FORGET Rafa v Novak.
Timea Bacsinszky versus Alison van Uytvanck is the real quarter final of the day, a genuine milestone in world tennis. Apparently it is the largest ever scrabble score in the history of the sport.
BLOWING in the wind. With gusty conditions taking an aluminium plate off the scoreboard, and whipping red blaes up into the player's faces, Lucie Safarova takes stock. "I never experienced such bad wind in Paris," she said. Neither has the diarist, although that time he had frog's legs and escargot came pretty close.
GALLIC shrugs, part deux. Tournament director Gilbert Ysern's laissez-faire approach to the numerous issues which have afflicted these championships continues. He was rather vague when asked what exactly he has in mind to compensate the three people injured when that piece of metal fell to earth. "We will do good things for them, of course," he said.
ANOTHER administrator in the firing line is Michael Downey, the Canadian chief executive of the LTA. He is under fire for the lack of British boys capable of making the cut for the junior competitions at the slams. As it happens, Andy Murray has identified some very good players in the age group below, one of whom was very good. In the ultimate of ironies, his name is Jack Draper, and he is son of Roger Draper. He, you will recall, was the man who was hunted out of the LTA for his failure to develop any good tennis players.
CONFUSION reigns as to whether Roger Federer plans to watch the Novak Djokovic-Rafa Nadal quarter final. "Don't think so. Maybe. No idea. I don't know where I will be tomorrow. I think not watching TV, but who knows? Who knows? Maybe."
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