ROLAND GARROS 2018

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_French_Open_%E2%80%93_Men%27s_Singles

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_French_Open_%E2%80%93_Women%27s_Singles

bolelli hitting super cleanly & staying w rafa impressively...for now

He was *averaging* 91mph on his forehand in the first set, something like that? Damp conditions both hindering Rafa and ultimately sparing him any further awkwardness (suspended at 6-4 6-3 0-3). I expect he'll wrap it up in three tomorrow under blue skies.

Ostapenko's quick ouster not exactly a shock, but makes women's draw even more of a tossup.

4 lucky losers advance (plus bolelli may have pushed rafa as much as anyone this tourney will?), including trungelliti who drove back 10 hrs 2 dispose of tomic

9 qualifiers also alive still, seems like a lot (last yr there were 5)

i know male italian players are often enigmatic but how the hell does bolelli lose 0 & 2 in quallies btw?

Wawrinka and Berdych the high profile losers of the first two rounds, though Stan's loss was not that surprising maybe.
Currently Sascha's struggling against Dzumhur (1-2 down, a break behind in the fourth), as is Dimitrov against Verdasco (2 sets down).

I've not seen any women's matches apart from Bertens.

i couldnt watch, but serena coming back from a set down to barty has me thinking shes back & legit dangerous this tourney

fucked up i didnt realize rba's mom recently died suddenly :(

oof novak lost several set pts & could be in for a long one now vs rba, level @ a set each

Novak smashed the heck out of his racket at 6-7 in the t/b. Thought briefly about doing it again after losing the set.

Zverev-Dzumhur is all over the place. Dz has had a mp, and really should gave finished it an hour ago. 5-5 in the 5th.

Well, Zverev got through in the end, another close 5 set match.
Novak 1-3 behind in the third...

for some1 whose best career win is vs victor troicki, berrettini is nicely staying w thiem here

tennis is in such a bad place right now :/

sharapova/serena is compelling, expect serena to roll tho

In the match with the 13-inch height differential, Anderson has failed to serve it out twice (in the 3rd and 4th set), and is now 1-1 in the 5th vs Schwartzman. KA's first-serve %-age has fallen off a cliff in the last hour, which presumably has something to do with it.

Neither of these can realistically cause Nadal any trouble, so may as well play each other into the ground in prep for the qf. I had romantic notions of Gasquet finally doing something glorious in Paris in the last round, but... no. 3, 2 and 2. Thiem is the only threat to an 11th title, right? Slightly ahead of Zverev, Cilic and Del Potro and just behind "injury".

(Diego now a break up in the 5th).

Four breaks at the start of the 5th (2-2).

Unfortunately, ITV4 are showing the Nadal match.

Diego ahead again, thanks to the *18th* break of serve. In a Kevin Anderson match.

Nadal throwing in a few forehand UEs to go a break down in set three vs Marterer.

Serena withdraws :(

She was clearly struggling last night in the doubles (losing 0-6 in the 3rd).

Cilic-Fognini is really outstanding stuff - into a 5th set, this after Fabio looked on the verge of quitting after an injury timeout in the 2nd set.

Yeah, saw the last set and a half of that match and it was fantastic. Fognini is as erratic as Monfils in his playing, brilliant one moment, horribly laconic the next. With added outbursts of frustration. Too bad he didn't make it, I find Cilic such a dull player.

Zverev out of steam after three 5 set matches. Thiem through in 6-4, 6-2, 6-1.

Cecchinato just took the first set against Novak!

Good lord, Cecchinato takes it, 13-11 in the 4th set t/b. I can't wait to see the highlights for this one.

Either he's the new Guga or Thiem finally has a shot at a Slam final, after getting horribly thrashed in the semis the last two years.

damn crazy ! props ceccho

highlights are up now. wow!

watched the re-air from chech down 1-4 4th set, jeez; t/b was super dramatic, novak framing that midcourt ball that wouldve won the set was crazy

id prefer not to think novak is in decline but novak is unquestionably in decline imo

A recurring theme with Novak since the early spring has been his inability to close out sets. I can't believe the number of times he's let an opponent back in from 5-2 or 5-3. He's plays top-10 tennis until the crunch and then he's just as human as the rest of the pack.

Surely the rain isn't getting Nadal out of another hole here, a la Rome?

So, Nadal and Delpo through in 4

delpo/rafa is gonna be good

chech in another insane t/b

props dom good stuff

thiems dropshot @ down 9-10 was gorgeous

One set away. Did look like a classic TB.

yay Domi. dream final if Delpo wins next (which I think he could! Nadal struggled a bit against Schwartzman)

yea i love rafa but am def rooting delpo here

Delpo injured now is it

depends to wut extent but yea im having a hard time thinking he can stay w rafa for 4 or 5 sets

well earned BPs here from delpo

he'll have to stay with him through 4, can't see Nadal losing in straight sets

some great tennis all round but Nadal digs deep (what else?) to stay on serve

Delpo injured now is it

― xyzzzz__, Friday, June 8, 2018

tweaked his back changing direction at like 1-1 & grimaced, looked hurt but he may be ok

brutal to lose the set like that & w all the break chances he had

Gahhhh what an infuriating set. Bloody Nadal.

Also Delpo WHY

:-(

watching this and hating myself

so we descend into hell

#prayForThiem

yea delpos still gonna fight, probably, but this could be over fast

sigh...delpo hd 3 break points at 4-4 and has lost 4 straight games now

Fuck sake, Nadal's still going to be winning this tournament when he's 60.

This is just torture now. Poor Delpo. :(

It'll be over soon.

cldve been a v different match but tennis is fickle n frustrating like that

im still hopeful for thiem/rafa to be compelling; thiems level vs rafa in madrid was incredible

Not exactly looking fwd to it - but praying for a contest.

Thiem's 3-6 vs Nadal on clay, which is a better W/L record on the surface than anyone else*, with the exception of Gaston Gaudio (held Nadal to 3-3 in his teens).

(* - limiting it to players who have ever been in the top 10).

So, yeah, he has a better shot than anyone else in the draw. But Schwartzman had him, damn it! If only it had stayed precisely that damp and muggy for another 90min instead of actually raining.

After a nervous start, Halep now looking bosssss.

Stephens got tight in the second set and has yet to recover - errors all over the place now.

Incredible point to break! Simonaaaa <3

Yay so happy for Simona, after everything she's been through. Well-deserved and the last set was not nearly as lopsided as the scoreline suggests - she was just winning all the key points towards the end.

yay Halep - sadly missed what looked like an excellent final. I want to try and miss today's match. Hopefully Thiem can win that first set, at the least.

Some good stuff from both of them in this match. Thiem is now more into his stride after playing some terrific tennis to break back

Two DF for deuce on his serve..

Thiem came through that - we are now on serve.

Controversial: 40-30, Thiem lets a ball go as its called out. The umpire says in. Deuce

This is an incredible game - lots of god rallies!

what a game - Thiem gets thorough that.

Thiem is playing so great. On serve but you do feel he has to win this set..

rafa already averaging 30 seconds between service points according to the NBC broadcast. (thiem not far behind at 26)

tbh we all need a break too, its tough to just watch

3 SPs Nadal

I mean Nadal made him play one.more.shot and Thiem never made the volley. Nadal masterfully wolfed down that chance - he has taken the 1st set.

ugh this guy will never lose

Nadal is great at finding a way through you - he can just work you out eventually. Probably the best I'll ever see at this.

and yup, bathroom break - let the cunt stew on it

Early break - took a while but got it. This is pretty much over.

ack. expected though (at least after that first set loss)

Nadal is a beast.

man Nadal 0-30 and what a point from Rafa. Toe to toe and the most wonderful down the line, its now 30-30

And he eventually wins that game - time and again..

One last push from Thiem..fantastic rally at 0-15 from Nadal and then a winner just inside the line. Some terrific rallies even at this point.

haha drop shot for BP Thiem - like I say, one last push

drop shot back created the opening to save it

and another one

Watching Nadal when he's like this is incredibly exhausting.

Yeah - ruthless. Although I think Thiem has given us a better final than last year, which isn't saying much.

Nadal serving for the 2nd.

One set away. Your optimist says many things are possible in life - well get him here to talk us through how Thiem is going to win from here?

Thiem came through in that first game with a gorgeous BH winner but is facing another BP here.

and he works him over again..

Right I'm off, its been not so fun. Really wished I watched the final yesterday (although I am not as upset, Thiem will win a slam once Rafa gets injured again...or dies 'lol')

rafa has some sort of hand injury....

he doesn't look great now

Nadal can't hold his racquet because his fingers are cramping but he's still winning points. That is the kind of match this is.

lol otm