Tennis: Here we go again, all the slams ahead of us.

[magimedi]

Uninspired title but looking forward to the new year.............. as long as a certain cock does not win 'em all!

Oh no, Jane get well soon!

Yes, poor Rafa- it was inevitable as soon as he announced he couldn't play IW/Miami, and 18 years is an incredible record- but it's still sad.

Worse, is seeing the listing for Monte Carlo- with him as a potential 13 seed, which is probably the lowest he has been seeded at a tournament in the same time period. .

But - onwards- he can pick up a number of points at the start of the clay season (but he really does need to win RG - not pressure ).

Ahh 🥲

Ah baby Rafa ❤️ - bet he wishes he still had that much hair!

I’m getting nervous about RG already

fizzy
Rafa* *was the Timotei man when Stef was still in nappies

Maybe Stef should be worried about his lustrous locks! (Although his Dad has still got a fine head of hair)

Stef and his hair.

That is a great picture. I never really imagined watching his early days he would still be playing now. I don't think anyone did- probably not even him.
He's been written off so many times over the years that I want to see him prove the nay sayers wrong a couple more times before hanging up his racquet. I don't want his career to just ... end.

Quite a match between Emma and Bianca Andreescu, currently one set apiece. Apparently they were born in the same hospital in Toronto, two years apart! Plus the various other parallels, Romanian background, winning US Open as teenagers followed by tough run of injuries etc.

I actually got to watch a bit of the Pegula match earlier - before I had to do other things and Prime when a bit glitchy.
Was pretty straightforward. Coco, her doubles partner is currently not doing too badly.

Thiem is playing later against Sonego. I really hope Dom can score a win. His win at the US Open is 2 and a half years ago already. He's had such bad luck, injury wise, since then.

Haven't seen any yet.

Martina has been given the all clear. Hope the cancer stays away 🙏

Delighted to see Barbora Strycova is coming back.

Oh yes, the news about Martina is fantastic. Hopefully she will be at Wimbledon ( keeping Claire in line)

I put Gasquet on and the umpire having to keep telling the crowd to sit down is getting on my wick.

Jane the crowds some tournaments are getting worse. The spectators (in particular in the US- and Australia quite a bit)- just seem to be there to eat and drink. Actually sitting and watching the tennis seems to get in the way of that.

So wandering off and meandering about to get a drink- and then being late back for their seats- they seem to think this is ok. And it's happening more and more. It just feel so entitled- and add in the irony of a player hanging around for Bill and his mates to find a seat, and then getting maybe getting a time violation for taking too long to serve, and it just shows how the priorities are all wrong.

I saw that Dom lost . Maybe he will have better luck on clay.

I saw that Dom lost - so sad - he’s not had much luck since winning the us open

I’m out but would quite like to be watching the Sakkari/Andreescu match that’s on now

Yes I agree that eating and drinking does seem to becoming more important than the actual tennis

I'm watching Rublev/Wolf- tight first set, and Andrey had the trainer out. It looked like Wolf might get a break in the secong, but Rublev did.

Wolf will be serving to stay in the match now.

Sakkari won the first set, but Bianca looks like she is going to take the second.

Maria has been getting very cross with herself.

They've just shown a clip of Jabeur- Ons not having the best start to this year, and seems to be struggling with the conditions in Miami.

Bianca now seems to be in charge- 4-1 in th 3rd.

I’m glad Bianca is playing well, she’s had an unlucky run with injuries.

Ice she has- and she's really turned this around, Maria looked like she meant business in the first (even though it was a close set).

ooh- Maria on the fight back trail.

But too late- well done, Bianca.

I watched the third set of the Maria-Bianca match - it was a good match. The crowd was very annoying though - the number of times the umpire had to tell people to sit down!

Chessie it really is ridiculous. But they don't listen- and don't seem to care.
I'd be mortified if I caused an umpire to stop a match because I was delaying the start of play!

Miami doesn't go in for fruit bowls like Paris, I see.

Just two sad looking bananas, plonked on the side, in the Fritz match.

The crowd looked so gormless last night when the umpire said any seat will do for now and they just stood there looking at him. He had to tell them the players were waiting to play. Proper dimwits