in men's tennis, bar none, and it made a big difference against the 6-foot-8 Anderson, who was hobbled by mental and physical fatigue brought on from his six plus-hour marathon semifinal on Friday against John Isner, in which the fifth set alone was stretched to 50 games (26-24 in favor of Anderson) and lasted nearly three hours alone. Understandably, the personable giant, who is one of the nicest and most polite professionals on tour, had little left for the final. Indeed, by winning Wimbledon, it gives Djokovic a big psychological boost heading into the North America hard court season leading up to the United States Open, which begins the final week of August. And yes, if Federer can still win Grand Slams at age 36, there's  no reason that Djokovic can't win a few more, too – he's just 31.

The past couple of years have seen a decline in Djokovic's desire – not to mention turmoil among his coaching team – coupled with a serious injury to his right elbow that required surgery following this year's Australian Open. On Sunday, it was great to see the champion, nicknamed "Nole," back on Centre Court playing in a Grand Slam final, reunited with his longtime coach Marian Vajda who sat perched in the players' box just above Centre Court. Djokovic played solid-if-not-patient tennis throughout much of the two hour and 19 minute match. He won 76 percent (52 of 68) of his first-serve points, hit 20 winners against 13 unforced errors and broke his opponent four times in four tries. Although Anderson finished with 10 service aces and hit 26 winners, he committed 32 unforced errors and was zero-for-seven in break-point conversions. Djokovic outpointed Anderson 100-74.

On match point, with Djokovic serving at 6-3 in the third set tie-break, he forced Anderson into netting a forehand return. The final was over. After meeting Anderson at the net to shake hands and exchange pleasantries, Djokovic lifted his arms in triumph – much to the delight of the cheering crowd. Soon after, the new champion knelt down to nibble a few blades of grass in celebration – giving a literal interpretation to tasting victory.

Three-year-old Stefan Djokovic, secure in the
arms of his mother, Novak Djokovic's wife
Jelena, during the trophy ceremony.

Shortly after the ancient silver gilt cup that is awarded to the winner was solidly in Novak's hands, the BBC's cameras quickly cut to Djokovic's box where the charming sight of his three-year-old son, Stefan, secure in the arms of his mother, Djokovic's wife Jelena, applauded his papa's accomplishment.

"It feels amazing – the first time in my life I have someone screaming 'Daddy! Daddy!'," said Djokovic, beaming a smile during his on-court interview with the BBC's Sue Barker.

"I'm very emotional with him being there, and my wife and while team. I cherish this moment."

Polite and gracious, Djokovic continued: "I would like to congratulate Kevin. I was quite lucky to get through. I'm very grateful to everyone who has been supporting me. The last couple of years haven't been easy, facing for the first time a severe injury. I had many moments of doubt and didn't know if I could come back. But there's no better place in the world to make a comeback. I always dreamed of holding this trophy as a boy. This is a sacred place for tennis. It's very special."

Indeed, as Djokovic showed everyone on Sunday, there's no better place in the world than Centre Court at Wimbledon – the most famous rectangle in tennis – to make a comeback.

Photos: Courtesy of Google Images.

Admiring brilliance: Nadal wins his 11th French Open title

Rafael Nadal clutches 
the Coupe des Mousquetaires
after winning his 11th French Open title.

"We admire brilliance but will we get competition?" NBC's outstanding tennis commentator Ted Robinson asked as he readied to call Rafael Nadal's first match of the 2018 French Open against Simone Bolelli of Italy at Stade Roland Garros two weeks ago. Fast forward to the end of the Paris fortnight Sunday and the answer is yes.

Nadal captured his 11th French Open crown by defeating 24-year-old Austrian star Dominic Thiem, the only man to defeat him on clay during the past two years, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2, on Court Philippe Chatrier. In what seemed at times to resemble a blowout but was actually decided by just a few service breaks, Thiem did not play bad. Nadal just played better.

"I'm very happy right now," said Nadal during an on-court interview with French TV after his victory while awaiting the start of the trophy presentation. Nadal addressed the crowd in both French and English.

The victory solidified the King of Clay's No. 1 world ranking and it was Nadal's first major title victory with Carlos Moya as his primary coach after long being coached by his uncle Toni Nadal.

The last time that Nadal and Thiem met, last month in the ATP Masters 1000 Mutua Madrid Open, Thiem ended Nadal's 21-match and 50-set winning streaks on clay. Thus, everyone attending Sunday's French Open men's singles final in person as well as those watching on TV around the world all asked the same question: Can Thiem do it again and beat Nadal in the final at Roland Garros? As it happened, the answer was no.

Nadal, 32, who was trying to become the first player – man or woman – to win 11 titles at three different tournaments, including his 11th Couple des Mousquetaires at Roland Garros, was solid in winning 82 percent of his first-serve points. Also, he controlled the net, where he won 16 of 18 opportunities, and broke Thiem five times in 17 chances. Nadal hit 26 winners to offset his 24 unforced errors.

Thiem countered with seven service aces but also committed five double faults. Although he won 67 percent of his first-serve points, he had trouble winning points on his second serve and converted just 34 percent of his chances. Thiem broke Nadal just once in three tries. He hit 34 winners but committed 42 unforced errors. Nadal outpointed Thiem 105-79.

Throughout their two hour and 42 minute match, Nadal was cool under pressure. Playing under humid conditions, the final featured many long, grueling rallies between both Nadal and Thiem. The first seven games lasted 45 minutes – alone – and set a tone for the remainder of the afternoon.

Nadal got off to a fast start by winning the first six points of the match and broke for a quick 2-0 lead. The Spaniard hit many memorable topspin forehand winners, a tribute to his drive and determination. When Thiem was broken at love in the 10th game, it gave Nadal the first set 6-4.

Early on, BBC5 Live's David Law, co-host of The Tennis Podcast, tweeted about Thiem, "Has the basic artillery to live with Nadal. Whether that's sustainable, another matter. Might rattle Rafa, though."

Thiem knew he had to be perfect to beat Nadal for the first time in a best-of-5 set match – and after the first set, he faced the unenviable task of having to win three of the remaining four sets. Plus, in the back of his mind, he must have been aware of this stat: Nadal is 95-0 when he wins the first set in a best-of-5 set match on clay. Make that 96-0 now.

The second set began similar to the first as Nadal jumped out to a 3-0 lead. He exhibited an ability to absorb everything Thiem hit at him and not get down anytime he lost a point. Nadal would lose 79 points during the match, still knowing he would come out ahead at the end. Ahead 4-2, it prompted NBC's outspoken analyst and Hall of Famer John McEnroe to comment about Thiem for his television audience watching back in the U.S., "He's got to find a gear he's never used in order to beat Nadal. ... I just don't think he has it in him." Although Thiem fought valiantly at times, he couldn't regain the break that he surrendered to Nadal early in the set and the Spaniard won the second set 6-3.

Nadal wasted little time in breaking Thiem early to go ahead 2-1 at the start of the third set. It seemed no matter how well Thiem played, Nadal was ridiculously just a little better. The effort Nadal displayed throughout the match – as well as the entire tournament – was unbelievable. Not even a cramped left hand, which Nadal sustained after holding for 3-1, could detour him. After all, he's still a pretty lethal player with just nine functioning fingers.

As Nadal served for the match, ahead 5-2, Thiem fought off four match points before the inevitable happened. On his fifth championship point, Nadal won the game and the set 6-2 – and clinched the match for his 17th Grand Slam championship title, which moved him to within three of Roger Federer's career-leading 20 majors.

Nadal lifted his arms high in the air and raised his head toward the heavens in celebration. La Undécima was all his to savor. Then, he and Thiem arrived at the net together from opposite directions and shared a long embrace before walking off the terre battue.

Give props to Thiem for fighting hard and playing well – even in defeat. He was trying to become the first Austrian since Thomas Muster in 1995 to win the French Open. During an on-court interview, Thiem told McEnroe, "I fought for every ball, but Rafa was just too good. I have to accept it. To play here is one of the toughest challenges in all sports.

"Even when Rafa isn't 100 percent," said Thiem referring to Nadal's hand cramp late in the match, "he's still pretty amazing."

After receiving the Coupe des Mousquetaires trophy from 1968 French Open champion Ken Rosewall, Nadal lifted it three times high above his head, then accepted the thunderous applause in a very prolonged ovation from the French crowd. It brought teams to Nadal's eyes followed a few moments later by a big smile. He clutched the trophy in both arms close to his chest as the Spanish national anthem, "Marcha Real" was played.

After the trophy presentation, Nadal was asked on court by McEnroe to describe the feeling of winning his 11th French Open title. "It's impossible to describe the feeling. This is the tournament I love to win.

"I've received all this love and appreciation from the crowd and I thank everyone. The emotions are always high when you win something you think is impossible."

By winning, Nadal matched Margaret Court's record of claiming 11 singles titles at the same Grand Slam. It also improved his Roland Garros win-loss record to an astonishing 86-2, and he's now won 111 best-of-5 sets clay-court matches and lost only two during his remarkable career.

Nadal also became one of just four players to claim three or more major championships after turning 30, joining Federer, Rosewall and Rod Laver.

En route to his 11th Roland Garros title, Nadal dropped just one set the entire fortnight, against Diego Schwartzman in the first set of their quarterfinal match that started on Wednesday. Nadal finished by winning nine consecutive sets, which included three in his quarterfinal win over Schwartzman, three in his semifinal win over Juan Martín del Potro, and three against Thiem in the final. Nadal improved his win-loss record to 30-2 this season, and has won his last 12 matches – all on clay.

Afterward, Nadal told the media gathered for his final press conference that he believes there is room for him to improve. He said, "You can always improve something, and I think that everyone can improve. There is no limit. You never know where is the limit. If you don't have the will to improve, you don't understand the sport, because the sport is always about improving. That's the meaning of sport. It's playing with the dream of doing something better than what you're doing before. ... When you're not working with passion of doing something better, I think that sports will lose its sense."

Now, it's on to the grass-court season for Nadal with his No. 1 ranking secured for now and the start of the Wimbledon fortnight just three weeks away.

Cover photo: Courtesy of Associated Press.
Highlight video: Courtesy of YouTube.com.

This year, the City ruled the Land

With a near-perfect 16-1 postseason, the Golden State Warriors won their
second NBA Championship in three years on Monday night.

If you're a Golden State Warriors fan, like I am, you're probably in a pretty good mood today. After all, this is the year that the City ruled the Land.

Congratulations are in order for the Golden State Warriors on the occasion of winning their second NBA Championship in three seasons. On a late, spring Monday night at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., the Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 129-120, to win their best-of-7 NBA Final, four games to one.

Indeed, as Warriors fans know, there's strength in numbers.

The much-heralded Kevin Durant, who joined the Warriors family nearly a year ago on July 4, 2016, in search of his first championship, garnered the Finals MVP by pouring in 39 points in the clincher. Teammate Stephen Curry, himself a Finals MVP when the Warriors won it all in 2015, added 34. Together, they were virtually unstoppable. In defeat, LeBron James scored a game-high 41 points for the Cavaliers. After the final buzzer sounded, James found both Durant and Curry on the court and offered props to both. Very classy move.

Looking back, the Warriors won the NBA Championship for a reason – they had the best collection of committed players and a coaching staff who molded this group of highly talented and motivated athletes into a winning team. They played with joy and enthusiasm, beauty and unity. Throughout their historic 16-1 post-season run, there was always a sense of passion on display and their desire to achieve a common goal of winning the title was always in focus. On any given night, in any given game, the Warriors always hustled and more often than not, found a way to win.

Thank you, players: Matt, Ian, Stephen, Kevin, Draymond, Andre, Damian, Shaun, Kevon, James Michael, Patrick, JaVale, Zaza, Klay and David. Thank you coaches: Steve, Mike, Ron, Jarron, Bruce, Chris and Willie.

Long after the game ended but not before the celebration had waned, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, sporting a championship tee to go with his Champagne-soaked-and-spiked coiffure, reflected on the championship moment during a televised interview outside Oracle Arena, among a hearty group of blue and gold-clad Warriors fans. As always, with the right sense of thought and tone of voice – and with graciousness, too –  his words spoke volumes:

"There's so much joy, so much love. It's an incredible group of guys," said Kerr. "We know how talented they are. They are so committed to each other and to the greater good. That's ultimately what puts you over the top. We have the talent – obviously – to compete for a title every year, but what puts you over the top, I think, is when you have that level of respect and commitment to each other."

This year, it was the Warriors turn to win it all.

Resolved: It's time to READ more books

We're a week into March – spring is almost here – and although I didn't formally jot down any New Year's resolutions for 2017, if I had, one that would have been near the top of my list is my desire to read more. "So many books ... so little time," reads the slogan printed on one of my tattered, well-worn navy-colored t-shirts that I bought a few years ago at The Elliott Bay Book Company, situated in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. It happens to be one of my favorite independent booksellers in the entire country – and it's always on my things to do list whenever I visit Seattle.

When I say to you that I want to "read more," by that I mean read more books. While I stay abreast of current events by reading The New York Times daily, both in print and online, and give a good read to periodicals like The New Yorker and Monocle, the London-based monthly that covers world affairs, culture, food and design, now, every day is like engaging in an American Civics class thanks to the narcissist behavior and dystopian actions of our current president. And, I should mention that perusing my Facebook news feed has become a necessity in order to stay current on what's trending with POTUS 45, too.

But, what about books, you ask? Yes, books, remember them? Books are the foundation behind what made Amazon.com one of the most successful online retailers. Before Twitter, before Facebook, before Netflix, before texting sapped all of our intellectual energy, there were books. I have several bookshelves at home that are lined with hundreds of titles that I've bought or received as gifts over the years. Let's see, I'm proud of my collection of books by The New Yorker writers Roger Angell and Calvin Trillin, among many, and I enjoy reading books about baseball, my favorite sport. However, a few years ago, in a space-saving and budget-cutting effort, I trimmed back on the number of new titles I bought and, instead, decided to start making better use of my local public library.

Looking back on 2016, I can say without boasting that I made good use of my Oakland Public Library card. I checked out about a book a month. One thing I've learned about libraries is this: If you're willing to wait for a popular best-seller or a new title to become available, checking out library books is a good way to save money (and, I might add, bookshelf space) while also showing support for our public libraries.

Both Comedy Central's The Daily Show and the New York Times Book Review are pretty good indicators for learning about good books to read. Before he left The Daily Show, former host Jon Stewart always brought out the best in authors. You could judge by his interest in a book if it was worth reading. New Daily Show host Trevor Noah is carrying on the tradition begun by Stewart.

Among the books which I read during 2016 were:

• Saving Capitalism: For the Many, Not the Few by Robert Reich.

• I'd Know That Voice Anywhere by Frank Deford.

• Jackson, 1964: And Other Dispatches from Fifty Years of Reporting on Race in America by Calvin Trillin.

• Goodbye: In Search of Gordon Jenkins and Shop Around: Growing Up with Motown in a Sinatra Household, both by Bruce Jenkins.

• Indentured: The Inside Story of Rebellion Against the NCAA by Joe Nocera.

• Federer and Me: A Story of Obsession by William Skidelsky.

Among the ties that bind these titles are my interest in non-fiction, memoirs, sports, and music. And, of course, good writing and good stories always garner my attention.

Looking ahead, I ask: Is it possible that I can increase my output this year so that I'm reading an average of a book a month? Let's see, I've already started Writings on the Wall: Searching For a New Equality Beyond Black and White by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and I'm nearly finished with the current Michael Lewis book, The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds. 

Also, I received Eat Drink Delta: A Hungry Traveler's Journey Through the Soul of the South by Susan Puckett as a Christmas gift from my brother, and I recently bought an autographed copy of Trevor Noah's Born A Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood. 

Finally, I've got Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink, the acclaimed 674-page memoir by Elvis Costello that spans his almost four-decade music career left over from last year's reading list that I would like to start this year.

There's plenty to look forward to reading while trying to forget everything that's going bad with our democracy, thanks to a certain POTUS. Now, if I can just remember to stop turning on the TV.

Photo: Stained glass sign at The Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, courtesy of Google Images.

The day of joy returns: A prayer for Christmas morning

With Christmas 2016 upon us,
 once again, I would like to share a Christmas Day poem 
by the 19th-century Scottish poet and essayist, 
Robert Louis Stevenson 
reflecting our common humanity:

A Prayer for Christmas Morning

By Robert Louis Stevenson

The day of joy returns, Father in Heaven, and

crowns another year with peace and good will.

Help us rightly to remember the birth of Jesus, that

we may share in the song of the angels, the 

gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the

wise men.

Close the doors of hate and open the doors of

love all over the world.

Let kindness come with every gift and good

desires with every greeting.

Deliver us from evil, by the blessing that Christ

brings, and teach us to be merry with clean hearts.

May the Christmas morning make us happy to 

be thy children.

And the Christmas evening bring us to our bed

with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for 

Jesus's sake.

Amen.

Wishing kind thoughts for a Merry Christmas. 

Although we are of many faiths,

it is important that our common humanity 

allows us to share a season of peace and goodwill.

Photo illustration: Michael Dickens © 2016.