first

dont get cute. go for the break

Vamos!

that is cringe worthy.

i hope to God he's fine...

sods playing well in the 4th set. I really think it is Rafa's serve which is letting him down.

OMG he let baby punter hold...

Vamos! do not get broken please!!!

Please God!! Please!
Vamos Rafa

Why do I fear that the shot of Rafa falling to the clay will be the headline on ESPN.com in a few hours....

ana is booed by the crowd after questioning many calls...

the crowd is behind vika now...

now i know the logic of the french crowd, they love two things, frenchmen and women and upsets!!!

Where are Rafa's feet and wheels today. He slips, he skids, he is not moving as usual.

and rafa is three points away for a 2 sets down in this match!!

Vamos Soderling. Way to keep the fight after so many defeats by Rafa, including the last very lopsided one.

I'm a tad disappointed Cilic couldn't come through against Murray, he really needed to win one of the first two sets, but alas.

Well. I can't believe I'm watching this.

Not done yet.

Sod continues to be the aggressor when Rafa is serving. He's not at all uncomfortable with returning Rafa's serve. That usually trips up most players.....

Sod continues to dictate....amazing.

Rafa is serving to stay in the third set, but even if he holds here Robin doesn't seem like someone that will fail to serve home the set, especially not in this match.

What is going on with Rafa? This feed sucks. I cannot believe NBC is not showing this live, there is no excuse.

Funny that Dementieva was saying Rafa looks tired this year.

I am about to curl up on the floor.

ana surrenders her game with a double fault...

vika serves to go 4 games up!!

I can't believe NBC is not showing this match...

VE:”Why do I fear that the shot of Rafa falling to the clay will be the headline on ESPN.com in a few hours.…”

Could be worse, you could live in Sweden…

Well. Does he have it in him?

Is it just me or do Rafa's legs look a bit weak today. He's had a couple of falls and he's not coming up and out of his wide slides.

now, serena and vee is in a nervous situation, they need to break mattek and petrova to take a lead in this match

*seriouslystrongexpletive* off french crowd!
Pink Panther pumped up. Even alliteration's not cheering me up, and alliteration rocks :(
Vamos, you can do it Rafa!

Yes, Sod is definitely going away as many have said. :)

Rafa. Please. Break. Him.

@ lottis 10:50 True

@ fangorina 10:48, I'm about to join you.

In general, Fed fans are licking their chops like they've never been licked before.

Sods looking very composed. I am really surprised. This is the first time I have sat down properly and watched Rafa in awhile.

*slight hope for Rafa to win. I want to think it will be hard for Sod to close Rafa out even if he wins 3rd, but this doesn't look like our usual Rafa today, and Sod has not really let up? Has Sod missed one return of serve?

sooo much word Emma!!!

Vamos Rafa! break here!!!

"I can't believe NBC is not showing this match..."

imagine what NBC will be saying if Rafa somehow loses this match...

3 set points for the Sod.

Oh man.

Maybe he just has an off day physically. We all have those, why not Rafa? He's such a physical player, he needs all that he has...

sod has three set points!!!

VE, yes, I think Roger fans are more anxious than Rafa fans right now. :)

LOL VE... i can practically hear tongues to chops right abt... NOW

Soderling leads, 2 sets to 1.

Oh God.

What to say. Too good, and Rafa looks paralyzed.

Nobody took two sets from Nadal @ Rg
You will be the first, Robin!
Baby steps.

Sherlock -

We ARE.

I just don't want to imagine a scenerio where Rafa loses early, and Roger doesn't take this FO.

(I bet Djoko is dying a bit inside).

*CRIES*

nooooooooooooooooo

well, something that fed wasn't able to do. Take two sets off Rafa.

Come on Rafa! come on!

Nadal has his 2007/7 HC face on.

Soderling the first person in history to take two sets from Rafa at RG. I'm stunned beyond words. The Madrid tourney will be more cursed than ever now.

He'll come back in five. I know it.

This is shocking. This has to stop. Please Rafa. He can't go out like this, to this guy.

Okay, now i'm really scared. Soderling doesn't seem to be letting up and rafa's fh is MIA. HE CAN'T LOSE TO SODERLING!!!!!!NOOOOOOOOOOO

sod leads 2 sets to one!!!

bad day of the offices of the defending champions!!!

ana serving to breathe for the match, and rafa needs to chew one set to be alive in the set!

Just saw the score in the Ivanovic match. Looks like both the men's and women's defending champions could be out within an hour or so of each other.

Very sad about Rafa. Two sets to one down now, and Soderling not giving any sign of letting up. But playing at this level I don't think Rafa was going to beat Federer in the final anyway. And I really didn't want him to lose to Fed at RG.

WTF Parera?! Shambolic.

Cmon rafa! You can do this...you can do this.

Ohh Boy Ohh Boy rafa is in real trouble now...

Robin takes the third set. If Rafa loses this match, and there is little reason to think he won’t, I hope Roger wins RG so the press can finally declare him GOAT and get it over with, they have waited forever for that day and for Rafa to lose at RG.

Zahra:NBC believes to provide the American viewers a more quality match by delaying it at all cost. LOL

Ok I am seriously surprised. Rafa has won his first 3 rds fairly comfortably so I thought he would be fresher than Sods who played a 5 setter against Ferru.

Woodford is saying how Sods flips out when he usually is down a set but how today he is holding it together.

Ok I am seriously surprised. Rafa has won his first 3 rds fairly comfortably so I thought he would be fresher than Sods who played a 5 setter against Ferru.

Woodford is saying how Sods flips out when he usually is down a set but how today he is holding it together.

Soderling goes 2 sets to 1 up! Is this the beginning of the end?!

@ evie Yeah, I don't think Rafa ever goes back to Madrid if he doesn't raise the trophy on Sunday

Ok.....someone tell me...did Borg quietly help out Magnus Norman and coach up the Sod before this match? Swedish historians just don't want to let go of Borg's magnificent work....they havea sent the Sod to do his dirty work.

Yeah....that must be it.

Don't know what to say....Sod is just dictating the action and not deviating from the plan of attacking Rafa. Rafa is just not forcing Sod to adjust enough. He also has to try and attack Sod's 2 serve...

Well played Sod >:(
VAMOS RAFA!!!!!!!!!

He can do this, a nice five setter will do just fine. Vamos!!!!

W.T.F.

2-1 up Sod.
Pink-panther looks a lot more constipated than usual.

Dark clouds on the horizon? Could this be Rafa's rescuer...

Just for the record, Or was the one who just said something about Rafa's off day physically. Tim will jump in later and start beating on Rafa fans for this.

Or, yeah. If Roger's going to win it, I wish it was against Rafa or Djoko. Oh, well.

Time to buck up, Rafa. Win it in 5 or go home.

Robin maybe not a nice guy. He took some heavy losses from Nadal.
But it was a mistake to make him made. He might just play better, when he is mad - McEnroe disposition.

oh gosh!!! serena and vee in bad proposition too!!!

the french open will lose it's spirit...

oh no, no rafa, no ana, no venus, no serena?

omg!!

Nobody takes 2 sets from Rafa during the clay season period.

Vika challenges a call wrong...and Ana wins the next few points for the game...momentum???

Morning, all.

Just sticking my head around the door.Yesterday, I wrote that even had Acasuso taken a second set from Federer, which at one stage looked very likely, he'd still need to win a third. That's the case this morning, as well.

Ana serving 0-4
error by Ana 0-15
FH error by Vika 15-15
2nd serve, Ana shot is close to the line, Vika stops the point, the chair ump says its in,
hello boo birds 30-15
FH winner by Ana 40-15
nice DTL return, forces the error from Ana 40-30
2nd serve, Vika misses the FH wide
game Ana 1-4

If anyone can pull this out, it's Rafa. Please Rafa, please. This would just be so undignified.

oops, that headless post at 10:56 was by me.

Upset of major proportions is brewing up. Though 4 years I sincerely prayed for Rafa loss before finals, it would be a shock for him to lose so early in the FO. Somehow all the intrigue will be lost, and (I dread this) Fed can lose to Murray in the finals. So vamos Rafa, take these two sets.

my heart is sinking. this doesn't feel good. soderling's game is incredible today.

[I just don't want to imagine a scenerio where Rafa loses early, and Roger doesn't take this FO.]

Exactly, Or! Exactly Sherlock.

That would be so much worse than Rafa just winning as usual ;-)

I love Rafa. I just wish he'd lose to Fed IN THE FINAL.

Hmmmmm, Rafa is gonna have to find the next level of his game if he wants to get thru this, cos, as s/one said earlier, Soderling ain't goin' nowhere any time soon!

Can't watch but am sure Rafa's giving everything he has today. He might be outplayed, but he won't be outfought.

VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Opening at 0-30 for B/N as Bethanie hit volley winner

Bethanie and Nadia has very good chemistry.
Katarina Srebotnik will have to find another partner when she returns from injury

0-40 Bethanie won the volley exchange with Serena
B/N breaks as Bethanie hit the smash for the winner

Nadia serving for the match 7-6(4),5-7,5-3

I'm glad Azarenka's winning though, I am not a fan of Ivanovic, she was the lamest No. 1 in a long time.

I'm a FedKAD ... and I can't say I'm as anxious as I am shocked.

Realizing that ... looking back, Rafa was a tie breaker away from being knocked out of RG in straights. Add that to Nole's early exit ... and as a fan of Tennis, I'm more dumbfounded than anything. But .... it's a long way from over.

Ana will drop out of top 10 if she loses today right?

Of course he can do this people, keep the faith! (said the girl who can barely look at the scorboard right now, let alone watch the match)
Vamos kiddo! Don't make me drink tonight! :)

Go Robin go, I told you guy how well Scandinavians can play. It's in our blood since the days of Borg. I'm getting so excited that a Swede can take Rafa out. Sorry to the Rafa fan, but I can't contain myself. Go Swedish tennis!!

Could it be that today history will be changed??will today Rafa's perfect numbers crumble??? I hope not

Wow. Rafa served at 92% in the last set and still lost.

I know it won't matter in the history books, but as a tennis fan if Federer wins this French Open to hit 14, it won't feel as good as if he beats Rafa to do it, period.

VE, I thought that Dementieva's comment about Nadal was interesting too. She's a player so maybe she sees something we don't? Kuz made an interesting comment about Nadal and Fed too.

come on baby. play like that. do not lose your serve. please break robin and take this the distance.

If Rafa doesn't change tactics here, it may be because he can't: ie, he is hurt. Knee is worse. And he ia playing a guy playing like Verdasco at the AO. Oh wait, Rafa won that match. KEEPING HOPE ALIVE.

Good hold to start the 4th. Baby steps. :)

Gutsy Soderling! He's in a constant aggression against Nadal..
Seems like the Paris crowd wants a different champion this year

[Kuz made an interesting comment about Nadal and Fed too. ]

what comments, Bobby?

Wow...lot's of strange stuff happening this RG.

Kiwibee LoL not that's not very cool of them though i so want to watch this match life...

Rafa fans, believe in your man.

I still think he'll do it. This is the kind of match he was born to win.

2 break points at 15-40 for WS as Nadia DF
30-40 Venus nets volley
So far, Serena is playing well in this return game
WS breaks as Venus hit FH return for winner

Serena to serve 6-7(4),7-5,4-5

don't know whether i'm happy or sad that i hooked up with tw -- vb is completely incommunicado for any sort of activity......and forget tv.

grudge match? i cannot believe rafael would let the Sod take his crown from him, but apparently here it is happening in front of many faces i cannot see. i can't even imagine the whole scenario. and dammit, if this nasty person beats rafa then i hope he can hold it together to go all the way through.

back to the game calling.....

That's the spirit AC!

Cmon rafa! BP now.

williams to serve to stay in the match!!!

Sherlock -

Murray is good enough.

Look, I rather see Rafa going out to a nobody than to Murray or Djoko. Soderling, should he win here, will probably never have such a magical day in his tennis career. It won't matter. Now, if this was Djoko to beat Rafa, everyone would say they accomplished something Roger could not.

Roger remains to date the only one to beat Rafa on clay in a final. Djoko and Murray haven't. That's all there is to it.

And as I speak, Sod is a couple of BP down.

Break Break Break. Please!