Speaker 1: Guess who's back. He goes back a friend. He gets no, no, no, back.
Speaker 1: I'm sorry that.
Speaker 2: He's just like, what what am I listening to?
Speaker 1: We have a very well respected tennis journalist, Courtney Walsh
Speaker 1: is here.
Speaker 2: He is questioning his choices this morning.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I like that.
Speaker 3: I'm like one of those clowns at a carnival with
Speaker 3: my mouth wide open, moving from one side to the other,
Speaker 3: going what are they going on?
Speaker 2: People? Okay, they seem quite normal when we were talking before.
Speaker 1: Yeah, well I think we're more clowns at a carnival
Speaker 1: and your respected journey.
Speaker 3: Yes, it depends on who you talk Tory for about
Speaker 3: ten minutes and and there was a couple of inquisitive
Speaker 3: looks my way, what the hell are you doing here?
Speaker 3: And who you want to to the site?
Speaker 1: Yeah?
Speaker 2: Is this going to be another banded episode?
Speaker 1: Have you ruffled any feathers in your career? Can you
Speaker 1: talk about it or.
Speaker 3: I'll going back? I mean it's not for a few years.
Speaker 3: And I think one of the pleasures of my year
Speaker 3: has always been part of the AO radio team, which
Speaker 3: you know, it's a great sort of fortnite here and
Speaker 3: being able to commentate and when you're walking around and
Speaker 3: listening during the Austrain Open. But no, it's certainly at
Speaker 3: different stages. I've written some pieces that haven't necessarily gone
Speaker 3: down as well as what you might expect. But I always,
Speaker 3: you know, hold firm and I saw one of the
Speaker 3: one of the people in the in the lift. We
Speaker 3: always have a little round about it Wimbledon each year
Speaker 3: where we go over old ground and in the end
Speaker 3: shake and have a beer. And I think it's a
Speaker 3: great reason to be able to do this back and forth.
Speaker 3: That's what you're supposed to do.
Speaker 1: You're meant to have a take an opinion, right Otherwise
Speaker 1: it's just dry recounting of scores, and you know that's
Speaker 1: not good.
Speaker 3: What's my mind is more, you know, you delve into
Speaker 3: the I suppose some of the inner workings, you know.
Speaker 3: Opinion wise, I'm not necessarily someone that's going to come
Speaker 3: and slag a player, because I think it's pretty incredible
Speaker 3: to even get to a grain slam. I think it's
Speaker 3: an astonishing thing. So I'm not going to pan a
Speaker 3: player necessarily unless you want me to.
Speaker 2: Yes, please, that's what we're all about.
Speaker 1: On most Overrated player of all time and go.
Speaker 3: Oh, boy where he start. Didn't that guy rafter like
Speaker 3: number one in the world for like a week? I
Speaker 3: mean it was a week, Yeah, it was a week.
Speaker 2: We asked him about it, he laughed, that's.
Speaker 1: A good story.
Speaker 3: I've got a bone to pick with the because I
Speaker 3: played a bit of paddle in my time, nowhere near
Speaker 3: as good as Pat. But he's stolen my pedal partner.
Speaker 3: Now Midtlely haven't played for a couple of years, but
Speaker 3: he's stolen my peddle partner, his double's partner in the
Speaker 3: pedal Championship around Australia.
Speaker 1: So can you just outrageous? Can you go watch like
Speaker 1: a paddle cuck?
Speaker 2: Yeah? Through the glass?
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's rough.
Speaker 3: Man, it's outrageous. No, he is one of the greater
Speaker 3: many tennis as we all know. I don't really have
Speaker 3: And if I was my mate, Rob, you had the
Speaker 3: choice between a guy who is a radick and inconsistent
Speaker 3: like myself, or a Jewel Grand Slam champion Davious Cup legend,
Speaker 3: world number one. I think he's made the right call.
Speaker 3: And in terms of the talent level as well, it's
Speaker 3: I'm in a flat line a little bit. Pats, even
Speaker 3: his fifties his rate of improvement just goes. Ugh. I
Speaker 3: mean that's still not happy though.
Speaker 1: That's no. I mean I wouldn't be either. That's brutal stuff.
Speaker 1: But I mean this is what you're seeing though. You're
Speaker 1: seeing people make the pivot into whatever pickleball. Maybe Jack
Speaker 1: Soarker is doing good things, but a lot of them
Speaker 1: like go to pad l or something and it's like
Speaker 1: they're crushing.
Speaker 2: It's a bit more respectable, I think. Yeah, for sure,
Speaker 2: it was a little bit more skill involved. Yeah, it's fair.
Speaker 3: I must put down the cans and walked out when no,
Speaker 3: I'm joking people. I'm very happy to see people on
Speaker 3: the pickle court. Anyone with a racket in hand is
Speaker 3: a is a good thing for mine.
Speaker 1: But that's true.
Speaker 3: You see some you see some really really good players
Speaker 3: from tennis players who have made the transition. But it's
Speaker 3: a different sporting Thailand. It's really hard.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and I think what osteo surgeons in America are
Speaker 1: booming at the moment because of all people playing peckle ball,
Speaker 1: so good for them.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: I jumped into Paul Kilderry, who's the head of tennis here,
Speaker 3: and he said he'd been on the pedal court last
Speaker 3: week and he said he still felt sore from really
Speaker 3: hips all the way down to the tip of his
Speaker 3: big toe.
Speaker 2: So what else did Paul say?
Speaker 1: Joking, dude, it's so good to have you in Courtney.
Speaker 1: We're very jealous. You're off to the French Open this week.
Speaker 2: I mean, it's your favorite favorite slam.
Speaker 3: I think even wimbled and I think of that too.
Speaker 3: I mean, look, I love here, but in case, we
Speaker 3: all know when you're working here, it's it's working there long, long,
Speaker 3: long days and everything that's brilliant about the Australia Open,
Speaker 3: the tennis, but also the music in the the and
Speaker 3: the beer guarden, et cetera. Yeah, don't really get the
Speaker 3: chance to enjoy that.
Speaker 1: So yeah, we found with the players that come in,
Speaker 1: if we have them what their favorite slam is. It's
Speaker 1: like talking about their children. You gotta go. I love
Speaker 1: them all equally, you know, they all have different aspects
Speaker 1: that I like. And it's like, just say you hate
Speaker 1: the US Open. We all know your thinking.
Speaker 2: Yeah, they all said that the Australian Open was their favorite.
Speaker 1: Yeah it is. I mean it's fun. It's called the
Speaker 1: happiest Slam for a reason, and it checks out and
Speaker 1: it's the most party vibe one I've been to. I
Speaker 1: haven't been to the French. Yeah, good energy, great grounds.
Speaker 1: But like going to the French, what do you love
Speaker 1: about it there? Because it is totally different than the
Speaker 1: other three.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it really is. And it goes from I mean,
Speaker 3: look that the focus is really on the tennis. So
Speaker 3: qualifying week will be you know, start Monday. There's no
Speaker 3: one point Slam like there was here. There's no mixed
Speaker 3: doubles extravaganza like there was in New York last year
Speaker 3: with all those stars. It is a real focus on
Speaker 3: the tennis. Tennis and they love the tennis. But you go,
Speaker 3: you walk into the grounds and and look at the
Speaker 3: stadiums themselves. The Philip Chetrier, which is the main stadium,
Speaker 3: I mean it's it's named after the administrator, a famous
Speaker 3: tennis administrator. You know, it's a that's a different thing
Speaker 3: to start with, and it's this beautiful art deco sort
Speaker 3: of design initially tennis administrator.
Speaker 1: So like, who would who's the equivalent for the AO
Speaker 1: that if they named a stadium.
Speaker 3: After Craig Craig Tiler, Yeah.
Speaker 1: Stadium, I guess yeah, it works, it works. Yeah, it's
Speaker 1: so shatter. It was the same level of tournament director
Speaker 1: type thing.
Speaker 3: Yeah yeah, and very influential globally as well. So yeah,
Speaker 3: well respected. And you know they had like we we've
Speaker 3: got all their golden generation. They had the Musketeers and
Speaker 3: there's statues and the Musketees. When you walk in this
Speaker 3: this is great sort of big statue of raffa large
Speaker 3: and then life. I still think it's one of the
Speaker 3: most amazing things. To go to a tournament and Raff
Speaker 3: is still in the drawer plane and there's this gigantic
Speaker 3: statue of him swinging this wild whipping forehands.
Speaker 1: Right, and it's like that kind of silver like shards. Yeah, yeah,
Speaker 1: it looks fantastic. It's not like the who's the soccer
Speaker 1: player they made the bust of and it like looks Ronaldo.
Speaker 1: That one is atrocious.
Speaker 3: Oh this is huge.
Speaker 2: It is it's ten foot.
Speaker 3: Yeah, which is amazing. And then there's this new court.
Speaker 3: Well not so now, but it was built for the
Speaker 3: Olympics initially. Simone Mathews is the court. Susan long long
Speaker 3: than it's a iconic champion in the twenties and the
Speaker 3: thirties over there, who was just a magnificent player, Simone Mathew.
Speaker 3: Is this third stadium court so I especially the equivalent
Speaker 3: of our John Kaine Arena. But you walk in there
Speaker 3: and it's got it's basically a glasshouse. There's plants all
Speaker 3: the way around. It's been designed specifically because it's in
Speaker 3: a botanical garden that just before you get to the site.
Speaker 3: So it's this magnificent, beautiful, very different court to what
Speaker 3: you would normally experience. So those elements and even to
Speaker 3: the extent of seri chic, the you know, the staff
Speaker 3: as you know in Australia we have, although in australia's
Speaker 3: improved a lot. In the US, for example, you might
Speaker 3: have the plain blue polo and the black pants Paris Wimbledon,
Speaker 3: pretty stylish. All the staffers, the young staffers are very
Speaker 3: stylish there. They're wearing there, you know, their hats there,
Speaker 3: they're they're very stylish trousers. So it's it's there's a
Speaker 3: lot difference about it, very difine.
Speaker 2: Very cool because everyone in the crowd too is wearing
Speaker 2: the Panama hat. Is that something you get on arrival?
Speaker 2: You have to do they just hand them out. What's
Speaker 2: going on.
Speaker 3: There's good reason that I in particularly needed very handy
Speaker 3: for my hairline. You do see them though, And I
Speaker 3: was just flicking through a magazine yesterday which is soon
Speaker 3: to be launched a different sort of brand, and they
Speaker 3: had some of the shots from you know that make
Speaker 3: rolling gross what rolling Garros is, and the Panama hat
Speaker 3: is one of them. And it's this great photo and
Speaker 3: just all around the court of people wearing the Panama hats.
Speaker 3: Shot from above. You know you've got the bag, like
Speaker 3: if you've played in Melbourne on Oti car courts well
Speaker 3: Clay is very you know, it's similarities, but you know,
Speaker 3: finer surface. But photos of the people bagging you get
Speaker 3: the dust sort of kicking up. It's and the crowd,
Speaker 3: you know, it's not so much the Oi oi, which
Speaker 3: I've got to say, thank god.
Speaker 1: It's.
Speaker 2: What's the.
Speaker 3: Absolutely and if a French player is in action, it
Speaker 3: is deafening, oh man, insane, Like the crowd goes blistic
Speaker 3: right into it.
Speaker 1: Taylor Fritz Render Kanesh match from last year two years
Speaker 1: ago amazing, like the craziest atmosphere and Taylor's were eventually
Speaker 1: coming out on top and then just like was he
Speaker 1: blowing kisses to the crowd and they were puting the
Speaker 1: hell out of him and it was amazing. Yeah, just
Speaker 1: like the French crowd goes nuts.
Speaker 3: It's and and that adds to it, like I love
Speaker 3: the partisan In fact, you see it all the way
Speaker 3: through the clay swing. We know there's been some complaints
Speaker 3: sort of like in Rome where young wolf On Sekah
Speaker 3: was was sort of up in. The Brazilians were right
Speaker 3: into him with me Jenivick and Vick you see those
Speaker 3: sort of things. But in France it really is for
Speaker 3: the French. One of the things about Rafa who were
Speaker 3: talking about is that he was booed at different stages
Speaker 3: in the infancy of his career. It's not until he
Speaker 3: won fourteen of them, but he really well ten or
Speaker 3: so he started to really win them over and they
Speaker 3: loved him after that. But it took him a while
Speaker 3: because he was Spanish and you know, to win over
Speaker 3: that crowd. I'm just trying to.
Speaker 1: Think which French players Rafa would have been playing in
Speaker 1: the infancy of his career. Who was the big Was.
Speaker 3: It gas Guay with the magnificent one handed back end
Speaker 3: and they both you know this, they basically came through
Speaker 3: at the same stage and gas Gay was the great
Speaker 3: hope because Yannick Noah was the last french Man to
Speaker 3: win at rollingdo I saw all the way back at
Speaker 3: the tournaments. I think he debuted at fifteen and he
Speaker 3: got to world number seven. He made semi finals, a
Speaker 3: couple of three Grand Slam semi finals. So he had
Speaker 3: a really really good career and only retired, you know,
Speaker 3: last year, the last year. But you know, gas Gay
Speaker 3: was his came along with him, so did on Fees,
Speaker 3: you know, another unbelievable talent and he's still going and
Speaker 3: this is his farewell tour and Joe Joe Wilfrid's song,
Speaker 3: it was another one that came through and Jill Simon.
Speaker 3: So Franz had some great players, really good players, Rafa.
Speaker 3: He just blunted the blunted the hopes every year of
Speaker 3: them and everyone else.
Speaker 1: Well, when you start dominating like he did, I mean
Speaker 1: it's hard not to just get behind him. And then
Speaker 1: obviously he's you know, has the statue there do they
Speaker 1: have statues of French players the musketees? Okay, going back
Speaker 1: to back to the nineteen twenties. Yeah, so there's no
Speaker 1: Gui fourger.
Speaker 3: Always it always used to trick me, you know, guy
Speaker 3: Forget when I didn't this guy Forget a great player
Speaker 3: and tournament director. Yeah, well it could have been the
Speaker 3: Fourget stadium.
Speaker 1: Wow, yeah they should. The French should have just gone
Speaker 1: with like French people everyone knows, like the Gerard des
Speaker 1: bardous Dady, Yeah, the peppy. Well, we should say for
Speaker 1: our listeners that as of recording, we're at the quarterfinals
Speaker 1: of the REALM Italian Open, and so that are obviously
Speaker 1: knowledge of what happens in the tournament will be limited,
Speaker 1: but as it stands right now, we did the Ego
Speaker 1: Shavontek song at the start because she looks like she's
Speaker 1: informed and she looks scary going into the French Like
Speaker 1: we'll start with the women's side of things. Who do
Speaker 1: you like, who do you think is going to be
Speaker 1: a contender? Who do you think is maybe having a
Speaker 1: rough season? Sebolonca and uh or not? Well? Indian wells
Speaker 1: in the AO obviously huge, but then she's losing a
Speaker 1: bunch of matches in the lead up, Like.
Speaker 3: It's if you could have a small dartboard with a
Speaker 3: few names on it. Yeah, so I think it's a
Speaker 3: small group that can win it. Yeah, but I could
Speaker 3: not pick with any certainty who that is, and that
Speaker 3: includes I think she's been so inconsistent. I don't think
Speaker 3: she I know we're saying she might be back. I
Speaker 3: don't think she's back yet. But she's an infancy of
Speaker 3: a new coaching sort of partnership. He snapped his achilles
Speaker 3: tendon last week playing yes, leading in front Roy, which
Speaker 3: is not a great thing to do, but he so.
Speaker 3: But whether that affects her on the court, I don't
Speaker 3: don't necessarily think so. Still, the strategy sort of part
Speaker 3: of it.
Speaker 1: She stamped Osa the other absolutely did the vision of
Speaker 1: her hitting with Rafa at the Academy. I mean, there's things,
Speaker 1: and she her you know, past forum on clay obviously
Speaker 1: has to be a huge factor.
Speaker 3: So you would still have her as I think you
Speaker 3: would have her as a favorite. But that what troubles
Speaker 3: me is that she hasn't won a clay court tournament
Speaker 3: through the through the summer, and so she's winning matches absolutely,
Speaker 3: but she's not as dominant. She's not the dominant player
Speaker 3: she was post sash Barti's retirement. Without without I think
Speaker 3: that's indisputable. She's just not the not the same dominance.
Speaker 3: Now that's probably because other players have continued to rise,
Speaker 3: and the sable Anka, you know, finding her consistency extra
Speaker 3: trying to take that next step on clay for Sablenka
Speaker 3: is the big things. She was very close last year
Speaker 3: in that final. I really liked the way Coco Goff
Speaker 3: is going about it. You know, she won. I mean
Speaker 3: people were saying that was a bad final last year.
Speaker 3: I loved it because she played ugly and won. Like
Speaker 3: she You're up against someone who's powerful as and it's
Speaker 3: awesome and as formidable as what arounda Sablenka is, and
Speaker 3: it was really difficult condition. So Coco adjusted. She she
Speaker 3: played ugly, but she hid enough balls, back, drew enough
Speaker 3: errors and had the fortitude at the end to win
Speaker 3: the second Grand Slam. And she had a good win
Speaker 3: in Rome overnight as well against Dreva, who I think
Speaker 3: her form. I think it will come for her. You know,
Speaker 3: last year she left in tears and despair after losing
Speaker 3: to the local favorite Boisson, who we haven't seen basically
Speaker 3: since after that amazing run to the semifinals. But I
Speaker 3: think mirror is certainly right there and Coco, I think
Speaker 3: Arena mirrors.
Speaker 1: People forget she's only ninety so she's a.
Speaker 2: Big emotional swings, but I kind of love that. Yeah,
Speaker 2: they show the passion.
Speaker 3: Exactly, like and that's fine, like you're a young players
Speaker 3: and in the other and with Coco, it's it's amazing.
Speaker 3: The other day she went up against an American who
Speaker 3: he saw here, Shoviku was so good and made it
Speaker 3: through to the I think the quarter finals here in January,
Speaker 3: Coco was the grand old lady. It's twenty two, yeah, crazy, yeah,
Speaker 3: and Jo got a match point yeah, and then yeah,
Speaker 3: just Coco.
Speaker 1: A lot of comeback wins for Coco, right, and for golf,
Speaker 1: it all comes down to how she's serving on any
Speaker 1: given day, right, that's her biggest achilles. Oh no, you don't,
Speaker 1: you don't. I can't believe.
Speaker 2: That's just I'm so sorry.
Speaker 1: And so like if I don't know, I know she's
Speaker 1: got a new serving coach, is that right there?
Speaker 3: I think they're working on the biomechanics. It's amazing that
Speaker 3: she's already got two Grand Slams. I think she sets
Speaker 3: a record. Nipo been the first for the youngest of
Speaker 3: fifteen quarterfinals at this at the lastest level. Just as
Speaker 3: and you're evers at one the other days the youngest
Speaker 3: to ten sort of quarter finals, so it might be
Speaker 3: fifteen semi finals at that level. But yeah, they are
Speaker 3: record breaking plays in some regards. And that's the time
Speaker 3: when you have got a Spiontic, you have got a Sablenka.
Speaker 3: Jess Bagoula is playing well. I love just glancing through results.
Speaker 3: She's playing with Storm Hunter this week and they're through
Speaker 3: to the quarters in Roman. Really, I love watching like
Speaker 3: Jess play and Storm and Storms a ripper, such a
Speaker 3: such a great Aussie talent. So yeah, I love watching
Speaker 3: the women's tennis, I think, and I think the fact
Speaker 3: that you can't identify the winner with any certainty makes
Speaker 3: it really interesting.
Speaker 1: We haven't even mentioned so I mean another huge contender
Speaker 1: for the title. I mean I'd love to see we
Speaker 1: love the mooch here.
Speaker 2: The move.
Speaker 1: Just her style of player is awesome to watch. And yeah,
Speaker 1: I mean Coco obviously moves on the clay. I think better, well,
Speaker 1: Ego's movement. It's her Coco for like, best movers on
Speaker 1: the dirt. I think. So Eddie dark horses on the
Speaker 1: women's side, do you think.
Speaker 3: Uh, well, let's go to the mook because she did
Speaker 3: make the what the final two years ago? Yeah, was
Speaker 3: it two years ago? Three years ago?
Speaker 1: Yeah?
Speaker 3: The semi I mean she's such a sublime player, dark horses.
Speaker 2: What about that Sertsi Certsy Christia Cristaia. Yeah, like is
Speaker 2: it Sertsy? I mean it's a tricky yeah.
Speaker 3: Yeah, she Well, I mean it's an amazing career resurgence
Speaker 3: and her last year on the tour. She's thirty six,
Speaker 3: and here she's into a semi final of a of
Speaker 3: the Italian Open. Her career high, I think is twenty one.
Speaker 3: I think that if she wins, she gets twenty one
Speaker 3: no points to defend. Sort of through the grass season,
Speaker 3: she s announce it's going to be a retiring year,
Speaker 3: and here she's playing the best tennis of her life.
Speaker 3: It often makes me wonder, do you go back to
Speaker 3: the well again? Or is this is that the reason
Speaker 3: I'm playing well? Because well, I've got nothing to losing.
Speaker 3: Saying goodbye to each of these big, great cities of
Speaker 3: the world.
Speaker 1: I think. So, I mean, hasn't she said if she
Speaker 1: wins Roalm the Serana Christia, that she's going to stay
Speaker 1: on tour for another year or two years whatever. So,
Speaker 1: I mean that would be an awesome storyline, but Rome
Speaker 1: will be interesting. I mean some huge quarter. They're through
Speaker 1: to the Semis now in is that right?
Speaker 3: Or Semis and the women's well, sorry, two semi finalists
Speaker 3: are through. You know these weird Fortnite Masters where the
Speaker 3: draw gets all out of wax. I think we've still
Speaker 3: got the where we're recording at the time where the
Speaker 3: four men's courters are to be played. There's still a
Speaker 3: couple of women's quarters to be played, but we're basically
Speaker 3: from tomorrow will hit the hit the regular sort of
Speaker 3: where it's a little easy to comprehend what's going on
Speaker 3: into yeah, to try and take note of who's dount
Speaker 3: what and where.
Speaker 1: Yeah, well, I mean it's fascinating. Like you said, the
Speaker 1: women's draw, it's like a handful of players that could
Speaker 1: all take it out, or someone could just have a
Speaker 1: crazy tournament and you know, all of a sudden, Barbara Chikova,
Speaker 1: we're all pronouncing it wrong today except for the pro
Speaker 1: or you said jo Dar before and I've only heard
Speaker 1: Hoda Hoda. Are you Are you an Alcoraz or an
Speaker 1: alcareth man?
Speaker 3: It depends on who I'm talking to him.
Speaker 1: Well, we we've shown that Lizzie is a serce Hoda.
Speaker 2: That sounds very game that is, yeah, I guess, and
Speaker 2: he could.
Speaker 3: I mean he would be a game of throwing to
Speaker 3: start character with that forehand.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, do you think his game is very
Speaker 1: similar looking to Sinner's game? When I watch him play,
Speaker 1: it just seems like kind of the just world class
Speaker 1: obviously ground is and then just putting people in corners
Speaker 1: and whipping fourhands and cross cord. I just see a
Speaker 1: lot of center in his style. Would you agree?
Speaker 3: I want to see him on hard court small before,
Speaker 3: because I mean the movement for Cinner is what I
Speaker 3: think he's probably underrated that we know when he's walking,
Speaker 3: he's got that. So it's quite an ungainly gate old man, or.
Speaker 2: It's a real old man instead of I just got up.
Speaker 3: It really does.
Speaker 2: Look at it.
Speaker 3: And then you see him in the point and he glides,
Speaker 3: it's like it's like he's skiing like you watched him
Speaker 3: on hard court, and just his ability to get forward
Speaker 3: to to move like he's he's working a slalem run
Speaker 3: getting back to the basement. So I want to see
Speaker 3: Da on Yoda. Let's just go with Rafa.
Speaker 1: That will confused anyone Spanish raffer I like Raffa for
Speaker 1: the French. Are you are you actually a tennis you
Speaker 1: know he retired.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I wouldn't put it past him, but no, I'd
Speaker 3: like to see him on the rest. But I think
Speaker 3: what you're saying is, I mean, the forehand is formidable
Speaker 3: and his results for someone who was in college. You know,
Speaker 3: we know he walked out of it and is still
Speaker 3: so young and so powerful. It's a phenomenal transition so
Speaker 3: swiftly to get to where he is. And I think
Speaker 3: if he wins another actually we see him in the
Speaker 3: top twenty four, and he's played, you know, at the
Speaker 3: top level. I mean, he was really good in canber
Speaker 3: obviously before the ass Open, winning winning that challenger, and
Speaker 3: that challenger leading into the austral Open tends to produce
Speaker 3: some really really good players guys to keep an eye on,
Speaker 3: and he won there. But I'd like to see him
Speaker 3: just more on the hard courts. And I'd like to
Speaker 3: see him over five sets as well, because he's been
Speaker 3: winning over three sets against all these guys. See whether
Speaker 3: it's sustainable over five sets. I mean the way he's
Speaker 3: been winning so quick, so you'd think it's sustainable, But
Speaker 3: just to see how it goes when he's in a
Speaker 3: real dog dog fight, let's hope against a French player
Speaker 3: in a fortnight. Oh, just see how he handles that
Speaker 3: sort of that sort of Occasion'll he'll learn and he'll
Speaker 3: get better and better. But that's the sort of challenge
Speaker 3: at nine am, we think, yeah, because it took in
Speaker 3: that period to sort of break through. He made it.
Speaker 3: He made a quarter final imparisons a ninety year old,
Speaker 3: and then it took him another three years to break through.
Speaker 3: Alcor al Craze was however, he swings mighty fine. He
Speaker 3: was nineteen, but it took him another couple of years
Speaker 3: after that. Novak one here at nineteen and it took
Speaker 3: him a few years. So you know, it'll be interesting
Speaker 3: to see what happens with me so jealous.
Speaker 1: Of him, going yeah, I've been predicting Eager winning the
Speaker 1: French since January. So I mean, before we get into
Speaker 1: the men's draw proper, I'm going to pin you down
Speaker 1: and who are you picking for the French On.
Speaker 3: The women's I'm going to go the back to back champion. Okay,
Speaker 3: I'll go with Coco.
Speaker 1: Nice all right.
Speaker 2: I was thinking Cocoa too, You're going coco.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I was thinking, I wonder what was your prediction
Speaker 1: in January though, let's go back and revisit.
Speaker 2: Let's go French double anka again.
Speaker 3: Did you do all full?
Speaker 2: Yeah? Yeah, what did I do?
Speaker 1: I don't know. It was probably like Sercy or.
Speaker 3: Something, my best place.
Speaker 2: Uh No, I probably said.
Speaker 1: You do love Svidelina and she is Is this her
Speaker 1: last year? Has she said that?
Speaker 3: No, It's Gal's last year. Oh yeah, I think he'll
Speaker 3: do some at home parenting in the next little while.
Speaker 1: That's right. Well, he's got the wild card as well
Speaker 1: as Stan Varenka fun so, I mean that's awesome.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's fun.
Speaker 1: Even if they win, just the first round match would
Speaker 1: just be so exciting and great. Obviously Gale will and
Speaker 1: I think Stan will get that crowd response as well.
Speaker 3: It's a fuller champion, I think, so on a finalist
Speaker 3: and what and what they do really well in Paris
Speaker 3: is the farewell ceremonies, particularly with the French players, and
Speaker 3: when they did it with Rafa last year, which was
Speaker 3: a beautiful touch and they had the little plarque beside
Speaker 3: the court. But with the French players, they will out
Speaker 3: the modern day musketeers that have played alongside them. So
Speaker 3: we'll see gas Gay, we'll see we'll see song and
Speaker 3: we'll see some on They'll all be standing, you know,
Speaker 3: they'll always caught side. Emily Maresmo's the tournament director, shall
Speaker 3: have something and it's just a really really lovely touch
Speaker 3: in a great way in the crowd because they are
Speaker 3: real tennis lovers, they they get great applause, so that
Speaker 3: when those two go out, I think it'll be a
Speaker 3: really nice moment in tennis. You know, when they depart,
Speaker 3: rolland Garross, I know, I know they'll keep playing, but
Speaker 3: I think here in particular is where they'll get the
Speaker 3: best receptions.
Speaker 1: Yeah, the crowd's going to be and it will be
Speaker 1: emotional and there will be a lot of like great
Speaker 1: crowds Aboart. It be awesome matches to watch. The one
Speaker 1: guy I'm going to make sure to set a time
Speaker 1: aside to watch is going to be Quarantine Moute throughout
Speaker 1: the French because he revs the crowd up. He's just
Speaker 1: crafty as hell out there and it's just an awesome player,
Speaker 1: you know, just from the spectator point of view, and
Speaker 1: I think he'll be revving up the crowd to mess
Speaker 1: with his opponent.
Speaker 3: He's a maestro. Yeah, he's just marvelous to watch. I mean,
Speaker 3: he saw him here on CNNY court not that long ago,
Speaker 3: four months ago, when he was you know, he got beaten.
Speaker 3: But it's a pleasure watching him and get beaten. The
Speaker 3: way he plays, not not not not that yeah, you know,
Speaker 3: I mean some players he absolutely riles and rubs people
Speaker 3: up the wrong way on court, but just watching him
Speaker 3: just to touch the angles, the flare, the what is
Speaker 3: this guy going to do next? It's wonderful to watch.
Speaker 1: It's like exhibition tennis. Half the time he's hitting shots
Speaker 1: that you're like, that's no coach told you.
Speaker 3: So.
Speaker 1: In the men's side, obviously kind of the opposite to
Speaker 1: the women's where it's just one guy who everyone's like, oh,
Speaker 1: it's aforegone conclusion. I mean, do you feel that way,
Speaker 1: Do you feel like there's actual contenders to push center
Speaker 1: or is it just kind of like, well, just give
Speaker 1: him the trophy now we know it's going to happen.
Speaker 3: I'm always really reluctant to say that they've got to
Speaker 3: get to a fortnight. There's seven matches, five sets, and
Speaker 3: he was beaten here in January by an old guy
Speaker 3: middlely an old guy who can play in Djokovic. But
Speaker 3: he has been remarkable through this clay season and I
Speaker 3: was very, very lucky to be there last year for
Speaker 3: that rolling gross final where he played one of the
Speaker 3: greats of all time and he had he had Alkroth.
Speaker 3: I'm so jealous you are out that obviously it looks
Speaker 3: still still final. Yeah, and like one of the all
Speaker 3: times were.
Speaker 1: You wearing your big Panama hat again? Back to the
Speaker 1: Panama hats. It's annoying to give out a big hat
Speaker 1: to spectators for a crowd. Don't you think someone in
Speaker 1: front of you wearing a giant hat is the most
Speaker 1: annoying thing at a tennis.
Speaker 3: Oh, it's like that the person he's quite toll in
Speaker 3: front of you. It's like.
Speaker 1: Yeah, like I don't know. It's like next year for
Speaker 1: the AO, we give out sobreros for everyone having fun it.
Speaker 1: That's it shows such a lack of appreciation for fans
Speaker 1: in the stands.
Speaker 2: I think the Australian Open version would be like a
Speaker 2: big Bunnings hat. Have you seen like just big outdoor
Speaker 2: straw hats?
Speaker 1: Oh right right, no, no, no, I think yeah, we
Speaker 1: give out shoes for people to drink beers out of.
Speaker 3: Good new beer coming on. I can't remember.
Speaker 1: Oh maybe no, I don't know major announcements.
Speaker 3: Take binding that back right now, security outside. So you
Speaker 3: were at the front op and final last year. One
Speaker 3: of the best ever. I think Grand slams. I don't
Speaker 3: even think that's recency bias. I think that's right up
Speaker 3: there with the top five or so of all time,
Speaker 3: and given given the two combatants, and you know the
Speaker 3: time in tennis, the transition from the big three into
Speaker 3: these two are just superstars of the sport. And Sinner
Speaker 3: was amazing and had those match points and was in
Speaker 3: control against the guy that I think is well not
Speaker 3: the greatest clay court player of all time, given but
Speaker 3: he would be in the top five already. I think
Speaker 3: in Grand Slam. You know, he's defended Ross. It's an
Speaker 3: incredible thing to be able to defend the rolling gross title.
Speaker 3: Bags done it. Obviously Raff has done it, but you
Speaker 3: know it's exceptionally hard to do. Carlos has done that,
Speaker 3: but he took him. He was right on the very
Speaker 3: brink of defeat against Sinner, and then we've seen him
Speaker 3: through this clay court season touch wood. We don't know
Speaker 3: what's going to happen in the next couple of days,
Speaker 3: but he's already said a record in terms of us
Speaker 3: as wins. Sorry, he's level with Novak as we speaking
Speaker 3: on thirty one. And if he wins, then this new record.
Speaker 1: How old was Novak when he sat there?
Speaker 3: Older like Novak's records are older like some And I mean,
Speaker 3: you know, I think the masses the five or four
Speaker 3: in a row was twenty eight or twenty nine. So
Speaker 3: you know, he's well ahead of you know, in terms
Speaker 3: of you know, we're in terms of age, ahead of
Speaker 3: the curve in that regard, as Carlos is in a
Speaker 3: lot of the things he's doing. So we're seeing two
Speaker 3: guys who, after an amazing generation at breaking new records,
Speaker 3: are sitting new ground. Got a long way to go
Speaker 3: to match the longevity. But I would think, and what
Speaker 3: we've seen so far given you probably think that Zeverev
Speaker 3: is the second best clay court player in the world,
Speaker 3: and he got beaten overnight. But right by Dardario think.
Speaker 1: He's just got an Italian guy problem because sinners like
Speaker 1: you know, ruined his brain because he lost to Kabali
Speaker 1: And now Dardaeri and so he just sees Italian. Yeah,
Speaker 1: he like drives by a pizza players and has a panic.
Speaker 3: Attack affording the pastor.
Speaker 1: So I don't know he's there of to me how
Speaker 1: he looks lately because he got did he get bageled
Speaker 1: in the final set against Darderry.
Speaker 3: He did, but he also made a final yeah, you know,
Speaker 3: two weeks ago. Like in his form on clay Stax,
Speaker 3: I mean his form has actually been very impressive aside
Speaker 3: from the Italians. Like I think he's he's recording last
Speaker 3: few months, he's lost to the Italians and no one else.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 3: So but given that, you think, well, Sinner, who also
Speaker 3: has an Italian problem. I think he's won over ninety
Speaker 3: when he's nineteenth straight match against an Italian rival. So
Speaker 3: he gives no love to his compatriots, no love to
Speaker 3: many people actually.
Speaker 1: But yeah, well that's fascinating because during the Australian Open,
Speaker 1: I think it was Dardari that Cinner was playing, and
Speaker 1: so there's a lot of Italian fans and they seem
Speaker 1: to be backing Dardari more in the.
Speaker 3: It's that curious part of Italy.
Speaker 1: Well, the part of that, but the geography.
Speaker 3: Yeah, no north and sort of closer to Austria and Austria.
Speaker 1: Yeah, he looks more Austrian then.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Imagine the Italians here are probably more southern.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and they see Baratini in they're like that it's Italian,
Speaker 1: you know. Okay, So I mean who do you like
Speaker 1: that could possibly push center for the French? I mean
Speaker 1: the names that are touted or Fonseka Fees now hod
Speaker 1: are I mean outside of Zverev? Are you just backing
Speaker 1: Djokovic to get deep or are you worried about his forum?
Speaker 3: What do you think? I don't think we've seen enough
Speaker 3: of him, but we know that when Novak arrives at
Speaker 3: Rolling US, it's similar to raffering terms of he tends
Speaker 3: to perform and he tends to push deep. Yeah, and
Speaker 3: he's the type of playing the only needs to he
Speaker 3: can get there and work his way into form in
Speaker 3: a match. So I would think, yeah, you think he
Speaker 3: probably He won Paris two years ago as that great
Speaker 3: Olympic triumph to cap his career. So he's you know,
Speaker 3: he's got the Rolling Gross title and he's got the
Speaker 3: careers you know, the career Grand Slam there. You know,
Speaker 3: he drew the big love hard after he finally broke
Speaker 3: through and won there, Yeah.
Speaker 1: But how badly does he want twenty five?
Speaker 3: He wants that, and with the two of them out,
Speaker 3: that's sorry. With one of them out, this is a chance.
Speaker 3: It's like it's like they used to say. He used
Speaker 3: to say, you go up against Andy Murray and if
Speaker 3: you beat Andy Murray, then you'd have Jokovic or Nadal
Speaker 3: or Fetter, And if you manage to beat one of those,
Speaker 3: then there'd be another one still there waiting. And to
Speaker 3: try and get through three of them were so hard
Speaker 3: with these guys. He beats in here, but then he
Speaker 3: runs into a brick wall, but it took him such
Speaker 3: an amazing amount of energy to get through. He runs
Speaker 3: into the brick wall against alcraz in the.
Speaker 1: Final, he readlined the first one that and then just
Speaker 1: kind of keep it up.
Speaker 3: So it's sort of so with one of them one
Speaker 3: less there, well, then you know he does fancy his chance.
Speaker 3: But then you think, you know, those young guys are
Speaker 3: coming and they're really exciting. It's they are great talents.
Speaker 3: Will they make a step here? Who knows? It's it's
Speaker 3: you know, it's a real chance without again, because Carlos
Speaker 3: is not there, there's a there's a chance for someone
Speaker 3: to push deep or will it be an established as
Speaker 3: very on the other side of that, or he said
Speaker 3: he's injured, so I don't think it'll be him. Yeah, Alex,
Speaker 3: I'd love to demon or I'd love to say but
Speaker 3: he hasn't been playing great, but I can see him
Speaker 3: in the second week. Well, whether it's further look, I
Speaker 3: think on Clay is going to be an issue, but
Speaker 3: there's there's an opportunity and that makes it exciting.
Speaker 1: I mean, before we talk about the AUSSI players, who
Speaker 1: of those names do you think the hope is the
Speaker 1: most for real? Like Arthur, Yeah, fun Taka Hod are
Speaker 1: like that. You've watched maybe not enough of Hod to
Speaker 1: make a proper assessment, but like, who do you think
Speaker 1: is going to be if there is a big three
Speaker 1: in the future going forward? Who takes that man?
Speaker 3: Who takes the third spot? I really like Fees, but
Speaker 3: he's a couple of years older than them. But his explosiveness,
Speaker 3: his shot making, his athleticism is extraordinary and when he's
Speaker 3: up and going, like Alex played him win more than
Speaker 3: a couple of years ago, the match where he got
Speaker 3: injured basically on match point. But it was a great
Speaker 3: match and Alex was playing unbelievably well and I thought
Speaker 3: he would be a really strong chance against Novak in
Speaker 3: the next match. So well was he playing, and Fees
Speaker 3: pushed him really close then, And we're now two years on.
Speaker 3: He was injured obviously for a lot of last year,
Speaker 3: but I think what we've seen since he's been back
Speaker 3: has been really exciting. Touchwood of course that we hope
Speaker 3: that that most recent setback is not a thing, but
Speaker 3: I really like what he's got. The other tour have
Speaker 3: got all the tools and all the weaponry, but they're
Speaker 3: you know, they're they're still teenagers. Yeah, Visus sort of
Speaker 3: like twenty one to twenty two. So if they get there,
Speaker 3: I think he gets there first, and he's he's almost there.
Speaker 1: I want to see a fan Teka have a deep
Speaker 1: run and run into some French players because the Brazilian
Speaker 1: crowd versus the French crowd is going to be dynamical. Yeah,
Speaker 1: great stuff. Ozzie wise dem and ours kind of had
Speaker 1: a rough season, like we touched on, but do you
Speaker 1: see anyone else maybe push into a second week? How
Speaker 1: do you feel well?
Speaker 3: You mentioned Alexi off off camera and you know he's
Speaker 3: credentials on clay are decent. You know you spoke about him.
Speaker 3: I was there when he won the Junior French Roland
Speaker 3: Garris and that's always a pointed to being top line
Speaker 3: of coming through with the old bull ring, this fabulous
Speaker 3: old court that's no longer there. But he won that.
Speaker 3: You know you've seen him win. But his form has
Speaker 3: been really not great for quite a quite a period. Alexi.
Speaker 3: I'm glad that he won a couple of matches in Rome.
Speaker 3: I think that's that's important, and you know that gives
Speaker 3: him a bit of confidence letting in. I think that's important.
Speaker 3: But he did get his pants pulled down by Yannick Sinner,
Speaker 3: who's done that between before, and I think that's just
Speaker 3: a bad matchup for Alexei. In a lot of it's
Speaker 3: a bad match up for everyone basically apart from maybe
Speaker 3: al Grath, but it's a bad, bad matchup for Alexi.
Speaker 3: But he won a couple of matches, so I think
Speaker 3: ideally you see him sort of arriving. We know he
Speaker 3: can play on clay if he's confident and it's warm,
Speaker 3: I think he's a chance to make it sort of
Speaker 3: through to the last city two, last sixteen, and then
Speaker 3: you don't know. Again. With Alex it's an interesting one
Speaker 3: because you look at his recent run of form and
Speaker 3: you think, oh, what's going on, and you know he
Speaker 3: has got a lot in his mind. He is, you know,
Speaker 3: they're getting married. It's it's all about.
Speaker 2: But then table settings, Yeah, yeah, center piece, centerpieces, flowers,
Speaker 2: all the things.
Speaker 3: And I'll be intrigued to see what he actually wears
Speaker 3: and wears Wilson sponsor, Oh, no doubt, color than that shirt.
Speaker 3: But but but then you go. He did make an
Speaker 3: Australian Open quarterfinal. There's only been one Grand Slam this year.
Speaker 3: He made the quarter finals of it. He won Rotterdam,
Speaker 3: which is a really hard good five hundred in February.
Speaker 3: So if you if you make a Grand Slam quarter
Speaker 3: final and win a win a decent not not a Master's,
Speaker 3: but but the next year down a title. He's sitting
Speaker 3: eight in the world, and he's sitting eight in the race.
Speaker 3: It's it's not bad. He was okay in the first
Speaker 3: tournament on clay, but as I said, the last couple
Speaker 3: of mean so so. But Hoder in Madrid, it's it's
Speaker 3: it's an altitude. So that's one where Alex is not
Speaker 3: going to play necessarily that well. Given the way he
Speaker 3: hits the ball, you know, it's flattering, it will fly.
Speaker 3: It's just I don't think it suits him as well. Rome.
Speaker 3: He wasn't that far away. He just had a couple
Speaker 3: of bad games. So I hope, I mean again, if
Speaker 3: he if he can get through his first couple of rounds,
Speaker 3: I'd be fine with it. And it's just it's just
Speaker 3: if he can. But I think if he does, he's
Speaker 3: I'd be hoping. He'd be wishing too. The quarter finals again, right,
Speaker 3: all right, Well, just.
Speaker 1: To wrap up the French open talk, then I guess
Speaker 1: the prediction on the men's side, who plays center and
Speaker 1: loses in the final. I'll make my call. I'm gonna
Speaker 1: say Casper Rude.
Speaker 3: He was really good. It was a good win.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I like, and he's always the bridesmaiden of the bride, Casper,
Speaker 1: so yeah, a little resurgence.
Speaker 3: Look, I still think that Verriv is probably the the
Speaker 3: next one, the next clay quarter, the next best clay
Speaker 3: quarter outside of Novak. If Novak's fit, well then but yeah,
Speaker 3: I think it's very of on form even given what
Speaker 3: happened every night?
Speaker 2: Great Lizzie Novak or Fees Yeah, yeah, that would be
Speaker 2: really cool.
Speaker 1: Yeah you got your coming back?
Speaker 2: Where was all right? The segment we all love and enjoy.
Speaker 1: What's the second time we've done it?
Speaker 2: It's got Quizzy who yes, yeah, and we've got too
Speaker 2: sorry dance a demand from thank you for dancing with recording.
Speaker 2: I appreciate that I've got a lovely prize to give away.
Speaker 1: So for the listener who answers a question that neither
Speaker 1: I or Courtney could answer, Yeah.
Speaker 2: And they have to email Pola Rena pod La, I
Speaker 2: don't know the podlavor at Tennis dot com dot a
Speaker 2: U and I will give you my coffee cup with
Speaker 2: a few drags in it.
Speaker 3: Wow, was a good coffee.
Speaker 2: It was a beautiful coffee. And you can sip my dregs.
Speaker 1: Discussing dregs. But there also might be some kind of
Speaker 1: nice prize.
Speaker 2: Back as well, So it's actually a real prize. That's
Speaker 2: a fake prize something from the merch storm.
Speaker 1: Maybe all right, we'll hit us with.
Speaker 2: The okay question one? Who are the last two Australia
Speaker 2: and OZ Open Men's and women's singles champions, it's.
Speaker 3: Going to be an old like the last two Australians
Speaker 3: or the last two Australian Open.
Speaker 2: No, who are the last two Australian OZ Open Men's
Speaker 2: and women's singles champions?
Speaker 1: So Australians is it Margaret Court on the women's I know,
Speaker 1: oh ash Barti, Ashbarty and then the men's side mark edmonson?
Speaker 1: What year was that? Wow?
Speaker 2: Correct? Correct?
Speaker 3: So I have written that lots and lots and lots
Speaker 3: because she just had another year. It's been X amount
Speaker 3: of years of course, so is Mike out now? He?
Speaker 2: Question two? What year did Nick Kurios and Tanasi Kokanakas
Speaker 2: win the men's doubles.
Speaker 1: Title twenty twenty twoies?
Speaker 3: Yep?
Speaker 1: Yeah correct? Correct?
Speaker 3: Attention.
Speaker 2: Question three? How many different court surfaces has the Australian
Speaker 2: Open had?
Speaker 1: Three?
Speaker 3: I'd say three so grass, rebound, ace and green said.
Speaker 2: Bump bone.
Speaker 1: More I'm not saying.
Speaker 2: Please email pod Labor at Tennis dot com dot au
Speaker 2: with your answer to how many different court surfaces has
Speaker 2: the Australian.
Speaker 1: Hat and name them all and bid Yeah, if.
Speaker 2: You can name it all, we'll throw in another hat like.
Speaker 3: Was there an back in the nine.
Speaker 1: Because the listener that gets Lizzie's dregs.
Speaker 2: Okay, yeah, I don't want to give anything away, and
Speaker 2: that was Quizzy who Dance.
Speaker 1: Corny Courtney Walsh. Thank you so much for coming.
Speaker 2: Appreciate it.
Speaker 1: And if you want, if you want company for the
Speaker 1: French Open and want to pay for all my air
Speaker 1: for an accommodation, I'd be happy to hang out.
Speaker 3: More than happy to buy a beginn or a a bail.
Speaker 1: Bring Lizzie back a Panama hat.
Speaker 2: Oh, I would love that.
Speaker 1: It's not an annoying thing.
Speaker 2: To put me. Bring back this person you met once
Speaker 2: briefly a gift.
Speaker 3: Thank you, Thank you so much. It's been an absolute delight.
Speaker 2: Thanks Gotny, thanks for coming in.
Speaker 1: We'll get you back in
Speaker 2: Sip my dregs.