TENNIS THREAD!- From the Road to Rio, to Flushing Meadows...

[Raahh]

before my phone decides to give up altogether, here's a new thread to get us on our way.

Andy Murray still in the Olympic Singles, as is Rafa,

Jo Konta through for the women.

Lots of missing names from the top players- but we are edging towards the US open- without Federer- and who knows, maybe even without Djokovic.

Could we be heading for all change at the top?

So far, so close with Stan and Roger.

I'm tempted to take the girls to breakfast club tomorrow, so I don't miss any of the match (DD1 has a maths SATS thing at 8am, on Wednesday, which is why they went yesterday). But they might not thank me.

It is bitterly cold here. I'm not moving.

And in the the time it took to type, Roger got the set

Stan appears to have gone walkabout. And has smashed a racquet en route.

oh- Stan is off in tears.

Thanks Raahh have found somewhere online to watch. Won't bother getting up for the Women's Final then... was really hoping Coco VdeW might have done something exciting.

I hope Stan is o.k- I don't like when players end up injured during a match. I know that's pretty much how Stan beat Rafa in 2014, and he felt no-one thought he deserved the title because of it. It really affected him.

Bagel I fear Serena will walk all over Venus. i hope I'm wrong, I'd rather Venus won.

Playing an injured opponent must be awkward mentally- Federer now 4-1 down and struggling on his serve.

Be great to have a decent match though.

Suddenly something very odd is happening in this match

What is in the bandage?

Love the way mirka f is so sort of normal looking.

This is turning into some match.

And it's still too cold to go out. So I'm not complaining.

saffron Mirka always looks like she wears the trousers.

Can't believe this has gone to 5 sets. I'm glad- I love Stan. I want a great. I think Rafa stands a good chance against either in the final. (Presuming he beats Grigor).

But the first 2 sets, and the way Stan went off, it really ddn't look too likely this was going anywhere but to 3 sets!

They are both going off.

I think Mirka has just said 'where are they going now??' She looks fed up

They are playing 'You're the Voice ' by John Farnham in the stadium. That's a blast from the past .

I am now singing along.

altogether now

Woaaaaahhhh..oaahhhhhh.aaaoohhh

I guess mirka is thinking about all those twins she has back at the hotel.

Blimey, it's like 1986.

saffron there's a few of them.. Clones, they are. I like how Roger talks about his kids though. I think he likes to be 'fun' dad.

I wonder if they do requests? If I could tweet, I might request a bit of Crowded House.

'Don't Dream it's Over' seems apt for Federer at the moment, and reminds of the first time i saw Edberg play live (Didsbury, 1987).

Fed now serving to be 5-2 up. Surely he has it in the bag now?

But who knows? It has been an odd match, really.

And Roger is through. I feel sorry for Stan but the match lasted a lot longer than I expected it to.

I hope Rafa joins him in the final.

Of course, Roger has won Aus 4 times(?) and Rafa only the once. So it's Rafa's turn, and his chance to hold all the slams twice.

I do like Jim Courier's interviews. He's funny. Can we adopt him at the Beed and sack Andrew Castle?

this is so funny- Roger is talking about how he talked with Rafa about playing maybe a charity match at Rafa's academy,when he was there at the opening (but both were injured), - fast forward a few months, and they could be in a GS final. It's amazing.

GOAT 🐐. That's all.