Fed better win RG now. wont take anything else. get this friggin number 14 and be done with it Fed. LOL

I hope this is not an omen my Serena is going to lose soon...that one isn't even a strech! Gooo Rena! lolol

Robin deserve all the respect in the world. He did what Berdych and Andreev couldn't do to Roger, he did what Nalby, Djoko and Nando couldn't do to Rafa. Play well and close him out.

And not on his best surface, either.

one loss does not change what nadal has accomplished in tennis. he will be back winning more slams. sorry to rafa fans.

New Overflow post going up. I have a feeling TypePad could do with the help.

the question is can sod keep it up? he played a great match but can he sustain this level?

that's what makes the feds and nadals so special.

okay, roger, here's your window baby. you better take it.

Rafael Nadal has never been stretched to 5 sets at RG, and he still has not. So, this defeat is great in the sense that it is still not five sets.

Wow... that was dramatic. I didn't even think about how much I dislike Justin Gimelstob for at least 60 minutes.

Sadly, that has passed and the evil voice is back coming from my TV.

that sucked. there was nothing good about that. it just sucked. i don't even want to watch the rest of the tournament now. hopefully roger will win. that's all i have to say.

Nadal messed with a Swede. He payed the price.

... Oh my... Commiserations to Nadal fans...

That's why doing a repeat, let alone 4-peat, is such a hard feat... The combination of factors on any given day can be overwhelming...

-Early Round (no rythim)
-Fresh from a disappointing loss (in Madrid)*
-Overly motivated opponent (Soderling)
-Free-swinging opponent (Soderling)
-Off day (Nadal)
-Crowd against you (Tha French)
-A lot of Pressure (No1, possibility of 5-peat)

*not a big loss, but surely Nadal was disappointed for going down that easily.

Rafa played Madrid because he had to. However, Barcelona was optional. I don't think he should have played there.
The great players have to face a painful loss every once in a while and it was Rafa's time. Maybe Verdasco can step it up, or myabe it will be Murray's time to win his first slam. That would be nice.
At least I have Serena to cheer for (lawd don't let this be a jinx!) LOL!

With Rafa's gone. I don't want to say anything about Roger's chance. Just want to pray that Roger will have a great tournament.

Go Roger!

Holy FS! I know I'm on a lot of drugs in the hospital here but did that really just happen?

HUGE condolences to Rafa fans. I know this must hurt badly, esp. to Soderling (and I suppose, congrats to Soderling fans, if there are such folk).

Holy FS! I know I'm on a lot of drugs in the hospital here but did that really just happen?

HUGE condolences to Rafa fans. I know this must hurt badly, esp. to Soderling (and I suppose, congrats to Soderling fans, if there are such folk).

This is only good for Soderling's career if he can turn it into something. Otherwise he is just the random guy who beat Rafa once at Roland Garros.

in his London Times blog, Rafa said yesterday that he was starting to find his feet. Wrong. He left his feet in the London Times blog. *cries.

My apologies, I forgot to congrats the Fed fans. Look out when Tim starts posting. He sure has been waiting for this one.

Thanks for the genuine commiserations from Fed fans and FOOP. Means a lot. Rafa has a week off he didn't expect to have. Hope he takes a nice vacation and clears his head. Gonna try to make something of my Sunday...its a beautiful day outside.

believe it or not, it's all the nice things the fed fans are saying to us that's making we weepy!

thanks, guys.

i'm actually crying a little.

I'm for Fed all the way, but I am still amused at the panic that must be going on at NBC Sports this very moment.

They were hoping - praying - for another installment of Federer-Nadal - and they get . . .

Monfils-Verdasco?????

Serves the embargoing bastards right.

yesterday nole...tdy rafa.....i cannot take this anymore....can we have a refresh button for this tournament??????

thanks for the warm commiserrations.

though i must say, Fed fans are sooo lucky to not have seen him lose before the semis of a Slam in 19 straight appearances...cos THIS is what hell looks and feels like.

"By the way, Djokovic has just sent a gift basket to Soderling for taking the attention off his own loss."

Haha, Sher. Just what I was thinking. Nole's loss seems like a minute speck compared to this.

Would love for Kolya to take this thing now. Far-fetched, yes. Not impossible, anymore.

Why did nadal come to the net so much? He can't volley.

Hugs to fellow Rafa fans. But don't do this to yourself. You can't personalize this loss.

To be very bluntly honest, I've always felt that Rafa is too possessive about the clay season points.

You can't win everything before RG. Give it up! Give up Barcelona. Give up Madrid.

And now he and Nole, the two best players of pre-RG are out.

You can't do this to your body, to your mind, to your spirit.

You can have anything you want but you can't have everything you want.