Hey Pete - Sorry about your gobbled up post. Do take Tom's suggestion ;-) I even do it for my one and two liners post since type pad started acting up. It can really be frustrating to lose a post that you've worked on.

Thursday schedule:

ATP: Delray Beach 12:30 PM - Fish/Spadea and Zverev/Serra
Both: Acapulco 2 PM - Almagro, Acasuso/Robredo, Pennetta and V Williams scheduled
ATP: Delray Beach 5:15 PM (evening)- Golubev/Chardy and Baghdatis/Sela
Both: Acapulco 10 PM (evening) - Mayer/Monfils

Friday Schedule:
ATP: Dubai 5 AM - David Ferrer vs Richard Gasquet
ATP: Dubai 10 AM - Novak Djokovic vs Gilles Simon to be followed by TW headcase team in doubles

**********************************

Fish won 4 and 1 over Spadea in Delray.

Master Ace,
Dubai website says it's Nole-Simon first and Richie-Ferru in the evening slot?

It's been 2 weeks off for women with no big tournament, can't wait until IW

Master Ace - Do you think it was a good decision for Venus to play Acapulco? She has need three setters to win thus far and she is to play BJK cup on March 2nd which is right after Acapulco and on HC (I dunno if it's fact HC) at MSG. This whole schedule just seems wrong.

sokol - It's just one week ;-) Dubai counts as a big event no?;-)

Considering 18 of the top 20 were in Dubai, I'd say that was a pretty big event.

But yes, still looking forward to IW. Come on, Masha....

avid,
Her schedule is wrong on SOOO many levels. I don't know what she was thinking? I need to read her blog from Acapulco. I'm looking forward to a possible final b/t Venus and Flavia. But, it doesn't look good for Vee needing all those 3-setters and Flavia just cruising by.

Pete, you still up for sharing your Panama adventures in tomorrow's DC? Let me know ... and yes, don't do it in Typepad. ;)

"It's just one week ;-) Dubai counts as a big event no?;-)"

you're right :-)), for some reason I thought it was 2 weeks ago, just seems a long time ago :-)

Thursday schedule:

ATP: Delray Beach 12:30 PM - Fish/Spadea and Zverev/Serra
Both: Acapulco 2 PM - Almagro, Acasuso/Robredo, Pennetta and V Williams scheduled
ATP: Delray Beach 5:15 PM (evening)- Golubev/Chardy and Baghdatis/Sela
Both: Acapulco 10 PM (evening) - Mayer/Monfils

Friday Schedule:
ATP: Dubai 5 AM - Novak Djokovic vs Gilles Simon
ATP: Dubai 10 AM - David Ferrer vs Richard Gasquet to be followed by TW headcase team in doubles

Lira Vega,
Thanks. The website had it the opposite way at first.

Is Masha coming back at IW? I can't believe i'm saying this but i've really missed her!

Oy vey, Venus is playing Szavay next.

acapulco link:
http://www.channelsurfing.net/watch-wabuk-6.html

delray link:
http://www.channelsurfing.net/watch-atp-delray-beach.html

tennisesq. - I know. it just does not seem right at all and she has never played there before.

No probs, Master Ace, I was hoping they changed it, it would make more sense to me if it was the other way around

"[4] D Ferrer (ESP) vs R Gasquet (FRA)
J Coetzee (RSA) / W Moodie (RSA) or D Ferrer (ESP) / M Safin (RUS) vs R de Voest (RSA) / D Tursunov (RUS)"

This is kind of not fair to Ferrer, as he would have to play 2 matches in a row (well, I guess after a reasonable time to rest). Why don't they schedule one of his matches in the day section and the other at night?

One small note for everyone - we are hoping that pretty soon (maybe within hours) we'll again have the ability for you to post your email addresses here in Typepad, on the basis of some recent exchanges with a SixApart representative.

Rosangel - Thanks for the update.

My understanding is, as Ferrer played a late doubles match today, they didn't want him to start early tomorrow.

whoa. lovely. thanks for the update, Rosangel.

For the matches in Delray : go Mischa, Marcos and Andrey (even though the last don't have much chance). Have to do some work. See you all later

I think Vee has a good chance to make the finals. She hadn't played a claycourt match since last years FO. Also she playing Agnes Szavay who for the first time this year has won 2 straight matches, if all of sudden Agnes has rediscover how to win 3 matches well she has a chance, but I really don't think Vee is going to lose this.

avid,
Well, she seems to be excited about playing there for the first time and I commend her for keeping her commitments. I think it would be cool if she won titles on 3 different surfaces this year. Not sure if she has ever done that? But, she's been playing a lot of tennis lately and I wish she was taking it easy like Serena. How funny was Serena on Ellen? The evil eye thing cracked me up.

Sher at 1:13 PM (from the other post)

Re: your ankle.

Did you have it in a cast?

From what I've seen most women that don't do that end up with continuing ankle problems (i.e. swelling etc). Just a thought (on the same line with your rest).

PS

So Typepad doesn't like Peter's articles? Surprise, surprise :P

looked again at the tournament calendar and see what I meant :-)) by 2 weeks, this week and the next one (Feb23-Mar11). Ok, beck to work, now for good :-))

Stella,
Szavay certainly has potential to take out Venus. Even Greta Arn of all people took Venus to 3 close sets.

Stella - Well I guess she has a chance but I think Agnes needs to do well too. I just hope it will be a good match.

tennisesq. - Well I actually think Serena has played way more than she normally does this year. Four tournaments already and reaching at least SF at all of them. But at least her schedule is much well managed kind of all on HC except the Paris Dubai back-to-back unlike Vee who did only the exhibition before AO and the Dubai on HC and Acapulco on clay back-to-back after 30 hours of flight and then MSG on Monday next week. It really is weird but at least after MSG she relaxes till Miami.

Marian, that was a repost of HART's post. Thus, not my ankle.

Rosangel,

I'd be curious to know whether TypePad is refunding the money for the past two months during which we've suffered their very poorly developed update. (I assume tennis.com subscribes and therefore pays by the month.) It would be a nice gesture of apology on their part.

sokol - ok I get what you are saying now ;-)

Well I still think Vee is going to win but she could lose that is why they play the match, right?

Ok, I'm off for a while I hope to catch some Acapulco matches later. Bye :-)

Avid Sports Fan,
I would not have done what Venus did especially after winning Dubai. However, I can understand why Venus did it as she will not play an official event until Key Biscayne.

OT - Tiger missed a birdie putt inside about 7 ft to go 2 up on the third hole.

"Avid Sports Fan,
I would not have done what Venus did especially after winning Dubai. However, I can understand why Venus did it as she will not play an official event until Key Biscayne."

Master Ace - Thanks. Me neither.

Sher: that's not something I'm about to discuss.

Sher: good for you then, too bad for Hart, but do you play tennis yourself? Or do sports, etc?

Rosangel,

No problem, I'll ask Pete.

Well, maybe. I'm not that curious.
Mostly just bewildered/

And, for what it's worth, the Typepad "upgrade" didn't happen in late December, but early February:) I know it seems longer. The only good thing about the changes is that they didn't occur while the AO was going on, which was purely coincidental, I'm sure.

Marian,

Yes, I do, but my ankles have been lucky. My thigh ligaments not so much...heh.

...It does feel longer, lol

OT - And it's all square for Tiger and Tim Clark after Tim made a 60 ft birdie while Tiger missed a 20 ft birdie attempt. Phil is on his meltdown mode again losing the last two hole after being 4 up on Zach Johnson.

Rosangel -- You guys lucked out b/c the pagination change definitely occurred around AO for my site. And that? Sucked.

I love Nole... I hope he will win the whole tournament. He's such a great guy with big heart and great skills. Totally earned every of his victories.

>>Yes, I do, but my ankles have been lucky. My thigh ligaments not so much...heh

my ankle problems are not so much wear-and-tear injuries as sudden, high-velocity impact injuries. heh. oopsie ;)

Oops...looks like I missed a lot. Muzz retired? What happened? Ankle? Darn! I was looking forward to Nole-Muzz this weekend.

Marin couldn't take a set off Nole? Grr! He plays too similarly to Nole to trouble him.

Reeshard vs Ferru in the SF? Yowza...there's one you don't see every day.

Is there anyone on this board who's been posting in good health? I.e., no morphine-induced bad post excuses!

muzz had a virus.

Pspace, its true I could be in better physical condition, but I try not to use that as an excuse for my poor spelling and pointless posts. I believe that when I sit down to my computer, I'm fit to post. Sometimes other posters are just better on the day.

;)

Hart, just don't break down in tears. Nothing gets Pspace going like that, you know. :)

Isn't there a Muzzavirus? Hart? ;)

Or did we already talk about this. I'm all discombobulated today (slash every day).

Sherlock, well played :-). I got nothin' but LOL.

Caffeine Addict,
Just read a link on Forty Deuce where Tennis Channel will do the first weekend ONLY at Indian Wells(2 PM to 2AM on Saturday and 2 PM to midnight on Sunday) and FSN will cover afterwards. FSN is keeping their commitment to cover college basketball confernce tournaments(ie - Pac 10) that weekend. When the tennis finals occur at IW, college basketball will be covered by CBS therefore FSN will have tennis.

Hart, LOL,

And with all the undue pressure TypePad puts on you, it's really surprising how stubborn you've been about not getting a coach. I think we're in your head.

Will the real Verdasco fans please stand up:

"""
All week, Murray has not felt his best, and his condition worsened after Wednesday's victory over France's Arnaud Clement. "I woke up in the middle of the night sweating. I went to the doctor and started taking antibiotics, but I have felt very tired all week. I have felt cold and shivery, had a sore throat, I feel that my temperature is up, and my body feels bad," said the world No 4.

"I don't know what it is, some virus perhaps, but after my second-round match at the Australian Open I didn't feel great and I haven't felt 100 per cent since."
"""

http://tinyurl.com/ajq85o

C Note,
For some reason, my day job computer is not letting me read comments by others or post comments to your article and at home, my computer is not uploading the pages in a timely manner. Is it telling me that I should not read Forty Deuce.

C Note, I have similar problems as MA with 40-Deuce, on my Mac. However, that might make you happy ;-).

avid, I need a Tigre Bois update!

Pspace, he he he. Hart gets the assist on that one. :)

Hey, discombobulated Jackie. Have you started packing yet? :)

Jackie, yeah, I think there was a Murrayivirus. With Turrets as one of the symptoms.

Sherlock: :) I'll try, but it's hard

Jackie: There is indeed. But I can't remember the symptoms. Perhaps another case of Favorititis instead? (kidding, kidding)

Sher: If i can only improve my left ringer finger speed I think I'll be in good shape. Besides, Brad Gilbert is a toxic personality match.

Sherlockandkey!

I can't pack until I shop, silly. :)

Jackie - LOL! We are now on the seventh hole all square again after Tiger birdied the par 4 7th hole. But Tim has just made a lengthy birdie putt at 8 and Tiger has to make his to stay all square.

Jackie - Tiger has made it so we are still all square after par 5 8th.

Zverev-Serra match is so boring...

Hart,

Your comment placement is still tops.

I, on the other hand, feel especially good. ****knocks wooden head**** Of course I am a wee bit tired getting the Flippancy Bar up and running, (yes Sherlock - you are signed up ..please bring your ID and proof of residency.), but mostly I feel fine because just the other day for the first time in MONTHS, i played...er...what's that sport again... Oh I know - TENNIS!!! Mr. CL and I and a friend played a couple hours worth of Canadian Doubles and it was a BLAST! And, as often happens when I haven't played for much too long, I played really well. Capped off by a truly I-kid-you-not dazzling stab volley winner. Seriously, if PMac had been calling the match he would have said, "Are you KIDDING me!!!!!???!!!!! I'm still smiling.

Of course, if form holds true, the next time I play I will be absolutely dreadful, followed by endless sessions of 'bleh,' but for the time being, I'm content to bask in the triumphant glow.

PS -why is it CANADIAN doubles?

""Brad Gilbert is a toxic personality match.""

Hehe...There should be a game "how long can you be in a room with Jeelbair before you strangle him". I'd last about 30 seconds.

CL, What is Canadian doubles? Sounds like it involves only three people? Maybe the fourth guy didn't show up because it was cold (like Canada)?

I actually felt for Brad in his email to Weirtheim. I mean, it has to be tough to always be told you've got no chance of making it to Federer's coach when you didn't even ask for the job.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Doubles

"Sherlockandkey"..I like that. :)

Do the malls know that Jackie is coming? :)

Hart, be strong. :)

Sher, I though Jon's original response (describing the pairing as toxic) was fair. I mean does anyone in believe that Jeelbair and Fed could get along? It's not a knock on his coaching abilities or his personality, just a contrast with Fed. Anyways, responding to it, gave that response so much more weight than it deserved.

OT Jackie - From the radio Tiger just sent a 32 ft birdie attempt right to the mouth of the hole and it was hanging and refused to go in the cup so he settles for par and Tim Clark also settles for par so we are still all square after the ninth hole.

Sher: why, thank you. I do try to play to my strengths, you know.

Pspace: my favorite is when he's commenting and makes some ridiculous statement and then there is that long uncomfortable pause as the other commentators try to figure out how to respond...hehe. good times.

CL: congrats! If the 'play really well after not playing for a while' logic held up for me, however, I'd be ready for the ITF circuit at this point, as I haven't played in **counts on fingers** **runs out of fingers** a while. Just started playing semi-regularly again. People laugh. ;)

CL, congrats on the tennis! Sounds awesome. :)

Too funny about the "first time out" syndrome. I encounter that with both golf and tennis. I hit my driver the best when I haven't played in about six months. It's all downhill from there. I think my muscles have a severe case of amnesia.

Hmmm, proof of residency, eh? Is it ok if it says Sweden? :)

CL - congrats on your amazing DROPPAH! (tm PMac)

I find that when I haven't played in months, I tend to go out and play ridiculously well. But the second I start thinking, "Hey, I could be really good at this game" is when the wheels come completely off!

Yeah, I've noticed this "first day back" syndrome as well. The second day is usually the worst, because you've actually had time to think about it.

I like to take a month long break from tennis every year, to just take stock of my game, and plan sort of long-term improvements. Usually, the first day back I feel like I've achieved all those goals, and then regress infinitely the next day.

Oh by no means am I not fully behind the toxic personality match. But still, I find that we are too often dismissive of other people's feelings just because _we_ know they shouldn't be offended by it. So I felt for him in that response, even though on factual information I agree with Jon.

Hart - really...its a rock/hard place. Play once every week or so = mediocre, but I get to play! Play once in a blue moon= play well....but don't get to play enough. A conundrum. I SHOULD try and play a LOT and see if that would mean I could break through the mediocre barrier, but life and finances intervene. At least in the summer and fall, I can play on free, if crumbly, courts.

Gotta go read the link Sher provided, which I assumed answered PSpace's Q about Canadian Doubles.

Sher, hmmm...Brad Gilbert's feelings. It'll take some time for me to get used to that idea :-).

Sorry I disappeared. Pesky co-workers. ;)

avid, merci for the updates!

Sherlock, I'm actually a horrendous shopper. Only do it when I absolutely have to. I'm rather like a guy in that regard. Well, that and the wrestling love. ;)

Pspace, I told you I'm a softie. :)

CL, that sounds awesome. I can't wait for summer so I can play outside again.

Jackie - you are welcome. We are still all square after the par 4 10th.

Thank you all for your congratulations. Much appreciated. And the whole day was just such FUN. I think what happens is that though my muscles might have amnesia, my brain does too and I don't think so much which is almost always all to the good. Well all the court anyway.

Sher - that wiki link is pretty funny. Albino doubles??? But it doesn't actually say where the name 'Canadian' came from.

Sherlock - Swedish is absolutely fine. Your proof of residency doesn't happen to say "Edberg" does it? Because if so, have I got a promotion for YOU!

"and then regress infinitely the next day."

Hilarious. :)

I have to admit, it does my heart good to see real players such as White Line and Pspace say things like that. Makes the complete hack in me smile. :)

Pspace and MA -- Thanks for the heads up. I'm already contemplating moving my site to another hosting company. Too many TP issues lately.

Pspace -- You're right. I don't mind that you can't access the comments right now ;)

Count me as another twibe members in poor health.

I guess playing tennis for 1.5 hours two days ago (group lesson), wearing nothing but tights and a spagatti straps top (I get really hot when I'm playing - okay, it was like 14 celcius, not freezing - but still), and then another hour yesterday morning (AKA, less than 10 hours afterward), having slept for like 5 hours in betwen, and then a 12 hours work day later did NOT agree with me.

I almost hope it rains tomorrow, because I have another lesson, and my hand still sore from the last one. Wendsday-Friday is too close together for me, with such long days at the office in betwen. Never again.

I think I'm not going to wake up for Dudi in 2 hours. I'm too tired.

white line fever -

Funny, I feel the same. I haven't played for almost three weeks, which is the longest break I took since I started taking lessons 1.5 years ago.

My coach/trainer was on a holiday in Norway, and the one day I intended to go play with a friend, we had rain (we barely had ANY rain this year) - so I couldn't play at all.

Anyway, I just felt very crisp the lesson after he came back- like I almost improved while I didn't play, especially on the groundstrokes.

However, I also find that my group lessons tend to be misleading. I always spot improvments on my single-handed BH, but then the next morning in my private lesson I realize I've been feeding off the other players's pace, because they are more experienced, and use a lot more pace than my coach uses with me, so I have to generate my own, and the result are short balls landing near the service line. Yikes.

OT Jackie - Tiger just bogeyed a par 5 hole while Time Clark birdied so he's now one down.

"I'm actually a horrendous shopper"

Jackie, you just get better all the time. :)

CL, LOL! *looking for razor blade to doctor id*

Sherlock - ROFL.... but remember its (almost) all in the legs.

avid, we'd be lost without you.

Ugh, Sherlock, and my shopping this weekend includes getting an adaptor for my non-American camera (don't ask). This is supposed to be fun? ;)

And on that happy,leggy note... I'm outta here for a while. I have to say, that especially following hard on the heels of the 'BHBENE' post of yesterday, the discussion under the Stages of Great Thread, was really positive and interesting and mostly troll free. Not that the subjects of the two posts were anything alike, but posts about Fed...or Rafa...can often set off nearly as big a storm as Pete's unfortunate trip to Godwin's (?) law did. So today seemed like a gift.

Jackie, you need an adaptor? Most cameras I know can handle the electricity in all countries, and all you need is a plug. (Not that I know anything about it, but I remember thinking I needed an adapter and finding out I could get by with only a $2 plug).

I love the way you think, CL. Hee. :)

Oh, Jackie. I'm sorry. :( That's not shopping like I think of shopping. Shopping should be a bit of fun. But that task definitely falls into the "errands" category. Getting the right adaptor for anything is like filing taxes. :)

I must say, the story of the non-American camera intrigues me. :)

Bye, CL. And remember Carly...always. :)

OT - A par for Tiger and a birdie for Tim at 12 so Tiger is now down 2. I dunno if there will be a miracle comeback like last year but we'll see no? ;-)

Sher, now I'm even more confused. Alls I know is whatever's in the box doesn't work in the U.S. of A. so I'm headed to Abt Electronics to figure it out.

And to get an extra memory card. And extra battery.

Because if you haven't noticed, I'm sort of a paranoid person.