Doha

Just checked out the Doha site and Seb has to play a qualifyer in the first round. Am really curious how he will do, and I think he has a good draw.

he's got a pretty easy quarter but if he reaches the semis will probalby play Schuettler but he's never done well in the lead up tournaments so i think it'd be happy if he even reaches the semis and gets a few wins down

yeah me too. I don't think it would be easy for him.. We'll see, but his draw is very good indeed!!

---> http://funkychicken.hyperboards.com/index.cgi

hmm looks like Seb doesn't play today - not singles anyway. And he's playing doubles as well (but no fortunate draw)! Hope to see him tomorrow.
And let's be positive, Esther - our positive vibes must surely help him to win!! He didn't do well in the beginning of season last year? Then it's about time he will do great now.

ALLEZ SEB!!

At last,tennis on Eurosport!I hope they show Seb's matches :rolleyes: ,but we'll have to wait and see :p

Oh just saw that he's playing doubles today - but that won't be on Eurosport for sure.

Don't take any notice of Eurosport's tv listings.They've started showing it about 2 hours earlier than listed :eek: And I almost missed the Marat Safin 'interview';suppose I'll have to just leave Eurosport on all the time this week ;)

Oh man!!!! Thanks for the warning/tip, Alison.

You're welcome Wilma :)

When does Seb play his first match?I saw he was playing Markus Hantschk(?),who is he?

a german player. already checked him out on the atp site; seb and he never played each other. Hantschk is nr 200 or sth but maybe he's been injured for he hardly played last year.

Seb's match starts at 3 pm Qatar time. That will be 1 pm CET - 12 for you, Alison (? am not sure).

Seb and Nico

http://eur.news1.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/xp/afp_photo/20040105/sge.tif23.050104201503.photo00.default-312x384.jpg

:)

Talk about difference of height! But I've always liked small guys and he looks ever so cute on the pic! Now I just hope he will have a great start on year 2004 and win a few matches, maybe even the title in Doha???

Hurrah! Eurosport did show the right match! My arms are still high in the air...what a reunion! To finally see my adored Frenchman - and he wore a RED SHIRT - after such a long, dead, dreary wait all winter!!! It was sheer bliss. Especially as he won, though I must say I got a little nervous at 3-3 in the second set. Unfortunately I didn't see the first set as Eurosport, the big fat farts, decided to overlook their own programming and start transmitting way before 19.30!!! What is the meaning of this? I fail to understand why it should be so difficult to broadcast at the announced time...
But Grosjean looked so great! All fit and dark and sweaty - and he's sex-on-legs in red! Yes, I'm hooked all over again! I love tennis. I love Grosjean. I hereby pledge him my undying devotion for the rest of my life!

wahooo ! lol
It's exactly what I feel when I see my boys playing a good match...what a fantastic sport, tennis !

OMMGGG I was soooooooo dissapionted this morning, I was soo happy they showed Doha on tv and soo more thrilled that Seb was going to play Doha, and volleyball was onnn come ON!! :banghead:.. So I thought they weren't going to show it (as always).. And around 5pm I saw they were gonna air it.. I'm still a little disapionted cause I wanted to see it live..

For me I think it's for the way Seb plays. Not so much for the way he looks, he's to old for me anyway :lol: kiddin.. It was amazing how he played, eventhough he had a though time at the end, he really showed what I like so much about him. His jumps, and his soooo crazy good forehand.. And his serve was pretty amazing from what I saw, but yeah Ulla it was to bad they didn't show the first set.

Ulla did you see his shoes?? They were nice weren't they.. I think he should grow his hair. Under the cap I don't think it looks very good, he looks so young then.. And he was really dark hehe. looks good on him (I do like him for his looks btw, but the way he plays is more important for me).. But I'm really happy he won.. Schuettler is out, that great news I heard today (I'm slack, have so many things to do, but make time to see my favourite player)..

oh lucky people who got to see him!
LIzanne so did u end up seeing the whole match?

Lizan, Ulla, am I right in thinking that you saw more than the meagre 25 minutes I saw HIM? But what a 25 minutes it were!!! And a couple of those points were really amazing (e.g. the two smashes he saved - the second of which landed him in the boarding - and then went on to make the point!!!!!!!! AAaaaaaaaaaaaaaah). Commentator was also full of praise.
Didn't like the red shoes, though, but who cares if he plays the way he did yesterday? And he really ought to let his hair grow again.
And did you see those adorable little ball boys with the huge shorts? (taped the match, so third time round I was able to pay attention to other things than just Grosjean).
Hope we see some more of him this week, but today Eurosport won't broadcast any tennis at all. I quite like volleyball, but honestly, they should get their priorities right. Am going to send them an email today to complain (like Alison did).
Anyway, still fully support my previous prediction: Seb will win this tournament!!!! (if he keeps playing like he did yesterday, that is)

ALLEZ SEB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I couldn't believe it when he landed on the advertising board!He just laughed,got up and went on to play a winner!Brilliant! :D

The commentator said that it looked like Seb had his annual haircut :eek: The cheeky sod! :p

He did look good though ;)

*jealous*

http://eur.news1.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/xp/afp_photo/20040107/sge.twv25.070104145650.photo00.default-384x273.jpg[img]

[img]http://eur.news1.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/xp/afp_photo/20040107/sge.txq97.070104161001.photo00.default-384x256.jpg

http://eur.news1.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/xp/afp_photo/20040107/sge.txw13.070104162703.photo00.default-384x256.jpg

What??? No tennis today? And I just read the good news: Grosjean advanced - and Roddick lost! It's getting better and better. Thanks, Marine, for the pix. What are they looking at on the second pic, do you know? Grosjean just gets better looking for every time I see him. Make no mistake about it: I certainly appreciate his cute smile and soft voice, but more than anything I just love the way he plays! He moves so well on court and is really fast and athletic, and I like the way he obviously uses his head when playing. I mean, the guy's intelligent.
Now I just want him to outplay every opponent and get that first title of the year...
Wouldn't it be a great way to launch 2004?

yeah absolutely.. I really hope he can do that this year. I was really happy the way he played yesterday, it seemed like he moved well.. Wilma we saw the same hehe, they only showed a part of the second set (at 3-3).. You didn't like the red shoes? I did gheghe..
Now he has to play Soderling or Ljubicic.. Depends of the results..

http://eur.news1.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/xp/afp_photo/20040107/sge.txx79.070104163148.photo00.default-384x256.jpg

does anyone know how seb & nico did in doubles?

they won

And Grosjean plays Ljubicic in the QF. Could go either way, I'm afraid. But he does seem to be in form right now and if only he could keep up...
Oh, they just showed the last half of the second set. Explains a lot. I thought I had missed out on most of the entire match and I was really upset and pretty angry at Eurosport!
Uhm, no, didn't like the shoes much...but at the end of the day I just think he looks good in everything! Isn't he just a cutie on the latest pic sent by Marine?
I find it annoying, but Eurosport will show the QF between Escudé and Lee - WHAT? Grosjean snubbed again! Now he really has to make it to the SF or I won't have seen much of him this week in Doha!

What? No Grosjean? Today they will broadcast an hour, and I don't care how much Escudé deserves to be on tv, it's just not fair that he should get one hour and Seb only 25 minutes!!!!
And you are right, Ulla, Seb looks great in anything, so also the red shoes (own a few pairs of red shoes myself, so why shouldn't he?). And yes he looks great in Marine's pictures.
As for the hair: Kelly from the Sebastienmania site pointed out to me that he won each of his tournaments when his hair was short. Hmm.
I hope the Qatar site will stay in the air for once this afternoon.

Eurosport are aparently showing Henman's match live at 3(GMT),original plan was to show 'live' at 5(also GMT)

Eurosport just wears me out! What's the point of changing the programming every ten seconds?

And the Qatar scoreboard is gone again, just as Seb's match starts *sigh*.
And Nico is through to the semis!!!!

:bigcry:

séb lost.......3/6 7/5 4/6

:sad: Grosjean didn't win his first title of 2004, he lost to Ljubicic!
I know I'm repeating myself, but am I the only one who thinks he lost the QF more becoz of his mental state of mind than becoz of the actual way he played? I mean, his first service percentage looked all right to me and he didn't really play badly. Ljubicic just played better at the crucial moments. And I really had the feeling that Grosjean only ever got really agressive and in attacking mood whenever he was under quite a lot of pressure. I don't know how to explain it. Sometimes he really looked like just caving in. Does he lack the kind of ferocious ambition that annoying blokes like Roddick seem to have in spades, or am I just reading the signs in the wrong way???
Oh, God, I really want him to win something this year! Any tiny little tournament will do. :( Arrgghh!!! I'm so pissed off at Ljubicic right now! How dare the man play great tennis when he's facing Grosjean in an important QF???
But, hey, at least I got to see my favourite Frenchie for a bit more than just lousy 10 minutes...
Every bit as gorgeous as ever!! :drool: :kiss:

Oh, and what's this rubbish about him winning if his hair is short???
Correct me if I'm wrong, but his hair is rather short just now, isn't it, or should it be even shorter to make the prophesy come true???
No, no, I'm not idiotically upset and behaving like a lunatic fan just becoz Grosjean LOST...

well, excusez moi ulla. :scared: okay, was stupid superstitious nonsense. but i want him to win so badly and i grab hold of each little hopeful sign pointing in that direction ....

once again the eurosport people had changed their programming: switched on the tv at 6.25 pm just to see the last game in which grosjean was hopeless!!! you are right, ulla, he just gives up it seems. like he's afraid to win matches that really matter. *sigh*

Maybe you can speak to him about it, esther, when you see him next week!!!

and he lost in doubles as well :sad:

Sometimes he really looked like just caving in. Does he lack the kind of ferocious ambition that annoying blokes like Roddick seem to have in spades, or am I just reading the signs in the wrong way???

Ulla,I totally agree with you.Let's hope he gets back into it very soon.In the meantime I like to give him a big hug :hug: ;)

about losing coz he's not focused properly mentally as oppose to a bit rusty tennis-wise...this is his first tournament of the year! give him a break, of course it'd be hard after having so much time off! He said that in his other interview how he just needs a bit of time to get used to it and get his concentration level back up so hopefully it'll be ok by aus open. dont worry, last year he got to the quarters of ao and didnt do great during lead up tournaments and i think the same in 2001? so i dont think u need to stress!! (hope i havent spoken too soon! :S )

but yes i will threaten him when i see him next week and maybe that will get him motivated!! ;)

yes i will threaten him when i see him next week and maybe that will get him motivated!!

*jealous* ;)

Don't forget to take your camera,and get loads of pictures for us........please :D

Oh, Esther, you lucky dog! How I envy you! You get to see him, in person, live! With no Eurosport to change the programming or cut down the highlights to 25 minutes...
And of course I know I'm being a bit unreasonable. It's his first tournament of the year after a very long break - and I assure you I think making it to the QF in Doha is just dandy! But I just so wanted him to excel and show the rest of the world that he belongs in the top 10 and that he's a serious competitor for the number one spot!
Only I sometimes believe that he lacks the egotistical and singleminded ambition of a Roddick. Wich is good in terms of being a human being. Grosjean is so much more attractive as a person becoz of that, but maybe it's a flaw when we talk about tennis?
But yes, go on, put pressure on the man! Emotional blackmail from the fans! Maybe that will do the trick? Take loads and loads of pix and have fun!

haha dont worry i'll take heaps of photos...just hope they turn out good!! it's going to be 26 degrees and sunny that day so it should be good! :D it's been pretty average weather this week but it looks like its hotting up towrads the end of the week so i hope it stays like that for the next few weeks!!

hehe thanks ulla. They are broadcasting both Adidas and Kooyong next week so i'm not going to know whether they will show seb at all, but they usually show i think 2 of the matches. it's pretty stupid coz usualy there are 3 matches (cept for wednesday when theres 4), and theres 2 hours dedicated to Kooyong at 10:30pm every night kooyong is on, but instead of showing the 3rd match, they repeat what they showed earlier that day! so annoying. I know Seb wont be a priority on their schedule but we'll see

I know Seb wont be a priority on their schedule but we'll see

I know, the rest of the world is just SOOO DAMN STUPID not to realise that he ought to be the centre of attention...!

:D :worship:

I KNOW!!!!!!
lol ;)