Rain stopped play ...

Where to start? Shall I even begin to start?? You've all watched the match, you've all seen what happened, and its not where we'd like Rafa to be.

So I'll just do some ramblings. To be honest, I thought it was a poor match, with not an awful lot of inspiring play and I think the conditions had a lot to do with that. Rafa started like a dream, but slowly the PoD came back into it. Regardless, he managed to get one more break in the first set in spite of a mass of break exchanges. And after the rain delay in the second set, Rafa won. Two sets up, fantastic!!

And then Rafa started with a break in third, even more perfect, and at that point I remarked just how poor Djokovic's body language was, considering he'd also smashed two racquets and the bench he was sitting on, and begged for Rafa not to get distracted. But then at 0-2, 0-30 down, Djokovic tried an unlikely serve and volley, which won him the point ... and then it all happened from there. Rafa didn't win another game in that set.

Now the thing is, if I'm being perfectly honest, Rafa annoyed the hell out of me in that set. The conditions were foul, and I know it doesn't suit his game, and I know he can't get those revs on the ball to make it spin as fast and as high as he wants. I know that damp balls that fluff up, become bigger and heavier and are therefore much more akin to flat hitting, which favours Djokovic. But the conditions today were the same for the both of them, and Rafa should have just kept calm, and got on with it. He allowed the weather to distract him and affect his performance against Feds at Indian Wells, and when all was going in his favour he allowed it to happen again today.

Coupled with another thing. In commentary today, Djokovic was described as a "streaky" player. And he is ... totally. He faced match points in this tournament and should have been put out ... but he wasn't. He faced match points in the US Open and should have been put out ... but he wasn't. And the thing with him for me, is that when he's right up against it, like he was today ... 2 sets down, 2 games down, 0-30 down, he just seems to play with a freedom that just comes from a place that seems to say, "hell, I'm out of this, so I might as well just simply not care and go for it". And it works.

He ended up winning 8 games on the trot whilst Rafa was raging against the world and the injustice of it all instead of playing tennis, and finally, finally he woke up in the fourth and won his service game to at least keep him in there at 1-2 down in the fourth set.

But I want to finish on this.

If Rafa was 2 sets to 1 down, and leading very early in the 4th set with just one service break under his belt when service breaks had been traded all throughout the match. And that he needed come hell or high water, to hang onto that break against the greatest player ever on a surface, just to get even ... when it would still mean that he had to endure and win a 5th set ... would I sleep easy? No I bloody wouldn't.

So rather than us all moaning about our lot, regaling against the French Federation or falling out on Twitter, lets remember that Rafa still has the advantage here. He has time to re-group, re-think and prepare and discuss what his tactics and play should be tomorrow when he knows, this time, what it will feel like to play on that court and in the same conditions.

And think on this.  Tomorrow, Djokovic can't play with that freedom of when all seems lost, because its almost like the start of the match again, and if he wants to win, he'll have to think and construct points and tactically have to play himself back in it. And that doesn't mean serve-volley and shooting from the hip. And as the tennis gliteratti are at such pains to point out, Djokovic has more fitness and stamina to out-last Rafa if it goes to 5 sets. Well, it ain't going to five consecutive sets tomorrow, even if the worst were to happen in the fourth, and Rafa will be fit enough and good enough to cope with it.

Novak Djokovic is still in the competition because on two occasions with Seppi and Tsonga, his opponents let him off the hook. As did Rafa today. But not tomorrow ...

You can do it Rafa!  You are Rafael Nadal, believe as we believe in you ... and VAMOS! Rafa ... *unjinx* to infinity and beyonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd !!!!