Wishful Thinking?

Whenever a major sporting event (read : a Grand Slam tennis final) rolls around, the current form of the players concerned is not something I take into consideration when mentally deciding who is going to win. (Maybe that's because I'm incapable of distinguishing between who I think is going to win and who I want to win.) Instead, the clinching factors are what clothes I'm wearing on the big day, what position I occupy in front of the TV, whether the volume is switched on or not (note how all these factors are within my control and open to manipulation, thus making the legitimacy of my winner-picking process all the more dubious) and finally, a sort of supernatural symmetry. There is a method to the madness of sports statistics. For example, as Vijay Amritraj very pertinently observed, Serena Williams was always going to win today because she's been winning the Australian Open every alternate year (2003, 2005, 2007 and now 2009), not because she's been playing solidly. Similarly, something tells me that Roger is going to win tomorrow because he's out to equal a record, not break one. Look what happened to him when he tried to go one better on Bjorn Borg last year at Wimbledon. Whereas equalling Borg's five consecutive Wimbledons didn't pose too many problems in 2007. Therefore, compelling logic commands that he'll be able to match up to Pete tomorrow. As for breaking the 14 Slam barrier? I'm sure I'll be able to dig up a sports statistic at that time which conveniently matches the dictates of my heart!