Tennis - waiting for Australian Open

[magimedi]

And longing for lots of chat!!

I'm listening to it on the radio Fizzy - earlier during the Halep match they were talking about wrestling for quite a while

No need to panic, Katherine Downes is doing the BBC highlights. It's on at 3.30 every day during the week so at least I'll get to see some tennis. She made me laugh yesterday by saying that Norrie had said Rafa is just another human being but then he came up against his super powers.

Glad Sascha is doing well so far. Shame about Garbine although I like Naomi too.

They are just saying Rafa v Fognini is day time tomorrow - Tsitispas-Berrettini and I think they said Barty are the night matches.

Probably a good thing I mught not be able to watch Rafa, it could be stressful .

Good first game in the 4th set from Raonic- but I am not sure he is going to win this.

But keeping Djok on court for as long as possible is no bad thing.

Yes Spidey the conversations on the radio commentary were very strange!

I’m watching on the telly now - Milos does look a bit odd - his short shorts are almost flesh coloured which doesn’t help!

I’d seen that Rafa’s match is on at about 4am UK time tomorrow - that could be quite a stressful match

I’ve not seen Stef yet - need to check out the Brownie outfit . Apparently he had a really awkward on court interview earlier in the tournament. I think it was just Stef being Stef and being quite earnest but he ended up getting booed by the crowd

Grrr.
Serving for the match.

pfft.

I am not sticking around to hear his interview.

Gah last time I checked Raonic was 4-3 up. Come on Sascha!!

Boo! Don’t know whether he’s still doing the weird celebration thing but they’ve gone quickly to the cube - Tim looking cool in his chinos

The thing about Djok "injuries" is his opponents falling for it so easily it would seem. Every time . Looking at you Andy Murray....

Djerk’s latest utterances to Serbian journalists (in Serbian so he can’t be challenged by the others) is that the media is much harder on him than other players who make mistakes. 🙄🙄

Cry me a river. His mistakes are catastrophic compared to other players. Adria Tour and no social distancing during Lockdown 1? Hitting the US Open Line Judge and trying to downplay it by saying she didn’t need to go to hospital? Abhorrent anti vax views? Endless unsportsmanlike ‘injuries ‘?
The anger that hides under the facade but leaks out?

In my view he is not a fit role model, it’s a shame he is still No 1 , Next Gen should really have stepped up by now, but they can make so much money by just being in the Top 20 it’s as if they lack true determination.

The protected ranking points system that has been in place has been a bit of a double edged sword- because Djok has known he can't really be over taken- and being number 1 really matters to him. That was the only reason he went to Vienna- to gain points, because at that time there was the slimmest chance that Rafa could overtake him by the end of the year.

There should have been penalties for those that took part in the Adria tour- all of them, really- because it was stupid. The baskeball games, all of it. And in Djok's case- stripping him of points would have hit harder than any fine.

Onto today- and I had a bad night, so was score watching earlier. Tight first couple of sets for Rafa (as expected)- really thought he would lose the second- then the third set was quite quick.
Stef has a walkover against Berrettini- which is disappointing from a fan perspective- I was hoping for a meaty match. But Stef will probably be grateful not to maybe play a long match, before meeting Rafa on Wednesday.

It does mean the Barty match will be the last one though- and when it finishes, I will not have the excuse of sitting around all morning watching tennis, and may have to do something. Not much though- I'm just glad it's half term! .

It looks as if I won’t be watching Stef as Berretini has withdrawn. Casper Ruud also didn’t complete his match.

Looks as if Rafa had a fairly easy win against Foggy - no drama apart from some medics rushing onto the court to treat him although he was fine - they’d got the wrong court

Cross post Raahh - I will also have to find something useful to do now

Was the Vienna tournament the one that Djok withdrew from or lost easily after he’d got the points that he needed? (And then more or less admitted that’s what he’d done)

I think he probably does get treated differently by journalists but Roger and Rafa manage to keep themselves out of trouble.

Fizzy Vienna was where he lost to Sonego (and yy, bythen he had the points he needed)- but Sonego actually played really well to beat him. So, Djok making excuses for his loss afterwards (something about being upset that a Serbian spritual leader had died?) was really off.

He might get treated differently- but he is the one doing all the stupid things. He is totally unapologetic for them most of the time.

The lost medics thing sounds funny.

some medics rushing onto the court to treat him although he was fine
flamin' galahs

Poor Grigor. I really feel for him, it seems he can’t catch a break.

I expect Djerk is watching so he can pick up tips on what a real abdo injury looks like.

Come on Sascha. Channel your inner Rafa with those sleeveless shirts and boot him out of the tournament.

Science I know, I felt so sorry for him. I was up in the night watching a bit of it, gutted for him as such a great opportunity for him. I mean fair play to Karatsev, that's one hell of a run! But I'm still a bit sad for Grigor

I was up early (again- my sleep is all over the place and I 'm knackered)- and saw Grigor had won the first set. Then, fell asleep and woke up to see he'd lost .

I'm not sure I've got the energy to watch another Djok match.

Just listening to the radio while making the pancake batter and AC is on. Watched the first set earlier and it was really good, it's sounding like Simona is coming back a bit now?

Sadly, Simona was broken (I went for a shower) and it is't looking good now.

I might get a dog walk in, before I decide if I will watch the Djok match. I will probably miss the beginning.

I really hope Sascha is on form today.

Serena played really well there. Saw the end of the second set, she looked very focused. Should be a great match v Osaka.

Just what you need first thing in the morning Spidey I watched the bbc highlights yesterday and it was very much improved with no AC!

Poor Grigor but well done Aslan!

It’s saying that the Djok/Sascha match is delayed? Not sure if I can be bothered to watch it - might just keep an eye on the scores and watch if it looks as Djok is going to lose!

Oh it’s started now!

Well, I walked the dog, and and quite pleased to see how the match has started.

I hope Sascha can keep this up.

Sadly it's Frew. Although I was getting sicking of listening to Jo Durie to be honest. She really didn't want Djok to lose, and they wouldn't shut up about the 'injury'.

I have only just sat down- so don't know how much injury talk there has been so far.