All new TENNIS thread- are we ready for clay? The road to Roland Garros starts here...

[Raahh]

well, it has already started so, get the vanish out, the orange stuff gets everywhere.

Highlights to include- can Rafa win a tournament this April?
Is Djok starting a losing streak wishful thinking ?
Will Murray get enough sleep to retain his title in Madrid? (Doesn't appear to be scheduled to play Munich)
Will Stan's shorts be a patch on last year's?
And never discount the Rog Bot!

So, Vamos! Allez! Let's go!

Ooh, oooh, got any names planned, Grouchy ?

Surely, if you have a boy in RG fortnight you'll be naming him after the TRUE KOC ?

Ooooh, I hope big Sam does some damage against Nadal, but I fear it won't be enough. He favourited one of my tweets, so I kind of like him a bit . I can't take to Nadal at all.

Excited, but will have to fit in Watching with working. Curses to open plan offices.

Evening all

Grouchy good luck with the baby!!! Hopefully there'll be a couple of really exciting matches early on which might help to get your labour going if you jump out of your seat enough

MrsV hope your back is OK. Perfect excuse to rest up in front of the TV

I'm like AmI and will have to fit my watching around work. Meh.

Grouchy - How exciting - new baby...................

(Am going into mega broody mode, but at nearly 61 I don't think it's going to happen).

& wave MrsV - always love to 'see' you again.

My back is not quite as it should be - am hoping that much rest over the next 2 weeks (in front of TV) will sort it.

Have no lawns/grass at all in this house & never once regretted that!

GO! ANDY!

And GO! JO KONTA!! Girl from my nearest town!!

Hullo, Drama.

Its very annoying, my back. I obviously 'cricked' it in a bad place. As I said, after a few hours in bed I'm stiff again, and I still, nearly 3 weeks later, can't sit in my favoured watching tennis position because it gets a stiff again ! I have to keep moving and changing position, and its very hard to sit with a bolt upright straight back on a sofa that's meant for squidging in ! I've got cushions and pillows everywhere to keep me propped up !

I'm sure you'll get to see a decent bit of tennis. Itv4 have it on from 09:30am till 21:00 all this week. I reckon there could be a couple of repeat matches from earlier in the day in the evenings.

Depending on match length and weather too, I guess. I meant to check the weather and forgot...

magi !

Mwah mwah mwah.

Hullo lovely. Pleasure to see you too, as always.

Hopefully see more of each other in the next few months...

Ps.....

My back GETS stiff again. .

Most certainly does not get A stiff.

Arf!

I had to sit through hours of football last night. Well, it felt like hours.

to all with bad backs, and Grouchy -babies!!!! SQUEEEEEE!

Call him/her Roland, g'wan!

Have despatched Ds to a cadets athletics event, and have to GO OUT!!
(fortunately, doesn't look like I'm missing anyone I like).
It has been raining in RG.

Happy Birthday to Novak.
So- here we go, PLAY!

Raahh did you see the woman not sing the national anthem? Too funny.

I am having a pj and duvet day here after a heck of a few days, RG on the telly, DD1 revising for exam week, DD2 cuddled up next to me on the couch asking... interesting... questions. Mostly about why is it all orange?

Also.

She claims tennis is too complicated. I said well the scoring can be a bit tricky with deuces and advantages and all that, but mostly it's just knocking a ball back and forth across a net. To which I got a withering look and an "I know that mother" retort.

She's nine.

There is a refreshing lack of grunting and screaming from Kvitova and Kovinic. Log may it last.

Well, that was a disappointing day.I just kept seeing repeats of Kyrgios, muttering and gurning to himself. .

So- the order of play tomorrow will be amended, I guess.

In other news, DD2 (5) has chicken pox. I think she is one of the last in reception to get it. I'd forgotten how messy calamine lotion is

Stan is playing Rosol. I bet 'remember when he beat Rafa yada yada yada' gets trotted out a LOT during the commentary. because they have nothing original to say

Ah calamine lotion... brings back lovely memories of childhood, having all my chickenpox spots dabbed with calamine lotion by my mum. I adore the smell.

Seriously though, hope your DD has a mild case & gets better soon. You won't be able to leave the house for a while Raahh, so lots of time for tennis watching

Disappointing not to see more tennis today, thanks to the weather.

Drama- there is the bonus that I have to stay in, of course.And have loaded lots of things for her to watch on the ipad.

From memory, the other 2 were no so bad, but it was years ago. I was really ill- but I was nearly 15 at the time.

So far, she is proving a demanding patient

Ouchy Ouchy No Scratching MiniRaahh.

Poor girlie, chicken pox is no fun.

Tennis was a bit meh today, wasn't it ? I watched Petra, what is it with all the whinging and talk about blooming conditions all the time ? They're all pro players, used to playing in all sorts I would have thought - just get on with it !

Bloody commentators are worse than Novak whinging about a bit of drizzle. (I know it was worse than that today but ykwim).

Looking forward to Stan. Some good matches tomorrow hopefully.

• Just a quick 'thinking of you' for Grouchy. Hope all is ok xxx

MrsV- She is going to be an itchy nightmare, I can tell. I might tape mitens to her hands

Oh bless her. If the mittens are a must, get some of those fleece ones not 'orrible woollen ones !

My DD hasn't had it. She's 12 in a few weeks, I think there's a jab you can get now for teens who haven't had chix pox. Must remember that as well as all the other jabs !

In other news I'm 40 a month today. SIOB

You're nearly 40!!

I will be 61 about a month after you, MrsV so stop moaning!!

Watched what there was & saw the Kyrigos match - I was SHOUTING at the telly to tel him to stand up straight - the poor lad is all hunched over - will do him no good as he gets older.

Mind you, some of his shots are amazing , but I can't quite warm to him.

Roll on tomorrow

magi I'm not moaning, honestly. Its more that I can't quite believe I've got to nearly 40, you know ?

Its a bit odd.

Nick is a strange one. So much talent and all his energies are expended in all the wrong ways sometimes. I'm hoping Lleyton can help him calm down, grow up a bit and just PLAY.

According to John Inverdale he is a big crowd puller, because of his on-court 'antics'. I'd imagine his opponents think otherwise !

Hearts Big hugs and kisses, must have a catch up very soon.

No - can't quite remember being 40 - It's a long time ago - but HAPPY BIRTHDAY for whenever it is & I can honestly say that I am enjoying my 60's more than my 40's - have no responsibilities now (apart from DH!!!!)

I'm right in between you two, MrsV & magi, 52 next month and seriously wishing I was the other side of the menopause.

As I said recently on the thread about how old you are in your head, I can't quite get my head around the fact that next month I'll have been married for half of my life

Aww, hope your DD is better soon, Raahh.

Disappointed that the rain washed out the tennis. I saw some of the Kvitova match and some of Heather's match, plus a bit of the Kyrgios replay.

Baby is being stubborn. Maybe I need to work out how to make it less comfortable in there.

I've been married 16 years this year, that's nearly half.

Crikey.

Its only when you sit for a minute then think, "but, but, where did all the years go ?"

I look at my DCs and wonder how the hell I'm old enough for them to be mine.

magi Blimey. Very early happies, its not for a month. But thank you very much anyway !

DD is most miffed. Queens is the week of her birthday this year, and there's no tennis on mine. I told her its her fault for being in such a hurry and arriving early !

I'm not looking forward to the menopause. I already have a couple of things I think might be the peri ? Might have to see Dr.