Commentary Comment of the Week

"The French, what can you say? The All Blacks, what can you say?"
Rugby World Cup Final, 2011

Ray-ray reaches no. 3 spot

Andy Murray has moved up to number 3 in the world rankings with a victory today over Ferrer at the Shanghai Masters.


Ray-ray fought his way to a 7-5 6-4 win against the Spaniard who pushed Murray all the way in the first but after an early break in the second couldn't keep up with the Scots ever more impressive quality. 


Murray is not guaranteed to finish the year in 3rd - his highest year-end ranking - but if he continues with this form I don't see The Fed coming back from injury and fatigue and claiming his place back. It's the first time Fed has been out of the top 3 since before his first Grand Slam win at Wimbledon 2003. That is an incredible run.


Of the top four, Ray-ray is definitely the on form player right now and the O2 Finals will be the perfect place to step up and prove to the world that he can beat the top players (Djoko, GoNads and The Fed) on the big stages.


Bring on November. 


In RUGBY the All Blacks put on a brilliant display to crush Australia and advance to the World Cup finals. They won 20-6 and were a class above the Aussies throughout. They move a step closer to ending their 24 year wait to be World Champions.


In FOOTBALL Arsenal have finally won a game. They beat Sunderland 2-1 today thanks to a couple of beautiful goals from Robin Van Persie.


I'll keep you blogged...

Rugby Semi Final - Wales/France

Absolute heart ache for Wales as they lose by one point to a stubborn but largely lifeless French side - 9-8.

The major talking point of the game, and perhaps the World Cup so far, was Sam Warburton's sending off in the first quarter of the match. His tackle on winger Vincent Clerc - whom he lifted off the ground but let go of in mid-air to prevent slamming him to the ground - in the 18th minute was considered dangerous and referee Alain Rolland had no hesitation in pulling out the red card. Commentators, pundits, players and the crowd were left stunned as Warburton walked calmly to the bench to watch the rest of game in agonising separation. 

France's Parra's three penalty kicks were, in the end, enough to see them to the final but Wales's creative play, heart and stubborn resistance pushed them all the way to the final whistle. They missed four vital kicks - three penalties and one a conversion, two of which that would have almost certainly won the game for them. 

As he did against Ireland, Phillips grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck when he found a gap through the two French locks and scored a great try to take the score to 9-8 (to France), however Jones then missed the conversion to take Wales into the lead. It was an agonisingly close kick that hit the left post.

Six minutes from the final whistle Wales were given a chance again when prop Nicolas Mas strayed offside. The kick was a huge straight punt from the halfway line and out of Stephen Jones's range so Halfpenny stepped up. His kick had the direction but dropped heartbreakingly short of the goal bar and despite a last charge to the try line that consisted of 26 phases, Wales's fate was sealed.

Elsewhere, Lewis Hamilton has pipped Vettel to pole in Korea. Murray-ray is still drinking the delights of Asia and has moved into the semis of the Shanghai Masters. England have lost the first of a five-match One Day series in India by 126 runs. 

I'll keep you blogged...

 

   

Ray-ray rampage in Asia

Murray-ray is romping his way through the Asian part of the tour. He won last week's Thailand Open and yesterday beat GoNads in three excellent sets of tennis to clinch the Japan Open.


Nadal won the first 6-3 and Ray-ray's misfiring serve did not spell out a happy ending for the Scot. However, he found his range in the second set, taking it 6-2 with some great play. The quality was only going to get better as Ray-ray broke GoNads three times in the third to take the set 6-0 and his first win against the Spaniard in six matches, including semi-final defeats at the French and Wimbledon. 


He's set himself a target to finish the year as world number 3 (in doing so shoving The mighty Fed down to fourth) and is doing a damn convincing job of getting there. If he can take this form into the end-of-year tournament at the O2 he will be a very real threat. Djoko, GoNads and Fed, watch out!


I'll keep you blogged...