TENNIS THREAD- we're nearly done with the red dirt, and looking forward to the green grass!

[Raahh]

yesterday's excitement I didn't realise how near the end of the thread we were!

Jane It's on ITV main channel - not ITV4.

As is tomorrow's match.

Must go & get the TV 'warmed up' (am old enought to remember that being a real thing !)

Thanks magi. Our sky box still needs warming up

I don't think I'd be able to stay awake if I had a five course dinner and then sat out in the sun watching the tennis.

jane I would definitely nod off. I'm close to it now.

I really want Simona to win this.

Halep in trouble in this first set

It's hard work for Simona.

Hm, Sloane seems to be making a few errors now...

Hi you lot, I'm sitting in a beer garden in a beautiful part of central Europe, tracking the match on my phone. I really want Simona to level this, she needs this win. I won't be able to watch tomorrow, no Eurosport on the hotel tv & much sightseeing to do. Will try to keep an eye on it though.

Hi Drama sounds lovely. Simona is getting into the swing of it now.

I still can't post properly, and it's getting annoying now the thread is getting long.

I really hope this is it for Halep. She can't lose it from here, surely???

Go Simona!

Oh, yes!! So pleased for her. It's been so long coming, heartbreaking to have come so close.

Oh wow! Well done!

I think she can hardly believe it.

Sloane is very gracious in defeat.

I love Arantxa's dress.

Well done Simona!

Agree about Sloane - amazing to be so composed & gracious at her age.

I have SO gone of Marion Bartolli - she never shuts up when commentating.

Can't wait for tomorrow!

Yay Simona!! Just caught up and am so happy for her.
Very glad that she managed to win, conquering all her demons from past matches and that is was an exciting match with a high standard of playing.

That was great! Loved her hug with Darren Cahill, it must be such an amazing feeling to have that hard work pay off after so many attempts. Good on her.

And Mahut and Herbert have won the doubles, which I'm happy about too.

Raahh did you see Mahut's son come on to court afterwards and do the floss dance with his dad and PHH?!

While I remember, there was an item on Sky News a few days ago about Amazon Prime buying a bundle of UK Premier League football matches.

I thought they mentioned Amazon also buying rights to the US Open? Worrying that this will mean it won't be on Eurosport? It was late at night so I'm not 100% I heard correctly.

Well today I'm disliking Eurosport.
They've got a couple of hours before live coverage starts and what are they showing - bloomin Nadal again. The damp squib match against delPo. I want to see Simona which was (a) a more important match being the final (,b) a more interesting match because it was a battle and (c) a more significant match because it marked Simona finally cementing her no.1 status.

Typical ferrier. Honestly, it's not exactly a mystery why women fail to command more money is it (outside the slams I mean)? Put them on the telly!!

Does anyone here have BT Sport? We don't, but that's where they show the WTA matches isn't it - so I never see women's tennis outside the Slams/Eastbourne etc on the BBC. I enjoy watching it too.

I’ve been away for a couple of days and not seen any tennis. I was disappointed to miss the men’s semis but sounded like the Rafa/Delpo match was a bit of a damp squib.

Looking forward to the match today. Hope Rafa isn’t too nervous - he’s won it 10 times already so shouldn’t be nervous but the fact that Thiem has beaten him not so long ago might be on his mind.

I was just reading that Rafa is terrified of dogs and worries about his sister and Mum when they drive around Mallorca - poor Rafa.