Australian Open 2018

Hello!

We are back!! Grand Slam time returns and I am one helluva an excited fan. 15th January cannot come fast enough.

The draws have been made and we are poised for some exciting games.

Best of all (and maybe most nerve wracking) is that Nole is back in play. Whoooooa!!!! As a fan I am ecstatic, yet partially anxious about how his first return-to-play grand-slam will go. But here is wishing him luck. I am hoping that he is as exciting on court as he was during yesterday's match against Thiem.

I am currently skimming through the AO website (https://ausopen.com) and the news briefs are stirring up my appetite for the games - Is Ostapenko going to have a magical tournament, how will Venus fair, how will the women's draw pan out?

I only have one question at the moment... how many hours left to Monday?

A recap, Or redress of the US open

One of my few (and far between) regular readers reckoned my post on the finals of the US open finals was a bit boring. I spent about 10 seconds being offended before I realised it was true. 

The reasons for this boring post were many: The matches were a bit one sided and boring, the post was delayed and I had lost a lot of the zeal for writing about it already, and let's face it, since I couldn't catch all the action there wasn't as much I could say about the matches. 

Well, those are my lame excuses. But rare reader and I had a brief discussion on Nadal's clothing choice for the US open. Avid (Hopefully) reader's opinion: too pink, too girlie. Mine: totally Nadal and awesome! So, I decided to take his advice and write about it, and entertain at least two or three readers.

Speaking of clothing choices for the US open, I found many of the outfits prettttty drab. In fact, I doubt that even Chrissy could have come up with something about the grandness of choice here. 

I suspect that the fact that Stan wasn't around with his tasteless outfits decided it for the designers - they would accept the challenge on Stan the man's behalf.  😏😏😏

Here is the one design/colour I didn't like at all:

But there were some decent ones: Venus's outfit, Sharapova's outfit, Karolina Pliskova's (doesn't she look great in anything?), Wozniakis (very little seen outfit - could that be because she had an early exit?) and yes, Nadal's PINK one! 

I hope that the brands come up with something more stylish for the Australian open, don't you? 

US Open Champions

Okay, so I am a little late with this write up (like super late)... but such is life!

Now who didn't think Nadal would be the champion after watching his match on Friday? After loosing that first set, Rafa upped it a few (read many) notches and was almost unplayable. I don't think Kevin Anderson had a chance (Sorry Anderson fans). 

And his straight set, straight-froward victory on Sunday was a reflection of just how strong his game is this year - an appearance at 3 Grand slam finals, and winning two of them. Nadal has been on top form, and it really has been fantastic to watch. 

Anderson also made history. First grand slam semi final and one of the only handful of South African tennis players to make such an appearance (pre open era included). So, Kudos to him and congratulations. 

As predicted the women's game went Sloane Stephens way. But the match was, also as predicted, a bit of a let down, and rather one-sided. Nonetheless, we have one more player to make the ranks of potential grand slam winners - congratulations Sloane Stephens. What a mixed year it has been for women's champions: Serena, Ostapenko, Muguruza, and Stephens. And believe it or not Venus has been the runner up at 2 of these. I can't imagine how exciting 2018 will be!

Looking forward to Djo's return, and so much more... 

A new women's US Open Champ

Sloane Stephens beat Venus Williams 6-1, 0-6, 7-5 to make her debut at a grand slam final. She will be joined by Madison Keys who convincingly beat Coco Vandeweghe 6-1, 6-2. 

We are guaranteed, then, of a new women's US Open champion. This is a bit exciting, but could also mean that the final's will be a dull game filled with nerves. I will wait and watch. 

This morning, at 3:30 am I found myself wide awake. It was far too cold, but thanks to the commentary from the Guardian I was able to follow the entire game. I find that the guardian has some of the best blog coverage for live tennis action. I discovered them only a few years back and have never looked back. Moving onto the match. How topsy turvy were those two first sets? It really makes you wonder if it was nerves, or if the ladies were just sleepy! But the final set was fantastic. One twitter message said that this was Sloane's biggest win. I would agree - considering that she won to make it to a final, but I cannot forget the match she played against Serena where she won - I think any win over Serena can be considered the biggest win of a tennis career 😉

And then there was Coco Vandeweghe vs Madison Keys. I prefer calling it the Madison Keys vs Lady who didn't show up match. Madison was on top of this one from start to finish - as you can read from here. The match was surprisingly one sided, with Coco really struggling to do well with her service games. Is it just me, or do others also feel frustrated when a player beats the big names and then just fizzle out in the next game?

In other news, I am happy to find that there was a few other people who agreed with me that the commentating for the women's games has been a bit too biased, and frankly tedious.. for the games I watched, I tended to turn down the volume especially when they went on and an and on and on and on and on about the new American guard. Teehee.. I think we get it, the ladies are playing great....

That aside, can't wait for the men's semi finals!

All set for the semis

It is here - that long awaited/dreaded all American women's semis. It was an easy victory for both Keys and Coco. Damn it, Pliskova, I really wanted you to win! But moving on, so much has happened in such few hours: Pliskova has lost her no.1 ranking. Muguruza is now world no.1 for a second run. History is repeating itself, 15 years later, with the all-American semi finals.

Nadal was ruthless in his dismissal of Rublev. It was actually painful to see, and I hope Rublev finds motivation rather than despair as a consequence of the thrashing. There is no taking away the fact that the young Russian has great potential, though. There is, however, plenty of room for improvement - isn't there always?

And then we come to the Fed vs Del Potro game. Boy is the latter on fire. His win opens up a plethora of questions and possibilities on where the men's draw is heading. As it stands now there will be one player who will be a debutante finalist at a grand slam.

It will be interesting if Nadal and Venus win the open - two veterans back at their best!

Sadly, the timings of these matches means I might not catch a lot of the live action..

I still can't wait for all the matches.

4 down, 4 more to go

We could be looking at an all American Final in the women's half of the US Open. In fact the only person who can stop that from happening is the current world no.1. Will she manage to deal with the pressures? I certainly hope so, simply because I love the simple style and depth with which she plays. 

The Sloanes vs Sevastova match started off incredibly dull, but slowly picked up once the latter got some medical attention. Sloanes is becoming the formidable player she was before her foot injury, and I believe she has a real chance at making it to the final and even winning it. Her quickness on court is stunning to watch.

And what a match  Kvitova and V Williams played. I read a few headlines this morning that stated: "Kvitova outplayed by Venus", "Venus too strong for Kvitova," and I must say that the highlights and the scoreline do not reflect those statements. This was a tough, close match. A more fitting way to describe it would be Venus comes out top in a deciding tie break. Kudos to both players though - Venus is having an amazing year, and Kvitova is coming back from her wrist injury like a star!

The first men's quarter final was a rather dull game. It was a straight forward victory for Carenno Busta. Schwartzman was just not connecting his shots and had too many unforced errors to make it a competitive encounter. 

I woke up to see that Anderson and Querrey were still going strong. The first two sets were predictably even with Querrey needing 8 match points to seal off the second and push the game to 4/5 sets. Once he was broken in the third, it was pretty much guaranteed that he would have to win the next two sets, if he wanted a chance at the semi final. But Anderson was steady and maintained an incredibly high level in his service games and sealed off the win in the 4th set tie-break... 

What that means is that in complete contrast to the women's game we have no Americans still playing in the men's draw... 

Let the rest of the games begin...

The stage is set for the Quarter Finals

Nadal vs Rublev: The young Russian has been riding on a high wave this entire tournament and had a relatively easy Round of 16 match vs Goffin. Nadal, of course, has bludgeoned his way through his opponents with only a few worrisome moments.

Head 2 Head: This will be their first meeting. Check out some interesting stats here Nadal Vs Rublev

Federer vs Del Potro: What a cracker this is going to be. Both have had 5 set battles, both have come back displaying a class of tennis that at times is mind boggling. On paper, this is Federer's match. The last time Del Potro beat Federer was in 2013...

Head 2 Head: This will the the 22nd time the two will meet, with Fed winning 16 of those encounters. More stats here

Querrey vs Anderson:This is going to be a close match. Both players have some of the best serves in the game. Both players have been consistent this year and have made it to the latter stages of many tournaments.

Head 2 Head: They have met 14 times, with Querrey having the slight edge with 8 wins to Anderson's 6. This one could go either way as the stats clearly show

Carenno Busta vs Schwartzman: Another first meeting. This is probably the unexpected match. The novelty of the match in itself is intriguing. I cannot make a call on this one. I haven't watched either one play often enough.

Head 2 Head: First meeting.. for some stats on their careers, take a look here

Ka Pliskova vs Wandeweghe: I think the names here say a lot. I personally love Pliskova's style, and I am hoping she gets through this match. But, Wandeweghe is reaching her potential and is improving steadily. She is playing more aggressively and has the drive to win every match she plays. I want Pliskova to win this one, but I believe it will be a tough game

Head 2 Head: This will be their 5th meeting. Each winning two of their previous encounters. The key to the matches so far has been the first set. This one is even-stevens

Keys vs Kanepi: Another American in the quarters this year. The US is finally getting in more players making it to the latter stages of tournaments, and climbing the ranks (after a rather long hiatus). The last, and only time the two played Kanepi came out the winner. But two years down the line, Madison Keys is a relatively different player with a lot more to offer in terms of her game.

Head to Head: This will be their second encounter, and the first on a hard court. Some more info

V Williams vs Kvitova: Whoa! This has got to be the quarter final to watch. Just reading those names makes it exciting. If you watched Kvitova's last game, it sounds even more engrossing. I can't wait for this one.

Head 2 Head: Kvitova has won 4 of the 5 matches the two have played. The last time they met was in 2014 and it is telling that most of their matches have been 3 setters. This is going to be a battle, like their previous encounters

Stephens vs Sevastova: One of the first matches of Stephens that I watched was the 2013 Australian open when she won. There was something about how she played that match that suggested she could go places. Currently, it is good to see her regain some of the zest and energy. Sevastova's soft hands and skillful mix up of shots is going to be the key to the match - how well will Stephens read her opponents game, and will she have the correct responses?

Head 2 Head: The two have not met previously. Some interesting comparisons here

Talk about an open, open

Whoa! I finally got to watch a few matches to completion, and I can tell you, I picked the right ones to watch.

Yesterday's game between Shapovalov and Carenno Busta was thrilling. Each set had a scoreline that vacillated in favour of one, and then the other player. Each set was decided in a tie break. On one end, Busta was steady and played his shots out with external calm. On the other side, Shapovalov had some stunning winners, but I think the number of unforced errors from his side combined with his inability at the time to convert opportunities led to his loss. If the youngster continues to stay in form, and works on converting chances, he is going to be a force to reckon with.

Following them on court was Sharapova vs Sevastova. What a first set they played - and perhaps that set the precedence for the final scoreline. It really was good to see Sharapova play - I do believe there are areas of her game that have improved tremendously. But Sevastova made the most of a suffering Sharapova serve in the second set and after the first break she sealed it off by consolidating her service games. It was a deserved win for the Latvian, and a decent show for Sugarpova's first comeback grand slam - tennis is always more exciting with her around.

The quarter final matches are already looking interesting. After his incredible Wimbledon performance, Querrey saw off the younger Zverev brother to set up an encounter with Anderson who has made his way without fuss into the round of 16. Both players have fantastic serves and this should be a good game to watch. Carreno Busta vs Schwartzman is the other decided game. I haven't watched the latter play in a long time, but he can be a tricky customer. And the round of 16 games that will determine who joins the quarter finals will play out today - I'm calling it for Federer in 3 sets against Kohlschriber. The other three matches could go either way, and I expect 4 and/or 5 setters - let's wait and watch. This US open has pulled out far too many strange results!

If you thought the draw on the men's side was exciting wait for the women's draw: Kvitova has come out all guns blazing. What a win for her again Muguruza, to set up a quarter final against the mighty Venus. Stephens takes on Sevastova in the other decided quarter final who have never played a competitive match against one other. Madison Keys. And look at what there is on the cards for the remaining round of 16 games: Keys vs Svitolina - both are playing great tennis at Flushing Meadows, Safarova vs Vandeweghe. The other two games: Pliskova takes on another American Brady who is playing her maiden US open. On paper the number one seed should get through this safely, but if last week has anything to do with it, anything is possible. Finally we have the surprise match - Kasatkina Vs Kanepi. The former has not passed the 3rd round at any grand slam. Kanepi is ranked 513 in the world but has previously been to the quarterfinals at a grand slam.

I can't wait to watch some of this action...

Roger's had another long battle

Good morning!

There you have it - Looks like the Monfils vs Young match was entertaining as hell and a see-saw affair that took 5 sets to decide on a winner. And what is it with 5 setters, anyway? Look at Fed's second long match? 3 hours and 8 minutes is what it took for Fed to get through to the next round. Leading 6-1 in the first set, you would think that the match would have been straight forward. But the next two sets (scores considered) were interesting...interesting enough to have Federer clinch the 4th & 5th in his usual style; makes me wonder what goes on with the opponent at such times - it's an interesting debate that one.

So, Berdych is out - I was afraid he might quietly sneak into a semi final. I am kind of relieved that didn't happen because I just don't find him very exciting to watch. A little ooompfh is really a good thing. I'm super excited to see Thiem, Dogopolov, and Edmunds through. Oh, and yes, M. Zverev is holding on....

Speaking of oooompfh - you know while many of the women had straightforward victories, the manner in which most of them are playing is simply oooomphatic! Svitolina, Ostapenko, Kvitova, Muguruza - gosh, the list is endless, but boy is it exciting!

And the number of matches filled with possibilities is also increasing - look at these potentially tight matches to look forward to this evening (or morning depending on where you are): M Zverev vs John Isner, Rybarikova vs Muguruza, Makarova vs Navarro, Shapovalov Vs Edmunds.

Let the tennis madness strike...

Brother Trouble, Sister names, and other things

The Zverev brothers obviously had a tough one yesterday. A 5-setter and a loss. I personally think it was quite unfortunate that Alexander lost. But it sounds like it was a tough game and Coric managed to make the most of tie breaks.

Also, does anyone else get completely stunned every time they see K. Plíšková has lost, only to realise a few blinks later that it is the other sister, not Karolina, who has lost? Not that I want the twin to loose, but seriously it kind of gets traumatising...

And how dull was the Bouchard game? I don't know whether I should be annoyed with the Canadian or just overly sympathetic. There are days when she just doesn't show up - perhaps a withered out ghost takes her place?

Tsonga also seems to have left the US open in a hurry...

Moving away from the loses, there were a number of easy peasy wins - Muguruza, Sharapova, Del potro, Thiem... to mention a few

To be honest, I cant wait now for the second week - and hope I can get a glimpse of the 5-setters etc!

My match of the day (If they both show up): Donald Young vs Gael Monfils. I think this could be full of frills...

Osaka's win, and trying to catch up

Well then, Osaka vs Kerber; What a match! And what a contradictory scoreline. This match played out only half as I imagined it. I expected it to be a cracker if Osaka showed up all guns blazing. Boy, did she do that. I think she will make it far in the future of tennis. Her winners made you grin ear to ear. The bit that didn't happen as I had expected was Angelique Kerber playing a non attacking, defence only game. While it is true that she plays a great defensive game, she can make some amazing shots - very few of which showed up on court yesterday. So, once again - the women's game gets more and more open, competitive and intense - the world number one and two are out of contention, with that the defending champion is out as well. What more drama will be served up? I suppose like the rest of the world, I must wait and watch.

As I write this, I am busy trying to catch up on the other scores & results. As hoped for Ostapenko got through to the second round in her usual topsy-turvy way. Nadal pulled off a rapid 2nd and 3rd set to see of his opponent with style. Whoa, wait a second - a 5 setter first round for Fed? I cant believe sleep deprived me of watching that match. It looks like it was fun, fun fun! At the end though - Fed is through, and the excitement levels are obviously getting higher.

Thinking about it - seems to me that in the men's draw the top 10 seeds make everything more exciting - I mean the fact that Djo, Murray, Wawrinka are out does dull things a bit - if Nadal or Fed were to lose in the early stages, something would be off. In the women's game, as the high seeds fall everything seems to get more exciting...

On that note, cant wait for some of the games today: Babos vs Sharapova, Wozniaki vs Makarova, Millman vs Kyrgios, Baroni vs Navarro, Verdasco vs Pospisil are just a few of the interesting match ups....

Happy tennis day, y'all

Sugar or honey, honey...

Sugar it is! Sugarpova had an incredible return to competitive tennis, and grand slam tennis with her US open first round game. The win came against the backdrop of controversies (including Sharapova's wild card entry and her regular long bathroom break before the third set), nonetheless it was a stunner of a game. Halep's elusive grand slam search continues, and it does feel that luck isn't on her side.

Most of the other games played out as expected with a few surprises - Sock is out of contention losing in 5 sets in a topsy turvy encounter. Johanna Konta bowed out in the first round after her magical Wimbledon run. In the opposite side of the spectrum, Muller kept up his incredible form and beat Tomic in 4 sets. Mischa Zverev had a tough encounter to make it through in 5 sets and Venus too had a battle on her hands before safely going through to the second round.

The time difference between Nairobi and Flushing Meadows always makes it such a challenge to catch the action at the US open, and I am always playing catch up with all that is happening. However, there is still plenty of tennis that I do get to watch and guess who is on my what to watch list today? Yep, Ostapenko starts off her US open with a match on court 17. Nadal & Federer both have their first games today, but here is the potential cracker of a match: Naomi Osaka vs Angelique Kerber. There are a couple of interesting match ups today including the Belluci vs Brown game.

Well, then will play time get here already!

All eyes on Flushing Meadows

Gear up folks, its the last grand slam of the year and there is plenty to look forward to.

Without Djo and Murray, the men's game certainly has a lot of potential. Of course Fed and Rafa always remain favourites, but the absence of the two above sure gives a whole host of others a grand chance at a grand slam - the Zverev brothers, Cilic, Querrey, Muller, Del Potro & Thiem. To me these nine are going to be the most exciting players to watch: In action today - Cilic, A Zverev, Querrey & Muller.

The women's draw is equally (if not more) competitive. Sharapova makes her come back - can't wait to see how that goes, and then there are the rest of the challengers, all looking to capitalise on their recent form and capture a first, or second, or third grand slam. Will Muguruza maintain her from at Wimbledon, or crumble as she did at the French? How far will Konta go? All the top 15 seeds in the women's game could make it to the latter part of the tournament, and each game they play has the potential to be exciting especially because the players seeded 16 - 25 are pushing hard to get to the top slots. I am personally looking forward to following Ostapenko and hoping she maintains her style of attacking play. So many players and games to look forward to on this side of the draw. In action today: Mugurza, V Williams, Sharapova vs Halep (which is going to be interesting), Kvitova, Konta, Wozniaki, Cibulkova, Makarova amongst others...

Let the games begin!

Time for recovery

Over the last few weeks I haven't had the time to actually sit down and follow a complete match or tourney in any sporting event.

I did get a glimpse of the cricket world cup (Women's) and it looked like a good game, although India did let the match slip away from them. It was however a great cup and certainly had moments of excitement.

August has its share of sporting events to look forward to, the highlights for me are obvious - the IAAF World Championships and the start of the US open.

Speaking of the US open and the tennis world...Djo has ended his 2017 season. I am happy that he is going to work on his wrist injury and take the necessary precautions to rest and to heal. But, I am equally sad to not have the chance to see more of his game for the rest of the season. I must admit it has been a bit bleak watching him loose time and time again, but he still has a style on court that is special. Best of luck Djo and here is wishing you a great comeback - I can't wait to see you in action in 2018!

And as Djo puts in his time for r&r, I am planning to do the same and catch up on things not sports. So, come mid August I am all set for sport, sport, sport....

Congratulations!

And so The Championships 2017 has come to an end and what a tournament it has been.

First off, congratulations to Roger Federer (I feel like I ought to be saying Sir Roger Federer) on a historic win. 8 Wimbledon trophies is phenomenal and at this moment in time looks like a record that will never be matched. It's an incredible achievement! Wow! Talk about providing inspiration for anyone. Here's to you, Federer!

While Fed's achievement was the most (read only) exciting thing about Sunday's game, Saturdays women's final was spectacular. What a first set we had - both Muguruza, the eventual champion, and Venus came out, guns blazing - powerful shot followed powerful shot. Both struggled at some point with their forehand shots, before Muguruza gained ground and powered her way to a 6-0 second set win. Williams struggled with her serve, and pretty much everything, in the second set but was as usual gracious in defeat. I don't know about you all but the women's game has such grit and fighting spirit at its heart, I can't wait to see more...

Happy celebrating, champions, and see you at the US open!

Almost there

I was travelling early Friday morning and didn't get the chance to watch the women's or men's semis. I did keep abreast with the scores even in the bundus and in the midst of fatigue.

First off, congratulations to Venus and Federer. It is amazing what these athletes have accomplished - their style, will to win, experience and skill is as exciting as it ever was. I am tempted to make all sorts of predictions on the "oldies" Championships. But jokes about oldies aside, what an incredible feat!

And then there are two novices (in comparison of course) who face the might of legends. Muguruza and Cilic have both come through to the finals convincingly beating their opponents. They have had a few tough encounters, but in general they've showed some outstanding skill. But will it be enough to stand the test of the almighty champions that await them?

I can't wait to watch...perhaps the excitement that ran out for me with Djo' exit will return after the finals....

All in the game

Heart broken. Distraught. Sad. This pretty much sums up my take on Djo's exit from the Wimbledon. I am almost ready to stop watching. I was driving home (in the rain, and fighting the stupidity of bus and matatu drivers) when Djo started playing. I have watched Djo play Berdych a zillion times, and often at 4-4 I see  Djo break away regardless of the level Berdych plays at. So, when I peeked at my browser and saw 5-5, and then 6-6 I knew something was wrong. I was angry and frustrated at first and then when I saw that he retired, i was just fed up. Minutes later at his press briefing, I could have broken down and wept. Sigh, the traumatising life of a fan. But then I thought, imagine how much worse it must be for him - he was just beginning to play decently and then this. My heart goes out to him and I hope and pray that he recovers well - this fan is waiting eagerly!

Andy also struggling with injury lost to Sam - another gruelling match for the latter. The Cilic Vs Muller game was my pick of the day... Cilic is in serious form at the moment. And then we come to Fed - magic Fed. It seems that no one can give him any competition. I believe tennis fans out there are going to give me hell for this, but I find that the two/three players that could take a match to Fed have been completely out of form this year, so while it has been spectacular to see Fed playing the way he is, I haven't seen anyone really give him something very hard to fight for. He is definitely the favourite for the Championship... but we must wait and see...anything can happen in the world of tennis...

In the meantime, I want to stay excited about the tournament and will do that by focusing on the women's game. Let the semi's begin!

A special shout out, and speedy recovery to Andy, and my favouritest ever, Djo!!!

A game changing game

Another morning, another day at Wimbledon, and some spectacular match ups to look forward to in the men's quarter finals.

And the women's semis have been decided. One thing was for sure - the round of 16 games were more mouth-watering (My favourite critic has said I use too much mouth-watering in my Wimbledon posts...so, I am staying a bad habit) impressive than the quarters.

The first week and then the round of sixteen made me expect sizzling, fight for every point games. The Vandeweghe Vs Rybarikova (Whoop, I have learnt to spell and say her name) was depressingly one-sided. The Williams Vs Ostapenko game was more competitive and while I am a bit sad to see the latter lose, I am still eager to see her in future tournaments. She has this fire when she is playing that is arresting. And then there was the Muguruza Vs Kuznetsova clash which was more competitive on paper...

The match of the day of course was the Konta Vs Halep match. Now that was a match worthy of a quarter final. I sympathise with Halep and her elusive grand slam...but I am going to take away the focus from winners and loosers and just say what a match! The power, the pace, the will to win! Fantastic - kudos ladies!

I can't wait to see how the semi finals will end...

Nerves of Steel

Manic Monday at Wimbledon was as insane as I expected it to be: 3-set battles in the women's draw and 5-set epic clashes in the men's half of the tournament. And in the midst there were those games that were singularly one sided.

So Ostapenko stormed into the quarters in her usually fighting style and has set up a mouth watering encounter with Venus: Muguruza and Konta both battled it out to make it in 3 sets. Vicka crashed out as expected. I mean, even if I don't mention what is at stake for a lot of these players, the quarters look like a tennis fans dream: let the fireworks begin. Anyone else wonder if Halep will finally be a grand slam winner. Her potential number 1 ranking should also motivate her, or so I hope?

Over to the men's...Fed bulldozed Dimitrov, and Cilic had an easy time versus Agut. These matches were so one-sided and dull I couldn't watch especially considering the drama unfolding on many of the other courts - Zverev's loss to Raonic in, Anderson's few faults allowing Querrey to inch him out of the tournament, Thiem's sad fall to Berdych. Sigh.. the evening couldn't get more competitive...

I lie. Of course it could get more intense: Rafa was on court, and he was two sets down. What a match up that was Muller with his deceptive and staggering serve vs Rafa's never ending battling spirit. Every game had something exciting - From Nadal's stunning shots and reactions to every point won, to Muller's ever calm mien and his blistering service games. The 5th setter was  out standing, questions were thrown and answers came back in the shape of aces, volleys, and winners. At 10-10 these two contestants were displaying nerves of steel, and it was simply traumatising knowing that someone was going to have to loose....Kudos to Muller for a game well played.

Ah Wimbledon, how mundane life will be after the championships are over...

The Wimbledon Monday

After a break day the action at Wimbledon today is simply stunning. Matches that are mouth watering have already started playing out.

Ostapenko is already through to the quarters beating Svitolina in straight sets. The other women's games at the moment are looking highly competitive: Kerber vs Muguruza in particular has been engrossing - even if I am simply looking at the scores (And would you believe it, Muguruza has won! Whoa!). Konta vs Garcia is also playing out nicely - and is currently at the first set tie-break. I am waiting to see how the Wozniaki vs Vandeweghe match will end...And then there is Vicka vs Halep: I suspect the latter will win even though my heart wants Vicka to take it.

And in more captivating tennis look at these games that will play out today:

1. Sam Querrey Vs Anderson
2. Cilic Vs Agut
3. Murray Vs Paire (This could be completely one-sided, or a cracker of a game. I suspect the former)
4. Nadal Vs Muller (Will this be another case of Rafa wiping away the opponent?)
5. Federer Vs Dimitrov (Interesting.... again it could be completely one-sided with Federer brilliance taking over)
6. Djo vs Mannarino (goodness knows which way this will go - I suppose it depends on Djo's mood)

Can I get to a TV already?