Tempus Fugit
Time flies, so they say. This last weekend was the 10 year reunion of the class of 1997 at St Paul’s School and it was quite an experience. Who would have thought how people have changed (or even not) over the last 10 years? And most of us have ended up in rather predictable jobs. Doctors, accountants, engineers, town planners, investment bankers, management consultants, lawyers. What you’d expect from the UK’s leading boy’s public school.
Admittedly a few have chosen some more innovative choice. Good luck to Bing on his endeavour to "become a musician", look forward to hearing your gigs in the future. Sadly, some people couldn’t make it to the event not out of their own choice (Sim, you’re still in our memories), but for a reunion, it was a pretty good turn out. But it is amazing how 10 years can fly by, and even then, no real surprises come about.
Wimbledon Champions
Whilst ten years may not be enough to produce surprises, 20 years might. Aside from Roger Federer emulating the great Bjorn Borg in the Men’s Singles at the All England Championships, a bigger surprise came with a British winner in the Mixed Doubles.
It dawned on me last night that I do have vivid memories of watching the last British champions at Wimbledon, Jeremy Bates and Jo Durie in the mixed doubles in 1987. When I realised that I would only have been 8 at the time and clearly remember the two picking up their trophies in the Royal Box, it shocked me. It’s probably one of the earliest vivid memories I still have!
But twenty years on, I’m only partially surprised that Jamie Murray and Jelena Jankovic won the title this year. I have been following their progress from earlier in the week, watching their third round match and onwards. But I’m not so surprised they won because from watching them in those earlier rounds, it was clear what a talent they were and how great a chance they had of progressing through the tournament.
Jamie Murray, who earned the nickname of "Stretch" from his brother’s coach, Brad Gilbert, is superb at the net and can pretty much match anyone there. Anything you throw at him needs to be good to beat him. Meanwhile, Jelena Jankovic may not be a natural doubles player, but as number three in the world in singles, she showed her class. Her returns of serves against even the best male players were superb, she played virtually flawless groundstrokes that ended up either winners or were unreturnable, and has a driven volley, which is probably the hardest shot in the game, that is so technically perfect, throughout, I was in awe of her shot play.
But what was the the most delightful in their partnership was the fun they both seemed to have on court. Rarely did Jelena not have a smile on her face, indeed she was even laughing in the middle of shots in her semifinal. And that chemistry and philosophy in my opioning in playing tennis and indeed any sport is important. If you can enjoy the game and play well, you’ll be hard to beat.
Murray and Jankovic deserved to win the final, they were the better pair. Twenty years after the last British win, there’s finally a lot for us Brits to smile about.
But time flies and maybe Murray and Jankovic’s achievements may only become a vivid memory. But maybe it might inspire us.
Tempus fugit ergo nunc carpe diem.
Links:
BBC SPORT: Murray wins Wimbledon tixed title