TENNIS THREAD- The Slams are over, and we have new Champions!

[Raahh]

Even though the commentators are still talking about Djokovic as though Medvedev hasn't won.

How much credit does Daniil deserve? All of it! He bloody won .

I'm a bit cross. Can you tell .

I have just read that Djok hasn't been given an exemption- but it's like deja vu, because I'm sure we've heard that before. Several times, in fact. Then they change their minds...

I won't believe anything until the event starts and he wither is, or isn't, there.

I'm voting for isn't , obviously.

Not sure about whether Rafa might go somewhere, purely to get match practice. He hasn't played since August, properly. So it would at least get him back on court. He's competitive, of course he is, but he's not Djok- I think he would still want to play, even if he risked a loss, to guage his fitness.

I even think there might be more to Djok's reluctance to commit to Australia than just vaccines- if he was 100% sure he would trounce the competition, in the absence of Rafa, Fed, Thiem etc- he'd be there with bells on.

But he knows that Sascha, Daniil can beat him now, on the 'big' stage. He doesn't like that.

Happy birthday Raahh - hope you have a lovely day

Just seen that Rafa is planning to go to Australia to play in the Melbourne tournament starting 4 Jan and hopefully the AO so that’s good news!

Happy Birthday Raahh

Thank you both!

Good news about Rafa- maybe some Aussie sun will be good for recovering from Covid.

Mancunian rain is not doing my non-Covid cough much good! .

Happy birthday Raahh
Have a lovely day

Happy birthday, Raahh. Hope youve had a great day.

you know you've made it when you are the subject of a jigsaw!

Sascha's team always seem to have a good laugh together.

They do, don't they?

Quiet new year here if dd2 would stop talking . I'm really not feeling great today- I think I made it to yesterday- and today have just given up.

Saw a great picture of Rafa saying 'Guess where I am?' whilst standing on a court with Melbourne on it .

He'd be a rubbish spy.

Djok would post a photo like that and be in the south of France or something

We can but hope...

We are still getting news reports today about him going to the Aussie Open.

If he does go -I hope he loses in the first round to qualifier.

I've also read today that that Indian Wells and Miami (I think) are looking at making vaccines mandatory- so he will either have to get it done, or just bugger off.

I know my preference.

Is Melbourne starting tomorrow?

I hate New Years. Today already seems a week long.

Nobody can go out here because the pubs have to close at 8. I just wish everything would return to normal.

That doesn’t look like a very hard jigsaw!

I saw that Rafa was in Melbourne - I think that starts next week Jane (although I’m not quite sure what day it is!). ATP cup starts tomorrow

We’ve just been to the local pub for a few drinks and now back for M&S meal deal - rock and roll - might watch a bit of Daniel Craig in a bit!

Happy New Year everyone

DD2 has got me watching 'Encanto' on Disney, (she's already seen it an pretty much told me the plot

Someone has just tried to deliver us 3 pizzas. We definitely didn't order them- but dh thinks we should have just taken them any way.

Maybe they were a gift Raahh

Maybe, Jane !

Definitely should have taken the pizzas

I've just seen Rafa's post aswell. He's a wag

Liam Broady has posted that he's the captain of Team GB for the ATP Cup and Andy Murray has responded "Sorry?!"

Anyhoos, Happy New Year one and all!!
Although, just watching the news headlines, with the latest covid figures, so maybe not such a Happy New Year....!!!

Time to crack open the fizz and nibbles, methinks

Happy New year, everyone!!

As expected, I was asleep by about 10.30- though the fireworks around midnight woke me up (really loud -sounded like people were being shot at, loud). It's usually bad here -lots of local hotels that do displays- but was particularly so last night.

Then I woke myself up, coughing, at 3am- and haven't slept since.

Ds rolled in about 10 minutes ago, a bit worse for wear, said he wished i'd kept the pizza, he was starving .

Anyway- in my mind, I had it that the tennis started 'proper' tomorrow, but it's already started (I suppose it's late NYD in Australia already) and Spain are off to a flying start, despite the absence of Rafa, and beat Chile 3-0.

Argentina did the same in their group against Georgia.

I am trying to get Prime to work so I can watch Ruud/Lajovic.

It is a bit strange with the ATP cup starting on New Year’s Day Raahh - I’m already confused by the time differences in Australia

Just seen a picture of Rafa wearing a New Year’s Eve hat and eating what looks like a plate of green grapes - very odd

Oh that's a Spanish New Year thing i remember reading about before. They eat 12 grapes at midnight!

12 grapes? That's an interesting tradition .

Oh that explains it then Jane - I’ve not heard of that - I just thought it was a bit of an odd meal!