1
00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:17,880
Speaker 1: Hi, everybody, Welcome to the Rainy Stubs Tennis Podcast. We

2
00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:19,599
Speaker 1: got a lot to get to, Caitlin, and I know

3
00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:21,520
Speaker 1: it's mid tournament. I just want to give a shout

4
00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:24,319
Speaker 1: out before you say anything to Claire Balding, who of

5
00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:27,320
Speaker 1: course is the BBC host, and who told me last

6
00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:29,240
Speaker 1: week that she listens to the podcast and she was

7
00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:33,440
Speaker 1: expecting one out asap, and I said, well, let me

8
00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:35,879
Speaker 1: just get on that for you. So Claire, this is

9
00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:39,280
Speaker 1: for you. This is dedicated to you, this one. But Caitlin, WHOA,

10
00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:40,840
Speaker 1: We've got a lot of tennis to talk about.

11
00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:42,960
Speaker 2: I don't even know where to start. I've been watching

12
00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:46,680
Speaker 2: so much tennis. I am bowled over at the match

13
00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:50,200
Speaker 2: I just watched, which probably isn't the best place to start,

14
00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:52,760
Speaker 2: but I might just make us start here because I

15
00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:54,640
Speaker 2: can't wait to talk about it, which was the name

16
00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:57,960
Speaker 2: Osaka Rune Sabalanca match. The one seed is now out

17
00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:03,560
Speaker 2: and the tournament is wide open, and Osaka, with an

18
00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:11,319
Speaker 2: incredibly positive fit expressive appearance not only here on the

19
00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:14,080
Speaker 2: grass but leading up to it on the clay, is

20
00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:18,600
Speaker 2: now a natural surfaces expert. I mean it, tennis is

21
00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:22,080
Speaker 2: amazing because two years ago you know, we would have

22
00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:24,720
Speaker 2: said there's no way Namio Osaka gets to the second

23
00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:27,640
Speaker 2: week of a Slam on a natural surface, and here

24
00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:33,480
Speaker 2: she is looking incredibly confident, incredibly happy and just absolute unshakable.

25
00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:35,080
Speaker 2: And I have to say at this point she might

26
00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:37,039
Speaker 2: be my favorite to win the tournament. So what a

27
00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:39,920
Speaker 2: turn of events this has had. And there's tons and

28
00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:41,600
Speaker 2: tons and tons of great matches to talk about, but

29
00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:45,240
Speaker 2: having just sat through this one, a commanding performance against

30
00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:47,480
Speaker 2: Erna Sblinka, and I really truly couldn't be happier for

31
00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:47,880
Speaker 2: her name.

32
00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:50,480
Speaker 1: Osaka deserves this. It's incredible. We're going to have a

33
00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:53,000
Speaker 1: new Wimbledon champion. Of course, Egos Chiontek, who was the

34
00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:57,320
Speaker 1: defending champion, went out yesterday to Eala. A lot of

35
00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:00,639
Speaker 1: people weren't surprised about that, believe it or not, mainly

36
00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:04,320
Speaker 1: because you know, Eager just I don't know what's going on.

37
00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:08,360
Speaker 1: But she just looks so uncomfortable on the tennis court.

38
00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:11,200
Speaker 1: She's picking shots she should not be hitting. She is

39
00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:14,359
Speaker 1: hitting shots she should not be hitting. She's getting frustrated

40
00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,079
Speaker 1: even on the set point yesterday. Caitlin and we will

41
00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:19,600
Speaker 1: get to the Osaka match, but I think we sort

42
00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:21,160
Speaker 1: of have to backtrack because I do want to get

43
00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:24,959
Speaker 1: to Osaka. I just feel like we have to talk

44
00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:27,360
Speaker 1: about the defending champion losing. We have to talk about

45
00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:30,600
Speaker 1: Rebakina losing. There's just so many upsets in the women's

46
00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:33,560
Speaker 1: side of the drawer, and guess what, Hunger Games as

47
00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:36,600
Speaker 1: per usual every single week, this is happening. But you know,

48
00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:40,080
Speaker 1: I want to address the eger. It's just you know,

49
00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:42,240
Speaker 1: even on set point in the first set, she had

50
00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:45,200
Speaker 1: a completely open court on the forehand, which she would

51
00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:47,440
Speaker 1: normally have just ripped for a winner two your three

52
00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:50,480
Speaker 1: years ago, and missed it by like twenty feet to

53
00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:53,360
Speaker 1: give the first set away. And it's like points like

54
00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:56,200
Speaker 1: that that you just go, what is going on that you,

55
00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:59,200
Speaker 1: as one of the best players over the last ten years,

56
00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:02,240
Speaker 1: that you or maybe six seven years, that you miss

57
00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:04,560
Speaker 1: a shot that badly on such a big point against

58
00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:07,799
Speaker 1: someone so inexperienced as Iala. Yes, she's had some good

59
00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:10,000
Speaker 1: results over the last couple of years, but that is

60
00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:10,880
Speaker 1: where you lock.

61
00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:11,959
Speaker 3: Down and don't miss.

62
00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:15,160
Speaker 1: And you know, going back to even Serena playing when

63
00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:16,880
Speaker 1: she was down match point, what does.

64
00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:18,360
Speaker 3: She do huge first surf?

65
00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:20,640
Speaker 1: Like you lock back into the things that you know

66
00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:23,080
Speaker 1: you can do well, and for Eager that she can't

67
00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:26,480
Speaker 1: even make a basic sort of open court forehand on

68
00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:29,639
Speaker 1: a huge point just indicates to me there's so much

69
00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:33,440
Speaker 1: uncertainty in her game, in how she's feeling out there,

70
00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:35,120
Speaker 1: and there's going to be a lot of questions that

71
00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:37,480
Speaker 1: need to be asked of her and her team and

72
00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:40,040
Speaker 1: everything going forward onto a surface that she likes, which

73
00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:43,160
Speaker 1: is hardcourt, but still it's not as comfortable as clay,

74
00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:44,800
Speaker 1: and we saw what happened there. So I don't know

75
00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:46,840
Speaker 1: what are your thoughts on Eger before we get to

76
00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:48,800
Speaker 1: all the other upsets in this tournament.

77
00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:51,320
Speaker 2: They're not terribly different than the thoughts I've had about

78
00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:54,080
Speaker 2: Ego for the last chunk of time, which is really

79
00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:57,200
Speaker 2: you know, she has who I think is a very

80
00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:01,680
Speaker 2: capable coach in her bucks in the guys of Francisco Roig.

81
00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:03,520
Speaker 2: Maybe that's not true.

82
00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:06,400
Speaker 1: He has not done well with any plays outside of Raufa.

83
00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:08,560
Speaker 1: I'm just going to sigh that out, Love Lou.

84
00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:14,080
Speaker 2: I am loath to criticize him, not because I feel

85
00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:17,160
Speaker 2: like he's not deserving of criticism, but the one consistent

86
00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:22,760
Speaker 2: that we've seen through the travails of Ega has been

87
00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:25,520
Speaker 2: her mental coach. And again, if you ask me my thoughts,

88
00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:27,479
Speaker 2: those are my honest thoughts. There's not another player that

89
00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:29,520
Speaker 2: I know of that travels with the mental coach. What

90
00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:35,320
Speaker 2: strikes me about her tennis is not that she's physically unwell.

91
00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:38,360
Speaker 2: It's not that she's the technique is poor, although you know,

92
00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:40,880
Speaker 2: obviously lots have been made about how the serve needs

93
00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:43,440
Speaker 2: to be an easy plus one and the forehand obviously

94
00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:46,400
Speaker 2: the grip. But the thing that I think you're describing

95
00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:48,240
Speaker 2: that I think a lot of us have seen. She

96
00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:52,960
Speaker 2: looks unhappy, she looks indecisive, she looks shaken, and I

97
00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:54,960
Speaker 2: think for somebody who travels with the mental coach, you'd

98
00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:56,920
Speaker 2: think the one thing they would have going for them

99
00:04:56,920 --> 00:05:01,000
Speaker 2: at all times is a serene, confident, positive demeanor. So yeah,

100
00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:04,359
Speaker 2: maybe it's another coaching change that's in the plans. I

101
00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:07,800
Speaker 2: know she's spoken about how Francisco Royd was coaching her

102
00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:10,799
Speaker 2: on a sort of a temporary basis. It was a trial. Obviously,

103
00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:14,800
Speaker 2: if he were to be dismissed, it wouldn't be the first, second, third,

104
00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:17,680
Speaker 2: or probably even fourth coach that has coming one in

105
00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:18,280
Speaker 2: a short.

106
00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:18,680
Speaker 3: Amount of time.

107
00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:21,880
Speaker 2: But I do feel like, you know, it's easy to

108
00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:24,080
Speaker 2: talk about the fact that she needs to change up

109
00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:27,840
Speaker 2: her mental coach situation, because she still needs to do it.

110
00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:30,719
Speaker 2: And until she does it, you know, unless she starts

111
00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:33,320
Speaker 2: winning and feeling like the kind of player who looks

112
00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:36,520
Speaker 2: like they're happy to be out there and hitting open

113
00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:39,880
Speaker 2: court winners the way that any professional athlete should be

114
00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:42,240
Speaker 2: able to execute, I don't know. I feel like you

115
00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:44,760
Speaker 2: really have to assess that part of the relationship.

116
00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:47,800
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, obviously, look, she doesn't look happy out there.

117
00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:51,880
Speaker 1: I don't know what's going on, and certainly we don't

118
00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:53,760
Speaker 1: know what's going on off the court. There could be

119
00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:55,240
Speaker 1: a lot of things going on in her life that

120
00:05:55,279 --> 00:05:57,760
Speaker 1: we were not aware of that you know, maybe you know,

121
00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:01,040
Speaker 1: a mental coach is trying her best to also get

122
00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:03,279
Speaker 1: her to a better place. We don't know what's going on,

123
00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:06,960
Speaker 1: you know. I think she has a pretty complicated life

124
00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:07,760
Speaker 1: in a lot of ways.

125
00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:09,719
Speaker 3: With her family.

126
00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:12,440
Speaker 1: I think there's a lot things that we maybe don't

127
00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:15,480
Speaker 1: even know who knows. But the thing that I notice

128
00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:18,480
Speaker 1: is just it's just all over the place. I mean,

129
00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:20,560
Speaker 1: her shot selection is all over the place. And so

130
00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:22,880
Speaker 1: you know, with Todd Woodridge and I talked about that

131
00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:24,960
Speaker 1: last week and he noticed it as well when she

132
00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:27,039
Speaker 1: lost in bud Hamburg and what he was like, she's

133
00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:29,120
Speaker 1: hitting the wrong shots at the wrong time, She's picking

134
00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:32,000
Speaker 1: the wrong choices. And you know, I've always been a

135
00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:34,679
Speaker 1: big believer that that starts in practice, and if you don't,

136
00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:37,840
Speaker 1: you know, practice the things that you want to create

137
00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:39,760
Speaker 1: in a match court, it's never going to happen in

138
00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:42,520
Speaker 1: a match no matter what. So my question is, I'd

139
00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:44,120
Speaker 1: like to go and watch her practice, you know, and

140
00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:46,960
Speaker 1: see what is going on on practice court, and it

141
00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:49,960
Speaker 1: could be her demeanor. You know, some people have terrible

142
00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:52,400
Speaker 1: demeanor on the court in practice, that's what they take

143
00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:55,160
Speaker 1: on to the court. So you know, I can't really

144
00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:57,400
Speaker 1: get into the specifics of that because I didn't watch

145
00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:00,240
Speaker 1: her practices over the last few months, so I don't

146
00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:01,880
Speaker 1: know how she's reacting on the court in that way.

147
00:07:02,040 --> 00:07:05,400
Speaker 1: But it certainly we saw her cry after the first round.

148
00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:07,560
Speaker 1: We knew how much that meant to her. And then

149
00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:09,600
Speaker 1: she goes on and Lucy Yala, who she had lost

150
00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:11,720
Speaker 1: to before they were one and one before.

151
00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:14,200
Speaker 2: And to be fair, Yalla looks very very comfortable on grass.

152
00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:17,640
Speaker 2: Obviously she has had she has a super low center

153
00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:20,440
Speaker 2: of gravity as well. She's really great at getting low

154
00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:23,080
Speaker 2: and picking up the ball right on the off the bounce.

155
00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:26,040
Speaker 2: She's a great athlete. There's an incredible shot that's going

156
00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:30,480
Speaker 2: around the internet of her full dive honor belly making

157
00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:34,320
Speaker 2: what look like, you know, an outfield catch, full extension

158
00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:40,000
Speaker 2: and played that point, kept the ball in and forced

159
00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:43,000
Speaker 2: you goe to hit an error. So like, she's a competitor,

160
00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:45,560
Speaker 2: and I am really rooting for her seeing how much

161
00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:48,360
Speaker 2: that win meant to her and hearing her incredible speech

162
00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:51,920
Speaker 2: about how you know, maybe for Grand Slam champions, winning

163
00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:54,520
Speaker 2: their third round match and going into the second week

164
00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:58,760
Speaker 2: of a Slam might seem non extraordinary, but for you know,

165
00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:01,440
Speaker 2: a kid from the Philippines who who's got an entire

166
00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:04,040
Speaker 2: niche and much less an entire region of the world

167
00:08:04,360 --> 00:08:06,840
Speaker 2: on her shoulders. The reaction from everyone around the world

168
00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:09,560
Speaker 2: was just so so so wonderful to see. And you know,

169
00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:11,400
Speaker 2: I don't know if alex Scala can win this tournament,

170
00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:13,320
Speaker 2: but I certainly, you know, am root and for her

171
00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:15,280
Speaker 2: to go as absolutely deep as she can, just seeing

172
00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:18,640
Speaker 2: how much excitement and joy she's bringing, you know, into

173
00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:22,320
Speaker 2: the sport via her incredibly, incredibly large fan base.

174
00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:24,560
Speaker 1: You know, when you see the players who win the

175
00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:26,960
Speaker 1: tournament walk across that little bridge you know that goes

176
00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:30,280
Speaker 1: from the locker room to the players area. There was

177
00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:34,040
Speaker 1: one hundred and fifty people of it looked like a

178
00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:38,320
Speaker 1: lot of Philippine descent underneath that bridge, and she walked

179
00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:40,720
Speaker 1: across and it was like Jesus Christ had walked across

180
00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:43,160
Speaker 1: the bridge. I mean, she is so popular it is

181
00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:46,880
Speaker 1: unbelievable in that country, and they follow her wherever she goes.

182
00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:50,679
Speaker 1: Wherever you will go, we will follow is a very

183
00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:52,400
Speaker 1: popular song. So if you don't know it, listen to

184
00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:55,040
Speaker 1: it because that is what Ela La has coming her

185
00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:57,800
Speaker 1: way every single time she plays. And so, I mean,

186
00:08:57,920 --> 00:09:00,720
Speaker 1: just an amazing effort from her. Clearly we know she

187
00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:05,400
Speaker 1: goes up against Jasmine Paulini first on center court tomorrow.

188
00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:06,280
Speaker 3: That is the plan.

189
00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:09,680
Speaker 1: It's interesting because I think Paulini actually goes into that

190
00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:12,959
Speaker 1: match as slight favorite because she's been on that court before,

191
00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:16,439
Speaker 1: as is Yala now. But I feel like maybe something

192
00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:19,440
Speaker 1: is switched in Jasmine Paolini. She's fought through a couple

193
00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:23,200
Speaker 1: of really tough matches here and I feel like maybe

194
00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:25,760
Speaker 1: the confidence will start coming back. And you know how

195
00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:28,240
Speaker 1: much I loved Pauolini. I think it's going to be

196
00:09:28,280 --> 00:09:30,880
Speaker 1: a super fun match. Whoever comes out of that match

197
00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:33,720
Speaker 1: really has a chance to make it to the semifinals,

198
00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:37,160
Speaker 1: of which is crazy. It's crazy when you think about

199
00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:39,320
Speaker 1: the year that Paulini's had with a lot of it

200
00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:43,360
Speaker 1: and she's had injuries that have certainly affected her over

201
00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:46,120
Speaker 1: the last twelve months. But it'll be a great story

202
00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:48,640
Speaker 1: if either of them were to get through and push through.

203
00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:49,640
Speaker 3: And let me.

204
00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:53,920
Speaker 1: Tell you something the bottom half of the drawer, Mattie Keys, like,

205
00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:57,560
Speaker 1: after what she did in beating Amanda Anisimova, you've got

206
00:09:57,559 --> 00:10:00,599
Speaker 1: to think Maddi Keys now up against Nskova, that's the

207
00:10:00,679 --> 00:10:04,679
Speaker 1: sort of like Noskova's playing well, she wins in Berlin,

208
00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:07,480
Speaker 1: she comes here hitting her ball huge. That is going

209
00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:10,640
Speaker 1: to be a massive hitting ball, ball striking match between

210
00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:14,040
Speaker 1: Noscova and Mattie Keys and they play the winner of

211
00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:17,000
Speaker 1: Buskova and Mertens.

212
00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:19,720
Speaker 3: Yeah, one of those la is going to get through

213
00:10:19,760 --> 00:10:20,240
Speaker 3: the semi.

214
00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:24,440
Speaker 2: You like Madison Keys's odds, I certainly do for that

215
00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:26,040
Speaker 2: bottom pote.

216
00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:28,160
Speaker 1: But every time you think Madison Keys is going to

217
00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:31,400
Speaker 1: come through and she should. She doesn't, so I hope

218
00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:35,320
Speaker 1: that she goes into this literally thinking I'm a Grand

219
00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:38,880
Speaker 1: Slam champion. This is normal for me. I should be

220
00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:41,800
Speaker 1: winning these matches. This is a player who's won three

221
00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:46,040
Speaker 1: Eastbourne titles leading into this tournament and has not had

222
00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:48,559
Speaker 1: the tournament that she should have. On grass, she has

223
00:10:48,559 --> 00:10:51,319
Speaker 1: a massive serve, she has a huge game. Grass is

224
00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:53,520
Speaker 1: perfect for her. She came very close over the last

225
00:10:53,559 --> 00:10:56,640
Speaker 1: few years of breaking through here, but that unfortunate injury

226
00:10:56,679 --> 00:10:59,439
Speaker 1: with the hip and the you know, the groin area

227
00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:01,840
Speaker 1: that she's suck a couple of years ago was devastating.

228
00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:03,040
Speaker 1: And then she went on to win the Austrain and

229
00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:05,880
Speaker 1: Open eventually, which was great. But I've always said that

230
00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:09,200
Speaker 1: I feel like Madison Keys should be you know, if

231
00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:10,959
Speaker 1: you think about the people that have won this tournament,

232
00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:14,280
Speaker 1: and I include Schiantech in this last year, Mattie Keys

233
00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:16,320
Speaker 1: hays the game to win this tournament as well.

234
00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:19,680
Speaker 2: Sure, yeah, no, I completely agree with you, And I

235
00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:23,760
Speaker 2: think again on the bottom half, I feel like the

236
00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:25,160
Speaker 2: other part of the bottom half has.

237
00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:26,280
Speaker 3: A has cost check.

238
00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:29,520
Speaker 2: We've got who else is down there.

239
00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:33,040
Speaker 1: Ashean Krueger, So you've got Kruger playing Kostjuk, You've got

240
00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:36,679
Speaker 1: Paulini playing Iyala, You've got Keys playing Noskova. I think

241
00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:40,920
Speaker 1: whoever wins between Noskova and Matti Keys, for me, is

242
00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:42,840
Speaker 1: the favorite to get to the final on the bottom

243
00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:46,800
Speaker 1: half of the draw, because Noskova is now top ten

244
00:11:46,840 --> 00:11:49,640
Speaker 1: in the world. She won in Berlin. She plays really

245
00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:52,320
Speaker 1: well on grass. She's young, she's hungry, she hits a

246
00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:55,360
Speaker 1: huge ball, she came through an incredibly tough match in

247
00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:58,040
Speaker 1: the previous one, and I think she's also playing with

248
00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:00,880
Speaker 1: house money she feels like. So I just think that

249
00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:05,000
Speaker 1: keys Noscova winner is the best grasscourt player on the

250
00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:07,199
Speaker 1: bottom half of the draw, and I think the winner

251
00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:09,400
Speaker 1: of that match will make the final. Now having said that,

252
00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:13,160
Speaker 1: it probably won't happen because women's tennis.

253
00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:14,600
Speaker 2: TENNUS is not going to be predictable. That's one thing.

254
00:12:14,679 --> 00:12:16,560
Speaker 1: I mean the same sure that I don't know if

255
00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:19,680
Speaker 1: you watch the Rebarkina match, but how Rebarkina loses to

256
00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:22,880
Speaker 1: Mertens having a seven to one head to head record

257
00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:25,360
Speaker 1: and playing the way that we know she can play,

258
00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:26,960
Speaker 1: and Mertens is sort of that player that sort of

259
00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:29,320
Speaker 1: gets around to like third fourth rounds but doesn't really

260
00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:31,720
Speaker 1: break through. She made a semi final of the Australian

261
00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:35,200
Speaker 1: Open many many years ago. But that for me, that

262
00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:38,040
Speaker 1: for me was the worst loss of all the losses

263
00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:39,640
Speaker 1: that happened over the last couple of days.

264
00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:41,960
Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't disagree with you. I think she just

265
00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:45,760
Speaker 2: looked listless, maybe is the right word. Listless, like just

266
00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:49,040
Speaker 2: kind of She's always cool as cucumber. She doesn't show

267
00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:50,800
Speaker 2: a lot of emotion, but she just looked flat. She

268
00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:53,800
Speaker 2: looked unhappy to be there. It was it was rough.

269
00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:57,120
Speaker 3: We'll be back with a lot more of Wimbledon after

270
00:12:57,160 --> 00:12:57,520
Speaker 3: the break.

271
00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:13,280
Speaker 2: I do want to talk a little bit about the

272
00:13:13,320 --> 00:13:15,400
Speaker 2: top half of the jaw, because everybody I like watching

273
00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:17,800
Speaker 2: in the top half of the jaw, like the top

274
00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:21,679
Speaker 2: half of the draw has name Issaka, who just came

275
00:13:21,679 --> 00:13:24,840
Speaker 2: through against Sabalanka, who in my mind maybe is now

276
00:13:24,880 --> 00:13:29,280
Speaker 2: the favorite to win this. I liked the Mukhova Barbera

277
00:13:29,320 --> 00:13:31,199
Speaker 2: Kadjikova match. I watched it earlier today.

278
00:13:31,559 --> 00:13:32,280
Speaker 3: Fantastic.

279
00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:37,920
Speaker 2: Kdjikova was the last Wimbledon winner to go out. So now,

280
00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:40,959
Speaker 2: as you said, we will get a new champion. Mukhova

281
00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:44,440
Speaker 2: has all the tools. This is a surface custom built

282
00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:47,959
Speaker 2: for her game. She moves really beautifully. She is obviously

283
00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:57,000
Speaker 2: an attacking, net loving forward, moving as she should be.

284
00:13:57,120 --> 00:14:00,560
Speaker 2: And then we've got you know, Jpeg, who came through

285
00:14:00,679 --> 00:14:03,880
Speaker 2: against Iva Yovic. I'm curious your thoughts about Iva Yovic.

286
00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:08,240
Speaker 2: She's obviously very solid, she's very young. She has a

287
00:14:08,320 --> 00:14:10,800
Speaker 2: very similar game to Jess Pegoula. I just don't know

288
00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:14,320
Speaker 2: that she has the firepower and I kind of see

289
00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:18,440
Speaker 2: her as being like a perennial quarter finalist, which she's

290
00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:20,240
Speaker 2: not going to be this toronomic because she just lost

291
00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:22,840
Speaker 2: a Jpeg who goes into the quarterfinals. But I wonder

292
00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:24,520
Speaker 2: what you kind of think about that matchup.

293
00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:26,800
Speaker 1: I think that Jess Pagola did a great job at

294
00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:29,120
Speaker 1: adjusting in the second and third sets. I thought she

295
00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:32,240
Speaker 1: varied her pacer ball, she changed that up a little bit.

296
00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:34,600
Speaker 1: And I think that Yovic. I think you're correct. I

297
00:14:34,640 --> 00:14:37,600
Speaker 1: think they're very similar. I think Jpeg hits maybe a

298
00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:40,720
Speaker 1: slightly bigger ball, a flatter for sure, But I think

299
00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:43,160
Speaker 1: that Iva Yovic. I've seen her around the courts over

300
00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:46,240
Speaker 1: the last week or so, and she's gotten stronger. She's

301
00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:49,760
Speaker 1: still very young, she's gotten stronger. She needs to improve

302
00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:54,000
Speaker 1: the serve, which has arguably been the biggest disadvantage for

303
00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:56,120
Speaker 1: jess Pagoula and not winning a Grand Slam over the

304
00:14:56,160 --> 00:14:59,800
Speaker 1: last few years, is that she's faced bigger service like Sabalanca, Rebeccina,

305
00:14:59,880 --> 00:15:03,040
Speaker 1: like these types of players, even eager can pop down

306
00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:05,160
Speaker 1: a serve from time to time use that kicker.

307
00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:06,560
Speaker 3: So when you think about people that.

308
00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:08,760
Speaker 1: Have won slams over the last few years, they've had

309
00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:11,120
Speaker 1: kind of bigger serves, and so I think that's where

310
00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:15,360
Speaker 1: Jpeg has been a little bit left vulnerable against those

311
00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:17,240
Speaker 1: types of players, particularly on the second serve, and I

312
00:15:17,240 --> 00:15:20,560
Speaker 1: think Jovic's area of serving needs to improve hard. She's

313
00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:24,800
Speaker 1: not that tall. They're about the same size. But I

314
00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:27,840
Speaker 1: picked Jessica to win the tournament. She was my pick.

315
00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:29,680
Speaker 1: I mean, I had to pick somebody in the Hunger Games,

316
00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:31,560
Speaker 1: and I did pick jess I do think that she's

317
00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:34,440
Speaker 1: right to win on this court. She's playing well. She

318
00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:36,640
Speaker 1: lost to Niskova in the finals at Berlin. So you've

319
00:15:36,640 --> 00:15:40,200
Speaker 1: got the form grasscourt players doing really well. You've got

320
00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:43,760
Speaker 1: Niskova who won Berlin, You've got Jpeg who made the finals.

321
00:15:43,760 --> 00:15:46,360
Speaker 1: You've got Mukhova still in the finals, still in the

322
00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:49,320
Speaker 1: tournament who won in bud Hamburg. You've got these players

323
00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:52,000
Speaker 1: that have done really well in the last few weeks

324
00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:54,480
Speaker 1: on grass coming in here feeling really good about themselves.

325
00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:56,920
Speaker 1: That's why I was a bit shocked about Rebukin losing.

326
00:15:57,040 --> 00:16:01,080
Speaker 1: But I mean, I don't know, and I'll tell you

327
00:16:01,080 --> 00:16:03,920
Speaker 1: you know, Cocoa Golf and Benchit's is still out there.

328
00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:06,880
Speaker 1: So it's like the top half of the drawer. It

329
00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:09,360
Speaker 1: almost feels like, though Caitlin, whoever gets through there, you

330
00:16:09,360 --> 00:16:12,000
Speaker 1: think is going to win because quote unquote they've come

331
00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:14,600
Speaker 1: through the toughest section. But sometimes when you come through

332
00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:16,320
Speaker 1: the toughest sections, you end up losing the final.

333
00:16:16,520 --> 00:16:18,200
Speaker 2: Yeah, because you're so pooped because you had to go

334
00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:21,680
Speaker 2: through everybody else tapped totally. Yeah, yeah, you're tapped. I

335
00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:24,760
Speaker 2: will say, all the players that I am excited about

336
00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:27,400
Speaker 2: are in the top half, and so I would really

337
00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:29,120
Speaker 2: really like to see Na may Osaka win this. I

338
00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:31,440
Speaker 2: think jpeg, yes, it might be her time, and this

339
00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:34,600
Speaker 2: is certainly the surface most likely to I don't see

340
00:16:34,640 --> 00:16:38,840
Speaker 2: Benchi or Goff candidly doing it this year, although I'm

341
00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:40,160
Speaker 2: not thrilled that, you know.

342
00:16:40,160 --> 00:16:41,560
Speaker 3: I don't see them winning the tournament.

343
00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:45,480
Speaker 2: I don't see that, whereas for for Pagula, Osaka, maybe

344
00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:47,880
Speaker 2: Mukhova and as you said, Nskovi or Keys in the

345
00:16:47,880 --> 00:16:50,400
Speaker 2: bottom half. But it's just it's kind of for me,

346
00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:55,080
Speaker 2: it's like house money because everybody left is really good

347
00:16:55,600 --> 00:16:58,480
Speaker 2: and I'm really excited about it. Doesn't feel like there

348
00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:02,000
Speaker 2: would be an unders serving kind of and business end

349
00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:03,360
Speaker 2: of the tournament, which is what I like. I like

350
00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:05,399
Speaker 2: when it's all quality. You know, I'll kill her nol Filler.

351
00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:09,439
Speaker 1: It's really interesting that you've got Osaka, Mukhova, and Pulgoula

352
00:17:09,600 --> 00:17:12,720
Speaker 1: in particular, because we don't know benchichin golf, haven't played yet.

353
00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:15,920
Speaker 1: Let's say Benchich ends up winning that if ben Chicch

354
00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:20,080
Speaker 1: wins that you think about Osaka, Pagoula and Benchic, they're

355
00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:23,560
Speaker 1: all very capable and very if they won a Grand Slam.

356
00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:25,960
Speaker 1: Clearly we know Naomi's won four, so for her to

357
00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:27,680
Speaker 1: win a Grand Slam, it's not a shock. But you

358
00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:29,760
Speaker 1: wouldn't have said six months ago that you know she's

359
00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:32,040
Speaker 1: one of the favorites now to win Wimbledon, considering she

360
00:17:32,080 --> 00:17:34,320
Speaker 1: didn't really like grass as well, she didn't move well

361
00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:36,560
Speaker 1: on it, but she has definitely adapted herself to playing

362
00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:39,879
Speaker 1: on grass, much like Maria Sharapova, who hated playing on clay,

363
00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:42,320
Speaker 1: adapted herself and her game to playing on clay and

364
00:17:42,359 --> 00:17:46,639
Speaker 1: won multiple tournaments. At the French Open, for me, I

365
00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:48,760
Speaker 1: picked Pagoula and I would love to see her win

366
00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:51,080
Speaker 1: a Grand Slam because she's been so good for so

367
00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:53,360
Speaker 1: many years now at that pointy end of a tournament,

368
00:17:53,359 --> 00:17:56,680
Speaker 1: and I've talked about how I really believe that if

369
00:17:56,680 --> 00:17:59,520
Speaker 1: she'd beaten Vondrasova, she would have won Wimbledon that year

370
00:18:00,280 --> 00:18:03,160
Speaker 1: when Vondrosova went on to win the tournament. But part

371
00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:06,679
Speaker 1: of me also is really pulling for Makova because I

372
00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:10,919
Speaker 1: just she's been so close, She's had so many injuries,

373
00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:13,440
Speaker 1: it's been so hard for her to keep herself together.

374
00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:15,800
Speaker 1: And I just feel like with Van Grunfeld as her

375
00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:18,640
Speaker 1: coach as well, he's taken a bunch of players deep

376
00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:20,919
Speaker 1: into Grand Slams and one Grand slams with them, and

377
00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:23,960
Speaker 1: that really makes a difference when you have somebody that's

378
00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:26,920
Speaker 1: in your player box that knows how to manage these moments,

379
00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:30,639
Speaker 1: and so there's no one up that half of the

380
00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:34,399
Speaker 1: draw that I don't like winning this tournament because I

381
00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:36,400
Speaker 1: think it's great for women's tennis because all of them

382
00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:38,280
Speaker 1: deserve to win it. And then you look at the

383
00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:40,359
Speaker 1: bottom half the drawer and it's just like a pick them.

384
00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:42,800
Speaker 1: I mean, who is going to get through to who's

385
00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:44,840
Speaker 1: going to get the final? I mean, I really do

386
00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:47,960
Speaker 1: want Mattie Keyes to just kind of TCB and just

387
00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:51,119
Speaker 1: at least just you know, when the draw opens up

388
00:18:51,160 --> 00:18:54,000
Speaker 1: is oftentimes when I feel like she falls apart, whereas

389
00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:57,240
Speaker 1: you know, like, oh, she's got to get through Rebarkna,

390
00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:00,640
Speaker 1: then Yugoshfountek and then Sablenka and then she do so

391
00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:04,240
Speaker 1: I feel she maybe likes adversity a little bit more. Well,

392
00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:06,840
Speaker 1: the next match is definitely her biggest adversity down there

393
00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:09,720
Speaker 1: for sure, so Miscover is going to be her biggest adversity.

394
00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:12,560
Speaker 1: So it will be interesting to see how that match

395
00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:15,280
Speaker 1: pans out, because, as I already stated, I believe that

396
00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:17,840
Speaker 1: the winner of that match will make the finals.

397
00:19:18,359 --> 00:19:21,320
Speaker 2: If makes sense. Now, I want to we should talk

398
00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:24,479
Speaker 2: about the man, but before we do, I, along with

399
00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:28,119
Speaker 2: the rest of the world, was obviously sad to see

400
00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:32,080
Speaker 2: our two favorite sisters not be able to compete on

401
00:19:32,119 --> 00:19:35,280
Speaker 2: the court together. That was incredibly exciting. It was hinted

402
00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:38,359
Speaker 2: at it was going to happen. Venus looked ready. She

403
00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:42,120
Speaker 2: was like that call must have come like quite late.

404
00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:44,040
Speaker 2: What can you tell us? What do you want to

405
00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:47,920
Speaker 2: talk about in terms of the recapping the Serena experience?

406
00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:50,240
Speaker 2: Just so you know, a lot of other journalists have

407
00:19:50,359 --> 00:19:52,240
Speaker 2: come to me and said, hey, I know you and

408
00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:55,080
Speaker 2: Renee know each other very well, what can you say

409
00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:58,200
Speaker 2: about what Serena's next plan is? And I'm like, listen,

410
00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:02,440
Speaker 2: I first of all, I don't know anything. Second of all, yeah,

411
00:20:02,480 --> 00:20:05,600
Speaker 2: you can ask Grena, but I have a feeling this

412
00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:07,480
Speaker 2: team probably keeps it pretty close to the chest. And

413
00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:11,920
Speaker 2: you know what I what I have observed is that

414
00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:14,000
Speaker 2: you know, Serena is the one who's making the decisions,

415
00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:17,320
Speaker 2: and you know, unless you ask her directly, is anyone's guest.

416
00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:20,199
Speaker 2: So what what's your kind of takeaway from the from

417
00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:22,480
Speaker 2: the wimbled and experience? What do you think maybe Serena's

418
00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:25,160
Speaker 2: takeaway was? And you know, maybe is there a chance

419
00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:27,280
Speaker 2: that we'll see the Williams sisters aren't work together for

420
00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:27,840
Speaker 2: the US hope?

421
00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:30,520
Speaker 1: And first of all, I want to address you know,

422
00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:33,560
Speaker 1: I try not to look at social media in these

423
00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:33,800
Speaker 1: you do.

424
00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:36,080
Speaker 3: It's no no, I really I try not to.

425
00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:38,080
Speaker 1: I try not to let people because there's so many

426
00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:41,600
Speaker 1: dumb things that are written. There's so many ill informed

427
00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:44,639
Speaker 1: people on the internet. There's so many ill informed reporters.

428
00:20:45,320 --> 00:20:48,199
Speaker 1: That's the stuff that are so ill informed and so

429
00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:52,280
Speaker 1: not researched, not thought about. They just think I've got

430
00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:54,040
Speaker 1: a deadline. So I'm going to write whatever I want,

431
00:20:54,480 --> 00:20:56,119
Speaker 1: and I'm going to be whoever I want, and I

432
00:20:56,160 --> 00:20:59,160
Speaker 1: don't care about the ramifications of whatever I say.

433
00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:03,080
Speaker 3: And it's really hard for somebody.

434
00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:05,440
Speaker 1: Like me who is very loyal to people, especially when

435
00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:08,399
Speaker 1: they're my friends, and especially when I've seen the work

436
00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:11,320
Speaker 1: and the effort that went in by Serena, by her team,

437
00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:14,080
Speaker 1: by everyone to get her on that court playing as

438
00:21:14,119 --> 00:21:16,320
Speaker 1: well as she could have played. And the thing that

439
00:21:16,359 --> 00:21:19,040
Speaker 1: bothered me the most is that I would argue and

440
00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:21,680
Speaker 1: say that most players, and most coaches and most people

441
00:21:21,680 --> 00:21:24,920
Speaker 1: that are really students of the game, like really understand

442
00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:27,360
Speaker 1: what it takes to do what Serena did the other day.

443
00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:31,000
Speaker 1: We're all blown away by how well she played, by

444
00:21:31,040 --> 00:21:32,280
Speaker 1: how well she handled the moment.

445
00:21:32,359 --> 00:21:33,680
Speaker 3: They couldn't believe.

446
00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:36,000
Speaker 1: Like you know, Andy Roddick said on his podcast, like

447
00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:38,360
Speaker 1: I cannot imagine taking three and a half years off

448
00:21:38,359 --> 00:21:41,040
Speaker 1: and stepping onto the center court at Wimbledon to play

449
00:21:41,080 --> 00:21:43,120
Speaker 1: my first match in singles. He's like, I would play

450
00:21:43,119 --> 00:21:46,960
Speaker 1: a challenger warm up at least, And I'm like, this

451
00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:49,920
Speaker 1: is where her mind is just different.

452
00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:51,119
Speaker 3: She just is.

453
00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:53,960
Speaker 1: And let me tell you every single time, and she

454
00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:57,040
Speaker 1: said it, so I'm not saying anything that is not

455
00:21:57,119 --> 00:22:00,200
Speaker 1: out there. She gets nervous before every match. You think

456
00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:03,080
Speaker 1: about being a nervous person, even as every player is.

457
00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:05,080
Speaker 1: There's not one player that walks on court there's not nervous,

458
00:22:05,119 --> 00:22:07,399
Speaker 1: and the ones that do don't care and probably retire

459
00:22:07,560 --> 00:22:09,680
Speaker 1: like two months later. But to be able to take

460
00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:12,639
Speaker 1: the pressure of what she did and the expectation of

461
00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:15,040
Speaker 1: what are we going to see right and go out

462
00:22:15,040 --> 00:22:18,080
Speaker 1: there and display the tennis and the shot making and

463
00:22:18,200 --> 00:22:21,520
Speaker 1: the tenacity and the serving and all that sort of

464
00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:25,240
Speaker 1: stuff with not a lot of preparation, certainly no matches

465
00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:27,680
Speaker 1: under a belt for three and a half years was phenomenal.

466
00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:31,320
Speaker 1: And you know, now it's very public about what happened

467
00:22:31,359 --> 00:22:35,480
Speaker 1: to the knee. It was incredibly painful for her. Afterwards.

468
00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:38,280
Speaker 1: You saw as she posted that the amount of fluid

469
00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:41,479
Speaker 1: that she drained out of her knee, and that was

470
00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:43,080
Speaker 1: not the case going on the court.

471
00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:44,760
Speaker 3: So you know a lot of people like you know,

472
00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:45,879
Speaker 3: was injured before it.

473
00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:47,840
Speaker 1: No, this was somebody who went out in the court

474
00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:50,000
Speaker 1: and as she said, she tweaked it in the first

475
00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:53,080
Speaker 1: part of the.

476
00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:53,240
Speaker 3: Latter part of the first set.

477
00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:55,679
Speaker 1: And if you go and watch the match, she's rubbing

478
00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:58,760
Speaker 1: her legs constantly on every single change over which if

479
00:22:58,760 --> 00:23:00,879
Speaker 1: you've ever watched the Serena Wims, she doesn't do that.

480
00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:03,600
Speaker 1: So that was a concern for us. As we were

481
00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:06,119
Speaker 1: talking to me, I was like, she keeps rubbing legs.

482
00:23:06,119 --> 00:23:06,760
Speaker 3: This is not great.

483
00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:08,359
Speaker 1: You know, I thought her legs were going in the

484
00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:11,080
Speaker 1: third but she, you know, said, I actually felt great.

485
00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:14,240
Speaker 1: It was just the knee. She just couldn't adjust to

486
00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:17,080
Speaker 1: certain balls behind her or whatever it was. And we

487
00:23:17,119 --> 00:23:18,919
Speaker 1: saw that, and so you have people out there she

488
00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:21,600
Speaker 1: couldn't even move, she's not in shape. I'm like, it's

489
00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:24,080
Speaker 1: so hard to not defend somebody that, you know, when

490
00:23:24,119 --> 00:23:25,919
Speaker 1: you see them off the court when they finished the

491
00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:28,359
Speaker 1: match and see what they are dealing with on the

492
00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:31,320
Speaker 1: pain threshold and the effort that she still put it

493
00:23:31,320 --> 00:23:33,920
Speaker 1: in for the public and for her fans and everyone

494
00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:36,240
Speaker 1: out there. So it really did piss me off. And

495
00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:38,679
Speaker 1: it's really hard to not reply to a lot of

496
00:23:38,720 --> 00:23:43,840
Speaker 1: these absolute clowns on the internet because they are they're

497
00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:46,800
Speaker 1: making statements, and it actually made me think about the

498
00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:49,679
Speaker 1: way I would talk about any sports athlete that I

499
00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:51,600
Speaker 1: see now in a lot of ways to say, you

500
00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:54,080
Speaker 1: know what, we don't know everything, We don't know everything,

501
00:23:54,640 --> 00:23:57,360
Speaker 1: and so you know, of course, the connotation of like, oh,

502
00:23:57,359 --> 00:24:00,159
Speaker 1: she didn't come to press, typical, typical. I'm like, if

503
00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:01,920
Speaker 1: you saw her after the match, she would know exactly

504
00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:03,920
Speaker 1: why she didn't go to press. You saw what was

505
00:24:03,960 --> 00:24:06,919
Speaker 1: drained down to her leg. It's like she would have

506
00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:09,159
Speaker 1: loved I'm quite certain that she would have loved to

507
00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:11,919
Speaker 1: have gone into press and like thanked the tournament for

508
00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:14,439
Speaker 1: giving the wild card. She would have spoken about the

509
00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:16,439
Speaker 1: joy of being on that court again. She was in

510
00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:19,000
Speaker 1: tremendous pain when she came with the court. She was

511
00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:21,240
Speaker 1: not going to go to press, to a press conference,

512
00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:23,960
Speaker 1: and the club and the doctors were very adamant about

513
00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:27,240
Speaker 1: she didn't need to go because everyone saw how much

514
00:24:27,240 --> 00:24:29,880
Speaker 1: pain she was in so it's like it just as

515
00:24:29,880 --> 00:24:32,600
Speaker 1: a friend and as somebody who does as you know, Caitlin,

516
00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:34,359
Speaker 1: I will fight to the death for my people.

517
00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:37,080
Speaker 2: Yeah, I want you in my trenches, and I've had

518
00:24:37,119 --> 00:24:41,920
Speaker 2: you in my trenches. So yes, I understand that, even

519
00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:44,280
Speaker 2: just saying what you said about how it was frustrating

520
00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:47,600
Speaker 2: to see a lot of irresponsible commentary.

521
00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:49,919
Speaker 3: And from journalists that are like, and don't you worry

522
00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:53,480
Speaker 3: to all of them out there, tick tick tick.

523
00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:56,040
Speaker 1: I know exactly the ones that supported her, I know

524
00:24:56,119 --> 00:24:58,560
Speaker 1: exactly the ones that made the shitty comments, and those

525
00:24:58,560 --> 00:25:00,639
Speaker 1: people will not be getting any quite for me.

526
00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:01,080
Speaker 3: Ever.

527
00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:02,720
Speaker 2: Again, I do want to sort of speak to the

528
00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:06,160
Speaker 2: journalism part of that, because people are fans. Serena's fans

529
00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:09,840
Speaker 2: are very very fervent, Syrienus detractors are very very fervent.

530
00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:13,840
Speaker 2: I think that's you can't have a supernova of a personality,

531
00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:16,919
Speaker 2: of a star, of somebody who's accomplished so much on

532
00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:19,480
Speaker 2: the tennis court without having a lot of strong.

533
00:25:19,359 --> 00:25:23,280
Speaker 1: Tell the racism. It's it's heavy out there too, because

534
00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:25,560
Speaker 1: a lot of some of the comments were so disgusting.

535
00:25:26,119 --> 00:25:31,520
Speaker 2: Car and the misogyny as well, you know, that's you know,

536
00:25:31,600 --> 00:25:34,600
Speaker 2: those two often go hand in hand. I think for me,

537
00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:37,520
Speaker 2: the thing that I find really really frustrating about a

538
00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:40,000
Speaker 2: lot of the tennis journalism is, even though we've seen

539
00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:44,960
Speaker 2: some newer entrants, we've had better, more prominent hires in

540
00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:49,359
Speaker 2: the space. You know, shout out to Matt Futterman at

541
00:25:49,359 --> 00:25:51,200
Speaker 2: the New York Times, who's you know, wrote a great

542
00:25:51,359 --> 00:25:53,959
Speaker 2: OCCA piece. Shout out to you know, some of the

543
00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:58,040
Speaker 2: some of the journalists, you know, Ava Wallace at the Athletic. Like,

544
00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:00,320
Speaker 2: there's some really good, smart people in the space, ask

545
00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:02,560
Speaker 2: good questions and who are not being controversial for the

546
00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:04,680
Speaker 2: sake of being controversial, but a lot of them need

547
00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:06,560
Speaker 2: an editor. A lot of them are writing for their

548
00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:10,120
Speaker 2: sort of substacks or their hobby blogs or whatever, and

549
00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:16,000
Speaker 2: they don't owe a newsroom the kind of veracity and

550
00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:19,920
Speaker 2: you know, sort of fact by the book that a

551
00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:24,920
Speaker 2: fact checked, newsroom centric piece of journalism would would need

552
00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:27,000
Speaker 2: to have. They just hit publish and then it's not

553
00:26:27,080 --> 00:26:30,359
Speaker 2: out there. And you know, I think it's still very

554
00:26:30,440 --> 00:26:32,720
Speaker 2: very frustrating to me at the level of professionalism a

555
00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:35,000
Speaker 2: lot of the media. I mean, the only thing I'll

556
00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:37,000
Speaker 2: say about Serena is I was excited to see her back.

557
00:26:37,040 --> 00:26:40,600
Speaker 2: I thought she looked great. She played and the results

558
00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:43,199
Speaker 2: were better than I was expecting, candidly, and I was

559
00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:45,520
Speaker 2: just really sad to not see the sisters play because

560
00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:46,880
Speaker 2: I like see the sisters playing. I hope I get

561
00:26:46,880 --> 00:26:47,560
Speaker 2: to see them play.

562
00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:50,240
Speaker 1: Yeah, and I can tell you that it was a

563
00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:54,560
Speaker 1: very heavy weighted thought process and not play the doubles

564
00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:57,639
Speaker 1: because as you can imagine, Serena wanted to play with

565
00:26:57,680 --> 00:26:58,080
Speaker 1: her sister.

566
00:26:58,240 --> 00:26:59,919
Speaker 3: She wanted to play that last time and.

567
00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:04,679
Speaker 1: Make that, you know, make a golden run or a moment,

568
00:27:04,840 --> 00:27:08,320
Speaker 1: and everyone wanted to see that. I saw a piece

569
00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:11,440
Speaker 1: friend of mine who cuts and does it edits the

570
00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:13,800
Speaker 1: beautiful vignettes that they do with the music and everything

571
00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:16,600
Speaker 1: for us for ESPN actually sent it to me what

572
00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:17,120
Speaker 1: they did.

573
00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:19,080
Speaker 3: The public never got to see it. I got to

574
00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:19,359
Speaker 3: see it.

575
00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:21,520
Speaker 1: It was so beautiful to watch this old film and

576
00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:25,400
Speaker 1: then playing. And yeah, I mean it was really hard

577
00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:28,200
Speaker 1: for Serena to not step on the court with Venus,

578
00:27:28,240 --> 00:27:29,160
Speaker 1: and Venus was playing well.

579
00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:30,520
Speaker 3: I saw her play mixed the day before and she

580
00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:31,320
Speaker 3: was serving great.

581
00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:34,080
Speaker 2: Yeah, so we should take a break in a second

582
00:27:34,119 --> 00:27:36,600
Speaker 2: before we get on the man. But last question before

583
00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:40,439
Speaker 2: we do. Do you have any inside information? Do you

584
00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:43,960
Speaker 2: know what we can expect next? You know, is there

585
00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:45,639
Speaker 2: a plan or is it kind of just more like

586
00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:47,520
Speaker 2: evolving and we'll see what happens kind of thing.

587
00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:51,920
Speaker 1: You know, every decision a week to week is literally serenus,

588
00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:54,160
Speaker 1: and you know, she gives us a plan and we

589
00:27:54,480 --> 00:27:56,480
Speaker 1: try and execute it for her and get her to

590
00:27:56,520 --> 00:27:59,440
Speaker 1: that position. Clearly, there's a lot for her to deal

591
00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:02,080
Speaker 1: with right now with this knee and getting it to

592
00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:05,000
Speaker 1: a healthier spot, and then we'll go from there. But

593
00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:07,760
Speaker 1: I already said it's out there in the ap that

594
00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:09,920
Speaker 1: does she want to keep playing? Absolutely, she wants to

595
00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:12,600
Speaker 1: keep playing. Does she want to eventually likely play the

596
00:28:12,680 --> 00:28:14,920
Speaker 1: US Open? I'm sure she wants to play the US Open.

597
00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:17,199
Speaker 1: But just like the decision that was made here, it

598
00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:20,800
Speaker 1: is one hundred percent her decision. We do not talk

599
00:28:20,800 --> 00:28:25,520
Speaker 1: her into either or play not We you know, sit

600
00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:28,920
Speaker 1: with her and she makes a decision and whatever decision

601
00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:31,960
Speaker 1: she chooses to make, then we will go with that.

602
00:28:32,119 --> 00:28:33,560
Speaker 3: But does she want to keep playing?

603
00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:34,840
Speaker 1: Yes, of course she wants to keep playing, but she

604
00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:37,960
Speaker 1: also has to take care of her her body right now,

605
00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:39,760
Speaker 1: and then I think she'll be of a lot clearer

606
00:28:39,760 --> 00:28:42,720
Speaker 1: in her thought process once that happens. All right, let's

607
00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:44,800
Speaker 1: take a break. We'll come back. After the break, we'll

608
00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:46,120
Speaker 1: talk about the dudes.

609
00:29:00,920 --> 00:29:02,360
Speaker 2: Okay, let's talk about the dudes.

610
00:29:02,720 --> 00:29:03,760
Speaker 3: Let's talk about the dudes.

611
00:29:04,240 --> 00:29:08,800
Speaker 1: Janick Sinner, it's kind of been slowly getting into the tournament.

612
00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:14,040
Speaker 1: Started very shaky, understandably, Ketchmenovich is a type of player

613
00:29:14,040 --> 00:29:16,959
Speaker 1: that can frustrate a lot of players. But he's slowly

614
00:29:17,040 --> 00:29:21,040
Speaker 1: starting to get his confidence back. He's starting to look

615
00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:23,920
Speaker 1: like the player that we expect to be the favorite.

616
00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:26,360
Speaker 1: But it's kind of almost interesting in a lot of

617
00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:29,920
Speaker 1: ways because you see the human side of any athlete,

618
00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:33,160
Speaker 1: and what happened to him at the French Open, for sure,

619
00:29:33,160 --> 00:29:35,880
Speaker 1: would have dented a lot of confidence in his ability

620
00:29:36,240 --> 00:29:38,640
Speaker 1: to be able to hang in long matches to put

621
00:29:38,680 --> 00:29:41,800
Speaker 1: these guys away easier. And so for me, it's kind

622
00:29:41,800 --> 00:29:44,920
Speaker 1: of really I love Yanick. Everybody knows I love Yanick.

623
00:29:44,960 --> 00:29:46,360
Speaker 1: I played golf with him a couple of weeks ago.

624
00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:49,040
Speaker 1: He's a great guy and so and Darren k. Hill

625
00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:52,040
Speaker 1: is one of my very very good friends. So I

626
00:29:52,080 --> 00:29:53,680
Speaker 1: love him and I want him to do well all

627
00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:55,400
Speaker 1: the time. But it kind of adds a little bit

628
00:29:55,400 --> 00:29:58,200
Speaker 1: more spice to the tournament that we may be expected.

629
00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:01,520
Speaker 1: And of course, no Djokovic, what is it one hundred

630
00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:04,280
Speaker 1: and six matches or something that he won at Wimbledon tonight,

631
00:30:04,360 --> 00:30:07,440
Speaker 1: Like it's insane, and he looks very good.

632
00:30:07,520 --> 00:30:09,640
Speaker 2: I watched that Djokovic match. He looked, I mean, he was.

633
00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:11,920
Speaker 2: It's always funny because you're, like, you've won this tournament

634
00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:14,160
Speaker 2: so many times, you have the most Grand slams on

635
00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:18,000
Speaker 2: the men's side, ever you are still talking about yourself

636
00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:22,280
Speaker 2: flailing around being the underdog. I mean, he just needs

637
00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:25,880
Speaker 2: to get into that mindset to get fired up. That's

638
00:30:25,920 --> 00:30:29,240
Speaker 2: just obviously what he's doing. It's like, uh, it's this

639
00:30:29,720 --> 00:30:34,480
Speaker 2: you know, mental sort of gymnastics that he does. Even

640
00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:38,560
Speaker 2: when everything's going right, he's still, you know, carrying on

641
00:30:38,640 --> 00:30:40,520
Speaker 2: like a pork chap. As my good friend Renee Stubs

642
00:30:40,520 --> 00:30:43,280
Speaker 2: would say, he looked great today. He looks smooth, you know.

643
00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:46,080
Speaker 2: Sephfielin was a was a qualifier, but he's given lots

644
00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:48,000
Speaker 2: of good players lots of trouble. That was not a

645
00:30:48,080 --> 00:30:51,200
Speaker 2: routine match. No, Bak Djokovic made it look routine. He served,

646
00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:53,360
Speaker 2: he came well for he came forward really well. He

647
00:30:53,440 --> 00:30:57,840
Speaker 2: was just moving really beautifully, and yeah, if he's going

648
00:30:57,880 --> 00:31:00,800
Speaker 2: to get one more slam, which is certainly passable, this

649
00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:04,040
Speaker 2: would be the one I would pick for him to win.

650
00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:06,880
Speaker 2: And I think just spoke what you said about center.

651
00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:10,480
Speaker 2: She doesn't have a terribly difficult section of the draw.

652
00:31:10,600 --> 00:31:14,800
Speaker 2: I expect him to go through. Yeah, but Djokovic is

653
00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:18,800
Speaker 2: in his half, and I actually would maybe pick Djokovic

654
00:31:18,880 --> 00:31:21,200
Speaker 2: over Center if the if that came to pass.

655
00:31:21,760 --> 00:31:23,920
Speaker 1: So I just feel like that Janick, once it gets

656
00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:26,000
Speaker 1: to a point where he has to play someone like

657
00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:29,760
Speaker 1: a Djokovic, the intensity just goes up, and I think that,

658
00:31:30,080 --> 00:31:32,840
Speaker 1: believe it or not, Novak sort of also feels like,

659
00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:35,560
Speaker 1: can I beat this guy again? He did boo him

660
00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:36,960
Speaker 1: at this Strain Open. I know that a couple of

661
00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:39,280
Speaker 1: years ago, so he's quite capable of doing it. There's

662
00:31:39,320 --> 00:31:41,280
Speaker 1: a lot more tennis still to go. It's it's not

663
00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:44,480
Speaker 1: done and dusted. You know, they're not in the semi

664
00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:46,680
Speaker 1: finals quite yet, so they're still a little bit more

665
00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:49,040
Speaker 1: to go. Of course, you know her Couch and Streff,

666
00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:51,640
Speaker 1: these types of players can beat anyone on a on

667
00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:54,800
Speaker 1: a grass court, and they're up his Yanick section of

668
00:31:54,840 --> 00:31:57,400
Speaker 1: the draw, and of course Novak will play the winner

669
00:31:57,480 --> 00:32:01,920
Speaker 1: of my favorite, Felix, yes, seem no, that's your favorite?

670
00:32:01,960 --> 00:32:03,480
Speaker 1: My favorite saying name.

671
00:32:04,200 --> 00:32:08,200
Speaker 3: Is Vitovich Davidovich for Quina it is are.

672
00:32:08,040 --> 00:32:11,200
Speaker 1: They are in an absolute tussle right now. They are

673
00:32:11,320 --> 00:32:15,400
Speaker 1: in the fifth set, so I just feel like this

674
00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:17,680
Speaker 1: is a long way to go. There's a lot of

675
00:32:17,760 --> 00:32:21,720
Speaker 1: tennis still to be played. Felix, I just I just

676
00:32:21,760 --> 00:32:23,960
Speaker 1: don't know. I don't know if he has it what

677
00:32:24,120 --> 00:32:27,320
Speaker 1: it takes to get it done. So I feel like

678
00:32:27,440 --> 00:32:30,200
Speaker 1: Novak is definitely the favorite to get through there. And yes,

679
00:32:30,280 --> 00:32:32,440
Speaker 1: it's very likely that we're going to see Janick and

680
00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:36,440
Speaker 1: Novak in the semis, and I don't know it could happen.

681
00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:39,000
Speaker 2: I think it would be a fantastic match. This would

682
00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:42,720
Speaker 2: break my heart because I'm so team Felix. I spent

683
00:32:42,840 --> 00:32:44,880
Speaker 2: most of the week up in Montreal, my hometown and

684
00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:48,840
Speaker 2: his hometown, reliving some of my early years, but also

685
00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:51,120
Speaker 2: learning about what tennis Montreal has been doing with all

686
00:32:51,160 --> 00:32:53,480
Speaker 2: these players and why there's so many good young montrealers

687
00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:55,520
Speaker 2: and Felix I don't need to tell you is the

688
00:32:55,600 --> 00:32:59,400
Speaker 2: patron scenes of Montreal tennis. He is such a beloved

689
00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:02,360
Speaker 2: a good reason kid. I think the thing with him

690
00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:04,880
Speaker 2: is does he have the grit? He's he moves beautifully,

691
00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:07,480
Speaker 2: he's got a great game, but he doesn't really show

692
00:33:07,520 --> 00:33:09,680
Speaker 2: up in these these pointy ends of tournaments. Him getting

693
00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:10,880
Speaker 2: to the Semis last year at you I was open,

694
00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:13,200
Speaker 2: I thought was a major breakthrough. And then on Clay

695
00:33:13,280 --> 00:33:16,160
Speaker 2: this year, he he fell at the at the French

696
00:33:16,240 --> 00:33:17,880
Speaker 2: in a way that I think, you know, he even

697
00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:20,760
Speaker 2: admitted was gutting and absolutely kind of destroyed him.

698
00:33:21,080 --> 00:33:23,800
Speaker 1: So well, the good thing is he's up to to

699
00:33:24,200 --> 00:33:27,080
Speaker 1: to Love in the fifth set, so likelihood is with

700
00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:30,520
Speaker 1: his serve he should get through this match, so I hope.

701
00:33:30,560 --> 00:33:32,640
Speaker 2: So, but yeah, he's still got bitch to contend with,

702
00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:35,240
Speaker 2: and and you know, center center lurks at the top.

703
00:33:35,520 --> 00:33:38,440
Speaker 2: Let's talk about the other half. I, among many many people,

704
00:33:38,680 --> 00:33:42,680
Speaker 2: was super sad to see Tiafo not come through against

705
00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:46,920
Speaker 2: Bublick in the fifth set yesterday. Bublick now has Taylor

706
00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:50,360
Speaker 2: Fritz who looks great. Actually, I'm happy that Taylor Fittz

707
00:33:50,440 --> 00:33:52,480
Speaker 2: is happy and healthy. It feels like for a lot

708
00:33:52,560 --> 00:33:55,200
Speaker 2: of these guys, happy and healthy is a is a

709
00:33:55,280 --> 00:33:59,360
Speaker 2: big deal. One person I am absolutely completely thrilled for.

710
00:33:59,680 --> 00:34:02,400
Speaker 2: Actually two in fact are the gentlemen who played till

711
00:34:02,440 --> 00:34:05,160
Speaker 2: five sets very late last night, which was Grigor Dimitrov

712
00:34:05,800 --> 00:34:09,080
Speaker 2: and Materio Bertini. The fact that nobody got hurt, the

713
00:34:09,200 --> 00:34:13,400
Speaker 2: fact that they played like gladiators, and the fact that

714
00:34:13,480 --> 00:34:19,239
Speaker 2: we saw like vintage baby fed Era Dimitrov after last year,

715
00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:22,520
Speaker 2: him being up two sets to love on center terrace

716
00:34:22,600 --> 00:34:25,439
Speaker 2: is peck wide open on center Courton has to stop

717
00:34:25,480 --> 00:34:28,240
Speaker 2: the match. What a tragic ending that was to his Wimbledon.

718
00:34:28,320 --> 00:34:31,920
Speaker 2: I hope this guy, for the feel goods that he

719
00:34:32,080 --> 00:34:35,320
Speaker 2: is owed, goes very very deep, because I think his

720
00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:38,879
Speaker 2: half of the draw is very, very very winnable. That's

721
00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:40,400
Speaker 2: not to say I think Grigor di Mitrov is going

722
00:34:40,440 --> 00:34:43,040
Speaker 2: to come through. But here's who's in the this part

723
00:34:43,080 --> 00:34:48,439
Speaker 2: of the draw. Deminar tomorrow plays Koboli, great lovely guys.

724
00:34:48,800 --> 00:34:52,839
Speaker 2: I don't see either of them winning Wimbledon. Dimitrov has

725
00:34:53,120 --> 00:34:57,800
Speaker 2: the very young Faery Fritz plays Bublik and Jerry Lahechka

726
00:34:57,840 --> 00:35:00,360
Speaker 2: has Alex Severev who just won his first line. And

727
00:35:00,480 --> 00:35:02,680
Speaker 2: who is the second seed That said, I don't know,

728
00:35:02,760 --> 00:35:03,960
Speaker 2: I don't know, I don't know who I like in

729
00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:06,720
Speaker 2: that section of the draw except Grigor Dimitrov.

730
00:35:07,120 --> 00:35:09,040
Speaker 1: I think if gret I saw him today when I

731
00:35:09,080 --> 00:35:13,279
Speaker 1: was leaving, he looked really relaxed, very happy, clearly.

732
00:35:13,640 --> 00:35:16,399
Speaker 3: But almost with this quiet like it's not over. It's

733
00:35:16,480 --> 00:35:20,520
Speaker 3: not over. My friends. Fate in absolutely And would I

734
00:35:20,680 --> 00:35:24,600
Speaker 3: live nothing more than to see greg Or Demetrov whin Wimbledon.

735
00:35:25,120 --> 00:35:26,080
Speaker 3: Oh you better believe it.

736
00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:32,279
Speaker 1: And is he arguably the most creative tennis player still

737
00:35:32,360 --> 00:35:35,239
Speaker 1: left in the drawer, Oh you better believe it. That

738
00:35:35,400 --> 00:35:37,800
Speaker 1: backhand that he hit down the line to get the

739
00:35:37,880 --> 00:35:40,960
Speaker 1: break on Berrettini, the return that he hit that game

740
00:35:41,040 --> 00:35:43,520
Speaker 1: he played at one all in the fifth was redundculous.

741
00:35:43,680 --> 00:35:46,080
Speaker 3: It was unbelievable. And as a one handed back.

742
00:35:46,040 --> 00:35:48,399
Speaker 1: End player, I was just like, holy shit to take

743
00:35:48,440 --> 00:35:51,000
Speaker 1: that serve and just bunt that return back. And a

744
00:35:51,040 --> 00:35:52,480
Speaker 1: couple of times I said, were you waiting on a

745
00:35:52,640 --> 00:35:54,000
Speaker 1: were you waiting on the backhand?

746
00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:54,719
Speaker 3: Would you have a grip?

747
00:35:54,719 --> 00:35:56,279
Speaker 1: Because you know, as a one hand I know you

748
00:35:56,320 --> 00:35:58,400
Speaker 1: can either slice, hit over the top of it, or

749
00:35:58,480 --> 00:36:01,279
Speaker 1: hit a fourhand, and you're forehand grip is often your

750
00:36:01,320 --> 00:36:05,200
Speaker 1: slice backhand grip, right, So most one handers will stand

751
00:36:05,280 --> 00:36:07,600
Speaker 1: with their forehand grips and then if they serve to

752
00:36:07,640 --> 00:36:09,319
Speaker 1: the back end, you can ship it back in the court.

753
00:36:09,840 --> 00:36:12,080
Speaker 1: And he said on that one, I was waiting for it, baby,

754
00:36:12,120 --> 00:36:14,279
Speaker 1: and I had my top spin backhand. So if you're

755
00:36:14,280 --> 00:36:16,520
Speaker 1: waiting with the top spin, I mean, if you're waiting

756
00:36:16,560 --> 00:36:18,200
Speaker 1: to the top spin back end and they go to

757
00:36:18,239 --> 00:36:20,480
Speaker 1: your forehand, you have to switch your grip, which is

758
00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:22,920
Speaker 1: you can do it. Obviously you used to it, but

759
00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:24,799
Speaker 1: when that ball's on you at one hundred and forty

760
00:36:24,840 --> 00:36:27,360
Speaker 1: miles an hour, you better make a quick choice. And

761
00:36:27,480 --> 00:36:29,719
Speaker 1: he was waiting on it, and he just plumbed it

762
00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:31,200
Speaker 1: right in the middle of the rack, and it's the

763
00:36:31,320 --> 00:36:33,160
Speaker 1: best feeling in the world when you sort of guess.

764
00:36:34,400 --> 00:36:36,120
Speaker 1: So you know, I did ask him because I was like,

765
00:36:36,160 --> 00:36:38,600
Speaker 1: I'm curious because he and I have, you know, the

766
00:36:38,680 --> 00:36:41,279
Speaker 1: same sort of way we hit the ball, and I'm like,

767
00:36:41,440 --> 00:36:42,840
Speaker 1: were you standing with the top spin grip and he

768
00:36:42,840 --> 00:36:43,880
Speaker 1: goes on that one I was I.

769
00:36:43,960 --> 00:36:46,640
Speaker 2: Was like, yes, Well, it's amazing. The commentators on that

770
00:36:46,719 --> 00:36:52,560
Speaker 2: match we were noting that on break point down Berttini

771
00:36:52,640 --> 00:36:56,440
Speaker 2: had only gone body or tea on Dimitrov and that

772
00:36:56,560 --> 00:36:58,640
Speaker 2: was the first time he went out wide to the backhand,

773
00:36:58,680 --> 00:36:59,359
Speaker 2: and he paid the price.

774
00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:01,239
Speaker 1: He picked rung No, no, no, it was out of

775
00:37:01,239 --> 00:37:02,520
Speaker 1: the way around. This was the first time he went

776
00:37:02,560 --> 00:37:05,000
Speaker 1: to the tee. He'd been serving wide the whole time

777
00:37:05,080 --> 00:37:07,120
Speaker 1: in the tournament. He'd ned and go tea one time

778
00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:08,680
Speaker 1: and he chose to go to the forehand and he

779
00:37:08,760 --> 00:37:10,080
Speaker 1: chipped it back in the court and he ended up

780
00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:13,200
Speaker 1: winning the point. It was the opposite so so it

781
00:37:13,320 --> 00:37:15,840
Speaker 1: was shocking that he decided. The backhand he hit was

782
00:37:15,880 --> 00:37:18,480
Speaker 1: on the first court, so he hit the inside out

783
00:37:18,520 --> 00:37:20,960
Speaker 1: back end. I was the second on the break point

784
00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:23,640
Speaker 1: he served down the tee instead of going wide, and

785
00:37:23,640 --> 00:37:25,640
Speaker 1: it was the first time on any break point that

786
00:37:25,719 --> 00:37:27,360
Speaker 1: he hadn't gone wide.

787
00:37:27,719 --> 00:37:30,319
Speaker 2: I stand corrected Demitrum would I would love to see

788
00:37:30,360 --> 00:37:30,640
Speaker 2: him on it.

789
00:37:30,800 --> 00:37:33,759
Speaker 1: What do you think about chest What do you think

790
00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:37,600
Speaker 1: about bublic look? I think is what type of playing.

791
00:37:38,120 --> 00:37:41,319
Speaker 1: I think that Taylor will win that match. I think

792
00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:44,200
Speaker 1: that he's finding his form at just the perfect time.

793
00:37:44,280 --> 00:37:47,439
Speaker 1: Bublick is not easy to play, but I just feel

794
00:37:47,480 --> 00:37:51,000
Speaker 1: like Taylor will be a little bit too. I don't

795
00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:52,839
Speaker 1: want to say professional, but I just feel like he'll

796
00:37:52,880 --> 00:37:56,040
Speaker 1: be just, you know, nails down. I think he's been

797
00:37:56,080 --> 00:37:59,000
Speaker 1: building through this last couple of weeks. He's done quite well.

798
00:37:59,080 --> 00:38:01,400
Speaker 1: He's lost some big match against Americans, believe it or not,

799
00:38:01,600 --> 00:38:05,680
Speaker 1: in Ben Shelton and Francis Tiafo. But the thing about Taylor,

800
00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:08,959
Speaker 1: he turns up at the Grand slams Now, he turns

801
00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:11,200
Speaker 1: up at the Majors, and he did in Australia because

802
00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:13,480
Speaker 1: he wasn't fit enough, and the Franchi is you know,

803
00:38:13,600 --> 00:38:16,040
Speaker 1: the clay is still not' you know whatever, and I

804
00:38:16,200 --> 00:38:18,319
Speaker 1: still don't think he was really physically ready. I think

805
00:38:18,320 --> 00:38:21,879
Speaker 1: he's physically finally at match fitness. So I see him

806
00:38:21,880 --> 00:38:22,520
Speaker 1: winning that match.

807
00:38:23,239 --> 00:38:25,480
Speaker 3: And if he does, who plays Verev?

808
00:38:26,160 --> 00:38:28,719
Speaker 1: If Zverev beats Lahitchka, which there's no guarantee he's going

809
00:38:28,760 --> 00:38:31,240
Speaker 1: to beat Leahchica because Lahitchka can play on this surface.

810
00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:34,879
Speaker 3: Taylor beats Verev every single time.

811
00:38:35,320 --> 00:38:36,240
Speaker 2: I hope he's stretching.

812
00:38:36,840 --> 00:38:39,400
Speaker 1: I mean every single time. He doesn't lose to Zverev,

813
00:38:39,680 --> 00:38:41,600
Speaker 1: so mentally he has it over him. Game Wise he

814
00:38:41,680 --> 00:38:44,160
Speaker 1: has it over him, so it's very POSSI I did

815
00:38:44,200 --> 00:38:45,800
Speaker 1: say there was going to be an American in the Semis,

816
00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:47,480
Speaker 1: and I do believe it will be Taylor. Fritz and

817
00:38:47,640 --> 00:38:49,400
Speaker 1: I think it'll be Taylor against Gregor.

818
00:38:49,760 --> 00:38:53,040
Speaker 2: Well, that would be a match that I also would

819
00:38:53,080 --> 00:38:56,080
Speaker 2: feel great about anybody going through. I truly would. I

820
00:38:56,120 --> 00:38:59,320
Speaker 2: think that would be a fantastic outcome. There are sometimes

821
00:38:59,400 --> 00:39:02,759
Speaker 2: these tournaments I just root for good tennis and I

822
00:39:02,880 --> 00:39:05,359
Speaker 2: love watching good matchups, and so that's why so many

823
00:39:05,400 --> 00:39:07,279
Speaker 2: of these matches have been really fun, because it gives

824
00:39:07,280 --> 00:39:11,480
Speaker 2: you a chance to understand stylistic differences, personality differences. You know,

825
00:39:12,320 --> 00:39:14,040
Speaker 2: a lot of these guys are as different as night

826
00:39:14,080 --> 00:39:18,680
Speaker 2: and day sometimes and it's rare, truly because I like

827
00:39:18,719 --> 00:39:21,160
Speaker 2: to keep him an open mind. But on occasion it'll

828
00:39:21,239 --> 00:39:23,920
Speaker 2: just be like, I hope this person does not win

829
00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:26,239
Speaker 2: a point. And there are very few players like that,

830
00:39:26,840 --> 00:39:28,840
Speaker 2: you know, there's one in the men's drop now, But

831
00:39:28,960 --> 00:39:31,200
Speaker 2: other than that, it's like, this is full of interesting,

832
00:39:31,320 --> 00:39:33,640
Speaker 2: cool players that I though, I would very much like

833
00:39:33,920 --> 00:39:36,759
Speaker 2: to see get through the very end stages. And like,

834
00:39:37,080 --> 00:39:41,040
Speaker 2: like you said, I could see a Taylor Grigor showdown,

835
00:39:41,080 --> 00:39:42,960
Speaker 2: and I think that Mezra would be better off for it,

836
00:39:43,040 --> 00:39:43,359
Speaker 2: for sure.

837
00:39:43,719 --> 00:39:44,920
Speaker 3: There's a lot of great stories.

838
00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:46,560
Speaker 1: There's a lot of great stories in the men's and

839
00:39:46,600 --> 00:39:49,960
Speaker 1: the women's One is you know, I failed to mention

840
00:39:50,040 --> 00:39:52,480
Speaker 1: the fact that, if you know, Alex Demonor were to

841
00:39:52,600 --> 00:39:57,160
Speaker 1: win against Koboli, which I think he probably will, it

842
00:39:57,160 --> 00:39:59,520
Speaker 1: would also be lovely to see him reach a semi

843
00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:01,760
Speaker 1: final for the first time out of a major.

844
00:40:01,840 --> 00:40:04,439
Speaker 3: He's made the quarters. You know, he's been so close

845
00:40:04,560 --> 00:40:05,360
Speaker 3: so many times.

846
00:40:06,080 --> 00:40:08,520
Speaker 1: So you know, from Australian standpoint and from Alex he's

847
00:40:08,600 --> 00:40:10,319
Speaker 1: just the greatest guy and he works his ass off.

848
00:40:10,360 --> 00:40:11,239
Speaker 3: I'd love to see him.

849
00:40:11,239 --> 00:40:14,000
Speaker 1: And of course he's you know, his fiance is English

850
00:40:14,160 --> 00:40:16,520
Speaker 1: in you know, Katie Bolt, and so he'll have a

851
00:40:16,560 --> 00:40:20,879
Speaker 1: lot of support behind him here in England. But yeah,

852
00:40:20,920 --> 00:40:23,280
Speaker 1: there's just a lot of great stories for me Gregor

853
00:40:23,480 --> 00:40:25,600
Speaker 1: coming back after what happened last year. And don't forget

854
00:40:25,640 --> 00:40:28,040
Speaker 1: he was up two sets to love against Janick Sinner

855
00:40:28,040 --> 00:40:29,759
Speaker 1: who went on to win the tournament, and one not

856
00:40:29,960 --> 00:40:32,840
Speaker 1: fairly comfortable in the final against our Ciaz.

857
00:40:33,320 --> 00:40:36,719
Speaker 3: So if you're Gregor and you're his coach.

858
00:40:36,920 --> 00:40:39,960
Speaker 1: You say, my friend, you are arguably the best player

859
00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:42,359
Speaker 1: on grass still left in this tournament, and at your

860
00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:45,040
Speaker 1: age you have the experience you can do this. A

861
00:40:45,120 --> 00:40:46,960
Speaker 1: lot of tennis still to go though, and that's.

862
00:40:46,840 --> 00:40:47,319
Speaker 3: Why we're here.

863
00:40:47,840 --> 00:40:50,160
Speaker 1: That's right, So who do you see you have to pick?

864
00:40:50,520 --> 00:40:54,680
Speaker 1: Predicting is doesn't make me excited. I think you think

865
00:40:54,800 --> 00:40:59,080
Speaker 1: Naomi is looking good? Is looking good unbelievable?

866
00:40:59,320 --> 00:41:01,040
Speaker 2: I think she's sure very well. I could also see

867
00:41:01,080 --> 00:41:04,000
Speaker 2: Makova with winning this. I have a hard time disaggregating

868
00:41:04,080 --> 00:41:06,160
Speaker 2: who I want to win with who I think will win.

869
00:41:07,239 --> 00:41:11,400
Speaker 2: So I just want there to be very, very strong matches.

870
00:41:11,560 --> 00:41:16,040
Speaker 2: I think what happened last year with Nissimova was brutal,

871
00:41:16,160 --> 00:41:20,040
Speaker 2: and I think what has happened, you know this year

872
00:41:20,120 --> 00:41:22,439
Speaker 2: in the French Open was brutal on the men's side,

873
00:41:22,920 --> 00:41:25,640
Speaker 2: like that just wasn't a high quality match. And you know,

874
00:41:26,920 --> 00:41:28,640
Speaker 2: you want to see the you want to see the

875
00:41:28,719 --> 00:41:31,480
Speaker 2: two very best players in the tournament, and a lot

876
00:41:31,520 --> 00:41:34,040
Speaker 2: of times that correlates with the very two best players

877
00:41:34,080 --> 00:41:36,600
Speaker 2: in the world battling it out in the last, the

878
00:41:36,680 --> 00:41:39,000
Speaker 2: absolute last match. And so for me, I could what

879
00:41:39,120 --> 00:41:40,840
Speaker 2: makes me really happy about the women's draw as it

880
00:41:40,920 --> 00:41:43,839
Speaker 2: is right now is there's so many outcomes that would

881
00:41:44,480 --> 00:41:47,200
Speaker 2: would lead to that. There's fewer outcomes on the men's

882
00:41:47,200 --> 00:41:48,440
Speaker 2: side for me that would lead to that, But I

883
00:41:48,480 --> 00:41:50,200
Speaker 2: think there's still there's still a ton of them so

884
00:41:50,680 --> 00:41:54,040
Speaker 2: I think, yeah, I think truly, I'm just rooting for

885
00:41:54,080 --> 00:41:56,720
Speaker 2: good tennis, and I'm rooting for everybody but one person

886
00:41:56,880 --> 00:41:58,799
Speaker 2: on the men's side to show me something.

887
00:41:59,440 --> 00:42:02,680
Speaker 1: Yeah, well that's why we're here. We're going to bring

888
00:42:02,760 --> 00:42:06,880
Speaker 1: it to you next week. Lots of lots of just

889
00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:10,080
Speaker 1: great tennis ahead of us. The women's half up the

890
00:42:10,160 --> 00:42:13,719
Speaker 1: top there is just unbelievable. So looking forward, who can

891
00:42:14,000 --> 00:42:16,760
Speaker 1: figure out the way to get through it? And obviously

892
00:42:16,800 --> 00:42:18,879
Speaker 1: we don't know if Coco or Benchicic'll with the one

893
00:42:18,920 --> 00:42:21,319
Speaker 1: to play Pagola. Pagola has had it sort of over

894
00:42:21,400 --> 00:42:23,520
Speaker 1: Coco over the last few years, particularly on grass. I

895
00:42:23,560 --> 00:42:26,960
Speaker 1: feel like she's just gets that ball too quickly through

896
00:42:27,000 --> 00:42:30,719
Speaker 1: the court. But Benchic is an interesting character because she

897
00:42:31,000 --> 00:42:32,680
Speaker 1: we know she can play well. She's played made the

898
00:42:32,719 --> 00:42:36,279
Speaker 1: semi finals here before, so look, it's interesting. Sabalanca out

899
00:42:36,440 --> 00:42:39,480
Speaker 1: Osaka looking like the Osaka we know from many many

900
00:42:39,560 --> 00:42:42,600
Speaker 1: years ago, serving bombs, returning the ball moving great.

901
00:42:43,440 --> 00:42:44,279
Speaker 3: But Mahova, of.

902
00:42:44,280 --> 00:42:47,839
Speaker 1: Course, we know how beautiful she plays tennis. Paulini, there's

903
00:42:47,880 --> 00:42:50,759
Speaker 1: all some really great stories. Mattie Keyes, so we're here

904
00:42:50,840 --> 00:42:53,560
Speaker 1: for it. And of course the men's Ken Novak Jokovic

905
00:42:53,640 --> 00:42:56,359
Speaker 1: get twenty five, and wouldn't it be just amazing if

906
00:42:56,400 --> 00:42:59,520
Speaker 1: he ended up winning here this year. All right, guys,

907
00:43:00,000 --> 00:43:01,920
Speaker 1: I got a lot to talk about next week. I

908
00:43:02,040 --> 00:43:04,399
Speaker 1: can't wait for it all. Caitlin, I hope you get

909
00:43:04,440 --> 00:43:08,359
Speaker 1: some sleep because I know you're up early watching You said,

910
00:43:08,840 --> 00:43:10,640
Speaker 1: all right, guys, we'll see you next week.

911
00:43:10,960 --> 00:43:12,000
Speaker 3: Bye bye,