Tennis: Road to Turin, anyone seen Rafa?

[IceandIndigo]

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Well done GMP but can you hit the balls a bit less forcefully thanks

Jelena

Wow how many ballkids?

Land of hope and glory?

Don't know why they do all that confetti stuff - Ben helpfully picking it out of GMP's hoody!

Feel sorry for the person who has to clean it all up!

Dodging bullets indeed

Ben hates that glitter

Mo looks happy

Watching some of the start of Paris, some interersting draws. I think Jannik has a tougher draw than Carlos.

Not very hopeful that Casper will see a change in fortune- he has a first round bye, but plays Jordan Porntache, who has beaten Pedro Martinez in the first round. Very tricky opponent, Jordan, and I think Casper might be just wanting this year to end how.

Taylor Fritz has a birthday today.

Foggy is playing Bublik later- that could be an fun one .

I'm sort of watching Etcheverry and Zhang

Well done Tomas Martin

Ugo's match is so loud!

I've never seen him so animated

FAA and ADF have both withdrawn and Machac wasn't able to finish his match.

The music is getting on my nerves

Shame about ADF and Felix- ADF may be cutting his losses.
It's a shame Tomas was injured, he's been playing well recently. Probably hoped for a good run in Paris.

I don't understand Sky coverage. They left the match to show footage of Jack and I've had to find it on the RB and missed three games

No, it makes no sense, the coverage. I've lost Foggy and Bublik, both channels are showing Stef and RCB. I can't be bothered faffing with the red button quite honestly

Stef does not really look like he wants to be out there. RCB looks a lot less sweaty

Well done Bublik

Second set to Stef

I went to make dinner, and was a bit worried that Stef might be on his way out first round, but he seems to be settling in a bit to this match now.

Brilliant first set from Mannarino (Not that I'm happy to see TP beaten aor anything )

The crowd are obviously very much on Adrian's side.

IIrc, it was TP who beat Rafa in his last Paris Masters match.

Mahut is watching, apparently.

Well done to Adrian last last night.

GMP is now playing Tiafoe- and guess what, it's a tie break in the first set
Which Big Foe has just won, GMP is serving a few doubles today.

I've just seen that Jannik has withdrawn from Paris with a virus. He had a tough draw, and has never got past the 3rd round previously , so I'm not sure aht to think really. But hopefully he will be ok for Turin- I'd like to see him win on home turf.

Yeah it feels a bit like a strategic withdrawal from Jannik tbh. I think he might have played if his draw was different.

Difficult tournament for the Italians, Matteo and Lore both lost today too, and Flávio also withdrew.

Andrey has just lost to Cerundolo too.

I feel like it was strategic thing from Jannik as well, Ice. I think he will want to given himself a good chance in Turin.

I really hope Djok is planning on withdrawing from the WTF's because all the players who could pass him in the race keep losing.
I'm sad about Lore and Matteo, but Lore has had a really good year, and lots to build on for next year. Matteo just needs a decent, injury free run.

I had a feeling Andrey would lose, Cerundolo is another player who just keeps improving on all surface.

I have not a lot of hope for Casper later- hope to be proved wrong (though I like Twinkly eyed Jordan ).

Just as Struff quietly goes about doing his thing, Jordan Thompson can be a very difficult one to beat.