WEBVTT - Who Wants to Call It? 0:00:13.880 --> 0:00:17.880 Hi, everybody, Welcome to the Rainy Stubs Tennis Podcast. We 0:00:18.000 --> 0:00:19.599 got a lot to get to, Caitlin, and I know 0:00:19.680 --> 0:00:21.520 it's mid tournament. I just want to give a shout 0:00:21.520 --> 0:00:24.319 out before you say anything to Claire Balding, who of 0:00:24.320 --> 0:00:27.320 course is the BBC host, and who told me last 0:00:27.320 --> 0:00:29.240 week that she listens to the podcast and she was 0:00:29.320 --> 0:00:33.440 expecting one out asap, and I said, well, let me 0:00:33.520 --> 0:00:35.879 just get on that for you. So Claire, this is 0:00:35.880 --> 0:00:39.280 for you. This is dedicated to you, this one. But Caitlin, WHOA, 0:00:39.320 --> 0:00:40.840 We've got a lot of tennis to talk about. 0:00:41.200 --> 0:00:42.960 I don't even know where to start. I've been watching 0:00:43.000 --> 0:00:46.680 so much tennis. I am bowled over at the match 0:00:46.720 --> 0:00:50.200 I just watched, which probably isn't the best place to start, 0:00:50.280 --> 0:00:52.760 but I might just make us start here because I 0:00:52.840 --> 0:00:54.640 can't wait to talk about it, which was the name 0:00:54.760 --> 0:00:57.960 Osaka Rune Sabalanca match. The one seed is now out 0:00:58.240 --> 0:01:03.560 and the tournament is wide open, and Osaka, with an 0:01:03.600 --> 0:01:11.319 incredibly positive fit expressive appearance not only here on the 0:01:11.360 --> 0:01:14.080 grass but leading up to it on the clay, is 0:01:14.080 --> 0:01:18.600 now a natural surfaces expert. I mean it, tennis is 0:01:18.640 --> 0:01:22.080 amazing because two years ago you know, we would have 0:01:22.120 --> 0:01:24.720 said there's no way Namio Osaka gets to the second 0:01:24.720 --> 0:01:27.640 week of a Slam on a natural surface, and here 0:01:27.680 --> 0:01:33.480 she is looking incredibly confident, incredibly happy and just absolute unshakable. 0:01:33.480 --> 0:01:35.080 And I have to say at this point she might 0:01:35.080 --> 0:01:37.039 be my favorite to win the tournament. So what a 0:01:37.120 --> 0:01:39.920 turn of events this has had. And there's tons and 0:01:39.959 --> 0:01:41.600 tons and tons of great matches to talk about, but 0:01:41.640 --> 0:01:45.240 having just sat through this one, a commanding performance against 0:01:45.280 --> 0:01:47.480 Erna Sblinka, and I really truly couldn't be happier for 0:01:47.480 --> 0:01:47.880 her name. 0:01:47.960 --> 0:01:50.480 Osaka deserves this. It's incredible. We're going to have a 0:01:50.480 --> 0:01:53.000 new Wimbledon champion. Of course, Egos Chiontek, who was the 0:01:53.000 --> 0:01:57.320 defending champion, went out yesterday to Eala. A lot of 0:01:57.360 --> 0:02:00.639 people weren't surprised about that, believe it or not, mainly 0:02:00.640 --> 0:02:04.320 because you know, Eager just I don't know what's going on. 0:02:04.640 --> 0:02:08.360 But she just looks so uncomfortable on the tennis court. 0:02:08.480 --> 0:02:11.200 She's picking shots she should not be hitting. She is 0:02:11.280 --> 0:02:14.359 hitting shots she should not be hitting. She's getting frustrated 0:02:14.400 --> 0:02:17.079 even on the set point yesterday. Caitlin and we will 0:02:17.080 --> 0:02:19.600 get to the Osaka match, but I think we sort 0:02:19.600 --> 0:02:21.160 of have to backtrack because I do want to get 0:02:21.200 --> 0:02:24.959 to Osaka. I just feel like we have to talk 0:02:24.960 --> 0:02:27.360 about the defending champion losing. We have to talk about 0:02:27.400 --> 0:02:30.600 Rebakina losing. There's just so many upsets in the women's 0:02:30.639 --> 0:02:33.560 side of the drawer, and guess what, Hunger Games as 0:02:33.600 --> 0:02:36.600 per usual every single week, this is happening. But you know, 0:02:36.680 --> 0:02:40.080 I want to address the eger. It's just you know, 0:02:40.200 --> 0:02:42.240 even on set point in the first set, she had 0:02:42.240 --> 0:02:45.200 a completely open court on the forehand, which she would 0:02:45.280 --> 0:02:47.440 normally have just ripped for a winner two your three 0:02:47.520 --> 0:02:50.480 years ago, and missed it by like twenty feet to 0:02:50.520 --> 0:02:53.360 give the first set away. And it's like points like 0:02:53.440 --> 0:02:56.200 that that you just go, what is going on that you, 0:02:56.800 --> 0:02:59.200 as one of the best players over the last ten years, 0:02:59.560 --> 0:03:02.240 that you or maybe six seven years, that you miss 0:03:02.240 --> 0:03:04.560 a shot that badly on such a big point against 0:03:04.600 --> 0:03:07.799 someone so inexperienced as Iala. Yes, she's had some good 0:03:07.800 --> 0:03:10.000 results over the last couple of years, but that is 0:03:10.040 --> 0:03:10.880 where you lock. 0:03:10.760 --> 0:03:11.959 Down and don't miss. 0:03:12.040 --> 0:03:15.160 And you know, going back to even Serena playing when 0:03:15.200 --> 0:03:16.880 she was down match point, what does. 0:03:16.760 --> 0:03:18.360 She do huge first surf? 0:03:18.720 --> 0:03:20.640 Like you lock back into the things that you know 0:03:20.680 --> 0:03:23.080 you can do well, and for Eager that she can't 0:03:23.080 --> 0:03:26.480 even make a basic sort of open court forehand on 0:03:26.560 --> 0:03:29.639 a huge point just indicates to me there's so much 0:03:29.760 --> 0:03:33.440 uncertainty in her game, in how she's feeling out there, 0:03:33.440 --> 0:03:35.120 and there's going to be a lot of questions that 0:03:35.160 --> 0:03:37.480 need to be asked of her and her team and 0:03:37.520 --> 0:03:40.040 everything going forward onto a surface that she likes, which 0:03:40.040 --> 0:03:43.160 is hardcourt, but still it's not as comfortable as clay, 0:03:43.240 --> 0:03:44.800 and we saw what happened there. So I don't know 0:03:44.840 --> 0:03:46.840 what are your thoughts on Eger before we get to 0:03:47.000 --> 0:03:48.800 all the other upsets in this tournament. 0:03:49.120 --> 0:03:51.320 They're not terribly different than the thoughts I've had about 0:03:51.320 --> 0:03:54.080 Ego for the last chunk of time, which is really 0:03:54.240 --> 0:03:57.200 you know, she has who I think is a very 0:03:57.240 --> 0:04:01.680 capable coach in her bucks in the guys of Francisco Roig. 0:04:02.160 --> 0:04:03.520 Maybe that's not true. 0:04:03.720 --> 0:04:06.400 He has not done well with any plays outside of Raufa. 0:04:06.920 --> 0:04:08.560 I'm just going to sigh that out, Love Lou. 0:04:09.120 --> 0:04:14.080 I am loath to criticize him, not because I feel 0:04:14.120 --> 0:04:17.160 like he's not deserving of criticism, but the one consistent 0:04:17.480 --> 0:04:22.760 that we've seen through the travails of Ega has been 0:04:23.040 --> 0:04:25.520 her mental coach. And again, if you ask me my thoughts, 0:04:25.560 --> 0:04:27.479 those are my honest thoughts. There's not another player that 0:04:27.520 --> 0:04:29.520 I know of that travels with the mental coach. What 0:04:29.920 --> 0:04:35.320 strikes me about her tennis is not that she's physically unwell. 0:04:35.400 --> 0:04:38.360 It's not that she's the technique is poor, although you know, 0:04:38.400 --> 0:04:40.880 obviously lots have been made about how the serve needs 0:04:40.880 --> 0:04:43.440 to be an easy plus one and the forehand obviously 0:04:43.440 --> 0:04:46.400 the grip. But the thing that I think you're describing 0:04:46.440 --> 0:04:48.240 that I think a lot of us have seen. She 0:04:48.320 --> 0:04:52.960 looks unhappy, she looks indecisive, she looks shaken, and I 0:04:53.000 --> 0:04:54.960 think for somebody who travels with the mental coach, you'd 0:04:55.000 --> 0:04:56.920 think the one thing they would have going for them 0:04:56.920 --> 0:05:01.000 at all times is a serene, confident, positive demeanor. So yeah, 0:05:01.360 --> 0:05:04.359 maybe it's another coaching change that's in the plans. I 0:05:04.400 --> 0:05:07.800 know she's spoken about how Francisco Royd was coaching her 0:05:07.800 --> 0:05:10.799 on a sort of a temporary basis. It was a trial. Obviously, 0:05:11.080 --> 0:05:14.800 if he were to be dismissed, it wouldn't be the first, second, third, 0:05:14.920 --> 0:05:17.680 or probably even fourth coach that has coming one in 0:05:17.720 --> 0:05:18.280 a short. 0:05:18.040 --> 0:05:18.680 Amount of time. 0:05:18.839 --> 0:05:21.880 But I do feel like, you know, it's easy to 0:05:21.920 --> 0:05:24.080 talk about the fact that she needs to change up 0:05:24.120 --> 0:05:27.840 her mental coach situation, because she still needs to do it. 0:05:28.400 --> 0:05:30.719 And until she does it, you know, unless she starts 0:05:30.720 --> 0:05:33.320 winning and feeling like the kind of player who looks 0:05:33.360 --> 0:05:36.520 like they're happy to be out there and hitting open 0:05:36.520 --> 0:05:39.880 court winners the way that any professional athlete should be 0:05:39.880 --> 0:05:42.240 able to execute, I don't know. I feel like you 0:05:42.320 --> 0:05:44.760 really have to assess that part of the relationship. 0:05:45.160 --> 0:05:47.800 Yeah, I mean, obviously, look, she doesn't look happy out there. 0:05:48.360 --> 0:05:51.880 I don't know what's going on, and certainly we don't 0:05:51.920 --> 0:05:53.760 know what's going on off the court. There could be 0:05:53.760 --> 0:05:55.240 a lot of things going on in her life that 0:05:55.279 --> 0:05:57.760 we were not aware of that you know, maybe you know, 0:05:57.800 --> 0:06:01.040 a mental coach is trying her best to also get 0:06:01.040 --> 0:06:03.279 her to a better place. We don't know what's going on, 0:06:04.360 --> 0:06:06.960 you know. I think she has a pretty complicated life 0:06:07.000 --> 0:06:07.760 in a lot of ways. 0:06:08.880 --> 0:06:09.719 With her family. 0:06:10.120 --> 0:06:12.440 I think there's a lot things that we maybe don't 0:06:12.440 --> 0:06:15.480 even know who knows. But the thing that I notice 0:06:15.600 --> 0:06:18.480 is just it's just all over the place. I mean, 0:06:18.520 --> 0:06:20.560 her shot selection is all over the place. And so 0:06:21.000 --> 0:06:22.880 you know, with Todd Woodridge and I talked about that 0:06:23.000 --> 0:06:24.960 last week and he noticed it as well when she 0:06:25.000 --> 0:06:27.039 lost in bud Hamburg and what he was like, she's 0:06:27.080 --> 0:06:29.120 hitting the wrong shots at the wrong time, She's picking 0:06:29.160 --> 0:06:32.000 the wrong choices. And you know, I've always been a 0:06:32.000 --> 0:06:34.679 big believer that that starts in practice, and if you don't, 0:06:34.839 --> 0:06:37.840 you know, practice the things that you want to create 0:06:37.880 --> 0:06:39.760 in a match court, it's never going to happen in 0:06:39.760 --> 0:06:42.520 a match no matter what. So my question is, I'd 0:06:42.520 --> 0:06:44.120 like to go and watch her practice, you know, and 0:06:44.160 --> 0:06:46.960 see what is going on on practice court, and it 0:06:46.960 --> 0:06:49.960 could be her demeanor. You know, some people have terrible 0:06:50.000 --> 0:06:52.400 demeanor on the court in practice, that's what they take 0:06:52.440 --> 0:06:55.160 on to the court. So you know, I can't really 0:06:55.200 --> 0:06:57.400 get into the specifics of that because I didn't watch 0:06:57.400 --> 0:07:00.240 her practices over the last few months, so I don't 0:07:00.240 --> 0:07:01.880 know how she's reacting on the court in that way. 0:07:02.040 --> 0:07:05.400 But it certainly we saw her cry after the first round. 0:07:06.040 --> 0:07:07.560 We knew how much that meant to her. And then 0:07:07.560 --> 0:07:09.600 she goes on and Lucy Yala, who she had lost 0:07:09.600 --> 0:07:11.720 to before they were one and one before. 0:07:11.480 --> 0:07:14.200 And to be fair, Yalla looks very very comfortable on grass. 0:07:14.200 --> 0:07:17.640 Obviously she has had she has a super low center 0:07:17.680 --> 0:07:20.440 of gravity as well. She's really great at getting low 0:07:20.520 --> 0:07:23.080 and picking up the ball right on the off the bounce. 0:07:23.160 --> 0:07:26.040 She's a great athlete. There's an incredible shot that's going 0:07:26.040 --> 0:07:30.480 around the internet of her full dive honor belly making 0:07:30.560 --> 0:07:34.320 what look like, you know, an outfield catch, full extension 0:07:34.440 --> 0:07:40.000 and played that point, kept the ball in and forced 0:07:40.240 --> 0:07:43.000 you goe to hit an error. So like, she's a competitor, 0:07:43.000 --> 0:07:45.560 and I am really rooting for her seeing how much 0:07:45.600 --> 0:07:48.360 that win meant to her and hearing her incredible speech 0:07:48.360 --> 0:07:51.920 about how you know, maybe for Grand Slam champions, winning 0:07:52.360 --> 0:07:54.520 their third round match and going into the second week 0:07:54.560 --> 0:07:58.760 of a Slam might seem non extraordinary, but for you know, 0:07:58.800 --> 0:08:01.440 a kid from the Philippines who who's got an entire 0:08:01.680 --> 0:08:04.040 niche and much less an entire region of the world 0:08:04.360 --> 0:08:06.840 on her shoulders. The reaction from everyone around the world 0:08:07.120 --> 0:08:09.560 was just so so so wonderful to see. And you know, 0:08:09.600 --> 0:08:11.400 I don't know if alex Scala can win this tournament, 0:08:11.440 --> 0:08:13.320 but I certainly, you know, am root and for her 0:08:13.320 --> 0:08:15.280 to go as absolutely deep as she can, just seeing 0:08:15.360 --> 0:08:18.640 how much excitement and joy she's bringing, you know, into 0:08:18.640 --> 0:08:22.320 the sport via her incredibly, incredibly large fan base. 0:08:23.000 --> 0:08:24.560 You know, when you see the players who win the 0:08:24.560 --> 0:08:26.960 tournament walk across that little bridge you know that goes 0:08:26.960 --> 0:08:30.280 from the locker room to the players area. There was 0:08:30.840 --> 0:08:34.040 one hundred and fifty people of it looked like a 0:08:34.080 --> 0:08:38.320 lot of Philippine descent underneath that bridge, and she walked 0:08:38.320 --> 0:08:40.720 across and it was like Jesus Christ had walked across 0:08:40.760 --> 0:08:43.160 the bridge. I mean, she is so popular it is 0:08:43.280 --> 0:08:46.880 unbelievable in that country, and they follow her wherever she goes. 0:08:47.280 --> 0:08:50.679 Wherever you will go, we will follow is a very 0:08:50.679 --> 0:08:52.400 popular song. So if you don't know it, listen to 0:08:52.480 --> 0:08:55.040 it because that is what Ela La has coming her 0:08:55.040 --> 0:08:57.800 way every single time she plays. And so, I mean, 0:08:57.920 --> 0:09:00.720 just an amazing effort from her. Clearly we know she 0:09:01.040 --> 0:09:05.400 goes up against Jasmine Paulini first on center court tomorrow. 0:09:05.520 --> 0:09:06.280 That is the plan. 0:09:06.720 --> 0:09:09.680 It's interesting because I think Paulini actually goes into that 0:09:09.720 --> 0:09:12.959 match as slight favorite because she's been on that court before, 0:09:13.040 --> 0:09:16.439 as is Yala now. But I feel like maybe something 0:09:16.440 --> 0:09:19.440 is switched in Jasmine Paolini. She's fought through a couple 0:09:19.480 --> 0:09:23.200 of really tough matches here and I feel like maybe 0:09:23.200 --> 0:09:25.760 the confidence will start coming back. And you know how 0:09:25.840 --> 0:09:28.240 much I loved Pauolini. I think it's going to be 0:09:28.280 --> 0:09:30.880 a super fun match. Whoever comes out of that match 0:09:31.280 --> 0:09:33.720 really has a chance to make it to the semifinals, 0:09:33.760 --> 0:09:37.160 of which is crazy. It's crazy when you think about 0:09:37.160 --> 0:09:39.320 the year that Paulini's had with a lot of it 0:09:39.360 --> 0:09:43.360 and she's had injuries that have certainly affected her over 0:09:43.360 --> 0:09:46.120 the last twelve months. But it'll be a great story 0:09:46.120 --> 0:09:48.640 if either of them were to get through and push through. 0:09:48.720 --> 0:09:49.640 And let me. 0:09:49.559 --> 0:09:53.920 Tell you something the bottom half of the drawer, Mattie Keys, like, 0:09:54.000 --> 0:09:57.560 after what she did in beating Amanda Anisimova, you've got 0:09:57.559 --> 0:10:00.599 to think Maddi Keys now up against Nskova, that's the 0:10:00.679 --> 0:10:04.679 sort of like Noskova's playing well, she wins in Berlin, 0:10:04.920 --> 0:10:07.480 she comes here hitting her ball huge. That is going 0:10:07.520 --> 0:10:10.640 to be a massive hitting ball, ball striking match between 0:10:10.679 --> 0:10:14.040 Noscova and Mattie Keys and they play the winner of 0:10:14.520 --> 0:10:17.000 Buskova and Mertens. 0:10:17.720 --> 0:10:19.720 Yeah, one of those la is going to get through 0:10:19.760 --> 0:10:20.240 the semi. 0:10:20.600 --> 0:10:24.440 You like Madison Keys's odds, I certainly do for that 0:10:24.480 --> 0:10:26.040 bottom pote. 0:10:25.600 --> 0:10:28.160 But every time you think Madison Keys is going to 0:10:28.240 --> 0:10:31.400 come through and she should. She doesn't, so I hope 0:10:31.640 --> 0:10:35.320 that she goes into this literally thinking I'm a Grand 0:10:35.400 --> 0:10:38.880 Slam champion. This is normal for me. I should be 0:10:38.960 --> 0:10:41.800 winning these matches. This is a player who's won three 0:10:42.280 --> 0:10:46.040 Eastbourne titles leading into this tournament and has not had 0:10:46.040 --> 0:10:48.559 the tournament that she should have. On grass, she has 0:10:48.559 --> 0:10:51.319 a massive serve, she has a huge game. Grass is 0:10:51.360 --> 0:10:53.520 perfect for her. She came very close over the last 0:10:53.559 --> 0:10:56.640 few years of breaking through here, but that unfortunate injury 0:10:56.679 --> 0:10:59.439 with the hip and the you know, the groin area 0:10:59.480 --> 0:11:01.840 that she's suck a couple of years ago was devastating. 0:11:01.880 --> 0:11:03.040 And then she went on to win the Austrain and 0:11:03.080 --> 0:11:05.880 Open eventually, which was great. But I've always said that 0:11:05.920 --> 0:11:09.200 I feel like Madison Keys should be you know, if 0:11:09.200 --> 0:11:10.959 you think about the people that have won this tournament, 0:11:10.960 --> 0:11:14.280 and I include Schiantech in this last year, Mattie Keys 0:11:14.320 --> 0:11:16.320 hays the game to win this tournament as well. 0:11:16.760 --> 0:11:19.680 Sure, yeah, no, I completely agree with you, And I 0:11:19.720 --> 0:11:23.760 think again on the bottom half, I feel like the 0:11:23.840 --> 0:11:25.160 other part of the bottom half has. 0:11:25.000 --> 0:11:26.280 A has cost check. 0:11:26.600 --> 0:11:29.520 We've got who else is down there. 0:11:29.720 --> 0:11:33.040 Ashean Krueger, So you've got Kruger playing Kostjuk, You've got 0:11:33.040 --> 0:11:36.679 Paulini playing Iyala, You've got Keys playing Noskova. I think 0:11:36.720 --> 0:11:40.920 whoever wins between Noskova and Matti Keys, for me, is 0:11:40.920 --> 0:11:42.840 the favorite to get to the final on the bottom 0:11:42.840 --> 0:11:46.800 half of the draw, because Noskova is now top ten 0:11:46.840 --> 0:11:49.640 in the world. She won in Berlin. She plays really 0:11:49.720 --> 0:11:52.320 well on grass. She's young, she's hungry, she hits a 0:11:52.440 --> 0:11:55.360 huge ball, she came through an incredibly tough match in 0:11:55.400 --> 0:11:58.040 the previous one, and I think she's also playing with 0:11:58.080 --> 0:12:00.880 house money she feels like. So I just think that 0:12:01.000 --> 0:12:05.000 keys Noscova winner is the best grasscourt player on the 0:12:05.000 --> 0:12:07.199 bottom half of the draw, and I think the winner 0:12:07.200 --> 0:12:09.400 of that match will make the final. Now having said that, 0:12:09.520 --> 0:12:13.160 it probably won't happen because women's tennis. 0:12:12.200 --> 0:12:14.600 TENNUS is not going to be predictable. That's one thing. 0:12:14.679 --> 0:12:16.560 I mean the same sure that I don't know if 0:12:16.600 --> 0:12:19.680 you watch the Rebarkina match, but how Rebarkina loses to 0:12:19.760 --> 0:12:22.880 Mertens having a seven to one head to head record 0:12:23.240 --> 0:12:25.360 and playing the way that we know she can play, 0:12:25.360 --> 0:12:26.960 and Mertens is sort of that player that sort of 0:12:26.960 --> 0:12:29.320 gets around to like third fourth rounds but doesn't really 0:12:29.320 --> 0:12:31.720 break through. She made a semi final of the Australian 0:12:31.760 --> 0:12:35.200 Open many many years ago. But that for me, that 0:12:35.360 --> 0:12:38.040 for me was the worst loss of all the losses 0:12:38.080 --> 0:12:39.640 that happened over the last couple of days. 0:12:40.000 --> 0:12:41.960 Yeah, I don't disagree with you. I think she just 0:12:42.000 --> 0:12:45.760 looked listless, maybe is the right word. Listless, like just 0:12:45.880 --> 0:12:49.040 kind of She's always cool as cucumber. She doesn't show 0:12:49.040 --> 0:12:50.800 a lot of emotion, but she just looked flat. She 0:12:50.880 --> 0:12:53.800 looked unhappy to be there. It was it was rough. 0:12:54.200 --> 0:12:57.120 We'll be back with a lot more of Wimbledon after 0:12:57.160 --> 0:12:57.520 the break. 0:13:11.840 --> 0:13:13.280 I do want to talk a little bit about the 0:13:13.320 --> 0:13:15.400 top half of the jaw, because everybody I like watching 0:13:16.400 --> 0:13:17.800 in the top half of the jaw, like the top 0:13:17.800 --> 0:13:21.679 half of the draw has name Issaka, who just came 0:13:21.679 --> 0:13:24.840 through against Sabalanka, who in my mind maybe is now 0:13:24.880 --> 0:13:29.280 the favorite to win this. I liked the Mukhova Barbera 0:13:29.320 --> 0:13:31.199 Kadjikova match. I watched it earlier today. 0:13:31.559 --> 0:13:32.280 Fantastic. 0:13:32.600 --> 0:13:37.920 Kdjikova was the last Wimbledon winner to go out. So now, 0:13:37.960 --> 0:13:40.959 as you said, we will get a new champion. Mukhova 0:13:41.040 --> 0:13:44.440 has all the tools. This is a surface custom built 0:13:44.480 --> 0:13:47.959 for her game. She moves really beautifully. She is obviously 0:13:48.000 --> 0:13:57.000 an attacking, net loving forward, moving as she should be. 0:13:57.120 --> 0:14:00.560 And then we've got you know, Jpeg, who came through 0:14:00.679 --> 0:14:03.880 against Iva Yovic. I'm curious your thoughts about Iva Yovic. 0:14:04.400 --> 0:14:08.240 She's obviously very solid, she's very young. She has a 0:14:08.320 --> 0:14:10.800 very similar game to Jess Pegoula. I just don't know 0:14:10.840 --> 0:14:14.320 that she has the firepower and I kind of see 0:14:14.320 --> 0:14:18.440 her as being like a perennial quarter finalist, which she's 0:14:18.440 --> 0:14:20.240 not going to be this toronomic because she just lost 0:14:20.280 --> 0:14:22.840 a Jpeg who goes into the quarterfinals. But I wonder 0:14:22.920 --> 0:14:24.520 what you kind of think about that matchup. 0:14:25.000 --> 0:14:26.800 I think that Jess Pagola did a great job at 0:14:26.800 --> 0:14:29.120 adjusting in the second and third sets. I thought she 0:14:29.440 --> 0:14:32.240 varied her pacer ball, she changed that up a little bit. 0:14:32.680 --> 0:14:34.600 And I think that Yovic. I think you're correct. I 0:14:34.640 --> 0:14:37.600 think they're very similar. I think Jpeg hits maybe a 0:14:37.640 --> 0:14:40.720 slightly bigger ball, a flatter for sure, But I think 0:14:40.760 --> 0:14:43.160 that Iva Yovic. I've seen her around the courts over 0:14:43.160 --> 0:14:46.240 the last week or so, and she's gotten stronger. She's 0:14:46.240 --> 0:14:49.760 still very young, she's gotten stronger. She needs to improve 0:14:49.800 --> 0:14:54.000 the serve, which has arguably been the biggest disadvantage for 0:14:54.080 --> 0:14:56.120 jess Pagoula and not winning a Grand Slam over the 0:14:56.160 --> 0:14:59.800 last few years, is that she's faced bigger service like Sabalanca, Rebeccina, 0:14:59.880 --> 0:15:03.040 like these types of players, even eager can pop down 0:15:03.040 --> 0:15:05.160 a serve from time to time use that kicker. 0:15:05.440 --> 0:15:06.560 So when you think about people that. 0:15:06.520 --> 0:15:08.760 Have won slams over the last few years, they've had 0:15:08.840 --> 0:15:11.120 kind of bigger serves, and so I think that's where 0:15:11.560 --> 0:15:15.360 Jpeg has been a little bit left vulnerable against those 0:15:15.400 --> 0:15:17.240 types of players, particularly on the second serve, and I 0:15:17.240 --> 0:15:20.560 think Jovic's area of serving needs to improve hard. She's 0:15:20.560 --> 0:15:24.800 not that tall. They're about the same size. But I 0:15:24.840 --> 0:15:27.840 picked Jessica to win the tournament. She was my pick. 0:15:27.920 --> 0:15:29.680 I mean, I had to pick somebody in the Hunger Games, 0:15:29.720 --> 0:15:31.560 and I did pick jess I do think that she's 0:15:31.720 --> 0:15:34.440 right to win on this court. She's playing well. She 0:15:34.520 --> 0:15:36.640 lost to Niskova in the finals at Berlin. So you've 0:15:36.640 --> 0:15:40.200 got the form grasscourt players doing really well. You've got 0:15:40.280 --> 0:15:43.760 Niskova who won Berlin, You've got Jpeg who made the finals. 0:15:43.760 --> 0:15:46.360 You've got Mukhova still in the finals, still in the 0:15:46.360 --> 0:15:49.320 tournament who won in bud Hamburg. You've got these players 0:15:49.920 --> 0:15:52.000 that have done really well in the last few weeks 0:15:52.000 --> 0:15:54.480 on grass coming in here feeling really good about themselves. 0:15:54.880 --> 0:15:56.920 That's why I was a bit shocked about Rebukin losing. 0:15:57.040 --> 0:16:01.080 But I mean, I don't know, and I'll tell you 0:16:01.080 --> 0:16:03.920 you know, Cocoa Golf and Benchit's is still out there. 0:16:03.960 --> 0:16:06.880 So it's like the top half of the drawer. It 0:16:06.960 --> 0:16:09.360 almost feels like, though Caitlin, whoever gets through there, you 0:16:09.360 --> 0:16:12.000 think is going to win because quote unquote they've come 0:16:12.040 --> 0:16:14.600 through the toughest section. But sometimes when you come through 0:16:14.640 --> 0:16:16.320 the toughest sections, you end up losing the final. 0:16:16.520 --> 0:16:18.200 Yeah, because you're so pooped because you had to go 0:16:18.240 --> 0:16:21.680 through everybody else tapped totally. Yeah, yeah, you're tapped. I 0:16:21.720 --> 0:16:24.760 will say, all the players that I am excited about 0:16:24.840 --> 0:16:27.400 are in the top half, and so I would really 0:16:27.400 --> 0:16:29.120 really like to see Na may Osaka win this. I 0:16:29.120 --> 0:16:31.440 think jpeg, yes, it might be her time, and this 0:16:31.480 --> 0:16:34.600 is certainly the surface most likely to I don't see 0:16:34.640 --> 0:16:38.840 Benchi or Goff candidly doing it this year, although I'm 0:16:39.000 --> 0:16:40.160 not thrilled that, you know. 0:16:40.160 --> 0:16:41.560 I don't see them winning the tournament. 0:16:41.800 --> 0:16:45.480 I don't see that, whereas for for Pagula, Osaka, maybe 0:16:45.560 --> 0:16:47.880 Mukhova and as you said, Nskovi or Keys in the 0:16:47.880 --> 0:16:50.400 bottom half. But it's just it's kind of for me, 0:16:50.480 --> 0:16:55.080 it's like house money because everybody left is really good 0:16:55.600 --> 0:16:58.480 and I'm really excited about it. Doesn't feel like there 0:16:59.240 --> 0:17:02.000 would be an unders serving kind of and business end 0:17:02.000 --> 0:17:03.360 of the tournament, which is what I like. I like 0:17:03.360 --> 0:17:05.399 when it's all quality. You know, I'll kill her nol Filler. 0:17:05.720 --> 0:17:09.439 It's really interesting that you've got Osaka, Mukhova, and Pulgoula 0:17:09.600 --> 0:17:12.720 in particular, because we don't know benchichin golf, haven't played yet. 0:17:13.240 --> 0:17:15.920 Let's say Benchich ends up winning that if ben Chicch 0:17:16.000 --> 0:17:20.080 wins that you think about Osaka, Pagoula and Benchic, they're 0:17:20.119 --> 0:17:23.560 all very capable and very if they won a Grand Slam. 0:17:23.920 --> 0:17:25.960 Clearly we know Naomi's won four, so for her to 0:17:25.960 --> 0:17:27.680 win a Grand Slam, it's not a shock. But you 0:17:27.680 --> 0:17:29.760 wouldn't have said six months ago that you know she's 0:17:29.960 --> 0:17:32.040 one of the favorites now to win Wimbledon, considering she 0:17:32.080 --> 0:17:34.320 didn't really like grass as well, she didn't move well 0:17:34.320 --> 0:17:36.560 on it, but she has definitely adapted herself to playing 0:17:36.560 --> 0:17:39.879 on grass, much like Maria Sharapova, who hated playing on clay, 0:17:40.000 --> 0:17:42.320 adapted herself and her game to playing on clay and 0:17:42.359 --> 0:17:46.639 won multiple tournaments. At the French Open, for me, I 0:17:46.760 --> 0:17:48.760 picked Pagoula and I would love to see her win 0:17:49.040 --> 0:17:51.080 a Grand Slam because she's been so good for so 0:17:51.200 --> 0:17:53.360 many years now at that pointy end of a tournament, 0:17:53.359 --> 0:17:56.680 and I've talked about how I really believe that if 0:17:56.680 --> 0:17:59.520 she'd beaten Vondrasova, she would have won Wimbledon that year 0:18:00.280 --> 0:18:03.160 when Vondrosova went on to win the tournament. But part 0:18:03.160 --> 0:18:06.679 of me also is really pulling for Makova because I 0:18:06.920 --> 0:18:10.919 just she's been so close, She's had so many injuries, 0:18:11.280 --> 0:18:13.440 it's been so hard for her to keep herself together. 0:18:13.560 --> 0:18:15.800 And I just feel like with Van Grunfeld as her 0:18:15.840 --> 0:18:18.640 coach as well, he's taken a bunch of players deep 0:18:18.640 --> 0:18:20.919 into Grand Slams and one Grand slams with them, and 0:18:20.960 --> 0:18:23.960 that really makes a difference when you have somebody that's 0:18:23.960 --> 0:18:26.920 in your player box that knows how to manage these moments, 0:18:27.320 --> 0:18:30.639 and so there's no one up that half of the 0:18:30.720 --> 0:18:34.399 draw that I don't like winning this tournament because I 0:18:34.400 --> 0:18:36.400 think it's great for women's tennis because all of them 0:18:36.400 --> 0:18:38.280 deserve to win it. And then you look at the 0:18:38.320 --> 0:18:40.359 bottom half the drawer and it's just like a pick them. 0:18:40.720 --> 0:18:42.800 I mean, who is going to get through to who's 0:18:42.800 --> 0:18:44.840 going to get the final? I mean, I really do 0:18:44.920 --> 0:18:47.960 want Mattie Keyes to just kind of TCB and just 0:18:48.040 --> 0:18:51.119 at least just you know, when the draw opens up 0:18:51.160 --> 0:18:54.000 is oftentimes when I feel like she falls apart, whereas 0:18:54.080 --> 0:18:57.240 you know, like, oh, she's got to get through Rebarkna, 0:18:57.400 --> 0:19:00.640 then Yugoshfountek and then Sablenka and then she do so 0:19:00.840 --> 0:19:04.240 I feel she maybe likes adversity a little bit more. Well, 0:19:04.240 --> 0:19:06.840 the next match is definitely her biggest adversity down there 0:19:06.880 --> 0:19:09.720 for sure, so Miscover is going to be her biggest adversity. 0:19:09.840 --> 0:19:12.560 So it will be interesting to see how that match 0:19:12.600 --> 0:19:15.280 pans out, because, as I already stated, I believe that 0:19:15.320 --> 0:19:17.840 the winner of that match will make the finals. 0:19:18.359 --> 0:19:21.320 If makes sense. Now, I want to we should talk 0:19:21.320 --> 0:19:24.479 about the man, but before we do, I, along with 0:19:24.600 --> 0:19:28.119 the rest of the world, was obviously sad to see 0:19:28.520 --> 0:19:32.080 our two favorite sisters not be able to compete on 0:19:32.119 --> 0:19:35.280