I don't normally share this kind of thing, but I was zero-drafting about the experience of watching Manic Monday as it was happening, and then Nadal-Muller turned out to be the amazing match that it was, so what follows is more or less my notes on the experience. If/when I write more about Manic Monday (both what happened on-court, and my experience with watching), these notes will guide that writing.
10:32am MDT, 5:32pm in London: Federer-Dimitrov 3-3 on Centre. Nadal down two sets but up a break, 5-3, in the third on Court 1. Zverev up a set and serving 5-6 on Court No.2. Thiem and Berdych on serve early in the fourth, Berdych up two sets to one. You tell me: what should I be watching?
11:00am MDT. I expected Zverev-Raonic to go to a tiebreak, but no, somehow Sasha got broken, so now we're even at one set apiece. Federer won the first set in his match without facing a break, and we're on serve early in the second. Nadal has just gone up a break in the fourth--are we going five? And Thiem has just gone into a fifth set, so I'm watching that one. And in his first service game of the set, Thiem gets broken. By 11:01am, Thiem has gotten broken. Now does Berdych fly the rest of the way, holding his serve easily game after game?
11:08am. Roger's gotten the break, and is holding his service games with the momentum of a freight train. Zverev has gone up a break against Raonic and is serving up 4-3. Nadal is serving to consolidate. And by 11:10am, Berdych has held again, now up 4-1. Is this one over? Should I be watching Raonic-Zverev? (At the same time, Roger has just broken Dimitrov a second time and will be serving for the set on Centre.)
11:15am. Berdych up 4-2 30-0 and serving out of his mind. Thiem just can't get a toe-hold in a Berdych service game right now.
11:17am. Game, Berdych. No sense watching Thiem's service game. Let's go over to Raonic-Zverev. Oops, Zverev about to serve for the set at 5-4, we're on a changeover. Over to Nadal, just in time to see him hold serve at love to take things to the fifth set.
11:19am. Think about this. My favorite player in the world [Federer] is playing, and he's cruising so comfortably that I'm watching three matches ahead of it.
11:21am. An ace at 40-30 gives Zverev the third set, 6-4. Over to Thiem-Berdych, where Thiem has held. I see him force an error to go to 15-15, then fail to return to make it 30-15. A serve-and-one forces an error from Thiem, and it's match point. And Berdych finishes with an ace out wide. 6-3 6-7(1) 6-3 3-6 6-3.
11:29am. I predicted Rafa would win comfortably. ESPN just showed a graphic that showed that Rafa has three times in his career come back from two-sets-to-love down. The last time was at Wimbledon back in 2007. 1-1 here, Muller next to serve.
11:41am. Muller holds, 3-2 on serve. I switch over to Federer-Dimitrov for the first time in 45 minutes, and see Federer down 15-40. I was expecting to see this match basically over. Federer saves two break points but faces a third in the first deuce and Dimitrov breaks. 4-4 on serve in the third. I check the score for Raonic-Zverev: we're on serve 3-3.
11:46am. A point on Dimitrov's serve. Federer is running back and forth, Dimitrov totally in control of the point, but then puts a routine backhand into the net. 15-40.
11:47am. Dimitrov saves one break point with a serve-and-one, puts a forehand long in the second despite a good serve and a so-so return. 5-4 Federer, serving for the match.
11:49am. Still on serve in Nadal-Muller. Nadal up next serving at 3-4.
11:50am. Federer holds at 15. 6-4 6-2 6-4.
11:55am. Muller holds again. Nadal will be serving at 4-5. Both men have been holding comfortably. Meanwhile, something is happening at Raonic-Zverev, but I'm not leaving here.
11:58am. Muller takes advantage of a ball that bounces high off the net cord to rip a shot down the line to Nadal's forehand. Nadal's whip forehand lands in the net. 0-30.
12:00pm. Holy shit, Nadal double faults. Double match point.
12:00pm. Ace up the T. 30-40.
12:01pm. Wide serve to the forehand, Muller puts it into the net. Deuce.
12:02pm. Wide serve to the backhand, Muller goes crosscourt, wide. Ad-in.
12:02pm. Serve up the T, ace. The crowd erupts. 5-5 on serve.
12:03pm. The level on display here is just ridiculous.
12:04pm. Great serving by Muller. He holds at love, finishing the game with a serve and drop-half-volley.
12:10pm. After the changeover, Nadal holds at 30. 6-6. No tiebreak. Wheee!
12:11pm. I hope someone I know is somewhere watching this. I'd text everyone I know, but you know. Holy crap this is good.
12:14pm. At 40-30, Rafa returning from way back, Muller tries a first-ball dropshot--and plays it into the net. Deuce.
12:15pm. Muller second serve down the T, Nadal whips it long. Ad-in.
12:15pm. Wide serve, goes for the forehand and-one, into the net, deuce.
12:16pm. Serve down the T, return comes short, Muller pulls his reply wide. Ad-out.
12:16pm. Ace up the T. Deuce
12:17pm. Muller. Serve and volley, a couple of tough backhand volleys, the first behind Nadal, the second for a winner.
12:17pm. Another serve up the T, Nadal gets only his frame on it. 7-6.
12:19pm. Nadal puts an inside-out forehand from well inside the court into the net. 0-15.
12:21pm. Ace up the T. 30-15.
12:21pm. Because of the magic of the DVR, when this is over I'm going to go back in time and watch Zverev-Raonic, whatever is happening over there. Also, Muller pounces on a second serve, takes a weak response from Nadal and blasts a forehand down the line, 30-30.
12:22pm. Nadal serve-and-overhead, 40-30.
12:22pm. Serve up the T, return goes long. 7-7.
12:26pm. Muller, serving with new balls, holds at 30.
12:29pm. It strikes me as almost insane to say this, but I think Muller is holding more easily. Once again, Nadal lose the first point to go down love-15. But Muller can't return the serve and it's 15-all.
12:31pm. Game, Nadal. Relatively straightforward. 8-8.
12:31pm. Muller, unreturned serve. 15-0.
12:32pm. 2nd serve wide, Muller takes the return short and plays his crosscourt forehand back behind Nadal. 30-0.
12:32pm. Oof. Double-fault. 30-15.
12:33pm. Nadal takes a second serve, returns backhand to backhand, Muller goes long. 30-30.
12:34pm. Nice serve, Nadal's backhand into net. 40-30.
12:34pm. Second serve. A Muller forehand, well wide. Legs getting tired? Deuce.
12:35pm. Serve and volley, then ace. 9-8 Muller.
12:37pm. Great point, Nadal wins with a dropshot from the service line.
12:38pm. Ace. 30-0.
12:39pm. Holy crap, I've got to stop writing down every point. It's just too much.
12:39pm. Nadal holds at 15. 9-9.
12:40pm. Actually, I hope every single person I know is watching this.
12:43pm. From 40-15 up, Muller plays three tight points in a row, and it's break point. Holy shit.
12:44pm. I think Nadal has it, taking a backhand well inside the court crosscourt, but Muller pushes his backhand down the line for a winner passing shot. Deuce.
12:44pm. Serve and volley, Nadal's return pops up, Muller lets it go, it hits the line. Ad-out.
12:45pm. Serve out wide, then drop half-volley (sort of--too deep). I think Nadal has the backhand passing shot lined up, but it goes long. Deuce.
12:45pm. Serve up the T, Nadal returns short, easy forehand for Muller about halfway to the service line--and he hits the tape and it drops on his side. Ad-out.
12:46pm. Nadal hits a crosscourt forehand a little tight and long, deuce.
12:46pm. Absolutely ridiculous. Muller serves up the T with good spin, Nadal puts it high and not very strong, Muller volleys to the forehand side from the T, Nadal gets there and whips his shot down the line around Muller for the winner. Curved it in. Ad-out.
12:47pm. Second serve. Called long, then overruled. Holy shit. Nadal challenges. But on the line. Muller gets a first serve. Nadal's final challenge, also, by the way.
12:47pm. Muller first serve up the T, hits the line, ace.
12:48pm. Muller kick serves to the backhand, gets the short ball, blasts his and-one crosscourt for a clean winner. Ad-in.
12:49pm. Another serve up the T, ace, game. 9-10. That's four break-points saved, for those of you keeping score at home.
12:52pm. A great point by Muller, drop shot and then lob to the backhand, Nadal's backhand overhead goes wide. Love-30.
12:53pm. Serve and one, 15-30.
12:54pm. Good defense from Muller, but Rafa is just too good. Inside out forehand for a clean winner. 30-30.
12:55pm. MATCH POINT MULLER.
12:56pm. Nadal saves, an incredible point.
12:56pm. Serve and inside-out forehand for a winner, ad-in.
12:57pm. Great reach by Muller to just get a forehand volley, hits the line, puts it away on his next shot. Deuce.
12:58pm. Too good. Match point #2.
12:59pm. Mishit return. Deuce.
12:59pm. Muller has the opening, goes for the forehand dropshot, hits the net. Ad-in.
1:00pm. Holy fucking shit. Serve-and-one from Nadal forehand, Muller slices a backhand down the line, Nadal reaches for it and plays the half-volley at an impossible angle. Muller wouldn't have gotten there if he could teleport. 10-10.
1:02pm. Straightforward hold for Muller. 10-11.
1:07pm. Nadal hit forehands into the net on the first two points. They rally, Nadal looking a bit tired--but Muller pulls the trigger on a backhand dropper that goes well wide. 15-30. Then a serve up the T forces a long return. 30-30. Oops. Doubtless ruing the chance squandered with that attempted dropshot. Serve and i-o forehand gets Muller to hit into the net. 40-30. Serve and mishit return, game. 11-11.
1:10pm. Serve and volley, low backhand into the net. 0-15.
1:10pm. Serve and one, forehand down the line. 15-15.
1:11pm. Weird forehand slice from Muller goes wide. 15-30.
1:11pm. Rafa has shot at a second serve, into the net. 30-30.
1:12pm. Actually, I hope everyone in the country, plus everyone in Spain, Luxembourg, and England, is watching this.
1:12pm. Muller escapes at 30. New balls after the changeover.
1:16pm. For lunch, I just had: pretzels.
1:17pm. 12-12.
1:18pm. The crowd needs to blow off some steam, does the wave. Hooray!
1:20pm. Hold at love for Muller. 12-13.
1:24pm. Hold at love for Nadal. 13-13.
1:27pm. Muller holds at 15. 13-14. Seems that Muller is taking advantage of Nadal's extreme depth on the service return to come to net again and again for easy putaways and short points.
1:30pm. Muller gets up to net, puts away a volley winner to go up love-30.
1:32pm. After a Muller unforced makes it 15-30, Muller gets to see a second serve, Rafa mishits, and it's double match point.
1:32pm. Rafa serves up the T, but Muller appears to be looking for it, he's moving before the ball is hit. Deep return down the middle to the forehand. Nadal plays it short-ish up the middle, Muller is stepping in and hits his forehand inside out, and now he's on the attack. Nadal's backhand is relatively short to the middle, Muller whips a forehand crosscourt, Nadal, deep, hits a forehand, and it sails a little long. Game, set, match, 6-3 6-4 3-6 4-6 15-13. HOLY SHIT WHAT A MATCH.
1:39pm. I try to go back in time to see what the hell happened with Zverev, who was up 40-15 in that last service game in the fourth set and somehow lost the game and the set. But I buffered with the DVR rather than recording, and the buffer is only--"only"--an hour-and-a-half long. I just barely missed seeing the critical points, and you know what? Fine. I watched enough tennis today.
Holy shit what a match that was.