Can Sachin complete century during Sydney’s centenary Test?

Sachin Tendulkar during the course of his illustrious international career lasting 22 long years has just suffered four ignominious instances of going through ton-less tenures lasting nine or more months.

His last and the most recent three-figure innings came during India's triumphant march in 2011 World Cup: versus South Africa at Nagpur on March 12.
Since then in 12 matches he managed to score seven fifties including two knocks in the nervous nineties but the much awaited hundred has eluded him for more than nine months.

Now that Sydney Cricket Ground is all set to become only the third ground to host its 100th Test match, can the master blaster bring to an end his agonizingly long wait with his landmark ton? 

The full details of Tendulkar's ton-less tenures arranged in the order of longest span:

Chennai: None of the remaining three Indians, including Rohan Bopanna, could make the main singles draw of the Chennai Open as all of them suffered defeats in the second round of the qualifying event on Sunday.

It means that India's representation in the men's singles will be restricted to Somdev Devvarman and wild card entrants Yuki Bhambri and Vishnu Vardhan.

Big serving Bopanna fought hard before losing 6-7(2), 6-7(2) to Japan's Go Soeda while Mohit Mayur Jayaprakash lost his second round clash 3-6, 2-6 to Canadian Vasek Pospisil.

Talented left-hander Prajnesh Gunneswaran also fought valiantly before losing to experienced American campaigner Rajeev Ram 6-3, 7-6 (3).

In a highly competitive affair, World No. 120 Soeda broke Bopanna in the third game of the first set while Bopanna broke Soeda in the sixth game of the same set.

Chennai: Winning an Olympic medal and ending a Grand Slam title drought figure in the top priorities of Leander Paes for the year 2012 but the Indian tennis legend parried question who he would partner for the London Games.

Paes is all set to begin the new season by competing in the doubles event of the Chennai Open with new partner Janko Tipsarevic as he has again parted ways with Mahesh Bhupathi.

"Both (are my priorities). But this summer season will be very tricky, as we have the French Open, followed by Wimbledon, then the Olympics and then within two or three weeks, the US Open," he told reporters.

Paes said he would try to get back on the winning track after going a season without Grand Slam success.

"I didn't win a Grand Slam title last year. And this being an Olympic year, that's definitely a time when I'll peak. I've come pretty close to it (Olympic medal in doubles) in the past, including with Ramesh Krishnan at the Barcelona Olympics (when they reached the quarterfinals)."

Paes refused to elaborate on who he would partner at the London Olympics this year now that Mahesh Bhupathi is set to partner Rohan Bopanna.

"That's for the All Indian Tennis Association (AITA) to decide. I am not going to answer it right now," he said.

Beijing: With three Grand Slam and five Masters titles, the world number one ranking, a 70-6 win-loss record and a record prize money haul of $12.6 million, Serb Novak Djokovic was arguably the king of tennis in 2011.

He had been unbeaten in 43 matches in the first half of the season, dating back to the Davis Cup final in Dec 2010, until the run ended against 16-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer in the French Open semifinals.

The streak brought him the second Australian Open title and all the season's opening four Masters at Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Rome, defeating Rafael Nadal in the finals of all of them.



The loss to Federer at the French Open did not dent Djokovic's self-belief and after taking a brief break, he went back on the winning track.

The Serb defeated Nadal to win the Wimbledon and ended the Roger-Rafa duopoly at the All England Club of the past eight years. In the process, Djokovic also took the Spaniard's world number one spot.

In the US Open final, Djokovic destroyed Nadal again after he had rallied past Federer from two sets, and two match points down, in a breathtaking semifinal.

Djokovic, who had ended each season ranked No.3 in the world behind Federer and Nadal for four long years, admitted that at times he was "a little bit" frustrated when Federer and Nadal were at the top of men's professional tennis, but soon realised that it was all part of a learning process as a sportsman.

"They have been the two most dominant players in the world the last five years. They have won most of the majors we are playing. So, sometimes it did feel a little bit frustrating when you kind of get to the latter stages of a Grand Slam. They always come up with their best tennis when it matters the most," Djokovic was quoted as saying by Xinhua.



"But it is a process of learning, a process of developing and improving as a tennis player and just finding the way to mentally overcome those pressures you have. I always believed that I had the quality to beat those two guys," the 24-year-old added.

The figures back up Djokovic's confidence. He beat Nadal six times out of six, Federer four out of five and world number four Andy Murray two in three, with the Briton's win coming courtesy of an injury retirement in the final in Cincinnati.

Djokovic's backhand is the best in the business and his return is also in a class of his own. But unlike his predecessors at the top of the game, his success isn't dependent on those one or two factors, rather a combination of technical acumen, consistency, a suffocating array of athleticism, effective defence and movement.

His major opponents, however, were unable to figure out how Djokovic achieved that feat. They could not even notice the change Djokovic had made.

"Everybody knows how good Novak is and how good he can be, but he was the same a few years ago," Nadal said.



The Serb was troubled by fatigue and health problems and conceded four defeats in the closing stages of the year, but he still felt proud of the best season he ever had in career.

"I had an unbelievable year. Nothing can really ruin that. I will always remember this year as the best of my life."

Djokovic said he has enough time to get prepared ahead of the new season and has set his sights on doing it all again next year.

"This year's success gives me a reason to believe that I can win again. Why not?"

Veteran Indian tennis star Leander Paes will partner Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic in the doubles competition of the Aircel Chennai Open, starting January 2.

Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi had won the 2011 edition but they parted ways yet again and have preferred to play with younger partners.

It means that home fans will see India's top three doubles players in action in the 17th edition of the event with Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna teaming up for the season.

World number nine Tipsarevic is the highest ranked player in the singles draw and was a semifinalist in this year's event won by Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka.

The Serbian is equally adept in doubles play with a world ranking of 85. He was a doubles finalist in the 2010 Aircel Chennai Open and a semifinalist in the 2011 edition.

"We are extremely pleased to have received confirmation from ace tennis player Leander Paes for the Aircel Chennai Open. It will be an added advantage for all tennis enthusiasts to see Leander in action with World No. 9 Janko Tipsarevic in the doubles. We wish them good luck and are sure of some exciting game of tennis," Karti P Chidambaram, chairman tournament organising committee and vice president, AITA said.