STEFFI GRAF

 STEFFI GRAF


Photo Credit: Original Photographer as in Google

Stefanie Maria Graf, nicknamed Steffi Graf, is a former German professional tennis player. She was ranked world No. 1 for a record 377 weeks and won 22 Grand Slam singles titles, which ranks second since the introduction of the Open Era in 1968 and third all-time behind Margaret Court and Serena Williams. In 1988, she became the only tennis player to achieve the Golden Slam by winning all four Grand Slam singles titles and the Olympic gold medal in the same calendar year. Furthermore, she is the only tennis player in history to have won each Grand Slam tournament at least four times.

Notable features of Graf's game were her versatility across all playing surfaces, footwork and powerful forehand drive. Graf's athletic ability and aggressive game played from the baseline have been credited with developing the modern style of play that has come to dominate today's game. She won six French Open singles titles, second to another genius of the game Chris Evert, seven Wimbledon singles titles, four Australian Open titles, and five U.S. Open singles titles. She is the only singles player (male or female) to have achieved a Grand Slam since hard court was introduced as a surface at the US Open in 1987. Consequently, Graf's Grand Slam was achieved on grass, clay, and hard court while the previous five Grand Slams were decided on only grass and clay. Graf reached thirteen consecutive major singles finals from the 1987 French Open through to the 1990 French Open, winning nine of them. She won 5 consecutive major singles tournaments, 1988 Australian Open to 1989 Australian Open, seven out of eight in two calendar years, 1988 Australian Open to 1989 US Open, except 1989 French Open. She reached a total of 31 major singles finals.

Graf retired at the age of 30 in 1999 while she was ranked world No. 3. She is regarded by most of the people as the greatest female tennis player of all times. Martina Navratilova, another genius of the game, included Graf on her list of great players. The year of her retirement, another brilliant player of the game Billie Jean King said, "Steffi is definitely the greatest women's tennis player of all times”.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SATPURA NATIONAL PARK

Image
Satpura National Park Dense forests, wide valleys, dark mountains, serpentine rivulets and majestic waterfalls spreading over an area of 52 5sq km on the Satpura Range in central India constitutes this spellbinding National Park. The captivating natural beauty of Panchmari with its Sal, Teak and Bamboo forests give this Park a unique variation which stupefies its visitors with its grace, modesty and splendour. The inhabitants of the Park include Tiger, Panther, Wild Boar, Bison, Nilgai, Barshingha, Four Horned Antelope and a rich variety of avian species. Accessibility : A 47kms drive from Piparia railway station on the Kolkata-Mumbai railway line transports one to the Park. Accommodation : Tourist Lodge, Resorts and Hotels afford excellent accommodation to the visitors. Season : November to June.
Read more

KARERA BIRD SANCTUARY

Image
KARERA This 202 sq km bird sanctuary was created mainly to preserve the highly endangered Great Indian Bustard. The sanctuary houses a huge lake inside, which is replete with birdlife throughout the year. The population of birds in this sanctuary also includes a large variety of Goose, Duck, Flamingo, Stork, Cormorant and Hornbill coexisting with some wildlife like Indian Wolf, Indian Wild Dog, Jackal, Hyena and a variety of antelopes. Accessibility : A 62kms drive from Shivpuri on the Jhansi - Shivpuri road takes one to the sanctuary. Shivpuri is situated 115kms southwest of Gwalior and is well connected by roads.   Accommodation : A Forest Rest House is available inside the Park. Season : November to June.
Read more

SANJAY GANDHI NATIONAL PARK

Image
Sanjay Gandhi National Park A sprawling stretch of 1,938 sq km of predominantly Sal forests, today’s Sanjay Gandhi National Park is the extended version of the erstwhile Dubari Wildlife Sanctuary. Located in the Sirdhi district of Madhya Pradesh, this fabulous Park abounds in Tiger, Leopard, Panther, Wolf, Jackal, Sloth Bear, Sambar, Chital and Nilgai. Accessibility : A 105kms drive north from Satna transports one to this Park. Accommodation : Forest Rest Houses are available inside the Park. Season : November to June.  
Read more

LAKE LOCTAK – THE GARDEN OF EDEN

Image
LAKE LOCTAK – THE GARDEN OF EDEN Being the largest fresh water lake in north-east India, it forms a rare ecosystem. This veritable inland sea of 103 sq kms is a perfect place for contemplation where tranquillity reigns supreme and the Nature abounds in pristine beauty. A paradise on earth, the lake has a number of rocky outcrops in the form of islands, two of which have been turned into tourist resorts. The Sendra Island provides a bird’s eye view of the lake that comprises of azure sky, shimmering blue waters, exclusive floating islands of earth, marsh, grass and a peculiar form of weed, colourful water plants and local fishermen fishing on the waters of the lake who reside in neat houses made of leaves on these floating islands, locally called ‘Fumdi’. The Phubala Island on the western fringe of the lake has provisions for water sports and angling. The lake is unique in the sense that it was declared a National Park - Keibul Lamjao National Park – the only floating national Park...
Read more

GOA

Image
  GOA One of the beautiful states of India lying between the Sayadri Range and the Arabian Sea , with a major Portuguese influence, Goa is also the smallest of the Indian states. It is a sublime seaside resort and offers some of the world’s most famous and tranquil beaches with a wide variety of water sports. Goa is neatly divided into north and south Goa . The Terakhol Fort is on the north of the state and is only 45kms from Panaji. Going down south from the Fort, there is an almost uninterrupted stretch of silver-sandy beaches with grand palm and coconut stands. Very near to the Terakhol Fort is the virgin Querim beach with very few visitors. About 6kms down south from Querim is the Arambol beach. Mandre and Majorim are another two sparsely visited beaches south of Arambol. Further south, where the Chapora River meets the Arabian Sea is the pristine Chapora beach. 3kms south of Chapora is another beautiful beach called the Vagator. From Vagator, as one moves southward upt...
Read more

MEHAO WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

Image
MEHAO WILDLIFE SANCTUARY Like most other sanctuaries of Arunachal, the Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary also has a striking altitude variation from 400feets to 3,500feets, which results in not only a wide variety of flora and fauna but also an equal assortment of milieu. Rainfall in this particular sanctuary is very high, around 490cm per annum. The sanctuary is home to many endangered species such as Clouded Leopard, Hoolock Gibbon, Leopard Cat, Musk Deer, Spotted Linsang and Swamp Deer. Tiger is the main predator. This haven also accommodates about 200 species of butterflies along with an assortment of high altitude Himalayan Pheasants and other birds. Accessibility : Tinsukia in Assam is 120kms and Dibrugarh, also in Assam, is 78kms away from the Park. Both these places are considered as jump off points to visit the Park, which is reached by road. Both, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia are well connected by road and rail. Dibrugarh is also connected by air. Accommodation : Forest Rest Houses...
Read more

CHAMBAL WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

Image
Chambal A huge wildlife sanctuary of 3,902sq kms in the Chambal valley, it abounds in wildlife. With a typical central Indian terrain covered with mixed deciduous forests and large grasslands, the Park extends into the neighbouring states of Maharashtra and Rajasthan. The sanctuary houses a major Gharial Sanctuary and Breeding Centre inside. Fauna of the sanctuary includes Tiger, Leopard, Panther, Dhole, Hyena, Jackal, Indian Wolf, Caracal, Chital, Gaur, Barking Deer and Indian Wild Buffalo. The sanctuary is also very rich in avifauna. Accessibility : 65kms from Gwalior, the sanctuary is accessible by road. Gwalior , on the other hand, is very well connected by air, rail and road, which is only 64kms south of Agra and 275kms south of Delhi . Accommodation : Forest Rest Houses are available inside the Park. There are also a number of standard and luxury Hotels in Gwalior . Season : November to June.
Read more

GYRFALCON

Image
  GYRFALCON The Gyrfalcon, the largest of the Falcon species, is a bird of prey. The abbreviation Gyr is also used. It breeds on Arctic coasts, Tundra and the islands of northern North America and the Euro-Siberian region. The Gyrfalcon is a very polymorphic species and therefore, its plumage varies greatly. The archetypal morphs are called "white", "silver", "brown" and "black", though they can be coloured on a spectrum from all-white to very dark. The brown Gyrfalcon is distinguished from the peregrine by the cream streaking on the nape and crown and by the absence of a well-defined malar stripe and cap. The black morph Gyrfalcon has a strongly black-spotted underside, rather than finely barred as in the peregrine. White Gyrfalcons are the only predominantly white falcons. Silver gyrfalcons resemble a light grey lanner falcon of larger size. The species shows no sex-based colour differences. The juveniles are darker and browner than adults....
Read more

MURUD JANJIRA

Image
MURUD JANJIRA \ Secluded from the main land by a narrow strip of backwater and built on a rocky outcrop rising from the Arabian Sea, this fort is a marvellous piece of engineering which was once the administrative seat of the illustrious Maratha emperor, Chatrapati Shivaji. The silver-sandy beaches on the main coast with the backdrop of steep forested hills make it an ideal destination to relax and contemplate. The virgin beaches of Kihim, Kashid, Navgaon and Akshi nearby must be visited to experience their sedate tranquillity. Accessibility : The place is easily approached by a drive of 167kms from Mumbai. Accommodation : Apart from a Tourist Lodge, there is a Resort and a Hotel. Season : Throughout the year.
Read more

JESSORE WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

Image
JESSORE WILDLIFE SANCTUARY Lying in the Gujrat – Rajasthan border, this dry deciduous forest is basically a Sloth Bear preserve. Other interesting wildlife of the sanctuary includes Leopard, Jackal and Nilgai. Accessibility : About 125kms drive, north of Ahmedabad, reaches one at Palanpur, the nearest town of the Park, which is another 28kms away. Accommodation : Forest Rest Houses are available inside the Park. Season : November to March.
Read more