Sport As Art. And The Other Way Around As Well.

Michael Schumacher. Pete Sampras. Steffi Graf. Rahul Dravid. Glenn McGrath. Brian Lara. Shane Warne. To a lesser extent (and that is because I don't follow the sport too much, and for no other reason), Michael Jordan.

And above all, Sachin Tendulkar and Roger Federer.

They've all had the ability to play the game with an effortlessness that cannot be comprehended by rational means. In some cases, other sportsmen have had better records, better wins, better this that and the other.

But these players, the ones that I've mentioned above, have had the ability to take our breath away. They've all turned in performances that shut us up. No amount of talking, analysing and dissecting will ever be able to tell us why we love Fraulein's Forehand as much as we did.

No commentator will ever be able to tell me exactly why a simple front foot defence by Rahul Dravid looks as classy as it does. And don't get me started on Sachin's on drive.

But they can all do it - I don't want to know how, and I don't care if I don't know - they can all make me gasp in awe.

For at their very best, they are creating art.

Well played, Mr. Federer.

Play on.