Shanghai: “Vindicated”.

 

 

You might expect me to feel vindicated given how loudly I’d been pontificating about how Rafa’s participation in both Bangkok and Tokyo mightn't be the best thing in the aftermath of Flushing.

 

 

You’d be right. I do.

 

Feel free to compose 15th century couplets praising me in the comments section below. I’ve hired a couple of minstrels to relay them in the great medieval banquet I’m hosting in my honour .

 

   

 

There is, however, another possibility: that the very same thing would have happened, had Rafa done nothing more strenuous than a spot of fishing and the odd pillow fight with Xisca in the month, or so, after winning in Flushing.

 

That according to the law of averages he was actually due a loss, a real high-profile one (piddly events like Bangkok don’t count), given he’d seen the quarters or better of every event he entered this year.

 

Couple that with Jurgen playing what he described as “the match of his career” (“I could hit winners from [sic] any shot”) and it suddenly seems that much more plausible.

 

Playing like that, I can see Jurgen beating any top five player – including Fed. Like the man said though, you don’t often manage that, let alone against the very best.

 

Won’t stop me rooting for him to qualify for the WTF (over say NANDO, or BERDMAN).

 

 

 

According to the sales blurb, Fed’s shirt is supposed to be lavender (some people have even taken to referring to it as “purple”).

 

Maybe it is - under UV-lighting (As an interesting aside, I rather like the idea of having all sorts of weird subliminal sh*t UV-encoded on it – stuff to get in his opponent’s head – stuff to project power – sneering at the haters – whatever he wants. Just consider the possibilities for a moment).

 

His opening matches haven’t been especially polished, though that’s arguably exactly what’s needed at this point. He peaked early against Sod in NY and just look at how that turned out.

 

 

Sod always worries me when he plays Ferru – there’s no reason on paper he should be troubled by him and yet he somehow always is. Not today, thankfully – a straights win there means we get a re-match of Flushing.

 

Can we get a leeedle late-season surge going dya think Sod? Would that be too much to ask?

 

(Images: Getty)