Anyway, we don't want to be talking about that do we? Roger's gonna have a kid - or hadn't you heard? Will it affect his game, the way it appeared to affect Hewitt's? Will the birth coincide with a 6th win at the All England Club (not to mention equalling of Pete's record)? Was the announcement timed to quash the Cahill Rumour Mill? What will it be named? And more to the point, how are we now going to refer to young Reeshard, now that there's a new Baby-Fed in town?
Oh yes, it's all very frenetic in the Roger-Federated Blogosphere - which must right now look like one of those writhing, molten, engine-like images of the earth's mantle you always see in a Plate-tectonics documentary.
(The Roger-Federer Blogosphere: The Happening of all Happenings)
Which is why I want to talk about doubles. That may seem a little strange as doubles mostly ranks w-a-a-a-y-y down on my list of tennis priorities come any Major.
I don't know if anyone's seen the men's doubles draw at Indian Wells. If you haven't DO SO. I'll even give you a minute to take it all in.
Looking good, no? Star gazingly, blinding I would say. Where's the Fridge?
I would also like you all to turn your collective attention to the pairing taking on the Bryans in their opening match. Well looky looky here! Spookeeeeeey. Except this makes his choice to not play last weeks Davis Cup tie all the more bewildering - could he not have got some doubles practice in there (and silenced the critics), if that is what he's after? I almost don't care - I just want a ticket to that match.
Now take a look at the pairing (marked number 3 in your lecture notes) they are set to meet if they conquer the Bryans. The stewards will be handing out sponges if you need to wipe some of that foam off your mouths - please take them from the one closest to your end of the lecture theatre. I want a ticket for that one too.
But it doesn't stop there - Verdasco and Lopez, Stepanek and Llodra, Berdych and Kiefer, (Andy) Murray and Ross Hutchins, Simon and Chardy, Monfils and Zverev, Gasquet and Wawrinka, Gonzales and Robredo, Tsonga and Ancic, Roddick and Fish, Del-Potro and Nalbandian!??
Some observations - Gonzales and Robredo (a contrast of sorts), Tsonga and Ancic (top volleyers both of them), Roddick and Fish (won't be pretty but when was the last time that happened?) and my personal favourite Del-Potro and Nalbandian (I sense a storm brewing - weren't these two supposed to hate one another?).
What is going on with the world!? This is the portion of the tennis calendar I'm meant to be able to cursorily dismiss. 'Not star-studded enough' - I think, is the argument I usually use.
Think the top seeds are feeling a little upstaged?
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