New TENNIS thread here! Montreal starts Monday at 5pm Sky sports 3!

[GameSetAndMatch]

Yipee! the Rogers cup. Live!!!!
lead up time to the US Open! Yay!

there is also WTA tennis on eurosport atm but i never seem to catch it live and when I put it on ita always Radwanska and Cibulkova match!.

Federer has withdrawn from montreal citing a back injury-rare for him.

dont know if rafas playing, havent heard hide or hair (or bum!) from him since Wimbledon .

and wheres Andy gone? must have finished his hols by now.

anyway cant wait for Monday!

[Raahh]

But Rafa wasn't messing about.

[PetiteRaleuse]

There is a very well respected journalist who explained Nadal's long absence from last year's Wimbledon to this year's clay season (about 8-9 months) as being drug related but covered up.

Now, you could say that was just gossip. But he is a very well respected journalist, and certain things that other players said (including Federer but I don't trust him an inch) backed him up. Anyway. It was taken as read in France, and the Spanish are pissed off with French reporting over the tennis and cycling scandals. Tomorrow I'll post some links (but they won't be much use as they are in French)

[PetiteRaleuse]

OK I did a quick search but here is a blog post which debates the issue (in French):

leyaourtdusport.com/2013/04/21/nadal-est-il-dope/

The debate is interesting but what is more interesting is that Les Guignols which is the Spitting image in France dared do several skits on it over the last few years. And they were sued of course, but not for huge amounts.

You can google Les Guignols and Nadal to get an idea.

[PetiteRaleuse]

Sorry, it wasn't a journalist, it was a player- a Belgian: www.chronofoot.com/rafael-nadal/dopage-apres-l-039-affaire-armstrong-l-039-affaire-nadal_art36821.html

But anyway, the Fed interviews round about the time were very evasive; there are even rumours that some of Federer's injury times were in fact covering up doping. And I remember watching a Federer press conference where he didn't deny drugging as far as Nadal was concerned. Could be PR (they're not friendly) or could be something to think about.

Bt like lots of things in sport we just havebblogs and the odd interview to go on...

I like Nadal; I personally choose to believe that all our top tennis players are clean and i luffs them, apart their scratchy arses. But I do worry that they will be exposed like the cyclists or 100m runners...

[siezethenight]

I
Morning peeps...
I thought the players were tested after every game? I was under the impression that was one of the cleanest games about because of the strict testing and how well documented it is how hard the top seeds men and women all train up in gym as well as on court?
It will be a huge shame if this is all true about Nadal.
I personally prefer to think that, because he is young and very fit he can bounce back fast after injury and play to the insane level of fitness that he does. I hold onto this hope...

I maybe will call Sky today and ask for a free 6 week sports trial. I figure, its been 20 years since I joined them, the slight suggestion that I may pop off to another for my telly, phone and internet maybe would sway them into giving it up!
This certainly worked with my energy people yesterday! They owed me over 450.00 and were carrying it over to next bill - uh, no. Not when 350.00 of that was electric!! Do they think I am planning on lighting up the street in the next 4 months? Return it or I leave you, its as simple as that. They said they would, its not showed up in my account yet so am giving it till Friday to register in there. I looked to switch but the energy companies now have this contract thing, like phone's do - leave before 18 months is up and face a fine. Would rather stay put and come the winter if my company hikes prices I can leave them then without a fine as have been with them too long for a contract to apply anymore. If I switched now and it happened with a new company - if you see what I mean... Anyhow, they bended on my demands so - I miss tennis so much, I might give Sky a shot today.

No baby yet - God darn her. Midwife says if Dd is still here in 2 weeks she's doing an internal - wey-hey - that's what brought Dd on a long, long 22 years ago!

[ClayDavis]

If PetiteRaleuse's article is correct only the losing player gets tested after each game seize, and then both players in the final. I don't think there's much random out of competition testing like in other sports either. This is what they've been trying to change. There aren't yet tests for every performance enhancing drug, so it's possible to take things that won't be picked up by routine doping tests.

[Raahh]

I've been out all day and have only just seen that Ferrer lost

[Raahh]

But Nadal has just won, so all is not lost.

[Raahh]

And if he wins the next round, he should move up to number 3 in the rankings.

[Raahh]

looks like Murray could be going out.

[Raahh]

And he is!

[PetiteRaleuse]

He played badly, didn't seem to be in the match at all. :(

[Raahh]

Del Potato up next

[magimedi]

Del Potato is MINE! All mine.

I am telling you - only moi would appreciate him.

I just might have to get Sky............

[Raahh]

magi - I've grown very fond of Del Potato over the past couple of months, but I will stay loyal to Rafa. I'll cheer Delpo on,though.

[Raahh]

And Berdych is out

[Raahh]

Noooo! Del potato is out :(
Sounds like he has a back injury, and there was a dodgy non call that went raonics way, too. Very sad:(
[ tennis]

[GameSetAndMatch]

And Posposil going through at the expense of davydenkos injury.

do like Posposil though.

oh no not Delpo! .

Andys playing doubles, skysports said theyd keep updating that one as its on a non-televised court.

[GameSetAndMatch]

co-incidence ahoy! had to switch channels for a bit for DC to watch top gear and Boris Beckers the star in the car!

[Raahh]

Game

just reading that Raonic has admitted he touched the net during the match against Del Potato- but it was important a point to admit to it Nice sportsmanship, there, Raonic. I doubt very much Del Potato could have salvaged the match, but I'm not surprised he's angry about it.

So , C'mon Gulbis!

[GameSetAndMatch]

dint that happen to Djoko and he lost the point?

agree bad sportsmanship on raonics part.

trivial and silly but today we were listening to the radio and a song from the 70's came on by the Gibson bros 'cuba'.

if you know it, we started singing 'Kubot' instead! and another tennis song is the old hymn 'Macenroe the boat ashore' !!

[GameSetAndMatch]

magi were all hungry...you have to share your potatoes with us!

El potato and (Mardy) Fish!

[Raahh]

Now I'm singing 'Kubot'....dh is looking

[siezethenight]

Ladies - you are angels in disguise... Keep up the information, reading with gusto every day even if not participating. Not got Sky Sports - yet
On to it though...

[Raahh]

Morning sieze. Over night results make the semi finals a very tasty match between Rafa and djokovic ( vamos!) and in an all