Tennis Thread:- The players are all on holiday, 2018 is coming to an end, but 2019 is around the corner and there will be lots to look forward to!

[Raahh]

Although I can't think about January yet...

I'm still in denial it's nearly December- which means ds will be 16 , and I will be 47 and another year will be over.

The Twiglet Zone!

it gets to around the 27th, and I can't far another twiglet- until sometime the following November.

I have 2 boxes of mince pies. It feels wrong to eat mince pies after Boxing Day, imo. it makes me sad.

I'm odd like that.

*face

I see Djok won in - wherever it was Abu Dhabi?!

I'm looking forward to the Aus Open, but I already CBA with him winning it!!

classic Ferrer 💕

Will miss him when he's gone! He's not playing Aus Open is he?

Private it feels like Djok is the odd favourite. He has previously been pretty dominant in Melbourne, but who knows.

I'm pretty sure the US open was Ferrer's last GS, and he was glad his loss came ( in the manner is did) to Rafa. I think he's hoping to play Barcelona, as a final tournament, but I could have made that up

Melbourne have also amended their extreme heat policy, and that has been in the news over the last day. They have been criticised for last year when several matches were played in awful conditions- and Halep ended up in hospital after her final.
Yet the roof was closed for the Federer match- which of course benefited him and everyone knew it- and Marin' s team were the last to be told. Cilic had practiced outside.

Who/ what does that remind you of?

2018 started as Roofgate really

Yes I seem to remember something about Barcelona as well. Makes sense...

I didn't know that about Cilic not being told about the roof that's terrible!! He was not too far away in that final either.

Did anyone see the footage of Kerber/Zverev going on court for their doubles match earlier today? Angie was waiting for Sascha to turn up, and when he finally emerged from the tunnel, he was eating sweets!! These youngsters! They won anyway.

PS he did offer Angie a sweet but she declined

I'm not sure when they were told about the roof, but he was certainly said in his interview he had prepared for the match outdoors, which makes me think the decision to play with the roof shut was a late one. The conditions 'indoors' were then much cooler than he had become used to playing in.

I've just seen on Fb that the Atp have posted the clip of Roger and Rafa doing one of their ' head to head's. it's the ' what are you getting me for Christmas, Rafa?' one from 2010, when Roger was arranging a charity match. I've not seen it for a while, but I love how they just can't get through it without laughing.

What a shot from Ferrer Private.

They should have a "no roof unless it's pissing rain" rule for all tournaments.

Jane it's great isn't it? How he's way over the other side of the court when he starts going after it?!

Agree about the roof thing. And at night (Wimbledon) as well.

Popular guy!

I agree with the roof rule- and I really don't see why matches cannot resume the following day, outdoors, if they started under the roof the day before. The argument was, they need to maintain conditions throughout.

But ( as I moaned at the time) If a match starts outdoors and it rains, then you play under the roof- therefore changing the conditions anyway, so it makes no sense to me.

There was only one reason for the roof decision at Wimbledon, and it had nothing to do with maintaining playing conditions.

I blame Isner anyway.

I love those pictures

Ah lovely Rafa. Great photos. Stan's social media is also on fire ATM - camels, beaches, palm trees - the lot

I see Berdych is playing in Doha I thought he had retired but I must have imagined it...

I'm sure Berdych said it was his last Wimbledon but Benneteau also retired twice as far as I'm concerned!

shop.rafanadalacademy.com/en/tienda/monthly-calendar-rafa-nadal-foundation/ Rafa has a calendar but I love the cute notebooks.

I see what you mean Private great stuff!

Is it just me or does Stan look like he has two bellybuttons in that photo?

It does look like that! I zoomed in (for research purposes only, you understand) and it must be just shadow from his ridiculously honed six pack

at Stan's double belly button!!

I love the Rafa notebooks too - and for a good cause as well!!

The notebook is €6 but it's €12.95 postage to Ireland

Oh I didn't look at the postage costs!!

I had a very nice meal out at a local Turkish restaurant last night for my birthday, where one of the waiters looked like a cross between Dimitrov and a young Dave Gahan from Depeche Mode.

So that was nice.

I don't like NYE much, my post Chtistmas/ birthday blues/anxieties go into over drive.

The dog is about to get a long walk whilst I try not to get maudlin over how crap this year Has been!

He sounds nice Raahh. Happy Birthday- is it today? I'm not a NYE fan either. It's the only day of the year I feel like going to bed before midnight but then feel I must stay up to see in the New Year!