Thought Dump 4/17 : Monte Carlo, Fed Cup

• When Rafa failed to serve out the match in the second set the Tennis Channel commentators seemed to fall back on the "here we go again he is lacking confidence". It could totally be seen as that since he had a point to go up 4-love earlier in the set. Then Rafa started the game to stay in the set with a double fault before saving a set point he ended up losing the set he once lead by a double break. It would have been great for the match to have been shorter and such. How Rafa started the third set with a break and then digging out of several 0-30 service game deficits and saving a break point. Which do you think would build confidence better closing a match out simply or falling behind and then coming back to close it out how you intended to in the first place. 
• The past two matches seem like Rafa is channeling his inner Claypova with the epic struggles.
• Narrative would say that who ever wins tomorrows Rafa/Novak match would be the "early favorite" for Roland Garros but it won't. 
• Rafa is still building up his confidence. Novak seems unstoppable. This makes me seem like Rafa has "less" to lose than Novak. 
• Twitter is a important part of my tennis viewing experience. Yet this morning I found myself watching from Monte Carlo without also following along on twitter. Usually this happens during early clay season when there is not much to follow such as Charleston or Monte Carlo. It is refreshing to watch a match without the white noise that twitter sometimes becomes when there is only one or two matches happening at the given time. 
• I have been looking forward to this Fed Cup weekend since the match ups have been set. 
• Kivitova/Mladenovic has the ability to be a great match between two hard hitters. There is the question mark of if Petra will be rusty after the time she has taken off or if it will have refreshed her. Petra will also have the home Fed Cup crowd which she is known to thrive in front of and that did not phase Kiki in Italy. Hopefully this is a good kick off for Petra as she heads into her most succcesful part of the season that has just been expanded. 
• Germany/Russia
• Captian Rittner has thrown a curve ball by not calling on Petkovic or newly crowned Charleston champion Kerber in Sochi. Instead the match ups for the first day will be Goreges/Kuznetsova and Pavlyuchenkova Lisicki. These two matches could be glorious examples of hard hitting clay court tennis or beautiful disasters and a two rubbers to zero lead for either team would not suprise me. Most likely is a 1-1 tie going into Sunday with  all to play for. 
• Aga vs Hingis in SINGLES. Also Bacinszky returns for her first match since losing to Serena in Indian Wells in the Poland/Switzerland World Group Playoff. 
• Serena vs Camila Giorgi. On Clay. In Italy. 
• Laura hitting forehands!

  Happy Friday 👀 ps It's a sweatband (not tape) on my wrist.

  A video posted by Laura Robson (@laurarobson5) on Apr 17, 2015 at 8:15am PDT

Fed Cup Fun!

It's time for the first Fed Cup action of the year and the ladies look to be enjoying it. While the bulk of the action takes place this weekend but Great Britain is already off to a winning start in Europe/Africa Group 1. 

Laura Robson, Heather Watson & Judy Murray during doubles against Portugal.

Team GB answer twitter questions. 

Venus is part of the team that will take on Belarus in World Group II action.

Sam Stosur is all smiles in Switzerland for Australia's World Group II tie. 

Germany take on the defending champion Czech Republic in Stuttgart. (On Indoor hard, why did you pick this surface. To crush my dreams.)

Petra is also really good at footie tennis indoors. 

Of course you would Liezel. Serena on the other hand looks disappointed she doesn't have an Eli jersey.  

Maria Sharapova is in Russia to play the World Group tie against Spain in Moscow.