First!!!

Nadal's steady consistency beat out Tsonga's inconsisent, though spectacular game. The reason Fed beats Nadal on fast surfaces is due to his focus more then his game.

Tsonga proved everyone he is right there.

Is right there means "Top 10", "top 5" or title contender - it is a big question.

What do you think the French would do should Rafa run into Tsonga at the French?

3rd!! This prob one of the few times I'll be this early on a post...lol.

Anyway Pete, lovely post. I know you're always complimented on ur posts but boy do you impress me time and time again with these gems you write. So many points to make...where to start??

Random drawings: never really thought abt that much. Funny how players get to bump into each other more regularly than others but then again if you're a top player u end up playin the same people, the only difference is you play them at the stages when everything is on the line. It'll be interesting to see the various Tsonga-Nadal and Tsonga-Djoko match-ups this yr.

Tsonga's play: Pete, are u saying that his lack of focus might be his downfall? I didn't watch this match but if that's what you're implying then I'm not surprised my JetBoy ran back from the dead to take this match. Nadal is one of the most focused players to grace this game.

OF COURSE Nadal was seeking revenge. What player doesn't want to knock the socks off an opponent who beat them previously??

And on a side note, why does that 2nd pic of Bongo (who gave him that nickname btw?? pretty funny) with part of his hairy stomach peeking out look kinda....dare i say it??....eeeww?

Thanks, Pete. I should have learned (as though I didn't know anyway, but this seemingly interminable hardcourt season is tough for someone who wants Rafa to do well - roll on the clay and grass seasons!) from watching the Seppi match in Rotterdam (which Rafa lost in three sets after taking the first) that regardless of how well the other guy was playing, he would try to fight every point. He managed to recover a break in that third set by sheer determination, in one very hard-fought Seppi service game, and hold his own - then Seppi kept his nerve and focus for long enough to serve out the match - Rafa had allowed him the luxury of an insurance break.

It has to be said that in the Seppi match, Rafa lost concentration big-time at the start of the third set, and it proved very costly. Reportedly he was distraught afterwards - took him a long time before he got to his press conference, and I think I recall Richard Krajicek was also quoted saying how upset Rafa was over the loss. And, he has admitted that his confidence wasn't great, coming into Dubai - and I don't imagine that the Roddick match did him any favours there.

I also imagine that he was distraught about the loss to Tsonga at the Australian Open. which (let's face it) was a destruction. So, there was a lot at stake yesterday. However, he did say at after the AO loss something to the effect that he congratulated Tsonga for his play that day, but he also said at the presser (when questioned) that he wasn't sure whether Tsonga could keep up that kind of level.

The quote from him is "So when you are playing like this every ball is going to the line. Every ball is going inside. Is not the real level I think. Is not his real level. Sure, he can play like this, but not every week. It's impossible, no? Right now he's -- what's his ranking now?" See http://www.asapsports.com/show_interview.php?id=47256 for that post-AO loss presser.

I was guilty of thinking that the recent confidence issues might get to him yesterday, but I was happy to be proved wrong - his big-time experience counted after all. Am just praying that yesterday gave him enough confidence to take on Blake and win tonight. Though, thanks to the pesky scheduling, I won't be able to see it live, as it's the night match. And then, there's also the fact that this was a three-hour match (shades of that tremendous three-tiebreak near four-hour match in Chennai earlier this year in the semifinal against Moya, which left him drained for the final, and took him to his worst-ever career defeat), and it looks as though Blake's match over Gasquet was an easy one.

The only difference is that the match against Moya contained a lot of long, punishing rallies (except in the parts when Moya reinvented himself as a netrusher), from two players who know each other's games intimately - the points last night were on the whole shorter. But in both cases, the mental energy needed was significant (I think in Chennai four match points were saved in set 2, and there was a recovery from a break down in the final set.

ach blast u Or =). So much for being 3rd. And very interesting question u raise abt them meeting at the French....hmmm....OOH THE DRAMA!!!

Oh and it's such a shame abt Monfils. I had such high hopes for him. What exactly is his up with him? injuries? overhyped-ness? I'm so confused.

"But over the next few points and games, Tsonga’s game degenerated; his focus softened to about what you get in a tacky soft-core porno movie."

--------------------------------------------------------------

I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry at this quote, Pete. Pls help me out.

I don't think Tsonga's game is so well-suited to clay as to hard courts (big serve, big forehand). I also remember reading something about Tsonga, to the effect that he himself doesn't focus too much on clay. If I can find it, I'll post the link to the article. The more interesting threat (if we're talking about Rafa) would come on grass. I watched him take out defending champion Lleyton Hewitt at Queen's Club last year in two tight tiebreak sets, after winning a grass challenger in Surbiton. He then fell to Gasquet in the fourth round at Wimbledon (and as we all know, Gasquet has a good Wimbledon last year, though he was dealt a bad hand by the disastrous scheduling after his magnificent defeat of Roddick in the QFs which allowed him no day off, and was wiped out by the time he got to the semis).

All of the challengers Tsonga played in the first half of last year, as he was coming back from his injuries, were on hard courts. None on clay.

He has only made one appearance at Roland Garros, in 2005. He lost in straight sets to Andy Roddick in the first round.

Looking briefly at Tsonga's record, I can find reference to just a handful of clay events he has played, back in 2003-4 on the Futures circuit. Most of what he has chosen to focus on is hardcourt events.

My view - Rafa vs. Tsonga at Roland Garros = Rafa in straight sets. Nothing for the crowd to get worked up about.

I'd agree with Rosangel re: Tsonga and clay. The surface will give Rafa just that little bit of extra time he needs to respond to those bombs.
Great gutsy win by Rafa yesterday! Of course he was looking for revenge.

Another point not mentioned here is that these are the matches Rafa needs to win. He has to start slaying his demons on hard courts to be able to catch up to Federer and overtake him. So this mathc was very important on that basis as well. Next up Blake. I believe Rafa will defeat Blake, simply because he has gotten such a shot of confidence from beating Tsonga on a hard court.

Had Tsonga been a little experienced he would have won that match...in the decider he was up 4-2 if i remember correctly but just failed to close it out...

It was a great match...and proved that Tsongas AO was no fluke....

And Nadal would completely destroy Tsonga on clay...

Tsonga nearly broke through in Wimbledon last year...had he gone through Gasquet...god knows what could have happened...his game is well suited to grass...

Tsonga was up 5-2 in the third set before Nadal won it 7-5.

Blake will defeat Nadal. I am, specially for being Spaniard, totally nuts about Nadal, but, Blake has the kind of game that always gets to Nadal. Look at their previous games together. I think Blake is mentally much stronger than Tsonga, which to me is a little bit like a showman who has not realized yet that you need much more than acting to play with the big boys. Blake has realized that already.

i'm actually looking forward to rafa taking on blake again. it's about time, as someone said above, that rafa slay his hard court demons. and with a recent boost in confidence with his win against tsonga, hopefully this time, rafa will be able to turn things around with blake. this is the perfect setting and timing for him to do so. hope he's not so tired though from his tough win.

what's happening with Mardy Fish !!

thats why i love and support rafael nadal...... he never surrendor and he neverrrr ever let go any point .... vamos Rafa

thanks pete on this piece about rafa and stonga. i'm not sure who's the lion yet :p

i'm not sure it was all about revenge at that point, but maybe getting confidence on a big match like that one.
rafa could not afford to lose not because it was stonga, but because he's not supposed to lose to a lower ranked player in the 3rd of a MS like IW, even if the guy beat you badly at the AO.

his ranking position was at stake, as far as i'm concern.
yes he's very close to roger and he needs to keep it as closest as he cans if he really wants a chance to become numero uno, and djokovic is clearly closing the gap on him as well, if rafa slips a bit he will get passed, and it will be harder to come back than to keep his actual spot !
on the match itself, rafa won the mental battle more than any other thing, he did not give anything for free to stonga. he make everything he could to make stonga go for it, knowing he could not possibly keep it going like he did in OZ.
he's one of the tougher guys to beat in that department, even if he can lose his spirit occasionnaly, like rosia reported it in rotterdam, he's as tough as one can be...
i simply love the way he fights back in a match.
vamos rafa now it's time for some revenge on blake's side !!!

ok, have to share this great pic i found at vb.com

http://img204.imageshack.us/my.php?image=76473384ek3.jpg

the look on their faces! priceless.

nice article, pete!
Rosia,
your 4:49 post sums up all I wanted to say.
Rafa proved me wrong cos I didn't expect him to make it the quarters or beat JO. he proved once again that he can dig deep and fight back like no-one can. for me, that was worth all the suffering. Shades of Chennai and the defeat to Misha are creeping in my mind like a nightmare. Don't know if rafa can recover mentally and physically to face blake (who can beat him even if he were 100 per cent fresh).
If he gives Blake a run for his money, I can consider this tourney successful even if he ends up losing many ranking points.
the priority for now is to keep improving and fighting.
Vamos Rafa

I don't think Rafa needs to tap into vast amount of "confidence" to play Blake nor is his win against Tsonga really "relevant" for the match he faces today.

What I mean is that, yesterday was solely about the AO and making a mark as one of the top notch elite HC contenders. During the AO, Rafa looked mediocre, pedestrian and completely taken by surprise by Tsonga's power. It was almost reputation-crushing and the only things that "limited the damages" so to speak, were the fabulous run to the final by Tsonga and Fed's loss in the semis. You certainly don't want to stay with that sting/defeat too long.

Had Rafa lost to Tsonga yesterday, I believe his number 2 "position" as the best player after Federer would have been threatened (not just on HC). It's interesting how these things work because, even with his number 3 ranking and win in AO, Djokovic has not and cannot "dethrone" Rafa. However, another loss to someone like Tsonga would really have opened the gates and would have started the beginning-of-the-end for Rafa in the minds of a lot people. I'm so glad Rafa secured his position by winning yesterday!

Today with Blake, it's more "routine", like getting to the next round and defending points. Their 2h2 looks ugly for Rafa (0-3) but the last time he lost to Blake was in 2006 before these seminal wins of IW and Miami on hardcourts.

I'm more worried about the immediate, down to earth "proceeding" of that match against Blake. That could well be the sort of match Rafa actually loses because of a lack of concentration and Blake's craftiness when zinging winning forehands out of nowhere!

Hey Pete... "a softcore porno movie"? Elevate the choice of descriptions please. You may be a degenerate, but our kids don't need to read this.

from yahoo. interesting numbers about the match:

"Driving powerful forehands down the lines, Tsonga had 47 winners overall— but made 56 unforced errors. The far more consistent Nadal finished with 27 winners and 27 unforced errors. Tsonga, who had 18 aces when he stunned Nadal in Australia, had 11 against him at Indian Wells, but also double-faulted seven times."
-----
http://tinyurl.com/2dl5oe

thanks abeey, it's a very revealing picture I think

"abbey". apologies

Dear American Media,

Enough with the Ali comparisons. Please stop. It's embarrassing.

nadal played really mind blowng in the last set....Nadal can really beat Blake because he has the guts and confidence that's why he is NO.2

good article...to the point

great article. i really thought rafa was going to lose 'cos he was down 2-5 and when i saw that he'd won, i was over the moon. god love you rafa, i'm so happy you won!!!

i think you covered most of my thoughts on tsonga, pete. i really think he's going to be one of the top guys in the coming years if he pulls in that mental focus that saves rafa in tough, tight matches. i didn't watch the match so i can't really comment on what he could've and should've done to beat nadal.

anyway! i'm supremely happy rafa won. and on a last note, i still remember monfils and am eagerly waiting for the day he returns to the tour :)

Not sure if Tsonga will develop the consistency to be in the top or 10 for the long haul, but it would be nice to see him in the mix. Well done by Nadal to come back in that third set. His upcoming match with Blake should be a good one.

"tacky soft-core porno movie"

Is there any other kind?

Rob chill, since when does saying the words "tacky soft-core porno movie" make you a degenerate. Just wanted to come in and wish everyone a Happy Easter, ten days without school, too cool. Happy Rafa won.

Thanks Pete...nice insight.

I am over the moon about Rafa's win yesterday. I was brave and watched every point. Rafa coming back to win that match was vintage (if a 21 year old can even have vintage associated with them). He stayed in the match all the way. He fought, he never gave up. He believed in himself. And he played inspiring tennis. Sorry Pete, I have to disagree when you say Rafa's style is not sexy. There is nothing sexier than a man who is passionate, focused, determined, confident, and willing to give his 100% till the very end...Rafa is my type of player.

Tsonga is typical in his Frenchness with regards to his tennis. He is about the technique and flash, not so much in the grinding winning at all cost departments. Everybody talks about how technically beautiful French players are. I will equate this to my line of work, a dance teacher/choreographer...
Technique, smecknique...A dancer can have the most beautiful lines and perfect executions, but if there is no heart, no willingness to die for it...its boring.

I agree with you Pete, when you say Tsonga looked lazy. I kept using the word uncomfortable. I thought he and his team looked uncomfortable the entire match. Contrasting Rafa who looked clear and confident. I won't be so bold as to say I thought Rafa was going to win the entire time (when the score was 2-5 in the 3rd, I felt like someone had slammed my foot in the door, it hurt). But I did think Rafa's body language read "I will win this match" all the way through.
Tonight, Rafa has another opportunity to slay another dragon. I hope his team as worked their magic and the body is ready to go, and Rafa has found a few new gems to write on his left hand.

Viva Rafa!

Petie (if i may call you that) nice post, I especially enjoyed your view on Tsonga's focus.

I had a chance to watch him live vs. Dudi a couple days back, and yes it was very windy day, however his focus between points seemed almost junior tennis-like. Something i expect from a Donald Young but not from a 22 year old professional player. (no disrespect to Don-Juan, that will come with experience) Just a thought, maybe he is still nervous and unfortuable on the court as a "top player", as a player most fans come to see and enjoy his power.

As for the Ali media comment, by Irving, i don't know where that started however i believe at the AO i saw his father throwing punches after big points. Rather hard not to compare if his family fuels it.

Nice article, Pete. I was travelling yesterday and did not (yet) get to see any of the match. The descriptions of Tsonga "wandering aimlessly" between points and some of that insight into his body language were very interesting. Rafa's intensity, focus and hard core determination are the main reasons why admire him so much as a player. This was such an important win for him for many reasons, and after seeing the score was 2-5 in the 3rd (that was right before my flight took off) I was shocked and elated that he was able to come back.

With that said, he absolutely needs to follow this up with a victory over his nemisis of sorts, Blake. I think he can and will. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on that match.

Who is the lion? I'm guessing it's Rafa who slept the good sleep after fighting the good fight (in contrast to his remark after his loss to Tsonga in the AO).

For those who were unable to watch the third set because FSN cut off the feed:
http://www.viddler.com/explore/Rafabulous/videos/67/

(Courtesy of someone at vamosbrigade. I haven't watched it yet but it purports to show the third set in its entirety.)

^ courtesy of rafabulous from vamosbrigade, who spends a lot of time to upload these things so full credit to this person!

Anyway, personally I don't think that Tsonga falls into the French "beautiful tennis school" (beauty before result). His style is not that polished compared to Gasquet for example.

Dear Mr. Bodo (or should it be bobo):

why do you not show respect to a 21 yr old MAN who has already had a HOF career and is poised to become the world champion by repeatedly referring to him as a BOY (albeit a fast one...so I suppose that is your backhanded complement;poor form on your backhand if I may say so).

You have about 4 references to this MAN in your piece referring to him as something other than a MAN.

I would suggest you try to show a bit more professionalism in "picking" up your nick names; that is the kind of stuff that would give journalism a good name.

Sincerely,

1963 USC Tennis

maedel: thank you so much for the video !!!
The stream was so bad in the end yesterday I could not see the match point and the meeting at the net.
I thought Rafa's on-his- knees salutation to the crowd was touching.

About Tsonga, I think his current ranking reflects his level give or take a couple of places. Clay is not his forte so he won't win and gain a lot ranking points there; he is great on grass but it's too short of a period unless he reaches the semis at Wimbledon. If he does not become more "strategic" as a player, the others will be able to overcome him with some ease.

So, top 20/15 = absolutely
top 10-15= yes if he becomes a real threat at Wimbledon and USO, he can be there pretty soon but he needs to start winning tournaments (tier 1/2) this year and next year.Currently he has zero ATP titles.
top10/top5 = don't see it, but of course since Tommy Robredo was there for some time ...He needs to win a lot of tournaments to stay there and defend his points in slams which is not easy.
top5-1 = I really don't think so.

Rafa is 21 so he is not really a man since he is so young and he still lives with his mom and pop ! Besides "boy" can also be a mark of affection.

Hey Pete,

I was enthralled by this match from the get-go, not just as a revenge match, but even more as a contrast of styles. Tsonga does remind me of a Safin, but one who is a bit more reigned-in. He is capable of hitting the big shots and getting pumped up, but on the other hand, I don't see him getting supremely upset with himself aside from the off-hand french curses and screams he mutters at himself. Also seeing him seemingly effortlessly hit balls out of Rafa's wheelhouse was refreshing. Nadal is one of the fastest on tour, and while everyone has been saying that he has always had trouble with flat hitters, Tsonga muscled him around the court with variety, something I find even more impressive.

However, this match was ultimately one of the most frustrating ones I had to watch, not because of the scoreline, or because I was rooting for Tsonga (I have a soft sport for Bongo). It was at the 7-6 6-7 break on FSN, the coverage immediately cut out to discuss the Boston Red Sox spring training. Is there anyway these guys can up their tennis IQ or at least have some respect for what could possibly be one of the memorable matches of this year's Indian Wells? Also, Lleyton Hewitt and Mardy Fish were in the middle of a dogfight on the night session, and I was consigned to either watching it on live-scoring or ponying up the money for Masters Series TV.

Now before this is construed as whining, I was really excited about tennis coverage during this year's Australian Open. However, I don't really know what sparked this drastic move to FSN, and I hope people are taking notes about the detrimental effects of this network change.

Okay, getting off my soap box now. I hope the rest of the tournament produces some more incredible gems of matches.

Hey Pete,

I was enthralled by this match from the get-go, not just as a revenge match, but even more as a contrast of styles. Tsonga does remind me of a Safin, but one who is a bit more reigned-in. He is capable of hitting the big shots and getting pumped up, but on the other hand, I don't see him getting supremely upset with himself aside from the off-hand french curses and screams he mutters at himself. Also seeing him seemingly effortlessly hit balls out of Rafa's wheelhouse was refreshing. Nadal is one of the fastest on tour, and while everyone has been saying that he has always had trouble with flat hitters, Tsonga muscled him around the court with variety, something I find even more impressive.

However, this match was ultimately one of the most frustrating ones I had to watch, not because of the scoreline, or because I was rooting for Tsonga (I have a soft sport for Bongo). It was at the 7-6 6-7 break on FSN, the coverage immediately cut out to discuss the Boston Red Sox spring training. Is there anyway these guys can up their tennis IQ or at least have some respect for what could possibly be one of the memorable matches of this year's Indian Wells? Also, Lleyton Hewitt and Mardy Fish were in the middle of a dogfight on the night session, and I was consigned to either watching it on live-scoring or ponying up the money for Masters Series TV.

Now before this is construed as whining, I was really excited about tennis coverage during this year's Australian Open. However, I don't really know what sparked this drastic move to FSN, and I hope people are taking notes about the detrimental effects of this network change.

Okay, getting off my soap box now. I hope the rest of the tournament produces some more incredible gems of matches.

Hmmm, that double post was unexpected. Anyone know how to get rid of it? Oh, and on a sidenote, go Fed for continuing to be super classy by celebrating Jiffy Lube's birthday after waxing him on center court :)

Gotta go back and finish reading the very good comments on this very good article. Thanks Pete. Clearly Tsonga has lots of talent and promise. Will he eventually harness it, a la Fed, or fritter it away l la Safin??

I wasn't able to see the entire match so I have a question for those that did. It seemed to me that at the AO, Tsonga was pounding away on Rafa's forehand. (This is the new mantra to beat Rafa AND Fed...go at the forehand.) But at IW I really had a sense that Tsonga was concentrating on Rafa's BH side. Did anyone else notice this?

OK, now back to reading... oh but before I go, I do believe that is the first time I have ever read that "James Blake is stronger mentally." I guess it all IS relative.

Does anyone besides me think Rafa played a terrible match against Tsonga? It seems to me that he was nervous and choking big-time for most of the match, as evidenced by so many of his shots (if not most) landing inside the service line. What top ranked pro couldn't smash winners off balls that land so short?

While commentating, Justin Gimelstob made the observation that Rafa has no big weapon for ending a point. Yesterday that was true, but anyone who's watched him knows that when he's confident and playing well - especially on hard courts - he's nailing forehand winners from all over the court.

All credit to him, though, for sticking it out in the third set, by the end of which he was playing much better (presumably because he finally relaxed).

"Will he eventually harness it, a la Fed, or fritter it away l la Safin??"

Always the question, isn't it? Can focus be learned (or energy between shots), or not? and if it could have been learned, would it have been learned already?

After watching the rerun today (our TV coverage is flawless, it even provides reruns the following day, for those unable to watch in the wee hours of the night), I've noticed something that had escaped me in the excitement of the live match: Rafa was hitting from near the baseline, uncharacteristically for him, never wanting to go back to his usual position way back. Therefore so many UFEs with his forehand, which cost him those breaks and minibreaks that he lost, but it also enabled him to aggressively stay in the match. He did so up to 2-5 in the third set. Only then did he move back, started to read the first serve and defend almost flawlessly. And he broke twice. Tsonga lost his spirit and made his mistakes the way Rafa's opponents tend to: from sheer exasperation that everything is coming back to them. IMO, this will do Tsonga a world of good, cut him down to size and hopefully teach him to think out there, not only to bluster and showboat. He's a great athlete and a rather lovely guy, it would be a shame not to fulfill his potential.
An interesting soccer-related snippet was shown last night between the sets: after defeating Canas, again in his match clothes, Nole was kicking around with a bunch of guys and he even scored a header while diving down. Then Sharapova passed by, in a sweater and visor, tennis bag on her back, approached him and playfully tried to pry away the ball from him. They dribbled the ball between them for a moment and then she continued to walk away. She was in his box at the USO, then they had a night out at a NY karaoke bar and afterwards she mildly scolded him in an interview about his impersonations getting old. Obviously she's not cross with him at all, on the contrary.

Tsonga (bongo doesn't quite fit, bodo) let one get away yesterday. hopefully he learnt his lesson and finishes the deal next time. for now, he should rest up and not feel too bad.

rafa may not have enough in the tank to beat blake, or maybe the joy of having escaped will carry him through.

we'll see on the court.

Great observations, Pete. I enjoyed this piece very much.

Hi Pete, very nice, deep piece.

Looking at it closely: your followup question suggests "Are you saying Tsonga is not good enough because he loses matches like today". Rafa was alert enough to spot the nuance and his reply was "No, Tsonga is good enough and all he has to do is win such matches".

This reveals the essence of Rafa himself. He never judges anybody (including himself) at any time, he remains objective. This lets him focus without fear on what needs to be done. Which is why he came so close to winning Wimbledon on 2007 against the great Roger Federer in his absolute pomp -- despite unfortunate scheduling, many more hours spent on the court, and injury.

Rafa is not a fighter in the usual sense, as he is not filled with fear which then drives his adrenalin. He is an intellectual, a thinker and ideas-man who mostly flies above the level of his emotions without experiencing them. In contrast most guys on the tour -- including e.g. Roddick and Federer -- experience emotions much more. What they do with those emotions determines the outcome of the matches.

It was Rafa who discovered that if you can find a way to control Federer, keep him from soaring, he is likely to disintegrate. He applied the same principle with Tsonga yesterday. Federer knows this, and has seen the importance of playing most of the matches level-headed -- which explains the preponderance of his "B" game and his defense mode.

Tonight is going to be another nerve-wracking match: Nadal/Blake

I think Rafa has a very good chance this time, since the last game was a tight one 7-6, so he's getting closer. He's of course unlucky that Blake isn't good enough to meet him in clay-court tournaments, but he can still do it I think. Exhaustion both mental and physical will be a factor, but he sure _wants_ to win it, and that's half the battle already.

I do think Blake has advantage on hard-courts with his game, but Rafa can. do. it.

To Pete or Andrew or anyone in the press. Why do we not have access to all the interviews? I would love to read what Ljubicic had to say in his press interview, but I can't find it on the site! Or I would have loved to see what Mahut said about his 'waxing'. Is there a place where we can find ALL the interviews? ASAP only has certain ones, and there's even less over at the tournament website!

>oh but before I go, I do believe that is the first time I have ever read that "James Blake is stronger mentally." I guess it all IS relative.

Haha, me too. James has never been beaten by Rafa, which is the whole and entire account of his mental strength, here.

anand-101"Rafa is not a fighter in the usual sense, as he is not filled with fear which then drives his adrenalin. He is an intellectual, a thinker and ideas-man who mostly flies above the level of his emotions without experiencing them."

a pig just flew past my window.

Good article, Pete.

I have to say that the entire match seemed a lot closer to me than it seemed to others. Unlike the AO, Rafa was reading Tsonga's serves much better and, consequently, Tsongas service games on the whole were tight.

The match tonight with Blake has me worried. At the same time, I think what Nadal needs now is to win against such opponents to gain some lost confidence. This is turning out to be his toughest draw since Wimby 07, and if he does reach the final like then, I think he will be pumped up. On the otherhand, Blake is the favorite, he is rested and it is a night match. Not good for Rafa.

"While commentating, Justin Gimelstob made the observation that Rafa has no big weapon for ending a point".

Justin Gimelstob also made the pronouncment yesterday that Tsonga is "better than Rafa". In reqards to what i don't know...better movement, better looking, better shoes...who knows.

Pete, Andrew, Steve, anybody...Please for the love of god do us all a favor and next time you see JG in the lounge in his natty FSN polo...ties his shoes together, put a bag over his head...and go Goodfellas on his a&&!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am dead serious. He has been an embarrassment to the sport. FSN has been awful, a subject that Charlie Pasarell will have to address in his post tournament conference. If he doesn't do it on his own...MAKE HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But Justin has been a first class tool. His comments about players and their girlfriends have been juvenile and inappropriate. He should be there to provide insightful and knowledgeable comments about the sport and players, but he acts like he is charge of the keg at a frat party.

Andrew...I have no doubt you can do better!!!!!!!! I would much prefer seeing you on tv talking about Kohlminersdaughter, than Gimelstob talking about Moyas "current hot girlfriend" or about his free dinner he expects to get because he mentioned a spot on tv. Hell, i would welcome Bud Collins at this point. Andrew if you show up in that blue FSN polo I have no doubt that Barry whatshisname won't even know the difference. Heck he called his sidekick Jason at least once.
Come on Andrew, pony up for the team. I know you are at least as good a tennis player as Gimelstob, and I KNOW you KNOW more. So...stuff him in the trunk of the rental. You live in Canada now, we can get you back across the border!

The only good thing about FSN's horrible coverage, at least when they cut out of Rafa's match to show ice hockey, of BoSox spring training, or here, a wrap of the Rockets 22 game winning streak...we are put out of the misery of J Gimelstob.

The question of the tournament is not:
Is Fed back? or Will Maria loose a match?

but...

How did IW and Miami let this happen to their tv coverage? These are important events to the health of tennis in the states. How did they let this happen?

Although I'm a FedererFan and a Rafa win would mean he's getting even closer to my boy, I was rooting for Rafa. I can't stand Tsonga's showboating and exhorting the crowd to join him. I don't agree with Justin Gimelstob that this is good for tennis. The crowd didn't seem to go for it, out of respect to Nadal, I suspect. Even Rafa has toned down his spiralling fist pumps, which I think he only does to pump himself up - NOT to get in the face of an opponent.

Rudy3, your bit about Gimelstob is hilarious. Thankfully I am not watching FSN so I do not have to listen to him.

I remember during the AO, when he was commenting the Federer/Santoro match, he yelled out to Fed to challenge a call because he was sure it was out. Extremely unprofessional.

Blake has logged a lot less hours on court, and Tsonga made Rafa work yesterday. Plus, Rafa has always had trouble with James, so I like his chances.

Rafa has never like someone slamming flat balls deep into his forehand side from all angles. It should be interesting to watch. Anyone in New England know if FSN is actually going to show this one? I don't have The Tennis Channel and am significantly regretting that decision at the moment.

Any comments on Gimelstob's commentating? I'm not so sure about the "tender vittles" comment about a drop shot, or his comment about Tsonga "not being too comfortable at the net". He obviously didn't watch the highlights of the Aussie Open when Tsonga was hitting gorgeous drop volleys to the chagrin of his opponents.

classicserveandvolley: Love your moniker. ;-)
Tsonga does seem Safin-like in terms of having smooth grounstrokes, but he moves better and has far better forecourt skills, like the nice touch on his drop volleys.

"Even Rafa has toned down his spiralling fist pumps, which I think he only does to pump himself up - NOT to get in the face of an opponent."

A fist pump is a fist pump, many ppl delight in rafa's fist-pumping, ass-picking, lace-tying, bottle-arranging, time-wasting, etc and see no fault in it. What's good for the goose is good for the gander, or is there something about the subtle nature of Rafa's fist pumps that elevates them above the level of everyone else's fist pumps?

It's hard not to like Jo-Willy. He's like a great half-grown good-natured St. Bernard with big weapons. With more play he's going up in the rankings. He just needs some sustained mental focus.

1. "especially if, like me, you belong to the school that holds that taking away a player’s time is the harshest and most brutal punishment you can inflict on him"

....I do.

2. "Hey Pete... "a softcore porno movie"? Elevate the choice of descriptions please. You may be a degenerate, but our kids don't need to read this"

...and must we refashion the dialogue of this entire adult community here at TW to a level "fit" for children? I dissent.

ClassicS&V, I live in MA and have charter. From what I can tell I don't actually get FSN but rather CCSPN ( comcast sports) which has sporadically been showing IW. Although they did come back late last night and show the 3rd set of the Tsonga & Nadal match.

Guess this teaches me that I shouldn't have complained so much about ESPN coverage.

"his focus softened to about what you get in a tacky soft-core porno movie."

I beg your pardon, Mr. Bodo? Did I miss something here?

--Liron

Rudy3:

I concur with the opinions on Gimelstob. Tsonga better than Nadal?
Based on?
He's a good to very good player, but lets stop the hyperbolae...

Nadal's responses (including the one to bobo, I mean bodo) were as accurate as can be, when you win these matches and have the results then you become an "elite" player... anything else you are a good player who can "hang in there" and occasionally win a big one. Plenty of players out there who fit that description, however few in the HISTORY of the game have the RESULTS that the 21 yr old Spanish player has (by age 21 of course)

63 SC tennis

Pete, really good one ... yes, Tsonga's definitely a lion (although he's more like a lioness) ... all silky-smooth muscle ... strong, fluid and ready for the pounce. To me, Nadal is and will always be your famous Muira bull, Islero.

Naturally, I was a wreck the entire match. As someone else said, a lot of Rafa's balls would land short and Tsonga do his lion-like pounce and Nadal's spin didn't seem to bother him much. Rafa was focused intense, as usual. I love the way he stalks the baseline. Like you said, I don't know if he even hears the crowd. Tsonga IS like Connors in that way and I don't mind it too much if it's done at appropriate moments, but I too was impressed that the crowd respected Rafa.

I underestimated Nadal this time. My belief in his abilities has faltered lately and I thought he was a goner. He really did have a defeated look (on his face, but not in his body language) when it was 2-5 in the third. What I forgot was how players can mess up under pressure ... especially inexperienced ones. Tsonga gifted Rafa big time, and there was a look of surprise on Rafa's face that said, "Well, alrighty then!" ... and then it was vintage Rafael Nadal. He upped his level and took advantage of his moment, which, by the way, he hadn't done on several earlier occasions when he had a chance.

I thought Rafa actually played much better when he played Roddick last year, as his shots were really deep. As usual, I was yelling, "Get thee inside the baseline!" But Rafa served well and his defensive skills saved him many times during the Tsonga match. There was one get by Rafa that was like one of his many jaw-dropping gets at the '05 French Open. Tsonga won the point, but that sweet shot by Nadal was "ahhhhh producing."

I promise to have more faith in my guy when he plays Blake tonight. He will be focused and he will not go away. He'll have more confidence ... but Blake, like Nalbandian, has been quicksand for Rafa. He'll have to hope that Blake falters, loses concentration, chokes, overhits, hangs his head, etc. But I promise I will not underestimate Rafa this time. The guy is beyond tenacious.

BTW, love your title, Pete. "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is one of my favorite all-time songs.

I saw Tsonga at New Haven last year, losing in an early round of to Juan Martin del Potro. I was interested in seeing him because of the buzz he had created with his performance at Queens, but he did not bring the same sort of focus to the New Haven tournament (and he went out fairly early both at Wimbledon and at the U.S. Open, as I recall). So at the moment I would put him in the "explosive but inconsistent" category. I agree with Nadal that Tsonga won't be able to play every tournament the way he did at the Australian Open. The question is whether he learns to hang tough to stay in the match even when he's not playing that well. Yesterday I was sure once Tsonga failed to serve out the third set that he would lose the match. That may not always be the case in the future (or it may: see Safin, Marat).

FoT: quick response on the interview transcripts. Not all the players are interviewed in front of the press, and some of the interviews are done with French, Spanish or German press, and these aren't transcribed by the English-speaking stenographers.

So you can sometimes read quotes from the players which have been translated into English, but they aren't done by ASAP sports. Usually, in my experience, a losing player only gives a press conference if they're a current highly ranked seed - Andy Murray, for example.

"Hey Pete... "a softcore porno movie"? Elevate the choice of descriptions please. You may be a degenerate, but our kids don't need to read this."

If ye do not wish thy children to read such vile smut, perhaps yon Devil's Internet is not the right place for them. Now quit yer brutzin - we have a barn to raise!

Re:
"I couldn’t help follow that one up by asking Nadal to confirm what seemed, to me, the not very well buried subtext in his reply: “Are you saying that he needs to win matches like he lost today to be at that level?”

Jet Boy must have thought I was inviting him to patronize Tsonga, or perhaps he didn’t get my drift, because he replied: “No, I didn’t say that, no? I say if he, during the year, win these matches, he is going to be there"

These are not the same thing! Nadal is saying 'if Tsonga wins matches like these ones, he will get to that level.' The question you asked was 'Are you saying that if Tsonga doesn't win these matches, he won't get to that level?'

These aren't logically equivalent- one is the converse of the other.

"Hey Pete... "a softcore porno movie"? Elevate the choice of descriptions please. You may be a degenerate, but our kids don't need to read this."

should he change the way he writes just so that it's "proper" (defined by you?) for children?

>"his focus softened to about what you get in a tacky soft-core porno movie."

possibly alcohol was involved in producing this analogy ;-)

Hmm....there have been some compelling matches in this tournament. Too bad the 50th consectuive Best Damn... episode pre-empts most of the action. J-O-K-E. I look forward to the day cable provides channel options and people can choose what they wish to watch.

I did not get to view this match and I'm jealous of those that did. It's not often 2 different style players face off and Jowili (gotta agree, Bongo just doesn't fit for me...sounds like a toy monkey name) wasn't quite able to pull it off. This is certainly a quality Rafa victory. Next up for him is the ever-consistent J. Blake. Errrr...yeah. Will Rafa be able to make a dent on the Blake flat groundies...not sure. Remember, tennis is always about match-ups. Blake is also Rafa's equal in the quickness category (although Rafa is more disciplined).

It should be great! Good luck to Mardy Fish! Nice result to this point.....later all!

I have not had a chance to drive out to Indian Wells this week so I wonder if someone there could do me a favor. Take Barry Tompkins and Justin Gimelstob to one of those Indian casinos. Tell Barry that there will be boxing on TV or horseracing, two sports he may actually know something about. Tell Justin that there will be "hotties" there. This will entice them both. Get them drunk until they pass out, put them in your trunk, drive out to the desert and bury them.

If we have to suffer through this in Miami as well, I may just watch all that poker, competitive eating and cheerleading that ESPN shows instead of tennis. I know that we won't have Gimelstob's inciteful comments like "Ferrer is a chick magnet" and "Haas gets the babes," but I'm willing to take that chance.

Help!

" comments like "Ferrer is a chick magnet" and "Haas gets the babes," "

classic, I missed those brilliant comments.

Nadal's mental toughness was the deciding factor in this match. I think all will agree that Tsonga has all the physical skills to become a serious threat on hard courts and grass. Tsonga does seem to wander mentally at times and that is something he definitely has to work on. I agree, it is matches like these that Tsonga needs to win in order to seriously challenge the top players. If he doesn't work on his concentration the top players will simply take his best punches and wait for him to self-destruct when his concentration fades.

But once the kid gets his mind straight and doesn't take a point off he will be unstoppable.

LOL Tom. I'm sure you'll have several volunteers among the California contingent here.

Cliff Drysdale is kicking back with a fine white wine chuckling as FSN botches the coverage.

anon was me....posting at work is more difficult for me....

Awesome match! Congrats to both players for a real gem. Rafa sure won it with all heart and focus. He's never out, you have to kill him to win and I love that! Great analysis Pete. However, one thing you failed to mention was how much a factor you thought the court surface might have been in this match. I'm an admitted Rafa fan but I think that this court favors his game more than Tsongas. I think this will certainly be an interesting rivalry in the future. Tennis just gets more and more exciting!

BLAKE! Hope Blake pulls this out over Nadal.

This is an on-topic post. afwu 1216, please keep comments about current matches, streaming etc, in the appropriate thread, below this one - PacLife Day 9 Continued. From what I can see, a new Crisis Center will be going up sometime soon.

>But once the kid gets his mind straight and doesn't take a point off he will be unstoppable.

One of the most surprising moments for me was when I read that "22-year-old Tsonga" was defeated by "21-year-old Nadal". I just somehow pictured Tsonga to be much younger based on his inexperience, not a year older than Rafa. I know his career was held back by injuries, but he's no kid! He is older, bigger and heavier than Rafa.

"I have not had a chance to drive out to Indian Wells this week so I wonder if someone there could do me a favor. Take Barry Tompkins and Justin Gimelstob to one of those Indian casinos. Tell Barry that there will be boxing on TV or horseracing, two sports he may actually know something about. Tell Justin that there will be "hotties" there. This will entice them both. Get them drunk until they pass out, put them in your trunk, drive out to the desert and bury them."

thank you Tom,

this is exactly what I meant when I told Pete, Andrew & Steve to get "Goodfellas"

Come on guys...quit eating the free pasta...When I tune in to FSN today, well, first I hope I see tennis, but more to the point it would be fun to see Pete, Andrew & Steve in their new FSN polos:

Steve...play by play
Andrew...color and stats
Pete...well, he's the chick magnet, no?

Thanks Sam. It may be worth the 130 mile drive to do it myself. Unfortunately, FSN will likely replace them with their backup tennis experts, John Salley, Tom Arnold and Karch Kiraly.

One more thing, Pete:

My favorite "lion" analogy from your post:

"Tsonga spent a lot of energy building a 5-2 lead, but once again he seemed to tire of playing with his food before it was killed off."

Dear Moderator,

I see you have removed my post. I know it was OT (I did apologise) but it was only a polite request for information.

I would like to see the TW livescores and I don't know who to ask about why it is not working.

Can you help?

Thank you.

afwu 1216 - there is a reason why this site has moderators - it's because Pete cares how the comments section is handled. Your comments were generating off-topic responses, all of which I have deleted. You went on to reply to me that that "no-one cares", and to deliberately ignore my polite request, this time in capital letters. In response, I have - for now - blocked your I.P. address, and had to spend more time cleaning up after you.

I suggest you e-mail Pete or the Moderator e-mail if you wish to sort this out. I can't e-mail you, because no address is provided.

Elly: once more - use the appropriate post and you won't have your comments deleted. We take great care on this site to always keep open a post (currently above this one) for general tennis-related chat - please use it .

Dear Moderator,

Thank you for replying. I didn't know where to post my question - that was what I asked in my initial post.

Elly - I can see that a response has been left for you on the Day 10 thread by ptenisnet.

Thanks Sam. It may be worth the 130 mile drive to do it myself. Unfortunately, FSN will likely replace them with their backup tennis experts, John Salley, Tom Arnold and Karch Kiraly.

All the difference between Tsonga and Nadal was the mental strengh in Nadal's favor ofcourse.Tsonga must work on it if he wants to make a progress in top 4-5 players.

Blake going to lose today. Each game is deferent . Tsonga is lucky all he do is get cheap point as you can see in all his game.

1. he get close
2. he he low
3. he act all crazy

See tennis is a girly sport...So acting all crazy might make some of the tennis player scare lol . Nadal going to win this whole thing. I just know it!! Believe that!!!.

What about bongobodo is'nt nicer

What about bongobodo is'nt nicer

"Unfortunately, FSN will likely replace them with their backup tennis experts, John Salley, Tom Arnold and Karch Kiraly."

Tom: Sadly, this is probably not that far from the truth ...
I suspect that if I had FSN, the mute button would be getting a lot of use.

If Rafa can take down Tsonga, he can take down Blake. Despite it being a 3 hour match yesterday, I think Rafa can take it to Blake. Blake is not the same as Tsonga. His serve is not as tough, and he's not as comfortable at net as Tsonga is. Blake being 3-0 over Nadal lifetime means nothing. Besides, he may have the head to head advantage, but where are Blake's grand slams and masters series titles???? Clearly, Rafa is the better player. It would amaze me if the 3-hr. match from yesterday doesn't have a major effect on him. I wanna see Mr. Harvard go down like a sack of potatoes, and Rafa's just the guy to hand him his beating.

####### - but matchups aren't necessarily about titles or who has a slam under their belt. its about how games challenge each other.

clearly, fed is the better player than rafa, yet rafa's game gave Fed trouble, and still does on clay. (who doesn't rafa give fits to on clay, lol!)

blake's particular game matches up well against rafa's, simple as that. while they haven't met in a while - it will nontheless be an interesting matchup, imo. both players playing well and with confidence.