TENNIS: Dubai, Golden Swing, USA

[JaneJeffer]

I also wondered if it was an euphemism
Given how the match started, I thought Grigor might have given Jannik a run for his money but the commentators put the kiss of death on Grigor at the start of his third service game by saying he hadn't yet lost a point on serve. He immediately lost the first point and his serve and never got back in front. Having said that, it was closer at times than the score suggests and I think the stats showed Grigor making more winners, but he also made far more unforced errors than Jannik.

The Shakira jam story was something about her dcs not liking jam, but her favourite one had been used, or something? All a bit Goldilocks and the 3 Bears

Grigor did start well, but Jannik is in such great form (and has played Grigor enough times in the past year to have his number) that I don't think he was ever in real danger of causing another upset, (unless Jannik got a freak injury)- but it was still great to see Grigor get so far- and a match played in good spirits.

Some smaller tournaments in play this week- with the time differences and everything , no idea if they will be televised. Casper is defending Estoril- he will be very keen to do that (Hubi will be there as well) as well as Houston and Marrakech.

A lot of tennis over the next few weeks- Monte Carlo starts next Monday. Hopefully, with the return of Rafa, and the absence of Djok <fingers crossed>.

Can’t believe that Monte Carlo starts soon 🤞for a Rafa return! This week always seems a bit random with various little tournaments dotted about before the proper clay season starts

The jam story is about Shakira noticing that the jam that only she liked had been eaten while she was away and so she suspected that her husband had been ‘entertaining’ someone else who also liked the jam (i thought it all seemed a bit tenuous at the time but was enough evidence for Shakira) - I’ll stop going on about special jam now

My Sky channel is saying that it showing some of Marrakech - so of all of them, probably the one with the slightly lower ranking players involved (Sonego is there though- Lorenzo is everywhere )and Stan! And the Charleston Open, which is WTA. (that's on most of the night, by the look of things).

Charleston is a biggish one- Pegula and Sakkari head up that one, and half of the women's top 20.

Domi Thiem has just won his first match in Estoril- which I didn't expect to see on tv, but it was. A very pink tournament- and nearly every one in the crowd seems to wear pink baseball caps. Maybe they get them with their ticket? . Domi giving one handed back hand tips .
Nice the see the clay. And Thiem.

Love the Carota Easter egg

Oh that is so cute! See, Jannik has a whole fan base, and I can see a whole Carota line of merchandise.

I bet Djok is seething. No-one wants to dress as a fig.

I did see an April fool's joke from Kew Gardens that Djok may have been interested in though. They had employed April- resident tree hugger.

.

A nice post retirement job for Djok

The sooner the better, Jane. He can start tomorrow.

Wimbledon specialist on mastermind

Ooh-I bet the questions will be really obscure,

He didn't know RBA!

Well, he started ok. But he faded a bit.

I knew Anderson.

Who could forget Kevin Anderson?

Well, he got a trip to Wimbledon out of it, so not a total loss .

Probably a good idea to a specialist subject so you can get to visit somewhere as a VIP guest.

This woman is desperate to win this, isn't she?

No trip to Greece though. Just a library.

I feel I should know things about the Mercury Prize. The early years anyway.

I missed her, had to attend to dinner

I made salmon for dinner and had to guard it from the dog.

Aww, cute - the teacher getting the kids to quiz him at school.

We now know 'Where is Lafayette Square' will not be a question.

I don't know anything about Hamilton, have absconded to Emmerdale

Yes, I've gone to Eastenders (til the Only Connect repeat).