New year, new beginnings?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comeback may seem like an inappropriate expression for those who never went away. But for the legion of fans of two of the world's greatest sportsmen, the end of 2011 — annus horribilis, for the most part — held out a tantalising promise: a return to their triumphant ways. The manner in which Roger Federer and Tiger Woods signed off at the end of the Gregorian year shows it is much too premature to conclude, as some critics have, that they are headed into the sporting sunset. Over the last couple of months, there have been intimations of a rebirth, reminders that their prodigious talent is very much alive. Federer began 2011 on a deceptive note, winning the first ATP tournament of the year at Doha. This was followed by a succession of losses, which saw him lose, for the first time since 2003, in all four Grand Slam tournaments in a calendar year.

 

At Wimbledon, he suffered the ignominy of going down to unfancied Jo Wilfried Tsonga in the quarter finals, his first loss in a major tournament after leading two sets to love. It wasn't until early November that Federer won his second tournament in 2011 at Basel. He followed this up with two other victories, ironically defeating Tsonga both times to win the ATP World Tour Masters in Paris and the prestigious ATP World Tour Final in London (sometimes referred to as the fifth Grand Slam).

 

For Woods, the climb back to form, which plummeted when news of his marital infidelities broke, has been much more difficult. When he won the Chevron World Challenge three weeks ago, he notched up his first victory on the PGA Tour in more than two years. Last month, a final day rally took him to the third position at the Australian Open, which he followed up by winning the clinching point for the United States against the international team in the President's Cup. The challenges before the two men in 2012 are different. Although 36, Woods is less handicapped by his age.

 

The competition, despite the advent of the hugely talented youngster Rory McIlroy, is pretty much the same he left behind two years ago. To return to the top, he needs to put his turbulent past behind him and focus on making the necessary adjustments in his game. At 30, Federer is confronted by much younger rivals. His year-end flourish has coincided with the decline in the fortunes of his principal rivals. World number one Novak Djokovic's dream run in 2011 ended with the U.S. Open victory, after which injury has taken its toll. And Rafael Nadal needs desperately to reverse his recent run of poor form. While Federer's challenge is principally physical, for Woods it lies mainly in the mind. But both have the opportunity to surge towards the top in the new year. Hindu News