Sachin Tendulkar finds trace of own career in Roger Federer’s comeback

Sachin Tendulkar, despite having retired over three years ago, remains a busy man these days. With one of the most-watched and exciting Grand Slam finals taking place in Melbourne on Sunday, the Master Blaster still had to eke out time from his busy schedule to follow the fate of his favourite tennis player, Roger Federer.

Sachin Tendulkar’s favourite prevailed after what was a typical keenly-contested Federer-Nadal contest.

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“I have always been a huge fan of Roger Federer. Unfortunately, I had some prior commitments yesterday, so as and when I got time, I was watching. I was one of those guys who did not want the match to get over,” he said.

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“I was sitting in the airport lounge and I managed to watch the last two-three games and the quality of tennis of just incredible. More so, I could enjoy it because I could relate myself with both those athletes,” the maestro added.

Comparing his career with that of the tennis gladiators who fought at the Rod Laver Arena, Tendulkar recalled the time in 2005-06 when he was asked about his retirement plans.

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“I had lot of injuries and there were some tough times. In 2005-2006 (in) one of the press conferences I was posted a question ‘so when are you going to retire?’ and best years came after that, the biggest thing in my life happened after that, the 2011 World Cup,” Tendulkar recalled.

“I could actually understand what both those athletes were feeling and Federer actually said that in his post-match speech that both of them never thought that they would be standing in the middle of the court. But it was all about enjoying the sport,” he added.

The Master Blaster then added that the thrilling final was a perfect example of the legendary Federer-Nadal rivalry.

“They both have done whatever they had to and we’ve enjoyed their tennis. This was just an extension of what they had done in the past. They gave us remarkable moments and something that will stay with us forever,” he said.