Waiting For… Part 2

Sometime in February 2016, I had contributed an article called ‘Waiting For… ‘

Using the Beckett play ‘Waiting for Godot’ as a simile, I had reckoned that it was not really worthwhile for a whole legion of Fed-fans to keep waiting for the 18^th, like these two guys who kept waiting for Godot, who never showed up.

It wasn’t really necessary, to be honest, as Fed was the GOAT even without the 18^th.

The final line in the article was that “when you don’t wait for Godot, the bloke may actually show up“

And so did it, when we stopped waiting for it to happen.  In the sense that none of us ever thought at the beginning of the Australian Open that Fed actually was a serious contender.

Just back from an injury layoff. 35 years old and counting. No match-play. So many factors. So….

Most of us thought that Berdych would be it. Well he wasn’t

Then we thought Nishikori would be it. Well he too wasn’t

Thankfully Murray was out, and the match vs. Mischa Zverev was the only match where all of us felt positive of the outcome. It sure was.

Then we thought now Wawrinka would be it. Well, well, he too wasn’t.

And finally, we thought Rafa has to be it. This is now going too far.

And when I say we, I don’t mean individually because I am sure that quite a few of us may have thought that Fed will win, but I am sure a vast majority would have had a déjà vu feeling especially after the Grigor-Rafa match a la the Verdasco-Rafa match in 2009.

I, for one, wanted a Fed-Rafa final so that Fed had the opportunity to beat Rafa, avenge 2009 and also put to rest once and for all, any discussion about the GOAT.

And so it happened. A Fed-Rafa final which the world wanted. Though the world thought that it would go the same way as in the past. Five-setter and Fed will capitulate in the end.

And we will be still waiting for….

The day dawned and soon enough the sunset in Melbourne and ‘the most important match in Grand Slam history’ ( as per the witty and wise Andy Roddick ) kicked off.

Do we wait or do we not…

Before we could even decide… The first set.

Wow, we thought, Godot has arrived and is in the parking lot

After the second set, we thought that Godot is finding it difficult to get a parking spot

After the third set, we thought that well Godot had found the parking spot quickly, has emerged from the car and is just checking his GPS to find the exact place. He should he here soon enough

And then after the fourth set, we thought that the GPS has failed, but maybe there is a remote chance of it starting to work again, hopefully.

And then the break in the final set.

The final nail in the coffin or what ???

Wikipedia updated Rafa’s Australian Open 2017 status as won.  There are a few people in the world who are ahead of their time, we thought.

Now we distraughtly thought Godot has just given up and is going back to his car and heading back to where he belonged these days. Also-Ran country.

But Godot had other plans.

He threw the damn GPS away and searched within the realms of his memory because he had been to this place long back, four times before to be precise. It was matter of being confident that he could find the way.

And of course, he remembered and found the way.

And in that exhilaration of knowing that he had found the way, he threw caution to the winds and started running at full clip and burst into our midst like a monumental thunderclap.

‘The waiting is over’ he said calmly

And we jumped in glee, hugged each other joyously, high-fived each other proudly, wept copiously*, but eventually we bowed to this phenomenal spectacle that was Godot.

And soon enough, the euphoria was over….

Now we wait for him to come again and again… which is what I term, here we go again….

I am sure quite a few would have shed tears of joy. I was at work as in the Middle East we work on Sundays, but my daughter in the UK had a holiday, and she wept copiously after Fed won. She was pretty disappointed that I didn’t. Well, I made up for it by imbibing copiously in the evening !!!