After 68:70 in the final set...

[la_marquise]

I just looked up what became of Nicolas Mahut's doubles match, that he had to go and play after the 11 hour 5 minute epic, because I'd been wondering.
He and his partner (Arnaud Clement) were knocked out by British pair Fleming and Skupski. But...
It was four sets. The first and fourth went to tie breaks. Mahut and Clement took the 3rd 6:3.
It's official. Nicolas Mahut: Toughest Player Ever.

This is brought to you by the Francophile tennis cheering squad. (I blame Thierry Champion and Henri Leconte.)

Joyain in Living With Ghosts was inspired by Thierry Champion, who looks like one of those wonderful stern warrior effigies. (There's a good picture of him here: http://zefts.free.fr/joueurs/H2.htm)

Comments

[aberwyn.livejournal.com]

Whereas Isner withdrew from his doubles and lost his third-round match. Because he couldn't turn his head, it must be said, from muscle strain. :-) Hard to play tennis when you can't turn your head.

[maryosmanski.livejournal.com]

Watching Isner's singles match yesterday morning (EDT), I couldn't help thinking it was sadistic to force him out there the very next day--and as one of the first matches of the day to boot--to play the next singles round. Some of the American commentators noted that he was playing with taped toes because the skin on his toes had worn off.

Isner went home today. Querrey, his doubles partner, is still in the men's singles competition. He won today in a fifth set that went to 9-7 (which doesn't seem like such a long match now, does it?).

I hope both Mahut and Isner do well in the future and can be in the books for something more than just their 11-hour match.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Indeed. Poor guy. I hope he recovers without any permanent injury, as he's an interesting player.

[maryosmanski.livejournal.com]

::looking at the link you provided::

Raoux [rhymes with "ow"] and Roux [pronounced "roo"], right?

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

I think so, yes.

[klwilliams.livejournal.com]

Yummy site.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Indeed, though I'd add in Cedric Pioline and Arnaud Clement!

[zaan.livejournal.com]

I think I like Joyain even more now I know how you envisaged him.. :) Any more pix of how you saw your characters?

Funnily enough I am reading "Living with Ghosts" again and finding some wonderful little twists and threads and things I missed on my first gulping read of the actual book.

Did I tell you this is in my set of "Keeper - I will read and re-read it numerous times" books? I just know on each reading I will find something new. :)

What did intrigue me, cos I got diverted by a still crashing PC and exams, and didn't finish Grass Kings yet, was the mention in Ghosts of Marcellan's books... OOhh I gotta go back to Grass Kings now.. :)

I just love your writing, love! *hugs*

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

I am proud to be in your 'keeper' collection. (The Shola books are among my favourite rereads.)
Joyain is the only one who started with a face, though I see Miraude as something like the British actress Jane March but shorter and curvier.

[anef.livejournal.com]

Oh, he looks like a medieval knight.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Doesn't he, though? It's almost a Norman face. even though he's from Languedoc-Roussillon. I'd love to know where his family came from.