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!

So- next stop Madrid. Was runner-up last year, so has a lot more to lose.

Vamos He's back!

I'm putting a tenner on him for RG. He's putting pedal to metal now.

VAAAAAMOSSSS!!!

That is all.

I'm very excited for the rest of the clay season now!

oh God look at this rafaelnadalfans.com/2016/04/25/rafael-nadal-sues-over-doping-allegation-read-his-full-statement/ hope this doesn't affect his come-back

I hope he does sue, and maybe that is what is firing him up. If she has proof, she's nothing to worry about.
But I doubt very much she has proof.

I also read that Murray doesn't think he will be fit to play the Davis cup tie against Serbia. Getting his excuses in very early there, .

Del Potro won his match in Munich, against Dustin Brown. Great result

Come on, Potato!

Well, Madrid is underway- and Fed has withdrawn with back problems -not had the best of starts to the year. Ideally, if he could stay away until after RG, that would be great.Will guarantee Rafa a top 4 seeding in RG. and safe me the headache of doing the maths to get him there another way

Dimitrov going through a bad patch - basically lost a tournament by being a bit stroppy.

Lots of potentially good matches in Madrid today, vamos Rafa!
And fingers crossed potato does well too, think he needs some decent clay matches if he is going to get anywhere at RG.
Almost feel sorry for federer, as you know I'm not a fan but he seems to be struggling and it would be a shame for him to miss too long at this point of his career.
Having said that, yep Raahh top 4 at RG for Rafa would be great

I feel for Federer, mainly because, as with Rafa, I'd hate an injury be the reason he had to stop. And he has struggled the last few months. I'm hopping Rafa can keep up momentum. He has a pretty tricky draw, to say the least!

Well, I put the kiss of death on poor Stan, as, mathematically speaking, I needed him to lose to give Rafa a fighting chance of being ranked 4th before RG. Of course, he still has to win in Madrid, and get to the semis (I think) in Rome- also assuming Stan goes out early there too.

Or, my earlier option of Fed saving his back for the grass season is the easier option, (as Rafa would automatically move up). RG always go by ranking, rather than preious re

Murray suffered a slight scare against Stepanek(who beat him at Queen's first round, 2 years ago). Djok despatched Coric easily enough, and Rafa plays Querrey tomorrow. Which on paper seems easy, but Sam seems to get reasonable results at this time of year.

Vamos

And I forgot!! Potato beat Thiem, which given Dom's form this year is a good result. I like Thiem, but good for Juan to win that match. Onwards and upwards!

Sadly, Potato has just been beaten by Jack Sock.Who still has a fabulous name.

Hopefully, Juan will be in Rome.

Jack Sock plays doubles with a player called Vasek Pospisil (sp?). They are collectively known as the PopSocks, which amuses me

Sorry to hear Del Potro was beaten today

The Murray/Stepanek match was great fun. Stepanek is such a tricky customer and he is so entertaining to watch.

Maryz-Andy someimes plays doubles in the smaller tournaments to get match play, really. It's unlikely he'd do it in GSs. He might do doubles with Jamie at the Olympics- but it's a much smaller field of players to a GS.

In fairness, the game is much more physical than it was when Mac was playing, so the days of being good at both singles/doubles are gone. Serena/Venus in the women's game are an exception, I suppose. They've had success in both.

I really like Radek- he's got a great doubles record, and is still a handy player.

PopSock is my favourite doubles pair, for the name alone.

The talk of Fed retiring started when he hit 30- and he went on to win again at Wimbledon. I'm not really a fan, but don't think it will help him to carry on for years. He's been lucky injury -wise, but things are catching up with him now.

How come so many of the top women are pulling out of ''lesser'' tourneys? hmm......illnesses or excuses?

raah as soon as any player hits 30 theyre on the scrapheap by the media

yet look at Leander Paes, 100 years old and still going . .

well done Andy.

Makes you wonder, doesn't it, Becker?

Grrr...after a bagel start, Rafa lost the next set to Sousa.

Berdych didn't put up much of a fight against Murray.

In the battle of two of my least favourite players, Nishikori came out on top.

Rafa will meet Murray next, so long as he gets through this.

Sousa seems very determined to beat Rafa by hook or by crook! Vamos Rafa

gaaaah! I don't have sky sports any more and I miss it so much for the tennis.

missing all this.

At least the French is on soon on Eurosport AND ITV4 .

The free trial we had for Sky sports finishes next week -but a least tennis-on-the-telly starts soon.

Vamos Rafa! RG is soooooo close!

So glad he won that match but it was a bit of a battle in the end. He's up against Murray next.

Phew! back on serve for Rafa- was looking shakey, but he mus win this game.