— Jimmy Connors
By Alex P. Vidal
MY sports mole in London, Jerprey Ian Guion, alerted me July 16 that Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz was the crowd favorite even before he basked in the glow of thrilling victory by blasting many-time champion Novak Djokovic 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 in the Wimbledon final.
Guion, who watched the Alcaraz-Novak championship setto at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London together with his fellow nurse Sharmane, reported that the match was very close even in the first set.
Alcaraz, 20, who topped Djokovic in five sets to win the world's most famous tennis tournament, conceded that he could have easily lost the title match in straight sets.
“He (Alcaraz) just scored a big upset,” I replied to Guion after immediately informed me of Alcaraz’s scintillating win.
Djokovic has been in 35 Grand Slam finals and won 23 of them. He played Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer a total of 109 times, with head-to-head edges against both. He went 9-5 against them in title matches at majors.
So it seemed only natural to ask Djokovic to whom he would compare the Alcaraz, the new star of men’s tennis after losing to him across five sets and more than 4 1/2 hours brimming with brilliant play and dramatic moments in the Wimbledon final.
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Djokovic dominated the first set before Alcaraz won a thrilling tiebreaker to win the second and set the stage for an epic five-set showdown that lasted almost five hours.
Even as Djokovic dominated the early play, Alcaraz said he talked himself into remaining upbeat, knowing his chances to win games and get back into the match would come.
Alcaraz couldn’t be blamed for a momentary case of stage fright, playing on the sport’s most sacred ground, Centre Court of The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club.
"It was a dream come true for me" just to play for the championship, Alcaraz said. "It was tough to deal with the nerves facing Novak on that stage."
The audience Sunday included Kate, Princess of Wales, Prince William, their two oldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, and King Felipe VI of Spain.
Alcaraz said he caught a glimpse of Felipe shouting an encouraging "vamos" after winning points.
"I was not thinking about it. I tried not to think about it," he said. "But sometimes it's difficult to stay away from that. It's your own Spanish king watching you, supporting you.”
Alcaraz became the youngest men's champ since 17-year-old Boris Becker won it in 1985.
The 36-year-old Djokovic has won seven men's singles titles and is still one short of the record eight championships of the recently retired Roger Federer.
When the US Open blasts off in New York City next month, it will be my turn to give Guion the blow by blow account.
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(Ginsulat kag ginbalhag ni Ambassador Leo Tito Ausan, Jr., sining ika 17 sang Hulyo, 2023, sang ika -4:30 sang hapon, Sa Dhaka, Bangladesh....)
ANG BARANGAY AMBOT
Nagsaulog sang iya tuigan nga pandot,
Ang mga tumandok nga pumuluyo nagsilinadya nagsilinaot, sang malapuyot!
Apang sang ang kaagahon sang sunod nga adlaw magsampot,
May nasapwan nga isa ka tinuga,
Nga nagatiskog, kag nagabarikutot,
Sa maligwin kag masiok nga pusod,
Sang pader sa isa ka bakante nga lote nga tuman ka pangsot,
Ang Kapitan nagtawag sa pulis, nga sa kaluoy sang Mahal nga Diyos, gilayon man nga nag-abot,
Wala madugayi, madasig , gaburhot!!
Ang kapulisan nag burublag sang mag-alabot,
Nagsugod sila sang libot-libot, kag nag pulupamangkot,
Sa barangay kag mga pumuluyo sa palibot?
Kon may nasaksihan, ukon nabatian bala sila?
Apang ang mga pumuluyo nga ila napamangkot,
Ang lunsay nga sabat, isa ka tinaga, matigda- gid lamang
nga AMBOT!!.
Sang mga taga-ambulansya nga nag-abot,
Kag sang mga taga SOCO, Ang bangkay nga nagabarikutot, gin eksamen kag ginbalutbot, pagkatapos, padulong sa ospital ila gindala sang paburhot.
Nabilin ang kapulisan nga naga lungo-lungo, kay wala gid masabat sang tul-id ang ila pulopamangkot,
Kay bisan ang tampuhaw nga Kapitan ang sabat matigda man nga Ambot...
Masubo nga naglakat na lamang ang nalugaw-an nga mga pulis, nga ang ulo ginakalot,
Kag sa dalan ila nasugata si Bentot, Ang sang Barangay Ambot, suki gid nga manugbalot
Kag siya ila man gin haboy,
Sang subong nga mga pamangkot, Apang ang sabat ni Bentot, matigda man nga Ambot, kag kuno ang iya nabatian sang tungang gab-i na,
Isa lamang ka Mabaskog lamang nga UTOT!!...Sa kainit sang ulo sang Kapulisan, ginpululihan nila ang labutaw nga si Bentot, sang dukol kag hanot!
Maayo lang gani kay. nakapanginpadlos si Bentot kag naka lumpat sa suba kon sa diin madalum kag nagasagana ang tubig kag nagsarurot, Ahay makaluluoy nga Bentot,
Humalin sadto wala na gid makit-an kag makabaligya sang balot sa Barangay Ambot.
Ang nasapwan na gid lamang kay Bentot, humalin sadtong siya nadula kag sa suba magsarurot, amo ang alat nga ginasudlan niya magbaligya siya sang balut, Kon sa diin napagkit ang hayo niya nga Bentot!
Ang makatilingala, sang makit-an ang basket ni Bentot yadto ini sa maligwin kag masiok kag pangsot nga pusod sang pader sang bakante nga lote sa Barangay Ambot! Kon sa diin nasapwan ang bangkay pagkatapossang pandot,
Karon, siguro sa akon kamo tanan dungan nga mamangkot,
May kaangtanan ayhan sa pagkapatay sang nasapwan nga bangkay, ang manugbalot nga si Bentot??,
ANG AKON, GID LAMANG SABAT, MAABTIK NGA AMBOT!!!
KAY AKO TUNAY NGA TUMANDOK KAG PUMULUYO MAN SANG BARANGAY AMBOT??....
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)
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