BEN SHELTON - YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE UNLIMITED TIME ON THE SECOND SERVE

 Prajwal Hegde reports from New York City for The Times of India (15.09.2026)- U S Open 2026 - Final

When Alexander Zverev prepares to serve, he bounces the ball and bounces it.. Sometimes 20 or 25 times.

At the other end of the court, his opponent waits and waits.

Ben Shelton wanted to stay loose, while Zverev went through his routine, rather than settling into his return position. He said,"There is not an athlete in the world who would like to watch them do their thing and sit in a ready position-30 seconds before play starts."

"So for me it's the same. I'm not going to sit there with my knees bent,. tension in my body for thirty seconds while I'm waiting."

"I'm going to try to stay loose."

When Shelton took it up with the umpire, he was advised that he had to be at the base line early.

He commented,"That is a stupid rule that you got to be sitting there when the guy goes through his routine."

"I shouldn't have to sit at the line."

"He can start his routine whenever he wants."

"I promise you there will never be a time when he serves and I'm not ready."

"I definitely think, for a first serve, you should be able to do whatever you want. You can use the full 25 seconds every time."

As regards the second serve, he suggested that the time allowed should be curtailed, "There should be some sort of a rule. I'm not sure exactly how you would do it, limiting time on the second serve."

Shelton reiterated, "You shouldn't have unlimited time on the second serve."

Alexander Zverev won the match in four sets.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV WINS US OPEN 2026 - DEDICATES THE VICTORY TO HIS MOTHER

Prajwal Hegde at the US Open - New York City - reports for The Times of India (15.09.2026). 

Alexander Zverev (Sascha),29,  the 6 ft 6' tall temperamental German, out served and out returned the 23 year old power house Ben Shelton, the American finalist, to win the US Open title 2026.

It is a powerful redemption story. 

He had been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a child.

The talented younger child in a tennis family, diagnosed with a condition that could have limited his sporting ambitions, survives a career threatening injury, endures three Grand Slam final defeats, at last wins the French Open in June 2026. 

It was only the beginning.

He won the second Grand Slam in 2026 itself on 13th September battling the crowd favourite Ben Shelton at the US Open in four sets.

His victory speech resonates far beyond the tennis world. 

It is a mother and son story on  adversity, belief and the refusal to let a medical diagnosis dictate a child's future. It is the kind of a story sport is built for, capable of lifting millions of hearts, young and old. 

"I want to thank one more person who never actually watches my matches, but is the most important person in my tennis life and in my life in general."

"When your four year old son gets diagnosed with diabetes and doctors tell you that life and sports will be very, very limited for that child, it takes a very very strong mother to walk out and say, 'My son will be wherever he wants to be.'

"If he wants to be a tennis player he'll be a tennis player .. this illness will not define us."

"It takes an unbelievably strong woman to do what she did."

In one corner of the Arthur Ashe stadium, 66 year old Alexander Zverev(Sr), father and coach, bit back tears.

When I read the heart warming speech, I thought of the mother who quietly brought up our two children She had been with them  throughout  the thick and  thin of their lives. Whenever they needed guidance, she was there. She supported them when they failed. She lifted them up. She carried them through illnesses.  All along, she had a demanding job, to which she had always been true. She encountered everything with a smile. 

She never forced the children into an identity foreclosure.

She encouraged them to evolve. 

They have now grown up into fine gentlemen. Not worldbeaters. But they are street smart.  She has instilled in them survival instincts. They look at her for inspiration. They shower their love and  affection upon her.

I watched her all the time from sidelines. I have often wondered where our children would have been,  had she not sustained them.

September 16, 1975 - TOTTERING STEPS INTO THE UNKNOWN

 

September 16, 1975. My first day in the bank. Executive Trainee. The fulfilment of an ambition. I wanted to begin as a Manager. 

It was the culmination of a search that lasted more than three years after I finished my PG. Of course there was an interlude of an year soon after the PG. I taught English in a Junior College at Honavar, Karnataka.

The only hitch when I longed to become a Manager was, I had no idea what the job entailed. On the job, I learned that it meant you had  to undertake  the lowliest or the meanest tasks out there  more than anything else with gusto to be a Manager.  I learned delegation would get me nowhere. I learned the man on the job had to be a situational Manager. 

The sum total was the Manager had to be a jack of all trades - That the Manager had no power to inject his own desires - That he had to learn to conform. His Will had no priority at all.

Here am I, exactly 51 years after that eventful day and 16 years and 4 and a half months from the date of superannuation.

The journey had taken me far. It was exciting. It was excruciating. I could never predict what the next moment was going to be. The feeling remains the same, even today.

KERALAM - KSEB POWER CUT

 KSEB POWER CUT

The following is the email message I have sent just now to the CM Keralam

Power cut damages the image of CM and UDF

The Chief Minister of Keralam

Govt Secretariat

Thiruvananthapuram

Respected Sir,

I am a 200% supporter of yours.

Please do something to stop this power cut by KSEB. It is damaging your and UDF's image a thousand times.

What the man on the street says is for 10 years there had been no power cut. Now UDF has brought it. They say the honeymoon days are over. It is time these people performed.

Perhaps the people at KSEB who are mostly left oriented are doing their mite to tarnish you. It could be due to instructions from their masters.

What I would say is management expertise is required to tide over the crisis.

On the personal front, for two consecutive days the power went off when I was on my treadmill. It was providence that saved me from critical injury.

My shoulder hurts due to the strong grip on the handle that prevented a throwing off

Cutting power off without prior notice, to me, is a criminal offence. I am no lawyer

For God's sake do something to keep the left out of their scheming for power.

Yours faithfully

sd/=

IT'S I'M POSSIBLE - NOT IMPOSSIBLE - KAZIA LIZ MEJO

The Malayala Manorama Sunday Supplement on 6th Septembr 2026 carries a feature on Miss.Kazia Liz Mejo, the winner of Miss Universe India 2026 Crown, brilliantly articulated by T.S.Divya.

(making an attempt here for it's translation from Malayalam to English for  those who do not know Malayalam as the message conveyed is highly motivational)

Kazia opens her mind.

You may think fortune has favoured me. But, to be precise, there are times I have lost  confidence again and again. Though I was born and brought up at Abu Dhabi, I was scared of posing before a camera for my picture. I had preferred to hide my dark face behind the filters.

But I stand before you now as Miss.Universe India 2026. 

Here is the journey that took me towards  partial realisation of the long cherished dream.

When Harnaaz Sandhu was crowned at the Miss Universe 2021 pageant, I began dreaming  of emulating her. It has brought me where I am now.

While I had been in the 9th Standard in school I dreamt that I would become a pop star.  I believed the spotlight would be on me as I stood on the stage with a glowing aura.  I thought I would become a lawyer when I watched the Web Series 'Suits.' Today I am treading on the Ramp.  I am  studying law. 

The society at times places barriers on our dreams. "This is not good for decent girls." " Never put your feet on multiple trajectories." "If you concentrate too much on the extracurricular, your studies will be disrupted."

However, never cease dreaming. 'Impossible' has a negative connotation. Yet,  in 'impossible' you  discover the positive, "I'm possible."

The past 12 years' journey had been quite taxing - training in classical dance, music, violin, attending classes for law, modelling assignments at distant locations, preparations for the beauty contests. I used to wake up at 3 am - early in the morning - and had practiced ramp walk on the corridors of the hostel. While I did that in my high heeled footwear, I had tumbled several times injuring myself in the bargain.

Miss Teen International India's 'Miss Teen Diva' 2024 was my initial triumph on the charge towards  my dream . But I could only become the first Runner up in  Miss Teen International pageant.  It was a great disappointment. It depressed me. I was down as I had lost out despite striving very hard.  To make it worse, I had been brimming with the desire to win. 

But realisation dawned on me, "It is never a failure if you have given it your everything."

Almost everyone would have experienced failure at least once in life. It's very important that one ought to view  failure as failure.  It is a great lesson. We need to rise up from that to go forth in life. 

You may find to your consternation  you are unable to realise your dreams. The fall, down  the precipice,  would prompt you to recalibrate. It would fire your aspirations. To your surprise, what you accomplish would be far  beyond expectations.  

I know for certain, had I won  Miss Teen International Crown in 2024, I would not have been able to stand before you at this juncture as the nineteen year old Miss Universe India 2026.

In the  limelight upon the stage, I am very calm.  My response had reflected that tranquility in the Miss Universe India finale at Jaipur.

I wish to convey to all girls, who read me, a single advice, "Fake it till you make it. Believe it before you become it."

Quite a long while back, before I won the Miss India Universe Crown, I began addressing myself as the Queen. I visualised myself winning the crown. I would see me  crying at the announcement. I had lived that moment many times in advance. 

Because I had cried a lot earlier, I couldn't cry much  on the stage at Jaipur when I was declared  Miss India Universe 2026.

At present I am preparing for that walk on the ramp at Puerto Rico in November 2026 for the Miss Universe Crown. I know you are in that ride with me. I am indeed grateful for your blessings.

There have been queries on the inspiration that drives me.

Even if it is cliche, I affirm, I do  not wish to replicate anyone else. I intend to build a legacy of my own. I wish to be unique.  I long to be the best.

I wish to tell every one, especially  girls, in the world, "Never let barriers  curtail your dreams. Opportunities will never come knocking.  Build that door yourself. Extend the invitation to  opportunities.  Stay close to that door when opportunities arrive."

 "Be the reason for your own motivation.'

 

TO BECOME A GOOD SPEAKER

To become a good speaker, you need confidence and plenty of practice.

PM Narendra Modi was in an interaction with National Teachers Award winners at his residence on the eve of Teachers' Day. He asked an award winning teacher, what she would advise him if he were her student and wanted to become a good orator.

She responded:

"To become a good speaker, you need confidence and plenty of practice."

After her tip, she said, " Sorry Sir. Seeing your aura, my aura went down a little."

The PM urged teachers to take learning beyond classrooms. He advised them to nurture  the natural curiosity of children. His exhortation was not to judge students by their academic standards alone.  The teachers were called upon to recognise  their varied talents even if  the children struggled or fell behind in studies. It was for them to chart a developmental track for such children. 

THAT'S FAMILY LIFE FOR YOU

We have, for years, been together.

The years that flashed past are vivid.

We are two people who wish to constantly refine ourselves and perform at the utmost.

We always challenge ourselves 

We keep asking each other questions.

It is really great, when you have someone who wants you to become a better version of yourself.

It is mutually complementary.

It is brilliance to the fore. when both are striving to make each other perfect, aim for the stars and achieve the seemingly impossible.

That's family life for you.

6th September 2012

6th September 2026

Congratulations

CAFU

Marcos Evangelista de Morais - Cafu - was born on 7th June 197O.  

He is a former professional who had played football for Brazil as a defender. 

Widely regarded as one of the greatest full backs of all time, he had been voted into the All-Time Greatest XI as the  right full back on his heydays. 

As a child, he had been nicknamed, 'Cafu,' in honour of the Brazilian winger Cafuringa.

The legendary player had partaken in three consecutive World Cup finals from 1994. It was a record.

It was a thrilling moment when we saw him  holding aloft the 2002 FIFA World Cup Trophy.

The visual of Brazilian captain Cafu standing on top of a precarious, wobbly glass table at the Yokohama stadium while hoisting the 2002 World Cup trophy is universally celebrated as one of football's most enduring images. 

The two time World Cup winner says:

"The World Cup is not an exact science. The best do not always win. The champion is not always the best team. It is a sequence of factors that makes you win a World Cup."

If we give it some deep thought we could realise it is the exact replica of real life or the life around us.

It is indeed a sequence of factors. not at all premeditated, that pull us on, that push us to wherever we reach. 

We can also see that we have no control over those factors that take us so far.

Life is inexplicable.

A POPULAR DM ABRUPTLY EXITS - DIVYA MITTAL IAS

 

"Today, I voluntarily resigned from the IAS, bringing an unforgettable 13-year journey to a close." With those words Divya Mittal announced on social media on Sunday, 31st August 2026, that she was walking away from civil services. The resignation of the 43-year old 2013-batch Uttar Pradesh cadre  officer serving as special secretary in the revenue department is yet to be formally accepted. 

The Times of India of 4th September 2026, reports that her farewell post retraced her journey from IIT-Delhi and IIM-Bangalore to a job -JP Morgan - in London and then back to India to repay what she called a "debt to this soil."

Her decision surprised colleagues and admirers. She had acquired a public following unusual for a bureaucrat. In Mirzapur and Deoria, she became known as an accessible, hands-on administrator. She used social media to communicate on her work. 

Her best known initiative brought piped water to Lahuriya Deh, a remote hilltop hamlet. People there had been depending on tankers and  pits for drinking water since 1947 and before. The completion of the Lahuriya Deh water project became a source of friction. She had perfoemed the "jal puja' when water reached the village. Elected representatives were absent. Critics accused her of sidelining politicians. Her supporters saw an administrator more interested in finishing the work than managing political optics.

She was transferred from Mirzapur,  soon after the event. She remained without a posting for several months. 

Those who worked with her describe two distinct phases to her administrative personality. She was soft spoken and approachable with members of the public. But she could lose her temper in official meetings when instructions were ignored. Her willingness to take decisions independently won her admirers. But it did not always create easy relations with elected representatives.

She was DM at Deoria and Mirzapur. When she had sent a represenative to receive a Union Minister - also the Mirzapur MP - it generated a confrontation. Her differences with Committees had generated contoversies. Her visibility added another layer to the friction. Detractors were of the view that the officer's public profile was beginning to overshadow the institution she represented.

She belonged to Rewari, Haryana. Later the family shifted to Delhi. She studied engineering at IIT-delhi -2001-2005- and afterwards  the IIM Bangalore. After obtaining her management degree, she joined JP Morgan in London. 

Her husband, Gagandeep Singh Dhillon, was her senior at bith IIT-Delhi and IIM-Bangalore. He was with the Citigroup in London. The couple had married in 2007.

Despite well paid jobsnl in international finance they jointly returned to India in 2009 to prepare for civil services. While Mittal entered IAS in 2013, Dhillon joined the Indian Trade Service in 2011.. He worked in areas like foreign trade and export controls. However he resigned from  govt service in May 2022. He has returned to financial markets. 

Former colleagues state, Divya's ambition and appetite for difficult assignments were evident early on, in her career. When delays arose in cadre allocation at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, she and two other officers took on the technically demanding exercise themselves and had completed it for the entire batch.

Some officers who know Divya describe her as an "over achiever." They believe professional stagnation may have influenced he move.

According to them she may have found the slower pace of  the bureaucratic career quite frustrating,  after moving rapidly through elite academic institutions and international finances to demanding to district assignments.

Divya has stated that her resignation was neither impulsive nor due to pressure.

Her interests outside administration have been varied. 

Divya Mittal is the author of, "The  Crafted Genius." It is a book about preparation, discipline and resilience.   She, through her social media posts, frequently discusses parenting. She often harps on what formal education fails to teach - emotional regulation, communication, financial management, loneliness and mental health.

She has indicated that writing, teaching and social service could be among the avenues she explores next.

Though politics is another possibility being discussed - the proximity of the 2027 UP election adding to that speculation - she has said nothing to suggest that a political debut is imminent.

Divya Mittal's farewell note offers only one certainty. She may have surrendered the office through which she pursued her idea of public service. But she does not see herself as having surrendered the idea itself 

She states, "The position may be gone. But the dream this country's soil gave me will not leave me." 

Rajiv Srivastava & Arvind Chauhan

ELUDES

 

The love that eludes us 

is always more attractive 

than the love we live with

STORIES

 

Stories become talking points 

when fiction stops being fiction 

and becomes an extended version 

of our own desires.

REBELLION

 

It is said that in any relationship, only one person actually loves and the other person just lets himself or herself be loved

The small acts of rebellion - preferring career to love and live in relationships - are no longer rebellion. They, today,  are accepted social facts.

MOTHERS

 

Mothers have to talk sense, preach with sensibility.

ADJUSTMENTS

 

Know all relationships are adjustments. 

And that life seldom measures up to love and its crushing cargo of expectations.

Know everyone must make their share of mistakes to learn at least something

LOVE

 What's love but making the same mistakes over and over again

FRAGILE

 

Life is fragile. Unbearably fragile.

The flood does not ask who you are

THE DIVINE

 

The divine does not promise us safety. 

The divine gives us this moment. 

What we make of it is the whole of our spiritual journey

THE MOMENT

 

Value the moment. 

Value the breath

NATURE

 Nature owes us no explanation.

There is no message hidden in a flash flood. 

No lesson the mountain is trying to teach

THE ANGUISH

 

When an untimely death occurs,

the anguish is not in the dying. 

It is in the years that could not be lived