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This is Maxine Gauan from Bend, Oregon. And you're listening to the tennis podcast. Well, thank you, Maxine for introducing our day one, 2024 Australian Open Daily podcast. It is 144 a.m. You find us myself, Catherine Whitaker, David, or Matt Roberts at tennis podcast towers after our first Sunday start to an Australian open. How are we? And how did we find the Sunday start, David? I didn't feel a little bit tired. I got to be honest.
But I enjoyed it. I actually enjoyed the Sunday start. I kind of canvased a few opinions and there were split, I would say. I personally enjoyed the little bit of space that you had between, well, matches weren't every court in operation at the same time. And then I suppose it was so thrilling the evening session that first match that that's what I take away from it. But overall, I think I liked it.
Yeah, I enjoyed it too. I mean, there is there is always a part of me, I think, that enjoys grand slam as we get to 11 a.m. on the opening day and you get an avalanche of matches all starting at the same time and all, you know, populating your scores app and you think, right, here we go.
And we didn't quite get that moment. We not only was it a reduced schedule overall, it was a staggered start, wasn't it? But it did allow time to, you know, go into a bit more depth in some matches and I normally would probably on the opening day and have some, just I don't know, have some conversations with people.
I feel like I wasn't just attached to my interactive screen the entire day. So that was quite nice. But yeah, I mean, thank goodness for the Sunday start and the early finishes that it's giving us. I mean, that has worked to treat hasn't it. Problem solved guys.
We will come on to all of that. Don't you worry. We're going to work backwards here because we are going to start with the night session and we are going to talk about arena sabotein because absolutely extraordinary start to the tournament. But I do think we should start with 10 time former champion, no, Van Jochovich and his 18 year old opponent today, the Croatian Dino, Prismic who.
I mean, to say that he's marked everyone's card as a star for the very, very near future, I think would be a tremendous understatement because look, this is a kid that. We've heard about before tonight's match, hadn't we a lot of people that, you know, like David watching one of a show real of one of West Brahms new signings.
People have been been watching YouTube material. The ATP did a very helpful little get to know Dino Prismic video, which we found camera man Matthew editing earlier on in the day. On my Instagram stream a video of Dino Prismic on leg day in the gym, which I think every day. He does skip those. Every day might be leg day for Dino Prismic in the gym, those popped up. Like, he's, people have known about his talent for a little while, but there's knowing about some talent and there's seeing a guy.
Do what he did tonight with no better job of it at the other end of the court opening Rod Leyvar Arena, Australian Open, and it was startling. I thought, well, that kid produced tonight, David. And four hours worth of it. You do see sometimes somebody come out and be spectacular and hurt a big name for a little while and rock them. But it's, it's really more than that. Especially at that age, he did not play like an 18 year old.
He did not play like a novice. He did not play like somebody with that lowly ranking who's just new on the scene who's never done it before. It was like he had been there before in another world. There were so many things about the performance that just surprised me. I was waiting for the cramp to come.
And I don't think it arrived until the final game of the match in the fourth. And when he's taken over to four hours, I waited for him to, on big, bright point moments to go for broke to keep, you know, I was thinking, when's he going to just pull the trigger and go for some outlandish shot to try not know that Chocovitch off the court? He doesn't play like that. I mean, he has firepower. He backed his own game to go toe to toe against know that Chocovitch as if he was know that Chocovitch.
And the similarities were so stark to me. Where we're sitting in the commentary box at the back of the court, court level. To watch him go back and to back and they look like identical back. I never thought he was going to miss. It looked so repeatable, reliable. And he just played with this composure and confidence that I can do this.
There were certainly points in the middle of that second set and the early stages of the third set where we're no but Chocovitch was wanting not to get involved in rallies with Dino Prismic. She was going big on his second serve midway through that third set. He really was like, I don't want to, I'm going to come out the wrong end of long rallies more often than not with this kid.
And this was two and a half hours into the match. I know you could look at the school line and go, OK, four sets opening round. You know, somebody shows up plays red lines it and plays one flashy set against the ten time champion and then is unable to sustain it. That looks like a pattern of match that we've seen before. It just wasn't like that. Was it? Absolutely not. Yeah, I mean, this wasn't Enzo Quacol who did do that last year.
You know, he did win that tie break against Novac Djokovitch in the second set in the second round. I think it was. But the rest of that match was not particularly close, but this was a total grind for Novac Djokovitch. It was the first time since he's become Novac Djokovitch, which we all put us that 2011 Australian open that was him developing into the greatest play of all time. It was the first time since then that he's played over three hours in the first round of a slam.
And it was four hours like it was totally different to anything he's ever experienced before. And I think it's interesting that the sort of highest praise of, you know, Prismic came from Novac Djokovitch himself. I thought it was extraordinary the way he, at the end of the match, recognized that it was a big moment for Prismic. He sort of made the whole crowd applaud Prismic rather than himself.
And he was gushing in his encore interview with Jim Courier and he continued that in the press conference. And exactly as you're describing David, he said it was like looking in a mirror out there. And it's the kind of praise that I've only really heard Djokovitch heap on Carlos Alcarez in the parts where he's described Alcarez as a combination of the big three in terms of the weapons that he possesses.
And he was talking in those sorts of terms about Prismic tonight in terms of, I think what impressed him was the physicality, the fact that he was going toe to toe with him, winning those long rallies, defending so well. And also the mentality that he had that, you know, Prismic, I think genuinely felt like he could beat Novac Djokovitch tonight. And I think Djokovitch felt that he knew that it wasn't just a set.
It was a sustained threat for set after set, you know, hour after hour. And he's not used to facing that. And yeah, it was a really extraordinary performance from Prismic. And that Djokovitch was pretty poor at times, I felt, in that second set. And he's spoken about how the fact that, and you can tell in his voice, he's made nasal at the moment. He's not quite feeling 100%. So he wasn't at his absolute sharpest.
But by the end, he was playing some really good stuff because Prismic should brought it out of him. I don't think Djokovitch was quite ready or prepared to have to dig that deep in round one. I think he quite had that in the tank. But he somehow found it. And yeah, all credit to Prismic for bringing that out of it. It was an amazing spectacle. I mean, Djokovitch is the absolute master in riding out players having a hot streak, isn't he?
His whole attitude is cool. That's awesome. You can't keep it up. Actually, you know, when we so often talk about match management of Djokovitch, I'm looking at this 18-year-old, match managing against Djokovitch and compartmentalising the sets, and not going, yes, going to love down in the third set after he's just won the epic second, but then getting it back to all.
And then taking the three, two of the break lead. And that moment, I really did think, blind me, if he can somehow sustain the belief, I was starting to think where it would rank among all time great shocks. And I was thinking about the people I was going to doorstep and talk about it because John Mechano is around. And things like that. It genuinely was going through my head. He was on the list. The lotering on the lawn with the all list.
I think if Djokovitch had lost that match, all bets are off. I'm going for Agassi, I'm going for Korea, I'm going for everybody because it would have been as big an upset and shock as there would have ever been. And it just tells you everything about Djokovitch that he played that epic fifth game of the third set, lost it, got three, two at a break down, and then wins the next seven. That is no that Djokovitch in a nutshell, and all power to him because that takes him to it.
And then, you know, when I saw him practice yesterday, he had a, his pocket was stuffed full of tissues because he kept blowing his nose. I noticed the same thing. Yeah, and honestly, I don't think saying that takes anything away from Dino Prismich because no that Djokovitch will have been feeling equivalent. Whatever the level of slightly rough or, you know, not quite 100% healthy, he was feeling tonight.
He will have been feeling equivalent levels of that in countless early round grand slam matches over the last 15 years. And he will have won so comfortably in those matches, you know, no that Djokovitch minus a couple of percent is still pretty much the best player in the world. And less Carlos Algaraz is is absolutely on fire, certainly over over five sets. So incredible from both of them. A week in CERN to tall, I know he gets two days off now.
He's the master of in match management of tournament management, all of it, but he is approaching 37 years old. And that was not only an extraordinarily long match, but a physical long match. He was suffering out there, no, that Djokovitch is that the sort of suffering that he could feel in his legs later in the tournament. In a word, no, I don't think I'm worried, like maybe, like, I feel like he would have to have a similar test again. That's what I think.
Cumulative. And I still, I mean, he could, the likelihood is, who's he got next? It's a popper in all polmins, isn't it? Actually, I think, I think popper is dangerous if he plays him. And so that's not ideal personally, in my view, but generally, he's going to win most of his matches quite efficiently, I think, from here. And it's a far less physical match against popper, isn't it? I mean, could be Mark Polman's.
Yeah. Agas, he was in his state in the obvious, but far the time will get him eventually, and we're all just fascinated to know when that'll be, really. And I think in a way, Djokovitch is too. He's fascinated about how long he can keep this going for. Okay, well, popper in in polmins play tomorrow and over at Djokovitch gets a couple of days off. Let's stay with the night session, rather than sticking with the men's draw.
And let's move on to talk about Arina Sabelenko, Ella Sadle, the 18-year-old German qualifier for her. She steps out onto court, Arina Sabelenko, the defending women's champion at what time? She came onto court at 11.33pm. And what percentage fold do you think the crowd was at that point having just watched several hours of Djokovitch and Prismic? I would say 30-40% and then first ball was at 11.41pm and it was still 30-40%.
And we posted a photo of that on Twitter and someone said, well, that's not fair. They've literally just seen a match. Of course, they're going to leave and go to the toilet. And I was like, okay, well, the whole point is that that walking out moment onto court is the one chance you get as a defending champion to return to the court for the first time since you won it and receive the applause and the evasion that you deserve. And that was simply taken away from Arina Sabelenko tonight.
She is never going to be a first-time defending Australian Open champion again. That was her moment. And it was barely a moment because there was barely anyone there to recognize it. And it's absolutely not on the Rod Leyva Arena crowd who needed a wee after... Exactly. No one's blaming any of them. It's detestable. And the thing is, you could have switched those matches and maybe it might have ended up close than it was.
Let's say it's an hour and a half and no that Djokovitch goes onto the court at 9 o'clock instead of 7.30pm. He still walks out to a full house as the defending champion because it has only been an hour and a half, not four hours because it's three against five sets. And I just think I think they should have done it that way. And it's the same again. Tomorrow night, isn't it? And it's... I don't understand why they don't get that, really.
Yeah, I mean, I said this to you yesterday, David. Imagine a world in which... This is a stretch, obviously. Imagine a world in which women... For whatever reason, women play best of five and men play best of three. Women are never getting scheduled first, ever, ever. Because it wouldn't... It just wouldn't be seen as acceptable to put a men's best of three match on to start after a best of five set match. It's just a slanted playing field as far as I'm concerned.
I just think there should be a blanket policy of you can't schedule any match after a best of five set match. You can't have a second night session match after best of five. I completely agree. I completely agree. And I also think... They've essentially now got the same schedule as the Arthur Ashtadium, where they've got two day matches and two night session matches. But what they've... What they've not done at the Australian Open is bring the start time of the night session forward.
So we're still starting at the same time we used to start. That's why we're still going to get the late finishes. That's why it's been a total nonsense that the Sunday start would have any impact at all on the late finishes. It's only 201 AM. Calm down. We did one at 630 AM last year as the gold standard. But that's what they've eradicated. It's only two now. What you're complaining about. David, Andy Murray has not yet played Thomas Motty, next year.
It's Hannah Dmyer on after Andy Murray tomorrow. But basically, what happened is... I'd forgotten. What happened is there was this two quite quick matches on the World Lever Arena to start the day. And the day session was over at 420, I think it was on the World Lever Arena. There's then a three hour gap until the night session. If they want to truly do something about late finishes, they now have an opportunity to bring the night session forward a bit.
And I don't really understand why they haven't done that. I guess they're desperate for the night session to start on time. And they don't want a load of people coming in and not having seats to get to. I do understand that. But it feels like they could bring the night session forward an hour. They could start at 6. And quite likely they would be starting on time. If a really long men's match during the day, then worst question are they're starting at 7.
But it just feels like they've got room to play with there. And they haven't taken advantage of it. And yeah, it just so many misses along the way. And the big one, as you say, is they absolutely have to start with the women's matches at night. Because it's simply unacceptable for matches to be starting at 11.41. That is 41 minutes after the tours have just decided that is too late for matches to be starting. That is 71 minutes after that match would have been moved if it was on the tour.
The new tour policy is 10.30. We're going to move them extra to a new court. So just sort it out. Yeah. Well, Savilenka's way of sorting it out was just to condense her match into I think 51 minutes. She's given us an early night. And I mean, she had match points at 43 minutes. And then she squandered several of them. And it was really contrasting emotions for me watching this. I found it incredibly tough to watch LS AIDL out there today. Clearly a talent, 18 years old, qualified.
I mean, talk about being sent into the lion's den. She said qualifying for her first main draw at a slam two days ago. She said that was the best moment of her life two days ago. And I know it's mixed feelings when you then get drawn in the main draw to face the defending champion. That sort of a tremendous experience, but also kind of puts the kibosh of your journey on your journey going any further. But I imagine that it would have been a mixture of nerves and excitement ahead of tonight.
And I'm genuinely worried that that will be a scarring experience for her. I'm hopeful that it won't be because she's clearly surrounded by great people. She's she had Andrea Peckvitch there in a corner watching her tonight. Barbara Rittner is is involved. She has got good people around her. She's young. She's a talent. She's a great person to be. She's a great person to be. She's a great person to be. She's a great person to be. She's a great person to be. She's a great person to be.
She's a great person to be. It was horrible. It was horrible experience for her tonight. She was trying to keep it together. But at six love fall off, I think it was. She did struggle to keep the tears at bay on the court. It's, you know, it's one o'clock in the morning and she's. She's being embarrassed out there. It was it was horrible. But also, a rena saverlanka was absolutely stunning. This is just about apart from a tiny little wobble, close it out. Just about as good as tennis gets.
It's like she had the cheat codes on some sort of tennis version of FIFA. Yeah, it was pretty was unplayable really. And there's a few players who would have been able to do something about it. And a side was not one of them. And it was interesting when we were in the middle of the night. It was interesting when we walk to our commentary box.
We have to go through the players' warmer parier and where they stand looking at the TVs and then the the practice schedules and then they can walk out on down that walker champions. And I walked past on my way to the Jacović match. I walked past this young woman with red hair, with some people around her and had a big smile on her face. And looked really wide eyed.
And I thought, I honestly thought, oh, I wonder if this is a sort of little thing that the tournament is doing to give somebody an experience to walk backstage. I did not know that was her. I had no clue. I'd never seen it before. And I just remembered clocking her as she walked past me and thinking, oh, she looks like she's enjoying this. She's having a nice school trip. Yeah, basically that's what I thought it was.
And then when I got down to the commercial box, she started, she was practicing on the course. And then I started to, you know how you sometimes, well, I sometimes spot somebody. And I did the whole thing, I did the whole she's hitting it. Well, you know, she's, you know, I genuinely thought, my word, she looks really good. She looks talented and she's hitting well. David promised a matter back. I still stand by that.
But the difference between hitting down the centre of the court or, you know, when somebody's not trying to make it horrible for you, which Savalenko was, he was just smashing it to every corner. It was extraordinary to watch what Savalenko did to that very compact, decent tennis player. And we were just sort of praying that it wasn't going to be a double bagel and in the end it was love and one. Yeah, I hope she, I think she should be all right. But I am hoping that for sure.
Yeah, some love and one school lines are a lot less one-sided than they look aren't they? This was somehow more one-sided. Love, yeah. Yeah, I mean, she was absolutely awesome tonight, arenas Savalenko, she's probably tucked up in bed by now. She's got a podcast to record. Let's stay with the women's draw, seeing is that's where we are before we get onto the other results of the women's draw today.
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Tools the number 410is.com forward slash podcast and select Olympic Games hospitality packages that can be purchased there or a dedicated on location team member can contact you directly to create your perfect package. Now back to the Australian open. Where we're going to stick with women's results for the day. Caroline Mousniaki was a winner on her return to the scene of her one and only grand slam title. She'd been an injured magdaleneck.
It was quite a tough scene actually out there on the second court. She was clearly hampered by a hip or low back injury. So was Niaqi progressing through to round number two where she faces Maria Timma Favour who played in a match that I commentated on today. She beat Elise Courne and what could very well be Elise Courne's final Australian open match. She's talented Timma Favour. I think that could be interesting against was Niaqi.
She had a real prismic style sort of that this was her grand slam main draw debut and she had a poise and a maturity and a just sense of the moment that isn't teachable. I don't think very very impressive. So I'm interested in that match in in a few days time. We had the return of the backhand match Amanda and it's over is back 6364 over little Miller Samson of it which is a pretty incredible result. Actually this is her first grand slam match since Wimbledon 2022.
Matt and I went out to watch some of course tennis walk us fans were waiting there for Matt knowing knowing that's where he'd be. Midway through the second set Matt started workshopping a press conference question that he wanted to put to Amanda and us and over. And let's just say I'm really really pleased he didn't go with version one because it was weird. It would have been weird. I said but I see what you're getting at there. You've got to make it less weird. What was that?
I think I described her backhand as a sort of naturally occurring mineral. Something that just exists in the world. The idea being that in my mind Amanda and I'm over who'd obviously put her rackets away for a few months last season would just be able to hit her backhand like she always has been able to do when she picked those rackets back up again. Because the shot is just always there. So I was trying to ask that question without using the words naturally occurring mineral.
And I did manage to do that. He did. You made it really not weird. But clearly obvious what I was getting at because after I asked the question Matt first came over and said that was basically just asking about her backhand wasn't it? And I was like oh I've been rumbleed. What was the alternate when wording? I went with when you pick those rackets back up were there any parts of your game that were just there versus stuff that you had to really work on and... Fishing for a blackbackhand.
I was blatantly fishing. And she actually enjoyed her answer actually. Yeah she went well it's all there. She said the shots are always there. She said it's the fitness and it's the sort of stamina and everything. She said I'm human and without doing it for four months that's the thing that you lose. And look she's just such a natural ball striker isn't she? Truly one of the best that there is. And in that respect I think it was quite a good match up really against Samsonna.
It wasn't a lot of moving side to side. It was a lot of hitting. And you know she looked like it was going to go three sets. She was four one down in that second set. But we would off five straight games. Yeah it was a really nice grand slam winning return for her. She's definitely on the list of players that we just sort of want to see more of in in 2024 as is Lady Fernandez who was not quite the first winner of the day. I think that was Rakeem over.
But the second winner of the day on the John Kane arena 76. 6-2 over Czech qualifier Sarah Baelik. And it was just a good time wasn't it? It was just a reminder of what an asset Lady Fernandez is to tennis. Which is the best show in tennis when she's on. Pam absolutely nailed it. And we've got a lot of hopes haven't we riding on Fernandez? Getting to the third round and making the Fernandez goff match that we're already dreaming of happen for us and for everyone.
Yeah and today was a good opportunity to enjoy Fernandez. Because she was up against a player who's clearly very good and promising another Czech player. I mean I think she was the Czech number 11. She was the Czech number 11. She was the fourth ranked Czech teenager. You're bloody hell. How would you describe a game Matt? I mean you watched the first set more closer than me. I mean what was she? I suppose not that dissimilar to Fernandez. That was one of the trademarks of this match.
Both lefties really like hitting the ball down the line in the way that Leyla Fernandez does. And Fernandez spoke about how she really had to adjust to that. It's a flat backhand like Fernandez but has a much more top spinny forehand than Fernandez does. And something that Fernandez picked up on was the fact that she had the hunger that Fernandez remembered that she had when she was 17. And she said I knew that that hunger is a weapon.
You know you come out a little bit fearless and Fernandez said that she had to sort of weather that. Looks wise I can't explain it but Belek is a sort of combination of Cara Delevene and Jennifer Brady. If you're nailed it. If you'll go with that. Yeah very intrigued to keep watching her. My cat of undroshover was in her box as was Yuri Lachka. So all the... United Cup. All the checks giving her a bit of support. Well she was on the United Cup team. I think so that is a bit of a reunion.
It's nice that it is really nice especially as a Czech Republic I thought was kind of the least vibesy team. In Perth, Vondroshover had a very weird United Cup. She didn't seem fired up at all. But there was obviously something that resonated there in that environment. I just think it's impossible to watch Lola Fernandez without having a good time. She just makes you feel good about tennis. Because she so clearly loves it and wants it. I don't know.
I don't feel as though since she reached that final we've quite had our money's worth of being on a watcher. I don't blame her. She's had some injuries and all the rest of it. I think in many ways that was an over performance. Get into that final at that time. And maybe the rest of it has been a bit more nearer than on. But I just think what we saw at the Billie Jean King Cup is there's more there to come. And you're right. I mean imagine Coco Gough and her on Rod Laverina.
Given the proper prime time slot. That's what we need. David Law submitting an invoice for outstanding debts to Lola Fernandez for a lost two and a half years. Who's in the way? Well, she's got at least your parks next. Oh, Lola Fernandez. That's a good one. I know that. A couple of other women's results for you from today. Maria Sackery very convincing over now. Hippino on the Rod Laverina 6461 for her.
We said in our preview show a couple of days ago that we had heard she was working as of recently with Ben Crow, the sports psychologist to help Ash Barty to win Grand Suntitles Matt. And that's something you wanted to ask her about in press. Not something she wanted to talk about in press. Matt got Julia Putin-saved. Did he use his mineral line in that one? Yeah, I got the look of how do you know that? Do I admit that you're right? Yes, I will admit that you're right.
But I'll also say I would prefer to keep that a secret. Thank you. Fair enough. So I didn't press on it. Well, she did talk about a lot was her new racket. She has a new racket for the first time in 10 years. Which is a big change for tennis player. The extension of the arm, all that, to make a change. What I thought was interesting was to me it sounded like she had really taken ownership of that decision.
She said that the rest of her team were a bit hesitant, but she felt like it was absolutely the right thing to do. She said she was playing with a racket that was very, very powerful. Because for 10 years ago she needed that power. And she feels like she doesn't need that anymore. She needs a lot more control. So she switched in that sense. And she thinks it's really helping her. And she looked, she started this season very, very well.
She got probably her only really, really brilliant result was feeling like a fanatist. At the United Cup. Everyone else who she's played, she would have expected to be. And I know she'd be actually a curb, but pretty handly at the United Cup as well. But yeah, good sign so far for Zachary, who was struggling to win matches at points last season. And is stringing them together now. And yeah, she said it's the best preseason she's ever had. So that's good to hear.
I'm very pleased to hear that point about taking ownership for a big decision. I, it's one victory. We'll see, follow her progress, etc, etc. But that's what I want to be hearing from Maria Zachary. I know I'm not privy to all the ins and outs of her relationship and vibes with her team. There is a lot to be said for finding a comfort zone with your team. But from the insights I've had to her relationship with Tom Hill, her coach, I just elements of it just strike me as codependent.
And it's always just, just made me yearn for her to just step up and lead. And sort of, I want her to feel emboldened to, to, of course, lean on people when she needs to and find comfort zones and all of that, but also to find a power, I suppose. So that sounds like a really positive sign to me. We had Barbara Creechika, surviving a real scare on the second court. She beat my Hauntama, the Japanese wildcard, six or even a third after being a set and a break down.
So the, the big four still intact in the Australian open. And last one I wanted to mention for the Women's Drawers last year is Junior Champion, Elina Coneva, a winner today in three sets against Sara Cereba's Tour. I don't know what it means other than I hovered over picking Coneva in my predictions because she's a clear talent and is qualified here, which, you know, is always a bit of a feather in the cap in round one.
But then I saw her shoes playing and I thought, that's really tough for someone transitioning from Junior's to Sena's casheal. She'll just make you hit those extra balls that, that aren't required if you in Junior's. But no, coming from a set down to beat Cereba's Tour Most Serious Stuff. So, um, want to watch out for and we will. Tired of ads crashing your comedy podcast party. Good news. Ad-free listening on Amazon Music is included with your prime membership.
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We had Andre Rublev on the second court requiring a fifth set tie break to defeat Thiago's iBotch-Ruch. I mean, I didn't watch all of this match by any means. I rocked up on the second court, the start of the fifth set. And it was pretty much exactly the match that I expected. He's a heck of a talent, iBotch-Ruch. He's a real ball striker with a live arm. We saw what he could do against Daniel Mepvedev at the French Open last year. But it always felt like Rublev would have enough in the end.
There was just a moment where my faith in him wavered when he squandered match points on the iBotch-Ruch serve at the end of the fifth set. But once we got into a tie break, I had faith in Rublev, perhaps more than he has in himself ever. And the interesting thing is he went five to down in that 10-point tie break. Which in itself is just such a fascinating mental challenge, isn't it?
The 10-point tie break because you get that mini break and it still feels so far away to get to get to the finish line. And Rublev said, I thought that was it, I thought it was out. And as a result of that, I relaxed and I played better. And it's really interesting watching him work his own mentality out post-match. And then there was the moment in the post-match interview, which was utterly charming, by the way, for my interview with Rublev.
Where he's asked by the interviewer, yes, this was a tough one, but it's coming through with tough one like this, set you up brilliantly for the rest of the tournament. And well, there's just this incredibly long pause and then a deep profound sigh from Andre Verpless, which kind of tells you everything, doesn't it? Bless him. Over on the John Canerina Taylor Fritz survived his own massive scare against Fakundo.
Diaz Acosta, a lefty Argentine, 64 in the fifth for Fritz on the John Canerina, which of course is his trauma court from last year. And last year, that's very lost to Alexi Popperin, something that we've learned from Breakpoint, was kind of the hardest loss of his career up until that point, certainly in terms of how he felt afterwards.
This was Nick and Tak. Frankly, again, didn't watch every single point had eyes on other things, but it came down to an awful game that Diaz Acosta played serving to stay in it at 4-5. He has got incredible stamina, Taylor Fritz. He kind of, he doesn't look like a physical colossus, but he never physically fades over these long matches. He's a great competitor, but there is something missing from his game that the very, very top players have, I think.
Yeah, I would say that's fair. I think he is a little bit one-dimensional. It's a very good dimension. He's got a very good serve and rock-solid backhand, and his forehand, he goes after more and is more aggressive than he used to be with it, and more successful with it as well. But he does run into that ceiling when he takes on the very, very best players.
The more interesting aspect of his career is these early stage matches at Grand Slam. I think we can talk about the ceiling of his game, maybe having limitations, but he's more vulnerable than he should be against players like Diaz Acosta. I don't think Yannick Sinner is having those problems, and Zvarri has probably isn't, and Al Carras isn't. These are the players that Fritz wants to be competing with.
But he's got a bit of a block in these early rounds in Slam. He's frequently come unstuck, so anytime he can get through one, does feel like quite a big moment. But he would, like for his sake, do it a bit more convincingly. He rolled his ankle when he was set down, and really he had to get it taped up, and it really looked like he may well be going out of the tournament. So those great competitive instincts that you mentioned there have massively kicked in and helped him.
But this was very close to a loss for Taylor Fritz, and that would have been really tough to take. He's got a great draw here. So he's to the quarters where he would be scheduled to face Nova Jockewicz, but he should be reaching that quarterfinal. Absolutely. Props to the trainers, the ATP and WTA physios today, because Taylor Fritz and Dino Prismich played their best tennis after seemingly suffering really bad injuries, and having to get heavily strapped and taped up out on court.
And they, I mean, they were good as new after it was pretty incredible. Prismich had a trainer come on at two all in the first set, and I thought, I think the match is bad to train. Early night for us. Yeah, great. They were right by these Sunday's cars. I am awarding sensation of the day to Chris O'Connell, unless anybody has any major objections. I was very much enjoying Dane Sweeney for a while. For a while, winning for a bit, Davey.
Yeah, he was fun. And then we, we inert a little article from 2010 when, when the headline said he's like a little madal, and he was only eight years old. And it was quite a story telling out about how he'd done a GoFundMe page to try and fund his travel. And I think he's 22 now. And he played brilliantly against Francisco Surunderlone, took it into a fifth set and a crowd of love in it.
And look, it is like the Brits in Wimbledon. You know, people play way above their level, and they're home crowd, and they get a lot of hype, and we're teasing aren't we? It's great with the sensations stuff, but it's fun. And then you've got O'Connell, who I sort of witnessed that without being on a watch the match.
I was just out in Garden Square listening to it, listening to the Christian Green, Chilean army, chanting against the Aussies. And it was just fabulous. And he took, he had two ghosts. Did he need to serve it out? He did. Yeah, it was ropey stuff, trying to close it out over the finish line. I did think we were going to end up in tie break. But at the second time of asking, he managed to close it out. And Matt and I were watching this one at the desks in the media room.
And I kept on surprising myself with my reactions. I was, I was far more into this. I couldn't hold the knife realised. What element of him were you into? Well, I think he's, I think he's a good watch. His game is very attractive. Remember he had that incredible set against Daniel Webbedover at the US Open. We have not consistently, but we have seen him be briefly sensational outside of Australia.
With his backhand, I seem to recall. He's got a nice single handed backhand. He can hit a hot streak and look really explosive. He's, he's a good athlete. Look, to be clear, I don't think he's, you know, going all the way. But it was a real, it was just right in the sense that if you don't think we'll finish the clarification.
It was all just right in the sensation, sweet spot. First day of a slam, you know, caught with free access for anyone. Perfect size, perfect level of intimacy, perfect vibes. And yeah, it was really into it. Whereas, whereas Jason Kubler fell, the knee in a final set tie break to Daniel Galan, that would have been, that would have been a big sensation moment as well. Or Kublev as our, as our driver home was called.
Can I also just say, and I haven't watched that, I think that that's impressive from Galan to, to withstand. To withstand that. A final set tie break against Rossi. Yeah, yeah. On the key arena here. You could hear the rules on Rodley, arena. I was, you know, out there watching the end of the Jacović match. And you could tell who was winning the points on key arena based on, you know, when you get this huge rots. Oh, that's a, that's a point for Kublev. Poor old Jason Kublev.
But he's, he's defending his double title, isn't he, with Rinky Hinchicata. Kubla. I do know that. You're going to do it. I'm committing to the bit. Oh, great. It's going to be complete. I think that's it for notable results from today. Former finalist, Maren Chilich, he lost a Fabian Marajan. Remember him. Yeah, Alpras does. Yeah. There's no reason why Fabian Marajan shouldn't become a proper player. No, well, let's see. Let's see. Oh, Yannick Sinner.
It was so long ago. I mean, literally yesterday. But Yannick. It's been 14 hours ago. And frankly, so comfortable and uneventful, Fiannick Sinner against Bertic Van der Zanshorp. This was exactly, as you said earlier, Matt, it's everything that Taylor Fritz isn't right now. It was just efficient and impressive. And I don't want to throw you under the bus, but you do mark this as a potential tricky spot for Fiannick Sinner, given he was coming in cold competitively.
Yeah, and it was a doubly bad thing to think or predict as it turned out, because actually, I didn't think Yannick Sinner was very good. Really? I really thought he was very rusty today. He was, I was watching this match closely. He was not timing the ball. Like, it was just a little bit off center all the time. You know, when Yannick Sinner hits the ball well, it's an incredible thing to watch.
None of that whatsoever. He was, I mean, there were moments, of course, but generally, I mean, his unforeseen air account was really high. Like, I do think he was a little bit there for the taking today. Matt, how bad was Bertic Van der Zanshorp? Exactly. I thought Bertic Van der Zanshorp would be the kind of guy that might be able to take advantage of that, because, you know, he's a quality player when he said his best and he wasn't.
So, yeah, I didn't think it was a particularly high quality match, but kind of impressive that he found his tennis kind of when he needed it. He never got worried, you know, it was all, it was impressive from that sense. But it was, he was not striking the ball with anywhere near the authority that he was at the end of the last season. And, you know, he just, he's got plenty of time to get that back, but he needs to get that back because it wasn't, it wasn't, it wasn't post puke sinner today.
It was, it was mid puke. Yeah, you need to have a big puke and a bin, Yannick, and it'll be fine after that. Okay, what about tomorrow's order of play? There are people listening that are like, what? New, new listeners. And if you don't know the reference point, he put his head into a bin mid match in Beijing, was it? Mid match against Gregor Dimitrov. Mid match against Gregor Dimitrov, sort of barely lost a set for the remainder of the season after that. It's unbelievable after that.
Jumping off. Yeah, it was like, do you remember during that, Pagula, I can't remember where our opponent was, Pagula match last year where they got interrupted by Kotnijou and there was the... Yeah, points 1 since Kotnijou. Boregraphic. Graphic. You could have a, you know, matches 1 since puke and a bin for Yannick's sinner. Tomorrow's order of play. That's just running the staff. Tomorrow's order of play, Rodley Verena starts at midday with Anna Carolina Schmidlerberg and full-seed Coco Gough.
And then Lucky Luzer, Zizu Bergz, who is in for cursed Mateo Beratini, who was a withdrawal today. Zizu Bergz, who retired in qualifying. High hopes for that match. Do tune in, Zizu Bergz against Stefan Osset, the best second on Rodley Verena. He retired from qualifying then, Nick, to sign up on the Lucky Luzer list. It was another Lucky Luzer just in case he can't make it.
Night session from 7 p.m. local Alex Domenore against Milos Rounich and then Caroline Gossier, Caroline Gossier against Naomi Asaka. Yes, please. You should be the first match. Yeah. The second court is Daniel Mervador of the former finalist and third seed against Terence Atmein. Now he's French, so I should have a feel for how to pronounce that surname, but I'm not at all confident I've done a good job there. But hopefully we'll have some confirmation by the end of tomorrow.
145 in the world is Atmein and a qualifier. Pavli Cchenkova is the opponent for Donna Vechic last year's quarter finalist, gone, Pam. Although Pam, you shouldn't be listening to this before the match. I hope you're not listening to this before the match. Too busy. On's to Berat, takes on, oh goodness me. Right, Julia Starradubt-Saver, who is a Ukrainian qualifier, who, if it's not clear already, I hadn't heard of before now.
And last on the second court tomorrow, Felix Orge, Alia Seym, against Dominic Team. Rubles. Sorry. Rubles. Sorry. John Canerina tomorrow starts with Dani Stramska, qualifier against Maketa Vondrosheva. Then we have the sensation of Mark Pullman's against Alexei Popperin. And stat about that in the newsletter. Ooh. A sensation off. That is the theme of the stat. Oh, I love this thought of that. I'm looking forward to that. Sign up to the newsletter. I'm curious as well.
This is not, there's no data involved here. What are all Australian clashes like at the Australian Open? I can't think of too many of them. Well, that's the stat, David. Yeah, but you can't think of too many of them because there aren't many of them. Oh, I'm just thinking recently. Recently. Vibwise, you know, I'm really intrigued. Like, who do you cheer for? Or something. Well, make your choice and head to John Canerina around about 1pm tomorrow. And you can find out.
That is followed by more sensation action, Darius Savile against my Delayna Fretch. And then in fact, it's sensation mania over there tomorrow. Omar Jaseeker, qualifier against Hubert Huckach. Well, my goodness, many more sensations. Keirina Stormhunter against Saurer Rani. We've got Stan Rinker against Adrienne Manorino over there. Buckle up folks. Andy Murray against Thomas Martin etcherberry. Followed by Linda Fravitt of her ambitious dad, Maya. Well, I'll not a minute. What's that?
Is Andy Murray following a men's match? He's following a women's and a men's. Okay. I mean, that really could be a long time. On that course. Yep. It sure could. Vittalina has a sensation Taylor Preston. They really are everywhere tomorrow. Ben Shelton's in action on the 1573 Rani got Rinky Higge Carter against Yannin and Triff. You have another sensation off on course three. Vukic against Jordan Thompson. And yeah, it's a far, far busier day tomorrow.
Tomorrow is, I mean, I enjoyed today, really. But in terms of feel and mania, you didn't feel like day one of us now, but I think tomorrow will. And there was a sense today that they had perhaps sold more tickets than there were matches available on the schedule. And there were very long cues outside the courts. You know, there just weren't that many matches on today. So if you're in the grounds, you know, people were wanting to watch the same matches because they just weren't as many options.
We heard a word of absolutely raulcus scenes trying to get into tomorrow's call patch against Jodie Burridge. Riggino is fantastic. Yeah. It's what you want. You want those outside courts to be full, but equally you don't want them to be so full that there's loads of people queuing trying to get in. And it did feel a little bit overcrowded, I would say today, just because there wasn't the courts to spread people out.
And there were also trialling this new thing where fans could come in after every game, rather than at the change of ends. And interestingly, no, that Djokovic said that he didn't know that was happening. So the players didn't even know about it. That's not great, is it? And he was a little, look, he totally understands the reason for trialling it. He says, personally, he doesn't like it, but he recognizes that that's a personal thing. He's been used to having it a certain way for 20 years.
It distracts him when people are coming in after a game. And he did make the point that he felt like they were doing more waiting around for people because, you know, I don't think they've quite smoothed out the system yet. And maybe they were, but personally, I do like the idea. And it's one of those things that will probably just take some time to sort of feel natural and unpause or get a sense of when they can restart play. And that sort of thing.
But yeah, that's an interesting thing that they're trialling it this year's Australian Open without making too much of it. It's very much a soft launch, isn't it? It very much so. So that's a lot for day one, I think, as we approach the 3am mark, David, your mascot is Francis. Right, Francis, I didn't do so well today. Tomorrow's my day. Mine is Darwin, absolutely stitched up by Doris Neger today. She was so close to beating Alicia Parks, but yet so far. Matt, Hyder and Soma for you.
How did you fare today? We got some points, thanks to Best Player in the World, Thomas Mahatch, who plays Francis Tiafo next. That's a good match. I'm looking forward to that. Yes, Tiafo beating Chorich in the last match of the day. On the second court today, Billy Jean is sponsored by Billy Jean King and Alana Klos. We have our top folks and executive producers, Greg, Chris, Jamie and Jeff. And we have shared our thoughts, Matt. We have Pierre Cantin, or Conte, maybe, in Montreal.
Hello, Pierre. Appear. He says... Friends Peter. He says, my sister and I met David at the 2022 US Open while waiting for coffee early in the morning. He was incredibly nice. Oh, well, you must have caught me on a good day. Every day is a good day for me, you're a safer. But anyway, very nice to have met you. And Pierre Damol is a player, I remember, with the name Pierre. And I think he was also part of the ATP sort of management on stage, so there we are. I was going Pierre Rue Gerber.
Oh, you're just here. That's a diluted Pierre. It's a Pierre Rue. Oh. But still good. Pierre nonetheless. Thank you, Pierre. I love Montreal. One of my favourite cities. We have Paul Boulock, who is living in Malta, that originally from Kent. Right, Paul. Hello, Paul. Like Tommy Paul. Yeah. Do we know any Paul's first name in the tennis world? I'm trying to think about anything, I don't think I can. It's quite late, David. Paul McNamy. Well done, Matt. Former tournament director.
Former tournament director of the Australian Open, Paul was shouting at his podcast equipment there. It's like me. Well done, Matt. Paul McNamy and Tommy Paul. And Paul from Malta, slash Kent. Thank you very much. So we have Barclay Hughes, who is from Missouri. Like Barclays, the former sponsor of the ATP Finals. Correct. And like Ian Barclay, the former coach of Pat Cash, when he won Wilmerton. Very good. Barclays. Missouri, not a state that Matt and I have driven through.
And Barclay says, I love Mary Quillow and Pam Schreiver chiming in on the podcast. Two of my favourite voices. You're on a spout Barclay. We do too Barclay. It's great as a Friday. You didn't name that. Thank you Barclay. We have Jose Angelico, who is from a little city near Lisbon in Portugal. Jose Angelico. Yes, great name. Lisbon is another fantastic city. Sure is. Oh. Jose Angelico. Jose. Jose Angelico. And Casuso. Very good. Very good. My work here is done.
Thank you, Jose. And last but not least, we have Neil and Pat Roberts. Hey! Not Neil and Pat. Matt's parents. We've got a lot to be thankful to Neil and Pat for, wasn't we? Everything. Anything you'd like to say about him? I'm going to say that. I'm going to say that. Well, everything, isn't we? Everything. Anything you'd like to say about your parents? Matt to flesh out their shadows. Oh, and what a hospitalist house. The iracondair listening right now lunch together, which is a nice thought.
Spanish omelette. Quite possibly. Yeah. Neil, Pat, hope you're enjoying it. Thank you ever so much for your son and your support. Kh요 worried. I hope you're watching. Thank you all for listening. Make sure you subscribe to that newsletter. Check us out on instagram, on twitter. Hanna's doing incredible. As always check out Hanna's first column for us if you haven't already. If you haven't already. We have been promoting the left right in the centre, so good.
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