Rafatennis - Rome Masters 1000 - 8-15 May 2011

First topic message reminder :

"Obviously I didn't play at my best. I didn't play badly, just normal. But that is not enough against Djokovic." That's the true Rafa! Well, one of them had to lose their streak and it wasn't third time lucky for Rafa against Djokovic.

With a quick turnaround, we are straight off to Rome, with Rafa in a battle to keep his No 1 ranking and take it into the French. The tournament has already started and the draw could prove tough for him, depending on whether potential opponents can take their good form from Madrid onto Rome.

Rafa's first match will be on Wednesday.

Good luck Rafa - dust yourself down and come roaring back. Vamos!

Thank goodness Ljubicic isn't wearing that unsightly headband this year!

Nice to hear Delpo's "hwoooargh" again

Delpo

:yikes: Daveeed is a set and 4-1 down against Karlovic!

awful stuff.

There's some pics here of Rafa and Marc!'s match and on Facebook with some other rather nice practice pics.

Well done to Rafa for what seems like an easy win overnight . I've just checked the order of play - Rafa and Marc are in action today on Stadium 2 but it's another night match so we won't get to see it on Sky - even if they were going to show any doubles (highly unlikely).

Some nice pictures emerging of Rafa's practice sessions and the two matches so far. Some are ripe for Wooffs' captions.

I hold the racket in this hand, noh, or is it this one?

My Picks aren't going so well - quite a few have fallen by the wayside that I expected to go a couple of rounds further

Did someone say <captions> ... (yours was quite good, by the way, Rafan ... for a junior).

Marc! Is quite embarrassing when you stick your pinkie up in the air when drinking from a water bottle, noh?

Is this a more manly grip, Rafa?

Now when Youzhny does thees, how does it go??

Thigh action ...

Just catching up on everything I've missed whilst slaving away for Mr C's party, and it seems I missed quite a lot. The Rafa/Nole hug photo actually brought a tear to my eye (emotional? Moi?!).

Short video clip of a Rafa post match interview ..

Yum ..

I know this is the tennis thread and a certain amount of decorum should be maintained, but can I just a little bit?

I think that perfectly acceptable, Cats. I couldn't resist the <yum> myself.

Some short highlights of Rafa's match yesterday with Rik bloke ...

Rafamatch

Like the Youzhny caption Wooffs

Feli and Raonic got knocked out of the doubles by the Bryan Bros yesterday. Poor old Feli, things really aren't going well for him just now

Well Rafan. All I can is that its his just desserts after heinously teaming up with that upstart, just to upset Fer.

In your beautiful face, Feli ...

John Isner and then Andy Roddick. With these big servers you are really spoiling us, noh? The organisers could at least have put Feds in between them to break it up a little :run2:

I think I'm going to catch up on some True Blood instead. Though it will probably give me nightmares.

:sleep:

You can tell old 606 is on its last legs. A Murray loss in his first match and there's the grand total of two half-hearted WUM (sock-muppet ) articles. I wonder what a Rafa loss would bring out of the woodwork. Hope not to find out

I had a bit of a smirk about that too, Rafan. Pathetic. One usual suspect trying to flog that old dead horse.

Just makes you appreciate being in a calm place.

Morning Rafateers

We might get some live Rafa action tonight <skips> - he's on Stadium one following a ladies match which starts "not before 2.30 pm". Now…if my understanding is correct…we are now 7 hours in front of the US West Coast due to their clocks going forward at the weekend. So, if the ladies do start at 2.30 pm, which of course depends on whether the matches that start at 11 am get completed in a timely manner, then Rafa might be on at about 4.30ish - which is 11.30 our time. Gulp. Could I stay up that late? Yeeeeah I could! Vamos!

Well done to Team Cuteness for coming through their match last night 6-4 6-4 and also to the Murraybros who took out Isner and Querrey - good job boys!

Morning lovely Rafan .....Reckon I could stay up as well....especially as Mr Denz is away for the whole week so my time is my own

Good doubles results as well......go Team Cuteness and Team.......um .....Hope Yums doesn't see that, otherwise it'll be

Morning all lovely Rafateers!!

I was just popping along to offer my congrats to Team Cuteness.

<yikes> about seeing live-Rafa, but I think Sky are still stopping their broadcast at 12am.

I've also come along with a little theory ... Seeing as Rafan has ruined Cilic's career forEVAH with her power of the <jinx> which she extolled on the unsuspecting boy last year at Queen's, simply by stopping him and asking for his autograph ... I might have changed my mind on her asking for Feds' at MC ... :run2:

Anyway ... what are you two doing in here?? I thought you were <BANNED>

<BANNED>

A short video clip of Team Cuteness beating Dr Ivo :sleep: and <jinxed> Cilic ...

Go Team Cuteness!!!

That was good Wooffs. Rafa was the one making all the mistakes

It makes my knees hurt just seeing him crouch down like that at the net. Ouch!

Sharapova has just finished her match on Stadium - Rafa's up next...how long do you reckon? 15-20 minutes? If Sky start showing it will they cut it off at midnight or will they just overrun. Can I stay up that late? Does anybody care?!

I know!!! Didn't like that myself.

They don't half jabber on to each other too. :sigh:

<screams>

Oh surely they'll put Rafa on via the infamous <red button> They're bound to stay with this match now till the end, Rafan.

I DON'T KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!

Rafa is on the RED BUTTON

I'm caught up in the link you posted from Rome Wooffs...but now must pay real-life Rafa my attention and catch up with Roman Rafa tomorrow. It looks fab. Like you I don't remember a thing about it - it was just point by point and very, verrrry scary

Sweeting won the toss and elected to receive

Punish him Rafa - destroy him, noh?

I'M ON THE RED BUTTON!!

COME ON RAFA!!

<with colm> Wooffs ...

I thought Rafa had played Sweeting before but couldn't remember when it was - turns out it was at the AO this year (I have a very short memory) and Rafa won 6-2 6-1 6-1.

Vamos!

Forgot myself.

<pair of fangirls>

Lovely Mo ....

We have tipped over the 1000 views on this fred alone.

Rod Laver in the audience. I'm sure Rafa has nothing but respect for him, despite his less than kind comments before the AO

I must channel Rafa

They're playing Gwen Stefani ... at a Rafa match!!

:waves: to Rod Laver. He must have come on the wrong day. Feds plays tomorrow ... :run2:

Everyone's getting it wrong! Gwen Stefani and Rod Laver :huh:

It should be Shakira and...um...who is Rafa's biggest goat supporter?

:highfive: Rafan.

Our first live Rafamatch on the new Rafatennis fred ...

Get the espressos ready tomorrow morning

And Delpo beats Dolgo. Turns out I wasn't neutral after all cos I wanted Dolgo to win that once I started watching. No wonder he lost

We have a Costa Coffee on site ... (or whatever they call themselves ... inferior to Starbucks anyway)

um...who is Rafa's biggest goat supporter?

John McEnroe.

I had Dolgo in the picks.

Another failure.

Fabulous array of forehands.

Backhand 8) too!!

Serve!!

Oh I much prefer Costa to Starbucks! We've got one in our canteen too. Very tempting (and expensive) every morning.

Today I've lost Dolgo and Soderling - and probably more besides. I had Murray as a finalist.

ACE Rafa!

We call the place Costa Lotta ... cos it does.

I've just taken a look at my picks - the top half is a disahster dahling - the only players I have left are Rafa and Verdasco

Our Costa charges £1.55 for a small latte, which is cheaper than when you go to one of their branches.

Was Sweeting complaining there about Rafa taking a while to challenge?

Missed that Rafan.

A bit of US Open-stylee Rafa ... what do you say?

Sweeting could use some YSL Touche Eclat around those dark circles.

BP ... go Rafa!!

Yesssssssssssssssss