Happy New Year!!

Into 2015 we go ...

*walks in and blows an almighty layer of dust off blog*

Hola!  *waves*  Well, it's been a very long time since I was last in here.  I've said this a million times, but tennis loses its sparkle for me when Rafa's not around and as nice as it is to post half naked shots of him in various shades of pink shorts ... it doesn't really compensate for the tennis, does it? Well ... 

It's funny, but even after Rafa's tumultuous 2013, I'd kind of lost my appetite for carrying on with this blog at the start of the year and my posting was erratic to say the least.  I'd half felt like giving it up. And that's not because I'd lost any of my enthusiasm for Rafa, it was because I just couldn't face the next bout of media scrutiny as they sat and waited and watched (and hoped and prayed it felt like) for Rafa to lose all he had gained and to debate the precise month when the No. 1 ranking would be gone and stating - FACT - that this would be the year that Djokovic disposed of him as French Open champion.

I felt like I wanted to back off and not get immersed in it ... but when the tennis started I couldn't help myself  and I think perhaps it may be the same this year.  Don't expect any match by match or tournament by tournament reports ... I don't know if I'm up for that yet.  But with Rafa due to play in two days' time at Doha ... let's just see how it goes.  I may just feel compelled to write the odd rambling, I may use this blog like an on-line diary of supporting Rafa and watching how it all develops ... as it was in the early days of me writing this blog when no-one knew I was doing it and precious few ever read it.  LOL

In amongst the injury issues, the mental reaction to losses, a poor (by his standards) clay season and an arrogant, buffoon-like serving tree from Australia, there were two highlights of 2014 for me.  One was obviously Rafa overcoming his personal adversities and triumphing for his 9th French Open and the second was neither Smugly nor the Prince of Darkness winning at the US Open.  Hard luck Suckers!  But as I was watching Rafa in his last competitive match of 2014 in Basel playing some 17-year-old with the commentators absolutely wetting their pants at seeing this great Champion humbled by a youngster - in spite of them knowing full well that he'd been out for 3 months injured, that he was about to go for surgery to have his appendix removed - well, you'd think they were witnessing the second coming and literally just reveling in Rafa's defeat.  And that was then followed by internet trolls saying he'd only turned up for the money ... so you do ask yourself, why do I do this?  What is all this for?  This is nothing to do with tennis and why is it always negative when associated with Rafa?

But there will be times over the months of 2015 when he'll hit a running forehand down the line; when he'll stand and yell "Vamos" with his two handed fist pump; when he'll end a rally with a delicate drop shot or take an overhead out the sky with the dexterity of a gazelle ... and that will remind me why.

2014 showed us that nothing can ever be taken for granted with Rafa any more.  Not his body, not his general health ... and not even the clay season.  Rafa once said a few years ago that he was currently having his time in the sun, until it was the turn of someone else. There have been some shifts now in tennis and Rafa has had to deal with a lot since he made that statement. So I enter 2015 with no talk of "comebacks" or ranking, and I think we just have to accept what will "be" for Rafa from now on in. He says that his goal for the New Year is just "to be happy". So let's just be happy for whatever comes his way, and not sweat the bad stuff if it doesn't. And press the mute button to ON.

Take care all. Have a great time tonight and Happy New Year!  VAMOS!!