Shanghai, October 2009

Here we go, hopefully it'll be a Shanghai surprise for my Big Pixie ...

Had an afternoon in the garden ... heavy, heavy labour. I have trouble bending tonight ... think I'll go lie on the floor. The one bonus, the snot has disappeared!

Tournament Name: SHANGHAI ATP MASTERS 1000–Presented by Rolex
Location: SHANGHAI, P.R. CHINA
Dates: OCTOBER 11-18, 2009 (Sunday Start)
Prize Money: US $5,250,000 (US $3,240,000)
56 MAIN DRAW/28 QUALIFYING DRAW

SITE: Qizhong Tennis Center
No. 5500 Yan Jian Road
Minhang District, Shanghai 201111 PR China
SURFACE: Hard court
BALL: Head/Penn
PRIZE MONEY: U.S. Dollars–Paid by ATP
WEB SITE: http://www.shanghaimasters1000.com/2009/en/

Qualifying draw: Friday, October 9, 9:00 p.m.
Main draw: Saturday, October 10, 3:00 p.m.
Doubles draw: Saturday, October 10, 6:00 p.m.

ATP Ranking Points
W: 1000
F: 600
SF: 360
QF: 180
R16: 90
R32: 45 (Seeds 1-8: 10)
R64: 10 (WC: 0)
Q: +25
Q14: 14
Q28: 0

Entry deadine: August 31, 2009
Seeding: October 5, 2009

OUT Federer, Roger SUI 1
OUT Murray, Andy GBR 2
3 Nadal, Rafael ESP 3
4 Djokovic, Novak SRB 4
5 Roddick, Andy USA 5
6 Del Potro, Juan Martin ARG 6
7 Tsonga, JoWilfried FRA 7
8 Davydenko, Nikolay RUS 8
9 Simon, Gilles FRA 9
10 Verdasco, Fernando ESP 10
11 Gonzalez, Fernando CHI 11
12 Soderling, Robin SWE 12
13 Monfils, Gael FRA 13
OUT Nalbandian, David ARG 14
15 Robredo, Tommy ESP 15
16 Stepanek, Radek CZE 16
17 Cilic, Marin CRO 17
18 Berdych, Tomas CZE 18
19 Ferrer, David ESP 19
20 Wawrinka, Stanislas SUI 20
21 Haas, Tommy GER 21
OUT Querrey, Samuel USA 22
23 Blake, James USA 23
24 Kohlschreiber, Philipp GER 24
25 Ferrero, Juan Carlos ESP 25
OUT Fish, Mardy USA 26
27 Mathieu, PaulHenri FRA 27
28 Karlovic, Ivo CRO 28
29 Hanescu, Victor ROU 29
30 Andreev, Igor RUS 30
31 Troicki, Viktor SRB 31
32 Hewitt, Lleyton AUS 32
33 Almagro, Nicolas ESP 33
34 Chardy, Jeremy FRA 34
35 Sela, Dudi ISR 35
OUT Tursunov, Dmitry RUS 36
37 Lopez, Feliciano ESP 37
38 Melzer, Jurgen AUT 38
39 Petzschner, Philipp GER 39
40 Beck, Andreas GER 40
41 Monaco, Juan ARG 41
42 Kunitsyn, Igor RUS 42
43 Benneteau, Julien FRA 43
OUT Santoro, Fabrice FRA 44
45 (SE)
46 (Q) Bellucci, Thomaz BRA
47 (Q) Llodra, Michael FRA
48 (Q) Kubot, Lukasz POL
49 (Q) Fognini, Fabio ITA
50 (Q) Mayer, Florian GER
51 (Q) Schuettler, Rainer GER
52 (Q) Chiudinelli, Marco SUI
53 (WC) Zeng Shao-Xuan CHN
54 (WC) Gong Mao-Xin CHN
55 (WC) Safin, Marat RUS
56 (WC) Gulbis, Ernests LAT

Monday's OOP is out.
http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2009/5014/op.pdf

Beijing, October 2009

What can I say? I texted my very own Fairy Godmother today in a legal drug-induced haze from beneath my quilt asking that she call 999 on my behalf. In this frenzied trip, I had imagined that my Big Pixie had flattened Gonzo in just over an hour, 3 and 4, after 6 defeats at his hands. My Big Pixie had been totally in command throughout the match and had played magnificently. The first serve was flawless and in the 5th game of the first set, he'd manfully pushed aside any opportunity to choke and lose the match thereon in.

I was aghast. My head was befuddled with snot and Lem-Sip. And I'd just avoided a crisis when I realised the hankies were downstairs at match point. After a blast into a lone hankie lurking in my pocket, I came to my senses and realised that this was in fact, reality. My Big Pixie was back. He meant business. At last.

I was brought back to earth with a bump when I realised that not only would he be playing Rafa in the quarters, I had already announced my martyred return back to work tomorrow and would now not be privvy to seeing the match. (What an arse).

I shall be checking live scores tomorrow and crying into my keyboard, irrespective of the score, as I will not be witnessing the match. (What an arse).

Coaching tips to be ignored by my Big Pixie, as ever. Git.

Try to keep the ball low - Rafa's wee knees are struggling these days.
Keep the rallies going - as above. Remember, you are an expert at coming in these days.
Focus - you have got absolutely nothing to lose.
Go for it - play your shots. You're amazing ... when you don't think about it too much.

FG

PS Serena lost today. What a shame.