Rafa made tennis history last year by winning the title at Monte Carlo eight times in a row. It would be quite a feat for him to win it this year again. Tennis sites and “experts” have been buzzing about the possibility. In honor of Rafa’s attempt at a record-setting ninth straight title, I have prepared a short (9 questions) quiz. All of the answers can be found somewhere on VB. Let's see how much you know about Rafa, Vamos Brigade and your fellow VBers.


1.   Not counting this year, how many times has Rafa played singles in the ATP Masters tournament at Monte Carlo?
      a.   Nine
      b.   Eight
      c.   Ten
      d.   Eleven

The correct answer can be found in the Results section.


2.   Over the years, how many singles matches has Rafa won at Monte Carlo?
      a.   59
      b.   48
      c.   45
      d.   40

The correct answer can be found in the Results section.


3.   Over the years, how many singles matches has Rafa lost at Monte Carlo?
      a.   Two
      b.   None
      c.   One
      d.   Three

Again, the correct answer can be found in the Results section of the site. Click here to find the answer.


4.   Over the years, how many sets has Rafa lost at Monte Carlo?
      a.   Eight
      b.   One
      c.   Five
      d.   Two

Again, the correct answer can be found in the Results section of the site.


5.   How many times did Rafa win the title without dropping a set on the way?
      a.   Once
      b.   Seven
      c.   Twice
      d.   Four

The correct answer can be found in the Results section of the site.


6.   When and with whom did Rafa win his first doubles trophy at Monte Carlo?


      a.   2010 partnered with Marc Lopez
      b.   2008 partnered with Tommy Robredo
      c.   2005 partnered with Tomu Salva
      d.   2007 partnered with Feliciano Lopez

The correct answer can be found in the Results section of the site. Click here for the correct year and to find his partner.


7.   What is the earliest Monte Carlo blog by MAC that VB has in its archives?
      a.   2006 – the year VB was “born”
      b.   2005 – from MAC’s personal journals
      c.   2008 – the year of the standard-setting classic
      d.  Never – this is a trick question as MAC has never written her own blog from Monte Carlo

The correct answer is in the Fan Experiences section of the site. Click here to find it.


8.   At which Monte Carlo match did Rafa walk onto court without his wristbands and put them on during his pre-match routine?


      a.   2012 Quarterfinal vs. Stanislas Wawrinka
      b.   2009 Semifinal vs. Andy Murray
      c.   2011 Third Round vs. Richard Gasquet
      d.   2010 Second Round vs. Thiemo de Bakker

The correct answer is in the Fan Experiences section of the site. Click here to see if you are right.


9.   What is the unique feature of the Monte Carlo Country Club grounds that MAC identified and named?
      a.   The “toodle loo”
      b.   The “tripping stone”
      c.   The “gin pool”
      d.   The “lucky lift”

The correct answer can be found in the Fan Experiences section of the site. Click here for a reference.


No matter how you scored on the quiz, you can join your fellow VBers, who have again descended en masse upon Monte Carlo, as they record their experiences and share them with us. We know they will be cheering their hearts and lungs out with shouts of

VAMOS RAFA!