A tight one against Tsonga ...

In more ways that one.

But *gaah* !! I'm busy with things at the moment, and haven't watched my recorded highlights, but have just seen the final two games. So from reading various reports, Tsonga was all over the place in the first set and the 6-2 scoreline is reflective of that.

Now perhaps it should have been more of the same in the second, but Rafa was obviously suffering on serve. Sure, he got the break against Tsonga and served for the match, but Rafa had break points against him in his previous two service games so the warning signs were already there. Still, when he's clearly not on his own game, you just want him to finish it off. So call it the yips, nerves ... who knows? But one thing's for sure. In Rafa's presser he talked about starting to play more defensively in the second set. And when does he do that? When he's not on his game, when he's not feeling 100% and when he's not confident in what he's doing. He retreats back into his old shell. So Rafa lost that advantage when serving the match and worst still, got broken to give Tsonga the set.

Rafa had the trainer on a couple of times to massage his thigh, so the knee is still clearly troubling him. Notwithstanding that, it turned into more of a match in the third set, and some super shot-making by Rafa gave him the break in the 9th game.

Cue some pretty unseemly and petty behaviour from Tsonga, who accused the umpire for not jumping in for over-rules, favouring Rafa if and when he did it, favouring Rafa in general to ensure he got the semi and final matches and basically, just some dreadful sour grape nonsense trying to lay the blame at someone else's door rather than take responsibility for his own failings. Thanks for reminding me why I didn't like you in the first place, JWT. Even then, Rafa still faced break points when serving out for the match again, but somehow, he squeaked home.

All is not great. He faces Andy Murray in the semi-final and that was never going to be an easy one completely fit or not. Part of me now just wants this tournament out of the way, and for him to rest up for a couple of weeks before the clay tournaments begin.

It already feels like a long season ...