Hindi English Translation || Editorial || A younger lot: On the 2023 French Open

A younger lot: On the 2023 French Open

Without Nadal, there is no clear favourite at Roland-Garros

For nearly two decades (दशक, दस वर्ष की अवधि), a champion other than Rafael Nadal at Roland-Garros has been as elusive (मायावी) as a shadow at high noon on solar equinox (used to refer to the time when vertical objects appear to cast no shadow; (Zero Shadow Day (ZSD), an interesting celestial phenomenon, occurs twice in a year, when the sun is directly overhead and thus no shadow of any vertical object can be seen)). Ever since he made his debut (प्रारंभ, शुरुआत) in 2005, the legendary (प्रसिद्ध, पौराणिक) Spaniard (A native of Spain) has won the event a record 14 times, losing just three of his 115 matches. The occasional (सामयिक, प्रासंगिक) uprisings (विद्रोह, बगावत) against his ironclad rule, mainly from Novak Djokovic, were crushed (कुचलना, दबाना) with characteristic (विशिष्टता, अनुमानित) menace (a threatening quality); Nadal leads the Serb (a native of Serbia) 8-2 on Parisian (relating to Paris) clay. French Open 2023, however, is set to herald (सूचना देना, इशारा करना) a shift, for Nadal will miss the event for the first time since 2004 because of the hip injury that has kept him out since January. There are signs that a change of guard (It used to refer to a situation in which there is a (dramatic) change in which new people are replacing people (existing) in positions of importance) is in the offing (likely to happen, on the way, coming soon, coming up, close at hand, imminent, on the horizon, in the wings, just around the corner, upcoming, forthcoming) in men’s tennis in general. With Roger Federer retired and Djokovic out of form, the once vice-like (very tight and firm) hold (पकड़) of the ‘Big Three’ is at its weakest. Djokovic is a two-time champion and will be motivated to break the tie ((in sports) to end a tiebreaker situation in which two competitors same points/scores by playing extra game) with Nadal on 22 Majors. But Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning (defending, current) World No.1 and winner of the French Open tune-up events (a preparatory activity or warm-up, as before a contest or game) in Barcelona and Madrid, seems primed (get ready, prepare, make ready, gear up, equip) to occupy centre stage (centre of attention, spotlight, public eye). The 20-year-old has already established (स्थापित करना) his Slam-winning credentials (परिचय पत्र, पहचान) (2022 US Open), and a follow-up act will only embellish his status as the game’s chosen one.

Challenging him will be the Scandinavian (relating to a region in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties. it comprises Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, and allied territories) duo of No.4 Casper Ruud, who lost the 2022 summit clash (final match) to Nadal, and No.6 Holger Rune, finalist at both Monte Carlo and Rome recently. Daniil Medvedev has developed a newfound (newly found, recently established, recently discovered) love for the red dirt (लाल मिट्टी) following his success in Rome last week, but the Russian No.2 is at best (only, simply, but, nothing but) a wild card (special opportunity, permission (to play in a sports tournament without playing qualifiers)), alongside Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, Jannik Sinner, and Alexander Zverev. In contrast (इसके विपरीत) — and in a departure (प्रस्थान) from the past — it is the women’s field that wears (have, present, show, display, exhibit, give (a particular look/appearance)) a settled look, with Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, and Elena Rybakina forming a dominant troika (a group of three (people, institutions, countries and etc.)). They have swept the last four Majors and the Roland-Garros preparatory (prior) tournaments in Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome. If anything (perhaps. maybe. presumably), Swiatek is just the first among equals (a person or position that is formally equivalent to others in a group, but is superior to others in some aspects), by virtue of (because of, on account of, owing to, thanks to) being the World No.1, a two-time winner in Paris and a three-time Major champion. Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur, who finished runner-up (the competitor who finishes second. synonyms: second best, finalist) at Wimbledon and US Open in 2022, is coming back from a calf (the muscle part at the back of a person’s leg below the knee & behind your shin bone (tibia)) injury, but her triumphs in Madrid last year and Charleston in early April prove that she is a genuine contender. So is Czech Republic’s Barbora Krejcikova, the 2021 singles and doubles champion. All of this suggests there is no clear favourite, but no dark horses (a little known competitor who wins) either.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.decade (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दशक, दस वर्ष की अवधि।
English Meaning - a period of ten years.

2.elusive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - मायावी
English Meaning - difficult to find, difficult to achieve; intangible.

3.debut (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रारंभ, शुरुआत
English Meaning - introduction, inception.

4.legendary (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - प्रसिद्ध, पौराणिक
English Meaning - famed, fabulous, storied, celebrated, outstanding.

5.occasional (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - सामयिक, प्रासंगिक
English Meaning - infrequent, periodic, irregular, intermittent.

6.uprising (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विद्रोह, बगावत
English Meaning - resistance, opposition, rebellion.

7.crush (verb)

Hindi Meaning - कुचलना, दबाना
English Meaning - defeat, vanquish, overpower, triumph over.

8.characteristic (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विशिष्टता, अनुमानित
English Meaning - typical, distinctive, predictable.

9.herald (verb)

Hindi Meaning - सूचना देना, इशारा करना
English Meaning - signal, indicate, foretell, point to, announce, spell, usher in.

10.hold (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पकड़
English Meaning - grip, control.

11.establish (verb)

Hindi Meaning - स्थापित करना
English Meaning - prove, demonstrate, show, indicate, display; achieve.

12.credentials (noun)

Hindi Meaning - परिचय पत्र, पहचान
English Meaning - identities, qualities; achievement, experience, knowledge.

13.red dirt (noun)

Hindi Meaning - लाल मिट्टी
English Meaning - red soil.

14.in contrast (noun)

Hindi Meaning - इसके विपरीत
English Meaning - when compared to another.

15.departure (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रस्थान
English Meaning - shift/change, deviation, divergence.

16.lot (noun)

English Meaning - group.

17.Roland Garros (noun)

English Meaning - French open; a major tennis tournament (clay-court grand slam) held over two weeks at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France.

18.Grand Slam (noun)

English Meaning - it is also referred to as majors, are the world’s four most important annual tennis events. The Grand Slam consists of the Australian Open in Melbourne, French Open in Paris, Wimbledon in London, and the U.S Open in New York.

19.a shadow at high noon on solar equinox (phrase)

English Meaning - used to refer to the time when vertical objects appear to cast no shadow; (Zero Shadow Day (ZSD), an interesting celestial phenomenon, occurs twice in a year, when the sun is directly overhead and thus no shadow of any vertical object can be seen).

20.(solar) equinox (noun)

English Meaning - it means “equal night” in Latin. It is either of the two days (“vernal equinox/spring equinox” around 20-21 March and “autumnal equinox/fall equinox” 22–23 September) in the year when the Sun is exactly above the equator and daytime and nighttime are equal everywhere on the planet, Earth.

21.Spaniard (noun)

English Meaning - A native of Spain.

22.iron-clad (adjective)

English Meaning - impossible to change/weaken.

23.menace (noun)

English Meaning - a threatening quality.

24.Serb (noun)

English Meaning - a native of Serbia.

25.Parisian (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to Paris.

26.set to (adjective)

English Meaning - ready, prepared, primed, organized.

27.Keep someone out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - exclude, prevent from entering/participating.

28.change of guard (phrase)

English Meaning - It used to refer to a situation in which there is a (dramatic) change in which new people are replacing people (existing) in positions of importance.

29.in the offing (phrase)

English Meaning - likely to happen, on the way, coming soon, coming up, close at hand, imminent, on the horizon, in the wings, just around the corner, upcoming, forthcoming.

30.vice-like (adjective)

English Meaning - very tight and firm.

31.break the tie (phrase)

English Meaning - (in sports) to end a tiebreaker situation in which two competitors same points/scores by playing extra game.

32.reigning (adjective)

English Meaning - defending, current.

33.tune-up event (noun)

English Meaning - a preparatory activity or warm-up, as before a contest or game.

34.prime (verb)

English Meaning - get ready, prepare, make ready, gear up, equip.

35.centre stage (noun)

English Meaning - centre of attention, spotlight, public eye.

36.scandinavian (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to a region in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties. it comprises Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, and allied territories.

37.summit clash (noun)

English Meaning - final match.

38.newfound (adjective)

English Meaning - newly found, recently established, recently discovered.

39.at best (phrase)

English Meaning - only, simply, but, nothing but.

40.wild card (noun)

English Meaning - special opportunity, permission (to play in a sports tournament without playing qualifiers).

41.wear (verb)

English Meaning - have, present, show, display, exhibit, give (a particular look/appearance).

42.troika (noun)

English Meaning - a group of three (people, institutions, countries and etc.).