The Vaidisova match has finished, so it should be Roger up next. :clap:

No indication of rain atm either :pray:

Play has started. The first two game after the delay have gone with serve; now Roger will serve for the set at 5-2.

One return game is not a lot to go on, but I thought his return of serve was at least not completely warmed up yet. Let's hope it improves as the match goes on; it's been one of the major problems for Roger on clay so far.

Roger gets two set points at 40-15, but needs to go via deuce before holding with an ace followed by a big first serve. :clap:

Russell playing very good in his service game. He manages to dictate play, taking the ball early and pushing Fed behind the baseline on occasion :o

Whether he can keep it up is another question entirely, but it would be good to see Roger being more proactive on the return imo.

Wonderful play from Roger in his own service game, as he holds to love. 1-1 in the third. :clap:

mjt.
are you noticing that Federer's backhand gets shorter and shorter during the course of a rally?
He'll get fried by Fererro or Safin if this continues.

Roger gets in control of the first rally, pushing Russell behind the baseline this time. His next return of serve is a winner.

However, Russell hits a very good serve out wide, and Roger hits the return almost out of the stadium.

Another good return of serve: two break points when Russell finds the net. :clap:

Fed hits forehand wide :( in the next rally, now 30-40 ...

And a backhand into the net pulls it back to deuce. :(

Shanked forehand from Roger ... Ad Russell.

Roger almost gets into trouble after trying a drop shot, but Russell hits his passing shot just out. Back to deuce.

Roger never in the next point really. Ad Russell again.

Great rally, won by a smash by Roger; back to deuce.

Poor mistake by a linesman when Roger basically won the point. :angry: Replay the point ... and this time Russell wins it. Another game point.

Shanked backhand finally gives Russell the game.

Some really good stuff from Russell, and also from Fed, here. However, the tentative play and the UEs do occasionally seem to creep back in. He'll have to watch it.

Rafa has started his blogs again. Nice to read..

http://www.atptennis.com/1/en/blog/nadal.asp

I think there is very little chance that he will get 'fried' by Ferrero ...

Sometimes he gets a little bit tentative in these crosscourt exchanges still, I agree, and then his backhand tends to land a little short. (However, even Nadal on clay doesn't hit his shots deep on *every* stroke.)

Did you see that superb angled backhand by Federer though in his own service game just now? A bit more of that, please ...

Roger breaks. 3-2 :yahoo:

Cheers for posting that Chet :) I normally check the blogs on the ATP site, but the fact that Rafa is writing again kinda by-passed me :blink:

Yep, me too. I was wondering who was blogging for the FO, but never remembered to check.

In the mean time, Roger squanders a break chance; Russell holds for 4-3. However, Fed's service games seem to be very much back on track, nad I doubt there will be any problem with serving out the set --- he holds to love for the third time in this set. :yahoo:

Now one game away from the match.

And he finishes it off with another love service game.

A pretty typical first-round match from Fed, I would say. Good serving, which is a really good sign.

:bigwave:

As I said already this morning..Great performance of FED in terms of his serve..

He was a pure "in control" match..Great start for him: If you think about the AO, his last GS, during the first match he was able to lose in his first turn a couple of time his serve..

Here, not a single break occasions for his opponents :yikes: .

A sort of Pete Sampras start of a slam :ok: : Keep your serve in the most solid way you can and use all the occasions that your opponent is offering to you..

Congrat FED :bow: :bow: : Great start in my view and now let's hope there will be no more rain to disturb you.. :clap: :clap: :yahoo:

As a conclusion this is definitely a beter start than in AO..So a very good sign IMO :P

I agree. It seems that Fed has taken to heart one lesson of the previous weeks: his serve needed to be better. Of course this is not always easy to implement on any given day, but it seems :pray: that he has managed to do it. :ok:

Some concerns may still remain, but if RG follows his usual Slam pattern, peaking at the end of the tournament, then this is a very encouraging sign for his fans indeed! :yahoo:

BBCi showing the Bartoli-Rezai match. I'm wondering whether it's worth paying for the Eurosport feed to see some of the more interesting (imo) other matches ... more likely I should do some work instead. :P

I'll try and be back for Tim and Rafa, for sure!

whoever the commentator on Eurosport is, he's doing some serious heavy breathing which is slightly disturbing :blink:

allez gasquet, up an early break 3-1 v. mahut on lenglen :clap:

A few hard fought matches going on at the moment:

Santoro winning the first set against Chela on a tie-break.

Berlocq and Benneteau are battling it out on court 3. Benneteau won the first set, but Berlocq won the next 2, and is now a break up in the 4th.

And Ramirez Hidalgo and Wawrinka are in their 5th set! :yikes:


They've just shown a clip of Gasquet taking a tumble early on in his match - apparently he didn't do any damage though, but it didn't look particularly good. :(

Thanks for that invaluable tidbit of information there, Dinky ;)

:blush:

O Rochus up 5-1 against Monfils in the first set :yikes:

Gasquet finished off a straight-sets win. It seems there have been few surprises so far. At last check, though Delic was up a set and a break on Ferrero at 7-6 2-1. That wouldn't be a total shocker, but a bit of surprise, if Delic were to win.

The young Swiss completes a remarkable comeback, after being two sets to love down including a bagel in the first set :yikes:

He wins 0-6 5-7 6-2 7-5 6-4

Relatively easy win for Gasquet. I grasped in the background the quick post match interview where Gasquet said he had been having blisters in his hand and was not even sure he could play the tounament. He was quite relieved that it seems to be healing.

I was surprised to see him go so easily in Hamburg. Now i understand.

I know just another excuse ;) but hey the commentator saw his hand and seemed pretty impressed by the damage.

From 3-2 down, Ferrero went on a run of four games to take the second set 6-3.

Meanwhile, Roddick v. Andreev is underway. I could see this one being tight.

Roddick and Andreev have just started on Suzanne Lenglen court.

And Lee has broken Nalby in the 3rd set :yikes:

And after winning the first 2 sets Tursunov is now down 5-2 to di Mauro..... :(

Excellent, although I predicted him to win 3-1!

I'm watchign Baghi v Grosjean, but as I liek both players a lot I dont; know who to support. Poor Seb's getting a bit of a trouncing at the moment down 3-6 2-4. :( promising start for Baghi though, who does seem to blow very hot and cold.

Roddick gets the first set 6-3 and its on serve in the second :D

I wish nalbandian would just hurry up and wrap up his match against Lee.!!!

Woooo finaly hes won it!

Tim up next on court 6 and its on iBeeb

:o but I set tape to record Eurosport :( :cry:

Im just watching it just now on interactive.
Warm ups just finished:D

Gulbis takes his first service game comfortably.

Roddick blew the 2nd set after having a break.
Now its 1 set all and the russian seems to have all the momentum.

Shame on Roddick :angry:

Henman being pushed in his 2nd sevice game but hangs on in there with some nice volleys B)

Couldn't Naby have taken a bit longer? I've missed the start of Tim's match now :D

C'mon Andreev :ok:

Andreev up 5-2 in the third.
Looks like Robo Rod's going to bite the dust first round.

Heman loses first set :(