Djokovic, Nadal sacrificed once more; GAMEMAKERS strike again as Murray wins – Tennis Special
Weeks ago, the conspiracies of the Gamemakers at the prestigious Grand Slams were laid bare right here. Not two months later, we return to the tennis world to uncover more horrific proof to these whimsical and maniacal decisions of the Gamemakers. For those of you not familiar with the Gamemakers, let me jog your memory. Gamemakers (GM) a.k.a the tournament directors and the sponsor kingpins are the “powers that be” that decide the outcomes of every single match and influence the betting odds.
As if deciding the outcome of the Majors wasn’t enough; the GM now looked to influence the Masters 1000 event. What started as a competitive tussle between two friends ended in nothing but an empty victory for one and a disappointment for the other. Meeting for the final match of the 2011 Cincinnati Open, world number one Novak Djokovic took on his close friend and top Brit Andy Murray. Exhibiting top physical form since the start of this year, it came as much surprise to everyone when the Serb decided to retire from the match in the second set handing over the title to Andy Murray.
Expecting more than a simple handout, fans were disappointed to see Djokovic simply bending over backwards to appease egos. Yes! Egos. Murray, Britain’s only hope of making it big in the tennis world was having an abysmal season on hard courts so far into the season. Exiting in every hard court event since January, Murray had failed to post a win on the surface since the Australian Open semi-final, let alone post one over the top three. The GM saw the plight in the Brit’s “trollish” face. Mistaking his usual expressions for sadness over the losses, the Higher Powers decided to tweak the event in his favour.
Come Cincinnati, the stage was set. Murray was set in a relatively easy draw with little or no competition. However, there was a kink in the plan. With no victory over the top three this season, nobody in their right minds would believe that Murray suddenly got this good this fast, that he could best the Spanish Bull, Rafael Nadal or the Serbian juggernaut, Novak Djokovic. Other measures needed to be taken. The GM didn’t have to worry about Old Man Roger Federer. Like the dinosaurs, the GM expected age to take care of the matter for them. However, Nadal and Djokovic were another story.
Playing to the Spaniard’s palate, the GM diabolically had a hot plate sent to the Spaniard under false pretences while they sat in the shadows doing the evil laugh. The innocent child that he is, Nadal “handled” the hot plate and burnt his fingers. With “injured” fingers, Nadal had the perfect excuse to bow out of the event as he exited in the quarterfinal losing to Mardy Fish.
Now only the Serb remained. The unstoppable juggernaut with nine titles and a Masters record for the season to match was the only hurdle that needed to be overcome. Murray couldn’t very well look to the GM for“injury” assistance. Both of the top two with “injured” fingers would seem a conspicuous tactic. Something subtle needed to be done.
Lo and behold! Like a ray of sunlight amongst the dark clouds. What’s more subtle than an injury. Since you can’t see the pain, you very well can’t disprove it. “Brilliant”, shrieked the GM Head. Djokovic hadn’t really been injured for a very long time. In fact ever since he threw out the gluten from his diet, he has been in prime physical form. Ending up with the short end of the straw, Djokovic was once more caught with his pants down though this time around it wasn’t the fun filled photo shoot for a popular fashion magazine.
Adding insult to injury, this wasn’t the first time Djokovic was going to bow out of a match. Appeasing the ego of Old Man Swiss; Djoker had “lost” to him in the semi-final of the 2011 Roland Garros, snapping his 41 match winning streak. The GM had pulled the strings then. And they were doing so again. Citing a shoulder injury, Djokovic was forced to retire from the event relinquishing his claim to the 10th title in the season to the Brit.
A new low even for the despicable GM. Suffering in almost every sport in the world, the Brit needed to step up somewhere. They couldn’t very well turn to the United States of America like in the world politics, since they too have had their star, Andy Roddick on a downward spiral recently. So like the rolling of a dice, the GM huddled together in their boardroom as they decided the fate of the Cincinnati Masters.
Pleasing the whims of the suited mad men, Djokovic cited a shoulder injury as he handed over a pity win to the Brit. Though one could argue that Murray could have just won altogether, it clearly boggles the mind to think that the Serb with nine titles for the season and five of five finals wins over Nadal could have lost to Murray. However, they do say all’s well that ends well. The Djoker is truly better off without a more than 2ft high porcelain amphorae to add to his collection.
The latest in their series of crazy decision, the GM now turn their eyes to the US Open, playing at the grand Flushing Meadows. Who will they bless or curse next? Will the Fates intervene or will the US Open title be decided on ballots and whims? All of this and much more remains to be seen.
Disclaimer: The ideas expressed in the article are the writer’s own personal views and have nothing to do with bettor.com’s editorial policy.
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