TENNIS FANS! New thread -With bouncier balls and clean towels...

[Raahh]

New thread for tennis fans, with or without the ability to watch on tv. Or even live and in person

(When should we start pestering for our back?)

Oh bloody hell, Nishikori wins. There's something smug about him I find ...

Rafa on court now.

First set to Rafa.

Vamos Rafa! Just got in from dropping DD2 off at her first school disco. They were playing Wham! -I wanted to stay. DD2 disappeared with her friends without a backwards glass.

The other day she told me she wanted to stay 3 forever. I would like that too.

Aww Raahh, you brought a tear to my eye saying she/you wishes she could be three always. Hope she has a fab time.

My dd is in NZ and the plan was she was going on to Oz and then coming home late May. She's decided now she wants to stay out there and defer uni until Sept 2015. I can't even begin to tell you how much I miss her - I keep seeing women out and about with their mothers (well, with whom I presume are their mothers) and crying . Every time I stop to think about it properly I cry - I'm leaking now :) Ds (9) cried when I told him she was going to be away for longer than originally intended. I love my boys obviously but I miss dd desperately. I'm scared to death she'll meet and marry someone out there or just decide not to come home. How I wish she was three again :(

Anyway - the TennisTv commentators don't half spout some bollocks but they have gone some way to redeeming themselves this afternoon. They've been talking about cakes and shorts and Almagro's hairstyle, in short, they have been emulating my style of commentary. Bloody give me a job, I'm a natural :)

Pesky - you must be devastated. I know how much you are missing DD. When DS first left home I felt as if I had an arm missing. It does pass & you do get used to it!

Can she stay for that long? I mean work permit wise etc?

I wonder if she'll get homesick come Christmas?

It is a great compliment to her upbringing that she feels confident & secure enough to want & be able to do this.

That's me finished with being nice to you for today

I have a reputation to uphold!

chuck in a bit about knitting, the job is yours.

It's good that your dd is enjoying herself, but it must be difficult knowing she is so far away. You poor ds.

I really ought to tidy up. I keep getting up and sitting down again. Rafa is taking his time with this set- vamos!

FFS Rafa!!

Vamos

Thank you for nice words Raahh and muddled. That is you muddled isn't it? :). I don't know anything about work permits and such - with any luck they'll kick her back home! The good thing is that her being all that distance away has put ds1's being only three hours away in perspective.

This match is good.

Almagro has broken serve

C'mon Rafa!!!

Nico wins!!! First time Nadal has been beaten in Barcelona since he was 15. And the first time Nico has beaten Nadal in ten meetings. And his first win over a member of the top 3. Sad for Rafa but great reaction from Nico.

I hope he manages to defend at least one of his titles. I felt nervous about his chances before this tournament- It's not looking good at all for RG.

(I know he usually seems to go up a gear at RG, but I'm a bit worried)

I know what you mean Raahh. Not so long ago, the idea of Rafa losing a match was unthinkable. Now, suddenly, you realise the poor man is human and, like lots of us, suffers from crises of confidence. I hope he can work on his confidence and self belief. After all, he, out of anyone, deserves to believe. Besides, if he doesn't buck up Uncle Tony will ground him and put him on starvation rations :)

Ahh, the wrath of Uncle Tony.

But at least he won't be locked in a cupboard, like Ferrer used to be. Harsh lot, the Spaniards!

Oh dear it's not looking good ....I read somewhere that he's still suffering from losing the Oz open final. At least it will make the clay season more competitive? Bet Djoko rubbing his hands with glee as long as he doesn't hurt his wrist in the process!

But sad for Rafa that's the trouble when you are so dominant and then start to lose bit like Rog. Perhaps he needs some advice from him?

After last year- i really thought Rafa had it in him to catch up to Fed's grand slam total. But when he's faltering on 'his' surface, something has to be wrong. I'm not giving up on him though- RG number 9 is not far off.

And he's still young, really, given that players coming up to 30, are only just realising their potential. (But he has been at the top of his game far longer).

I read somewhere that he's still suffering from losing the Oz open final.

Really? well that's just being greedy. hes got more than enough GS titles PLUS no 1 spot in the rankings.

yes Im another Not a fan of rafa.

Used to be Federer whod throw his toys out of the pram if he lost, now its Rafa? im so glad Stan won. He deserved it.

But I remember at Wimbledon, think it was when Novak beat him in the final Rafa said something like ''127 players at the beginning, I was in the last 2, didn't win but that's good going to finish 2nd out of all those players''. or words to that effect.

Just to clarify. I love Stan and was gunning for him at the Oz final (although still big Rafa fan as well) and think its great to see someone different winning big titles. Plus he's such a sweetie . I think these players work on a different level and way of thinking to ordinary mortals. You don't hear them saying well I've won lots of GS titles already so I'm not fussed. That is just not who they are!

Also don't think Rafa is throwing his toys out the pram think it is more the media et al needing something to write about plus he usually wins everything on clay.....

that's what I mean, him saying that at Wimbledon, then apparently fussed with his Oz loss? doesn't make sense.

despite me not being a fan, id defend his attitude, if its indeed the media stirring things up as always.

think the same of Murray, winning 2 GS especially the Wimbledon one and the media still aren't satisfied and putting more pressure on him. maybe feels pressured.

the media build you up to shoot you down don't they?

I said up thread that after winning a tournament so many times, the pressure on Rafa to keep winning, the expectation, must be huge. It's the opposite, if you like to how he did during the latter half of last year, and the hard court season. He exceeded expectation there- he took the titles that Djok had dominated.

I still believe because I've been watching him for so long and the highs and lows. And I get very attached to my favourite players.

But I'm also watching players like Dogs and hoping he breaks through.

Djok must be doing the maths and working out he doesn't have to do much over the next couple of tournaments really to retain the number one spot- especially as he lost early on last year in Madrid, the qf's in Rome.

Of course, he might not care, and be home learning to knit bootees (with his good wrist).

(and we're on countdown to the return of the balls).

Excuse me, I'm going to be the one knitting bootees, not Djok!

Talking of favourite players - does it make me sound like an obsessed and deluded teenager to say I actually miss Pot? Because, I do. I have other players I particularly like but everything seems just a little bit flat to me this season without Pot. It's practically impossible to get any up to date info cos he's not very frequent a poster on FB or Twitter. And I won't get to see him at Queens, The Boodles or WTF's either this year. I'm going to knit him a super special wrist band with extra magic healing properties :). Once I learn to knit that is.

no, not stalkery at all. (says the woman who still has her Edberg scrap book she made in 1987). A knitted wrist band would be great, possibly not practical. You could knit headbands and blankets for when they are hiding at the change of ends. And little bags to carry their bananas in. Do they all still eat bananas, or is that a bit 1998?

A whole new career in tennis themed knitted merchandise is out there.

Once you learn to knit.

I totally get how you feel about Pot. I spent the 7 months Nadal was injured scouring websites for updates. (Pictures on my FB feed showed him doing a lot of fishing). And now I am looking towards a clay season, where he might not feature in the latter stages- it's strange.

But I'm enjoying watching some of the new bunch, which is good, and I still like to cheer on Ferrer. Lots of tennis to come.

Well Almagro's run was short lived- beaten by Giraldo .

Score are a bit confusing- did Monfils retire the match tin Bucharest? looks like Dimitrov is through there, against Rosol inthe final.

So, end of an era in Barca- wonder what the odds were for a Nishikori/Giraldo final?