Rafatennis Part III - We're all going on a summer holiday

First topic message reminder :

That’s the game: sometimes you win; sometimes you lose

Least said, soonest mended eh?

So we break up for our summer holidays and reflect on Rafa's half-year success that in any other season would be world-beating – a slam, a masters, a 500, another Wimbledon final and 4 other masters finals. Not Wimbledon Champion, not World No 1, but still leading every other player (other than he who must not be named) by a country mile.

Now is the time for mid-season conditioning, running repairs and riding around on a jet-ski in the Mediterranean. While I have used up nearly all my annual leave and have to start putting in the hard work <doom>. I know what I'd rather be doing.

The Montreal Masters starts on 8 August so we can reconvene in a mere 5 weeks and let's hope for more of the same…and Rafa – next time you win the toss against Djokovic – please choose to serve first, noh?

Vamos!

Hooooray


http://eurosport.yahoo.com/tennis/

He is fine

Excellent news, Haddie, thank you. I can now go to lunch happy. Vamos !!

Just waiting for BBC to confirm it (oh me of little faith!).

Thanks Haddie. Might get some work done now!

I'm so pleased for him....not just because of this tournament, but for the rest of the year.....thanks Hads for the info

Oh dear, some famous poster whose name begins with Ten has an e somewhere after and whose last letter is rather late in the alphabet is going to have a field day. Great news that he's OK though!

Well Mad...there's not a lot we can do about him...except feel sorry for him for being like he is.

It won't matter whatever Rafa does, Mr Z will always find an excuse for a bit more bashing....Rafa you should have never ever beaten Roger

Your welcome Rafa friends glad I was the bearer of such great tidings.
Now come on Rafa lets see you walk on water ... Fed can

Rafa has just posted on FB that he's practicing at Aorangi Park at 4.30pm...so we'll see what happens after that <fingers crossed>

I'm actually entertained by the fit of fulminating rage that T***z will have been consumed by. Ultimately he'll never change and as long as he's angry it means Rafa is successful so, in that sense, long may it continue!

This Wimbledon is warming up nicely. Terrific match last night I thought, I'm liking how Rafa is playing in this tournament.

Rafa update...again on FB, he says he's training today and playing tomorrow

I have a confession to make, a bit of a guilty pleasure you might say: I actually don't mind Mr Z as I find him quite amusing. A bit like the TV series "Friends", can be a bit dull and repetitive, and definitely not very subtle, but always good for a laugh...

Bit like an itch you can't scratch eh Mad

MFC how can you liken Friends, the best evah sit com, to Mr Zzzzzzz!!

Mad for Chelsea wrote:I have a confession to make, a bit of a guilty pleasure you might say: I actually don't mind Mr Z as I find him quite amusing. A bit like the TV series "Friends", can be a bit dull and repetitive, and definitely not very subtle, but always good for a laugh...

I can see where you're coming from MfC, I've had the odd decent exchange with him - possibly as it involved Djokovic and Federer, and not Nadal. He can have a decent sense of humour, it just all gets a bit obfuscated by his bile towards Rafa most of the time.

I'm not a massive Friends fan TBH, but it is good for a laugh. My favourite comedy is "Yes Minister/Prime Minister", which is absolutely brilliant.

Mad for Chelsea wrote:I have a confession to make, a bit of a guilty pleasure you might say: I actually don't mind Mr Z as I find him quite amusing. A bit like the TV series "Friends", can be a bit dull and repetitive, and definitely not very subtle, but always good for a laugh...

Thats equivalent to saying you like having toothache

Morning Rafateers

Is it safe to come out from behind the sofa now ?

Glad to hear Rafa is ok to continue, let's hope he comes through his practice session fine today.

MFC…please, never ever compare Friends to him ever again. Perhaps something like a mosquito bite is more apt – the more you scratch the longer it itches. Best leave alone and then it disappears

I managed to get home to see the last two sets last night – thanks to Wooffs for keeping me updated during a long, hot journey home. Rafa's doing rather well in his TBs so far this tournament (unjinx).

Guess what…we have a weekly poll on our intranet at work. Just for fun, never really anything meaningful (in fact the one time it was slightly controversial there was a massive uproar and it was removed. Something about Guantanamo Bay ). But back to this week – the poll is – who is the GOATiest tennis player? Or words to that effect No need to tell you who's in the lead :yawn:

Hello rafan. Nice to see you creep out from behind the sofa. Yes, it was all getting very heated last night, but hopefully everything can calm down now and we can all concentrate on the tennis. QF line up looks great and I was so pleased to see Feli get though from 2 sets down.

(By the way, I haven't managed to get to the post office yet with package, but will do sometime this week).

Aah thanks Womble - I've got a little something for you from Wimbledon too. I bought a programme on Thursday when I went, and then when me and Wooffs got off the bus on Friday there was a stack of Thursday's programmes sitting in the street for us to pick up - for free! So you can have the extra one I picked up - if you'd like it

I was happy to see Feli through to, even though Kubot is one of my squeezes . I've got the day off work tomorrow to sit and watch a veritable feast of tennis. Looking forward to it!

Murray fan here. Good to see Rafa fit and well as we want to see the best competing at the highest level winning or losing (whatever it is) on pure merit. It should be fairly straight forward for Rafa tomorrow in straight sets I'd say.

Craig, thanks for the good wishes. I have to admit that I'm a bit torn on Murray/Lopez, but if it is Murray that comes out of the top half of the draw, he will have my full support from Henman Hill or whatever it is now known as on Sunday. (I've got tickets, but only for No 1 Court). I hope you're right about the straight sets today, although I think it could be tight given the way Fish can serve.

Rafan, yes I would like the programme. I'll text my address later.

afternoon Rafa fans

right time for some Rafa prediction time: Rafa in four sets, with two TBs shared between both men.

Rafa in 3 close sets (maybe 2 tiebreaks)

Oooh Rafa on court now. Two men in the front row wearing t-shirts with the Armani pictures of Rafa in the white jeans and the logo "I'd go gay for you Rafa"

Reckon they already are Rafan

Good afternoon all my luvverly Rafateers

Feds has just lost to JoWilly...but there you go.

Switching to Rafa now...ooh nice early break

Blimey, Tsonga came back from 2 sets down to beat Feds

Hello Denzy

Can JWT beat Djokovic??? If not it means Djokovic will be No 1 after Wimbledon, whatever Rafa does (I think).

Still...I'd take that Championship over the No 1 ranking, noh?

The commentators are making out that Rafa will be happy Feds is out! I think he'd rather play Feds in a potential final than Djokovic (not discounting JWT of course).

I agree with that hon....Rafa will not want to play JoWilly

If JW plays like he played today against an off Djoko...yes he could beat him.

Rafan...dark side??

I'll be glad if Rafa gets through this in 3 easyish sets...give him an extra rest before Friday.

Does anyone think Feli will beat Andy?

Denzy I'm on the dark side now when you're ready

I don't think Feli will beat Andy. I wish that they'd been first on so that I could have watched them as well...though as you said it would be nice if Rafa can do this in three easy sets then we can watch the end of the FeliFest!

denzilsmom wrote:I'll be glad if Rafa gets through this in 3 easyish sets...give him an extra rest before Friday.

Does anyone think Feli will beat Andy?

After seeing Nole struggle
And the demolition of Federer... why not

Come on Rafa - focusssss!

Tsk!

And double tsk! Rafa dipping, Mardy upping and the third set goes away.

<clunk-click>

where is everyone? Fish puns have started in the crowd, "go on Rafa! Batter him!" is the first. Poor effort, must try harder.

On the prediction front, I had Rafa in four, which is looking quite sound, but I also said a couple of TBs, which is completely impossible now...

And Rafa wins in 4!

Hi MFC -

Good prediction (except the TBs);Don't suppose you'd care to predict a win for Rafa in the semi, would you?

Felt Fish floundered a bit during his service games today!

well at least I got the sets score right. Well done Rafa!

Ange, sorry but I had Andy beating Rafa in the semis before their fourth round matches, so NOT going to change that one now. Then again, I then had Federer beating Murray in the final

Watta Boy

Superb Rafa Vamos

Well done lovely boy ....would have been better if you hadn't dropped the third set, but you're through

Fish flounders and now feels gutted!!!

Vamos.

ah there you all are, wondered where you'd got too

someone tell woofs to come out from behind that sofa

Hi MFC...and Lydian, with a terrible pun

Thank god for Sofas.....I sometimes think I'm getting far too old for all this Oh joy...we can do it all again on Friday!!

I'm a bit late to the party. Hi everyone

Really enjoyed that match, wasn't too yikesy and thought our boy played well. Some of his shots were insane (as were some misses but they were few and far between),

MFC, you're really starting to scare me with your predictions now - especially as you have Andy beating Rafa in the semis

Very pleased with Rafa apart from that slight falling off in the third. No more of that from hereon though

I'm interested in what Feds has to say in his presser, is there any news yet? I'm off for a look :run2:

rafan

Feds was pretty gracious from what I could gather on Fench news, praised Tsonga, felt he played well himself, but that Tsonga was just too good.