Ripping yarn tells tale of Novak Djokovic in crisis

October 16, 2016

Shanghai, Oct 16: Novak Djokovic’s problems came to an explosive head at the Shanghai Masters and the Serb now faces being knocked off world number one if he can’t find a quick solution.

Djokovic

Djokovic arrived in Shanghai insisting mental equanimity, rather than titles, was his goal after a rough patch of form prompted a bout of soul-searching.

The man who has dominated tennis for the past two years even resorted to humming a song in a bid to keep calm as he was taken to three sets by qualifier Mischa Zverev.

But Djokovic’s avowed cool-headedness evaporated in a stormy semi-final upset against Roberto Bautista when he smashed his racquet, ripped his shirt and raged at the chair umpire.

Worse for Djokovic, second-ranked Andy Murray cruised into the Shanghai final without dropping a set and is in position to put further heat on his number one spot.

“It’s not yet over. There are a couple of big tournaments still along the way: Paris and London,” Djokovic warned.

“I’ll try to get ready for the indoor season where I always, in the last couple of years, played pretty well. I’ll try to get better.”

Recent months have not been kind to Djokovic, who has suddenly and mystifyingly lost his way after winning six of his 12 Grand Slam titles in a stunning two-year period.

He was on top of the world after completing a career Grand Slam at the French Open in June, becoming only the third man to hold all four major titles at once.

But his 30-match winning streak at Grand Slams came to a shuddering halt when he was well beaten by 41st-ranked Sam Querrey in the third round at Wimbledon.

Order was restored when Djokovic won in Toronto but he then crashed out of the Rio Olympics’ first round in tears and was bullied in the US Open final by Stan Wawrinka.

‘Not as dominant’

Wrist and elbow injuries have played a role and Djokovic has also admitted to struggling with “private issues”.

His collapse could reshape the pecking order once again with Murray now the foremost player of the crumbling ‘Big Four’, which also includes injury-hit Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Murray, a contemporary of Djokovic and a sparring partner since they were teenagers, said he didn’t find it surprising that the Serb’s superb run had taken its toll.

“It takes so much effort and work to be making finals almost every single week for two years. It’s a really, really hard thing to do,” Murray said.

“It’s maybe normal if he’s mentally a little bit tired or trying to find the next thing to achieve after what he did at the French Open, as well.

“I’m sure he will get it back. But it’s just normal to have a period after what he’s done the last few years where he’s maybe not as dominant as he was.”

Djokovic, who retreated from his Monte Carlo residence to his native Belgrade as the storm clouds gathered, will seek solace in family comforts before resuming action at the Paris Masters in two weeks’ time.

“I’m going to celebrate my son’s second birthday. That’s an event I look forward to. I’m going to do a lot of things off the court, plenty of things off the court,” he said.

He added: “I had to experience this sooner or later. I knew I could not go on playing at the highest level for so many years all the time.

“It’s good to experience this so I can hopefully get better in the period to come.”

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News Network
March 22,2024

IPL.jpg

The start of the world’s most lucrative cricket tournament in India is presenting investors with another big opportunity to cash in on the sport, months after the world’s most populous nation hosted the Cricket World Cup.

The eight-week long Indian Premier League begins March 22 for its 17th season. Since its inception, the fast-paced cricket tournament has become a corporate juggernaut to rival the National Football League in the US and the English Premier League in value.

Just as October’s Cricket World Cup boosted consumption in India for months, fans are expected to flock to restaurants, pubs and food delivery platforms over the duration of the tournament. This year’s IPL also coincides with general elections that will last for six weeks starting April 19, a period when companies are expecting higher food and drink sales as people flock to rallies and other events.

“There’s going to be a lot of spending,” said Madan Sabnavis, chief economist at Bank of Baroda. “IPL, as well as the election, gives a three-month corridor with enhanced economic activity.”

Stocks in India such as McDonald’s franchise operator Westlife Foodworld Ltd. and peer Sapphire Foods India Ltd. gained ahead of the first match on Friday, as well as hotels and beverage makers. Packaged-food companies could also stand to benefit from the IPL craze, said Sachil Bobade, an analyst at investment firm Dolat Capital Market.

The IPL ecosystem was valued at $11 billion (Rs 91,721 crores) in 2023, including the value of media rights and sponsorships, according to Indian valuation consulting firm D&P Advisory.

The league is also attracting record sums of money from sponsors and broadcasters. Conglomerate Tata Group won the title sponsorship rights of the tournament in January for a record 25 billion rupees ($300 million). Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s media venture secured the digital streaming rights in 2022 for five years for $2.7 billion, while Walt Disney Co. paid roughly the same for TV rights.

“There was a serious amount of bidding even this year,” said Vinit Karnik, head of entertainment, esports and sports at media agency GroupM South Asia. “I see growth in IPL in double digits year-on-year,” he adds.

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