TENNIS THREAD - The clay season is in full swing, and it's onwards to Roland Garros!

[Raahh]

Shiny new thread.

Hopefully we will see some players return from injury in the next few weeks.

Munich/Istanbul in play this week amongst other tournaments.

Madrid week beginning the 7th (hopefully with Delpo playing)

RG is on a par with Wimbledon for me, I've been going there for several years and think the atmosphere at RG is really special.
Of course the fact that Rafa has won so often helps
I actually have the opposite problem with my eyes, the blue or green makes it harder for me to see the ball but the red clay is much clearer lol.
Is anyone heading to Wimbledon this year?

I'm very @ your trips to Paris lady. I would love to go.

Rafa is wearing a very nice blue at RG, so should show up nicely against the orange .

I love the clay- although I used to love the traditional 'serve/volley' players at Wimbledon (like Stefan) I really like the fact that it's more than just a big 'slam dunk' serve on clay. I'm not keen on the blue at the Aussie Open, but by far the worst was the court they played the Laver Cup on- I don't know if it was the quality of the television pictures (they were not great) or what, but the court was kind of murky

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Mostly I just love watching anything.

It's 24 years this year since my solitary trip to Wimbledon. 29th June, 1994, had centre court tickets courtesy of a friend whose dad worked there. I saw Conchita Martinez play Lyndsey Davenport. And it was a really hot day.

One day when I win the lottery and don't have to factor in what to do with children I will return!

Wimbledon is my fave.

Not going, but may well go to Eastbourne . I've given up buying an advance ticket as weather can be so dire, but you can get a ground pass for the day from £12 - £19, which gets you access to all courts except centre. Lots of the courts you are SO close & great if you go early & see the practice courts.

If any one is coming give me shout!

My sole trip to Wimbledon was in 1971!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pressed post too soon. Saw Evonne Goolagong play (can't remember who) & it was the first year she won it.

I'm going to Wimbledon this year - we got tickets in the ballot. I went a lot as a teenager - queued up overnight etc (ha! I'd never do that now!) - and then when I lived in London we got ground passes a few times. I agree about the outside courts - being so close to the action, it's amazing to see how good the players are and how hard they hit the ball! Ah I'm feeling excited now for summer - although the weather is bloody awful here today!

magi Evonne is one of my all time favourite past players. She was so graceful - beautiful to watch.

A tournament I would love to go to is Indian Wells in California, it looks like such a great setting. I've informed my DH but no joy so far! The Rome tournament also looks fantastic. There are loads I'd love to go to, to be fair!

I was born in 1971

I used to go to a tournament that was local to here, when Didsbury had quite a high profile pre-Wimbledon tournament. I saw McEnroe there in 1980, and Edberg a couple of times, also Sampras won it when it was the Manchester Open, but it's been down graded, and re- branded a number of times and for years there was no tournament at all. I've been to a few parties there though- the tennis club there is a favourite of dh's softball league for holding their end of year awards do .

I'd love to go to Monte Carlo- the scenery is stunning.

I knew I should have cut the grass on Wednesday. My garden gets so little sun, even when it's hot, that it will take ages to dry enough to cut it. I ended up washing curtains instead.

I hate gardens.

Didn't Goran win that Manchester tournament once Raahh (or was it one in Liverpool, can't remember now)? Sounds like a brilliant line up over the years.

All my plants have literally just started flowering today/yesterday when we can't even go outside. Typical!!

I'm not sure about Goran. But yes, they had some really good players over the years.

I'm sure Baghdatis won there, when it was the Aegon trophy, a couple of years back, but last year and this it's a Fuzion 100 tournament, and I'm not sure who is playing.

DD starts at Loughborough university in September so next year I might look at the challenger series thing depending on who is playing, good excuse to visit and stay overnight.

I rant at the screen every time about crowds wandering in and out, they must have either the bladders or attention span of a gnat that they can't sit and watch even 2 or 3 sets at ATP without going somewhere and then disturbing play when they come back in. Rant over....

Looking forward to next 2 weeks, we've got UK TV here and Spanish TV which sometimes inexplicably vanishes at 4pm, but will show Rafa all the Spanish players.
If/ when Rafa gets to the semis and final I'm hoping to watch on the big screen in the bar at his academy, need to sort out the bus times as we've no car.

We went for the 2017 Australia final but didn't know where the main bar was and ended up in the players bar instead. No one minded, we sat and watched the very long match, nibbles and free hot chocolate provided. Halfway through the last set someone went to the main bar and headed back with several bottles of champagne, I was so excited to be part of it. And literally at that moment Roger started to pull ahead. And won. I was gutted.

amiga I love the idea of being in the players bar .

I remember going for an interview to Loughborough (I didn't go there in the end) - the journey there was scary- really snowy, and we passed about 3 crashes on the way. I did meet someone there who ended up at the same university I eventually went to though, which was random

DD also had a snowy journey, but by train in the beast from the east. She's really chuffed as it's a 3 year PhD, funded too. We're very proud as neither me nor dh went to uni.

Order of play for Sunday is out - Goffin, Dimitrov and Nishikori all play, on the women's side, Ostapenko and Svitolina are playing. Rest of bottom half plays Monday. Feeling excited now!

Great that your daughter will be in Loughborough amiga - well done her, and bonus tennis!

I've noticed Tsonga isn't playing at RG, which is sad. And Raonic.

I'm excited - it's been a very long, and stressful week, so I'm relying on tennis to keep me entertained. DD2 is poorly- which is typical, at the beginning of the holiday!

Looking forward to the tennis starting tomorrow. Sad about Tsonga not playing

of everyone going to Wimbledon. We didn’t get tickets in the ballot this year which is probably for the best as we’re on holiday the second week.

I’ve been to Wimbledon quite a few times but never seen Rafa play - if we’ve had tickets for centre court he’s been on no 1 and vice versa. I would probably spontaneously combust if I actually saw him in the flesh!

It really is a magical place and there is still a sense of decorum. No one is allowed to wander around and you have to wait until a new game before being allowed to go to your seat - other tournaments should take note!

Hope that your DD gets better soon Raahh and well done to Amigas DD for getting to uni.

My DS1 is already back home from his first year at uni - it goes quickly.

I’ve already warned everyone that I’m in control of the tv for the next 2 weeks

Oh yes. I must get my TV block booking in!

Have been to Wimbledon a few times. Ground passes and sometimes ballot wins. I even got tickets in the ballot this year (men's QF day no less) but had to give them up as we are on holiday - wish we could specify unavailable days - I'm sure we used to be able to.

As far as challenges to Rafa go I think the most likely are Sousa and Schwartzman - have seen some of his recent matches and he looked in good form. Maybe delPo although there is a question mark over his fitness.

And my order of tournaments is Wimbledon, US, Australia, RG. Although if I wasn't a Brit I might be inclined to put the hard courts ahead of grass .... 😯

On the ladies side I'd also like to see Halep win. Was really disappointed she couldn't beat Wozniacki in Melbourne (though that's also because I don't like Wozniacki that much!)
I like Kvitova too and will be interested to see how Azarenka, Serena and Sharapova get on.
Would like to see Konta regain some momentum too.

One of the Rafa Facebook groups I follow says that Dolgopolov has withdrawn and Bolelli will be Rafa's first round opponent

amiga that's interesting. I like Dogs, although obviously I wanted a Rafa win. I think it might make the first round less nerve wracking now. (Dogs can cause upsets, when he's in the right frame of mind).

I'm worried now that Real Madrid have won the Champion's League because Rafa usually crashes out after a Real win.