Good afternoon everyone. Here's today's post for discussing the live tennis that's going on. Apart from the final in Barcelona, and more Fed Cup action, there will be some qualifying matches happening at the ATP Masters tournament in Rome - here's the link to the Order of Play at the Italian Open, and also the draw. Fans of Roger Federer, Noval Djokovic, Andy Murray, Juan Martin Del Potro and Marat Safin checking the Order of Play shouldn't worry that they are missing out - the top-ranked players listed on the schedule are all involved in charity exhibitions, not early-round matches.
The Barcelona final involves Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer, in a repeat of last year's final, after the indefatigable Ferrer came back from a set down yesterday to defeat Fernando Gonzalez in a final-set tiebreak. Last year Nadal won 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 - the two haven't played each other since then. Examining their head-to-head, Ferrer has previously recorded a win over Nadal on clay, in the Stuttgart quarterfinals back in 2004. Of course this predated Nadal's current dominance on clay - he's currently riding a 24-match winning streak on the surface.
As many of you know I was in Barcelona for the final last year, and there was a terrific atmosphere in the stadium, which was packed full, with plenty of supporters for both Spaniards, which is always good to see. I've visited a few countries in my tennis travels, and a full house isn't guaranteed everywhere - even the classic Nadal-Djokovic semifinal last year in Hamburg, showcasing some of the best tennis seen during the entire season, was played to a stadium that was probably only three-quarters full. With Madrid replacing Hamburg in the schedule, one thing we can almost certainly count on is a full complement of spectators.
