Roland Garros 2013: MOTD : Day 3 28/05/2013

Schedule is out for tomorro'w play. I'm posting the MOTD, I believe Sphair missed today's predictions because I posted it too late.

R2 is here and it could get more interesting as we move ahead.

1.

Nicolas Mahut (FRA)
vs.
Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) [8]
2.

Benoit Paire (FRA) [24]
vs.
Marcos Baghdatis (CYP)
3.

Ivan Dodig (CRO)
vs.
Guido Pella (ARG)

4.
Ivan Dodig (CRO)
vs.
Guido Pella (ARG)

5.
Alejandro Falla (COL)
vs.
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) [26]

6.
Vasek Pospisil (CAN)
vs.
Horacio Zeballos (ARG)

In Paris AND connected..magnifique

Tipsarevic, Paire, Pella, Dimitrov, Zeballos.

Btw, you've got Dodig -Pella as a double choice, must be cos it's a tough one

Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) [8]
2.

Benoit Paire (FRA) [24]

Guido Pella (ARG)


Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) [26]

Horacio Zeballos (ARG

Bon jour everyone
An overcast but DRY morning in Paris, it rained overnight. I hope it stays like this!

Big day is just about to start for this tennis fan and I am so excited!

It took me ages to drop off last night so am a little tired now, but hope the adrenaline will keep me awake!

I probably won't be able to connect to WIFI once I'm there.

I hope we have a super day of tennis today

Go Nole, go Benoit!!!

Enjoy your day NITB.

We will be cheering for Djoko.....as long as Nadal is in the draw that is.

Tenez wrote:Enjoy your day NITB.

We will be cheering for Djoko.....as long as Nadal is in the draw that is.

That's alright I could drown for the entire Chatrier in the final just like I did in O2 when Nole played Murray

Nitb, Carry a poster with "OTF" written on it.

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:Nitb, Carry a poster with "OTF" written on it.

I would, but there's not a lot of material in my hotel room to make one from!
I may write OTF above the "NOLEISTHEBEST" on my flag instead

The best player has his the best fan and therefore I am cool not only for today with Nole. Nitb, enjoy the game of the best player and have perfect days there

I will catch your flag on stadium

Hi everyone !
As you CAN all see thé weather Is bad. Pour NITB canot éventuelle connect to wifi. Fortunately, Thére Is à kiosque with two iPads. They reckon play Will start soon, because the weather Is supposed to clear at 5 PM local time, so it should start at 2 with drizzle.
Thére are thousands of peuple crawling à round so hard to get anywhere.
I killed some Time watching replat of 1984 final bête en Lendl And Mac, whatever a gréât match Thatcher was....
Looking brighter And brighter atm, so off I go! Thére Is à queue Behind me!
Bye for now

Play to start by 2 PM local time.

Matches started.

noleisthebest wrote:Hi everyone !
As you CAN all see thé weather Is bad. Pour NITB canot éventuelle connect to wifi. Fortunately, Thére Is à kiosque with two iPads. They reckon play Will start soon, because the weather Is supposed to clear at 5 PM local time, so it should start at 2 with drizzle.
Thére are thousands of peuple crawling à round so hard to get anywhere.
I killed some Time watching replat of 1984 final bête en Lendl And Mac, whatever a gréât match Thatcher was....
Looking brighter And brighter atm, so off I go! Thére Is à queue Behind me!
Bye for now

Lucky it's Paris and not London cause here it's pooring like the biblical flood...and ain't stopping any time soon.

Hi Rotla, 3. and 4. are identical choices. What are the actual choices please?

Hi Sphair we ignored the double choice and went with the rest....quick have a go!

OK, here are mine:

1. Mahut
2. Paire [24]
3./4. Dodig
5. Dimitrov [26]
6. Zeballos

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:Hi everyone !
As you CAN all see thé weather Is bad. Pour NITB canot éventuelle connect to wifi. Fortunately, Thére Is à kiosque with two iPads. They reckon play Will start soon, because the weather Is supposed to clear at 5 PM local time, so it should start at 2 with drizzle.
Thére are thousands of peuple crawling à round so hard to get anywhere.
I killed some Time watching replat of 1984 final bête en Lendl And Mac, whatever a gréât match Thatcher was....
Looking brighter And brighter atm, so off I go! Thére Is à queue Behind me!
Bye for now

Lucky it's Paris and not London cause here it's pooring like the biblical flood...and ain't stopping any time soon.

biblical flood over Chatrier at the mOment ,nO play till 4 pm. Bartoli Govortsova taking forever to win games..
I'll be lucky to catch a set or two from Nole!
Sat here under a huge RG umbtella I had to buy today. Watching replay of Seles Graf...apparenly sunny tomorrow

what time is your train back? Really unlucky I must say.

21.15 ... Stoll raining not ad hard but not light enough to start...

Although! I can see a tiny bit of blue sky east of here ....where's Sir Cliff when you need him....sun coming out now should restart soon i just hope Bartoli ends it soon!

This match is never going to end... Two women who can't win their service game to save their lives...unbelievable! Sat here watching a mix of Azarenka(screaming) and poor man's Sharapova tenniswise vs Bartoli who is gambling every single return of serve i'll die if this goes to a decider

But I absolutely love watching Marion! She plays with so much heart and is a real character! I just wish she learned to serve ...

Noooooooo! 3rd set

At laaaaast!!!!!!!
Did you hear me shout Noleisthebest?
Btw it was a great march Bartoli won...just wish it started back at 11. when it was supposed to ..

Troubled Australian Bernard Tomic was another retiree, withdrawing two sets and 2-1 down in the third against Victor Hanescu, having already called for the trainer in the first set. After the match Tomic declined to take questions about his father John, currently charged with assault on Bernard's training partner Thomas Drouet, instead making a statement. "He's here in Paris," said Tomic. "He's still working with me. He's still my coach. He's still my dad, and I love him a lot. Nothing's changed. The injury to my leg is the only thing I'm worrying about."
------------------------------------------

noleisthebest wrote:At laaaaast!!!!!!!
Did you hear me shout Noleisthebest?
Btw it was a great march Bartoli won...just wish it started back at 11. when it was supposed to ..

No sound in my office...sorry.

I find it frustrating to watch Djoko's matches. I want his opponent to win, especially here today v Goffin, but at the same time I want him to stay in the tournament to stop Nadal.

I am kind of forced to support him.

The thing is Goffin plays well and matches Djoko's shots pretty easily as shown in that 1st set. But in pressure times he is more likely to crack....like in this TB serving at 5 all....double fault!

This has always been my point to Paul who sees Djoko as a better shot maker than all other players. The truth is he actually isn't....and that is his main problem cause unlike Nadal his shots don;t generate as many UEs against the opposition....and therefore has to play with similar weapons as the opposition if not worse ones (like v Stan for instance).

So Djoko's runs to finals have often been considerably harder than Fed's or even Nadal's (certainly the case on clay).

I sat next to the lodest Gof fan . Everyone around has run away that 's how loud he is! And he has just opened ANOTHER box of Ferro Roche chocolates

Goffinstrikes the ball really sweetly, nice match so far

Have to go now or I'll miss my train

Goffin is actaully quite a good player. He needs to build up some strenght. 5' 11'' and 68 Kgs isn't going to win him bi matches.

Goffin is an excellent ball striker but couldfo with attacking more and not getting involved in long rallies. In taxi now au revour Paris

And the taxi driver is playing this really sad music

Tenez wrote:Troubled Australian Bernard Tomic was another retiree, withdrawing two sets and 2-1 down in the third against Victor Hanescu, having already called for the trainer in the first set. After the match Tomic declined to take questions about his father John, currently charged with assault on Bernard's training partner Thomas Drouet, instead making a statement. "He's here in Paris," said Tomic. "He's still working with me. He's still my coach. He's still my dad, and I love him a lot. Nothing's changed. The injury to my leg is the only thing I'm worrying about."
------------------------------------------

What a mess and shame at the same time...

I can't believe I 've done all this travelling just to see one women's match and a set and a half of Nole , untorgettable!!

Goffin threw that serve away....from 40/0 up!!!

But Djoko is not moving as well as he can. I cannot see him win this tournament actually....and certainly not against Nadal with this ankle.

Yes, he didn't lpok very sharp, I think he s doing the minimum at this stage. It's lovely and sunny now, I hope they finish the match today.

I am more and more convinced there is something wrong. Despite being 2 sets up....eh coudl still lose this match.

He throws too many drop shots....so unlike him.

Tenez wrote:I am more and more convinced there is something wrong. Despite being 2 sets up....eh coudl still lose this match.

He throws too many drop shots....so unlike him.

Naah. it will be a straight sets. These early jitters are no indication. Big players often raise their level in big matces. He may be struggling if any today, but if it comes to the semis or the final, I'm sure he will put a better match.

Tenez wrote:The thing is Goffin plays well and matches Djoko's shots pretty easily as shown in that 1st set. But in pressure times he is more likely to crack....like in this TB serving at 5 all....double fault!

This has always been my point to Paul who sees Djoko as a better shot maker than all other players. The truth is he actually isn't....and that is his main problem cause unlike Nadal his shots don;t generate as many UEs against the opposition....and therefore has to play with similar weapons as the opposition if not worse ones (like v Stan for instance).

So Djoko's runs to finals have often been considerably harder than Fed's or even Nadal's (certainly the case on clay).

I haven't said that Nole is a better shot maker than all other players. I have said that Nole is the most complete player on the tour at the moment, which means he is the best at least for me. I did not see today match and think that his game is affected due to that fact that he is conscious of his unkle, which did not let him stretch and that is also a reason why he plays carefully, which is also his approach at the beginning of the GS. I think that real test will be his match with Dimi, this will show how much is Nole ready for RG.

Tenez wrote:I am more and more convinced there is something wrong. Despite being 2 sets up....eh coudl still lose this match.

He throws too many drop shots....so unlike him.

Nole was a bit frustrating even for me, I "told" him to get into third gear ehen Gof was serving at 4:5 to stay in the first set.
One thing as a flashback ( it's all a bit like a blur at m) was I didn't notice him use his BH a lot, I kind wanted him to, was waiting for him to open the court with those short and wide CC ones, but I don't remember him hitting any.
Maybe that was the tactics, it obviously worked.
On the train having a group of fans in front of me discussing tennis (so funny) and talking about what they saw at RG ...

Back home at last!
What luxury to be able to type on a normal keyboard as opposed on the phone and not get frustrated with the super-slow and hard to come by wi-fi.
By the time I worked out I needed ot turn on "roaming" button, most of the day had gone

Roland Garros was lovely and I recommend it to all, it's actually cheaper to go there, stay in a hotel and buy a ticket, then just to get the cheapest debenture ticket for Wimbledon, so please take the plunge next year, I know I will (God willing)

Tennis crowd was great, as usual, long live tennis nation

Despite the rain, I enjoyed every minute, so many things to go over in the treasure chest of my memory now.
I'll post some photos when I "recover" tomorrow, I can't believe I am still avid and awake despite next to no sleep last night.

paulcz wrote:I haven't said that Nole is a better shot maker than all other players. I have said that Nole is the most complete player on the tour at the moment, which means he is the best at least for me. I did not see today match and think that his game is affected due to that fact that he is conscious of his unkle, which did not let him stretch and that is also a reason why he plays carefully, which is also his approach at the beginning of the GS. I think that real test will be his match with Dimi, this will show how much is Nole ready for RG.

Ok...we agree then...thouhg I think his mouvement issue is more serious than just "precaution".

noleisthebest wrote:Back home at last!
What luxury to be able to type on a normal keyboard as opposed on the phone and not get frustrated with the super-slow and hard to come by wi-fi.
By the time I worked out I needed ot turn on "roaming" button, most of the day had gone

Roland Garros was lovely and I recommend it to all, it's actually cheaper to go there, stay in a hotel and buy a ticket, then just to get the cheapest debenture ticket for Wimbledon, so please take the plunge next year, I know I will (God willing)

Tennis crowd was great, as usual, long live tennis nation

Despite the rain, I enjoyed every minute, so many things to go over in the treasure chest of my memory now.
I'll post some photos when I "recover" tomorrow, I can't believe I am still avid and awake despite next to no sleep last night.

What a day!...you are so lucky to be able to take a day off to travel to Paris just to see Nole a couple of hours...if that.