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.
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.
posted by Susan at 4:37 PM
4 Comments:
Hey Susan,
I posted a reminder on the MB! ;)
Enjoy - VAMOS RAFA!!!!!!!!!!
G x
no it's not on tv, some idiotic women's billard thing is on espn, grrrrrr. c'mon rafa baby, vamos!!!!
Ok, a tape delay, so i'll get a visual later! thanks susan! Your summaries are great! thanks!
Rafa lost first set.....
James Blake is a very good player and I find that he has the same game that Rafa.... He is very strong and very fast as well as Rafa.....
For Rafa is more dificult this match but I hope that Rafa will win the match.....
VAAAAMOOOOOOOS RAAAAAAAAAFFFFFFFAAAAAA
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