So long, Taufik, and thanks for the memories

What an anti-climactic end to a great career! Taufik Hidayat, artist supreme of the badminton court, was beaten by India’s Sai Praneeth in the first round of the tournament which had come to be closely identified with him over the last decade and a half.

The Indonesia Open, which Taufik first won as a 17-year-old, thereby announcing his genius to the world, was the stage again, but this time Taufik failed to tap into his magic well. Praneeth played well, but this wasn’t Taufik’s best match. The Indonesian’s final goodbye – his last professional match – will be recorded as a 15-21 21-12 21-17 defeat to the world No. 55 from India.

The loss, however, does nothing to diminish the wunderkid from Bandung. Over the years, he has enthralled spectators and drawn new ones to the sport by the sheer magic of his genius. At his best, he was the master artist – the opponent reduced to a pawn in his game. He will be to badminton what Federer perhaps is to tennis – but there is one noticeable difference. Federer is a master craftsman, but he is also a serious practitioner of his art. Taufik belonged more to the John McEnroe school of thought – he could be astonishing, but he could also be mediocre. There was no way to tell which of his two selves he would bring to court.

Despite his mental waywardness, such was his genius that he retired with the major titles in his cabinet – the World Championships gold, the Olympics gold, and the Asian Games gold. The one major he could not win was the All England, and that will be an aberration in an otherwise brilliant career.

To fans of the great Indonesian, the last two years have been disturbing. Taufik was losing regularly to players way below his level, and he didn’t seem bothered. In December last year, he even lost to India’s Pratul Joshi in the first round of the Syed Modi International GPG. Against players of the speed and class of Lee Chong Wei and Lin Dan, of course, he was outplayed consistently. His once contentious battles with Lin Dan had turned decidedly one way – with Lin Dan demolishing his challenge in each of their last 12 matches.

Taufik probably overstayed – but what will remain in fans’ memory are his sublime skills that nobody – not even Lin Dan – could hope to match. When he was on song, Taufik had the shuttle on a string, and he could make it do his will. In a long interview with this writer a couple of years ago, Taufik admitted he played his best only if he felt like it: “I train and play with my heart. If I enjoy it, I can play. If I don’t want to play, if I don’t feel like it, I think it’s my bad luck, and I lose. If I feel like it, I can do anything.”

Born and raised in Bandung, he came under the influence of Iie Sumirat, Indonesia’s former maverick player, who instilled in him many of his values. Taufik immediately shot up the ranks in quick time, and to a nation seeking successors to the generation of Allan Budi Kusuma and Ardy Wiranata, Taufik offered succour. The youngster attracted hysterical adulation from home fans right through his career. That attention also seemed to affect him, for he had frequent run-ins with his association.

Talent-wise, Taufik was the best of his generation. A complete player, blessed with every stroke in the book, he made badminton look effortless. He toyed with world-class opponents, making them run the length and breadth of the court, while he himself would orchestrate the play from the centre, looking unruffled. In an age of speed and power, Taufik brought back old-school virtues – he was unmatched at the net and in craftsmanship. But those weren’t his only strengths. He could hit hard – his backhand smash was a potent weapon – and he held for a while the record for the hardest smash.

One cannot talk of Taufik without mentioning his principal opponent, Lin Dan. Taufik will be remembered as a more skilful player than Lin Dan, and indeed, his greatest moments were in vanquishing Lin in the World Championships final and Asian Games final. The two, along with Lee Chong Wei and Peter Gade, were standout examples for the pinnacle of skill and athletic ability in badminton.

One hopes Taufik will have inspired yet more prodigies from his home country to take on his mantle. But don’t expect that to happen for a while – a Taufik Hidayat in one generation is rare enough.