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!!!
posted by Susan at 5:43 PM
18 Comments:
How irritating. I thought they'd put the Europeans on in the afternoon, like Federer's today, so that we in Europe could watch them play at a reasonable hour of the night (7pm in Indian Wells is 4am CET), and that they would have Blake in the night match at a time when the US could comfortably watch.
Will be VAMOSSING all the same!
Thank you for answering my previous questions. Was wondering if you are going to ask for a short interview with Rafa, as you did previously in Cincy I think. He now has his own Web site... but he can figure out pretty quickly that VR is of higher content quality and promoting him far more effectively.
Anyways it seems ashamed to be so close... yet so far.... to him. This disconnect has been bothering me for a long while, particularly before RN site.
Enjoy IW and thank you for all your work.
I'm so excited the match is scheduled for 7 p.m!!..so here in argentina it'll be midnight and i can see it!!..Thanks Susan for your reports!!
ESPN2 is showing rerun matches this Friday evening in the USA when they could be showing Paradorn Srichaphan(THA) play Jarkko Nieminen(FIN) in their Qtr-final. They probably figure neither has a chance against Fed in the Semi, however what if one of them should beat Fed in the Semi. Idiots at ESPN2. Shame on you P-Mac for not covering this match when you had all the time in the world allocated this evening. Who needs reruns of yesterday's Hingis Match??
CORRECTION: Meant to say tonight THURSDAY not FRIDAY.
ESPN2 is showing rerun matches tonight THURSDAY evening in the USA when they could be showing Paradorn Srichaphan(THA) play Jarkko Nieminen(FIN) in their Qtr-final. They probably figure neither has a chance against Fed in the Semi, however what if one of them should beat Fed in the Semi. Idiots at ESPN2. Shame on you P-Mac for not covering this match when you had
all the time in the world allocated this evening. Who needs reruns of yesterday's Hingis Match??
i can't wait to watch rafa!!! wil be a good match.
After almost 3 hours since their introduction right on schedule at 8:30PM Pacific, (and ESPN2 began playing reruns of boring matches) the Qtr-Final's match between Paradorn Srichaphan(THA) and Jarkko Nieminen(FIN) ended with Srichaphan winning it in 3 sets, 7-6(3), 3-6, 7-5.
Srichaphan could not break in 11 chances until the score was 6-5, Srichaphan leading, in the 3rd. Then on Nieminen's serve Srichaphan got his 12th break point which was also match-point and he won it. Srichaphan essentially was ahead in all statistics but Nieminen just was too good saving break-points until the 12th one, which was then his demise. Had the 3rd set gone to a tiebreak Srichaphan would have probably taken it anyway.
Congratulations to Paradorn Srichaphan and may you defeat Federer in your semi-final on Saturday if for no other reason then to tell P-Mac and the entire bunch of ESPN2 failures that they should have televised the Srichaphan/Nieminen Qtr-final match as as they had the others rather than those reruns of Hingis and Federer blowouts. Remember that Srichaphan had defeated Nalbandian, and Nieminen had defeated Safin to get to the Qtr-final. Shame on ESPN2 and P-Mac.
Here's hoping for a masterful win by Bad-Ass Nadal against the forever smile-frozen Bag-Ass. And here's hoping for a masterful upset by Srichaphan over the endlessly over-hyped Federer. Be fun to see a final between Srichaphan and Nadal, notwithstanding all the tennis authorities, Blake, and Andreev still a factor.
At least we know P-Mac and ESPN2 will carry Srichaphan's semi-final. Of course they will ---- Federer is in it.
Do remember us poor Brits in your thoughts tonight, Susan. I will be vamossing in the pre-dawn freezing darkness.
I think that last comment of "how irritating" deserves inclusion in this year's understatement awards.
Susan, thanks for the update about Rafa's ankle! I've been quite worried about it.
I agree that the scheduling doesn't seem very logical, but at least Rafa will have a few hours more to rest up that ankle, so I'm not going to complain this time. ;-) (although the match is at 4 am my time).
Another match late at night or early morning if you prefer. I thought the IW organization would have been more "respectful" to European viewers. Thanks.
Anyway, I am very glad that his ankle is ok. I saw the "re-live" of the match against Grosjean and it seemed to me there was nothing wrong with it, fortunately.
VAMOS RAFA!!!!! Ciao. PAT
Aah !! I almost fainted when i read you kissed him on both cheeks, Susan! How sweet!! Now that's something I'm sure you won't forget =) You're the envy of hundreds!!!
Glad to hear his ankle is fine... He'll definitely beat Baggy tonight !!!
Vamos Rafa !!!
Gaby :D
Hi Susan,
Thanks for your nice reports again :-))
We in france are sorry the match will be at 4am so it will be a very early wake up if we want to see it live ?!
Very happy to see Rafa's ankle is fine
You REALLY are lucky to hv seen him again (i'm so jealous!!!)
VAMOS RAFA !!! BEAT BAGGY !!!
Lucie
Lopy and I were not 100% satisfied that his ankle is okay. We hope it is, but he likely will test it today. If he pulls out, though, don't be shocked. We won't be.
Oh, we did the European hug/kiss thing in Cincy, too. The only difference was that he initiated it there; I did here.
But I am concerned about his ankle.
It was great fun to see him playing pool last night, though. You don't get to see players "being themselves" that often, and Lopy and I got to see it last night just because we were there.
Re: Any expectation of seeing Paradorn Srichaphan playing Federer live on TV in the Semi, DON'T COUNT ON IT?
It appears that on Saturday, ESPN2 is only going to cover the Women's final live in the USA and that there will be ZERO live coverage by both ESPN2 and TheTennisChannel of the two men's Semi-Final matches? It looks like all ESPN2 will do is perhaps replay the "best" one of the two men's Semi-Final matches on Sunday before televising the final Live in the USA. And even that is not a certainty.
If this is all true, then why isn't the Tennis Channel picking up the Semi-s using John Barrett's coverage. These broadcasters are making a convoluted mess of Tennis coverage for USA residents.
Anyone know what the coverage of the Semi-s will be, live or otherwise?
coRafa has not booked a practice court today.
Naw! Perhaps someone else has booked a court in a discrete corner for him to try out that ankle in peace....
It would be disappointing if he couldn't continue, but it's probably more important overall that he's fully fit for Miami where he will be defending his last year's finalist points.
marty
Post a Comment
<< Home