Indian Wells - Match of the Day Thread : 20th March, 2011 - THE FINAL

[Wooffie]

First topic message reminder :

Welcome to the Match of the Day Thread ... a place to discuss all the latest matches and the tennis as it happens.

After a bit of a topsy turvy tournament, the cream of the crop rose to the top yesterday with our final four protagonists, resulting in World No. 1 - Rafael Nadal - and the new World No. 2 - Novak Djokovic - as the eventual winners. So tonight, at 8 pm UK time, we can settle down as we let battle commence.

Rafa holds a compounding 16-7 H2H against Novak, but perhaps a more telling stat is that Novak leads Rafa 7-5 on hard courts, BUT he's 0-5 when it comes to finals won. Will the current in-form player find a way through the World's best defender? Who will dare take the initiative and attack?

Lets hope we're in for a great match ... and may the best man win!

The ORDER OF PLAY is here and LIVE SCORES can be followed on this link.

If you want to follow all the news and happenings, then you can go to the tournament website.

[Wooffie]

Rafa couldn't play on hardcourts back then ... :run2:

[Green]

Yeah, perhaps he'll take a set this time... :run2:

[Haddie-nuff]

Bring it on Green .. Bring it on

[Green]

Watch this!

:run1:

[Wooffie]

Sorry ... I was too busy looking at pirate pants and a sleeveless top. <cough>

[Haddie-nuff]

Hope he has some more tricks up his sleeve :

[Green]

Not only up his sleeve, but in his pocket, too!

[Green]

... and here's a song that goes with that video.

[Haddie-nuff]

Green are you attempting to be the 606v2 resident wum..??. keep casting your line but I dont think you are going to get a bite today.

[Green]

[Solerina]

Not only up his sleeve, but in his pocket, too!

Haha.....I loved that, and the vid of him losing his racket but still winning the point!

I won't be watching tonight's final, as twice I've logged into bet365 and my computer has had a total freak out, so I've given up lol
(I should add that it's not bet 365's fault....they're brilliant for live streaming)

Enjoy the match girls and boys........may the best man win

Solerina

[Wooffie]

Cheers Solerina.

And lets hope that best man is RAFA!!

[yummymummy]

Here we go peeps

I won't even TRY to predict a winner

All I can say is this is one of the most exciting games of
the year so far

[Wooffie]

It is Yummy ... and they haven't hit a ball yet!!

[Haddie-nuff]

Come on Rafa ...dont know any other man that would keep me waiting this long

[yummymummy]

It is Yummy ... and they haven't hit a ball yet!!

FOOL

Go Boys !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[yummymummy]

I iz puzzled - WHY isn't Rafa shaving

[Wooffie]

It is another of his little habits, Yummy.

[yummymummy]

Is that a good thing ?

Stubble rash affects us all Woofie

[Wooffie]

BREAK RAFA!!

Some stunning play mixed in with some really passive stuff on the bp's.

First blood Rafa.

(And who cares about a bit of stubble? )

[Wooffie]

[yummymummy]

Moi Woofie

as ooh got a cold ?????

I missed the action as I was putting my Parrot to bed

[Wooffie]

I hope Polly is nicely asleep as this is a stunning match!

[yummymummy]

I see Rafa is 1 break up

[Wooffie]

First set to Rafa. Really good stuff. Break, break, break ... really gripping stuff. Come on Rafa!!

[Haddie-nuff]

atta boy Vamos Rafa

[yummymummy]

Hi Haddie

Good set from Rafa

I hope Nole can pull it back to 3 sets

[Haddie-nuff]

Hi yummy

Yes it is always a good scrap between these two.. the "rivalry" begins again
Hoping that Rafa can keep the momentum going

[Solerina]

I'm off to bed now :sleep:......I'll have to wait for tomorrow to find out the result.

Night night lovely tennis fans

Solerina

[Haddie-nuff]

Night Solerina sleep tight

[Wooffie]

Egde-of-your-seat-stuff.

Bravo to the two players.

[Wooffie]

My nerves are shot.

Come on Rafa ... you still very much in this.

[Haddie-nuff]

: H e l p :run1: :run2:

[Wooffie]

Oh Haddie.

This is why we love and hate tennis. He serve had totally collapsed, he's let it get into his head, he's lost all confidence, when Rafa loses confidence he plays too far back ... hey ho.

Glad he won that service game. Lets see.

[Wooffie]

Righto.

Congratulations to Nole. He did not let his level drop, good win.

Bit of the old Rafa there. He knows the serve is such a big thing on the hardcourts and he totally lost it in the second. Lost his confidence, too far back. I hope he learns from this.

It was a great match so great for the two players involved.

[Green]

Good match, a bit strange... What happened to Nadal in the final set? Novak played a perfect set, but Nadal didn't even try to stop him... so unlike him.

His serve didn't work in the second set either (25% of 1st serve?!) and Novak barely managed to take that one...

[Haddie-nuff]

Wooffie.... seldom do you see Rafa fall apart but he did in that last set.
Nole outplayed him and seemingly Rafa had no answers
His service let him down when he needed it most. He played too defensive and stayed (like the old Rafa) 10ft behind the baseline. Everytime he came to the net he won the point and I was yelling "get inside the court Rafa" !!!
Even so I dont think an army could have stopped Nole . he is a man on a mission with fire in his belly and its going to take a lot to beat him with his confidence riding as high as it is.

However CONGRATULATIONS Nole.. you have worked hard for it.
But if we know one thing about Rafael Nadal it is that he will live to fight you another day

[sportslover]

Great result from Novak but Rafa from the first set to the third was a different player.

When your serve isn't working you will for sure get punished from someone who is at the top of his game.

Miami should be interesting before they move over to Clay which both players play well on no more so than Rafa.

[yummymummy]

Now you know how we Murray fans feel

Well played Nole

[Haddie-nuff]

Now you know how we Murray fans feel

Well played Nole

ooooooo ouch yummy did we say we didn´t :huh:

[yummymummy]

Oooops - That didn't come out quite right did it

I was commiserating in my own inimitable way

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