Indian Wells Post-Script

This e-mail is worthy of it's own post here, because I hear the same thing many times as people start discovering Rafa. But Mary just highlights that if you catch Rafa at the right time, he is very approachable and very fan-friendly. It's a bit easier here in the USA than it is in Europe.

Thanks for sharing your experience, Mary. Perhaps I'll see you at IW next year. :D

Hello Susan,

I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you so much for all the information you provide us Rafa Fans. I've recently become a fan after watching him at the Pacific Life Open. I'm embarrassed to admit that before then, I didn't know who Rafael Nadal was. My husband was given tickets to the event for the day of Wednesday, March 15th. We arrived just in time to watch the match between Nadal vs. Grojean. As we watched the match, I was amazed with Nadal's performance, such intensity, what an incredible athlete. Plus he's gorgeous (I'm way older then he and think it's just fine to think he's such a hottie)! As luck would have it, I came face to face with Rafael the evening he lost against Blake. There I was standing in a parking lot, just me and Rafael (who had just left a restaurant with another person). I wanted so much to say something nice, something great, but no, all I could say was "can I have your autograph, please?" How original is that! I was expecting him to say "no" and I would've understand, since he just lost a match, he seemed pretty down. But no, he graciously turned around and signed the little business card I had handed to him, then waved goodbye. I was so grateful. Ever since that evening, I've been online often, researching Rafa's career. I'm so glad I didn't know how famous he was/is. I never would have approached him had I known that. And he deserves every bit of it. He's so humble and so modest and every bit a champion. So again, thank you for keeping us informed. I look forward to reading your blogs, following his career and I believe it will be a long and successful career.

Thank you for your time,

Mary

Friday: Rafa vs. Moya Post-Mortem

I wrote this earlier, but couldn't post it because our blog has been closed as a potential spammer. *grrrr* I'm sure they'll open it up later, but it just highlights what a bad day it was overall on the Nadal board.

Well, the body isn't even cold, but Rafa fans are expressing their disappointment over Rafa's 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 loss to his good friend and fellow Mallorcan Carlos Moya. I believe the fan reaction to Rafa's loss to Carlos Moya is an over-reaction. He's reached the semis in the last 3 tournaments he has played, and beat Federer to win one of them (Dubai).

Moya is a very good player. He was a finalist in Miami in 2003, and he knows Rafa's game better than anyone. Rafa did not play his best tennis today, for whatever reason, and Moya played exceptionally well. So Rafa lost. The scoreline is somewhat surprising, but that doesn't mean that Rafa has lost the ability to play great tennis and to win matches.

We all got a little spoiled watching him win practically every tournament he played last year. That is not usual. And he nearly killed himself in the process. By the end of the year he had tendonitis in both knees, was walking around Madrid with ice packs on his knees and injured his foot in the process.

He was out for nearly four months, and his team decided he would have to make adjustments to shorten matches (that's why he is going for his serves more), and he is playing with new insoles. He is making these necessary adjustments, but he's human. He's under a lot of pressure, especially with the Federer rivalry, and he's going to have bad days. He had one today, and now he has time to rest his ankle and get mentally and physically prepared for the clay season.

But there will be even more pressure on him there. Hopefully he'll be able to win everything in sight as he did last year, but if he doesn't, that won't mean his career is over. It will mean he has things to improve for coming years.

Rafa is not a run-of-the-mill journeyman player. He is a great player, who has already made history at a young age. He isn't going anywhere, and neither are we. At age 19, he has time to improve all aspects of his game, and to continue his success on Tour. I'm sure we'll be celebrating many wins in the future. But not in Miami this year.

Now onto Monte Carlo!!!!

Members of our site will be there to give us on-the-spot Rafa news, and we should be able to provide live blogging during the matches. Stay tuned for our MC Blog. Vamos, Rafa!!!

And in the meantime, I'm going to take a bit of a break, focus on my work (my day job can be pretty fun, too), and tonight my husband is taking me out dinner and then out for a big night at Barnes and Noble -- where they are holding a copy of Sarah Dunant's "In the Company of the Courtesan" for me.

So as you read this, I'll be reading that. I'll catch you all later. :D

Wednesday: Miami Preview

Rafa is scheduled to play his good friend and mentor Carlos Moya on Friday afternoon. Unfortunately, I don't have TV coverage, so live blogging isn't an issue. I was fortunate enough to be able to go to Miami last year, but my family seems to think back-to-back tournaments is a bit much. So it's either IW or Miami for me, and this year I chose IW, primarily because it is a 3-hour drive away instead of a 5-hour plane ride. Both tournaments are great, though, and each has its special points.

We do have some fans in Miami, and if we get any cute news about Rafa this week, I'll post it here. And if it's possible to do any live blogging on matches here, for those of you without TV coverage, we'll do it.

We'll be following the match through the live scores on our Rafa-Board, and with luck, someone will have TV coverage and be able to give us some details.

Rafa vs. Moya Cheering Thread

Vamos, Rafa!!!

Sunday: Hotel Room No. 5 in Indian Wells

Yes, folks, you are not going to believe this, but I'm back in Indian Wells. This time I'm at the IW Resort Hotel, which is where Marcos stayed this week.

It's a long story, but I missed my turn to get the I-10. I got into Palm Springs, stopped at a gas station and got directions. This was having stopped at another gas station to get gas and to get some tape to tape the lens into my eyeglasses (long story there). But I had the Steve Urkel looking going there.

Finally, I got on the I-10, and was feeling better about things, when it started raining cats and dogs. I wasn't happy about that, but then traffic slowed down to 10 miles an hour. I turned on traffic news and discovered a truck had overturned on the freeway, and had slowed down traffic for miles.

At that point, I knew it would be hours before I got home, and with my taped glasses, the visibility was horrible. So I called Lopy, and he suggested I should stay another night. I called my husband, he was less thrilled with the idea, but at this point I wasn't feeling well, I knew I'd be on the road for hours.

After a few calls, I got a room at the IW Resort Hotel, which is a Motel 6 hotel compared to the other two. It's definitely the worst out of the 5 hotel rooms I had this week, but it does have the advantage of free internet which works. *lol*

I finally got back here after driving a total of 70 miles, and ending up back in the place where I began. I met up with Lopy for a quick dinner, but I was frustrated that I was not able to get home, and I think I'm just tired from about 2 and a half weeks of hecticness, between work and tennis. And after I got back here, I learned the rain I had run into had turned into snow, and that was causing even more troubles. I knew if I had run into snow at that point, it would have put me over the edge.

Anyway, I'm going to get up at 5:30 a.m. and head back during daylight hours. The weather should be better hopefully, and I'll get home at a reasonable hour.

And Bob and I got to spend a bit more time together. In fact, we figured this would start a little gossip with you all. We contemplated running away to Miami for the Nasdaq, but figured that we better pace outselves a bit more.

I was planning on leaving on Friday, but only stayed because Rafa was still in the event. I told Lopy today that it was such a great week. I said the only thing that would have made it better is if he had won. And Lopy said, "I think that would have been too much for us. We already lived through two difficult matches; a Federer final may have done us in." And I think he's right. For some reason, it's easier watching him play on TV, although not as much fun.

One more thing. As you know Tennis Warehouse is our major sponsor. They are wonderful to us, and they treat our site as a business, as shown by the new Pro Shop. But some of the people who post there make fun of me for being an old lady obsessed with Rafa. Little do they realize I was one of the youngest people in IW this week. But this week I did some blogging for the TW MB of non-Rafa matches and gave them some info. Last night, I was in a hurry, but I posted my notes from Rafa's press conference. I failed to take out the cookie references and to how cute Rafa looked during the conference. They don't seem to understand I'm writing this stuff for Rafa fans and not for them.

So they made fun of me, and one guy rudely stated that I'm 60 years old and on my period, which is a dangerous combination. Aside from being totally inaccurate, it says more about their obessesion about making fun of people than about my Rafa obsession.

I started a site for 16-year-old player because I thought he was going to be great, and that his career should be chronicled. Of course, I know a lot of about him because, as Lopy said, anyone who writes a biography about someone has to do a lot of research about that person as part of the job. They become an "expert" on that person. In essence, I'm Rafa's biographer -- I am chronicling his career (along with Nathalia), and we are doing for the benefit of his fans.

Rafa knows me. His management knows me, and has been complimentary of the site. Rafa is always very nice to me when he sees me, and I am respectful of his privacy when I'm at a tournament he attends. He appreciates what we do on this site, as he should, and if people have a problem with that, it is their problem, not mine.

Personally, I think the people who attack me are jealous that they aren't going to events and having the same opportunities that I have. Again, that's their problem, not mine. They could do this with the right motivation. There's no secret to it. I work very hard to make the money to travel to events, just as I work hard to make a nice site for his fans to enjoy. That I get one or two "vacations" a year to enjoy my hobby at an event is a real bonus, and I'm entitled to that. Just as others may choose to spend their vacations playing golf or going to Club Med. This is "my thing," and if Rafa has no problem with my being their to report on his matches and practices and such, I have no idea why others are concerned. Or why they have to say extremely rude things about someone they don't know and will never know.

As for older ladies "swooning" over Rafa, I'm not the only one. I met many grandmother types who were there just to see Nadal. The the lady volunteers in the press office just love Nadal and were talking about how cute he is. I met one lady -- much older than myself -- who flew in from New York just to see Rafa. Rafa is adored by women of all ages. I'm not the only one who thinks he's "very special" both on and off the court.

As Peter Bodo said in his blog recently, one thing about doing a blog is that you can say what you want. And I thought it was high time that I addressed the speculation about why I do this site. I just love tennis, and doing this site is one way I can support the sport and promote a guy who is great for the sport. Nothing more, nothing less. If I didn't do it, someone else would. My age is irrelevant, except to the extent that I'm now old enough that I have the income and time to enjoy my hobby at times. I certainly couldn't have come to IW if my children were 2 and 6. And I didn't have the money to do this when I was 20. Indeed, at age 20 I wouldn't have had the money to pay for the server and keep our photo albums on line.

I also enjoy going to events to meet up with other "tennis" friends. As you all know, I spent a great deal of time with Sarah, Claire and Cynthia, as well as Bob. I also did a lot of socializing in the media room with people I've met before. It's a lot of fun.

And as for being a huge Rafa fan, I'm one of thousands. And I'm no more rabid about Nadal than many fans are about Federer. The only difference is that I put my money where my mouth is and do something constructive to support the guy. And I certainly wouldn't put all this time, money and energy into the site if I didn't think he, and certainly his fans, were worth it.

Thanks again for visiting our blog this week. As Bob says, it was our pleasure to bring these Rafa moments to all of you, and we look forward to doing it again soon.

Susan xoxo

Sunday: Thoughts and After-Thoughts by Lopy

I'm here in Lopy's hotel room, again. That ought to get folks talking. *lol* Actually, we had a nice lunch, and I wanted to check the directions to Ventura. So I'm using Lopy's computer to check mapquest.com. I don't want to get lost again.

It's been a great week. What fun we have had!!! Lopy is going to take over driving this thing and give you his impressions of the week. I look forward to reading it when I get home.

Oh, we got a really cute photo of Rafa eating his cookie at the press conference. In fact, we just put it up, and I'll put it on the homepage when I get home. There are some very cute photos from the press conference, which Lopy will put up later.

Anyway, I'm outta here. *hugs* to you all. I'll check in from home. It will be nice to see my husband and kids. Bye for now. Now, Lopy you can drive this thing . . . .

Ok! Susan has left the building. I will be here until tomorrow then I'm moving to a hotel in Costa Mesa to visit with friends until I return to Hawaii Thursday morning.

This has been a great week and Susan was so helpful to this total newbie. I've been to tennis matchs before but went home after. Being involved in the excitement of a week of a tournament was more than I ever could have guessed. Having so many matches to choosed from at the beginning of the week made me feel like a kid in a candy store. Someone emailed me wondering why Susan seemed to be posting and having all the fun and I was no where around. I can tell you I went to as many matches as I could attend. I thought it was so great so see all the players I read about or sew on television in person.

I got involved with Rafa during Roland Garrow. He seemed both an exciting player and a nice kid. I went to google to find out more about him and was directed to VamosRafael.com. I've been around the site ever since. When I discussed with Susan one of my goals for 2006 was to see Rafa in person she suggested Indian Wells. Her suggestion proved to be on the mark. After seeing him in five matches and two practices my initial feeling have been validated. From what I saw he is nice to his fans and is willing to autograph. Although I wished him good luck I never really got a chance to exchange words with. But seeing him play in person makes this whole trip worthwile.

Certainly it would have been great to see Rafa play Roger today but it was not to be this time. It just means the team of Susan and Lopy will probably be heading to Toronto and maybe Cinci. Nothing is firm yet but I know I want to see Rafa play in person at least one more time this season.

There will be more pictures posted when I get home. Susan or I may have a few more after thoughts but now I want to thank everyone for reading and your kind statements. Have a great week.

Aloha, Lopy (Bob)

Saturday Night: More Tennis Happenings

Lots to report, including a nice convo with Marcos Baghdatis. What a sweetie!!! It's a cute story. Will post it soon. . . .

Sorry to keep you hanging. I was just watching the *yawn* final between Federer and Blake. I watched the first set at the hotel, and thought this could be interesting. So I came over here. I could have saved myself the trip, I guess. But I want to have lunch with Lopy before I leave. It's been wonderful spending time with him, and I'm going to see him shortly.

Rafa was right, though. James could win the match if he "believes" he can. He started out with some belief, but he lost it along the way. That's what separates Rafa from the rest of the pack. Rafa would have still been fighting in that last set.

Okay, back to yesterday. Sarah, Claire and I decided to go to the Outback for dinner. We wanted steak. Sarah is with Tennis Magazine, so she has access to player transport. So we went to the transport trailer, and there were no cars available. It was cool, so we went into the trailer to wait for one. Marcos Baghdatis was also waiting for a car. So we all had a chat.

We introduced ourselves, and he asked who we are with. I told him, "You don't want to know whom I'm with." And he asked again, so I told him. He laughed, and said it must be fun doing a site for Rafa. I said, "Yes, I've been doing it for three years."

He then wanted to know where we were going for dinner, and we told him. He had other suggestions. And then he talked about his flight to Miami. He was very chatty, and extremely friendly.

He asked if we were going out later, and we said we were going to go to South Beach. He said, "Don't go there. Someone was stabbed there last night." And it turns out he was right. So we didn't go there.

Then a driver came in and he offered us to take that car. We said, "No you take it." He did, but he was very reluctant. He didn't want to leave us ladies there alone, I guess. But then another driver came in, so we all had cars. He was staying at the IW Resort Hotel.

So off we went into the ATP Official car. These Mercedes cars are terrific. Our driver, a lovely woman, took us to the Outback, but it was mobbed. The wait was over an hour. So in the end we went to the Hyatt for filet mignon. She dropped us there, and we had a lovely meal.

Photographer Cynthia Lum met us there, and I said a tearful goodbye to Claire and Sarah. I hate these tennis goodbyes, but I've seen Sarah at events before, and I know I'll see them again.

Cynthia and I went to another place, but we didn't stay long. We were both tired. It was a long day. We agreed with Marcos -- South Beach was not the place to go.

So I went back to the hotel. I took off my jacket, coz it was warm, and a guy in the lobby came over to me and said, "I like your shirt." It's the Nike Nadal Hero shirt. He's from Madrid, although he lives here now, and he said, "You just missed Nadal. He was here a few minutes ago." Guess he was out looking for some action among the cane and crutch set. Doubt he got it at my hotel.

But Rafa was out and about last night. Maybe he'll get in a few rounds of golf before heading to Miami.

It's been a great week. I'm going to meet Lopy for lunch, and then head home. I'll catch you all at the next event. Thanks for tuning in.

Vamos!!!

Saturday: Post-Match Interviews

Rafa will be in the interview room in 5 minutes. So I'll blog from there. Claire is going to use Uncle Lopy's camera to take photos so I can give you immediate info. I type faster than I write.

Rafa’s Interview. BLAKE def. Nadal, 7-5, 6-3.

Here he comes. He’s eating a cookie. He loves his cookies. No ice cream, I guess. Same gray jacket on. He just answered the phone, and is talking on it. He says, sorry.

Claire got a photo of it, and she is taking photos while I type.

He says, “Not the best day today.” He says Blake played very good. He says that Blake had confidence. Rafa fought all much. Maybe a bit too defensive in the first set. Played better in the second set. Had chances, had breakpoints. But Blake served unbelievable outside on the line. So nothing he could do.

Blake plays very aggressive all the time. Rafa does, too, but not the sam way James does. It's different. He says that in the difficult moments for him, Blake had good luck for him. He’s not going to put any excuse in, but the wind may have had something to do with it. But James played better.

James is playing at a very good level – top 5 level. He said, “We will see what his level is on clay.” Then we’ll know more. But he says he likely will stay in Top 10, but only Top 5 if he does well on clay.

Rafa is chewing on his cookie.

He could have done more today, but he tried his best, and fought all match. But James played better than him all day. He had chances, but James played better.

As for the injured foot, left one is okay. The other one is the problem. The right one, not 100%, but not too much of a problem today.

He says Federer will win. His favorite is Federer for tomorrow, but he says Blake can win. He says the favorite is always the No. 1.

He’s looking so cute now. The expressions are priceless, as he switches to Spanish to try to answer question.

For James to beat Federer, he has to believe he can win. That is the key.

He wanted to play the final, against Roger, but he wanted to play the final against anyone.

Re James and clay, Rafa says he’s a good player, but doesn’t know how he will do on clay. On clay, all matches are little bit different. Had a cute moment as he struggles with the word “effective.”

Sarah asked him about his signing autographs after today’s match. He said, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but he always has to stay with the fans. He appreciates the fans, and he understands that most were behind Blake, but he appreciates the sport and the fans. And he noted that in Madrid that worked in his favor, where there wasn’t one fan behind Ljubicic.

And he just announced he’s going to win Wimbledon this year!!! Seriously, a British journalist asked about his prospects for Wimbledon and he said, “I’m going to win.”

And on that note, the conference ended. He sounded upbeat, and looking ahead to Miami, and Wimbledon, I guess.

The media are back from the interview, and I love all the women going, “How cute is he?” As he’s munching cookies, laughing and smiling.

Claire got tons of photos. And Sarah, Claire and I are going to the Outback Steakhouse. Cynthia Lum, the photographer will meet us there later. Vamos!!!

Saturday: Rafa vs. Blake (Set 2)

It was a great first set, but Rafa came up a bit short. Blake is playing very well, and Rafa is scrapping right now. Hopefully he'll continue to do that in the second set. I'm going to take a short break in a bit. Vamos, Rafael!!!!

Game 1: Blake to serve. I want to see how Rafa responds to losing the first set. Vamos!! Volley winner by Rafa. As he jumps and pumps his fist. 0-15. Fault. Rafa isn't giving up, folks. Winner by Blake. 15-15. FH miss by Rafa, after great rally. 30-15. Rafa misses pass. He's making some errors now. Wind is calming down, though. 40-15. Return goes long. Game Blake. 1-0, JP.

Game 2: Rafa to serve. This will tell us a lot. Come on, Rafa!!! Fault. He is going for his serves. JB misses FH. 15-0. Fault. Rafa misses easy BH. 15-15. He needs to keep fighting and not press. But I guess he feels he needs to be aggressive. Winner by Rafa. He yells Vamos! 30-15. OH by Rafa. 40-15. Great point. Fans are starting to support Rafa more as they want to continue to see a good match. Great serve. Game RN. 1-1. BRB

It's now 2-2, as they each held their service games, and I went to the ladies room.

Game 5: Blake to serve. 15-0. It's not too cold now, and the wind isn't as gusty. Fault. FH winner by Rafa. James says "too good." 15-15. Rafa acts like he won the match. Fault. He is still fighting, folks. Winner lob by Rafa. 15-30. Fist pump. James couldn't believe it. Screaming BH winner by Rafa. He is pumpped. 15-40. Two breakpoints. Crowd is going nuts. Rafa misses easy shot. Not happy with himself. 30-40. He is pressing. Ace. Deuce. Darn it. Return into net. Ad Blake. S&V. Game Blake. Rafa will be disappointed by missing those chances, but Blake stepped up. 3-2, JB.

Game 6: Rafa to serve. Rafa hasn't been able to impose his game on Blake, and I think he's trying to make adjustments. He may lose the match, but he's fighting on. Vamos!!! Great FH by Rafa. 15-0. Fault. Rafa hits FH wide. 15-15. He knows he's in a dogfight here. Come on, Rafa!! FH winner by Rafa. 30-15. Fist pump. Great serve and FH winner. 40-15. Fault. DF. 40-30. Come on, Rafa. This is where we know he feels he is under pressure. Go Rafa!!! Adjusts pants. Fault. Rafa hits out. Deuce. He is upset. This is a crucial point in this match. Come on, Rafa! Forces James to hit out. Ad Rafa. Come on!!! James hits out. Game Nadal. He yells "Come on" 3-3.

Game 7: Blake to serve. DF. 0-15. Rafa sprints to the other side. Fault. Great point. Blake wins it, but Rafa scrambles all around. 15-15. At least Blake knows Rafa isn't giving up. Blake overhits. 15-30. Come on!!! Let. Return goes wide. 30-30. I have to say Blake is playing very well. 40-30. But Rafa had to make a few fans with that point, as he dove for the ball. More people yelling Vamos Rafa. Return goes long. Game Blake. 4-3, JB.

Game 8: Rafa to serve. He has to hold here. The media around here think it's a great match and very close. It's too close for my comfort. BH into net. 15-0. Fault. DF. Again, he is pressing. 15-15. Come on, Rafa!!! Great volley pass by Blake, Nothing Rafa could do. 15-30. Go Rafa! This is a key game. Amazing point. Rafa had it won, but Blake came back. 15-40. This may be the end, folks. It was too good. Great stuff. The blogger went out for a bit. Ad Blake. As Rafa got unlucky let cord. Vamos! Great stuff by these guys. Fault. Angry first serve. Rafa is frustrated. Game Blake, as Rafa misses lob. He did it all, and it wasn't enough.

Game 9: Blake to serve. Crowd is going wild. Blake overhits. 0-15. OH winner by Blake. Rafa is hanging in there, but it's tough. 15-15. Beautiful winner lob by Rafa. Fist pump. 15-30. Great serve by confident Blake. 30-30. Great OH by Blake. Marchpoint. 40-30. Matchpoint. Rafa is still fighting, though. Return into net. Game Blake, 7-5, 6-3. I'll go to Rafa's press conference. Don't worry -- although he lost, he played well and fought. He's walking off court now. He does acknoweldge the crowd. And he is clapping. And he is stopping to sign autographs -- the sign of a true champion, although he has to be disappointed. On to Miami for our baby bull. :D

Saturday: Rafa vs. Blake (Set 1)

They are warming up. It is a bit gusty and cool. It's a little warmer sitting outside the press box than it was last night. Don't know if I'll be able to stay out here all match, though. I can't yell and clap anyway, because it's the press area. But I can send many ESP Vamos's, by being here and through this blog.

Rafa is wearing the same outfit. Before coming in here, Lopy and I visited a bit, and I ran into some rabid Rafa fans in the ladies room and gave them some wristbands. Just got two minute warning. They are introducing James now. Huge cheering for him. As for Rafa, he got a great reception, too, but not as much as Blake.

Vamos, Rafa!

Game 1: Blake to serve. Rafa into net. 15-0. Windy is gusty, but not all the time. Fault. James hits long, 15-15. Mishit BH. 30-15. Rafa misses pass. 40-15. I'm talking with the writer from LA Times. Joel Drucker just joined us, too. Return into net. Game Blake, 1-0, JB.

Game 2: Rafa to serve. It's Bill from LA Times. Adjusts socks. FH into net. 15-0. So weird to be at IW during the day and have people in jackets. Rafa bh into net. He groans. 15-15. Please note on the MB that I'm doing the blog. Fault. BH into net 30-15. Wind has calmed down a bit. Return goes wide. 40-15. Adjuts pants. Two killer FH by Rafa. Gama Rafa. 1-1.

Game 3: Blake to serve. Pass by Rafa. 0-15. Fault. BH into net. 15-15. Rafa misses pass. 30-15. Fault. FH into net. 40-15. Rafa is pressing a bit. Ace. Gazme Blake. 2-1, JB.

Game 4: Rafa to serve. Come on, Rafa. Vamos!!! The wind is gusting a bit, but it's a little warmer out here to type. I'm still nervous, though. Adjusts socks. 15-0. Fault. FH into net. 15-15. Lot more rallies than at US Open. Come on, Rafa. Great winner by Blake. 15-30. Come on, Rafa. These guys are pounding. Great return by blake. 15-40. Two breakpoints. Oh no for Rafa. Vamos, Rafa! UE by Blake. Saved one. 30-40. Come on, Rafa. Amazing point by both guys. Blake breaks. Poor Rafa, he scrambled. Great stuff so far though. 3-1, JB.

Game 5: Blake to serve. Blake into net. 0-15. Fault. 0-30. Blake into net. Come on, Rafa. Fault. 0-40. as Blake hits out. Come on, Rafa. Fault. Rafa into net. 15-40. Come on, Rafa. Vamos!!! Fault. Rafa just missed. 30-40. Go Rafa!! Rafa breaks. He's happy. 3-2, JB.

Game 6: Rafa to serve. Joel says Rafa plays physical junk-ball. Go Rafa. The wind is making this tough. JB misses BH. 15-0. Rafa into net. 15-15. Return wide. 30-15. crowd is for James. Mishit by James. 40-15. Fault. FH into net. Game Rafa. 3-3, on serve.

Game 7: JB to serve. 15-0. Blake misses volley. 15-15. Fault. Lob by JP. 30-15. Great point. Come on, Rafa. FH winner. 40-15. Fault. Very tense match. Bh into net. 40-30. Vamos! Great pass. Deuce. Let. Fault. UE into net. Ad Rafa. Breakpoint. Come on, Rafa. Crowd behind Blake mostly. Return long. Deuce. Fault. FH into net. Rafa not happy. Ad Blake. Fault. Return long. Game Blake. New balls please. 4-3, JB.

Game 8: Rafa to serve. Adjusts his socks. Blake hits long. 15-0. Return winner. 15-15. Come on, Rafa. Another winner. I'm not liking this. 15-30. Come on, Rafa. The Blake FH is working well now. Fault. Bad miss by Blake. He had it otherwise. 30-30. Vamos!!! BH long. 40-30. Go Rafa!! Another UE. Game Rafa. Rafa was lucky there. 4-4, on serve. Vamos!!!

Game 9: Blake to serve. Fault. Another volley miss. 0-15. Go Rafa!! Lob goes wide. 15-15. 30-15. Fault. Rafa misses BH. 40-15. BH pass. 40-30. Vamos!!. Game Blake. 5-4, JB.

Game 10: Rafa to serve to stay in the set. It's very close right now. Vamos, Rafa!! This is very nerve wracking. But some group just yelled "Vamos Nadal." James is playing well, but Rafa is fighting. Still gusty. Fault. FH out. 15-0. Fault. BH into net. Rafa has to be careful here. 15-15. Fault. Rafa is going for it. BH wide after long rally. 30-15. Is this on TV? It should be. Fault. FH into net. 30-30. Come on, Rafa. Very tense. Ace. Rafa happy with that. 40-30. Vamos!! Crowd is not, though. Rafa knew he hit it, though. Fault. DF. Deuce. Oh, no. Come on, Rafa. Fight!!!! He seems a little tense there. James overhit. Ad Rafa. Vamos!!! Great serve. Game Rafa. 5-5, on serve.

Game 11: James to serve. Great serve. 15-0. Fault, way out. Great pass by Blake. 30-0. Fault. BH out. 40-0. We better hope for a *tiebreak* here. Game Blake. 6-5, JB.

Game 12: Rafa to serve to try for a TB. This match is on tape delay, according to Joel. Will be played at 11:30 tonight. It's very close so far. I hope it goes to a TB, but anything can happen now. Vamos, Rafa!! Rafa hits fh long. He's trying to remain aggressive, but it's tough for him. 0-15. Fault. James passes. 0-30. Come on, Rafa! BH goes long. He's pressing and tense, but he's going for it. Come on Rafa. 3 setpoints for Blake. 0-40. Blake misses. Fist pump by Rafa. 15-40. He's fighting. Fault. Rafa misses pass. First set to JB. But it isn't over yet. I'll start a new thread for the second set.

Saturday: Pre-Game Show

Lopy and I are getting ready to go over to the tennis center. I figured, "Why lose valuable sleep watching Federer reach another final?" So I slept in -- so late that Lopy became concerned. But I still think I haven't caught up on my sleep from all the work I did before getting down here. And tennis can be exhausting at times, although at least the weather is much cooler this year. That's been great.

This probably will be another nerve-wracking match. I think James has a greater chance against Rafa than Baghdatis did. Still, there are a few things to consider. The court here is slower than the U.S. Open, and Rafa is playing much better now than he was then. Also, although James has posted some great results lately, he hasn't beat any top 10 player other than an out-of-form Hewitt. And he has had some disappointing losses, such as to Tommy Robredo at the Aus Open. One thing for sure, he hasn't face anything the like one-two punch he'll get against Rafa and then Federer if he reaches the final.

The crowd will be for Blake, though. Many fans here don't know much about Rafa -- it is the "crutch and cane" set as I told you before. And they will pull for the American. But Rafa is used to these situations, and Lopy and I will do our best for our baby bull.

Vamos, Rafa!!!!

I'm now here, and the weather is very windy. I just walked outside and my sun visor blew practically into La Quinta. These are not great conditions for either players.

I've heard no pull-out rumors re Rafa. I was leaving the cafeteria a few minutes ago as he was coming in. I don't know if he practiced today -- I did see Blake out there practicing when we got here.

The feeling in the media room is that this could be a great match. They think James is riding a major wave of confidence, and both players are playing well. Most media are pulling for Rafa, though, because they want to see a Fed-Nadal final that isn't in Dubai.

Sharapova just took the first set 6-1, but Dementieva is up a break in the second. Maybe this will go three. The screaming by these girls is annoying, especially the Sharapova one.

I don't know if I'll be able to sit outside to do the blog. Not only is it getting chilly, but I'm worried my computer will blow to Palm Desert. But I can sit inside and blog. I'll keep you posted.

Oh, Bob and I both are wearing our Nike Nadal Hero shirts today. Hey, every little bit helps....

Friday: Post-Match Interviews

He did a cute short ESPN interview. He was pleased with how he played, but the conditions were tough because they were cold and windy. He knows the next match against Blake will be tough. He watched the match on TV. Patrick McEnroe asked him if he knew the key to beating Blake, and he started laughing, and said if I know that I will win the match, no? And he had that huge grin when he said it, as though he was so pleased with his response.

He played brilliantly tonight. I am so happy for our baby bull. :D Vamos!!! I'll give you some updates from the press conference.

BTW, the photo I just put up is courtesy of tennis photographer Cynthia Lum. Thanks, Cynthia. *hug*

Marcos Baghdatis Interview, after Nadal Wins 7-5, 6–0.

Both played great tennis in first set. He was broken twice, and then Rafa got confident in second. He played great tennis. He was too good for Baggy.

First time they played. He has every shot. Great FH and BH. Physically Rafa is amazing. It was a good lesson for him today. He knows what to work on now to play him again. Rafa was too good for him today.

He also plays with the microphone like Rafa does during press conferences. Rafa will be in next.,

No more questions. Very short interview.

I have Lopy’s camera to take photos of Rafa now. He should be in shortly.

Rafa’s Interview

It was a very upbeat interview. He was very happy. I took loads of photos, which Lopy will upload shortly.

He started by noting that he played good, and that perhaps Marcos’s level of play went down a bit after he was broken. He had a bit of trouble at the end of the first set, with the wind, and played a bad game to get broken. But then he got the break at 6-5. In the second set, he said he got the early break and then was able to “escape” with the match. It was cute because the ATP guy corrected him to say that he “ran away” with the match instead of escaped with it. He decided he liked “ran away” with the match. He was laughing. And later he mentioned that in the second set he continued at 100% and "I can run away in the score (smiling."

He also could not believe that he served 100% first serves in the second set, according to the stats. He said that was not good because it meant he was not going for his serves enough. He was serving too soft.

He was asked about his ankle, and he said it was swollen quite a bit last night. He slept with it elevated, and they have been icing it. He said he felt a little bit of pain today, but not much.

He said playing James will be tough. He said that US Open was his worst tournament last year. He made mistakes by playing Cincy and by going home after losing in Cincy. He said he should have stayed in the US. He said he’ll make changes this year. He said Blake’s forehand is unbelievable, and tomorrow will be tough. But he said he believes that if he plays his best tennis, he always has chances.

The match is scheduled for 4:30 p.m., after the women’s final. There is a lot of excitement about it. And I now need to extend my hotel for another day! Which I just did!!

I’m so happy he won, though. Especially since he seemed so happy. Vamos!!!

More tomorrow, as Lopy and I will try to put up a few more photos. :D

Friday: Rafa vs. Baghdatis (Set 2)

Here we go.

Game 1: Rafa to serve. Let's hope he can keep up the momentum. Vamos!!!! FH winner. 15-0. Great pass; running FH. Won game at love.

Game 2: MB to serve. Screaming winner. 0-15. I can hear the ESPN commentary now that I'm inside. 15-15. I was shivering so much, people were worried. But I'm warmer now. UE by MB. 15-30. 30-30. I'm sitting with Claire and Sarah now. MB misses. BP for Rafa. It's funny how ESPN lags behind the actual action. Fault. Deuce. Fault. Another BP. Vamos!!! Ad Rafa. Fault. He breaks. 2-0, RN.

Game 3: Rafa to serve. 15-0. It is windy. MB misses pass. 30-0. Things are blowing around on court. 40-0. Great serve. 40-15, as Rafa can't handle volley. MB hits out. 3-0, RN.

Game 4: MB to serve. Rafa has 3 BP's. He breaks. 4-0, RN. Rafa is playing well, and MB doesn't know what to do at the moment. Vamos!!

Game 5: Rafa to serve. Winner by MB. 15-15. Go Rafa. Dropshot winner. 30-15. 40-15, return long. So nice to be warm again. Game Nadal. 5-0.

Game 6: MB to serve. 15-0. Missed dropshot. 15-15. MB is rattled. Rafa into net. 30-15. 30-30. As Claire said, Rafa could read that dropshot like a book. Vamos! Pass. 40-30. MB is trying different things. Winner by Rafa. Deuce. Another winner. Matchpoint!! Fault. BH long. Deuce. Fault. MB into net. Second matchpoint. Go Rafa! Winner by MB. Deuce. Rafa is playing well. Ad MB. Fault. Great return. Deuce. Rafa into net. Ad MB. Dropshot winner. Rafa is puttinmg on a clinic. Deuce. DF. Third matchpoint. Vamos!!! Fault. FH goes wide. Deuce. Rafa hits long. Ad MB. DF Deuce. Fault. AD MB. Great down the line shot. Fault. OH winner. Deuce DF 4th matchpoint. Fault. Rafa wins. FH into net. VAMOS!!!!

7-5, 6-0. He's signing the camera. And signing balls to hit into the crowd. He's one happy baby bull. :D

Friday: Rafa vs. Baghdatis (Set 1)

Bryan/Bryan are up 4-2 in the second set, so this match could be over soon. They will have to clear the stadium for the night session. And then I'll start blogging. Vamos, Rafa!!!

A guy is playing the bagpipes on center court. The crowd is rolling in, and the players are in the tunnel and on their way in.

Would someone please post a note on the messageboard that I'm doing this blog. Although I realize many of you will have TV coverage. I just hope I don't get too cold to type.

They are on court now. Rafa is sprinting in. He has on white piratas and the gray jacket he wore in the press conference the other day. He's taking off his jacket, and he has on the orange sleeveless. Rafa is jumping up and down, probably to stay warm.

Marcos won the toss, don't know what he chose. The players are warming up. I wish I was. *lol*

Two minute warning. Introducing Marcos, and he has lots of support here. Rafa is getting a big reception, too. Rafa will serve first.

Game 1: Rafa sprints out to serve. Adjusts pants. MB hits out. 15-0. UE into net. 30-0. Long rally, though. Fault. BH long. MB is going to Rafa's BH. 30-15. Great pass by MB. 30-30. Come on, Rafa! Vamos!! MB hits long. 40-30. BH into net. Deuce. Vamos!! Great serve. AD Rafa. He seems a little tentative. Fault. OH by MB. Bad shot selection by Rafa. Deuce. Come on, Rafa!! Rafa hits long. AD MB. Go Rafa!!! MB into net. Deuce. Saves one BP. Someone just yelled Vamos, Rafa! Stupid dropshot by Rafa. MB hits long. Deuce. Rafa got lucky there. Saved two BP's. Great FH by Rafa. Ad RN. Fault. MB long. Game RN. 1-0, RN.

Game 2: MB to serve. Hits slice long. 15-0, MB hits wide. Long rallies here. 15-15. Crowd getting noisier. Let. Let. Fault. Rafa hits wide. 30-15. Fault. 30-30. Fault. FH winner. 40-30. These guys are pounding the ball back and forth. Unreturnable serve. Game MB.

Game 3: Rafa to serve. Fault. FH just wide. 0-15. Rafa is pressing a bit. He hasn't found his range yet. Great rally. 15-15. Fist pump. I don't think there are going to be many quick points. UE by MB. 30-15. Rafa seems to be moving okay, though. FH winner by Rafa. 40-15. Fault. Screaming FH winner. Game Rafa. 2-1, RN.

Game 4: MB to serve. I may have to go inside. I'm shivering. Nervous too. Ace. 15-0. 30-0 Mishit return. 40-0. Ace. Easy game for him. 2-2

Game 5: Rafa to serve. Crowd is evenly split over the players. Volley put away. 15-0. Great volley by Rafa. 30-0. BH long. 30-15. UE by MB. 40-15. Go Rafa! Let. Fault. 40-30. Rafa got a bit unlucky with a let cord. Fault. Marcos into net. Game Rafa. 3-2. Very close so far.

Game 6: MB to serve. I'm shivering. Ace. 15-0. 15-15. 30-15. Long points. Ace. 40-15. Great return by Rafa. 40-30. Fault. Deuce. Come on, Rafa. Lots of people yelling for both players. Fault. Let. Volley winner by Rafa. He has a BP. Vamos! AD Rafa. Fault. Error by MB. Game Nadal. 4-2, YESSS!!!

Game 7: Rafa to serve. Rafa into net. 0-15. Let's hold, Rafa!!!! Oh no. He hit out. 0-30. 15-30. MB hits out. 30-30 40-30. Vamos. Winner. Game Rafa. MB doesn't like call. 5-2.

Game 8: MB to serve. Bad miss by Rafa. 15-0. Rafa hits long. 30-0. 30-15. 40-15. Rafa into net. Bad miss by MB after great get by Rafa. 40-30. OH. Game MB. 5-3, RN

Game 9: Rafa to serve for set. Dropshot winner. His third one. 15-0. Fault. Missed pass. 15-15. Come on, Rafa. Fourth dropshot. 15-30. Come on, Rafa. 30-30. Aggressive play by Rafa. Winner by MB. Wind is picking up. BP. 30-40. Vamos!!! Mishit by Rafa. Darn it. 5-4, RN. That's too bad.

Game 10: MB to serve. Come on, Rafa!! Lob goes long. 15-0. BH winner by MB. 30-0. I sense a momentum shift here. Come on, Rafa! 30-15. Missed dropshot. 40-15. Rafa hits long. Not happy with himself. Game MB. 5-5.

Game 11: Rafa to serve. He needs to hold now. Ace. 15-0. 30-0. 40-0. UE by MB. Misses BH. 40-15. DF. 40-30. Come on, Rafa! He's pressing a bit. FH winner. Game Nadal. 6-5, RN.

Game 12: MB to serve. Go Rafa!!! I don't think I can take a TB. Let's go. Do it for your fans! 15-0. I'm going inside after this set. I'm freezing. Rafa hits long. 30-0. It is windy. 30-15. 30-30. Vamos!!! He has set point. Amazing pass by Rafa. 30-40. Fist pump. Fault. Set NADAL. Vamos!!!! 7-5.

Friday: Pre-Game Show

As you know from yesterday's blog, Lopy and I are concerned that Rafa cannot play on that right ankle. No word yet, but Rafa hasn't booked a practice court. If he is going to play, he should show up pretty soon, and if I hear he's around I'll let you know.

Vamos, Rafa!!!

Just got back from his practice. Well, I had a snack with Claire and Sarah in the cafeteria before coming back up here. Elena Dementieva was at the next table; she is very happy about beating Justine.

As for Rafa, his ankle wasn't taped that we could tell, and he seemed to be practicing normally. He was frustrated with a few of his forehands, but he had a routine warm-up practice session with Francis Roig. The weather is cooling down a lot, and it was a bit windy. Hopefully the win will die down. The Bryans are playing now, and they won the first set. Rafa's match will be after that.

I'll do my blog, but I may have to sit inside again. It'll be chilly on the balcony.

As for other action today, I saw Blake beat Andreev. Blake is playing very well, but Andreev seemed to be struggling today. Blake is looking very confident, though, and now he's a Top 10 player.

Thursday: Rafa will Play Friday Night Match

His match against Marcos Baghdatis is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday. Lots of excitement is building for the match.

Vamos, Rafa!!!

I'm heading back to the hotel, and plan to meet Lopy for dinner. Cynthia Lum just got into town and I hung out with her a bit today.

I also saw Don at Tenniswarehouse today, too. More on that. I hust hope he isn't REALLY looking forward to seeing that photo of him with Richad Gasquet.

Well, Lopy and I had a terrific evening, and we have Rafa news.

First, as planned, we went to the Hyatt for dinner. I actually needed to extend my stay at a hotel for one night. Who knew Rafa what would get to the quarters?

So now that he has, I asked my hotel, and they said $430 a night. Well, I said, I'll check with they Hyatt.

So Bob and I went to the Hyatt and had a lovely dinner. The rate there was the same, but I called back to the Esmerelda, and I ended up getting my original rate for one more night. So I was happy, and Bob and I really enjoyed our meal. He had fish and I had filet mignon, and it was lovely. Good food and good company, IMO. The rest of the evening is a bonus.

We were just thinking about taking a golf cart back to the Esmerelda when a nice Fed fan came over to us, as she heard us talking about Fed. She invited us outside and we chatted a long time about Fed, Nadal and the rest of the Tour.

But it was getting cold, and Lopy and I don't smoke, so we went inside to the lounge, and were getting ready to leave when Rafa, Francis and others came in. They were there just to play pool (billiards). I went by them, and saw Rafa, and he said hello and I did as well.

After a while, Bob and I were getting ready to leave, and I did approach Rafa and ask about his ankle and he said it's okay, or so he hopes. And I said good bye, and I did kiss him on both cheeks and he did the same. I wished him the best from all of you.

I have no idea how he did in the pool game, though.

Vamos, Rafa!!!

Thursday: Day Off for Rafa and Us

I'm at the tennis center. No Rafa sightings yet. I'm watching Ljubicic vs. Federer. I was hoping for a good match, but Fed is already up a break.

Last night I wanted to update our website, but I couldn't get the internet in our room. I was not happy. After all the troubles at the Hyatt, I was really irritated and complained. In the end, they couldn't fix it, but they comped my room for the night. So I went to bed. This morning I was able to update the site, though.

As you can see, Peter Bodo wrote an interesting article about Rafa. And he also plugged our site. Please check it out, and post a note to him. I think he really loves us Kool-Aid Drinkers.

Bodo's Nadal Story

Photographer Cynthia Lum just arrived, and we are going to try to get together later. Also, I should try to see Don and Chris from Tennis Warehouse today. And Lopy and I are planning on having dinner.

A little while ago I had lunch, and was in line behind Richard Gasquet. He had lunch with Grosjean and some other French guys.

Federer just broke Ljub against to go up 6-2 in the first set. I don't think this is going to be an exciting match. Bring on the Bryans!

Vamos!!!

Thursday: Update from Susan & Lopy

It's now 12:20 in beautiful IW. And now Lopy and I are back at the same hotel. We just ordered room service -- but mostly for me, as I love the Thai lettuce wraps.

So, we are actually blogging together this time. And it's nice to see Lopy's pictures, because they are very pro. I'm going to feature one on the HP, and I know you will all love it. And he has many more of the same. Great photos!

He also has photos of many other players. He has some great Gasquet, Fed, and Mathieu photos. So if you want to see other photos, just let us know or send a PM to Lopy.

Rafa isn't scheduled for Thursday, and his quarterfinal against Baghdatis will be on Friday. Bob and I will be there to blog and take photos. This will be a highly anticipated match, and we're excited about it.

Bob and I will be there to cheer him on. If we can, we'll sit together and really cheer on our baby bull.

In the meantime, we have had some interesting experiences. Bob met a manager from Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Dan Tardie, yesterday evening. It was cold out there, and he invited Bob to join them in their wonderful corporate suite. Bob told them a lot about our site, and they were interested in that, and they treated Bob with Aloha spirit. And Bob had an opportunity to cheer for Rafa in a more dynamic way than before, and Susan heard him without a problem. And we are sure Rafa did too. :D

And Bob also cheered on our baby bull today. I was pleased to be able to blog from the media center, but I couldn't yell Vamos much. But others did, and we hope (and think) his injury isn't serious.

We'll be putting up more photos soon. Bob already has put up some great practice photos, and I have a couple from his press conference.

We are planning to be at the event for the Federer/Ljubicic match tomorrow, and I'd like to see the Bryans play Gasquet/Grosjean. And with luck, we'll see Rafa practice at some point, if his foot is okay.

More later, from Susan and Bob . . .

Wednesday: Rafa Pulls Out of Doubles as a Precaution

Just got advance word from Matt that Rafa is indeed pulling out of doubles because of his ankle injury. We'll find out more soon, when he does his interview, but I think it's just a precaution. More soon, as well as info from his press conference. . .

Now don't panic. Rafa did feel pain during the match, but he felt better later. He did indeed twist his ankle. He thinks he will be okay for singles. He said, "But [this] is more for precaution. You don't know tomorrow what's happen, no? But now I am happy because don't feel to much pain, no" But I can finish the match, so that's a good sign."

He said he felt some pain, but not enough to retire. He also says his physio (Juan) thinks he will be okay for the next singles match.

And he also liked the way he was playing. He said, and this is cute, "I think I play well all match, I think. Do you think?"

He's very excited about playing Baghdatis. He has a lot of motivation to do well in that match given how well Marcos has done lately.

Overally, he's happy with the results he has been posting after being off from the game for so long. He has never played Marcos before, even in juniors.

He sounded pretty upbeat in the interview, and what was really nice is that I saw him in the cafeteria a bit later. I met Sarah and Claire for a late dinner in the cafeteria, and about 15 minutes later, Rafa comes in. Sarah was over getting something else to eat, and she noted that Rafa bought M&M's, and his coach bought this huge stack of cookies. Rafa walked out, literally throwing M&M's up and catching them in his mouth. He looked over at Sarah, Claire and me, and he smiled and waved. It was very cute. And his coached followed with cookies -- apparently for later consumption.

Guess those kilos will be coming back.

But he looked very upbeat, and not like someone who was going to have to withdraw fromt the tournament. But he had to take care, given that you could tell from the replay that he did roll his ankle.

Oh, one cool thing from Matt, our Knight in Shining Armor. I asked about Rafa's interview tonight, and he said we should know something soon. So I went into the interview room. When it was announced Rafa was pulling out of doubles, he called into the interview room to make sure I would know it and could report it to you all right away, which I did. The media coordination here is absolutely wonderful. Thanks, Matt!!!

Wednesday: Rafa vs. Grosjean (Set 2)

Rafa's had his left foot taped, as he twisted his ankle. Hopefully it won't affect his movement too much.

Game 1: Seb to serve. Easy service game. 1-0, SG.

Game 2: Rafa to serve. Fault. You have to think the potential problem to his foot is affecting him mentally. BH into net. 0-15. Another bad miss by Rafa. 0-30. This is NOT good. Fault. Let. Misses drop shot badly. 0-40. There is something wrong. 15-40, after great serve. Screaming FH winner. 30-40. Fist pump. Unreturnable serve. Deuce. He's continuing to fight. Vamos! Fault. Mishit by Rafa. Ad SG. Come on, Rafa!! FH into net. Game SG. Poor Rafa. He's struggling now. Keep fighting!!! I think he has had a mental lapse since the injury.

Game 3: Seb to serve. Crowd getting behind Rafa. Although lots of Allez's. Seb hits long. Lots of cheering for Rafa. 0-15. Rafa seemed a little better in that point. Seb into net. 0-30. Seb hits FH long. 0-40. Here's his chance. Fault. Great return. Game, Nadal. Back on serve. 2-1, SG, on serve.

Game 4: Rafa to serve. Great serve. 15-0. Again. 30-0. Rafa seems a bit less tentative now. Ace. 40-0. Unreturnable serve. Game Rafa. 2-2, on serve.

Game 5: Seb to serve. 0-15, as Rafa becomes aggressive again. Starting to get dark. Seb hits long. 0-30. Fault. FH goes wide. 15-30. Great point, demonstrating how hard it is to beat Rafa from the baseline. 15-40. BP. Vamos! FH long. 30-40. One more BP. Come on!!! Fault. DF. Rafa wins game. 3-2, RN.

Game 6: Rafa to serve. Adjusts socks and pants. Fault. Misses FH. 0-15. Go Rafa!!! Great FH. 15-15. Fault. Crowd is very subdued. SG his FH into net. 30-15. Great serve. 40-15. Misses FH down the line, and yells at himself. 40-30. Great BH down the line winner. Game Nadal. 4-2, RN. New balls.

Game 7: Seb to serve. 15-0, after great scrambling by Rafa. He seems to be moving okay now. Fault. Rafa FH forces SG to overhit. 15-15. 15-30. Rafa seems to be overpowering Seb at crucial times. FH causes set to overhit again. 15-40. Two BP's. Vamos! Rafa breaks as SG can't handle Rafa BH. 5-2, RN.

Game 8: Rafa to serve for the matdch. Winner passing shot by Grosjean. Fault. I think Rafa thought it was an ace. Screaming FH winner by Rafa, down the line. 15-15. Fist pump. Fault. Another screaming FH winner. 30-15. SG could only watch it go by. Rafa misses it this time. 30-30. Go Rafa!!! Fault. UE by Seb. 40-30. MP. This lady in the next suite loves Nadal. She's yelling for an ace. He wins, as he forces SG to hit long. 6-4, 6-2.

Well done to our baby bull. :D He played so well -- with just a hiccup there as he dealt with the foot matter.

Rafa is signing 3 balls to hit in the crowd. And signing the camera. He seems happy. Both he and Roger played a lot better today.

Wednesday: Rafa vs. Grosjean (Set 1)

The players are on court. Rafa is doing his ritual of eating that gel before coming out for the toss. Wearing same clothes -- orange shirt and white piratas. Seb is waiting for him. Jumping up and down. Seb won thw toss, but don't know what he decided. Rafa sprints to the backcourt. The warm-up begins.

Just finishing watching the Gasquet/Fed match, which turned out to be a bit of a bust. Fed played very well, though, and Gasquet didn't look sharp at all.

I was just speaking with Joel Drucker, and he may write an article for us about Rafa and his "lefty-ness advantage." I think that would be fascinating.

Rafa acknowledges the crowd, as he is being introduced. Boy, his resume of accomplishments does sound impressive!

Game 1: SG elected to serve. Fault. 0-15. Easy OH for Rafa. I'm in the outside seats in front of the media suite. Not bad, but I really liked that box seat last night. Great FH by Rafa. Fist pump. 0-30. Fault. Return into net. 15-30. Rafa had that lined up. Fault. BH just wide. Chair called it out. 30-30. Ace. 40-30. There is a beautiful balloon up overhead. Another ace. Game SG.

Game 2: Rafa to serve. Stadium is kind of quiet at the moment, and a bit empty. Seb hits long. 15-0. Great serve. 30-0. Another great serve. 40-0. Ace. Game Rafa. Great serving in that game. 1-1.

Game 3: 15-0. I think I just heard Lopy yelling for Rafa. Ace. 30-0. SG hits volley long. 30-15. Bad mishit by Seb. 30-30. Fault. UE into net. BP for Rafa. 30-40. Vamos, Rafa!!! Let. Adjusts pants. Great serve. Deuce. Screaming FH pass by Rafa. Ad Rafa. BP. Come on, Rafa!! He breaks with amazing forehands. 2-1, RN.

Game 4: Rafa to serve. Adjust socks. FH UE. 0-15. He had control of the point, but then misssed. Seb missed an opp there. 15-15. Nadal has lots of support here. Fault. Long return. 30-15. Let. Fault. Great FH's by Rafa. 40-15. There's wind, and I think he likes that. Fault. Game Nadal. 3-1, RN.

Game 5: Seb to serve. DF. 0-15. Fault. Great FH. 0-30. OH by Seb. 15-30. Unreturnable serve. 30-30. Fault. Seb misses BH. 30-40. Another BP for Rafa. Vamos!!! Fault. DF. Game Nadal. 4-1, RN.

Game 6: Rafa to serve. Great serve. 15-0. S&V winner. 30-0. Fault. Seb hits wide. 40-0. Rafa dictating play at the moment. Seems comfortable. Fault. Seb presses and hits long. Game Nadal, at love. 5-1. Vamos!

Game 7: Seb to serve. 0-15. Return long. 15-15. Fault. BH long by Rafa. 30-15. But he's being aggressive, certainly. Screaming, and I mean screaming, BH pass by Rafa. And another one, too. 30-40. BP. The balloons overhead are gorgeous. Return goes wide. Deuce. Ad Grosjean. These are hot air ballons. Deuce, as Grosjean overhits. Return into net. Ad SG. Rafa not happy with that miss. Game Grosjean. 5-2, RN.

Game 8: Rafa to serve for the set. Fault. Rafa just misses bh. 0-15. Come on, Rafa! Match is at 30 minutes. 0-30, as Seb hits great volley. Danger point for Rafa. Seb long. 15-30. UE by Rafa. 15-40. Vamos! One PB saved. Volley winner. Deuce. Long FH. Ad SG. Fault. Rafa hits out. Broken. :-( 5-3, RN.

Game 9: Fault. Rafa hits long. 15-0. Return into net. 30-0. 30-15. Bad news. Rafa is calling a trainer. Don't know why. More news to follow. He's taking his right shoe and sock off; it's not the left one. Maybe they need to tape a blister or something.

It's more serious than that -- he rolled his ankle and they had to tape it. So let's see how he goes. Grosjean just won his service game, and Rafa was going for his shots.

Game 11: Rafa to serve for match at 5-4, RN. I doubt he'll be playing doubles tonight, that's for sure. He did run out to the service line to serve. FH winner by Rafa. 15-0. Fault. SB hits wide. 30-0. Rafa seems to be moving okay for the moment. Rafa hits long. 30-15. Come on, Rafa! He needs to close out this set. 40-15, as Seb nets return. Two setpoints. Seb overhits FH. Set to Rafa!! Pheww. Hope he's okay.

Wednesday: Rafa Set to Do Double Duty

Just got to the tennis center. I checked out of the Hyatt this morning. No more Rafa sightings, but then again, I got back to the hotel late, and left early today. I've got things to do, so no waiting around for Rafa. ;-)

I was SO tired last night, but I think I'm finally recovering from all the work I had to do to get a few days off.

Uncle Lopy woke me up this morning. We ARE going to try to get together today. I can't wait to hear about his adventures, too. It seems he made his way into a corporate suite last night. A couple times I heard some guy yelling, in a deep voice, "VAMOS RAFA." I now know who that was. Good going, Lopy!

Lots of great tennis today. I probably will stay up here and blog during the Grosjean match. I'm watching Baghdatis/Berdych now, and am looking forward to Gasquet/Federer.

It would be so wonderful if Rafa could get through, but Seb won't give this match away. Rafa is going to have to earn it. Vamos, Rafa!!!

Oh, Chis from Ace Authentic has invited me to sit in the box seats again for tonight's match. But Rafa could be playing at that time. But what an offer! I'd like to be down there for Blake/Haas. You rock, Chris.

I went out to watch Baghdatis/Berdych, which turned out to be a disappointment. The most exciting thing was when Marcos had a problem with his contact lens, and they had to stop play to fix it. Marcos played well, and served well when it was needed. But Tomas was serving horribly, and getting very frustrated with himself. Nothing was working. When he went down 2 breaks in the second set, I left and went to the cafeteria. Sarah and Claire were having lunch with two guys from Tennis Radio, so I joined them. The guys were great, and Mark invited me up to their booth so they can give VamosRafael.com a plug. :-)

While we were eating, Marat, Dinara (she just lost her match with Hingis), sat down at the table next to us. Peter Lundgren was with them. A little while later, Juan went by, so I figured Rafa was done practicing. I had heard he was practicing. Sure enough, a few minutes later Rafa and Francis come strolling by.

Marat saw Rafa and yelled, "El Toro, El Toro." Rafa cracked up, and was laughing. They exchanged a few words in Spanish, and then Francis stopped to chat with Marat while Rafa moved on.

I'm watching Andreev/Roddick right now. I'll probably stay here at Stadium until after Rafa's match. So I can do my blogging here. Vamos, Rafa!!!

Tuesday: Rafa's Post-Match Interview

NADAL def. FISH, 6-1, 6-4.

Not much media left tonight. Hope more people come in, or it will be just him and me. *lol* I doubt they will do a Fish interview.

He held up the press conference while sending a text message. He loves his cell phone.

He’s fine with playing late matches. He likes playing at night. He is used to playing at night. May be a little bit slower at night. He feels good playing at night.

Toni wanted to stay at home with his kids. He changes coaches to fill in for Toni. He is with Francis Roig this week.

He likes playing on hardcourts, and likes the court here. Not looking ahead to clay right now. Last week he won in Dubai on same court.

Grosjean is next. He is one of the best players in the world and he will have a difficult match. He will try to play his best to win. Seb is very tough, and it will be a difficult match.

Re tonight’s match, he’s always prepared for a tough match. He thought he played very well in the first set, very aggressive. He played good in the second set, too, but could not do the break when he had breakpoints. But he could do the break at 5-4, and that was important.

Talks about the new generation of Berdych, Monfiles, Gasquet, etc. Has a good level on tour now. He thinks there will be new players in the Top 10. Re Ferrero, he knows every match is difficult. The level of players is similar and anyone can lose on a given day.

Also he was asked about the Roddick/Federer/Hewitt generation, and he noted that there were other good players in that generation, too, such as Ferrero. I don't think he liked the clay players being left out.

Talks about Agassi match. He’s an unbelievable player, and he had opportunities in the first set, but then Haas played good. Rafa watched the match.

End of interview. I'll head back to the hotel and update the site there.

Great win by Rafa!!!

Tuesday: Rafa vs. Fish (Set 2)

Game 1: Rafa to serve. Vamos! New balls. Fault. Amazing FH draws error. 15-0. Fault. DF. 15-15. Come on, Rafa. Keep up the momentum. Return long. 30-15. BH into net. 40-15. Fish seems a bit deflated. Lob long. Game Rafa. 1-0, RN.

Game 2: Fish to serve. Fault. Mardy's first serve percentage has to be awful. 15-0. Fault. The FH is getting to Mardy. 15-15. Serve & Volley worked this time. 30-15. OH by Fish. 40-14. Crowd getting excited fish. Someone just yelled Vamos, Rafael! Rafa misses lob. Mardy holds. 1-1.

Game 3: Rafa to serve. Winner return by Fish. 0-15. Fish is getting fired up and so are the fans. Come on, Rafa! Winner by Rafa. Fist pump. 15-15. Fault. Return into net. 30-15. Let. Fault. Rafa his Bh long. 30-30. Mardy yells "come on." I sense a change here. Vamos, Rafa! Adjuts pants. Great serve. 40-30. Return long. Game Rafa. 2-1, RN.

Game 4: Mardy to serve. He tried to get more aggressive in the last game. Rafa runs to the baseline. He's pumped. UE by Mardy. 0-15. Ace. 15-15. Fault. 15-30, as Mardy sails ball. Fault. Rafa dove for that one. Mardy hits volley winner. 30-30. Fault. 40-30, as Rafa just misses pass. Game Fish.

Game 5: Rafa to serve at 2-2. Mardy has picked up his game a bit. Fault. Keep fighting, Rafa! Another pass. 15-0. Mardy is trying to get to the net more, and be more aggressive. Rafa hits BH long after great return. 15-15. Come on, Rafa! Return long. 30-15. Great serve. 40-15. Fault. Return wide. Game Rafa. 3-2, RN.

Game 6: I got too excited and lost my text again. Rafa had two BP's at 15-40. Lost one. Fault. Deuce. Mardy is getting more aggressive. Fault. Return long. Ad Fish. Rafa is pressing a bit, too. Fault. Rafa hits wide. Mardy yells "Come on." Game Fish. 3-3.

Game 7: Rafa to serve. Mardy going to Rafa's BH more and more. Hits long. 15-0. FH into net. 30-0. Fault, Rafa thought it was an ace. Great FH by Rafa, Mardy hits BH into net. 40-0. Fault. BH down the line goes long. 40-15. Come on, Rafa!!! Fault. FH winner. Game Rafa. 4-3, RN.

Game 8: Mardy to serve. OH winner. 15-0. He has more confidence in his service games now. Fault. Volley miss. 15-15. Screaming BH winner by Rafa. Mardy falls down, and Rafa checks to make sure he's okay. 15-30. Unreturnable serve. 30-30. Vamos, Rafa! Fault. Volley put away. 40-30. Crowd is really rallying for Mardy. Fault. UE by Mardy. Deuce. Rafa wants this break. Fault. DF. AD Nadal. Mardy not happy with call. BP. Volley winner by Mardy. Deuce. Rafa did his best, but couldn't get there in time. Fault. Let. Mardy hits long. AD Nadal. Fault. Mardy hits OH winner. Rafa screams. Deuce. S&V, AD Fish. Ace. Game Fish. Now the crowd is really happy. 4-4.

Game 9: Rafa to serve. Let. Fault. Fish hits long after long rally. 15-0. Rafa hits BH wide. 15-15. Keep fighting. Return wide. 30-15. Fault. Rafa hits FH long. 30-30. Mardy misses volley. 40-30. Deuce. As Mardy hits great job. Come on, Rafa. I'm a little worried here. Crowd is going wild. UE by Fish. Thank goodness. AD Nadal. Game Nadal, as Mardy overhits. 5-4.

Game 10: Mardy serves to stay in set. Let's go, Rafa. Crowd trying to pump up Mardy. But lots of Rafa fans here, too. :D The lady next to me is my best friend now. Her name is Beverly, and she LOVES Rafa. Fault. Volley into net. 0-15. He's missed several of those. Volley long. 0-30. Ace. That was an angry serve. 15-30. Fault. Trademark Rafa pass and fist pump. 15-40. Two matchpoints. Fault. Mardy tried to serve and volley. Missed BH, just barely. 30-40. One more MP. Vamos, Rafa! Deuce after S&V winner. Bummer. Fault. Fish hits wide. Third MP. Vamos!!! Deuce, after another S&V winner. Fault. Mardy hits long. AD Nadal. One more MP. Fault. He won, after Fish hits long. He yells Vamos!! 6-1, 6-4. He acknowledges the crowd!!!

He signs camera, and he's signing balls to hit the crowd. What a great match that was for him. He'll be happy with his play, and Mardy won't be happy with his serving.

I'll go to both their press conferences.

Tuesday: Rafa vs. Fish (Set 1)

Hola, from the box seats, courtesy of Chris Carey of Ace Authentic. I'll try to blog from here. I may have to stop, or do it just during changeovers if it bothers people in the area. But I don't think it's going to be a full house, so it may not be an issue. This seat is so wonderful!!!! *notworthy* to Chris.

The women's match finally finished. Talk about boring. The good news is that the weather seems a bit warmer now than it did an hour or so ago. I'm not shivering at the moment. Awaiting the arrival of Rafa and Mardy. It's 9:18 local time . . . .

They are changing the net from WTA to ATP, and are shooting t-shirts into the crowd. There is no one sitting around me, so I think blogging won't be an issue.

The guys are in the tunnel doing interviews. Here they are. He is wearing white piratas, a gray jacket, and white bandana. He's jumping around as usual.

Oh my, Fish, has a whole crowd of people here for him. Rafa is drinking water, takes off jacket to reveal orange sleeveless. He's jumping up and down now. The girls are all screaming. Sprints to the back court, to warm up.

There is a lady sitting here, but I told her to let me know if the typing bothers her. Introducing Rafa now. She's a big fan of his, so I gave her a wristband. :D

Game 1: Mardy won the toss. Chose to serve 15-0. Fault. DF. 15-15. Fault. Return into net. 30-15. Fault. BH winner by Mardy. 40-15. FH winner by Rafa. 40-30. Adjusts his pants. Fault. Amazing FH by Rafa. Deuce. Fault. Ball incorrectly called out (Rafa shot). Overruled, and point to be replayed. Fault. Mardy hits long. Ad Rafa. Vamos!!! Fault Rafa shanks return. Yells at himself. Deuce. Rafa breaks. I got too excited and deleted some of my commentary by accident. Fish is not serving well. There is no wind. And Rafa seems a bit more comfortable tonight. Vamos!!

Game 2: A group of girls just yelled "We love you, Nadal." Rafa to serve. 15-0. Fault. DF. 15-15. Rafa hits FH long. 15-30. Come on, Rafa. I'm glad I'm not sitting among Fish fans. Long rally, Rafa draws error by Fish. 30-30. Fish hits long. 40-30. Mardy is playing in a long sleeve shirt. Rafa makes UE into net. Deuce. Mardy hits volley wide. AD Nadal. Fault. Return long. Game Rafa.

Game 3: Mardy to serve at 2-0, RN. Fans rallying behind Mardy. Fault. He is missing his first serve by a mile. Mardy can't handle topspin on his BH side. 0-15. Return long. 15-15. Mardy hits wide. 15-30. Vamos! Faujlt. Beautiful trademark Rafa pass. 15-40. Two breakpoints. Ace. 30-40. Let. Fault. Another screaming BH winner. Mardy applauds it, as Rafa goes up 3-0, with an insurance break.

Game 4: Another winner. 15-0. Rafa hits long. 15-15. Let. Fault. Great gets by Rafa. Mardy misses volley. 30-15. Fault. Another FH winner. Fist pump. 40-15. Rafa is doing some nice shotmaking right now. Hope he keeps it up. Fault. Volley winner by Fish. Crowd is pleased. 40-30. Vamos!!! Great serve. Game Rafa. 4-0.

Game 5: Rafa missed a volley. Mardy is serving. 15-0. Fault. DF. 15-15. Ace. 30-15. Fans here with Spanish flag. Mardy hits long. 30-30. Fault. Great FH's by Rafa. Mardy hits his wide. 30-40. BP!! Ace. Deuce. Bad volley. AD NADAL. Fault. FH winner by Mardy. Deuce. Rafa not happy. He wanted that point. Mardy hits wide again. AD Nadal. Fault. Rafa hits wide. Deuce again. Ace. Ad Fish. Crowd happy for him. Fault. Return long. Game Fish. Crowd goes well. 4-1, Rafa.

Game 6: Rafa to serve. People are yelling "Go Fish." Fault. Return long. 15-0. FH winner by Rara. 30-0. Bet he's glad it's not windy. Fault. FH way long. 40-0. Fish seems frustrated. Return into net. Game Rafa. 5-1.

Game 7: Mardy to serve. Amazing get by Rafa, down the line. 0-15. Fault. Rafa missed return. 15-15. Rafa really does stand way behind the baseline. Fault. 30-15. Rafa just misses FH. Fish hits long. He's pressing. 30-30. Rafa lobs Mardy. 30-40. Another BP. Set point. Fault. FH winner. He's in his element right now. Vamos!!! Set Nadal, 6-1. I'll start a new thread.

Tuesday: Rafa gets ready to go "fishing"

Just getting ready for tonight's big match. If you have any questions or comments about the match, please post them now. I'll try to catch Rafa's practice before the match, and get some photos plus information on how he is playing. And, as I said before, I'll do a live play-by-play blog during the match.

I spoke with Steve Bellamy, CEO of The Tennis Channel, yesterday. He said he told Mardy that he better hope it's windy for the match, because Rafa has trouble playing in the wind. Steve also reminded me that we were just about the only two people three years ago who thought Rafa was going to be a major force in tennis. It's why I started this site, and why he arranged for that "No Strings" episode when Rafa was just 17. :-)

Rafa is at the Hyatt. I was waiting for the shuttle bus across from the hotel, and he came out with Francis and Juan. They must have a car, because they were walking to the parking lot.

I came over here to watch the end of Federer vs. Rochus. It was a good match. Rochus had his chances, but he choked away his service game when he was serving to take it to a tiebreak. Federer didn't look unbeatable in that match.

After that I went out and Rafa was playing soccer with Juan and Francis. I tried to get a photo but the light wasn't very good. He then started practicing. He was in "match mode" because he wasn't signing any autographs. I watched a bit of his practice, and was a bit frustrated with himself. I don't think his game is exactly where he wants it right now. Maybe Steve Bellamy is right -- the players who played in Dubai are in a bit of a disadvantage compared to the guys who have been playing in this time zone for a while.

BTW, Lopy is among the missing. I thought I'd see him at Rafa's practice, but he wasn't there. I figured he'd be doing his paparazzi duties.
I had dinner with Sarah and Claire -- what sweeties they are! Claire said she'd help out and do some blogging for us at Queen's. :-)

I came back to the media room, and Chris Carey of Ace Authentic gave me a box seat ticket for Rafa's match. I'll go down there, but I'm not sure I'll be able to blog from there, because I may disturb people in my area. Or maybe I'll just post updates during the changeovers. That would make the most sense. The media seats up here aren't bad, but it's so much nicer to be close to the action. Thanks, Chris!!!!

I checked out my seat -- it's quite nice. But a little cool down there. I don't think I could type down there, even if I wouldn't disturb fans. But I think I'll try to watch part of the match up close, as I may not have the opportunity later (assuming Rafa wins). And besides, from down there I can yell at him if necessary. :D

Right now Rafa is sitting by himself in the cafeteria eating his dinner.

Tuesday: Midnight Madness

I finally woke up at 2 p.m. I was exhausted from all the work over the past few days, but that's behind me now, and I can look forward to some tennis.

Last night before I left the media center, I ran into Sarah Alvanipour. She used to work with Andyroddick.com, and she's now doing work for Tennis magazine. We've met up at a few events, and we visited a lot in Miami last year. She introduced me to Claire, from the UK, and we had quite a nice chat last night. I think we're going to get together later in the week.

Anyway, I got back to the hotel around 10 p.m., after the Agassi match. Many disappointed fans, now that Aggie is no longer in the tournament. But Haas played well, as did Safin in his match against Davydenko, so they deserve to still be in the event. I followed those matches on the monitor while doing this blog.

I had no trouble getting onto the internet in the restaurant. They use T-Mobile, and I bought a day pass. But when I got back to my room, it was a different matter. I spent an hour on the phone with T-Mobile as they tried to get me onto the internet. They even brought me up this kit to hook to my computer. I said, "This is ridiculous. I can get a connection in the lobby. Do I have to work down there?"

In the end, they moved me to a room in the "newer" wing, which has better success with internet connections. So I had to pack my stuff back up and move at midnight. But they were right -- the internet is fine here. But what a hassle to move at that time of night.

I've heard that Rafa is in this hotel, although I haven't seen him. Apparently they put the women at the Esmerelda and the men at the Hyatt. Personally, I like the Esmerelda better, and I'm moving back there tomorrow, because the rate is much better there. But they are right across the street from each other, so that's not an issue. And Lopy is at the Esmerelda.

And the internet is better there, too!!!

But I'm going to update the site now, and then get ready and head over to the tennis center. I wonder what adventures await me today. Just getting into the doubles match was a huge fiasco yesterday. Thankfully, Rafa is playing on stadium court tonight, and he loves to go fishing. Let's hope he catches a big Fish tonight. Vamos!!!

I will do a game-by-game live blog during the match, in case you don't have TV coverage.

Also, I just uploaded by photos from the doubles match yesterday. There's one there especially for Lovely.
Doubles Photos

Monday: Doubles Drama

What a day. Sorry I didn't have time to post earlier, but I worked last night on a project from work, and all morning, too. I was nearly finished the project, when I had to check out of the hotel. So I came to the tennis center to finish the project, and to hopefully see Rafa's doubles match, as he and Youzhny take on Israel's Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram -- the No. 7 seeds. All went according to plan -- sort of.

The project came together and was finished just about the time that Rafa and Mikhail took the court. For once, Nicholas Kiefer didn't let me down. He lost the first set, and seemed to be ready to lose the second set, when he rallied and won it. So it went to a third set. Mathieu ended up winning, but it gave me the time I needed.

So I hurried over there to watch it. What was I thinking? Stadium 2 was packed, with people wanting to watch Nadal and also Federer in the subsequent match. No one was about to leave, and the volunteers were doing their best to handle the mobs of people trying to get in. I figured that someone would feel sorry for Rafa's webmaster, but alas, no. A media credential and $1.75 would get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks at that point. Lopy had tried to save me a seat, but that wasn't possible given the supply and demand problem. But this all has a happy ending!

After being told I had to get a ticket, I went to the media office and got the "ticket" from Matt -- the media coordinator and our Knight in Shining Armor. I went back to the stadium, and was told that a ticket wouldn't work because there are no seats available. So back I went to Matt, and he went down and handled it personally. There is reserved media seating, and I was able to get a spot on the bench, thanks to his hard work.

And who says doubles are dead? This was the hottest ticket in town. And the ATP had this right -- people love watching singles players play doubles!!!!

But here's the irony. Guess who was sitting to my left: Francis and Juan. I couldn't believe it. There wasn't a seat in the house, and guess which one I did end up getting? Guess they could have placed me next to Rafa and Mikhail, but this was the next best thing.

When I went to sit down, I was so flustered from all the running around just to get a seat, that I nearly dropped everything as I sat down. Juan grabbed my stuff, and asked if I needed any help. Little did he know....

But I had with me two Vamos Rafael wristbands, and I gave them to them. They looked at them, and asked who I was. I explained, and they told me they also are working with Rafa. It was very cute. They put on the wristbands right away, and complied when I asked for a photo of them. I said, "Gracias for foto," and
Francis said "de nada. I'll put it up shortly. It is really nice.

It was interesting to sit down beside them. At that point, Rafa and Mikhail weren't doing too well. They were down a couple breaks, got one back, but went on to lose the set, 6-3.

Now, Juan and Francis were watching me do my notes. Originally I wrote down 6-4 as the first set score, and they corrected. They said, "No, no, 6-3." I said, "Okay, tres." :-)

So off they went to the second set. When Rafa came out, he looked at Juan and Francis, and they tried to pump him up. They also said things to him (in Spanish, of course), and he responded to them. Something was bothering him. I have no idea what -- my Spanish is definitely not good enough for that! But I can recognize coaching when I hear it -- but I think things are more relaxed in doubles.

Once he got back to business, Francis and Juan started talking to each other. Indeed, they talked during the whole match, except for the few times they yelled Vamos and Venga to Rafa. I have no idea what they were saying, but I think they could give Brad Gilbert some competition for talking during matches.

My favorite part was when a fan behind us dropped her cell phone and an usher went down and picked it up, as it fell to the ground below. The usher brought it back in parts, and Juan was intrigued by what had happened. There was a whole discussion about that, with the key word being "cell phone."

I asked Juan if he spoke English, and he said "a little." I asked him if why Rafa decided to play doubles with Youzhny. And he didn't really have an answer. He said it just worked out, or something to that effect. But I did ask. I have a feeling that if I understood Spanish, I would have some really good things to report. Nathalia, you are going to have to come to IW next year. *lol*

They major key is that Rafa was not serving very well. I think that was frustrating him. Before I begin, I have to note this is the first doubles match I've seen with no ad scoring. What happens is that if it gets to deuce, the team that wins the next point wins the game. Also, there's only two sets, and if it's even, the winner is chosen by a 10-point tiebreak, which is what happened here. A hint of the ending??

The second set started out the same way as the first set -- with Rafa having trouble on his serve. He was down 15-40, but he and Mikhail saved two breakpoints, to get it to deuce. And then they won the next point, so game, Nadal/Youzhny.

Rafa and Mikhail had a BP in the next game, with Erlich serving, but Erlich/Ram rallied, and won the next point after deuce. So 1-1.

Youzhny then had an easy service game, and his serving was a big plus to the Nadal/Youzhny combo. So 2-1, R & Y.

Then the guys broke Ram at 15-40, to go up 3-1. Then Rafa had to serve. At 0-40 on Rafa's serve, things were not looking good, but they got it to 30-40. But even Rafa couldn't chase down the E&R shot, even though Rafa ended up in the stands as he tried to do so. So the break was lost. 3-2.

The set remained on serve after that. Juan and Francis tried to keep Rafa pumped up. At one point, I said, somewhat softly, "Come on, Rafa." And then Francis yelled, "VAMOS!!"

Rafa had a much better service game at 4-4. In fact, he held at love. Well done, Rafa!! :D

They had a set point on Erlich's serve at 5-4, but couldn't convert. So onto the tiebreak. And Juan and Francis still kept talking. ;-)

Tiebreak summary:

1-0, MY hits great serve.

2-0, winner by Rafa

2-1, MY misses return.

2-2, RN hits backhand long.

3-2, Erlich misses volley.

4-2, MY wins point.

4-3, E & R win point.

5-3, Great serve and Rafa hits overhead winner.

6-3, ace.

6-4, return goes long.

6-5, MY misses return.

6-6, MY hits out.

7-6, Great serve by Rafa.

7-7, Rafa misses shot.

8-7, overhit by Ram -- bad miss.

9-7, Youzhny to serve, and he gets matchpoint.

And Youzhny serves them out of trouble, to win the match.

It was very exciting, and I liked both the no-ad scoring and the exciting tiebreak after the second set. If this will get more players to play doubles, it would be great, especially since Erlich and Ram are top doubles players, and yet Rafa and Mikhail, who have never played as a team before, were able to win the match.

I can't wait for the next match against Grosjean and Gasquet. I watched a great deal of Federer/Allegro vs. Grosjean/Gasquet, and it was interesting. I think if Fed wants to succeed in doubles (as if he needs to), he needs to get another partner. I've seen Fed/Allegro play 3 times live, and each time they lost. The first time I saw them lose was at IW 2004 where they were defeated by Rafa and Tommy Robredo.

It's too bad in some ways that Fed/Allegro didn't win, because a doubles contest featuring Nadal and Federer on opposite sides would have fans and media swooning. And it certainly would be held in the stadium court.

As for Rafa and Mikhail, it's an interesting pairing. They seemed a bit more serious that I've seen Rafa in prior doubles matches. But they seemed to communicate well -- but you didn't see the same comraderie that you see when he plays with Tommy and Feli. I can't really say who was the dominant player on the team. Mikhail definitely served better, but Rafa's volleying was better at times. Now that they have played a match, it will be interesting to see how they handle Gasquet and Grosjean.

For other news here, I'm following the Agassi/Haas match now. Tommy took the first set, and fans are really rallying around Andre. They love him here at IW.

I also ran over to the Hyatt to check in, and I'm all set there. I took the shuttle bus back over, and I met Anna and some other Nadal fans who visit our site. It was SO funny because they were talking about players taking the shuttle over, and how when the players get on the bus, it's usually Mirnyi or Davydenko, and not Rafa Nadal. So I asked, "Do you like Rafa?" Well, they love him, and as we talked more, they started mentioning a woman in California who runs a site for Rafa. Guess who that person iS? So I have a couple fans, it seems. We are going to try to meet up later. I want to speak with them more. It's always lovely to meet Rafa fans.

Speaking of which, I haven't seen Lopy since yesterday morning. We've spoken on the phone, but I've been busy and so has he. I know he's loving the experience here.

Looking at the Order of Play, Rafa is scheduled to play Fish late tomorrow, not before 8:30 p.m. So I can get some sleep before coming over here in the morning.

BTW, I'm no longer sitting next to Peter. :-( But he knows how to find me. Actually, we've had some nice conversations. It's so different when you speak with someone face to face. I've enjoyed our discussions so far, and I'm sure I'll be bothering him again very soon.

But it may not be good for his reputation for us to let folks know that he really is a very nice guy. :D

Sunday: Rafa's Post-Match Interview

He starts by saying hello.

He cannot win tournament playing like this. Must play much better. Very windy. Very difficult to play in the wind. First match is always difficult. Important he won, because he can improve as tournament goes on.

Asking about Roger and the potential rivalry. He says always the same. He’s the best player in the world, best in history. Rafa needs to improve other things. Doesn’t know if he has mental edge against Roger. Doesn’t want to speak about it. Doesn’t like to compare.

Needs to improve his serve, little bit more. Needs to improve the forehand winner – (now that’s a scary thought). Needs to continue to practice and improve.

Injury doesn’t bother him now. He doesn’t think about it anymore. Doesn’t have pain. Has some exercises he does, nothing special (so cute how he says special).

Too far to look ahead to Wimbledon. He wants to play good on grass. He likes playing on grass. He’s going to play Queen’s. and will stay in London for one week before Wimbledon to train. Trying to get the best preparation for playing on grass.

Court is okay here. He can play good on them. The balls are okay. It was the wind that was difficult today.

And he ends with “Thank you very much.”

And I stepped in front of a camera that was filming, so I’m in trouble with a cameraman, even though I apologized. :-(

Just went down to get some lunch. Was in the salad line behind Flavia Pennetta. Shed really is very attractive. As I was checking out, Rafa came in. He's in there having lunch now. He's wearing a white track suit.

I'm going to be leaving the venue soon, as I have to do work for my "real" job. And it will be easier to work at the hotel. I'm pleased Rafa won today. It was a tough match for him, but I think the wind was a real factor. I wonder if he'll play doubles tomorrow????

You are NOT going to believe this. Peter Bodo has the desk right next to me, on my left. We'll be sitting together all week. *roflmao*

Sunday: Rafa v. Hernych (Set 2)

RESULT: Rafa wins 6-4, 6-4. Vamos!!!

Game 1: I had to come inside, where it is warm. But there are chairs next to the windows, so I can watch the action live, and not on the monitor. 15-0. 40-0. Rafa's not having too many looks at JH's serve. Game JH.

Game 2: RN to serve. It's quite windy on court, and that may be bothering Rafa. 15-0, FH winner by Rafa. 40-0. Both guys are doing better on their serving. Overhitting by JH. Game RN. 1-1.

Game 3: JH serving. 15-0, as RN misses pass. Long point. JH misses volley. 15-15. The players aren't toweling off much. Great hustling by Rafa. 30-30. Vamos!!! 40-30. Rafa did lots of running, but JH hit the winner. It's nice not to be shivering as I'm typing. Winner by Rafa. Deuce. First pump. AD JH. Rafa is getting frustrated. Game JH. 2-1, JH.

Game 4: Rafa to serve. He placed his bottle just so under his chair. Wild FH by Rafa. 0-15. 15-15, fist pump. Rafa knows he's not playing his best right now. Return into net. 30-15. Rafa misses FH down the line. 40-30. Vamos!!What a point. Game Rafa!!!

Game 5: JH serving. Great pass. 15-15. Rafa hits return wide. Very frustrated with himself. 40-15. It may be less windy now. 40-30, error by JH. Rafa into net. Game JH. 3-2, JH.

Game 6: Easy service game for Rafa, as he held at love. And I deleted all the extra blog posts I created. *lol*

Game 7: JH to serve. JH hits long. 0-15. 30-15. Wind just picked up. The chairs and player name boards were blowing over. Players not happy. I think the wind is bothering Rafa; it certainly is bothering his shots. BH into net. Game JH. 4-3, JH, on serve.

Game 8: Rafa to serve. 30-0. Great serve. 40-0. 40-15. Nancy, there aren't that many people in the stadium because there is action on all the other outer courts, so people are out there instead of in here. Lots of people love to watch doubles. JH winner. Come on, Rafa. 40-30. UE by JH, thank you very much. Game Nadal. 4-4, on serve.

Game 9: JH to serve. Vamos, Rafa!!! JH missed sitter OH. JH hits wide. 0-30. Patrick McEnroe is right behind me chatting away. 15-30. JH winner. Missed another volley. 15-40. Two BP's. Patrick says ESPN is covering Hingis and Agassi matches. Rafa just missed a FH. 30-40. One more chance! Vamos!!! Rafa broke with a lucky net cord that just dropped over the net. But we'll take it, even though he apologized. Vamos! Rafa to serve for the match.

Game 10: Patrick and others are talking about continuing to give Donald Young wildcards. I guess his match against Henman was a total blowout. Come on, Rafa!! Patrick is out on the balcony watching this now. Fault. JH hits long. 15-0. Fault. Winner by Rafa. 30-0. I'm going outside now. Great point, but Rafa lost it. Crowd is going wild. 30-30. Vamos, Rafa!!! Great serve. 40-30. Matchpoint!!! Go Rafa!!!! Patrick is talking about the Fed/Nadal rivalry. He's being interviewed. Fault. Great pass finish. Rafa wins!!! Fist pump!!!!

Rafa signed the camera. And acknowledged the crowd. He was happy to eek out that win. Rafa is signing 3 tennis balls and will hit them into crowd. I'll go to his interview, and bring my laptop. So I can tell you what he says as he says it. :D

He is signing LOTS of autographs on the way out. He is still signing.

Sunday: Rafa vs. Hernych (Set 1)

They are on court warming up. Rafa is wearing a bright orange shirt, his piratas, and white headband. He just shanked a ball.

Chris Carey from Ace is here. He saw me and said, "Guess they let just anyone in this place." I said, "Not just anyone. A rep from IMG." :D

Vamos, Rafa!!

It's a little nippy out here, with no sun. But the wireless is working well.

Two more minutes in the warmup. They are introducing the players. It was interesting listening to fans comment on Rafa while watching his practice. The most common comment is that he's taller than they thought, and is slimmer.

They are introducing "the Spanish Sensation." He's getting quite a reception. *woohoo*

Hernych won the toss and chose to serve.

Game 1: JH to serve. Rafa adjusts the socks. Fault. 0-15, JH hits long. 0-30, UE by JH. 0-40, as JH misses volley. Go Rafa, get the early break. And he did, with another JH error. Game, Nada.

Game 2: RN to serve. 0-15. Rafa was controlling point with forehands, and then hit BH into net. Ace. 15-15. Fault. Wild bh by RN. 15-30. He seems a little tentative on that side, so JH is going there. Great FH. 30-30. 40-30, JH hits bh into net. Beautiful dropshot winner. Game RN. 2-0, RN.

Game 3: JH to serve. Fault. Rafa misses pass, and yells at himself. 15-0. JH bricks volley. 15-15. Return goes wide. 30-15. Lucky net cord for Rafa. He apologizes. 30-30. Good volley by JH. 40-30. Boy, it's chilly here. I'm shivering. JH passes Rafa. Game JH. 2-1, RN.

Stadium is filling up now.

Game 4: RN to serve. Winner fh by JH. 0-15. Would someone please remind folks on the MB that I'm doing this blog. Another one. 0-30, and RN is in trouble on serve. Come on, Rafa!!! Fault. UE by JH, into net. 15-30. JH missed volley. Good thing, too. 30 all. Vamos! JH is getting more aggressive. Fault. Rafa couldn't handle FH. 30-40. Breakpoint. Come on, Rafa! Fault. He adjusts his pants. JH hit wide after great Rafa FH. Deuce. Rafa yelled "out." Great FH by Rafa. Fist pump. Ad Nadal. Game Rafa, after great serve. Most of the media are inside watching this -- I can see why. It's cold. 3-1, RN.

Game 5: JH to serve. 15-0. Return long. 30-0. Rafa teed off on that return. I think the ball is in La Quinta. 40-0. BH long. Game JH. 3-2, RN. Rafa's bh is giving him a little trouble, I think.

Game 6. I'm shivering here. I may have to go inside, too. Rafa to serve. Let. BH goes wide, after Rafa thought ball was going out. 0-15. He's got to raise the level of his game a bit. JH into net. 15-15. Fault. 30-15, after JH hits soft served wide. Fault. Shank by Rafa. He screams. 30-30. 40-30. Fist pump. It's a little windy on court. JH hits wide. Game Nadal. 4-2, RN.

Game 7: JH to serve. 15-0, as return goes wide. Lob goes long, but it was a great point. 30-0. 40-0. Rafa misses pass. His game definitely is a bit off. FH into net. Game JH. 4-3, RN. Rafa's lucky to be up a break, IMO.

Game 8: RN to serve. Great serve, and FH follow up. 15-0. Volley winner by JH. 15-15. Ace. Fist pump. 30-15. 40-15, as lob goes a bit long. Thankfully. Rafa is getting pumped that the last points have gone well. Fault. Hits FH wide. 40-30. Vamos!! Rafa bricked an easy volley. He's mad at himself. Deuce. JH bricks volley. AD RN. Ace, and Rafa squeals and does fist pump. Game Nadal. 5-3, RN.

Game 9: JH to serve. 30-0. He is serving much better. Gorgeous pass by Rafa. 30-15. That's the Rafa we know and love. JH hits long. 30-30. Rafa fell down trying to get that ball. But he's okay. 40-30. Volley winner. Game JH. 5-4, Rafa to serve for the set. Vamos!!!

Game 10: I'm in front of the media suite, which is on the second level of suites. I doubt the camera will pan here. *lol* 15-0. I'm not sitting with Lopy, because he doesn't have a cred, and I can't sit anywhere but in the media section with my cred -- at least for the main stadium anyway. 30-0. Two great points by Rafa. I'm shivering now. Hard to type. 40-0. Three setpoints!!!! Vamos!!! DF. 40-15. Fault. Return long. Game, first set, Nadal. New thread. :D