ROLAND GARROS 2013

[MrsVamosRAFA]

Well, here we are again, another French Open. Yay !

It's a shame we wont see Murray, as he was playing very well, it would have been great to see the Top 5 'together' again.

No prizes for guessing who the favourite for the Mens is, VAMOS RAFA ! I'd love to see him win it for the 8th time.

Roger Fed is looking well, just started playing , it would be good to see him do well, although we all know Wimby is his best tournament.

Novak seemed to be struggling a bit earlier this year, after the Aussie Open win, it will be interesting to see how he fares this year on clay. Nicely set up so that he and Rafa will meet in the Semi's, should they both play well. Which easily leads to Rafa for the Final, and his 8th win ! Don't forget, Novak fans, that Rafa beat Nole in 4 sets last year.

Serena Williams is looking her usual belting self, just thrashed her opponent, she must be a consideration for the win, as must last years winner, Maria Sharapova. I'd like to see Laura Robson do well, and Heather Watson, but realistically Laura could be out in the first round.

Hope everybody enjoys the tennis as much as I do, I'm going to have a great fortnight, 9:30am to 9:00pm everyday. Bliss !

Looking forward to having our usual daft threads running, along with the ogling and arguments. Here's to another great summer of tennis !

Loved Rafa's cake. Sad for Gasquet though.

Happy 27th to Rafa indeed ! T'was lovely when the crowd sang to him !

Much better match today, still looks a way off his best, but he's doing enough. Getting fed up of Jim Courier keep saying "what's wrong with Rafa"...maybe he has learnt he doesn't need to blow every opponent off the court, just do enough to win and conserve energy for the 'business' end of the tournament ?

I don't expect Rafa to be at his best, considering the lay off he had. FFS.

Rant over.

Daddy Fed made me gasp a bit yesterday, but he is still playing very well. Novak through as expected. (I don't think he is playing at his 'best' either, but no-one seems to be willing him to lose).

Wished ITV4 had shown the Stan/Richard match too, they just showed the last couple of games of the last set. Looked like a good one.

Got some good men's matches coming up. Hopefully.

Azarenka looked great today, possibly one to watch ? Someone is going to need to really be able to wallop the ball or have some clever shorter shots to beat Serena, I think ?

I only got to see Djokovic v. the other dude -- would have loved to have seen Rafa's match. A straight-sets win with those scores and he was criticized for not being at his best? Yikes!

I can't say I enjoyed the Fed v. Simon match I care too much who won in that one but v. happy with the result. I am beginning to think it is much more fun to watch matches where I don't mind so much who wins. I would love to see a Rafa/Ferrer final, in many ways.

The Tsonga match ought to be enjoyable, though; I'm scrambling to find a way to watch it....

It's strange, IreneR, some of the commentary for Rafa seems like they are just willing him to lose. They started his first match last week raving about how he had only ever dropped 1 set at RG, then oh my goodness, the shame of dropping one in a first round match. Then, he did it again, and that's when they were talking about "what's wrong with him, besides his knees". Even John Inverdale got involved and was asking if there was any 'talk' around RG about what's wrong with Rafa, and why isn't he playing at his best ?

I find it baffling. They seem to expect Rafa and Roger to be 'performing' but yet Novak is excused because his first coach passed away, so if he played below par, it's to be expected. Well, Roger is now in his early 30's, Rafa was 27 today, none of them are the young pups they were, 3/4/5 years ago, and I don't feel we should expect them to play as they did then.

Maybe it's because Rafa and Roger have been such great champions, that you sort of 'will' them to still be as they were. With Novak, there is always a slight doubt that eventually he will get beat, and also with Andy Murray. You never quite believe they will win, because of Rafa and Roger.

I thought Rafa played well today, though not as well, or as hard, as he has in the past. I absolutely accept though, that the game is evolving, and the players have to, and adapt to it. It seems like the commentators can't. Or accept that players get older, and have to change their game. The tennis today seems to be so much harder than it was, even a few years ago, you have to have a brilliant base game to stand a chance, with a few drop shots thrown in, if you manage it !

I would love to see Rafa win it for an 8th time, and I so hope he does, from what I have seen of Novak he hasn't played as 'well' as I have seen in the past, he doesn't seem so 'convincing' ? Even though the match stats may read differently !

All 4 quarters look good. Tsonga V Federer and Robredo V Ferrer tomorrow, then Djokovic V Haas and Nadal V Warwrinka on Wednesday.

Thought the crowd were a bit mean to Stan today. I know of course they were cheering on Richard, and Stan lost his temper, but seeing that shocking line call, I would have got a bit upset too.

I don't think I shall mind too much who wins 3 out of the 4. All deserve to do well. But Rafa is my favourite, so I shall be not so silently willing him on.

I've just written and lost a long post saying the same about the commentators, MrsV- there is a clear bias towards djokovic this year- nadal's record since returning has been amazing- but it's not good enough.

A certain absent player would give his right arm for stats like nadal's

Obviously want rafa to get number 8- glad to see ferrer doing well, and stan. I like stan.

Quite agree, as you knew I would, Raahh.

A certain absent player has had his win, where everyone predicted he always would, and got an Olympic Gold as an extra too. We all know that if a certain other player had been at the Olympics, fit and well and defending his Gold, the other one may not have won. But hey ho, eh !

Gotta be Rafa.

(I am secretly willing Novak to lose. Every round. Just can't warm to the bloke. Still.) Sssshhhhh !

Just had a thought. Are you around Wednesday afternoon/evening ?

Depending on whose on court first, maybe we could meet up on thread and start a 'lose Djikdock lose' chant ?

Joking, of course. not

I'm waiting for a certain absent player to have forgotten his convenient injury problem, and sprint on court at queens. But I am a cynical woman.

Djokos one of my fave players EVER yet, unless hes playing a couple of certain players i dont like soehow i alwasy want his opponent to win. dont know why though.

love Stan too, he should win a GS too and come out from understudy label he gets. Nishikori was a dissapointment, thought hed play better.

Raahh

I was so desperately trying not to be horrible, and I just couldn't do it !

He won't appear at Queens, it will be Wimby. Then he'll lose in a quarter or semi and be confirmed as the player who was just a bit better than Tim. Ish.

You may have mentioned it, marj but who don't you like ?

But won't the season so far be just a bit ... dull ... if Rafa wins again?

Sorry. What a silly thought.

DULL ?

We missed him at Wimby, the Olympics, Flushing Meadows and the Aussie Open, he's back at his first Grand Slam after 8 months out and it's DULL ?

It's more dull when he's not there. At least he gets us all talking.

I can't work out if you don't like Rafa or not, marj.

I don't mind if you don't, each to their own, and all that.

Irene Do you like Rafa ?

**

Alopogies.

I do like Rafa, I do, I do. Just not so much as RF. (And I will feel sick, in a way, if we face an RF-Rafa final, given their recent encounters!)

I've got so used to the tennis starting early!
Today's order of play looks good (am hoping the womens' matches are speedy)

I just wondered, IreneR.

I think, if it was a Rafa V Rog final, Rafa would beat him easily, unfortunately for Rog.

Gutted the tennis didn't start till 12:30. Had to actually get dressed and do 'stuff' this morning !

Thought Serena was going to get beaten for a minute there. Ah well.

As lovely as Tsonga is, part of me hopes he wins, and part of me hopes Roger does.

If you twisted my arm, I would have to say Roger. He's done so much for tennis, and been such a great player, you always fear it may be the last time you see him at this level, so it would be lovely for him to got out with a win.

IF. Love the poem, too.

Grrr. I love Tsonga, but really wanted to watch the Ferrer/Robredo match. itv are going to stick with the Fed/Tsonga match,I guess.

Slow start for Fed; I always think he'll do better the longer the match lasts. Fingers crossed...

I'm listening to the match via RG radio. Nicely retro, but I would rather be SEEING it.

Oh no. Maybe I wouldn't.

(Have to go and pick up my child from school. It's half-days today, tomorrow, and Thursday, then we're out for the summer, God help me.)

For obvious reasons I am a huge Tsonga fan! I have just switched over to watch!

Marking my place, haven't seen much of the remiss to much RL with it being half term.

DD1 will tolerate Wimbledon, but thinks slidey orange courts are strange.

Tennis (which is remiss of me)