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[Aileen]

Has this apparent rift shattered the Rafa/Federer love in? i suspect in the short term it will but in the long term i suspect not, both Rafa and Federer have too much to lose to allow this spat to fester. By the summer it will be yesterdays news and we'll not remember much about this. None the less its a very interesting development in mens tennis. I'm left wondering if other male players on the tour feel as Rafa does, and will they now speak out also?

PT!  Long time no see so long time missed!

Re that paragraph, I came across Federer's response in an interview on the ESPN website -

"Things are fine between us, you know. I have no hard feelings towards him. It's been a difficult last few months in terms of politics within the ATP.
 
Nadal has mentioned many times how he gets a bit tired and frustrated through the whole process, and I shared that with him. It's normal. But for me, obviously nothing changes in terms of our relationship. I'm completely cool and relaxed about it."

So presumably after he'd smashed up the settee and kicked the cat, everything is now all sweetness and light?  I'm afraid that, to me, it just shows up Federer's usual arrogance.  I gather that the next players' meeting is to be at Indian Wells, so we'll perhaps hear a little more about it then, and whether or not Rafa's comments have encouraged more of the other top players to speak out.  I won't be holding my breath though waiting for the GOAT to take any kind of lead, although really why should he?  He's no longer No.1 and possibly never will be again.  Never mind his 16 Slams, his day is past and, no disrespect to Andy or Djokovic, I feel that Nadal would be better taking the lead now.

[IonaRed]

From the same blog.....

And In Muzza News...
I’ll finish with a trip back to old England, where the tabs await Andy Murray’s first-round match with American Ryan Harrison. Not surprisingly, the hot-headed Harrison has been transformed by the papers into something approaching a lunatic raised by wolves.

The Daily Mail sets the tone nicely:

MURRAY EMBARKS ON ANOTHER GRAND SLAM QUEST WITH LENDL IN HIS CORNER. AND A CHALLENGE TO TAME THE . . . WILD CHILD!

I linked to the Sun’s headline yesterday, but I’ll do it again, just for fun: “Andy Murray is ready to get right up fiery American Ryan Harrison’s nose.”

The Sun goes on with this nugget of news: “Harrison has a wild reputation and has been known to go bonkers at himself and the umpires.”

Murray knows this, and has apparently planned accordingly: “I’ll try and make him lose his temper early,” Murray said.

What is he going to do, I wonder? Say something about his mother on a changeover? We’ll find out in Hisense in a few hours.