TENNIS THREAD - Arrivederci Roma! Onwards to Roland Garros.

[Raahh]

VAMOS Rafa!

I nearly missed the end of that!

Fizzy I am really glad Djok is on at night. He probably thinks he has a 'special' night match.

Maybe be didn't realise it would be 'fan-less'

Although- when they showed the time for Serena's match, before, it said 'not before 7pm'- when the site says it starts at 9- and is behind closed doors, without fans

Inverdale is at it with his quiz again.

Is it John?

Anyway... this might be a short match.

I always like watching Istomin. His glasses fascinate me.

@Fizzywinegum

This tennis coverage is making me grumpy!

i absconded to Emmerdale for a while. Can't wait for Rafa tomorrow. I don't think that colour suits Roger.

Sonego is playing Lloyd Harris.

I bet that's going to be quite a good match.

I've had more than enough of the commentary in this match.
I'd even prefer to be watching Konta, and that's saying something.

I’m always fascinated by Istomin’s glasses as well Raahh - are there any other glasses wearing tennis players?

Roger’s outfit is the same colour as the ballkids - it’s very red! Can’t wait to see Rafa’s green and violet tomorrow (if they show him!)

Harris has taken the first set against Sonego.
Looks like Konta is about to go out.

I do hope Cilic can win his match. He's had such a run of bad luck lately.

Fizzy they had better bloody show Rafa .

Istomin's glasses are usually quite brightly coloured- I think he had yellow ones at one stage. I'm sure there are other glasses wearers- Tipsarevic was one. And obviously, Martina and Billie Jean, on the women's side.

They need to get over Jo Konta. The semi final was a blip. She's lost in the first round at RG about half a dozen times now!

Fed's match could be over soon.

It's a very long time til the 'night session'. What a waste of time. They'd be better off playing in the daylight, and decent weather! With fans!

Although- despite the RG site saying the night session starts at 9pm- earlier they said Serena's match would start 'not before 7'. So maybe they've had a re-think on the lateness of the night match?

Anders Jarryd wore glasses at the start of his career but then I'm guessing he switched to contact lenses. I always used to feel a bit sorry for him, playing doubles with the Scandinavian God Stefan

JoKo gone.

I know I might offend by saying so, but I think Osaka's stance is really petulant and also disingenuous. Of course she can afford it, but her poor opponent who got beaten straight sets probably had to go do press in her second language immediately after losing. If she really feels strongly about it, she should enter into dialogue with the GSs, rather than holding forth on Twitter. It's really not very mature

And of course, she has the option to "no comment" any question she liked. Justine Hénin was well known for never answering Qs about her personal life. In the end, I don't think the media even bothered to ask them. And that was pre SM when the pressers were actually way more of a big deal, because it was practically the only time you'd hear the players speak. There was some proper racist shit about the Williamses, really vile stuff in the press about Monica Seles's weight, pretty much an entire Wimbledon of speculation about whether or not Daniela Hantuchova was anorexic, years of repetition of Hingis's "half a man" comment about Mauresmo... I'm not saying it's perfect just because it's better, but there's something to be said for acknowledging progress.

I'm now singing Voyage Voyage thanks to Roger.

I don't really understand what Naomi's point is @Jourdain11. As you say she can choose what to answer.

I guess her point is that they shouldn't have to do it if they don't feel like it? Lol, there are parts of my job which I frequently don't feel like doing...

Some of my favourite tennis moments are from press conferences including Rafa and his bisquits, and Sascha and his Yorkshire man

I agree with you Jourdain- and the irony of this, is it is putting her more in the spotlight, and causing more press and questions, than if she had just gone to a press conference and spent a couple of minutes going 'Yes, it was an ok match. My opponent played well. No, I've no idea what's happening with the Olympics (according to Sam Smith, she is particularly angsty about questions regarding whether the Olympics should go ahead). Just tell the journos - only answering questions about the match. What's hard about that?

Agree re Osaka - spoilt brat. A large proportion of her, not inconsiderable, earnings are funded by the media.

Glasses wearing tennis players - the one & only Martina Navratilova.

Enjoyed seeing Fed,but got fed up with Petchey banging on about how OLD Roger is. He's not even 40 - a real spring chicken in my book.

Lol, Naomi can't actually speak Japanese fluently as far as I'm aware... So I doubt if she has been involved in the Games Organisational Committee's in-depth discussions.

Jane Aww, Rafa and his biscuit Not to mention his disasters.

@Raahh

I agree with you Jourdain- and the irony of this, is it is putting her more in the spotlight, and causing more press and questions, than if she had just gone to a press conference and spent a couple of minutes going 'Yes, it was an ok match. My opponent played well. No, I've no idea what's happening with the Olympics (according to Sam Smith, she is particularly angsty about questions regarding whether the Olympics should go ahead). Just tell the journos - only answering questions about the match. What's hard about that?

If one were to be really uncharitable, you could say that might be the intention...

I also don't think she cares that much if she gets defaulted, since she's unlikely to win it anyway.

Kenin is looking fierce! I like both of these.

Jourdain exactly. She's just an athlete, and it's not her decision. I doubt very much anyone will be asking her opinion of whether they should cancel or not.

Well, that's the other thing Jourdain- funny that she has made this stand at RG (a tournament she is unlikely to win) and not at the US open, or before Melbourne?
She doesn't do so well at Wimbledon either- will she refuse to talk there?