Great win for Roddick – it’s been a while since he’s won here but he won convincingly today. I hope he can fulfill his goal and get to the second week.

May 25th, 2009 at 6:11 pm

Nadal’s definitely not looking as sharp this clay season, as he was last year.. he’s still won almost everything on clay, that’s how good the Spaniard is ! But still this has to be a positive for the 3 challengers namely Fed, Djoko & Murray. Nadal hit more errors (32) in his 1st match than he probably did in any of his matches at RG last year.. maybe d Madrid final wasn’t just about being tired for Rafa.. it should give the rest a lot of hope !

On the other hand Fed & Roddick had very good opening matches, with Fed serving at 68% (the 2nd set was at 75%.. unheard of these days for him !) and he hit 38 winners to 29 unforced errors. Roddick was even better, serving at 77% and hitting 25 winners to 8 unforced errors !

May 25th, 2009 at 7:22 pm

Well, I gotta agree with Naresh, Roddick did look good today, except that he fell and scraped up his knees. ouch! Anyway, looking goooddd!

Voicemale1: What did I say about Berdych? the guy is FERMISHT. I can’t believe it, a repeat of the AO, except it was Bolelli this time instead of Federer. I think Berdych does not have the physical endurance to go 5 sets, after 3 sets, it’s light out. Or, could it be mental?

May 25th, 2009 at 7:46 pm

i am so happy that nadal has apparently learned to play just good enough to win, especially in the early rounds. historically, he has always started the first round slow, but i’m sure he will analyse his match and make corrections. he doesn’t need to prove that he can play flawless tennis every time he steps onto the court. a win is a win! win or lose, people are going to think what they want anyway. the same people who exalt you will be the same people who put you down when you start to struggle. so, im elated that he’s looking out for himself and not expending all his energy chasing down every ball early on in these tournaments. he needs to let andy murray do that! fact is, his draw will more often than not be the toughest; therefore, in order to prevail in the end, he has to think smart and i think he is doing just that! vamos, rafa!

May 25th, 2009 at 7:50 pm

Naresh,

I don’t see a major difference here; we’re talking 2 more winners and 3 less errors for Federer.

Nadal – 36 winners to 32 errors
Federer – 38 winners to 29 errors

And because Daniel won 12 games to Martin’s 9, you could very well attribute the error/winner difference in the two matches to that.

I think most players begin a little rusty, and some go for the quick kill in their early matches whereas others are content to do what they need to do to get through. Murray obviously had to be a little more careful since Chela can be good and a potentially tough 1st round match, although Chela hasn’t been doing much of anything lately.

Anyway, they all got through in straight sets. We’ll see how they make out going forward…

May 25th, 2009 at 8:26 pm

Only thing missing with Nadal’s outfit was a huge mullet, circa Agassi 1992. It would go well with the day-glo pink shirt and yellow sweatbands!

May 25th, 2009 at 8:42 pm

I know Roddick looked great – but he was playing a last minute wild card entry who had never played in a grand slam in his life. Roddick had no choice but to look good! lol!

May 25th, 2009 at 8:46 pm

Didn’t they say Chela had 8 months off? Like Sharapova?

May 25th, 2009 at 9:26 pm

sar, I am not sure about Chela having that much time off, but he was injured for a while yes. BTW, here’s a preview of Djoko’s match tomorrow if you’re interested:

http://www.tennistalk.com/en/previews/20090525/Djokovic_opens_against_Lapentti

May 25th, 2009 at 9:34 pm

Thanks Jane.I hope Novak wins this one over Lapenti.

Here’s the thing on Chela I just found:

Chela, who won all four of his singles titles on clay, was sidelined eight months with a herniated disk …

http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20090525/SPORTS02/905250327/1009/SPORTS01

May 25th, 2009 at 9:40 pm

In case anyone is interested in the prize money. Poor things.

http://www.tennisguru.net/2009/05/26/french-open-roland-garros-2009-prize-money-breakdown/

May 25th, 2009 at 9:41 pm

And, how many wild cards/qualifiers has Federer played in his many Grand Slams, especially ’08 USO, so that his wins looked imperious. The wild card Roddick played was a far better and younger player than the 31 year-old, old man, Alberto Martin, who’s 1-4 Roddick. The only win Martin has v. Roddick, is a retirement when Roddick twisted his ankle. Translation, Federer didn’t do so great either, playing a washed up player, if we want to start slinging mud. Enjoy the rags, it’s what’s done best, isn’t it?

Why am I bothering with this drivel anyway.

May 25th, 2009 at 9:42 pm

Sar: “In 2009, the total increase by 3.69 percent to €16,150,460.” Poor things is right, I didn’t get a COLA increase this year due to the ‘budget’ and the ‘economy’. I suppose the economy doesn’t affect the players at all. Wow, why am I not surprised?

May 25th, 2009 at 9:52 pm

Jane, here is a nice site for Novak fans.
http://cowbell.typepad.com/forty_deuce/2009/05/forgotten-falcon.html#comments

May 25th, 2009 at 9:59 pm

“I know Roddick looked great – but he was playing a last minute wild card entry who had never played in a grand slam in his life. Roddick had no choice but to look good! lol!”

This is a prime example of why posters bash Federer, and it’s due to some of his fans who are devoid of rational thinking and like to pull down other players. Enjoy, but be careful, you might be crawling back into the woodwork very soon from whence you came, and LOL, too.

May 25th, 2009 at 9:59 pm

Von – you make a valid point: the last time Federer played Martin, which was on clay in 2006, Federer won 6-0, 6-1. It wasn’t as easy for him today. Besides which, it’s true that sometimes a player you’ve never played before is much more difficult to defeat.

Sar – thanks for that link. Sheesh – just playing in round 1 earns these guys 15,000. Not too shabby. I think I’ll stop crying when they lose! LOL.

May 25th, 2009 at 10:03 pm

jane: Thanks for the additional info, as you know I’m not a stats person, but having followed tennis for so many years, I know am acquainted with most of the players’ pedigree. I’m angry at myself for bothering with someone who’s only ‘Federer defense based’ in his/her comments, and doesn’t comment on the actual match-play of the players, but only criticizes others and defends Federer, issuing directives, IMO. Also, who says the Frenchie was a ‘last minute wildcard’? The guy was in the draw when it was done, so how come he’s a last minute wildcard? Each country gets wildcards for their players, and the French players will receive wildcards due to the FO being in their country. Anyway, I rest my case, sheesh.

May 25th, 2009 at 10:15 pm

Who cares how others play, all eyes are at the clay GOAT. He is the one who the pundits gave him 90% chance of winning the whole thing, and he was not very convincing today. So lets wait and see how he can bounce back. Maybe we will see a little bit of a competition this year, which is badly needed.

May 25th, 2009 at 10:19 pm

Interview with Rafa in case anyone reads Spanish. Not sure of the English translation. Can anyone provide a real translation?

5 .- Who do you think is better on the clay at the moment: Djokovic or Federer? Who do you prefer face in the finals? Tries to be politically incorrect and get wet …. Thank you very much
I think Djokovic. He won in Rome and is the one that has achieved the best results of the two this season on the ground (a finalist in Monte Carlo and Rome champion in Belgrade). I look to the next match and not a hypothetical final. That, to me, is getting wet. The other is not realistic, believe me.

5.- ¿Quién crees que se encuentra mejor en tierra en este momento: Djokovic o Federer? ¿A cuál prefieres enfrentarte en la final? Intenta ser políticamente incorrecto y mojarte…. Muchas gracias
Creo que Djokovic. Le ha ganado a Roger en Roma y es el que ha conseguido mejores resultados de los dos esta temporada en tierra (finalista en Montecarlo y Roma, campeón en Belgrado). Yo miro al siguiente partido y no a una hipotética final. Eso, para mí, es mojarme. Lo otro es no ser realista, creeme.
http://www.elmundo.es/elmundodeporte/especiales/2009/05/roland_garros/consultorio/index.html

May 25th, 2009 at 10:19 pm

jane: “I think I’ll stop crying when they lose! LOL.”

$15,000 is a blue collared worker’s salary for a whole year, and that is if they can find work in this economy. I don’t feel sorry for the players money-wise, of which they’ve got plenty. However, I do feel badly for them if they are hindered from achieving their goals.

May 25th, 2009 at 10:21 pm

Here’s an odd comment by Murray.

“I would expect Rafa to make the final here. I think Roger will probably have some tough matches if he is to make the final.”
http://sports.timesofindia.indiatime…ports_mostread

May 25th, 2009 at 11:08 pm

Von,

“However, I do feel badly for them if they are hindered from achieving their goals.”

I hear you, and this is the part that makes me sad for the player when s/he loses. But wow – they earn so much.

May 25th, 2009 at 11:08 pm

Sar, I cannot open the link for some reason.
But its interesting comment from Murray, he is probably right but I wonder when he said this. Did he say this before or after the draw was out? If he said after the draw was out, then I don’t think he is giving himself any favours especially now he is in Rafa side of the draw. It does not sound like he is giving himself a chance to reach the final here…aaaarg ! C’mon Murray you can beat Nadal on clay if you believe.

May 25th, 2009 at 11:44 pm

Boy, I comment on something and get slammed in the process. I was not attacking Roddick, I was bringing up the point that sometimes a player can look “good” against someone because of the opponent. Maybe I didn’t express it the right way but dang…I think some of you really don’t want me to post here because I am a Federer fan. If that’s the case…so be it. I’ll go back to my site where I am not slammed with everything I write! You guys are too defensive here. Oh well…

Carry on. No hard feelings here but I’ll leave you guys to ‘talk’ among your regular group. To me, it seems like this is a ‘closed’ site and if you’re not one of the regulars, you’re not welcomed with your comments. (At least that how I feel). And if it is – no problem.

I hope you all have a great time discussing the French Open and the rest of the tennis year. I wish you all the best.

May 26th, 2009 at 12:00 am

I have to go with world no.1′s POV: Djork has less match up issues against Nadal, comapre to Fed. Djork’s double handed backhand is more robust against lefty. However, when it comes to Fed vs. Djork, it’s still 55/45 with Fed having slight edge, for now. Of course, it’ll be reversed as Djork moves on.

Von,

Roddick played a last minute wild card (like Fed at MC?). But Fed played a linesman (Martin was in the exact color of linesmen).

I actually like Roddick’s chance to semi, with his improved form and no pressure. Perfect combination. I wish Fed put himself in that position too. But Fed’s Fed.

It is kind of beyond me that these multi-millionaire pro players can put “blood, toil, tears and sweat” in the sport, day in and day out, in victory and defeat. Nothing else but admiration.

May 26th, 2009 at 12:07 am

“I don’t see a major difference here; we’re talking 2 more winners and 3 less errors for Federer.
Nadal – 36 winners to 32 errors
Federer – 38 winners to 29 errors”

Nadal and Federer games are very different. Just to be clear, I am not saying federer played excellent, but Federer always has a larger amount of UE in his matches unlike Nadal who plays with a bigger margin for errors. OK, Nadals’ game has changed a lot nowadays, more aggressive and shortening of points but still it is not as explosive as federer’s. I don’t think you can compare the two. I think this amount of EU is too much for Nadal, did not see the match so I can’t tell why, maybe the opponent caused the errors ? He said in his interview “he didn’t play well with his legs” I guess he meant he was a touch slower.

Anyway, it’s probably nothing to worry about, he will soon find his legs again and the normal service will resume.

May 26th, 2009 at 12:21 am

Kimmi you make a valid point about their different styles of play and hence their different error counts in general. My point was merely to show that Nadal didn’t play that badly so we shouldn’t start assuming he won’t defend his title. Some players are rusty in the first rounds and/or they take their time getting settled. I just think we have to wait another round or two to know where Nadal – or anyone – is at in terms of form, that’s all.

May 26th, 2009 at 12:41 am

FoT,

Thanks. And best wishes for you from another Fed fan.

You did not say anything out of line. Please come back anytime.

May 26th, 2009 at 12:41 am

FoT, as far as I’m concerned this is not a closed site – anyone can post and he/she can and should post his/her views. But those views are up for debate, so if someone disagrees it can open up a discussion on the matter.

This point that you make – “I was bringing up the point that sometimes a player can look “good” against someone because of the opponent ” – is a very valid one, and it applies to all the players, including Federer, Nadal, whomever. Perhaps it was taken the way it was because it was made initially with specific reference to Roddick rather than to all players in general, to whom it applies.

Anyhow, I don’t think you should stop posting here if you like to post here. It’s an “open” site.

May 26th, 2009 at 12:46 am

jane Says:

“Great win for Roddick – it’s been a while since he’s won here but he won convincingly today. I hope he can fulfill his goal and get to the second week.”

Did he actually state that as a goal of his? The last time I saw him lose the first round, in his presser he said “Whatever I said last year, copy that and use it again this year.” He never looked like caring to me.

May 26th, 2009 at 12:47 am

I have to say FoT was just making a comment about Roddick’s match.. I dont see why Federer was brought to the conversation other than to start an unnecessary flame war.

May 26th, 2009 at 12:54 am

Giner “did he actually state that as a goal of his?” Yes – his interview is posted on this site so you can read it for yourself. He thinks it’s reasonable to expect himself to get there, and so on. Have a look.

May 26th, 2009 at 1:02 am

Naresh:

Nadal’s first match at the French for three years now always looks pretty much the same: more workmanlike than spectacular. I thought he did a lot of things really well today, most particularly the depth on his ground strokes off both sides. He’s starting to find the range again. And he served very well – over 70%, much better than in any of the three warm up events he won. His unforced error count was too high, I agree, but most happened early. As the match went on he was still getting to the ball well with the awesome gets we normally see from him. And the final game of the match said it all, because it was quintessential Nadal. Having lost serve trying to close it out at 5-2, he spotted Daniel 40-love in the ninth game. Nadal proceeded to reel off the next five points to break and win the match.

Roddick did look sharp, better than he’s looked on clay in a long time. Hopefully he can reach his self stated goal of making it to week two. Other great wins today by Dinara (cream cheese with your bagels?); Maria (glad you’re back!); Venus (why are you mentally wandering in those 2nd sets?) and Bolelli (OK – you got one speed – all out all the time – but looked good today).

May 26th, 2009 at 1:06 am

FoT, Please don’t go away. We all get a lot of challenges here but then try not to take it personal. I enjoy your posts, so please lets all enjoy the french open and fingers crossed for federer.

May 26th, 2009 at 1:09 am

“Whatever I said last year, copy that and use it again this year.” Ha ha ha ! roddick is funny.

May 26th, 2009 at 1:17 am

FoT:

I don’t have a problem with your posting, and there’s no need to feel like an outsider. In fact, I’m the outsider being the only Roddick fan here, and I do feel out of place at times commenting since the conversation does not include Roddick. I do think you understand what you’ve said, and it was in a way slamming Roddick about today’s results. Sure, I know he played a wild card, but there’s no reason to say make the comparisons. No one is denigrating Fed’s win, so why did you feel it was necessary to put down Roddick’s win?

I know his other fans will support you — you’re all Fed fans, an d thy’d be kind of silly not to support you. However, as you said previously, it’s the luck of the draw. Hence, if it’s Roddick’s luck of the draw to draw a wild card and look good, why bother to diminish his win. That’s my whole point.

I give a lot of kudos to Fed more than his fans give to Roddick. In fact, most of the Fed fans are always calling rRddick names and putting him down. I honestly don’t understand why they do it, because you ALL know, that Roddick is not a threat to Federer, so why try to diminish his wins outside of Federer? When Andy beat Fed in Miami many stated it was due to Fed’s mono, so what more does his fans need as confirmation that Fed is superior to Roddick?

I hope you get my point. It’s the reason why we come here, to discuss what we see and feel. You felt Roddick didn’t do anything super to win today, due to playing a wild card, and I answered. No hard feelings, the matter is over. Post whenever you want, on whatever you want. If I don’t like what I see, I’ll say so, just as you ALWAYS comment on what you don’t like. All’s fair.

May 26th, 2009 at 1:36 am

NachoF:

You know you should be the last one to talk. You’re always ready to chop off anyone’s head when they mention Federer. Am I right, or is it that you like to start a flame war. Look at Naresh’s comments and then read mine, and FoTs. He/she knew exactly what was being said and why his/her response. It was a definite put down for roddick, no doubt about it. Maybe, you want to turn a blind eye, but that wasn’t the intention in FoT’s comments, where it was his/her intention to diminish roddick’s win. If I want to start a flame war, I would have done so when you called Roddick a ‘douche’ the last time he played Fed, however, I ignored you. Ask yourself this question, would you have been able to do the same?

May 26th, 2009 at 1:46 am

“FoT, as far as I’m concerned this is not a closed site – anyone can post and he/she can and should post his/her views. But those views are up for debate, so if someone disagrees it can open up a discussion on the matter.”

Thank goodness for helpful guidance.

May 26th, 2009 at 1:56 am

FoT Says:
“I know Roddick looked great – but he was playing a last minute wild card entry who had never played in a grand slam in his life. Roddick had no choice but to look good! lol!”

Would any of you who feel that the above remark was not out of line, then explain to me the LOL, after the sentence. The inference with the LOL, it was a joke that Roddick looked good against an opponent who had never played in a GS before and was a last minute wild card: “Roddick had no choice but to look good, Lol”. I think all who post here can comprehend the implicit meaning in that sentence. What I don’t understand is why it was necessary to mention it at all.

May 26th, 2009 at 2:01 am

sar: if your quote from Andy M is accurate, and who knows, then from listening to many press conferences I think that Andy has genuine liking for Rafa. They trained together in Barcelona so know each other quite well. Equally it’s plain on a personal level, he’s not so keen on Roger! Perhaps that explains the remark, though I agree it was blooming stupid!
FOT: all the top players usually play unseeded/ wild cards in the first round. Andy M’s had just had a back operation for goodness sake! And someone, I forget whom, on this site put him down because of this. As an Andy M/Tsonga fan I’m pretty used to derogatory comments and can certainly cope with negatives about his play. On all blogs you have to argue your corner don’t you, unless you just post on Fed’s fan base, where I guess life is more comfortable.

May 26th, 2009 at 2:29 am

NachoF,

Fed was winning almost everything in sight from 04-07, barring clay, dashing other old and young player’s dreams in the process. Lots of emotions must be unleashed towards SOMETHING before Fed calls it a day. It really has little to do with Fed and/or his fans, imho.

On the other hand, Fed fans are now savoring Fed’s (diminishing) good days like never before.

There’s the rub…

May 26th, 2009 at 2:36 am

Jane: Kimmi put what i said in the right context regarding playing styles of different players. Nadal never hits so many unforced errors, be it the 1st match of any tournament.. I’m not saying that he played badly(come to think of it, I’ve never seen him play badly !), he just made a lot errors than he normally does. He did the same in the Madrid final too.
I also said that it’s probably no cause for concern since he’s still winning everything(almost), but I’m not 100% sure bout it and that’s what should be giving the rest hope !

May 26th, 2009 at 3:04 am

Voicemale1: Nadal definitely started playing better as the match went along, but he was making errors even in the 3rd set. He said his feet were not moving well and that would explain the high error count. What made the difference as the match went on is that he started hitting more winners, but he still got broken in the 3rd set. The Nadal that we know would’ve made mince meat of M Daniel by the 3rd set, but here it was a respectable 5-7,4-6,3-6,loss for the qualifier.

Why am I pointing this out in the 1st round of RG, where all the top players take their time getting into rhythm.. well cause Nadal was making more errors in Madrid too. I think he’s changing his style, trying to be more aggressive and so the higher error count.. It makes things a lot more interesting though !

May 26th, 2009 at 3:19 am

Agree with Naresh here.. Rafa as made a few changes to his game since last year… to stay around the baseline and be more aggressive so as to improve his grass and hard court GS chances. It certainly halped him win the Wimbledon and Aus Open, finishing points a bit earlier and hence increasing his error count as well..

May 26th, 2009 at 4:03 am

Tejuz says:

“It certainly halped him win the Wimbledon and Aus Open…”

I hope the changes that he made won’t cost him Roland Garros. Being aggressive like other attacker players is definitely good for him to improve his game on grass and hard court but if this causes him to do more unforced errors in his game, I prefer him to stick at his old style of play rather than sacrifice his forte – which is his ability to avoid many unforced errors. Hopefully, this is just a process that he has to go through before becoming a more complete player…

May 26th, 2009 at 4:27 am

This may be unreliable but….
On the BBC forum someone has posted saying he was listening to Roland Garros radio, and they said Nadal had hurt his knee yesterday, during practise I think. Haven’t checked this myself, but I thought everyone should know.

May 26th, 2009 at 7:17 am

Von,
You are right, I am always defensive of Federer (also I cant believe you remember the ‘douche’ comment..it just makes me mad when he starts harassing the umpires..oh and he also when right after Federer with one of his serves, on purpose…even fed laughed but you could noticed Andy was pissed.. but anyway) .. what I meant was that there was no need to bring Federer into the conversation when you guys were talking about Roddick’s performance on his first match…it didnt seem to me that FoT had any secret reason to question Roddicks first match and just replying something about federer simply because thats his favorite player did seem with an objective to start a discussion… but anyways, maybe I am biased…so lets just move on.

May 26th, 2009 at 8:45 am

Monfils looked healthy today anyway (his injury seems okay); you can tell he feels comfortable at RG. Anyhow 28 winners to 11 UEs is good. And he converted every break opportunity he had. Maybe he will go deep again? Who knows.

Also JMDP had no problems whatsoever.

May 26th, 2009 at 10:43 am

OK. I read all of your comments. And honesly, to Von, I was not making ‘fun’ of Roddick at all. The “lol” at the end was trying to make the statement that I said a little ‘light’ in that I know Roddick played well, but sometimes we all (even Federer fans) can get carried away with how our favorite looks because they are not playing the ‘best clay court player’ in the world. Same with Monfils today. He looked fantastic in his win, however, this was his opponent’s FIRST clay match all year and his opponent hasn’t won but a total of 3 matches all year. So it’s hard to ‘gage’ how well he is playing based on who he was playing. That was what I was trying to get over yesterday about how great Roddick looked.

So, if I hurt your feelings – I do apologize, but it was not my intention to ‘belittle’ Roddick as a person.

Anyway… hope I cleared it up. If I didn’t – oh well… sorry again.

May 26th, 2009 at 11:09 am

FoT I didn’t know that about Monfils’ opponent. You’re right though that it’s though to gage any player’s form by the first round results – whether they’re playing an unknown or not. We should know how things look after a couple more rounds. But I still think there’s something about RG for Monfils; I think he likes the hometown support.

Here’s a blurb I read today on Federer; there’s a soundbite at the end re: his thoughts on the media:

http://tennistalk.com/en/news/20090526/Any_day_is_a_good_to_play_for_Federer_in_Paris

May 26th, 2009 at 11:17 am

NachoF “..oh and he also when right after Federer with one of his serves, on purpose…even fed laughed but you could noticed Andy was pissed.. but anyway…”

I happen to think the serve to the body is a a great play and I wish more players would use it more often. It’s so hard to hit the lines on the serve consistently, why not give youself a little margin with almost the same result as an ace? I can’t remember, was that a second serve? If it was, that’s even better.

May 26th, 2009 at 11:28 am

Rafa’s first rounds in RG have not been his best matches. He needs to get used to the court, etc. and like mem, I am happy that he is doing just enough.
But it is also true that he has made a few changed to his game and also he has played a lot of matches on clay.
Hopefully he will be better tomorrow. Besides, his opponent played very well and made him work.

btw, tennis channel shwos some of the courts (live) every day and has almost all of the matches in its archive. I missed Rafa-Daniel, but was able to watch it there ( and in HD I think!)

http://www.tennis-channel.tv/tennis/

you have to register.

I want to see Rafa in sleeveless and piratas , but this pink one is the next best thing and looks great on Rafa’s tan.

Rafa likes to wear pink. remember this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIXVWqOrEq8

FoT,
Agree completely with your statement. It is hard to fare a player’s performance by the first round, especially in a grand slam and against qualifiers. Roddick seems to be very motivated so I hope he stays around in the second week. ( he better be! he is my pick for the QF)!

May 26th, 2009 at 1:21 pm

FoT,
just reading your previous comments.

If you have been reading the posts long enough, you know the atmpshere in these blogs. Just ignore the hostile and intimidating comments. Some people just cant’t change.

Please keep posting.

May 26th, 2009 at 1:31 pm

Sar, margot
Interesting comment from Andy, but he is not too far off. Probable matches with Roddick or Djoko will not be very easy for Fed.

I sense lots of respect between Andy and Rafa. They have known each other since their junior years and Andy has mentioned that a talk with Rafa prompted him to go and train in Spain.

Andy has always praised Rafa and Rafa has always mentioned him as a potential number one.

May 26th, 2009 at 1:52 pm

Tsonga’s match, as always, was interesting and entertaining: moments of brilliance – did anyone else love that leaping cross-court smash!? – but also moments of implosion. 43 UEs to 50 winners. His next round with Monaco should be close. Or will it? I wonder how deep Tsonga can go here…

May 26th, 2009 at 2:12 pm

Didn’t see the match, but Monaco has been enjoying something of a resurgence this year on the clay, and a victory for either of them wouldn’t suprise me at all. What Monaco has going for him is that his movement will allow him to stretch points out, which is a recipe for even more errors than Tsonga would have already made.

I’m just so disappointed in Tsonga’s strategy of late – he seems to have completely forgotten what got him to the final in Melbourne last year, and it is not duking it out from the back. Although less annoying, he’s fast becoming another Monfils – all style and no substance.

What a disappointment.

May 26th, 2009 at 2:25 pm

MMT: I’m with you all the way with your comments on these two, especially Tsonga, who is one of my favourite players, such talent such charisma, yes jane that overhead smash was just wonderful! But…..but….
Monfils is a different matter, such amazing talent but seems to leave his brain at home when he plays.
I quoted my daughter on another thread “Why are the French so French?” Not very PC, which she admitted, but I know just what she means.

May 26th, 2009 at 3:07 pm

MMT
I did not see the match either, but do you think Tsonga’s play might have a bit to do with his surgery?
I think he is a really big man. If he can lose some weight, he can move even better.
I think he reminds me more of Gonzo than Monfils.

May 26th, 2009 at 4:42 pm

I wonder if Tsonga could use a different coach? To help him point those talents in the right direction…

May 26th, 2009 at 4:48 pm

jane
seems all the young French players can use a new coach. look at Monfils and Gasquet!

May 26th, 2009 at 4:53 pm

FoT:

Thanks for the explanation. All’s well, and there aren’t any hard feelings. Just remember, this is a forum and people will rebutt what’s said, and it’s not a personal attack on you, it could be a nameless person making those remarks. The rebuttal is made towards the comments, but not the person. Just remember all posters are faceless on a forum, it’s the name that’s important. I hope you can understand what i’m trying to so, and you shouldn’t take thinks as being personal, or because you’re a Fed fan. The rebuttals are there to clear the air. Had this not happenend, I would not have known that you meant your comments were made to warn that we shouldn’t use first round results as a benchmark for a player’s performance. Maybe if you had elaborated in detail, there wouldn’t have been any misunderstanding. I’m very verbose, but I do so for a reason, so that I’m fully understood, and nothing is misunderstood, and yet, some still don’t comprehend.

Going back to the first rounds where no one should use those results as a gauge on how a player is playing, it’s so true, and I’ve mentioned similarly many times, when other posters say the top 4 looked imperious in their first round matches. The only reason I mentioned Roddick was ‘looking good’ is due to how little he’s played on clay, and his movement in that match was very good, but I won’t be lulled into a false sense of security by thinking he’ll beat all of his future opponents. WOW, that would be living in a fool’s paradise. Let’s be realistic, clay is Roddick’s kryptonite, and he has exited the FO in the last 2 years in the first round, so this is a good result for him, and I’m also happy that he seems more committed, hence my enthusiasm.

Hope you understand my thinking, and I’ll see you here more often. Remember, this IS a Federer dominant site, as you saw when he won, so you’ll always be preferred. If anyone is the odd man out, it’s me. I try to blend in, but it’s not easy for me as a Roddick fan. You’ll do fine here, because Fed fans stick together. Same for the Nadal and Djokovic fans. I find solace in the few neutral posters on this site, who even though are Fed, Djokovic, and Nadal fans, are a cut above the fanship, e.g., jane, MMT, Giner, Voicemale1, TwoCents, Margot, and a few more, whose names escape me. But if you want a good discussion on tennis, those are the people you’d be able to communicate with and receive sound input.
_______________
Zola: You’re so right, some people never change, and you never cease to amaze me. Just when I think you’ve sunk as low as you could possibly go, you push yourself even lower down in the mire. Do you ever stop? What business is it of yours with respect to FoT’s and my discussion? Absolutely none, but you can’t seem to resist going for the jugular and pushing the fire can you? I know you and FoT are friends, even though I don’t understand how, because she seems a lot more reasonable than you are, and even though she’s a Fed fan, she can understand and COMPREHEND logic, whereas you, sadly, can’t, or never will. Maybe you could learn a thing or two from her, so hop to it will ya.

May 26th, 2009 at 4:54 pm

Von,

You have your way of deterring people from this place. It is almost a ritual that everyone has to apologize to you for writing something about Roddick.

Stop it and stick with your commenting. I will not sink to your level.

May 26th, 2009 at 5:03 pm

NachoF:

“Von,
You are right, I am always defensive of Federer (also I cant believe you remember the ‘douche’ comment..it just makes me mad when he starts harassing the umpires.”

You got that right, LOL, but that’s OK, just don’t get too bent out of shape, will ya. ha, ha. You can’t believe I remembered that comment? If there is a thing as photographic memory I have one. My memory is scary, which makes my kids very careful when they talk to me, because if they lie, then I’ll catch them. Ha, ha.

Roddick wasn’t ‘harassing’ the umpire, he was mad at the wrong call when he hit his ace, and due to the moron, Lahyani, he lost a point. Just remember ALL of the players get into altercations with the umpires, even Federer. I get nervous when I see Lahyani at any one of Roddick’s matches, because Lahyani, IMO, is a star gazer and he misses bad calls, e.g., Paris, but that’s another story. Any player would have been mad. That’s not tantamount to harassment, which is altogether a different type of scenario. Anyway, I had better stop, before someone else, who loves to push things, picks it up and we’ll move off topic. Then I’ll have to rebutt with time violations, and trainer calls, etc., and it’s not what I want to happen.

BTW, I like your humor, so thanks for the laughs.

May 26th, 2009 at 5:08 pm

Von,
you have anything to tell me, e-mail me. This is RG time and people have the right to post in peace and without being subjected to your rants.

zolafan@gmail.com

May 26th, 2009 at 5:08 pm

Zola:

If there’s anyone who can turn off people, it’s YOU. I don’t turn off people, you do. Many learn a lot from my posts. You need to stop, because you chase people away. I left several times because of YOU. You love to harass people to the point of them leaving. Ask yourself this, how many people interact with you, if you don’t initiate the conversation, and you’d find your answer. The polite ones answer, but most of them ignore you. That should be your answer, as to who and what you are. Your problem with me is that I hold my ground and refuse to be caught in your web, which makes you angry, because you’d love to interact with me, but I refuse to do so, and it makes you JEALOUS. Search your heart and you’ll see the truth. You relish in demonizing people by lying, or whatever it takes to win your point.

Dont’ talk about sinking to my level, if you did that, you’d rise a few notches up on the scale. On the other hand, I have to get down to yours, which makes me mad, because your ARE NOT WORTH MY SELF-RESPECT. Now chew on that and don’t choke.

May 26th, 2009 at 5:17 pm

MMT Says:
”
I happen to think the serve to the body is a a great play and I wish more players would use it more often”
I agree.. except when the ball doesnt even touch the floor and goes straight to the opponent’s body :)

May 26th, 2009 at 5:20 pm

Zola;

“This is RG time and people have the right to post in peace and without being subjected to your rants.”

If you wanted peace, you wouldn’t have made that snide remark to FoT. You don’t want peace you love to cause a ruckus. Talking about rants, you ranted so much when Fed won that prompted me to plead with the posters to allow the Fed fans to enjoy their man’s win. Go back to the thread and you’ll see, that it was after that you finally shut up. sheesh.

I don’t want your email. I gave you mine months ago, but you never responded nor did you answer me. Subsequent to that, just a few weeks ago, I also asked if we could leave the past behind, and you again, didn’t answer me. That email you gave is your crafty way of trying to show others you’re being so nice, because you live/thrive on people’s opinion. I, on the other hand, don’t really care what anyone else thinks about me, because to me, everyone is faceless and in my life I wouldn’t be associating with anyone here.

Now that I’ve said what I had to say to you, behave yourself, and stop being so jealous! You’ll end up with a coronary, luv.

May 26th, 2009 at 5:28 pm

Von,
“Roddick wasn’t ‘harassing’ the umpire, he was mad at the wrong call when he hit his ace, and due to the moron, Lahyani, he lost a point”

OK, your memory is really scary…you even remember why he got mad in the first place…. I had to watch the video to remember… anyway, I see all’s been settled between FoT, you, me, and all.. so back to actual tennis talk….
any news on Nadal getting his knee injured?

May 26th, 2009 at 5:28 pm

NachoF: Roddick didn’t do that intentionally; he’s not like that. He served that way at the USO v. Santoro and it wasn’t intentional. I think Fed realized that and it’s why he smiled.

May 26th, 2009 at 5:30 pm

Von,
All maniacs and mentals think very highly of themselves. You are no exception.

How many times did you leave because of me? I remember the last show you put on and you came back after a couple of days and it was because this site had blocked your insults, not because of me.

I wrote my e-mail in my post above. If your eyes are still not blooded with rage and you can read, send me your rants via e-mail and let people post about tennis here.

May 26th, 2009 at 5:31 pm

NachoF:

Our posts crossed. “any news on Nadal getting his knee injured?”

I don’t know, this is the first time I’ve had a chance to post for today, and have not even read my emails perhaps the Nadal fans might know what’s happeneing to their guy.

May 26th, 2009 at 5:33 pm

Zola: I won’t answer you anymore, and it’s not because you’re right as to why I left and came back, and my comments being blocked,etc., as you seem to thin, but good cover up. I came back after a week.

BTW, I noticed you got that article from Tennis.com removed very quickly, I wonder why? Was it because of the ZolaRafa posts where you were really going all out with ashrydta, and you would have been embarrassed? It was funny how you realized it and covered your tracks. I was working very late that night and saw it then I noticed 30 minutes later it was gone. Kudos for a quick retrieval!

BTW, I’m not the one who talks of rage and hate; that’s your department. that’s it for me, I’m done.

May 26th, 2009 at 5:39 pm

Von,
well, it does look suspicious that it was just after a point where Federer had hit Roddick…. heres the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-Z8Zz1aeOM#t=3m43s

It was funny cause it seemed that Andy didnt like it that Fed won the point cheaply

May 26th, 2009 at 5:43 pm

NachoF:

Thanks that was funny. Anyway, that wasn’t the point with the umpire tiff, but I still don’t think Roddick wanted to hit Federer — he’s not that type of person.

May 26th, 2009 at 5:51 pm

jane: “FoT I didn’t know that about Monfils’ opponent. You’re right though that it’s though to gage any player’s form by the first round results – whether they’re playing an unknown or not.”

I’m kinda confused here. What happenend to Monfils’ opponents? Or is it Roddick’s opponent you meant? I thought Monfils played against Bobby reynolds, and if so, did he win?

May 26th, 2009 at 5:55 pm

Von,

FoT made the following point about Monfils this morning:

“Same with Monfils today. He looked fantastic in his win, however, this was his opponent’s FIRST clay match all year and his opponent hasn’t won but a total of 3 matches all year. So it’s hard to ‘gage’ how well he is playing based on who he was playing.”

That’s what I was responding to. Monfils won quite easily today and his error count was unusually low; so, considering that he was injured prior to this event and there was some concern he wouldn’t even play, I remarked on this fact, but FoT responded with the aforementioned.

May 26th, 2009 at 6:03 pm

Von, Monfils did play Bobby Reynolds and the announcers said that Reynolds had not played any clay court tournaments or warm-ups this year so this first round match was his very first on clay for the entire year – dating back to last year’s clay court season. Then they said Bobby had only one 3 ATP tour matches all year. Monfils killed him in their match today – in spite of Monfil’s not being 100% either.

May 26th, 2009 at 6:06 pm

P.S. And my comments were not to take anything away from Monfils. In fact, he did look impressive in spite of his opponent because Monfils himself came in the tournament with some physical problems as well. And he came through in flying colors in this first round. I understand in his interview afterwards he did mention something about his leg gave him a few problems in the match but he fought through it.

May 26th, 2009 at 6:08 pm

Von,

There was recently a piece on the Roland Garros website on Ljubicic (who lost his 5-setter to Ferrero today) and they asked him who his favorite umpire is – guess who he picked! Lahyani! But he added afterwards, “you either love him or hate him”.

May 26th, 2009 at 6:10 pm

jane & FoT:

Thanks for the clarification. I was still stuck in my Roddick mode with his first round match, and didn’t read all of the posts. I’m sad all of the Americans are being picked off one by one, even Odesnik, but with the exception of Roddick, they all had very tough first round opponents. I’d say, due to Monfils’ knee holding up, Roddick is going to have a tough match v. Monfils, if he gets to Round 3. Oy vey time!

May 26th, 2009 at 6:12 pm

jane: That’s true of Lahyani. He’s got an amiable personality, but at times, he makes me so mad when he shifts into his ‘star gazer’ mode, but when he’s on, he’s pretty good. and, as ljuby says: “you either love him or hate him.” LOL

BTW, I saw Bonnie fFrd, with a couple of reporters being interviewed on the Tennis Channel last night, and I was somewhat disappointed in seeing her. I can’t explain it, but I somewhat had a different picture of her in my mind’s eye, and seeing her on TV changed that image. I hope you understand what I’m trying to say. I form these images of some people and then when I see them, they are anything but my vision.

Another conversation I heard between Johnnie Mc and Ted Robinson concerns Djoko. If you recall, I mentioned a few days ago, that I would be concerned if Djoko were my fave with respect to his cramping in his match v. Nadal. Well, guess what, they brought it up as something that should be of concern, and their analogy, similar to mine, if he got cramps after playing 2 sets against Nadal, how will he be able to go to a five-setter? Just some food for thought, and to let you know I was thinking objectively when I commented.
____________________
FoT: I understand your thinking on the first round for Monfils also. It’s one of the reasons I don’t like the draw and I feel it’s unfair to the lower-ranked players, but don’t mind me, it’s one of my pet peeves.
__________________

Zola: My apologies. On second thoughts, thanks for your email, and I’ll write to you. I just hope we don’t get into a humdinger of a brawl. LOL.

May 26th, 2009 at 6:25 pm

To ‘lighten’ up the board. I just got my new tennis magazine and they had a special on “Hunks-to-Husbands” THey asked the readers what type of husbands would these 2 make by asking the readers to respond to which one would most likely to…

(here are the results of the poll)

*…Start a full-fledged pillow fight? Answer: (Andy)

*…Fix a romantic candlelight dinnern for two? Answer: (Roger)

*…Invite the guys over for a poker party? Answer: (Andy)

*…Change their baby’s diaper? Answer: (Roger)

*…Have a joint checking account? Answer: (Roger)

*…Be crowned, “Home-improvement” guy? Answer (Andy)

*…Snuggle, get cozy and whisper sweet nothings? Answer: (Roger)

*…Phone their Mother every Sunday? Answer (Andy)

*…Pose provocatively for a magazine spread? Answer (Andy)

*…Organize their wardrobe closet by color and theme? Answer (Roger)

May 26th, 2009 at 6:32 pm

FoT: That’s super funny and thanks for sharing. LOL.

May 26th, 2009 at 6:37 pm

Here are the ‘hits and misses’ that they are saying in regards to the French Open dress:

Roger Federer: Verdict: Hit
The slate grey and pale blue combination, with an accent of orange, may seem an unusual choice for this understated champion. Yet, Federer manages to pull off the color scheme with aplomb.
The orange accent is a particularly classy touch on the clay.

Rafael Nadal: Verdict: Miss?
Opinions are split on this one. A brave choice, certainly (pink and yellow?!), but Nadal, so sure is he in his masculinity and power, just about manages to pull off this look.
A throwback to an ’80s combination for sure, but at least he will still be seen by his fans if dark storm clouds should fall on Philippe Chatrier court.
Nevertheless, we hope the colors will never be seen together again—it has to be a miss.

Maria: Verdict: Miss?
Given that Miss Sharapova has had plenty of time to think through her wardrobe choices for the rest of the tennis season in her extensive injury layoff, one would expect a better ensemble than this.
There is certainly a “je ne sais quoi” drapery to the look (bed sheet/nightie, anyone?), but Sharapova’s height and grace almost save the outfit.
Nevertheless, we expect more effort at Wimbledon!

Jankovic: Verdict: Hit
An interesting look for Jankovic this year, who never fails to post an excellent ranking in the style stakes.
The cobalt blue looks striking against orange clay, and the detail on the back of her dress is unique and interesting.
A very original look, but Miss Jankovic can pull it off well.

Del Potro: Verdict: Miss
I see a blurred image of vivid stripes. Not much more to say!
Bold? Certainly. Attractive? Perhaps not.
Together with the sleeveless style (come on, only Nadal can make that look good on a tennis court), I sense that Nike’s design team created this ensemble last minute after expending all their creative force on the likes of Nadal and Federer. Surely better can be achieved from the Nike Factory?

Monfils: A reversal of Juan Martin Del Potro’s ensemble, again by Nike.
Yellow with bold blue and white stripes (and a turquoise knee strapping)?
Just no.

Venus: Verdict: Miss?
One certainly cannot doubt Venus’ boldness and audacity with this outfit—and the white top-half does indeed tone down the overall effect of the dress nicely.
However, the skirt looks like it should be worn on holiday, in Hawaii, not at work on the clay, in Paris…

Serena: Verdict: Hit
A slightly quieter ensemble than we are used to from Serena (anyone remember the white trench coat and handbag at last year’s Wimbledon Championships?).
However, Miss Williams certainly knows her stuff—color blocking is a big trend in global fashion—and clearly slate grey is a recurring Nike theme…
Given Serena’s turbulent results at Roland Garros, an understated outfit is perfectly suited to her on-court expectations.

Ana: Verdict: Hit
Yet more blue materialisms on this year’s Roland Garros clay—this time, in a bright turquoise.
Another fashion hit from Miss Ivanovic—clean lines with interesting ruche details, but nothing too extroverted or distracting from her powerful strokes.

From the Bleacher Report

May 26th, 2009 at 6:51 pm

Just checked the OP for tomorrow… Though I’m not a fan of him, I have to say, putting Nadal’s match on Lenglen (as the last one, btw) is really a disgrace!

May 26th, 2009 at 7:28 pm

Anyone saw the Santoro vs Rochus match? Phenomenal! Junkballers, aren’t they? ;-)

May 26th, 2009 at 7:31 pm

Von: Lahyani as a “star gazer”? LOL!

May 26th, 2009 at 7:31 pm

Von,

Bonnie Ford’s picture is often up on the page with her articles at ESPN, so I know she’s a long haired blonde. I don’t know much what she likes but she can write quite well and it’s nice to read a female sports writer’s perspective once and a while.

I actually looked up cramping and it’s rather complicated isn’t it. It can be fitness related, heat related and also related to electrolytes. So they need to make sure they have enough salt to hydrate the body and replace what’s lost in sweat. In addition stress can make them worse because when a player is stressed he or she may sweat more.

Anyhow, I can only hope that even though Madrid was after Djoko hired his new trainer, the new techniques and whatnot will kick in over time.

May 26th, 2009 at 7:38 pm

FoT – thanks for the fashion hit and miss update; I actually agree with most of them. Nike are just a little too over the top at times in my opinion. And I thought Jankovic’s dress was nice when I saw it today; the colour suits her.

May 26th, 2009 at 7:43 pm

Skorocel:

“Just checked the OP for tomorrow… Though I’m not a fan of him, I have to say, putting Nadal’s match on Lenglen (as the last one, btw) is really a disgrace!”

I agree, it’s an abomination and totally disrespectful. I’d bet they have one of the women on Philppe Chatrier? Hamburg was very prejudiced toward Nadal also, and it was probably their downfall, because look what happenend to them. Nadal is a passive-aggressive type, and I’m sure he and his team is not going to let this slight pass unnoticed. I wouldn’t blame them if they retaliated when the FO is over. For now, he should not dwell on it, but after the FO, he should address it and let them eat some crow, big time.
________________
“Von: Lahyani as a “star gazer”? LOL!”

Yes, yes, and yes! The guy’s eyes are always pointed towards the heavens, and sees very little on the ground, where they should really be. He strikes me as someone who thinks of himself as ‘Mr. personality/congeniality’ and on show: A ‘here I am’ kinda guy. LOL.

May 26th, 2009 at 7:46 pm

Von: I would rather say “camera gazer” :-) LOL! That guy simply loves the attention!

May 26th, 2009 at 8:01 pm

Yes, FoT, thanks for the ‘hit or miss’ list of the tennis fashionistas. Seems like a Blackwell list of dos and don’ts. LOL.

My thoughts on some: Sharapova’s dresses always look like her nighties, but because of her height they don’t look too bad. I had a maternity dress similar to hers from the waist down.

Jankovic’s dresses always look like her nighties also, in different colors. She should stay away from the pastels, which look better on blondes than brunettes, and she could add a couple of inches to the length so that her bottom does not stick out so much. I love cobalt blue and wish more of the men would wear the color. that said, jankovic looks better in the new color.

Fed’s slate blue — I love to see men in slate blue suits, and it’s a good choice by his fashion advisers, however, I’d wish they’d add a few more inches to the width since his shirts are too clingy for a male and look like they belong to his younger brother. I don’t like to see men with tight/form fitting shirts, except when they are dressed for formal occasions and wear custom made shirts, but not for sports.

Venus — Fashion mistake. Her clothes look like bargain basement type knockoffs. They say it’s her line of clothing, well, if so, no wonder they went bankrupt. She should invest in some well-made color-coordinated clothes to enhance her slim figure, then she’d be a knockout, both with her tennis and her image.

Nadal — I gave my views yesterday.

Serena and the others: I’ve not seen any of them play, hence I don’t know what their outfits look like.

May 26th, 2009 at 8:01 pm

Skorocel:

“Von: I would rather say “camera gazer” :-) LOL! That guy simply loves the attention!”

he’s narcissistic – “I’m in love with myself, and can’t get enough of me.” It’s why he dimples up and smiles ever so sweetly at everyone. If he wasn’t married, I’d say he’s making eyes at some of the guys. LOL.

Jokes aside, i wish he’d concentrate more on the matches, because he definitely caused some problems for Andy at Paris and he ended up losing the match. Is it any wonder he loses it with the umps. i would too, because they create a certain amount of anxiety for the players.

May 26th, 2009 at 8:05 pm

jane:

I’ve never seen Bonnie Ford’s picture, so before yesterday, I had no idea of what she looked like. I mentioned her to you because you’ve quoted her a few times and stated you liked her. Anyway, I had this image of her being a brunette, well dressed, and very athletic looking. On TV she looked chunky, had her hair very haphazardly pinned on her head, and not dressed, IMO, to be on TV, but just for supermarket shopping.
____________________
Re: Djoko’s cramping, going back to my rather lengthy post, I mentioned Madrid was not hot, hence very little sweating for Djoko, and couldn’t account for the cramps or electrolyees loss. Ergo, my only concluion is that Djoko’s not physically as fit as he should be to battle with Nadal, per the commentators also, in a 3 setter much more a 5 setter, because Nadal will win, if even based on fitness alone.

May 26th, 2009 at 8:13 pm

“however, I’d wish they’d add a few more inches to the width since his shirts are too clingy for a male and look like they belong to his younger brother.”

LOL Yvonne!

May 26th, 2009 at 8:17 pm

Skorocel: “LOL Yvonne!”

No like? Yes, no?

May 26th, 2009 at 8:26 pm

Skorocel, “Just checked the OP for tomorrow… Though I’m not a fan of him, I have to say, putting Nadal’s match on Lenglen (as the last one, btw) is really a disgrace!”

But why? This is not too bad. Every year the top players have played on Lenglen (federer Nadal) in the early round matches. I think if the organizers were going to put him on Lenglen at any point it would be now. This allows the lesser known players to have their moment before the big guns start to dominate.

I agree with you about playing last though coz if any of other matches stretch longer, then his match might get postponed until next day. Three matches have been postponed today….I am sure Nadal would not like that.

May 26th, 2009 at 8:40 pm

“I’d wish they’d add a few more inches to the width since his shirts are too clingy for a male and look like they belong to his younger brother. I don’t like to see men with tight/form fitting shirts, except when they are dressed for formal occasions and wear custom made shirts, but not for sports.”

LOL this is so funny. I guess that’s why people have different tastes. I personally think they look very good on him (and I say this not because I am his fan). Unfortunately I have to agree with you about tightness in some areas, especially the belly area. I think sometimes feds belly sticks out a little, so maybe that’s why it looks a little tight to some people. I guess Nadal shirts look very small too but because of his firm physic no one really notices.

BTW, I have always thought Roddick shirts looks too big on him. Probably the reason why he pulls up the sleeves every time he serves? Don’t know but I think a size or two down would fit him just perfect.

May 26th, 2009 at 9:43 pm

Kimmi: To tell you the truth, I actually like the Lenglen court (since it’s perhaps the nicest No. 2 court from all the 4 slams), but this is indeed too much… Anyway, doesn’t surprise me that much, since it’s more than obvious that the French don’t particularly like certain players here (Nadal or Serena W. comes to my mind)… I mean, I’m not a fan of these two either (hell, I’ll never be!), but that doesn’t mean I will deny their success – which is too big to put these players in such ridiculous circumstances (I’m talking about Nadal’s tomorrow’s match here).

AND the French crowd too is a bit prejudical… I mean, I’m a Fed fan, so it’s nice to see them applauding Fed’s shots more than those of Nadal, but hey, at least be quiet instead of cheering some of the opponent’s errors! Now, I’m not saying it relates only to Nadal (who, as you may know, experienced some ridiculous treatment from the French crowd in that Grosjean match in 2005) or Serena W… For example, in today’s match between Santoro and Rochus, they even booed the Belgian for just “daring” to check the mark after one of Santoro’s shots landed in. Is that fair? I don’t think so…

May 26th, 2009 at 9:55 pm

“I think sometimes feds belly sticks out a little, so maybe that’s why it looks a little tight to some people.”

Fed has very bad posture for an athlete, and he has a paunch, which is somewhat of a puzzlement to me, and one of the reasons, I state he has fitness problems. We never see a fit athlete with a paunch, do we? Overall, I think his shirt needs a bit more room, especially around the middle and butt areas. The designers should use a pleated back waist down, or some side slits, which will allow his shirt to drape nicely, accommodating his paunch, et al. ha, ha.

Roddick needs the upper room for his serving arm, but the designers could ‘V’ his shirts from the arm downwards to the waist, which will show off his rippled abs. Anything else, his shirts look like his older brother’s shirts. LOL. Also, I think Andy likes the larger shirts since he grew up when the boys were wearing those huge shirts and short pants down to their knees, being held up by their belts, around their hips. A funny story comes to mind of one of my friends’ kids, who wore his pants that way, and one day he got up to answer a question from his teacher, the pants fell down to the ground, and he was left standing in his drawers. To make a long story short, the kid did not not attend school for a month from the humiliation. LOL.

Nadal’s shirts, same as Fed, need more width and larger sleeves. I guess LaCoste believes in using more material (Roddick) and Nike believes in saving material (Nadal & Fed).

The botttom line in all of the outfits, it’s sports but the clothing manufacturere’s are turning the players’ clothes into some kind of model runway event and are messing up big-time. anyway, more power to all of them!
_________________
Skorocel:
“Anyway, doesn’t surprise me that much, since it’s more than obvious that the French don’t particularly like certain players here (Nadal or Serena W. comes to my mind)… I mean, I’m not a fan of these two either (hell, I’ll never be!),”

The French are extremely prejudiced and only like the Anglos, same as the Germans, sad to say. Oy Vey!

I just saw the third set of Serena’s match, and the crowd was cheering loudly for her opponent’s wins, and Serena’s errors. Serena was shaken, and cried after the match. I’m glad she didn’t wave to them after the match, because the Froggies need to know they should leave their prejudices out of sports. When will the race thing ever end? I suppose not even civilization can ever change that. sheesh, and sheesh again. sick, sicker, sickest!!!!

May 26th, 2009 at 10:53 pm

Skorocel, Quite strange crowd, I agree. But like what Murray mentioned in one of his pressers, this is what makes the uniqueness on all the 4 slams. The French crowd hostility, if they don’t like you and you happen not to play at your best, they actually put you down instead of lifting you up and if you happen to play with one of their own then lord have mercy. Players need to be tough mentally here he said, and I agree with him. Can you believe how tough Nadal is, going thru all that crap and still finishing the winner-I saw Serena match today, yeah they wanted her to lose big time. But good on her, she did not even wave to the crowd after she finished her match; you can tell she was mad. Players need to deal with it. And that is what they have done over the years. I am sure this will not affect Serena or even Rafa one bit.

May 26th, 2009 at 11:20 pm

After watching Nadal played Daniel the Brazilian, I is very clear he will loose and Roger, the king will return.

May 27th, 2009 at 1:00 am

I must say I thought that federer and nadal were mighty impressive today. Fed was mixing it up really well whilst roddick was serving like a demon.

I didn’t think Nadal was particularly impressive. He looked a bit tired for me. I reckon this year could be his toughest year yet to win the french with djokovic and fed in form….

Grant

May 27th, 2009 at 6:20 am