[when champions age] it's sad to see

It was the MCG in a year I can't even recall. On a visit to Melbourne, my mate had tickets for the Test match with the Windies and we went along on a perfect day for cricket.

The Aussies were batting and the new ball was not given to Malcolm Marshall from the other end, as I'd supposed but to other bowlers. I wanted to see Marshall bowl, recalling the terror he'd inspired from a few years earlier with that whippy action and lethal projectile.

After lunch they threw him the ball and it was a different man. Line and length, medium fast, he was hit away by, at that time, only reasonable Australian top order batsmen. The essential thing I could see was that there was no fear any more in the opposition's eyes.

The Third Umpire sums up Marshall's gifts:

Malcolm Marshall was their finest quick during their 1980s heyday, seriously rapid, hostile and extremely consistent; but he complemented these gifts with subtlety and real cricketing intelligence.

Plus he was a lovely man off-field, by all reports.

Cue Schumacher. As the BBC said in 1996:

The seven-times world champion celebrates his 36th birthday on Monday, but the German said he is confident of continued success.

"I have the odd small ache or pain every now and then but they are only small ones," he said. "I am not getting worn out and especially not psychologically. I still enjoy what I do immensely. "In sport, you can't rest on your past victories. You have to take the challenge again and again."

Ian Botham, Denis Lillee, Michael Jordan, Tyson, Martina Navratilova, Gary Ablett Snr at Geelong - they all started playing smart or not so smart with age. It's truly sad to see a magnificent champion no longer able to cut it when he could have blown away the current opposition on his day.

Yes, they know it one day has to end. Yes, they know they must be a bit more subtle, a bit more roguish these days. They see the writing on the wall. As champions, of course, they'll get over it, come to terms with it [excepting Ablett and Tyson and to an extent - Jordan].

So is that what we're seeing now with Federer, a truly wonderful player, as Sampras was before him? One commenter's thoughts expressed at BBC Online:

It is the SIXTH defeat by six different players in SEVEN tournaments for Federer this season. This also credits all the analysts who clearly previewed the end of unilateral dominance of Federer since last year as all the guys know he is no longer unbeatable.

With this technically very limited backhand,it is obvious that Federer will not win the FO this year again bacause there are better clay-courters like Ferrer, Almagro, Davidenko and Nalbandian who will cause him all sorts of trouble on the surface.

Maybe it would be better for Federer to start thinking now about defending his title in Wimbledon which will be very difficult. I expect many more defeats for Federer to come this season as winning a serious title this year (Master Series or GS) looks so laborious for him.

Martina on aging:

"I did this for the enjoyment of the game and that still is there. I'm pleased with how I'm playing. I can still put it together at this age and not having played for four years. I'm having a great time. It doesn't get any better."

Navratilova said she was moved when she spotted an elderly woman with a walking support who came to watch her play in Eastbourne.

"How honored can you get for people to be making an effort like that to see you play tennis?" she said. "It's a treat and why there will never be any regrets if I don't win."

And a comment all former champions could relate to:

I've been in the twilight of my career longer than most people have had their career.