Maybe both guys will deserve an Oscar - if not for speechifying, then at least for making it seem like a competitive match with a foregone winner - Rafa. As you said, not easy. Though I'm sure Fed can help things along by dumping BH returns into the net and failing to take any break points that come his way. Neither of those would be 'unbelievable' in the least. No one would suspect that thing. Sssshhhhh!

Hi everyone,

some amazing pictures of Rafa and Roger at the Caja Magica in Madrid from this afternoon on Rafa Nadal's official website.

Enjoy the match.

And tennis even makes the front page of Yahoo...a day late, but still, its all good for the sport.

http://sports.yahoo.com/tennis/blog/busted_racquet/post/Federer-picks-up-Nadal-from-airport-rivals-hang?urn=ten-298784

CL,
Tennis is getting some love this week. While I was watching ESPN2 last night, Nadal and Federer exo matches were part of their crawl.

Hi, everyone,

I'm happy to be here this pm - my husband has taken our Christmas guests to Sarasota to finish their shopping, so I feel blessed as I wasn't expecting to see this match today.

Hey Pete! i watched a portion of this last nite when I got home, and it was a funny match to call. Seemed like they were 2 horses in harness trying to keep at a brisk trot, and at times one or the other would break out a bit, then settle back to the uneasy trot. Definately a tricky balancing act, but they seemed to manage it well enough.

Did seem that both players were genuinely pleased to be there in front of the crowd for such a good cause; I think they liked using the fedal hysteria for something near and dear to their hearts for once.

I also loved the entire block of swiss jacketed / hatted fans holding spanish flags!

Lynne,
How did you convince your husband to go shopping while you stayed back?

JB - yeah, the hat attack flag wavers were tres cool.

BTW - I keep meaning to ask you...IIRC...you used to be jb- why did you bump up to JB?

Erm, the sum of 14 and 8 is 22.

Hey all. :)

Isn't there another Sampras-Agassi one at some point? For those who prefer their exhibitions with edge. :)

Lovely picture, lovely post - although I am sure there will be plenty of equally obsessive and addled Rafa fans to read significance into these results, LOL - lovely company, lovely exhibition matches, lovely bromanciness. :)

"it's been a cold winter so far in Europe, but this two-off exo is providing a bit of warmth."

We need it. Silly weather!

"half-clay, half-grass, half-@ss" - This made me giggle. :)

Master Ace,

I didn't have to do any persuading. He said he still had shopping to do and they said they had too, so it just worked out well for me as I wasn't ready at the time, lol !

Morning, all.

Big day. Federer has a 2-1 lead in Federer-Nadal exos (2006 Far East, 2007 surfaces duel, 2010 Zurich). Which way will this match go?

I can honestly say that I will be profoundly disappointed if Federer wins today. Don't know if this makes me an obsessive, addled fan).

lol CL. no promotion, i prolly was in caps lock one day when i had to retype my handle. I never even noticed it, tbh!

I can't imagine that Feddy would beat Rafa in Spain. He wouldn't be very good guest if he did...

and cl - handle fixed! :)))

From the last thread. I want Kleybanova to win the AO.

Almost time!! I'll be interested to see if the Madrid crowd is a little more lively than Zurich's.

It isn't the Match for Africa in Madrid. Sheesh. This one is for Rafa's charity, not Roger's.

Oooh - Pity the poor MadridKids who have to walk out with Fed rather than Rafa...

Jacko!!!!!

Is that a car seat?

Moya in the house.

Hello Pete,
I watched it. Tricky exercise indeed. Also because none of them is going to test what they're currently practicing to come out strong in 2011. So they keep it plain classic and there was some good tennis at time.
But frankly it was all too obvious that it was written beforehand and the players almost felt uncomfortable with that. And you would have felt uncomfortable watching it as well. So from that perspective, they failed.
Remember 'The color of Money', when Cruise loses a pool game on purpose against Newman, without the latter even noticing. Real emotion, the crowd going 'hoooowwww' with each close miss. Then Newman in rage when he learns he was a puppet thinking to be the master.
Anyway I think they should down some Champagne in Roger's Benz before the Caja Majica one. Let's get some emotion, laughters at least ;-)
Happy holidays to all !!!
See you in 2011 - the year where it will be decided if Rafa is going to beat Roger in number of Slams (if Roger takes more than, or just equals Rafa in 2011, I don't see it happening, as Rafa will not remain at the top for so long). But hey, I said happy holidays. Let's leave this topic to rest for... another 10 days :-))

hi guys, time for round 2. I hate the alley-less court! it just looks weird to me.

the commies seem disappointed that the guys aren't having more fun. I'm not sure how I feel. Stupid banter can be embarrassing, no?

Hello all! Thanks for the match commentary yesterday!

Andrew - LOL at your 4:47 yesterday "If Federer wins tomorrow it will be a social error - like wearing a short skirt and a halter top at a funeral. And Roger would never do that." Very true!

I expect Rafa in three!

Enjoy!

Pete, as someone who watched yesterday's match, it was a good contest and then there was this weird game in the third where rafa served 3 straight softballs to Roger's forehand. Obviously, that was one of the breaks. Pmac and Chris Fowler immediately spotted that as the 'gimme' game of the match. You're right, it is an art and neither of these guys have had tons of practice at it.

oh LOVE the pic you posted!

Hello all. The guys are already at it I see. Hope we get to see some nice rallies and shot making.

jackson: if I understood them yesterday, rafa's foundation has projects in Africa as well as India.

CL/Andrew et al: Let's say rafa is playing like garbage today. Fed can't be expected to completely screw the pooch in order to 'be the proper gentleman'. The crowd wouldn't go for that I don't think.

I wish PMac and especially Fowler would just shut up. I mean I always wish that about Fowler...but today I would both guys would.

JEWELL!!!!!!!

So happy just to see even a little of this. :)

Annie- honestly don 't see that happening. Do you? Neither guy look like they are playing super but neither seems totally 'garbagy' either. I think fatigue, for realz this time, more than anything might be a factor.

And as I wrote upthread, Roger can always 'help out' by dumping BH returns into the net and failing to grab BPs. He has TONS of practice doing that...even in matches that DO count. ;-))

CL: seriously, neither man has taken a breath. You can barely concentrate on the match.

Nadal chasing down that lovely DS as if this is a real match -- c'mon guys, cardinal rule of off-season exos: no injuries!

Geez, I can't believe how extremely pro-Fed PMac is. I get sick of him commenting of his Fed live. The same way about JMac about Rafa love.

Is that Pedro Alo...er...can't spell the rest...the film director?

Annie - yeah..they need to put a gag order on these two.

Oooh..Andrew will like that BH drive passing shot..assuming he thinks it 'counts' lol.

jb -nice!I always did like the 'old you.'

what's the score please? never thought I'd be missing a scoreboard! lol!

i think to expect any kind of good quality play is optimistic at best. no practice, strange court, flying in the am. none of this is designed to set either player up to actuall play well.

Still they're fabulous players of course so they shouldn't completely fail, but i'd still expect their play to be patchy.

Hee - Fed can also be counted on for a few brilliant FHs directly into the net.

I don't hear Pmac favoring Fed at all. I think he's very even handed in his praise of both players. oh well. different strokes I guess.

Maybe we'll have a couple of tb's today!

Jewell, yesterday Pmac and Fowler were saying that after the murray/nadal match in London, rafa hung around signing autographs for 45 minutes after the match??!! Why didn't I know that??? harumph.

OldMan - Someone has to be the occasional counter weight to 'Foul-er'.

Do we think the commies are really there? Or are they just watching this in a studio?

ok this is boring; no zip in the air like yesterday.

And This has got to be the ugliest arena in the worlk.

People herded into metal pens like those ones where animals are kept before being branded!!

"Who can forget that monstrous half-clay, half-grass, half-@ss exo of a few years ago? I can't imagine that anyone but the most addled of Federer fans is going to stick this result in the win column for Roger, but you never know."

It was Nadal who won that match.

ZOMG! A topspin BH pass! Be still, my heart.

Same vibe, slower surface. Three sets, no TBs. Some very cagey experimentation, mostly playing with depth and angle.

Enric Molina in the chair. I think Mo Layhani would have had fun with this one.

I think this is the first time in a long time I have seen Fed with a slight 2 pm shadow. Somewhere Gillette is docking his pay.

funny annie, i sort of thought the same when i watched a bit of yesterday's match last nite. i was prepared for over the top pmac fed lurve, and i actually thought he was pretty even handed. the guy loves both players, respects their games and what they bring to the sport. *shrugs*

"Do we think the commies are really there? Or are they just watching this in a studio?"

They are watching in the studio; they showed them yesterday in a very American looking studio.

Hee - I knew you would like that BH pass. Please note it for future reference.

*coughs politely*

score anyone?

jb, Nadal serving, 3-4, deuce

"to expect any kind of good quality play is optimistic at best" yes, it's a delicate balance, isn't it? with nothing riding on the match, they're not going to play as we're accustomed to seeing them, but I think they're both trying to give the crowd their money's worth. they just did on that point!

4 all

See..told you Roger would help out a bit by not taking BPs.

Gotta run..will tape the rest of this..

Like a player glaring at a chump to get a line_call reversal, jb coughs politely to get the score.
And that worked for me, since I wanted it too. :)

Thanks, H2L.

There've been some great points and lovely shots so far, anyway. Hard to complain. :)

René: Pete said "this match" - ie Zurich. Really nice passes from Nadal on BP.

They're in the studio. they were yesterday.

*waves at arun*

i thought you mite be watching it. am at work pretending to uhm, work, so i can't watch it.

sigh. there's NOONE here. but i used up all my vacation time watching tennis this year, so am here.... hangin' around the water cooler with y'all. :)

Nadal had BPs then remembered the deal, first set to opponent with a silver bow before taking it in 3. Rafa to serve 4-5

I'm hoping for at least one tb.

nam, i hate the metal pens too. just horrid.

love all the fed ads. he's yummy. ;)

clearly, the umps are doing this gratis so bravo to them.

So this is the court that will be chopped up; maybe that's why they did not put in the doubles line, not sure what it is called , alley?

what was that? Sounded like gunshots.

OMG, one of the Spanish little princesses just caught a ball! she gets to keep it obviously.

I used up my vacation time too, jb.. I've got some work to do too and I'm making the best effort to not do it.

Annie, you are really crushing on Federer of late. ;-) wrt to the court with no doubles alleys, I agree - it does look odd. less to cut up and sell off, but does it make it easier to gauge in/out imo.

cute little girl who ended up with a ball and decided she'd just hang on to it, thank you very much.

OK, Roger just gifted that backhand that went long.

hmm, Federer looks like he is thinking "Rafa, you were supposed to give me this set, Remember ?"

5 all

H2L: oh i've been totally crushing on roger lately. but he'll never eclipse my rafa love.

that little girl was the Prince's daughter. The Queen is there too.

I agree with PMac, seems to me Roger has been giving Rafa many opportunities to take the lead but Rafa is just not taking them.

""oh i've been totally crushing on roger lately ""

Traitor :)

PMac slobbering over Federer is really getting too much "Federer trying his best to give the hometown guy an advantage but Rafa cant execute"

Could he be more condescending?

imjimmy

LOL!

Oh and Vamos Rafa

Hi everyone,

imjimmy: never! no one floats my boat like rafa...:P

so am I the only one who thinks this might turn into a 'quasi' real match?

Looks like we will have a tiebreak.

They heard you, Annie. TB. That did look like Pedro Almodovar, CL.

"that little girl was the Prince's daughter. The Queen is there too." so my royalty detector is a bit off. clearly had it been a commoner, she would be giving that ball back.

Hi AM

Enjoying the cold weather in Europe?

Jewell I sent you a email did you get it

Maybe the cold has frozen my email sending or something

Corrie didnt get hers either?

Nam 1 Hi back

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

But thanks for asking lol!

Davis cup captain in the house.

HA, rafa serving to the wrong side! Eric called him "Rafel" which is what his mom calls him.

well, AM , being from Canada where we are today at a balmy -18 Celsius , I dont know what the fuss is about but clearly its a lot colder in Europe than usual.

Mean while, Rafa totally distracted, wondering what to get Xisca for Xmas?

the guy with the shades is pedro alm...eek the great spanish director.

Nam 1

Where in Canada do you live? -18 gee are you thinking of going swimming at all? lol!

seriously, rafa served to the wrong side? that's hilarious! definately NOT a focused day on court - lol!

Nam1, not so totally distracted he couldn't smoke that BH DTL from his feet and then ace to take the TB. ;-)

Hi AM, how long 'til you return to the Aussie summer?

Wotacomeback from Nadal from SP down. Wotawarrior!

Hell Rafa watch the bloody court

Dies LOL!

You are the no 1 player as well LOL!

Waves to JB!

AM - no sorry, I didn't get it...

Got to go, see you all later. :)

AM,

what can I say except that this is not bad for us Canucks.

People here who have been heading to London and Paris for holidays are really upset with flights being cancelled for a measly 6" of snow at Heathrow airport.

Holds2Love

Hi! next week by the way we have had snow in some parts and also in Victoria I might just stay here lol!

The world weather is crazy!

*waves back at marg*

guess rafa took the tb, eh? ok. one more set and this is dun and dusted. :)

wasnt Roger suppsed to win the first set? what happened?

oh Roger! really bad, dude. both guys are thinking about christmas presents at this point.

Heard somebody say, quite seriously, on the news that the Heathrow snow was "the wrong kind of snow."

Takes me back to the good old days of daft rail excuses. :)

Really going...

well, if you don't have the proper infrastructure / equipment to remove 6 inches of snow, then it might as well be 6 feet.

Jewell I will re send it sorry?

Nam 1

My daughter has had trouble getting here from Paris as well.They shut the air port down last week.Travellers are getting stuck everywhere.Hmmm not good.

jb, i bet you're right. It'll be 7-6, 7-6