It would be good if we knew the point scores if the commentator would give the point score rather than chatting through the bloody games - idiots

I love the Nadal's new outfit. That's fashion. Hope to see him reasing the AO trophy wearing the nice pants. With his great game he can wear what ever he wants, who cares!!!!

Karen lol! I agree

I now know all about Sam Groth a aussie tennis player and where he went in 2009

AM, indeed. I have to confess that I kind of tuned out the whole interview

Carol,

Yes, I agree! If you can't be fashionable and trendy at the age of 23, then don't bother!

Just listening to the Great Aussie player Neale Frazier who said he won Wimby about 50 years ago lol!

He said he would like to see players today Mix it up More,s/volley more.

Alicia you had a double break???

Sally breaks back

Goodness me we have now Sallys uncle in a interview LOL!!!!!!!!!!!

Alcica Molik defeated Peers

Hang on these guys are too interested in talking than the score

Still didnt hear the final score

Carol and Lynne

I know we have to move on with Fashion

I still love Rafa the best in sleeveless tees's

Mr. X at 4:54: I'll try to add some of that info to the Countdown in the future.

Aussiemarg: Think we all do, it was a great look for him. But he has said that it has gone for good or words to that effect so we will just have to use our imagination!

Lynne As long as they dont put in a Pink shirt for RG

I also love the colour Red on Rafa

Well Peers should be able to make it on the WTA Tour, she just double faulted on match point. Welcome to the big leagues. I have to confess that I was never a big fan of Molik's game. All that backhand slice. I think I saw her hit 2 top spin backhands during the match, but I could be wrong. Anywho going to watch a bit of the boys action and then off to bed. Take care guys and continue to play nice.

AM: Yep, red and orange look great on him. I hope some of the girls have better dresses for next year. This year has not been the best for dresses as they have been far too fussy. Stick to simplicity, I say.

Hola everyone

Just a quick drive by, love the pic of JJ and glad to see that Yanina and Xavier will be allow to play so all good news.

AM I gather you are watching AO playoffs on stream.

Am and Lynne I loved Rafa in sleeveless too

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y-6Zh_-wd8&feature=related

AA Yes,Alicia won in three sets over Sally Peers

Casey on in striaghts over Holland earlier.I didnt see that match

Tomic is coming up a bit later

ugh sorry this new redesign is a dud, all white, nothing distinctive about it at all, nothing 'pops' anymore, where's the drama? lol

Also Carsten Ball is not playing due to a injury

Chris Guccione has a Achilles injury

Tim I can always rely on you for Drama

We need no colour when your around

You provide us with everything and then some

Hehehe AM, well said!!!!!

Tim: What can you possibly want to "pop?" The design is great!

15.

That popped out quickly.

So what's the complaint?

OK guys I'm really tired, my wonderful bed is waiting for me

Nite everybody

Pete,
I watched Federer practice from close quarters at Indian Wells this spring. He was relaxed and hardly practiced seriously. He hit a few balls and was trying wierd shots and never looked serious. This quite opposite to your post which reads "Somehow, most players (Roger Federer is one of the outstanding exceptions) are visibly looser..."

Night Carol!

I'm going to "pop" off to bed too. Night all.

Nice post Pete! Even though in my home country of Serbia, Ivanovic has always been more favored, I've always liked JJ more. This girl is so complex and sponteneous and deserves a lot more credit for her contributions to the wta tour. Brings so much energy and enthusiasm...I believe '10 is her year, she will finally prove many wrong who made those hasty conclusions while she was ranked #1.

Pete, I enjoyed your description of Ms. JJ as "no-nonsense sporty, in an elegant way". :) I'm also glad you asked her about doubles. Considering her mixed doubles GS, I'm surprised she didn't play a bit more doubles this year.

jb, good point about whether Belgians and others will actually mean less pressure and, thus, better performance for JJ. I wonder if it will be the same for others and whether they'll shine as a result too.

LJChiTown, are you from Chicago? Had to ask seeing as how misery loves company. :)

well i guess rafa kids who think he looks good in clown pants and lime green shirts would prob like the 'design' which is basically just all white background with text on the page... my opinion remains... unchanged...i personally just think the techie department clicked the wrong box and went to the ' blank' design by mistake

Tim Us Rafa kids are slick,modern just like our boy

Hey even with the "checkered clown pants"

Yeah we can get down and boogie with the best of them,methinks.

Hello all!
Where are you guys watching the matches now? Could you give me the links please?

Btw, where these articles by Pete and Steve always classified under the title "blogs"?

RG Nadal Hola,the matches are finished for today.I missed Tomics match cause I had a doctors appointment.I hope to catch him tomorrow.

Morning, everyone. :)

Oh...matches are finished? I was hoping to catch a bit of the wildcard streaming. :( Must wake up earlier!

AM: We were talking about JJ yesterday and today we see an article on her! And there is that nod to Jamie too in the article!!!!

Saw this: http://bit.ly/6F8mGo

jewell: Hi there!!!

RG You must have sixth sense lol!

Happy for Xavier and Yanina! Or is it a lil too early to feel like that? Hope they get to play AO 2010.

Hi rg. :) JJ winning a slam is also on my wish list for next year - not that I'm expecting her to. ;-)

Jewell: This is for you- *Murray alert* : http://tweetphoto.com/6423695

RG I think they need w/cards to get into the AO,not sure I will check with MA

Good morning,

Time to rant. Mr. Agassi is in Amsterdam (yesterday and today) and gets a whole page in the newspapers today with interviews about his book. When Roger and/or Rafa win Roland Garros or Wimbledon they get a tiny space. Give media dirt and they'll run out of space.

Anyway, Agassi praises his father as "a fair, honest, loyal and caring man. He always had in mind the best for me though he had his own shortcomings. I hated tennis but I've always loved him. The big difference between us is dat his definition of success is different that mine. He was chasing the American dream, I wasn't".

Agassi also said that he went to Bollettieri's academy to escape from his father's control.

Tomorrow he goes to Paris, following his European tour.

AM: Lol.
W-card for Yanina too? Is she not ranked high enough?

I think I read that Wicky wanted a WC for the AO, so she must need one, or could she go through qualifying?

Thanks, rg, they all look very relaxed. :)

Rafa has a new outfit? *off to find pictures*

And I looked outside and I'm going back to bed. Everything is white. Temperature -8 C.

Rafa's new gear: http://bit.ly/6mK5Aa

Hi zenggi! Did it snow?

It's still pitch dark here, but I think it will be cold out, although not as cold as you.

Hi jewell :)

Frost. A lot. It may snow later. I hope not because I have to travel today.

Thanks, rg.

Well, he always looks good in red...but I'm not sure about those shorts. Oh well, he did ok last year in the sparkly shorts, so I don't suppose it matters much. :)

I hope the weather stays clear for you, then, zenggi. :)

Rafa's website,December 15th,2009.

The Capitala World Tennis Chamionships,which begins on the 31st of December and goes till the 2nd of January is all set for the arrival of its start in a couple of weeks in Abu Dhabi after they revealed the official draw of play on Monday.

Rafa begins his 2010 campaign against the winner of Tsonga and Davydenko.In the other side of the draw,Roger Federer,Robin Soderling or Warwrinka could play him in the final.

In the meantime,Rafa has been working real hard back home where he has been training with 22 yr old british No 4 James Ward.

He has no plans to take it easy during the hoiday season and simply,his objective is to regain the ryhthm and confidence that helped him take his game to the next level during the last two years.

zenggi: Hola there!!

jewell: Welcome. Red is good. As for the shorts, will take me a long time to get used to them.
As for Murray, hope he does not over-train and also hope that he is practicing his forecourt game.

Rg I have seen Rafa's new outfit for 2010 at the AO before

I love him in Orange

No comment on the shorts

Seeing I will be up close with him I will indeed get a better view of the Shorts

Thanks for that, AM...I worry that he's working too hard, but I guess he feels he needs to.

Was watching the Wimbledon highlights of 2004 yesterday. Poor Tim! Thought it was Grosjean who beat him, then I saw that he lost to Ancic in the quarters.

Seconding the "Poor Tim!"...although actually, he didn't do too badly.

AM: So we can expect truckloads of Rafa pics form you.

Rg Nadal Well hopefully,last time I saw Rafa at the AO my camera faulted somehow

Though I got to talk to him and get his auto graph.I stayed at the Crown where he stays and Uncle Toni and he were right near me.Though I didnt pester them.They were talking and it was his off time as well.He always gives enough time to his fans.

AM: You lucky girl!

Well, I am going to work, see you all later. :)

jewell: Tata!

Oh I'm sooooo curious to know how Nadal is going to start 2010. Previous year's pre-clay successes:

2006 Dubai
2007 Indian Wells
2008 ---
2009 Australian Open, Indian Wells

In 2009 he had the HC confidence of 2008 Toronto and the Olympics in the not-too-distant past....

No matter how well he turns things around over the off-season, I think defending AO will a step too far at this stage. I think he's going to be *very* careful not to over-stress his body this side of Wimbledon. He said in one of his Q&As in The Times that he would prefer to regain Wimbledon than complete a career slam at the US Open.

Cotton Jack Wimby is Rafa's fav tournament.He was upset this year that he could not defend his title there.So it makes sense he wants to reclaim it.Though I want him to reclaim his RG title first.

In regards to the defence of his AO title if you remember his knees went on him at the Paris Indoors tournament and had to retire in his match against Koyla.He ddint partake in the YEC last year.

No one can him any chance of winning the AO at all.He played lights out tennis and won.The plexicushion at the AO suits his game for one.

I would never write him off.Champions also have a way of making you eat Humble Pie.

Also beware the Wounded Bull.

Another thing too he has reached the s.finals two years in a row at the US OPEN

This time being with a ruptured ab muscle.

Those shorts are horrendous to put it politely. What's with the new trend of tight-fitting shorts? I don't like it.

VC Get with it man

They are the new Hip thing lol!

aussiemarg : The T-shirt is good though. I prefer Federer's 2006-style outfits - collar-less T-shirts and slightly looser, simple shorts. Djokovic usually looks good but I don't know what Sergio Tacchini will give him.

VC Italiens are known world wide for their Fashion

VC I like the brand Fila.I recently brought some stuff from them.I like their fabrics and colours too.

I must admit I always think Roger looks good in anything Nike put him in

Though I will forget about the Sgt.Peppers Miltary styled jacket he wore.Yikes!

Federer's outfits are starting to get a bit boring for me. In the French Open particularly, his outfit was so drab, I almost wish they had put him in some outlandish costume to remember it by!

VC You dont think Roger can win another RG title

AM - I'm not very interested in semis, only victories (see Henman, Tim) :-)

I'm not writing anyone off, merely trying to work out what to expect. I certainly think the AO court suits him a lot more than the London WTF surface, but nonetheless his defending his AO would count as a slight surprise (though less of one than RF defending his FO!) given his previous patterns. Winning at Indian Wells, on the other hand, strikes me as being a step above a definite possibility.

Rather than making predictions, I like to see what the preceeding patterns are, and then enjoy results that deviate from that ... but I'm going to make this one prediction:

IF Del Potro can move his consistency to the level his play deserves, then every HC tournament this year is On His Racket. (From his post-WTF interview, I got the impression that RF feels the same)

Cotton Jack The point with Rafa making the semi's at the US OPEN,no offence to the Great Tim Henman of course lol! was if one follows his patterns he usually goes one step further and taking the tournament.To me if Rafa wins the US Open he can get his career slam at the age of 24 some feat.I had to sit and watch my idol Borg go there time after time and fail,well thats another story lol!

The plexixushion in my mind suits Rafa better than the surface at IW.

Del Potro is great on a h.court,though the plexicushion as we have already seen him on does not.Remember the canning Roger Federer gave him.Though that is not to say he cant adjust to it.

aussiemarg : I would love to see it, but clay is a young man's surface (I see Cotton Jack agrees with me). If you told me right now that Federer will win just one more Slam in his career, pick any one, I would take RG without a doubt.

Also mind full of the fact,the draw in any GS is vital.

VC I dont really agree there.Clay suits the player really that has the Game for clay

I also agree that when Del Potro plays well, most of the matches on HCs are on his racquet. It's interesting to see that Murray seems to handle him better than Fed and Rafa on HCs, I'd also like to see more Djokovic-Del Potro matches. I think he will be much harder to beat this year at the Australian Open, he seems to have made a huge mental breakthrough after that double-bagel Federer gave him.

Gee Andre Agassi won at RG he must be considered old and had it lol!

The great Chris Evert has won the most titles on clay

Well Del Potro to me needs more fitness in his approach.

Pacing one self is the key to winning.Especially at GS level.

Oh yes, Delp's caning at the AO last year ... far from forgetting it, it made me underestimate him for the rest of the year. I think something within Delp grew up subsequent to that performance, and the proof of that was the US Open final.

If Rafa is to win a US Open final, he needs to produce a year that doesn't follow the pattern of 05, 06, 07, 08 & 09, a year that has more than just one plateau of excellence based round a clay-court season (or find a way of extending that plateau to a period that covers more than two slams)

And if he does successfully deviate from the patteren of those five years that will be Very Interesting Indeed.

Well 2010 is for me where Murray has to stand up and be counted

aussiemarg : I'm going more by the "trend" since the '90s, most of the players who won RG did it in the early part of their careers, with the exception of Agassi, Albert Costa and Federer...

Well I dont believe for a start that tennis should be in the Olympics

Rafa was on a roll in 08,he won the gold medal at the Olympics on the same surface as the US OPEN.

If Murray succeeds in Standing Up and Being Counted, I will be Mildly Surprised, as well as Very Pleased :-)

VC - I make no claim towards knowing that Clay is a Young Man's surface! I really haven't watched it enough to have an opinion on that

VC Well yes you can look at some of those players,though I still believe its the way you play your game on clay.

if one is brought up on clay,there lies the big difference straight away.

Cotton Jack : I was only referring to the part where you said Federer was unlikely to defend his title there.

VC Again it depends on the draw,Roger to me is the 2nd best player on clay when he is on his game.

Roger this year has the chance to be the only player in open era to reach five consecutive FO finals!

Yes that is some record in itself

Gotta to go now... just want to marvel at how many unknown quantities there are this year:

1. RF: where exactly lies his motivation now? (eg any left on clay?)
2. RN: fitness issues - are they all in remission atm?
3. Djok: ahem?!
4. Del Potro: is he going to do what he might?
5. Murray: is he ever going to be a GS player

Roddick, Soderling, Davydenko: these are all players who could earn places in GS finals.

I'm EXCITED!

Ta ta.

In regards to Novak,I was disappointed in his play at London.Though I think Todd Martin being on his team has brought changes into his game.

He is playing Kooyong for the first time.Though he has to arrive early and get used to our heat.

Geat list Cotton Jack

Bye for Now

Well I am going to hit the pillow myself

I will be watching the play offs tomorrow again with interest

Bryon Klein the top seed in the mens division was beaten again today.He will be hoping that other results go his way or else he wont be making it to the q/finals at all.

The same with the womens top seed,Olivia again was beaten today.

Hmmph. Come here this morning and find that just as the ITF dropped the L years ago, Tennis has now dropped any bit of green, substituting YEC/WTF court bluish tones. Clearly there'll never be a revitalized grass court season now.

Though I have to say, the design *is* easier to read.

Yanina(and Xavier) has to ask for a wildcard as the AO entry list did not include her(him) after the Belgian Federation(upheld by ITF) suspended her(him) for a year.

hi, everyone

Svetlana Kuznetsova was awarded "The Athlete of the Year" in Russia. The other candidates were Safina, Kanaeva, Kanis'kina, Zayzeva, Efimova and Isinbaeva.

Congrats to Svetik! :-

Hantuchova's outfit for AO:
http://www.gotennis.ru/news/?p=32470

Masha's schedule for the first half of 2010 (from her site):

Thailand
Hong Kong
AO
Memphis
Indian Wells
Miami
Charleston
Marid
RG
Birmingham
W

"Svetlana Kuznetsova was awarded "The Athlete of the Year" in Russia"

female athlete of the year that is, there was another winner for men :-)

Hiya
Here's another ditty from the 2009 Yello Fuzzy songbook

I will survive
sung to the tune of ' I will Survive '
performed by Gloria Gaynor

here's a link to the melody
tinyurl.com/o5fua8

at first I was alone
I was at the top
kept thinking my slam tally would never stop
but the last 3 springs in Paris
Had my chance to wear the crown
I would leave town
losing in the final round

and now I'm back
to claim my place
I'm determined to leave Paris
with a smile across my face
I should have won here years ago
I should have earned the French trophy
If I'd known my career would end
with me crying and shanking

I will go
and try once more
I won't look back now
try to forget last years score
Mirka's about to pop my best days have gone by
I won't crumble
I won't lay down and die
not this guy

I will survive
as long as I know how to run
my French hopes are alive
I've got 13 slams already
at the French I don't have any
I will survive
I'm still alive, hey hey

(disco instrumental)

It'll take all the skill I have
to avoid the frazzle
kept my eyes on the prize
trying to revive my dazzle
I spent o so many nights
dreaming of a French victory
more sleepless nights
but GOATHOOD never left my sights

now here I am
there's something new
after two weeks at Roland Garros
where's that Rafa dude
I've been waiting for this moment
Rafa in pink for five denied
a sacrificial lamb from Sweden
I think I'm in heaven and died

I will go
and bring my serve
I'll even dropshot
I will forget to bring my nerves
this Soderling is done, two five setters I have won
I won't shamble
no way I will lose to this guy
O no not I

the French is mine
even the rude French crowd is behind me
I know this is my time
this is my chance to win this
and make tennis history
I feel alive
14 is mine , O

I will go
and try once more
I won't look back now
unless some jerk runs onto court
I wish Rafa was here, O hell that is a lie
I won't stumble
I won't lay down and die
this is my time

oops heres the link to the melody

http://tinyurl.com/o5fua8