RG: Rafa vs. Federer

I'll blog the match tomorrow, as ESPN/NBC apparently will show it live.

Vamos, Rafael!!!

UPDATE: I can't do the blog because my son is giving a speech at church about an hour after the match starts. So that takes priority.

Vamos, Rafael!!!

Roma: Rafa vs. Roger -- The Post Mortem

Thankfully this post mortem is a positive one. Things didn't look too good for our Rafa at times today.

I'm sorry I didn't do a fully detailed blog, but it was so stressful I was finding it hard to type much. The match had so many momentum shifts -- things were looking good for Rafa after the third. Then the fourth was a disaster, where Rafa seemed a bit flat, and Fed started playing the way he did in the first set.

Then when Rafa went down a break in the fifth, I thought this was going to be tough. Surprisingly, Rafa has said that even down a break he was fairly confident he could come back. The only time he had a bit of doubt was when he was down the two match points. I'm rewatching the fifth set now, so I can look again at what happened on those points, where Roger missed two forehands.

The good news for Federer is that if plays well, attacks and comes to the net, he will greatly increase his chances against Rafa on any surface. He challenged Rafa a lot more today, forcing Rafa to become more aggressive and not wait for Fed to make errors.

But the most impressive thing is that Rafa stayed positive and kept up the belief he could win. Most players would be discouraged, but not Rafa. At 4-1, he held easily, and then he was a man on a mission to break. As one commentator said, he broke by sheer force of will and nothing else. The focus was almost scary.

As for Rafa's plan to go to Hamburg tomorrow, I hope he rethinks it. He's won three back-to-back tournaments, played an exhausting final, and tiring himself out before Roland Garros may not be the best plan.

He didn't play Hamburg last year, after that exhausting final against Coria, and that likely was a good move. Although he had more of a blister problem on his fingers at that time.

Roma: Rafa vs. Federer (Set 5)

was hoping we wouldn't need a fifth set, but here we are.

The momentum is with RF right now. He's playing better than Rafa, whose level has dropped off since the third set.

If he wants this title, he's going to have to pick up the intensity of his game. I just hope he keeps fighting, because he's got a real battle here. Hope he can pump himself up.

Vamos, Rafa!!!

Good service game by RF. Rafa is being tested.

0-1, RF.

I think I may have to go on a Diet Coke run here.

I just came back to see him get broken. Things are not going well for our baby bull, but he is still fighting. But he's getting outplayed right now.

Rafa had his chances to break, but couldn't.

1-4, RF.

I like the fact that he's still fighting for every point, though.

Rafa needs to hold, and hope that he can make a miracle happen. Vamos, Rafa!!!

Easy service game for him. Held at love. He still is pumped up, so that's good to see.

2-4, RF.

He broke back. Vamos!!!

3-4, RF.

Back on serve. Let's hope Rafa can hold serve. He's definitely more fired up now. Hope Cinci is going to the loo, and Jamu is putting on more Nike gear. Come on, Rafa!!!He held with a great passing shot. He is pumped.

4-4.

He is keeping pressure on. What a match this has been. Come on, Rafa!!! RF held. No pressure is back on Rafa.

4-5, RN.

He holds.

5-5.

The match is so close. The kids are asking me why I'm shaking so much. Roger holds. Now Rafa has to serve to take it to yet another tiebreak. My kids just gave me a nice Mother's Day present. Would be nice if Rafa is able to give me one, too.

5-6, RF.

0-30. A DF. Showing a bit of nerves here. Keep fighting, Rafa!!! Come on, Rafa!!! Miss by Rafa. Two Championship points. He's in a hole here. Come on, Rafa!!! Saves one. Saves the other one. Deuce. Ad Rafa. He held. On to the TB.

6-6.

Vamos, Rafa!!! Just like last year; hope the result is the same. Come on, Rafa!!!

HE WON!!!

He's crying!!!

Roma: Rafa vs. Federer (Set 4)

It's great that Rafa is up two sets to one. He's definitely lifted his game, and RF may be getting a bit weary because he played two tough three set matches coming into this final.

But he won't give up, that's for sure. He'll try to force a fifth set, but hopefully Rafa won't let him. Vamos, Rafa!!!

RF will serve to open the fourth set. Rafa has a BP at 30-40. FH winner. Deuce. Another BP. Ad Rafa. Vamos!!! Deuce. RF is getting a bit pumped now. Ad RF. He does hold.

0-1, RF.

15-30. Rafa has to be careful here. RF is getting more inspired. Keep fighting, Rafa!!! 30-30. 40-30. He holds. Good job, Rafa!!!

1-1.

The dog fight continues, as RF holds easily.

1-2, RF.

15-30. RF is raising the level of his game. Rafa has to be very careful here. Keep fighting, Rafa!!! 30-30. Nice pass by RF. 30-40. Sets up BP. Come on, Rafa!!! Great serve. Deuce. FH miss by Rafa. Another BP. Come on, Rafa!!! And RF breaks. This may go to to five sets.

1-3, RF.

RF is playing more like he did in the first set. Rafa has to keep fighting!!! RF holds.

1-4, RF.

Rafa needs to hold here, to keep the pressure on. Commentators say there has been a shift in momentum to RF. And I agree. I'm just hoping Rafa keeps running him around. He holds. Now he has to try to break. Keep fighting, Rafa!!!

2-4, RF.

RF holds easily.

2-5, RF.

Tough task for Rafa, if he wants to avoid a fifth set. 0-30. Commentators are saying Rafa is looking a little sluggish. Missed drop shot. I almost get the sense Rafa wants to get on to the fifth set. Maybe he's a little tired. Three set points. He saves one. Fist pump. BH goes long. RF wins set.

Roma: Rafa vs. Federer (Set 3)

I'm glad Rafa was able to win the set. If he was down 2 sets, it would have been too big a hole for him.

Rafa is playing a bit better now. Getting more aggressive. Shirt change.

RF has been playing very well. His level went down a bit in that tiebreak, and Rafa raised his game.

RF has played a lot more tennis than Rafa this week. Commentators are saying the longer this goes on, it may favor Rafa.

Rafa jogs to the baseline. Match is 2 hours, 16 minutes old.

RF to serve. Game RF.

0-1, RF.

Rafa held at love.

1-1.

Rafa has a break point. 30-40. RF saved it with a great FH. Deuce. Ad RF. He holds. Too bad Rafa couldn't have taken advantage of that opportunity.

1-2, RF.

30-30. Danger time again for Rafa. Keep fighting, Rafa!!! Great pass. 40-30. Mishit off good serve. Game Rafa.

2-2.

15-15. RF is showing a little frustration, though. Rafa has another BP after a wild FH. He passed, and got the game. Vamos!!!

3-2, RN.

Rafa to serve. He needs to keep fighting here, and keep the pressure on. Deuce. Rafa has to be careful here. Keep fighting, Rafa!!! Come on, Rafa!!! He draws the error from RF. Ad Rafa. Rafa was lucky there. He held.

4-2, RN.

RF held at love.

4-3, RN.

Keep fighting, Rafa!!! And he does. He holds with an ace.

5-3, RN.

They have each won 100 points. Very close match. 40-15. Ace. RF holds. Now it's up to Rafa to serve for the set. Vamos, Rafa!!!

5-4, RN.

Rafa has to be very careful here, not to let RF back into the set. Three set points for our baby bull. Vamos!!! He converts the first one.

6-4, RN.

Roma: Rafa vs. Federer (Set 2)

That was a tough first set for our boy, and he won't be happy with the way he played that tie break. But the match isn't over, and hopefully he'll keep fighting. He usually is able to put a lost set behind him, but this will be difficult.

Federer is playing a bit better than Rafa right now. Commentators are saying that Rafa may have to make some adjustments because his game plan isn't working well right now.

Rafa to serve. 15-0. Rafa held at love, even made a between the legs shot.

1-0, RN.

Commentators are saying Rafa's body language is good. RF to serve. Misses FH. 0-15. Fed holds. I'm going to just post highlights now.

1-1.

Rafa to serve. Easy service game. He held at love.


2-1, RN.

RF to serve. A pretty easy service game for him, too.

2-2.

Rafa is now serving. 15-0. Another good service game, losing only one point.

3-2, RN.

Easy hold by RF. Commentators are saying that both guys are having trouble with their returns of serve in this set.

3-3.

Rafa is serving. 0-15. Rafa hit BH wide. Rafa is not being very aggressive right now. 15-15. FH goes wide. 15-30. Danger time here. Keep fighting, Rafa!!! Vamos!!! Fault. Mishit return. 30-30. Fist pump by Rafa. He's showing a little emotion there. Let. Ace down the middle. 40-30. RF misses FH. Game Rafa.

4-3, RN.

RF to serve. He has been serving very well this match, which is one thing that is frustrating Rafa. Easy game for RF.

4-4.

Rafa to serve. RF misses FH. 15-0. He held at love. Lost 3 points on serve in this set.

5-4, RN.

It would be nice if Rafa could get some momentum going for a break. The energy level of this match has dropped quite a bit. Keep fighting, Rafa!!! Deuce. Rafa is pumped up now. A mishit brings Rafa a set point. Vamos!!! Great point by RF. Deuce. Return goes wide. Ad RF. Game RF. What a shame Rafa couldn't get that set point.

5-5.

Rafa to serve. He needs to hold on. BH sails. He has to be careful here. He holds. Good service game.

6-5, RN.

RF serving. 40-0. RF misses FH. 40-15. I think we're headed to another tie break. Rafa is going to be sorry about not getting that earlier set point. Game RF.

Here we go; another tiebreak.

Rafa won the set. Played a much better tiebreak. Vamos!!!

Roma: Rafa vs. Federer (Set 1)

Good thing I set my alarm. Or I wouldn't have woken up for this. It's 5 a.m.

RF got off to a good start winning his first service game, losing only one point. Rafa is up 40-0 in his first service game. Just hit two good passing shots. FH winner by RF. 40-15. Another pass.

1-1.

RF to serve. Fault. BH goes long. 0-15. Fault. 15-15. BH into net. 30-15. Another BH goes long. 40-15. Fault. FH winner by RF. Game RF.

1-2, RF.

Rafa to serve. Commentators are saying Rafa isn't playing as confidently in this final. It's still early, but it's obvious RF is a man on a mission here. Rafa definitely needs to shave. BH into net. 15-0. 15-15. Nice pass. Rafa yells Vamos!!! 30-15. Let. FH winner by RF. 30-30. This is not going to be an easy match for Rafa. Fault. FH mishit. 30-40. RF has breakpoint. Come on, Rafa!!! Commentators are saying Rafa is a little tense. And he might be. Rafa hits BH wide. RF breaks. Rafa is under pressure here.

1-3, RF.

RF to serve. 15-0. FH went long. 15-15. RF is the aggressive one right now. FH goes long. 15-30 Keep fighting, Rafa!!! Another FH volley error. 15-40. Two BP's for Rafa. Keep fighting, Rafa!!! FH winner by Rafa. Yells Vamos!!!

2-3, RF.

Rafa to serve. It was very important that he broke back. Now he has to hold himself. Keep fighting, Rafa!!! Has his bottles placed just so. Adjusts socks and spits. Ready to serve. Just misses FH. 0-15. Commentators say that RF has Rafa on the run. RF misses FH. Rafa is peppering the BH. 15-15. I don't know why commentators keep saying "it's a shame" every time RF misses a point. Let, second serve. That almost was a DF. FH mishit by RF. 30-15. Omar Sharif is in the audience. Fault. FH winner. 40-15. Game Rafa.

3-3.

RF to serve. 15-0. 30-0. Fault. FH mishit, after good return. 30-15. Rafa smiling about something. 40-15. After good serve, and short reply. Fault. Rafa misses FH. Game RF.

3-4, RF.

Rafa to serve. New balls. Adjusts socks, ready to go. Fault. BH goes long. 15-0. FH clips the tape and goes out. 15-15. Keep fighting, Rafa!!! Toni looks a little nervous. Misses FH. Rafa is under pressure here. 15-30. Vamos, Rafa!!! He has 9 UE's so far. Rafa misses FH. 30-30. RF FH into net. 40-30. Return sails. Game Rafa.

4-4.

RF to serve. Fault. Rafa missed pass. Disappointed with himself. 15-0. Fault. RF misses drop shot. 15-15. Fault. Too good by Rafa. 15-30. Had RF on the run there. Good serve. 30-30. Mishit return. 40-30. Game RF.

4-5, RF.

Rafa to serve. This is a real dog fight, I'm afraid. Rafa needs to hold to stay in the set. John McEnroe is in the stands, next to Prince Albert. Keep fighting, Rafa!!! Adjusts socks and such, ready to go. Mishit BH return. 15-0. FH winner by RF. The commentators are on RF's side. Grrrrr. They are saying RF is playing much better than yesterday. Let. I have to agree with them, unfortunately. 15-15. Rafa hits BH long. He's pressing a bit. 15-30. Keep fighting, Rafa!!! Vamos!!! Ace. Yells Vamos!!! 30-30. FH winner. Rafa had to win that point several times. 40-30. Volley winer by Rafa. Game Rafa.

5-5.

RF to serve. Commentators did like the way Rafa played the last game. Keep fighting, Rafa!!! Rafa misses FH. 15-0. BH just wide. 30-0. BH mishit. 30-15. Fault. Return into net. 40-15. Let. Fault. High BH goes wide. 40-30. Keep fighting, Rafa!!! Game RF.

5-6, RF.

Rafa to serve to take it to a TB. This is not going to be easy to handle for any fans. This first set is crucial. Adjusts socks and spits. Rafa hits volley long. 0-15. Keep fighting, Rafa!!! Vamos!!! Showing Toni. RF misses FH. 15-15. BH miss by Rafa. 15-30. Keep fighting, Rafa!!! Vamos!!! This is danger time. RF misses BH. Wish the commentators would stop saying "what a shame." 30-30. Keep fighting, Rafa!!! Vamos!!! FH goes long. 40-30. Great point, with RF winning it. Deuce. Keep fighting, Rafa!!! Vamos!!! Fault. Let. BP for RF. Come on, Rafa!!! BH goes long. Deuce. Another set point for RF. Come on, Rafa!!! This is so nerve-wracking. Fault. I can just imagine how Rafa feels. RF misses BH. Deuce. Come on, Rafa!!! FH winner. Ad Rafa. Come on, Rafa!!! Fault. Great second serve. Game Rafa. On to the tiebreak.

6-6, Tiebreak.

I think I'll just post highlights re TB. This is too nerve-wracking. 2-0, RF. 3-0, RF. He's picking up his level here. Rafa overruled fault. Fed has Rafa on the run. 4-0, RF. Not much Rafa can do at the moment. Ace. 5-0. Rafa misses FH. 6-0. More set points for RF. Rafa is getting outplayed right now. RF wins the tiebreak at love.

Roma: Rafa vs. Monfils (Set 2)

Rafa took the first set in 38 minutes. He's playing well, but not having to do anything spectacular. Just waiting for GM to make errors, mostly.

Rafa to serve to start second set. Rafa misses FH. Rafa questions it; Monfils confirms it was out, but not by much. Another FH miss. 0-30. He has to be careful here. Maybe a bit of a let down from the first set. Commentators saying he may have lost a bit of focus. BH goes long. 0-40. Let. Three BP's for GM. I'm not liking this. He misses drop shot. Commentators are saying it was a disastrous service game.

0-1, GM.

GM to serve. GM into net. 0-15. Fault. Forehand goes long. 0-30. 20 UE's for Monfils. 16 for Rafa. Hits out again. 0-40. So three BP's for Rafa. Come on, Rafa!!! Enormous FH's from GM. 15-40. Fault. Late call. FH goes long. Game Rafa.

1-1.

Rafa to serve. Let's hope he has a cleaner service game here. Vamos, Rafa!!! Long rally. Rafa at his best. FH angle winner in the end. 15-0. Great BH winner by GM. Rafa confirms the call was good. 15-15. Let. FH goes long. 30-15. GM hits wide. 40-15. Rafa misses FH. 40-30. Rafa's been a little loose with his FH today. Long rally; Rafa forces error. Game Rafa.

2-1, RN.

GM to serve. Rafa is ready. He's cleaned the line, adjusted his pants. Fault. Let. BH draws error from GM. 0-15. Good serve. 15-15. Fault. DF. 15-30. He yells at himself. Commentators are saying Rafa isn't playing his best, but playing as well as he needs to basically. Fault. FH winner by GM. 30-30. Return into net. 40-30. BH goes wide. Game GM. He's fired up.

2-2.

Rafa to serve. Fault. Rafa may need a bit more intensity here. Return goes long. 15-0. Drop shot, and then volley winner. 30-0. Fist pump there. FH goes just long. 30-15. Another error. 30-30. Come on, Rafa!!! You aren't in the locker room yet. 40-30. OH winner. Game Rafa.

3-2, RN.

GM to serve. FH goes long. 0-15. GM has 10 winners, 30 UE's. Rafa misses drop shot. 15-15. Fault. Toni doesn't look too worried. Return goes long. 30-15. Fault. FH goes long. 30-30. No wonder Rafa's BH is improving; all the players pepper it all day long. Fault. FH mishit. 30-40. BP for Rafa!!! Vamos!!! Fault. Rafa breaks.

4-2, RN.

Rafa held and now GM is serving, at 15-15. My cleaning person came, so I had to speak with her. BH goes long. 15-30. 30-30. FH miss by GM. 30-40. Match point for Rafa. He converts it, with great forehand. Big smile.

Rafa wins, acknowledges the crowd.

Not a vintage performance, but it didn't have to be according to commentators.

6-2, 6-2.

1 hours, 17 minutes. 12 winners, 22 UE's. 12 winners and 36 UE's for GM.

Good result for Rafa. Federer is next -- the final everyone wanted. It's going to be busy around the site this weekend.

Roma: Rafa vs. Monfils (Set 1)

Good morning. Federer and Nalbandian are still on court; quite a dog fight there. On serve in the third set. It went to a third set tiebreak. The commentators are saying that Federer didn't play his best, by any stretch of the imagination, but he played the bigger points better.

Now, let's hope Rafa can have a good day at the office himself, and move on to the final.

They are on court, warming up. I believe Monfils won the toss and elected to receive.

Rafa is wearing the same lime green shirt, white piratas and white bandana.

Vamos Rafa is written in the clay. They just panned to it. :D

Rafa to serve. He's done all his rituals. 15-0, as return sails. Fault. BH into net. Shadows on court. 15-15. Fault. FH goes wild. 30-15. Commentators are saying that Henman said Rafa is the best player he's ever faced on clay. 40-15. Fault. FH goes wide. 40-30. Let. Rafa misses FH. He's a little tight right now, going for too much. Deuce. Long rally, and GM hits winner. Ad GM. BH goes wide. Deuce. Fault. BH goes long. Ad Rafa. Long rally, and GM hits into net. Game Rafa.

1-0, RN.

GM to serve. 0-15. Rafa comes to net and wins point. Fault. BH goes just wide. 15-15. Rafa has had tons of backhand practice lately -- all the players go for his BH. DF. 15-30. Fault. Another DF. 15-40. Two BP's. Fault. Return mishit. 30-40. FH winner. Yells Vamos!!! He breaks.

2-0, RN.

Rafa to serve. Fault. BH UE into net. 0-15. Rafa not happy with that. I loved the journalist who said that Rafa takes every missed shot as a personal affront. FH goes wide. 0-30. Danger point here. Come on, Rafa!!! Better FH that time. 15-30. Fault. 30-30. BH into net. 30-40. Come on, Rafa!!! Beautiful FH winner by Rafa. Deuce. Great serve. Ad Rafa. The forehand onslaught continues. Commentators are calling him a gladiator.

3-0, RN.

GM to serve. BH goes wide. 0-15. FH winner by GM. 15-15. Fault. BH into net. 15-30. 30-30. Fault. FH goes wide. 40-30. Good serve. Game GM.

3-1, RN.

Rafa to serve. Let's hope he picks up his serving level a bit. Rafa comes to net, and GM misses pass. 15-0. GM misses FH. 30-0. Rafa misses FH. 30-15. Fault. Late call. So it's a let. Drop shot winner by Rafa. 40-15. They are saying that Rafa plays like a veteran with his shot selection. Great serve, and then a nice volley.

4-1, RN.

GM to serve. 40-0. Had a phone call there. Misses FH. 40-15. Misses again. 40-30. He's going for his shots, as most Rafa opponents do. Rafa misses volley. Game GM.

4-2, RN.

Rafa does rituals. FH angle winner. 15-0. Commentators are saying Rafa is a joy to watch when he's playing his best. Great volley winner. Audience gives standing ovation. 30-0. GM has FH winner. 30-15. BH goes long. 30-30. Rafa has to be careful. Come on, Rafa!!! Fault. GM into net. Rafa yells Vamos!!! 40-30. Fault. Game Rafa.

5-2, RN.

GM to serve. New balls. GM misses FH. 0-15. He has 15 UE's. 15-15. DF. 15-30. Fault. Misses FH. 15-40. Two set points for Rafa. Bad miss by GM. Rafa gets set. Vamos, Rafa!!!

6-2, first set for Rafa.

Roma: Rafa vs. Gonzalez (Set 2)

It's great Rafa has that set under his belt. It wasn't easy, but overall he played better than FG. The only reason he was broken once was because he made a couple uncharacteristic errors.

But I expect FG to keep the pressure on.

Commentators are noting that Rafa is getting better, even on clay courts. His serve is improving, and he's getting more comfortable at net.

FG to serve. 15-0. Fault. BH into net. 15-15. 19 UE's by FG. Fault. BH return goes long. 30-15. Fault. 30-30. Fault. Great FH by Rafa. 30-40. He has BP!!! Fault. Way out. Misses FH. Rafa breaks.

1-0, RN.

Rafa to serve. All rituals are completed. BH into net. FG throws racquet. 15-0. Rafa wins points at net. 30-0. He throws racquet again, across the court. It was a good natured throw, though. FH into net. 40-0. JB is saying that Rafa is ruthless. FG misses pass. Game Rafa.

2-0, RN.

Rafa is clearing the clay off the line, adjusting socks. He's ready to try to break. FG looks very frustrated. Good FH. 15-0. Great serve and FH follow up. 30-0. Fault. Great rally. Rafa wins it with FH. 30-15. FH winner by Rafa, down the line. 30-30. It just hit the line. Good drop shot by FG. Although he had to win that point a couple times. 40-30. Fault. Rafa misses return. Game FG.

2-1, RN.

Rafa to serve. Rituals done, including the spitting. Drop shot winner by Rafa. 15-0. Great serve and then FH winner. 30-0. Fault. FH mishit by Rafa. 30-15. Keep fighting, Rafa!!! BH return misses. 40-15. FG is really going for it, and that was on a first serve. Worked that time. 40-30. Keep fighting, Rafa!!! Misses return. Game Rafa.

3-1, RN.

FG to serve. FH into net. 15-0. Fault. Toni doesn't look too worried. Wild FH by FG. 15-15. On FH he as 3 winners, 14 UE's. Fault. Another FH error. 15-30. Long rally, and then FH down the line winner. 15-40. Two BP's for an insurance break. We like insurance, Rafa!!! FH winner by FG. 30-40. Keep fighting, Rafa!!! The crowd is trying to inspire FG. I wish they would mind their own business. Another forehand winner. Deuce. Misses FH that time. Ad Rafa. Amazing point by Rafa. He breaks!!! Toni is happy, and me, too.

4-1, RN.

JB is saying about Rafa "he is just a phenomenon." They love to show him adjusting his water bottles. He runs to the baseline to serve. JB says, "I don't think this match will last too much longer with Nadal in this mood." Rituals done, including the spitting habit. Fault. FH UE by FG. 15-0. 15-15. BH into net. 30-15. FG can't believe he missed that. Great FH out wide. 40-15. BH goes long. Game Rafa.

5-1, RN.

Commentators are saying that FG has been outplayed. Rafa should have won the first point, and then FG should have won the second. 15-15. Rafa did everything possible to win that point, but couldn't pull it off. 30-15. BH UE by FG. 30-30. 40-30. Game FG.

5-2, RN.

Rafa serving to take match. Long rally. Rafa uses drop shot, FG gets to it, and then makes the volley pass. 15-0. Stunning FH pass, after FH attack by FG. 30-0. Two more points. JB is once again comparing Rafa to Borg. Ball hits line and Rafa couldn't handle it. 30-15. FG isn't going away. Great FH by FG. 30-30. Rafa hits FH wide. 30-40. BP for FG. He is trying to stage a comeback. I hope Rafa doesn't let him. Keep fighting!!! Great first serve. Deuce. Rafa misses BH there. Ad FG. Another BP. Rafa misses FH. And FG breaks. Two errors in that game by Rafa, and it cost him. Thankfully he got the insurance break I wanted, as he needs it now.

5-3, RN.

FH into net. 0-15. FH winner. 15-15. FG is really going for it now. Misses FH. 15-30. The tale of FG's forehands in this game. Keep fighting, Rafa!!! Good serve. 30-30. Nothing Rafa could do there. That darn crowd is getting behind FG again. Fault. FH goes long. 30-40. Match point for Rafa!!! FG playing a high risk game right now. Fault. Makes the FH there. Deuce. He's not going away. FH error there. Another match point for Rafa. Toni is encouraging our boy. BH into net. Deuce. Fault. Great point. Ad Rafa!!! He wins, when FG misses FH.

6-4, 6-3. Rafa signs camera and also for fans.

1:42 minutes; 18 winners and 18 UE's. 35 UE's by FG, to 16 winners.

Roma: Rafa vs. Gonzalez (Set 1)

Federer won his match, but Almagro gave him a huge test. I'm hoping that Gonzalez doesn't do the same with our boy, but I'm concerned about this match. When I first saw the draw, I was most worried about this potential quarter. Vamos, Rafa!!!

Rafa and Fernando Gonzalez (No. 10 seed) just entered the court. Rafa was jumping up and down before he came out. He's making them wait while he gets out that package of stuff that he eats.

Rafa is eating that stuff, while the umpire and Gonzo wait. He really should get up and do the toss. Got the bottles adjusted, and now he's ready. He's jumping. Nadal won toss and we think he chose to receive.

Rafa is wearing the same outfit. White piratas, lime green shirt and white bandana.

Carlos Moya is there supporting Rafa. Very cool. :D The match is about to start.

FG to serve. Fault. FH goes long. 15-0. Good serve. 30-0. Let. Good angle by Rafa. 30-15. UE by FG. 30-30. Vamos, Rafa!!! Fault. Long rally, and Rafa made the FH error into net. 40-30. FG was pleased to win that point. Taking their time to recover. Commentators are saying it was a battle of wills. Fault. FH miss. Deuce. Rafa is going to FG's one-handed backhand, forcing the error. BH UE that time. Ad Rafa. Come on, Rafa!!! One BP. Fault. Gets second serve. Beautiful FH winner. Game Rafa.

1-0, RN.

Rafa to serve. Commentators are noting the way Rafa celebrates big points. Not like Hewitt, who was more in your face. Missed return. 15-0. Rafa hasn't shaed during this tournament. Another BH miss. 30-0. Good serve. 40-0. Shoes say Vamos Rafa. Beautiful forehand draws weak reply. Game Rafa.

2-0, RN.

FG to serve. Fault. 15-0. Fault. FH volley winner. 15-15. Rafa is peppering FG's backhand. Fault. FG's serving is helping, too. BH goes long. 30-15. Fault. His first serve percentage has to be bad. Let. Rafa missed return, although he had it set up. 40-15. Fault. FG misses BH. 40-30. Rafa is still battling in this game. Fault. DF. I had a feeling that was coming, given all the missed serves. Deuce. Missed FH. Another BP for Rafa. Ad Rafa. Vamos, Rafa!!! He made a first serve there and won the point. Deuce. Called a fault, but it was an ace, and overruled. Ad FG. Misses BH volley. Bad miss by FG. Deuce. Ace. Ad, FG. His serve is improving a bit in this game. Fault. Another good serve, and FH. Game, FG.

2-1, RN.

Rafa to serve. Commentators are noting how charamatic Rafa is. Adjusts socks, spits into the clay (that's a new habit he has picked up). BH pass by FG, as Rafa went to the net. Rafa has to be careful about that. Rafa FH winner. 15-15. Fault. DF by Rafa. 15-30. First DF of match. Got lucky with that Gonzo return miss. 30-30. Vamos, Rafa!!! FH into net. 30-40. BP for Gonzo. Come on, Rafa!!! Keep fighting!!! Deuce. FH went just wide, although commentators thought FG has won game. Thankfully they aren't the chair umpire. Great point by Rafa. Ad Rafa. Fist pump. Game Rafa!!! Good hold!

3-1, RN.

FG to serve. He knows he let some chances slip in that last game. BH goes wide. 15-0. FG's serving is much better. Fault. Rafa's FH goes wide. 30-0. Good serve. 40-0. Wild FH. 40-15. Fault. FH goes long. Game FG.

3-2, RN.

Rafa to serve. Adjusts socks and spits again. Yuck!!! That's something that must help him in Rome. BH return goes wide. 15-0. Beautiful FH winner. 30-0. Rafa passed FG at the baseline. Great angle pass by FG. 30-15. FG's first fh winner. Fault. Keep fighting, Rafa!!! Great FH by Rafa, FG got it back, and they volley winner by Rafa. 40-15. Answering the question about whether Spaniards can vellye. FH goes wide. Game Rafa.

Would someone note on the MB that I'm doing the blog. Gracias!!!

4-2, RN.

FG to serve. Another FH error by FG. 0-15. Rafa misses BH, error forced by FG's forehand. 15-15. Fault. Let. Rafa misses overhead. 30-15. Missed BH down the line. 40-15. One thing is for sure, his BH is better than last year. Ace. Game FG.

4-3, RN.

Rafa to serve. He needs to keep focused on his serve, now that FG's serve is working better. They are talking about Rafa's bottle placement. Okay, picking two balls, adjusting socks and spitting. Adjusts pants for good measure. New balls. FG misses FH. 15-0. I have to say FG is hitting some pretty looping high backhands. It seems like it's 5 minutes before they bounce on the other side of the net. Fault. Now that was an amazing FH return. 15-15. Rafa will want a first serve here. Volley put away by Rafa. 30-15. FH down the line winner. Yells Vamos!!! 40-15. 6 winners on FH side, and 1 by FG. Misses the FH that time, though. 40-30. Come on, Rafa!!! Toni looks relatively comfortable. Misses another FH. Commentators are saying he is showing he is human. Deuce. I want him to become super-human again. Lucky let cord by FG. Great point, but unfortunately not for Rafa. BP. Vamos, Rafa!!! Rafa misses FH. And he is broken. Darn. He really did give FG a couple gifts in that game. We have a real dog fight here.

4-4, RN.

0-15. Keep fighting, Rafa!!! Fault. Exchange at the net, FG wins. 15-15. FG changes racquets. Fault. BH goes long. FG is definitely playing better now. 30-15. Stay focused!!! FG hits out, the umpire verifies it. 30-30. Adjusts pants, maybe that will help. Fault. Rafa earns BP. He jumps and yells Vamos!!! 30-40. This is becoming a thriller. Rafa breaks, after FG error. He runs to chair.

5-4, RN.

Rafa did will to break back. Now Rafa needs to consolidate for the set. Keep fighting!!! Adjusting socks and spitting again. Hope he doesn't continue to do that on hardcourts. Fault. Return into net. 15-0. FG has no idea why he missed it. BH wide. 30-0. FG misses dropshot. 40-0. Three set points!!! FG saves one with a volley pass. FH winner. Yells Vamos!!! Wins set. In 55 minutes.

6-4

Roma: Rafa vs. Henman

Just want to pop in and say good luck to Rafa in his match tomorrow. I'll be busy at that time, so I'll have to follow along on the computer, or get phone updates from Lopy.

Folks on the Messgeboard and in the Chatroom will be following the match live. Hope to see you there!!!

Vamos, Rafa!!!

Roma: Rafa vs. Volandri (Sets 1 & 2)

On my way home for lunch. Will join the action in progress. Vamos, Rafa!!!

I'm here. My dog was glad to see me anyway.

Rafa is doing just fine without me, as I thought he might. I don't think Volandri has any weapons to hurt Rafa with.

3-0, RN.

Volandri is serving. JB is comparing Rafa to Borg again. ;-) 15-30. FV hits long. 15-40. Two more BP's for Rafa. At least he's not talking about [the place that shall not be named]. Rafa makes an error. 30-40. Long rally. A rare mistake by Rafa. Deuce. Another BH error, but that one was forced. Ad FV. The Italian crowd is going wild. Fault overruled. This time it was a fault. BH winner by FV. He holds.

Would someone please post about my blog on the Messageboard. Gracias!

3-1, RN.

15-0. Return into net. S&V by Rafa. 30-0. JB talking again about how much time Rafa takes inh between points. Just misses FH, on the line. 30-15. Just missed. Great serve. Return goes wide. 40-15. FV hits long.

4-1, RN.

FV to serve. I think Rafa is very motivated to make this a quick match. Volley put away. 0-15. FV goes for too much. 0-30. UE by FB. 0-40. Three BP's. JB, ask a more difficult question than that. The answer has to be Michael Chang. Game RN.

5-1, RN.

Serving for set. 15-0. FV doesn't look happy. Fault. Just misses BH winner. 15-15. Oh, no, I was wrong in my answer. It was Gustavo Kuerten. Okay, JB, it was a harder question than I thought. ;-) Fault. Missed BH. 30-15. I think Rafa's trying things out, like a practice session. 40-15. Double set point after 26 minutes. Let. Great serve, reply goes wide. Set RN.

6-1, RN. Takes first set.

Since this thread is so short, I'll stay here. I'm hoping Rafa finishes soon, coz I have a lot of work to do today. Vamos, Rafa!!!

Rafa is just very business-like out there. Not fired up, just getting the job done.

Volandri to serve. FH into net. 15-0. Crowd goes wild. Return into net. They are saying Rafa didn't give away much in first set. FV holds (had to answer phone).

0-1, FV.

Rafa to serve. The crowd is going crazy now, hopefully Rafa will remain focused. He's doing all his serving rituals. Great FH by Rafa; FV can't respond. 15-0. BH goes wide -- UE by Rafa. He yells at himself over that. 15-15. Let. Fault. Crowd is applauding his faults. BH goes wide. 30-15. A few people have had a few too many beers. Fault. Not talking about Rafa. Rafa BH miss. That was a little casual. 30-30. Commentators are saying he may have lost a bit of focus after winning last set so easily. Vamos, Rafa!!! Drop shot by Rafa. Then a volley, and FV misses reply. 40-30. They are saying FV is playing better this set. Good serve. FV checks it, and it was out. So fault instead of game. Second serve. Bad FH miss by FV. Game RN.

1-1.

FV to serve. Long rally. FV is going to Rafa's BH as much as possible. Another FH UE. His 11th, to Rafa's 1 off the FH. 0-15. 15-15. Dropshot, which FV gets to, but then Rafa misses the lob. I think he's practicing things out there. 30-15. He shouldn't do that yet, though. Fault. Just misses FH angle. 40-15. Let. Fault. Missed another FH. Game FV.

1-2, FV.

For some reason this blog isn't too happy about publishing changes. Rafa to serve. Vamos, Rafa!!! BH UE into net. 0-15. Fault. Stay focused, Rafa!!! BH winner by FV. Now, this is not good. 0-30. BH is picking up his game, and Rafa isn't picking up his quite yet. Come on, Rafa!!! Six points in a row for FV. Fault. Rafa needs to get fired up. BH mishit by Rafa. Oh, no. Three BP's. 0-40. Very sloppy game by Rafa here.

Hmmm, the blogger went out again. I think maybe the traffic here is a bit too much for it.

But not to worry, I joined the folks in the chatroom, as we followed the match. Check out our new chat feature on the Messageboard, if you haven't done so already. It's cool!!!

Anyway, Rafa won. He was lucky to get out of jail at 1-2 -- when the blogger decided I should leave you all. He was down 3 BP's, and the commentators thought Volandri was in control of the set. But with a little help from Volandri, Rafa dug himself out of that hole, and then broke in the next game. That pretty much took the wind out of Volandri's sails, and even though he had another BP as Rafa was serving for the match, the result was inevitable.

Tomorrow, Rafa plays Tim Henman at 9 p.m. I don't know if I'll be able to follow it. I have to be in court while Rafa is on court (at least part of the time anyway). So I may have to get Lopy to call me. ;-)

Vamos, Rafa!!!

Roma: Rafa vs. Moya -- Rafa wins 6-1, 2-6, 6-2

Okay, we're getting things ready. If I don't wake up in time, Lopy has my number (so to speak) and he will call me and wake up the whole family. But that's okay -- we all have to get up at some point anyway, no? May as well get the kids off to school a bit early, I always say.

This match is making us all a bit nervous, but we have to remember that notwithstanding Miami, Rafa has a great record against Carlos overall, especially on clay. They have played a number of exhibitions which Rafa has won.

Vamos, Rafa!!! See you all in the a.m. or p.m., depending on your time zone!!! (Remember, three exclamation points are necessary. Sorry, ATP!!!)

GOOD MORNING!!! Henman did manage to win in two. Wonders never cease. So I don't get to sleep for another set. Off to the TV I go . . .

They are showing the end of Gaudio/Malisse now.

Malisse won, and now Rafa and Moya are on court. Rafa won the toss, and I think he elected to receive. He is wearing the lime green shirt, white piratas and white headband. They are warming up now. John Barratt (JB) is one of the commentators.

The blogger function went out right before the match, and came back right after the match. What timing!!! *rollseyes*

But we fans are nothing if not resourceful, so we moved the blog to the Messageboard. Check there for the full play-by-play, as well as some serious nerves on the part of fans.

I really was worried in the second set. I didn't see the Miami match, but if I had a nickel for every time the commentators started mentioning Miami, I'd be rich.

That's why I decided to start a new thread and not mention Miami at all. It seemed to work.

I was so proud of Rafa. He looked a bit lost in the second set, as Moya could do nothing wrong, and it seemed Rafa could do nothing right. I was about to send cincimini into the loo. And tell Jama to put on some more Nike apparel.

But Moya can be a streaky player, and Rafa settled down in the third set.

What really impressed me, though, is that he saved those two breakpoints at 4-2. One was a Moya miss, but then Rafa had the composure to hit an ace. That seemed to give him a lot of confidence. Once he held there, you could tell that he believed he could win the match.

Of course, he probably always believed that. He was just making us fans sweat a little.

Vamos, Rafa!!!

Emily Arrives in Rome

We have our first report -- from Emily. Since making this report, she has bumped into Rafa (literally), and I'm sure we'll get more details, other than a very excited SMS report. Thanks to LZ for communicating the latest news from the front:

Posted: 08 May 2006 09:37 pm Post subject:

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

From Emily's school blog. Emily is on a class trip to Rome:

Good afternoon – first post from Rafamazing Roma !

There’s someone sitting next to me at the hotel and he just told me (out of NOWHERE! I don’t have Rafa as a wallpaper) that “Nadal is playing Moyá in the first round”, ehh, do I look like a Nadalette or what ?!? Gotta find out how he knew that I was interested in it. Just replied with something as “Gracias” (Note to myself: I’m in ITALY, not SPAIN! ) Anyway, I only hope he’s joking or lying and that it turns out he is one of the journalists I met in Rotterdam and that Rafa is playing a qualifier, but.. I guess not. *sends La Zingara an SMS to check* I wanna see the first round! Moyá had a good week in Estoril (semi finals?), Nadal lost in Miami, 2nd round to Moyá! Maybe I’m going to ask my teacher if I can go to the match, but that’s only possible if they are playing on Tuesday.. Got the interviews on Tuesday, so maybe it’s possible.

(...)

When we arrived there was some trouble with some bags, luckily enough I wasn’t one of them.. Hope everyone found their stuff back and otherwise, you can ALWAYS get my bra, Kevin, don’t worry.. [Ed. note -- must be an inside joke.] But, don’t know if there’s any of my classmates who is reading this, anyone got extra batteries ?! I forgot mine !! And they are for my camera.. HELP! Any Italian who’s reading this and can tell me where to buy good batteries?! That are surviving a week with me ?! Can anyone of VR ask on the board to the Italians?! I’m desperate! I’m afraid to ask the man next to me, he’s not looking like he had a good night.. And he already surprised me with his tennis knowledge, I might need him later this week, so I don’t wanna look like a 2nd Jessica Simpson.. Not that I think he ever heard of her, but I don’t want to give him a wrong impression of me.

About the Roma Masters, except for the draw, players hotel and the announcements in the town, I haven’t seen anything. Now I must admit that I wasn’t in the mood to look at the airport to spot a G. Coria or someone else, but normally I’m so “lucky” to bump into someone ‘that important’…

(..)

Guess this was it for today, will let you know as soon as I spot Rafa (got no mission for him! Anyone has an idea?), Feli (gotta ask him why he never has a bad hair day and.. if he’s practising those “sexy looks”), Nando (gotta kiss him for LZ!) and the rest…

Roma: Pre-Tournament News

What a week! Rafa had a week off, and the Masters Series Roma has yet to start, yet we've still been busy bees around here.

Dmitry Tursunov certainly gave us a lot to laugh about with his hilarious ATP blog from Estoril. Who knew ATP players could be so funny? His descriptions of playing on clay, his relationship with Marat and his car rides back and forth from the stadium had us in stitches all week. Just one question to the ATP: When are you going to have him do another blog?

Now to Roma news. Posters at the Tennis Warehouse board were questioning whether Rafa should play Roma or rest up for Roland Garros. We all know Rafa never met a match he didn't like, so not only is he playing singles, but DOUBLES as well (with fellow Spaniard David Ferrer).

His first singles match is against his friend and mentor Carlos Moya. Normally I wouldn't be too bothered by this draw, but Carlos did beat Rafa in Miami on hardcourt in March. Although I believe Rafa is the better player, no one knows his game better than Carlos, given that they train together all the time. So if anyone knows how to exploit a weakness in his game, it's Carlos.

On the other hand, Carlos lost to Davydenko in the semis in Estoril, and according to fans who watched it, Carlos didn't play well. Indeed, although Carlos likes his chances against Rafa in Rome, he admits he will have to play better than he did in Estoril.

Also, I saw his Monte Carlo match against Fernando Gonzalez, and although he won a set, he was overpowered by Gonzalez through most of the match. Gonzo took the final set 6-1.

Still, the first match of a tournament if often the toughest, and this will be a test for Rafa. But perhaps if he does win, it will be as Carlos says, "If I don't [beat him], then I think he will go all the way to tie the win record."

The match will be on Tuesday, and assuming I wake up in time, I will do a live blog courtesy of our good friends at The Tennis Channel. In the meantime, we'll cheer on Rafa and David in their doubles match tomorrow.

Vamos, Rafa and David!!!