ArmadaWatch ...

Righto ... Rafa's not there.  But he made his decision when he did last week, to ensure that the wider Spanish  tennis team didn't suffer as a whole and so that it could be arranged for him to be replaced.  Feli takes up his singles berth, and Marc! has come in to play doubles with Marcel.  So as a consequence, we're not going to ignore how Team Espana fare in the Olympic Games, because Rafa will be following them all the way, and so will we.

So let's start with the news.

Firstly, Feliciano Lopez Diaz Guerra *phew* proudly started it all off by showing us his credentials *cough*

We'd already seen Team Espana getting on their coach to leave, and its seems that whilst they arrived in London at 10.30 pm, their stupid driver had no idea where he was going (with suggestions that he was under the influence of alcohol *yikes*) and they only made it to the Olympic Village at 3.30 am.  Mr Harmans wrote that Alex Corretja was apoplectic with rage.  It seems, therefore, that the boys are catching up here on some well needed shut eye ... but I've no idea where on earth Feli's arm and hand might be.  *ahem*

The new budding bromance of FeliFerrer are posing here in the Olympic Village.  Still no sign of the Singapore Airlines shirts.  Come on Feli ... wear it for Wooffie!!!

And here we have FeliFerrer at their first practice session today.  I'd read reports that the Spanish Team had rented out the super posh Hurlingham Club for the boys to practice at for the Games ... but that certainly looks like Wimbers to me with the purple boarding.

Fer tweeted from Madrid yesterday as he went home to his family after two weeks away, but I suspect he will be making his way to London any time soon, as will Team M&M - Marc! and Marcel - who won the Gstaad doubles yesterday.  Well done boys.  *clap*

But lest we forget ... Rafa may be the outgoing Olympic champion as he's unable to defend.  But until someone else stands on that podium, he's still THE Olympic Champion.  Something that can never be taken away from him, and something that precious few players have achieved in their lifetime.  Singles Champion ... Rafa!!

video source - via @RafaelNadalFC