Fat Dave just started against Ferrero - this is the kind of match that Nalbandian so often loses in a Slam, so let's hope he doesn't disappoint tonight.

He's already a break down in the first set though. :doh:

Spadea's 2-1 up on Ferrer in the first set, on serve. Would expect Ferrer to ease through this one.

And in a match which is incredibly difficult to call, Kohlschreiber got the early break on Nieminen but the Finn recovered it straight away, and will serve at 2-1 down.

3-O JCF first set - Nalbandian giving it away far too easily thus far...

My husband and I have been watching tennis non-stop almost all day!

Yeah, no need for concern just yet. Ferrero's a good solid player who'll be hard to beat, but right now Nalbandian's just making awful errors. Once he stops that, he should be fine.

I stayed up last night to watch the Ivanovic match and as a result missed most of today's, apart from Baggy vs Hewitt. I really did want to see this Nalby match though.

Yes - too many errors. We know JCF is solid, so it's the first test for Nalby - this is where his title credentials will be tested. One thing winning a couple of exo's at the end of a season, when other players are more fatigued, another challenging for a GS.

I'm interested to see how he progresses...but he'll want to avoid baked goods in the first set :yikes:

Et voila - a breadstick :yikes:

OK, this is worrying now for Fat Dave. He needs to sort himself out and quick, or else I have a feeling Ferrero will take care of him easily. JCF is a fine player who's had outstanding results at all Slams but he's not been the same player since that injury a few years back and isn't a threat to the big boys. Really hope Dave can pull through.

I was unsure about this one at the outset - largely because I still wasn't sure how the rotund one would fare a GS.

He's just been broken in the first game of the second set :yikes:

Ferrer takes first set 6-3. He's just quietly progressing again...but we'll wait to see when he's really tested. He's never going to win, though.

hasnt JCF given Nalby a hard time before now though? I hope so, I have him down to win I think!

Oh FFS Nalby! You were my main hope against Federer! What are you doing!!!!!!! :( :( :(

Their H2H is 2-2, with JCF winning the most recent matches

Kohlschreiber takes first set 6-3, echoing the Ferrer scoreline.

Double break for JCF - what on earth is Donut Dave doing out there?!

OK Nalby you're just having an absolute mare. Sort it out ffs. Ferrero's doing nothing remotely special out there, that's the annoying thing. :moody:

ooh! Eurosport have stopped showing Volleyball ;)

Ferrero seems to have had a good breakfast...


:whistle:

I wondered if Ferrero might win cos Nalby goes righ toff the boil at times. Still i don't care really because h is one of my least favourtie players.

He's playing a real stinker. He seems to be waking up slightly, but he's got to move and move quickly if wants to find anyway back into this match....

how come Nalby's hair is plastered down with what looks like sweat, yet Ferrero's is dry as anything?

or is it a sponsors hair care product?

or is Ferrero really making him run around so much?

2-0 up to Ferrero

1 hr to take a 2 set lead... :yikes:

However, Fat Dave is many things, not least of which a comeback king - so although it's looking pretty poor for him, I am not going to speculate on his demise just yet...

I like Nalby. Moreover, he's one of the few with the talent to stop this ridiculously tedious "let's let Fed run away with it" side of the tour.

He's completely f*cked it up here though. He's going home, no doubt about it. Ferrero would have been a tricky enough opponent without giving him a two sets lead, so Nalby's gonna have to play immaculate tennis from now. Given that he's currently playing like a snail who's smoked a kilo of skunk, it ain't happening. What a tool.

:lmaao: :lmaao: :lmaao:

I see Nalby's potential but he has to many of these off days. He annpoys me as a person also. I am just regretting not going for Ferrero now! :rolleyes:

Gutted.... and Wise pretty much sums up my thoughts too :( :(

Nalbandian goes a break down in the third. Get off my TV screen and go home you fat clown. :doh:

Kohlschreiber looks to be following up his win against Roddick with another good performance, although he's just choked from 40-30 up serving for the set and they'll go into a second set tiebreak.

And Ferrer is brushing Vince Spadea aside like dust under the carpet. 6-3, 6-3, 2-0.

.

What a choke!! Unbelievable.

Fat Dave hasn't even turned up...

Well, only Ferrer matching what I thought would happen. Blimey.

JCF in 3

:rolleyes:

not used to a 3 setter after the last couple of days

Considering how steely he was against Roddick, that was an astonishing choke from Kohlschreiber. He served for the set at 5-4, got broken, served for it against at 6-5 and missed 6 set points before getting broken and losing the tiebreak. Really hope he can see this one through, Nieminen has absolutely no place whatsoever in a Slam QF.

Nalby's out and not a moment too soon. His performance was making me feel ill. :moody:

And Ferrer has polished off Spadea 6-3, 6-3, 6-2.

Gasquet off to a very ropey start against Tsonga. Playing strange moonballing tennis from 3 metres behind the baseline and not seemingly making much effort. :wacko:

Tsonga up 2-1 with a break.

And Tsonga takes the first set 6-2. Like Ferrero against Nalby, he's just not had to do anything particularly special. Gasquet is playing as if Tsonga's his girlfriend and he's being the perfect gentleman by letting her win with some wacky play. Sort it out please.

Tsonga served for the second set at 6-5 but Gasquet eventually broke back and took it 7-5 on the tiebreak, due to a howler of a missed volley from Tsonga. He hasn't improved a great deal from the first set but I'd like to think he'll go on to win in 4 now.

Elsewhere, a really sad result as Nieminen took out Kohlschreiber in 4 sets. Nieminen's solid enough, but assuming Nadal can get past PHM, that is a 100%, guaranteed route through to the semis. Kohlschreiber on the other hand would have been an interesting matchup.

Say what you feel Wise,hold nothing back.

Hands up all who really knew deep down inside that the same old Nalby would show up at some stage.
Boasting that he knew how to beat Federer and then losing to Ferrero who has been a better player in years gone by.

Beating the Top2 in a couple of tournaments is not the stuff of Top5 players.
I know Federer took 4 1/2 hrs to win yesterday,but that match told you everything about his desire to fight,and his continued mindset towards being the best.You have to admire that.

It's a shame someone as talented as Nalbandian keeps going absent,no fight to earn victories when the chips are down.
I still really think that Nadal and hopefully a recharged Djokovic are the only ones talented and consistent enough to really challenge Federer for the biggest prizes again.

Judging by this AO already the gap is still there.

Good points, Brakkus. The way Federer was playing at times saw him totally out of rhythm, but he he hung in there. Nalby didn't bring his A game, and essentially couldn't be bothered. He needed to fight.

In that article posted elsewhere Nalbys coach alludes to the fact that he has a more rounded life...goes skiing etc, whereas Federers life is pure tennis. Perhaps there is something in this. :rolleyes:

It was disappointing from Nalbandian, but not wholly unexpected. His play was excellent at the end of last season, but the end of the season when some players are fatigued is very different to a Slam.

In other results, Gasquet goes home :whistle:

Davydenko ditto

Just to let people know.. please register at the new forum when you get a chance :ok:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Centre_Court/index/

I am surprised by the Gasquet/Tsonga result. Did anyone watch the match? What happened?

AS you guys know I like both players so even though I'm disappointed Gasquet lost I am very pleased tsonga is doing well. Maybe Tsonga could have a break through year and much more people will get to know about him. He's a damn good player.

Also, this is one for the British press and British Tenis fraternity who assumed Murray would beat Tsonga. But they are full of shit and never know their subject in depth anyway - despite being paid to talk about it.

Didn't see Gasquet vs. Tsonga - will try and get some highlights later.

:ok:

Nadal currenly leading 5-4, and serving for the set. PHM had a medical tiime out - something up with his calf, perhaps? Either way, I don't see him beating Rafa.

I saw the first two sets. Gasquet was just playing really strange, listless tennis. Moonballing from a couple of metres behind the baseline and hardly bothering to chase down shots he could have got a racket on. He got a bit better in the second set but still should have lost it. I guess that theme continued in the last two sets - annoying thing was, Tsonga wasn't playing particularly great tennis either. :(

That Davydenko result really shocks me - and annoys me in equal measure. Gasquet would have had a simple route to the final had he not botched it yesterday - as it is, Youzhny has to be favourite to make that stage, but he wouldn't provide a interesting final.

You'd put (have put) Gasquet and Youzhny over Nadal?

Absolutely - can't not put Youzhny over Nadal after Chennai, although I feel it'd be a fair bit closer. Same with Gasquet - he was looking fine until yesterday.

PHM getting strongly criticised by the BBC folk, having just retired. Apparently he barely looked injured at all - Lloyd and Bailey think that he just wanted out cos he was getting beat, but obviously we can take anything they say with a pinch of salt. He did get quite a few boos as he left the arena though. So Nadal's easy passage continues, and with an effective bye into the SF, it should be a much more interesting match against Youzhny (or possibly Tsonga).

Yep, granted Chennai - but both have yet to prove themselves on the GS stage, where Nadal is a 'pro'., and the H2H is still 6-4 in Rafas favour. Also, Gasquets mental state is so unpredictable, I'd just never feel comfortable predicting anything involving him.

There is going to have to be some serious winners hit to blast Rafa off the court - Nieminen doesn't have it.

Still, I am not sure it will have done Nadal any good to have had *such* an easy road through this draw...

Feel sorry for PHM, he's had such a catalogue of injuries, what a sorry end to this GS.

Gasquet has had this knee injury over the break and if he wasn't chasing down balls looks like the pain is still around. As much as Tsonga is a good player, the score to me reflects the possibilty of an injury. Shame....either way!