Andy Roddick- Persevere yet

-Radhika Marwah

To say that the latest edition of the US Open is a bolt from the blue would perhaps be taking it a bit far, but it is a shocker alright. So far, as I sit down to write this piece, Andy Roddick and Andy Murray have been the biggest upsets of the season, while 17 year old, Melanie Oudin has overpowered the likes of Sharapova and Dementieva. Nadal is looking good and Clijsters has managed to conquer a William.

Well, this piece right here deals with the pain that the misfortune of Mr. Roddick is inflicting on all his fans and on himself, I am certain.

Roddick’s luck is conspicuous by its absence. Desperate suggestions by a fraught fan:

1. Try spelling your name as Andee Roddicke; works for us, also sounds foreign and interesting.
2. Sparrows are thought to carry the souls of the dead and it is believed to bring bad luck if you kill one. Er, maybe he killed a couple of hundred…
3. Take a sabbatical from tennis and go in search of used horseshoes. It must be hung over the door with the open end up, so the good fortune doesn’t spill out.
4. Organise a 14- day yagya, chanting ohm all the while.
5. Instigate a conspiracy against Fedex, The Invincible.
6. Introduce a law against men taller than 6’6” from playing professional tennis.

Besides the inanity, the truth is that Andy Roddick is a phenomenal player. I say this not because he is brilliant and flawless but precisely because he is not. Roddick is a player that everyone had written off a few years back. He was witty, aggressive, had a powerful serve but that was about it. There was nothing special about his game. Things turned around after his humiliating exit from Wimbledon 2008. Roddick worked hard on his fitness and completely turned his game around. He was no longer banking on his serve but playing with his head on court. So complete was his transformation that he managed to be the better player in Wimbledon 2009, even though Federer won the Final. Talk about being lucky. The match between Isner and Roddick in this year’s US Open was nothing short of epic. Being two sets down, Roddick came back with some hard forehands and passionate shouts. He played some excellent shots and Isner had a tough time breaking his serve.  He may have lost the five- setter but he did not play below- par tennis. What makes A- Rod so awe- inspiring is not the perfection or skill that greats like Federer exhibit. Rather, it is the sheer fight that this man has that reinstates my faith in him. Time and again.

Marat Safin

-Anmol Arora

Talent  is an amazing gift and a terrible curse. Too little of it can render a man helpless while too much can  blind. One talented name that brings ambivalence to tennis admirers is, Marat Safin. Standing tall at 6ft 3 inches he has enthralled and dismayed the audience for over twelve years.

He burst on the scene as a twenty year old, destroying Pete Sampras at the U.S. Open in 2002. Defeating Sampras at his homeground, he found himself curious audience and speculative media. Experts showered him with praise and hailed the Russian as the next champion of the game. While he was in possesion of awe-inspiring skills his temprament was wanting. Opponents were often reduced to audience as Safin either demolished them or self-destructed. A career full of ups and downs saw him clubbed with the finest of the game and also penalised for tanking( not trying hard enough) a match. His victorious struggle against, the seemingly undefeatable, Federer at the Australian Open in 2005 is regarded as one of the best matches in the history of the game. Subsequently winning the same event, led people to believe that his career was back on track, however, injuries and ordinary performances overshadowed these hopes.

With years passing by and age catching up he announced this year as his last on the professional tennis circuit; leaving the tennis fraternity saddened and nostalgic. The enigmatic blend of finesse, eruptive temper and dapper looks will hold Marat Safin immortal to tenniskind.

Delhi University has taken the mammoth task of educating the youth upon its shoulders. And in this endeavour, the university provides a wide range of courses. From a BA in Chinese to a B.Sc in Food Technology, DU has a lot to offer to its students. And now, it seems, the university has unintentionally added another course to its rather long list: that in animal relations. No, it isn’t official, but with the wide variety of animals on campus, students have no option but to deal with them and acclimatize themselves to their furry friends.

Almost all DU colleges have canine presence on campus. A stray nonchalantly wandering into a classroom whilst a class is in progress is a common sight. It hardly elicits a reaction beyond the initial sniggers. Only a classroom full of freshers, who are not yet used to such idiosyncrasies of the establishment of DU, are fascinated by it, and now, even they are getting used to it. Of course, like students, even the dogs have favourite haunts. A particular dog haunts the lover’s point in Hansraj College. Another in is permanently stationed in The Girls’ Common room there. While most students consider them part of the furniture, a lot of them are scared of them which actually serves as disincentive enough for not going to the GCR. However, Hansraj also has its fair share of dog lovers. Rumour has it that a student was allowed by a teacher to take her dog inside class and actually got double attendance for that class. A similar situation exists In Hindu College. A white dog with sparse black spots is found to be sleeping perpetually in the central foyer of the college. Different groups of students have christened the dog differently. Another litter of puppies has recently appeared in Hindu and can be seen wandering around campus. A few good samaritans can be seen petting and feeding these doggies.

However, the dogs In St. Stephen’s are close to almost all the students’ hearts. It seems there that everyone loves the dogs. Of course, some may disagree, but they keep this to themselves- such is the devotion to the four legged creatures. These dogs are well fed as they get the leftovers from the café. They also have unique names. Floppy, Pinky (who is actually back), Sicko are the well known ones. These dogs are integral part of the lives of the students here, especially the ones who live in the Residence.

On the other hand, Lady Shri Ram College for Women is known for the many cats that proudly walk about. These cats become alarmingly thin during the vacations, but are nourished back to health as soon as college reopens. There’s a really friendly tabby cat who is everyone’s favourite. Another ochre couloured cat is apparently drawn by the slightest whiff of food but vanishes as soon as anyone tries to pet it. There also an elusive black cat, who is said to be very beautiful, but is tricky to spot.

Jesus and Mary College has a small zoo within itself. With monkeys, cats and dogs scampering about the place, it is a haven for animal lovers. Delhi College for Arts and Commerce also has a monkey problem, but has a langur around to shoo away the lesser simians. However, students allege that the langur is kept in inhumane conditions in a small dark room. Stephen’s also has a langur, Chetak, but he doesn’t stay on campus.

But the prize for the most bizarre animal on campus goes to Dyal Singh College. They have pigs on campus! Some students are utterly disgusted as it definitely speaks volumes about the arrangement for keeping the college clean, or the lack thereof. However, students claim, that with the closing of a nearby drain, the number of pigs have significantly reduced.