Rafatennis Part II - Roland Garros 22 May - 5 June 2011

First topic message reminder :

So here we are then folks...the second slam of the year, with so much riding on it.

Will Novak get that No 1 that he so craves? Will Rafa get title No 6 to equal Bjorn Borg's records? Will Roger step back up and prove a threat and will Murray follow up his good form on the clay of Monte Carlo and Rome with a good run here?

The draw is out and Rafa faces John Isner in Round 1. Robin Soderling is in Rafa's quarter and Andy Murray in the same half.

Rafa has been in Paris for a couple of days already on the promotion trail with appearances at Armani and the Nike store. He's also been at the tournament site practising with Gilles Simon.

Good luck Rafa and vamos!

Rafa speaks French ...

you see, nothing to be worried about really was there?

Thanks goodness for that. Let's do it all again on Thursday (although I could be completely grey by then).

Oh Mad.....you really are the limit

Rafa saying all the right things in his interview...all smiley

Rafa congratulates Isner.

Says close match cos of his serve and he was always under pressure. He said he fights all the time ... too nerviooos in the TB.

Thanks to the public for their support.

Rafa happy to be back, happy to be in the second round. Important to Rafa but feels happier to win in 3 sets.

Why the hell do we put ourselves through this?????

I ask myself that every time I watch a Rafa match

That was a great match. Rafa I think just didn't feel comfortable trying to pass Isner at the net. Credit to Isner for taking Rafa all the way. Nadal showing that just his good tennis is enough to carry him through.

because you love him woofs

I does. <sniff>

Thanks for everyones support here today ... nice for our visitors to come calling on match day. Pop on any time.

to all.

Rafa ... you HAVE to stay in this for the weekend.

VAMOSS!!!

Andrew Castle must be in tears. He so wanted the upset.

Thanks for the commentary, Wooffie. Must put head down now and work for an hour or so.

Never doubted you for a minute Rafa :first lie:

Got banished to the bedroom as Mr C came home so no wifi and the support of my Rafateers. I am going to need several drinks to calm down after that.

Going to go back and read the 4 pages of posts that I missed whilst in exile and see if I am the only disbeliever that thought he was going out after the third set finished!

Castle ended by saying something about shame for Murray as he's in his side of the draw. Or nonsense to that effect.

He's still in it for you, Womble.

Cats This is what happens to Rafa sometimes. Isner's serve was so very good today and Rafa's TB play was awful. Credit has to go to him for absolutely coming out to take this when his opponent was playing as well as he could. This is Slam tennis for you.

Okay, I've calmed down a bit now. Boy, that was tense. Need to go for a long walk with the dogs and shake it off.

Well done Isner, you gave us quite a fright Hopefully this will do Rafa some good, he does seem to love a challenge (no consideration for what he puts us through ). But we him all the same.

Andrew Castle is a bona fide clown. He's always ready to anoint someone the new king of tennis. Most tennis commentators seem to change with the wind depending on how a match is panning out, with a few exceptions.

Anyhow, thank goodness for that. Hopefully some good will come of that test.

Well P4thS ... as Rafa said, he would prefer 3 sets.

I just think there must have been so much talking over these past few weeks that its time now for him apply some things on the court. The thing is, Rafa faces very few players like Isner and he was enjoying himself out there.

Rafa toughed it out ... good boy.

Evening Rafaters

for Rafa win! Thanks so much to Wooffie & MFC for the updates - it is a nightmare to be at work and not know what's happening! Really appreciate it. Owe you a
Going to have tea, banish the TW to upstairs & watch the match. Hope next round is easier on the nerves!

Evening lovely Rafateers

Have we all recovered yet?? Just thought I'd pop by to say well done to Fer for his victory in four sets against Pico Monaco today. Although I'd rather Rafa played Pico, Fer ... so it might be a <kick shins> for you.

I'm also enjoying Gary Neville's testimonial match right now. Lovely see David Beckham back in a the red shirt that he loves so much and if Rafan is perhaps reading this ... United are playing Juventus, who also have a little magician of their own ... a much decorated Italian superstar by the name of Alessandro Del Piero ...

... who Rafan thought was some Italian hitting partner when Rafa met him in MC.

Alessandro Del Piero...:huh:?

Just read back through the pages of comments - what a nail-biter sitting at work with livescores and occasional dip into here! I didn't record the match - and to be honest even if i had I wouldn't have had 4 hours to watch it tonight

Though would have been nice to see the final set. Hopefully they'll show at least some of the match in tonight's highlights. That's the trouble when Rafa and Muzz in the same side of the draw - the British TV of course shows Andy in the main.

What a racket this woman makes that's playing at the moment. Irritating!

Right...off to have a look round the sites now. Back soon

Back!

Rafa's presser is on the ATP website front page. His right arm looks teeny weeny

Nothing doing Rafa-wise on the BBC1 highlights on the red button - hope for something on Game Set and Mats in a minute, or the Eurosport highlights later.

Eurosport highlights on NOW, Rafan!! :run2:

Evening all my luvverly Rafateers

Think I've calmed down now ....Dashing in and out from my grooming shed to check on the TV, making copious cups of tea and practically throwing the dogs back at their owners so I could get back to watch

I hope that's the yips out of the way, and Rafa can have a couple of easy matches....mainly for my nerves, never mind his

I know Isner can be difficult with that serve, but Rafa is still not playing with the confidence and freedom we know he can. He has been struggling, we can all see that but there's nothing to be done except hope he finds his way and we just support him all we can

Vamos Rafa

Well Denzy, hopefully the next match will be ok, but after that it's potentially Davydenko. More nerves I would think!

So far Eurosport highlights have been all Murray as well. Saw a brief glimpse of the match on Game Set and Mats but apart from that it would seem I'm destined not to see much. Bummer!

I bet the Telegraph were sweating a bit after signing Rafa up for his blog!

I've just been look at the profile of Pablo Andujar on ATP - he's at a career high ranking of 48. He's a few months older than Rafa and they've never played before. Hopefully Rafa will work him out and play a confidence boosting match. Vamos!

Good evening Rafateers (or probably good morning by the time you read this). This is a late visit from me as I'm off to Glasgow tomorrow for work (by train) and won't be back in London until Thursday night.

I saw Andujar play in Barcelona. He seemed to be a decent claycourter, but not a really big hitter so it might be a good match for Rafa's confidence and to help him find his rhythm. If he struggles there, I really will be concerned.

With a few hours now having gone since the end of the match, I've come to the conclusion that Soderling 2009 set up the template for how to cause Rafa problems (like Rafa did for Roger), if you've got the artillery. It seems that you should go for broke: serve massively and hit big. You might lose quickly, but if you're playing particularly well, you can push Rafa back and make him hit short and that gives you a chance. The question is - can you do it for 3 sets or best of 5 ? The two players that caused him the most problems on clay in 2010 (Almagro and Gulbis) did it for a set or so, but both ended up losing in 3. Soderling was good enough over 4 in 2009 and Isner was almost good enough over 5 today.

From memory the RG draw was a bit kinder to Rafa last year and the only really big hitter he faced was Soderling in the final. I was at the 4th round match against Bellucci and he had his moments, but couldn't string enough of them together. This year, after Andujar, it looks as though it will just be one big, flat hitter after another. The good news provided he gets through is that he will have had lots of practice with that stuff before he gets anywhere near Novak, who of course, doesn't look remotely like being troubled.

Here's hoping Rafa's still in by the time of my next visit. Vamos !!

Thanks for your calming words as ever Womble

On a perusal of the newspapers today – it seems like no news is good news as far as Rafa is concerned! Usually there is barely a couple of lines on Rafa's progression through a tournament, but he seems to have bumped Murray off the headlines after yesterday's battle.

Good new for my scrapbook, noh?

Good afternoon all lovely Rafateers!!

I know you can all read the Rafalint stuff on NN, but I've attached this piece by Steve Tignor, because I really like his writing and I think he's done a very good and structured piece on yesterday's match. Although I think our lovely Womble could give him a run for his money.

I've also attached Cheryl Murray's blog because it appears that when yesterday's result was announced on Suzanne Longlong ... the crowd cheered and whistled. It seriously puts me off going to Paris. I think the Paris crowd have turned into a charicature of themselves and that its some sort of mighty game they all think they should play now ... but its appalling. And the tripe the commies have been coming out with for two days now about how "knowledgeable" the French crowds are ... and how they "understand" their tennis. They seem like a bunch of rejects from 606 if you ask me.

Thanks for posting that Wooffs.

Paris is wasted on the Parisians I say. You should go Wooffs - think of the But seriously, it really is downright shameful and no excuse for it. Even if he was playing a Frenchman, show some class and at least applaud the winner, even if it's only half hearted. I've never forgiven them for their reaction after Soderling beat him there.

What makes it even worse is that we know it does get to Rafa

Rafateers

Rafa is up third on Suzanne Longlong tomorrow. I'm not sure if that will be his one appearance on there during this championships, but he always has a go on there. Rafa doesn't seem to mind either there or PC, but someone who has tickets for there might.

Here's hoping we have a less stressful day tomorrow though. <prays>

Well, the other day I asked that Rafa get it done in 3 sets and we all know what happened next, so today I'm saying nothing

Vamos Rafa!!

He'll dispatch this guy much quicker today, he has a point to prove and in many respects that first match was probably exactly what he needed in terms of confidence and overcoming issues. Uncle T will have been in his head solid for the past 2 days as well.

I'd like to see him nearer the baseline today and more aggressive, he's been too safe of late.

Hi Lydian, nice to see you here.

We've all be crying out for Rafa to move up to the baseline, be aggressive, etc. etc. And he even says it himself ... but for whatever reason, he's just not applying it. Its a mystery, I don't understand it, but its something we're not privy to. We've all watched Rafa for long enough now to notice his tennis habits and retreating back on the baseline is a sure fire signal that he's not confident and not comfortable with his form.

Rafa's had a winning forumla on clay for 6 seasons now ... as tennis is an ever evolving game, so does his strategy on clay have to move along now. He's had to do it with hardcourts and grass, and maybe its a surprise to him that he's having to go back to the drawing board on clay. But he does.

Good luck today Rafa!!!

Hi Lydian...how lovely to hear from you again

Hopefully all will be well for Rafa today. I hope that after Tuesday's dodgy performance he will be able to find his game. Like Woofs, I cannot understand where his game has gone.....it's confidence that's for sure, and to hear him say he was nervous in the T/B is not something I want to hear.

I'd love to know what is going on behind the scenes.....it's a long time since I've seen Toni so animated in a first round match.

Kim Clijsters has lost her match in a very strange fashion. A set and 5-2 MP up, and she just totally lost her way.....just not enough match play and it showed.

Muzza is now on....which means if Rafa starts his match I won't get to see it on the Beeb

Right...I've found a stream for the match, and the ladies are just finishing. I'll try to let you know as much as I can girls...but am up and down today


Anyway...Vamos Rafa

My god, it's windy out therer today....it's taken the top layer of clay off the court, and is blowing into the crowd......it'll ruin a good hairdo

And here's Rafa!!!!!

Beautiful in Blue

They don't deserve him

Aagh, I've got 3 sports channels showing tennis, and they are all showing Andy. Al Jazeera promised to show Rafa but where is he? They just showed him coming on court then switched back to Andy

Nando just won his match

Oooh, one of the channels just switched to Rafa. This might get confusing. They are both wearing the same colour and both are cute

But WHO is cuter, Cats?? <drumsfingers>

Well done Nando !!! But less of that if you face Rafa.

Rafa is gorgeously cute. Other one is just average cute

I had written a little commentary on the first game and then my stoopid laptop crashed. Think it was telling me I was rubbish and not to bother!

Ladies, so far he seems to be playing a bit more aggressively.

Andujar does a Feli whilst waiting for serve. Yes, the old hoist up your shorts to reveal thighs trick

Rafa serves

wins first point as opponent hits long

good serve..30-0

wins good rally...lots of hard hitting on both sides..40-0

nets off good deep f/h..40-15

Rafa hits wide...40-30.....

misses next shot...deuce

nice deep f/h from Rafa..ad

and big 1st serve and good put away from Rafa...game

Anjur serves

hits out..0-15

Rafa nets..15 all

Massive f/h from anjur...30-15

but he nets...30 all

Rafa hits out....too far back....40-30

Rafa hits long again...game anjur.

There's some real smacking of the ball in this game!!!

Rafa serves

Rafa hits out off a good 2nd serve return..0-15

2 first serves missed!

and again!!! 0-30...this chap is really attacking Rafa's serve

big serve and f/h from Rafa 15-30....fist pump

oh much better...inside the court and attacked..30 all

Andju nets..40-30

and nets again off good deep Rafa f/h...game Rafa 2-1

Only 1 first serve in tho....but got out of it well.

Denz is so much better at commentary than me. And now Rafa standing way back to receive

30 all on Andju serve

Rafa hits long on 2 points....game Andju...2 all

Rafa serves

andju hits long..twice..30-0

and again..40-0

Ace!!...game Rafa..3-2

Cats......keep going tho, in case I disappear or my stream stick completely

That's more like it Rafa. He stepped up the court and breaks to love

Not more puppies Denz??

Andju nets....0-15

and huge f/h from Rafa....he's attacking more and more...

oh Rafa now has a break and is 30 all..

and now I'm getting an advert for Pavers shoes

And now I can't get anything at all....hope Cats is still on the ball