Who is least likely to reach semis @ Roland Garros this year?

Interesting matches coming up @ Roland Garros.

Nadal vs Ferrer.

Nadal vs Verdasco.

Murray vs Cilic.

Simon vs Cilic.

Del Potro vs Tsonga.

Djokovic vs Tsonga.

Djokovic vs Del Potro.

Federer vs Roddick.

Federer vs Berdych.

Draw possibilities: Roland Garros ’09.

Round	Nadal	Federer	Murray	Djokovic
1st	Daniel	Martin	Chela	Lapentti
2nd	Gabashvili	Acasuso	Scarface	Dabul
3rd	Karlovic	Mathieu	Lopez	Kohlscreiber
4th	Ferrer	Berdych	Cilic	Robredo
Quarter	Verdasco	Roddick	Simon	Del Potro
Semi	Murray	Djokovic	Nadal	Federer
Final	Federer	Nadal	Federer	Nadal

Last year showing @ Roland Garros and the grass courts: Points to defend.

Player	Roland Garros	Halle	Queens	Wimbledon
Nadal	Winner	DNP	Winner	Winner
Federer	Final	Winner	DNP	Final
Murray	Rd 3	DNP	Quarters	Quarters
Djokovic	Semis	DNP	Final	Rd 2

Photos.

What the Big Four are thinking going into Roland Garros. From Phil. Thanks.

PHIL

What the Big Four are thinking going into Roland Garros

Nadal: “Please please please please let me sneak this one through. I’ll be good, I promise!”

Nadal has several things counting against him going into his favourite event. Since the start of the clay season his game has been in steady decline, and while he could maybe shrug off the two o-my-god-that-was-close wins against Djokovic, dismissing his defeat against Federer won’t be as easy as he has been pretending. The “I was tired” and “the courts were fast” excuses are total BS. In Australia he came back after a FIVE HOUR marathon against Verdasco to beat Federer, and those courts were pretty damn fast too. Plus he had to do so in five sets on his least favourite surface. Not being able to reproduce that result in three sets on his beloved clay has got to hurt. Nadal seems to be paying for his stupid scheduling decisions. He should have skipped Rotterdam, Barcelona and probably Madrid to make sure that he is as fresh as he could possibly be before the two biggest tournaments of the year. Even if he can somehow snatch RG again, will an exhausted Nadal have any chance at all in Wimbledon?

Yet despite all of these factors he is still the overwhelming favourite. With Djokovic licking his wounds and Murray reduced to non-contender, Nadal could only face any kind of threat from Federer. He just has to hope that the Swiss is either knocked out before the final or chokes big-time if they actually do meet in the championship match.

Federer: “Bring it on”

While the Madrid win did arguably come under favourable circumstances, there is little doubt that it will give Federer a HUGE boost of confidence going into the FO.
His losing streak against top four players has been resoundingly broken, and the Swiss will be champing at the bit to unleash some serious fury on whoever crosses his path in the semis, be it Murray or Djokovic – he has scores to settle against both. Federer will certainly not be hedging all his bets on a FO win. He knows he is still the underdog by a huge margin. But he knows if he can just reach the finals here and take a set, maybe two, it will be huge. With Nadal running out of steam fast, Federer might already be setting his sights on a prize that is his for the taking: Wimbledon.

Djokovic: “Kill me now”

Without a doubt he took the biggest knock in Madrid. Nadal made 51 unforced errors in their match (FIFTY FREAKING ONE! That’s about 120 for any other player) and Djokovic still couldn’t close it out. Couple that with the fact that Nadal played BETTER the next day against Federer and lost in straight sets makes this possibly the worst loss of Djokovic’s career. Any draw will be a nightmare for the Serbian: Draw Nadal and he will surely be destroyed, draw Federer and he faces a huge grudge match against the resurgent Swiss, who will be looking to utterly mangle Djokovic in revenge for the Rome loss. Look for a fake-out retirement in or before a big match.

Murray: “Bah!”

The Brit’s big talk about being number one by year’s end is looking increasingly ridiculous. He has failed to make any kind of impact in the clay season with no sign of change going into the French Open. The loss against Monaco could perhaps be written off as a once-off bad match, but the Del Potro defeat has got to sting. The Argentine moves like an elephant on clay, and Murray showed how far he still has to come on the surface by completely failing to take advantage of that fact. From here on in Murray has to do seriously well in tournaments to pick up any points at all, and after Wimbledon he is defending a TON of them. After Monte Carlo many pegged him as being the major threat to Nadal on clay this year, but he’ll do well to better last year’s 3rd round result.

Roddick’s ultimate serve. From Esky. Thanks.

I finally got molested. My complex is over.

I went to the hospital for this Vertigo BS, you know that inner ear problem. The room starts spinning around, throwing up etc. etc.

I was on this hospital bed naked in a gown completely drained from the constant throwing up routine. My eyes half shut, I saw this nurse from the corner of my eye coming towards me.

My hands were tucked in resting on my thighs under the gown. This nurse, noticing I am almost asleep, slips her hand in and plays around with my ding dong for a good five seconds.

It was just too quick for me to react instantly. But when I did, she held my wrist and blurted out ‘Just checking the pulse’. I stumbled with ‘Oh, that’s fine’.

I guess they see turkey necks with all three legs hanging in the grave all day. Seeing fresh meat without the wrinkly skin must have turned her on.

Now all I want to now is this: Is there a way to bring that Vertigo thing on – intentionally? Because I had an erection for the rest of the time I was in that gown waiting for another pulse check.

Unfortunately they say Vertigo comes and goes on it’s own. There’s nothing you can do to bring it on or avoid it.

So I am back to stuffing tennis balls and TV remotes up my alley in the hope of another interaction long enough for some explosion. Hospitals don’t look too bad suddenly.

Ever happened to you?

Tyson in comedy. From Mike. Thanks.

MIKE

TP, Mike Tyson’s got a cameo in an upcoming comedy. It looks HILARIOUS! …

Click here for more.

Happy birthday to Mrs. Schop: May 20.

Dangerous floaters at Roland Garros?

-Verdasco.

-Almagro.

-Simon?

-Tsonga?

-Del Potro.

-Straight teletubby.

What top four are thinking, Madrid result will do for them.

Nadal:

Review next year’s schedule to ensure you post a dominating win at an event right before Roland Garros. Losing this way, on the one hand, chips away at your own belief while providing confidence to the field, on the other.

It certainly helped in the ranking race by at least losing in the finals to the closest rival. Had he skipped the event the difference could have been a lot less than about 4000 points today.

Federer:

Just glad to be on the board. Beating Nadal today under any circumstances is a huge boost to confidence. Getting it done right before Roland Garros adds another dimension to it.

Losing to Nadal under these conditions would have been devastating.

Djokovic:

Nadal is beatable – on clay. Have come incredibly close twice already this season. Is it just a matter of landing on the other side of the draw to beat him now?

Can it happen at Roland Garros? I need to get that No. 3 back before it gets out of hand on grass and hard courts.

Am proud of the changes I have made this year.

Murray:

Need to gain enough points at this last clay event to not let Djokovic overtake me for No. 3 rank. Once on grass and hard courts, I should be able to extend the lead.

I am not a contender at Roland Garros, but neither was Federer here. Can my first Slam come on clay – by default?

Funny clip of Matt Damon doing Matt M. From Mike. Thanks.

MIKE

Photos.

This is way too much lovey-dovey BS for my liking. Geeeeezzzz!!!! Or is one trying to upstage the other – quietly?

Request for prayers. From Dalia.

DALIA

Hello everyone,
i know this has nothing to do with tennis or entertainment..but I am just asking for your prayers for that kid..(not because he is the president’s grandson) but because he was a very nice kid,,he used to play soocer in the same soccer school with my brother..
So may his soul RIP..hate to be a party booper!!
I’ll try and get a funny thing to post soon hopefully..
here is the story

Egyptian President Mubarak’s grandson dies

President Mubarak has been in power for almost three decades
The 12-year-old grandson of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has died at a hospital in Paris, the state news agency Mena has reported.

Muhammad Mubarak died on Monday from complications of a health crisis which lasted two days, Mena said, without giving the exact cause of death.

The child’s body has been flown back to Egypt for burial later on Tuesday.

Muhammad was the president’s eldest grandchild, son of Alaa Mubarak, a businessman not involved in politics.

Egyptian state TV has been broadcasting religious songs sung by children as a mark of respect to the long-serving president’s family.

Mr Mubarak’s wife, Suzanne, cut short an official visit to London to be at her grandson’s bedside.

The president will attend the funeral tonight at a military base in Cairo’s Nasr City area.

The BBC’s Christian Fraser in Cairo says the 12-year-old is thought to have had an existing health condition. He was known to be very close to his grandfather.

Eighty-one year-old Hosni Mubarak is thought to be grooming his younger son, Gamal, to succeed him as Egypt’s head of state.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8057173.stm

It’s all going to work out perfectly for Federer. From Arjun. Thanks.

ARJUN

Amazing prediction by Peter Bodo (appeared at ESPN website on May 4th)!!!

Click here.

The Magic Box = The Ugly Box? From Mike. Thanks.

MIKE

The Magic Box = The Ugly Box?

La Caja Magica

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/1584/cm1.jpg

Arthur Ashe Stadium

Call me old-fashioned, but I just don’t get it. Is there really anything “Magical” about “La Caja Magica”? What is this shiny new beast? This cold, impersonal, “multi-purpose venue” monstrosity. I think a more apt description might be “La Caja Fea” as it looks more like a post-modern cliché with all the tell-tale signs of a future-obsessed, self-indulgent architect:

Severe geometric angles. Check.
Harsh metallic color. Check.
Emotionless ambiance. Check.
The “I feel like I’m in an airport or convention center” feeling. Check. (O’Hare’s United Terminal and McCormick Place in Chicago to be specific).

And why are the spectators in the premium seats separated by what appear to be two inch thick, industrial grade, steel slabs with small holes drilled thru them? Hmmm … I thought sporting events were social in nature? Have these seats have been terrorist-proof’ed??

I was pretty excited to see this new stadium when I first heard about it at last year’s Madrid Masters (or what the sponsors and ATP call the “Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open – ATP World Tour Masters 1000”, that’s a mouthful, huh? lol), but overall, The Box’s effect is a real disappointment. It lacks the INTIMACY and CHARM of the world’s truly great sporting venues and it doesn’t reflect Spain itself — a country and culture that positively radiate warmth and affection. And then when you compare it to Centre Court or Chatrier (yes, I know, an unfair comparison), La Caja’s lack of any organic, human-element becomes even more pronounced.

So what should they have done? IMO, they should have taken a page from the architects who’ve designed some of America’s GREAT NEW ballparks, which point to the future, but also give a nod to the past. Specifically, Camden Yards in Baltimore, PNC in Pittsburgh, and Jacobs Field in Cleveland. I think all three are beautiful in that they each have that unique “old-time ballpark” feel to them like Wrigley or Fenway, yet also have all the modern amenities you’d expect from a new stadium and are aesthically pleasing, warm, and nicely integrated into their environments (and not a bad seat in the house!). They each strike a nice balance between the old and the new: modern perks with historic charm. Sadly, I don’t think the same can be said for The “Ice” Box or any of the new “hi-tech” sports venues popping up all around the globe.

But don’t feel too bad Spain (or Australia with Rod Laver Arena). At least you’re not stuck with Arthur Ashe Stadium, which in my view, is the Biggest and Baddest Ugliest of all the world’s slam show courts.

In the case of Arthur Ashe (which surprisingly wasn’t named “The Bank of America Arthur Ashe Stadium”), I find it to be generic, unimaginative, monochromatic (too much blue), and just WAY TOO DAMN BIG for a tennis arena! If you’re stuck with a nosebleed seat at Ashe, you’ll be peering down from a dizzying 120 ft., which is higher than most ballparks that seat over 45,000, and the ball will literally appear to be the size of a pin-head and your Tennis Gods reduced to about a quarter inch tall. It’s RIDICULOUS but I guess they need all the ticket revenue they can get

It’s also excessively corporatized and with the WORST CORPORATIONS. JP Morgan Chase? American Express? Hmmm … do we really need to be reminded of the “banksters” we bailed out to the tune of what will eventually exceed $2.5 TRILLION? Do we really need to see their logos prominently splashed all over the stadium while they, the “banksters”, hobnob in their secluded skyboxes all on taxpayer dime? I think not!

It’s a DISGRACE and there should be some kind of moverment to prevent these banks from sponsoring these events using our money. And in light of watching the classy (and commercial free) unveiling of the new Centre Court on Sunday, and hearing the deeply spiritual “Amazing Grace” sung at it’s epicenter, these bank sponsorships appear even more distasteful and sleezy. I hope JP Morgan Chase and American Express are eventually forced out.

And “new” and “modern” doesn’t have to be pretentious and ostentatious.

Whose result @ Madrid was greater for their career / season?

Report card before Roland Garros.

Joker	Points	Titles	Record	$	Tourn played
Nadal	14960	5	41-4	4,152,860	9
Federer	10470	1	26-6	1,994,252	7
Murray	9020	3	31-6	1,807,305	9
Djokovic	8830	2	37-9	1,784,167	11

Exercise your freaking lungs.

Click here.

You cheap lazy freaking freaks appear to be getting better.

I said ‘appear’ so don’t get too big on me.

Your analyses and comments have more depth and rationale now. That’s ONLY because you’ve been wasting more time on this stupid site. It’s has nothing to do with anything YOU are doing.

You are able to support your arguments with some very convincing evidence. So much so that ‘some people’, not me, can get swayed either way while on a certain post.

It’s also obvious that despite absolute rage and screaming passion in what you believe, you are able to temper your comments to sound borderline acceptable – even to the other party.

I never thought when I first started this crap that lunatics and freaks coming here will have ever any in-depth knowledge of the sport - allowing me to make up stupid stuff to fool everyone.

Not that I am saying that you are all knowledgeable, but you may be just getting started in that direction. Proof? I am still able to get away with tons of nonsensical crap.

Pipe down, will you? I can only go so far in keep generating this BS.

Also I have to admit, unwillingly, that I may have also learnt something from you cheap freaks. Not too much, though. Just a small sprinkle here and there. Quite tiny, actually. And most of it is what you recycled after learning from me.

So it’s nothing.

Good OK job!!!!!!!

Matthew McConaughey?

Whose on-court mannerisms are least elegant?

What’s the ONE tactic that led to Djokovic’s and Federer’s showing against Nadal @ Madrid?

It’s to pound Nadal’s backhand relentlessly. Duh!!!

While this may have been an open secret all along, the altitude, faster court and ‘running on fumes’ Nadal may have made it a lot easier to execute.

Djokovic, in particular, has a great shot at duplicating that performance mainly due to his more reliable and accurate two-handed backhand compared to Federer’s – despite the more Nadal friendly surface at Roland Garros.

He can place the ball with enough pace from his backhand to force Nadal to have no choice but to engage his backhand. Of course, Nadal’s mobility will play into that, but compared to Federer, Djokovic can achieve his goal more often than not.

That’s it. That’s the secret, until Nadal and his camp comes up with a solution.

I think you are barking at the wrong tree, Graf.

Photos.

 

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More award ceremony clips from Madrid.

Nadal vs Federer @ Madrid: Highlights. From Dee .Thanks.

Who is this? First correct answer = Honorable mention.

Award ceremony @ Madrid. From UM17. Thanks.

How can this thing not be an alien? Just look at that freaking head.

Nadal’s on-court interview after losing to Federer @ Madrid.

Sorry, I am married. I don’t carry change.

Is this his face or the back side? Geeeezzzz!!! If it’s the face it’s about to freaking pop. This has to be some kind of wife abuse.