YOU end up a pathetic sight, and that’s almost unacceptable.
But that’s what happened to Novak Djokovic on Monday.
Truth has always a way of hurting mortals.
The hard-headed suffer, but, mostly, because they never listen.
Djokovic, already a certified legend years back, still loves clinging on to glory, hunting for more.
But like all the rest before him, he’d also be denied-even swallowed like a luckless prey in accordance with the lamentable laws of nature.
It was the first round for Djokovic in the US Open.
The almost sell-out crowd at Flushing Meadows in Queens, New York, came and wanted to savor Djokovic’s continuing, almost deathless, campaign to chase history.
Instead, they had the horror of their lives.
Djokovic was beaten in five sets by a nondescript Argentinian named Mariano Navone.
Djokovic was in the match only in the first three sets, where he had taken command, 6-7, 7-5, 6-4.
Good result by any yardstick of standard. Bravo!
But the celebration was short-lived.
Thus, it was no surprise that Djokovic disappeared in the last two sets, where Navone literally imposed his will with his 6-2, 6-1 performance to advance to the second round.
Already, Djokovic has 24 Grand Slams. The only man to have achieved that.
But he is tied with Virginia Wade for the all-time best record in the majors.
He hates that.
He wants to be alone at the top.
And so, for the last three, four, years or so, he’s been trying to win his 25th.
But, then, comes the eternal question in sports: Which goes first, the knee or the mind?
Of course, the knee. Age. While the mind is constant, not the knee.
Among athletes, the saying, ‘What the mind can conceive, the body can achieve’ is a complete fallacy.
Tiger Woods has 15 majors in golf but as he aged, his dream of equalling, surpassing, Jack Nicklaus’ all-time best of 18 Slams has remained just that: a dream.
Father Time is unbeatable.
Navone might be a nobody, but anyone making it to the main draw of a major is never a patsy.
History is replete with stories about rookies running away with titles in a most dramatic manner.
Djokovic was old hat at 39 pitted against the bull-strong, 25-year-old Navone.
And because Djokovic has seen better days, his body parts are now prone to injuries.
Thus, cracks and creaks showed in the fourth set, Djokovic succumbing to four double faults. In the ensuing three-minute timeout, Djokovic’s tightening back was massively massaged.
Not enough.
Stubborn as a mule, Djokovic played on.
He was dismantled in the fifth set, where he shed a tear or two after salvaging one game-the fourth-before Navone completed the match-clinching 6-1 win.
The crowd stuck by Djokovic, giving him an ovation as he walked away from the court. Surely, they love him-still.
Djokovic’s wife, son and daughter, also stood up in the gallery to applaud-never stopping until after Djokovic had finished signing autographs.
No, Djokovic was not beaten. He just grew old.
THAT’S IT Happy 60th wedding anniversary (September 3) to Atche Pat and Jake P. Ayson! The Power Couple are going strong as ever. Their secret? They get plenty of sleep, eat well, walk a lot, are friends to all, laugh out loud, love so well and, most important of all, they love God with all their heart, soul and mind. Cheers!