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!

I know I said there'd only be one photo but I didn't want to just show her in prison.

Hope MiniRaahh is feeling better.

It's bizarre they're not showing Rafa. He's the KOC after all.

The pundits are so weird sometimes too.

Staying upstairs today so no tennis for me. Relying on you all to keep me updated.

afternoon, drama . miniRaahh is even spottier today- I'd forgotten how hideous chicken pox can be. She's being very good about not scratching, so far anyway. Except in her hair (where the craters won't show)

Bedene about to win, maybe. Perhaps THEN they will show Rafa?

Aww, gorgeous squishy pictures!

Rafa is 4-1 up..

Grouchy she is utterly gorgeous. Well done you! Enjoy your baby snuggles and stay in bed, let everyone wait on you hand & foot for a few days.

Poor MiniRaahh. I remember when DS2 had the chicken pox he was so spotty my friend visibly recoiled when she saw him . He wasn't unwell with it though.

And Bedene wins.

Rafa now 5-1 up, and Andy and Stepanek have gone to a final set. I am biting my nails...

dd2 is far from unwell- full of beans. Which is making the fact we are stuck here quite annoying. She is a very demanding patient, unlike dd1, who is very rarely ill , and if she is, she just sleeps. A lot.

wishes miniraahh would sleep

Great start for Rafa. A lot easier than he often does in the first set. And Groth doesn't seem too confident really.

Google homepage is remembering Suzanne Lenglen! Yay! .

Well done Bedene, Watson and Kyle.

Rafa 4-1 up in the second. Making it look easy so far. Considering the doom merchants were convinced Groth's serve would trip him up, Nadal is making short work of it so far.

Bon Anniversaire, Suzanne!

Another 6-1 set VAMOS !!

And 3-3 in the final set for Radek and MurrAY.

Rafa just hit a phenomenal shot. He is actually looking like he's enjoying himself.will be a great confidence boosting win.

Match point Rafa...

And he wins. An absolute masterclass that was. In less than an hour and a half.

Andy wins. Phew. I'm not even watching TV, I'm following the scores online, but I was actually feeling physically sick there.

Right, it's time I had my lunchbreak - not that I've actually got much done this morning .

I bet Radek wishes he had been able to pull himself together in the third set. It was definitely no easy match. Murray will probably now moan about the fact he won't get a day off between matches. but if they hadn't started last night, he would have been in the same position.

Djok up next.

Was Rafa's match on ITV4? Have just got back from work - can't believe I am expected to continue working during French and Wimbledon

Got home in time to find Djok on the TV and it just reminded me that I still haven't forgiven him for his ridiculous comments about women's hormones during the whole equal pay shenanigans. Never mind Murray/Kyrgios (although that would be the best strop-off EVER), I need to have a strop-off with Djokovic and drag him into the twenty-first century with the rest of us.

I've been lurking so far but HELLO! Massive congratulations on your scrumptious new baby, Grouchy.

Was watching Murray on delay but now finished, phew! That was a bit worrying at times. Which channel is Rafa on? ITV4 and Eurosport both showing Djokovic match.

Have been recording and watching in evenings, combination of GCSE revision (tonight I may be called upon to go through Physics!) and can't stand watching in real time with all those ads.

Hello Bagel .

Welcome to the thread that's supposed to be about all things tennis, but where we chat about anything and everything and even have a new baby!

I don't think Rafa's match was shown - it certainly wasn't on Eurosport as they have the Giro d'Italia on one channel & tennis on the other for the rest of the week. I don't mind as cycling is my other sporting love, and I'm recording the Giro to watch in the evenings.

Hi Drama, I was on last year's Wimbledon thread and, IIRC, admired Raah's schnauzer (Ike?).

I dislike threads and FB groups when you get told off for mentioned something even slightly off topic.

Who's going to win this year? What does everyone think? I haven't seen Rafa playing at all for ages, would be nice to see him on good form again. Anybody else who is close to challenging Djokovic?

I would like a Murray win or a Wawrinka surprise victory again like last year. My heart says Rafa can do it one more time but he has been out of form for so long that I can't see him holding his nerve for the whole fortnight. Would love to be proved wrong though!

I don't want Djokovic to win because his dominance is starting to get a little dull. I loved the unpredictability of it when the Big Four were battling it out on equal terms and we never knew whether Djokovic's machine-like precision was going to be bested by Federer's grace or Rafa's power.

I miss Federer, actually.

Well done, Andy!

And baby Grouchy is just so lovely - I want one!

I agree TheOnly, I'm bored with Djokovic now - not that I have ever warmed to him much, tbh. I'd love to see Rafa win another one, and I'd also like Andy to win. Hopefully yesterday/today's match will have given him a kick up the bum, though in fairness Stepanek was always going to be tricky.

I was never a Federer fan though I admired his game. As with Djok I think I got bored with his dominance, and I have always found him a tad arrogant - but I do miss him from this tournament. I hope he can recover enough to come back for Wimbledon.

Grouchy

Oh my goodness ! Many, many congratulations, SO well done you, fabulous ! Welcome to the world Arabella. Beautiful name.

Hullo All

Soooooooo chuffed with Rafa's breadsticks win today, fantastic ! Bloomin' annoying they didn't show the match, I'm hoping we might get some best bits later.

Knew Andy would win, didn't play brilliantly though, have to see how he does next...

Novak boring as buggery, loved the lad who was playing him, he was so chuffed not to get bageled in the 3rd !

Willing Jo and David on, they are showing all the wrong matches though.

Hope everyone is well. Special hullo to MiniRaahh who is clearly in fine fettle, despite the itchy spots !