Back refreshed and serene from my hols I am now ready for a nice rant. I only do so when I feel there is something to moan about and today I am raring to go.
Like thousands of watchers in and out of Wimbledon I was glued to the Nadal-Rosol match last night. Watched a bit of it, thought oh bugger Rafa is going to cruise, went off to make some tea, water my rose bed and then back and YAY Rosol had equalised. From that moment on I sat on my sofa – well, sat is a bit deceptive as I spent most of my time bouncing off it and crashing into the ceiling – until the end. Earlier in the day my new upstairs neighbour had come in for coffee and I had taken the precaution of warning her that when Wimbledon was on I tended to yell and shriek a lot. Glad I did as the noise levels emanating from my living room last night would make Sharapova sound muted. Hot summer evening, windows open so pretty sure all my neighbours suffered. But they know and understand me…
A simply stunning and unbelievably exciting match. I could not believe what I was seeing, most of the watchers on Centre Court could not either and the commentators were reduced to an incoherent burble (ok nothing new there) and, o rapture o bliss, occasional silence as they could not think of anything to say. Not sure that Rosol, ranked No 100 in the world, will ever do this again and will 
probably go out in the next round after his heroics, but he is now forever etched in the Pantheon of Great Matches at Wimbledon or Great Shocks at Wimbledon. I have attended and/or watched Wimbers since I was about 12 and cannot recall ever seeing such an upset. Pasarell knocking out the current champion in 1967 may come close (it was Santana who got beaten and I was there) and Sampras being knocked out some ten years ago by somebody rated 999 in Kurdistan, but this was something else. Rosol was returning backhands at nearly 100mph for heaven's sake. He obviously thought oh what the hell I am going to lose and I don't care. Served the last game with three aces, easy peasy.
OK and now we come to Nadal. Not a fan, never have been and can never understand his nice guy Oh He is Such a Sweetie image when it is clear that you don't get where you are by being a nice guy. He is one of the worst time wasters and stallers in the game and gets away with it all the time. Between each point we get right hand flick to the right eyebrow, then pinch the nose, then flick the left eyebrow, then tuck the hair behind each ear (why not just cut it I ask myself) then hoik up the shirt from left shoulder, then hoik up shirt on right shoulder and then the piece de resistance, yank your shorts out of the crack in your bum. Yukkky yukky yukky. He does it each time. 30 seconds is allowed between each point – last night Rosol took 26 and Rafa took 46. Go figure.
And then he banged into Rosol as they were changing ends – Oh so sorry Rosol didn't mean to do that; then complaining that Rosol was distracting him as he, Rafa, was going to serve. 'Is that fair' he actually asked the umpire. All Rosol was doing was bouncing about on his feet waiting to receive. Rafa chuntered all the way through the match, twitching and faffing and fannying about and all because he was losing and hey I DONT LOSE I AM RAFA NADAL. Berk. Cursory handshake at the end and stomped off. He then stayed to sign autographs and John Barratt went into full gush mode "Oh look Rafa is signing autographs just shows the kind of man he is" Pass the bloody sick bag. If he had not stopped and signed the fluffy tennis balls being clutched by tiny wide eyed children the Sun would have had it all over the front page the next day and he knows it. PR is the name of the game.
Ungracious in defeat in the interview afterwards more or less saying Rosol won because he, Rafa, did not play well. Well, talk abut stating the bleedin' obvious. Rosol will probably never have a day like this again so just shut the FU Rafa and let him enjoy it you weasley little toad.
Great day yesterday – a male tennis player saying all the men in the locker room think the women tennis players are overpaid (I agree) and when none of them would have the guts to say so (remember your sponsors guys!) he said Well they wouldn't would they? Sharapova got all miffy, presumably she is paid by Shriek Rate, and Serena said sure everyone would rather look at her than this guy as she 'was hotter'. Dear God all these years of feminism and this is what it comes down to.
Final rant – yes dear readers I am slowing down. Won't surprise you to know that it is about Pippa Bloody Middleton again. Walked into Wimbers escorted by men with walkie talkies, ushered into the Royal Box (according to the papers this morning the cynosure of all eyes, not true hardly anybody bothered to look at her they were too busy watching Karlovic's feet) and BBC cameras zooming in on her at regular intervals: Oh look there's Pippa; Oh Look she enjoyed that shot; Oh look bet she is pleased Murray got through. As I have already said in this post pass the sick bag. I fired off an email to the BBC complaining about this arse licking, well you knew I would didn't you, and have requested a reply. I know exactly what they will say but it is fun seeing if they can be tempted to stray from their crap management speak mode for a moment or two.
I would like to know why she was given a ticket and what she has done to deserve it. And I know that is a silly question and we all know the answer but I am getting older now and have to watch my health and the sight of this total nonentity sitting smirking and smiling and loving every moment of the publicity sends my blood pressure through the roof.
Well think that is it for the day. Plenty more at Wimbers yesterday to rant about but will refrain. Off for a massage this afternoon, I think I need it.
Anyone for tennis??
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