Bye, bye 2009

Fare thee well 2009; what a feisty critter you were.

You beguiled us with brilliance and also revealed a few more of our sporting stars for what they are - simply men and women just like us.

During your term in office, the sublime Roger Federer won two more tennis Grand Slam events to recapture the world No 1 ranking and boost his total to a record 15 titles. However, an asterisk may be required because his great rival, Rafael Nadal, was hobbled throughout most of the year and didn't even turn up at Wimbledon to defend his crown.