1 00:00:06,667 --> 00:00:10,547 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine 2 00:00:10,707 --> 00:00:11,747 Speaker 1: from News Talks EDB. 3 00:00:12,947 --> 00:00:16,227 Speaker 2: The twenty twenty five Australian Tennis Open starts today. 4 00:00:21,107 --> 00:00:26,987 Speaker 3: Three kick kick kick three seven point s sas away. 5 00:00:27,787 --> 00:00:33,267 Speaker 3: So Janick Center sing the Australian Open. Here's Mayland Major 6 00:00:33,707 --> 00:00:41,267 Speaker 3: chapins in Melbourne. You will never forget this name. 7 00:00:42,147 --> 00:00:45,747 Speaker 2: Janick Center winning in twenty twenty four. He is the 8 00:00:45,987 --> 00:00:49,747 Speaker 2: top seed and obviously defending champion for twenty twenty five. 9 00:00:50,147 --> 00:00:53,387 Speaker 2: Craig Gabriel joins us from Melbourne. Craig, before we look 10 00:00:53,627 --> 00:00:56,707 Speaker 2: at the tournament, you've covered the Australian Open for quite 11 00:00:56,707 --> 00:00:59,907 Speaker 2: some time. Your first one, as I understand it, nineteen 12 00:01:00,107 --> 00:01:05,907 Speaker 2: eighty one. Johann Creek and Martina Navratilova were champions that year. 13 00:01:05,947 --> 00:01:09,867 Speaker 2: You've covered them all since then. Is it your favorite major, 14 00:01:10,187 --> 00:01:11,187 Speaker 2: the Australian Open. 15 00:01:12,507 --> 00:01:14,987 Speaker 4: It's certainly one of the highlights of the year, There's 16 00:01:15,027 --> 00:01:17,227 Speaker 4: no two ways about it. There's this time of the year, 17 00:01:17,627 --> 00:01:20,587 Speaker 4: the Australian summer period, and then I guess the other 18 00:01:20,667 --> 00:01:23,267 Speaker 4: part would be middle of the year when we start 19 00:01:23,307 --> 00:01:25,707 Speaker 4: with the French Open and finish with Wimbledon. I mean 20 00:01:25,747 --> 00:01:31,347 Speaker 4: that's also a really thrilling time to be on the tour. Look, 21 00:01:31,387 --> 00:01:33,627 Speaker 4: there are a lot of highlights right through the season, 22 00:01:34,267 --> 00:01:36,467 Speaker 4: but those are the two parts that really stand out. 23 00:01:36,867 --> 00:01:39,027 Speaker 2: Let's look in my mind, yes, indeed, let's look at 24 00:01:39,027 --> 00:01:42,867 Speaker 2: the twenty twenty five means singles to start, means top seed, 25 00:01:42,907 --> 00:01:46,587 Speaker 2: defending champion, Yannick Center, He's in first round action tomorrow. 26 00:01:47,067 --> 00:01:50,187 Speaker 2: How firm a favorite do you assess him to be. 27 00:01:51,667 --> 00:01:55,387 Speaker 4: I think he's certainly as the defending champion, as the 28 00:01:55,387 --> 00:01:58,227 Speaker 4: world number one, and the incredible run that he had 29 00:01:58,667 --> 00:02:01,587 Speaker 4: in twenty twenty four would have to make him the 30 00:02:01,707 --> 00:02:06,587 Speaker 4: leading favorite. Certainly, there's a lot of other players that 31 00:02:06,707 --> 00:02:10,147 Speaker 4: are in a perfect position to challenge him and challenge 32 00:02:10,187 --> 00:02:15,267 Speaker 4: him incredibly. Well, you know, it's difficult to exclude somebody 33 00:02:15,427 --> 00:02:18,867 Speaker 4: like a ten time champion in Novak Djokovic, who is 34 00:02:18,987 --> 00:02:22,467 Speaker 4: this year trying to also win his twenty fifth major, 35 00:02:22,507 --> 00:02:25,627 Speaker 4: which would break the record he shares with Margaret Court, 36 00:02:25,747 --> 00:02:28,707 Speaker 4: and he's I guess he could go with the slogan 37 00:02:28,747 --> 00:02:33,267 Speaker 4: of twenty five in twenty five near Carlos al Karaz 38 00:02:33,827 --> 00:02:37,187 Speaker 4: who won two of the four majors along with Sinner 39 00:02:37,307 --> 00:02:41,627 Speaker 4: last year. And you know, Alexander Zverev trying to make 40 00:02:41,707 --> 00:02:44,227 Speaker 4: that break through to finally win a major. He's been 41 00:02:44,227 --> 00:02:46,867 Speaker 4: in the US Open final. It was the COVID year 42 00:02:47,427 --> 00:02:51,507 Speaker 4: on one occasion. So you know, as far as hard 43 00:02:51,507 --> 00:02:54,547 Speaker 4: court finals are concerned, So you know, there are a 44 00:02:54,627 --> 00:02:57,747 Speaker 4: lot of players that are in there in the mix, 45 00:02:58,147 --> 00:03:01,107 Speaker 4: but certainly Sinna would be the main favorite. 46 00:03:01,387 --> 00:03:03,507 Speaker 2: Yeah, he won, as you said last year, the Istridian 47 00:03:03,547 --> 00:03:05,627 Speaker 2: Open and the US Open. What makes you Anick sin 48 00:03:05,667 --> 00:03:07,947 Speaker 2: a so effect on hard courts? 49 00:03:10,427 --> 00:03:15,947 Speaker 4: Look, I think his power, his reach, his mind and 50 00:03:16,347 --> 00:03:18,547 Speaker 4: good people around him. I mean I know both his 51 00:03:18,667 --> 00:03:22,187 Speaker 4: coaches pretty well. Dan Calee has been a long, long 52 00:03:22,227 --> 00:03:25,867 Speaker 4: time friend and more recently Simoni Vagnozzi, who is a 53 00:03:25,907 --> 00:03:30,587 Speaker 4: really good guy. And what I think is so impressive 54 00:03:30,667 --> 00:03:34,347 Speaker 4: with Yannick is that mindset that he's got. There's so 55 00:03:34,547 --> 00:03:37,827 Speaker 4: much stuff going on around him at the moment, the 56 00:03:37,907 --> 00:03:41,467 Speaker 4: controversies with water et cetera, which I refer to as 57 00:03:41,787 --> 00:03:46,227 Speaker 4: what a dysfunctional authority that is, and you know, for 58 00:03:46,347 --> 00:03:49,867 Speaker 4: him to still have that mental strength to go through 59 00:03:49,867 --> 00:03:53,347 Speaker 4: and win a US Open with that controversy and the 60 00:03:53,427 --> 00:03:56,667 Speaker 4: year end championships and tak the Davis Cup will lead 61 00:03:56,707 --> 00:04:00,387 Speaker 4: its lead to the Davis Cup Championship. That's incredibly impressive. 62 00:04:00,987 --> 00:04:03,867 Speaker 2: Tamos El Kris won Wimbledon and the French Open last 63 00:04:03,947 --> 00:04:07,547 Speaker 2: year but has never got past the quarterfinals in Melbourne. 64 00:04:07,867 --> 00:04:10,267 Speaker 2: Could he this year? Should he this year? 65 00:04:10,307 --> 00:04:10,827 Speaker 3: Absolutely? 66 00:04:11,547 --> 00:04:16,347 Speaker 4: Yeah? I mean, look, consider how incredible this young man is. 67 00:04:16,907 --> 00:04:20,667 Speaker 4: He's twenty one and he's got the chance of claiming 68 00:04:20,747 --> 00:04:23,347 Speaker 4: a career Grand Slam. This is the only one of 69 00:04:23,387 --> 00:04:26,227 Speaker 4: the four that he hasn't won the Austrada and Open. 70 00:04:26,827 --> 00:04:28,507 Speaker 4: But to think that at the by the age of 71 00:04:28,707 --> 00:04:30,747 Speaker 4: the age of twenty one, he turns twenty to the 72 00:04:30,787 --> 00:04:35,067 Speaker 4: beginning of May to achieve something like that, that is 73 00:04:35,187 --> 00:04:40,547 Speaker 4: really phenomenal. And he's such a down to earth, humble individual, 74 00:04:40,747 --> 00:04:45,507 Speaker 4: just like Yannick is in fact that Yeah, he's he's 75 00:04:45,547 --> 00:04:48,027 Speaker 4: in with a shot big time, and he's changed his 76 00:04:48,147 --> 00:04:51,667 Speaker 4: service motion as well, and he's sporting this new haircut 77 00:04:51,947 --> 00:04:55,507 Speaker 4: which is short back insides. He had his haircut and 78 00:04:55,547 --> 00:04:57,387 Speaker 4: then he said he thought after three days that had 79 00:04:57,387 --> 00:04:59,067 Speaker 4: grown a bit, he went and had to cut again. 80 00:04:59,547 --> 00:05:03,587 Speaker 4: So yeah, some of these guys, seriously, no. 81 00:05:03,707 --> 00:05:06,107 Speaker 2: Veg Djocovich least talk about the ten time champion twenty 82 00:05:06,147 --> 00:05:08,147 Speaker 2: five twenty five, as you say, could be his slogan. 83 00:05:08,187 --> 00:05:11,627 Speaker 2: He's only the seventh seed. What do you predict for 84 00:05:11,707 --> 00:05:15,067 Speaker 2: Novak in twenty five, Well. 85 00:05:14,947 --> 00:05:17,067 Speaker 4: He said he's got. He's playing more tournaments this year 86 00:05:17,107 --> 00:05:19,667 Speaker 4: than he did last year. Last year he had one focus. 87 00:05:19,907 --> 00:05:21,827 Speaker 4: I mean, obviously he'd want to win any major that 88 00:05:22,387 --> 00:05:24,267 Speaker 4: he was in, but he had one focus and that 89 00:05:24,347 --> 00:05:26,427 Speaker 4: was to win the Olympic gold medal, which he ended 90 00:05:26,467 --> 00:05:32,347 Speaker 4: up doing in Paris. So I think he's probably got, 91 00:05:32,667 --> 00:05:35,067 Speaker 4: you know, the monkey off his back. You know, there's 92 00:05:35,187 --> 00:05:39,027 Speaker 4: no nothing on his shoulders, and he has to be 93 00:05:39,107 --> 00:05:43,467 Speaker 4: considered a threat at any one of these He's not 94 00:05:43,667 --> 00:05:47,027 Speaker 4: Joe Smoe from provo. Let's face it. You know, he's 95 00:05:47,347 --> 00:05:51,427 Speaker 4: arguably the greatest tennis player that's ever lived, and he 96 00:05:52,427 --> 00:05:54,267 Speaker 4: has to be in with a chance on any of 97 00:05:54,307 --> 00:05:58,107 Speaker 4: these majors. And taking on taking Andy Murray on board. 98 00:05:59,147 --> 00:06:03,547 Speaker 4: I think everybody's curious to see how that pans out. 99 00:06:03,587 --> 00:06:07,627 Speaker 4: That relationship. They're one weaker part in days, they're at 100 00:06:07,667 --> 00:06:11,187 Speaker 4: the same age. And you know, he says and he 101 00:06:11,307 --> 00:06:15,067 Speaker 4: was one of his greatest rivals and knows his game 102 00:06:15,587 --> 00:06:18,827 Speaker 4: inside out, back to front, upside down, every which way, 103 00:06:19,387 --> 00:06:21,867 Speaker 4: and you know he's also still played a lot of 104 00:06:21,907 --> 00:06:28,067 Speaker 4: the younger ones, so he's he's a good, good brain 105 00:06:28,507 --> 00:06:31,107 Speaker 4: for Novak to add to his own brain. 106 00:06:31,707 --> 00:06:33,987 Speaker 2: Just before we move to the women, Nick Krrios, the 107 00:06:33,987 --> 00:06:36,547 Speaker 2: crowds will turn up to watch. I'm sure John Kine 108 00:06:36,587 --> 00:06:41,267 Speaker 2: Arena tomorrow night. How deep do you think Nick Krios 109 00:06:41,547 --> 00:06:42,027 Speaker 2: could go? 110 00:06:44,427 --> 00:06:47,707 Speaker 4: Nick is taking on the mantle of the human headline. 111 00:06:47,867 --> 00:06:48,827 Speaker 3: He really is. 112 00:06:49,387 --> 00:06:51,467 Speaker 4: I mean, I love Nick, but Nick needs to stop 113 00:06:51,587 --> 00:06:55,147 Speaker 4: with all this stuff regarding Sinner. It's not doing himself 114 00:06:55,187 --> 00:06:59,747 Speaker 4: any favors. And he's the only one voicing all this stuff, 115 00:07:00,867 --> 00:07:04,427 Speaker 4: these views and opinions on Sinner, and I think that 116 00:07:04,507 --> 00:07:08,747 Speaker 4: maybe made the trap something from him. You know, I 117 00:07:08,787 --> 00:07:10,907 Speaker 4: love Nick. I've known him since he was a kid, 118 00:07:11,427 --> 00:07:17,027 Speaker 4: and he's incredibly talented. He is thrilling to watch. He's 119 00:07:17,147 --> 00:07:22,587 Speaker 4: so exciting. He is Forrest Gump's box at Chocolates. You 120 00:07:22,667 --> 00:07:26,467 Speaker 4: don't know what you're going to get, seriously, so I 121 00:07:26,507 --> 00:07:30,387 Speaker 4: would expect him to get through. Jacob Fernley of Great Britain, 122 00:07:30,787 --> 00:07:33,947 Speaker 4: who was saying yesterday that he's excited for these sort 123 00:07:33,947 --> 00:07:36,907 Speaker 4: of opportunities, and he admitted to being a big fan 124 00:07:37,347 --> 00:07:40,707 Speaker 4: of Nick Curios's So, look, Nick will get through. I 125 00:07:40,747 --> 00:07:42,507 Speaker 4: think he's got the ability to get through to the 126 00:07:42,547 --> 00:07:45,587 Speaker 4: third round at this stage, and then more than likely 127 00:07:45,667 --> 00:07:47,827 Speaker 4: he'll run into Alexander Sverret. 128 00:07:48,507 --> 00:07:52,947 Speaker 2: Arena Sabalinka, two time defending champion in the women's headlining 129 00:07:52,947 --> 00:07:56,787 Speaker 2: the opening night session on Rod Labor tonight. What chance 130 00:07:56,867 --> 00:08:01,027 Speaker 2: she makes it three in a row, Well. 131 00:08:01,867 --> 00:08:05,187 Speaker 4: Very very few women in the Open era have done 132 00:08:05,267 --> 00:08:09,027 Speaker 4: that to win Australian Opens in a row. The last 133 00:08:09,027 --> 00:08:12,987 Speaker 4: one was Martina Hingis in nineteen ninety nine. Yeah, you 134 00:08:13,107 --> 00:08:19,947 Speaker 4: get the likes of Yvonne Gulagong, Stephie, Martina, It's pretty 135 00:08:19,947 --> 00:08:23,747 Speaker 4: amazing company to be in. And yes, she's got the 136 00:08:23,787 --> 00:08:27,987 Speaker 4: ability to do it. I think the draw she's got 137 00:08:28,147 --> 00:08:31,587 Speaker 4: is not too bad. She's got Sloan Stevens in the 138 00:08:31,627 --> 00:08:35,627 Speaker 4: first round tonight. And you know, while Sloane Stevens was 139 00:08:35,627 --> 00:08:39,947 Speaker 4: an amazing player reached won the US Open Championship a 140 00:08:39,987 --> 00:08:43,347 Speaker 4: few years ago, she's not the player that she once was. 141 00:08:43,987 --> 00:08:47,747 Speaker 4: So while there maybe a couple of tricky moments in that, 142 00:08:48,227 --> 00:08:52,027 Speaker 4: I don't expect Staberlenka to lose that match, and I think, 143 00:08:53,027 --> 00:08:55,667 Speaker 4: you know, looking at her draw, I think it opens 144 00:08:55,747 --> 00:08:58,307 Speaker 4: up pretty well, should open up pretty well for her, 145 00:08:58,787 --> 00:09:01,627 Speaker 4: and it would not surprise me if she joined that 146 00:09:01,707 --> 00:09:05,027 Speaker 4: club and won the championship for a third year in 147 00:09:05,067 --> 00:09:05,427 Speaker 4: a row. 148 00:09:05,667 --> 00:09:08,627 Speaker 2: Although who might challenger third seed Coco Goth second seed 149 00:09:08,627 --> 00:09:11,667 Speaker 2: IGAs Fiante both play tomorrow? Are they either the main 150 00:09:11,827 --> 00:09:14,067 Speaker 2: two do you think, Craig, or is there somebody else 151 00:09:14,067 --> 00:09:17,067 Speaker 2: who might might go quite deep and challenge challenger in. 152 00:09:17,067 --> 00:09:20,667 Speaker 4: It Oco is the challenge and they're in the same 153 00:09:20,707 --> 00:09:24,187 Speaker 4: half of the draw, but they wouldn't meet till the 154 00:09:24,227 --> 00:09:27,467 Speaker 4: semi finals, and that's really where I think the main 155 00:09:27,547 --> 00:09:32,827 Speaker 4: challenge would be for work for Saberlenka. And as far 156 00:09:32,867 --> 00:09:35,107 Speaker 4: as egos Sean Tik is concerned that any time she 157 00:09:35,107 --> 00:09:37,467 Speaker 4: can meet her would be in the finals. So it's 158 00:09:37,507 --> 00:09:40,507 Speaker 4: no point Saberlenka even thinking about her at this stage 159 00:09:40,707 --> 00:09:43,467 Speaker 4: when the first ball hasn't even been struck. 160 00:09:44,227 --> 00:09:46,747 Speaker 2: Two intriguing weeks of tennis ahead. Craig, thank you so 161 00:09:46,827 --> 00:09:48,707 Speaker 2: much for joining us for a preview. Look forward to 162 00:09:48,747 --> 00:09:50,147 Speaker 2: your coverage across the next fortnight. 163 00:09:50,507 --> 00:09:51,707 Speaker 4: Thanks. Jason looks forward to it. 164 00:09:51,787 --> 00:09:53,227 Speaker 2: Yeah, we look forward to it. To Craig. Thanks and 165 00:09:53,307 --> 00:09:56,027 Speaker 2: day Craig. Gabriel there from Melbourne where the Australian Tennis 166 00:09:56,027 --> 00:09:58,987 Speaker 2: Open is underway, and over the next couple of weeks 167 00:09:59,147 --> 00:10:01,587 Speaker 2: we'll look forward to the storylines being written in both 168 00:10:01,587 --> 00:10:05,587 Speaker 2: the men's and women's singles. Lulu Sun incidentally will play tomorrow. 169 00:10:05,707 --> 00:10:09,187 Speaker 2: She has a few round match in the women's singles tomorrow. 170 00:10:09,747 --> 00:10:12,947 Speaker 1: For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live 171 00:10:13,027 --> 00:10:16,347 Speaker 1: to News Talk Set B weekends from midday, or follow 172 00:10:16,347 --> 00:10:17,987 Speaker 1: the podcast on iHeartRadio.