Battle of Grunters at Melbourne

It is quipped that if you are to watch the finals, you would better press the mute button first.  The Australian Women’s Finals is touted as ‘battle of grunters”

At Adelaide, Michael Clarke set up an improbable 500 as the target for the struggling Indians and there is little to write about.  At Melbourne, the Tournament is heading for a close finish.  If you can recall last year it was Novak Djokovic, Kim Clijsters, Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan – who won the title in Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles and Mens Doubles last year.

The finalists in the woman are spotted and it was reported that she has  been practising her victory dance moves, just in case.  She has not dropped a set yet and has dropped only 12 games so far in the tournament. She is as mindful as anyone of what lies ahead  and if she were to win, she is like to unveil a few dance moves -   that is Victoria Azarenka, the girl from Belarus who is to meet Russian beauty Maria Sharpova  in the ‘battle of grunters”.  Sharapova will play her sixth Grand Slam final, Azarenka her first.

There are repots that decibel counters set up at Melbourne Park this week have measured Azarenka's wail at 91.4, while Sharapova is understood to have reached 98. At her peak, the Russian has been recorded at an ear-splitting 105.

If you are wondering what this all about, ‘grunting’ in tennis refers to the loud noise, sometimes described as "shrieking" or "screaming", made by some players during their strokes. It is prominent in women's tennis but also exists in men's tennis. Monica Seles and Jimmy Connors are often credited with starting the "grunt" in tennis in the female and male games respectively.  The other practitioners of the art includes Serenas, Sharpova, Dementieva, Azarenka, Nadal and Djokovic. 

Azarenka was the first to reach the Finals defeating 11^th seed Kim Clijsters reaching her first career Grand Slam final. Sharapova, the 2008 champion, joined Azarenka in the final after a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 victory over No. 2 seed Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic. It was a baseline battle that didn’t necessarily have the contrast in styles that will make for compelling tennis.

Rafael Nadal defeated Roger Federer  and would play the winner of rematch of last year’s finals – Novak Djokovic playing Andy Murray.  The folks have been friends for more than 14 years now and have played head on each other not  many a times.  In their 10 grandslam matches, Nadal has won 8 times and won in four sets  covering the baseline with incredible speed and hitting forehand winners from almost impossible angles.  They have played more times and have won  26 majors between them. 

Grunters or tigerperches are fishes in the family Terapontidae.  They are found in shallow coastal waters in the Indian Ocean and western Pacific, where they live in saltwater, brackish and freshwater habitats. When caught, grunters make the characteristic grunting sounds that give them their name.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar