“He is my icon and favourite sportstar” says the Sri Lankan Badminton
Star Thilini Jayasinghe who had an exclusive opportunity to associate
with the world’s greatest tennis player Roger Federer. She reminisces
that she was fortunate enough to meet this tennis star at the Olympic
village in Beijing.
“There was no discrimination of who the world’s greatest sportstar is
at the Olympic village. Despite the popularity and the greatness of the
sports personality, everyone was required to dine at one place.
 I remember when Federer and Nadal arrived in the dinning hall, they
were surrounded by people and it actually was a nuisance for them.
Everyone wanted to get their autographs signed by Federer and Nadal.
Federer, being my favourite sports personality, I too had a need of
getting my autograph signed by him.
On seeing the huge crowd around him I gave up that idea.” When asked
if she never stood a chance to get her autograph signed by him, she
recounted “Actually I saw him closely on several days. I wanted to talk
to him but I suppressed that urge because I felt that it would be an
added trouble apart from the huge crowd around him.
He used to smile at everyone. So he smiled with me on several
occasions but I could only talk to him when I went to dinning hall one
afternoon.” When I asked her how her feelings were when she met and
talked to the great tennis player, she recollected smilingly.
“He understood by my expressions that I wanted to talk to him, so he
came to me and said ‘Hi’ I too replied with ‘Hi’ to him. We shook hands
and I introduced myself. We had a brief conversation and departed that
day.”
As she says she is fortunate to meet and talk to the great tennis
star because majority of us doesn’t stand a chance at least to see him
in real. “The following day when he saw me he recognised me. He smiled
with me and didn’t forget to shake hands and greet me.I told him that I
never miss Wimbledon.
He expressed his happiness by talking to one of his fans. We
exchanged our countrys’ ‘pins’ and we both posed for photographs. He was
so down-to-earth that he too wanted to take a photograph with me because
I was a badminton player at Olympics.” She recollects the fantastic and
unforgettable moments she had with the tennis star and also said that
she invited Federer to come to Sri Lanka one day and he has expressed
his willingnes with raised eyebrows and a widespread smile on his face.
Success at French Open
The 27-year-old Swiss tennis maestro matched
Pete Samprass who held 14 Grand title with the victory of a record
equalling 14th Grand Slam title after beating Sweden’s Robin Soderling
at his maiden French Open Success. The Swiss tennis star Fed bagged 14
Grand Slam titles in less than seven years.
No one believed that Fed will realise his dream of winning the year’s
second Grand Slam in Paris when he burst into tears at the Australian
Open in January failing to tie Samprass’ record.
Since Federer equalled Pete Samprass’ record of 14 Grand Slam, there
was a debate as to who the greatest player of all time. That cloud of
doubt was quickly vanished with the victory of Federer at Wimbledon,
since then, Federer stands as the only one. There’s no doubt of who the
great tennis player is. It’s Federer he proved it he deserves it.
Federer toiled hard to add the missing trophe for his Grand Slam
Silverware collection. Federer is the sixth player to win the singles
titles at all the Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, French
Open, Wimbledon and US open. Federer sees this victory as the `biggest
ever’.
This French open as he says a remover of pressure in him. As he
believes he will be peacefully playing forthcoming matches since the
French open being a great pressure.
Last year’s No.1
At last year’s French open Nadal defeated Federer and became No 1.
Nadal also won the Olympic gold medal in singles. Yet Federer regained
his victory by the fifth straight US open title last September and lost
to Nadal in Australia open again in January. After taking a little break
due to his lingering back ailment he returned on the clay court and beat
Nadal in the Madrid open final. |
