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Dennis Mecca, a Fort Lauderdale Florida, and you're listening to The Tennis Podcast. Well, thank you to Ted in Fort Lauderdale for introducing this day to Australian Open tennis podcast. Hello and welcome to tennis podcast hours where you find us at 44 minutes past midnight watching Dominic team trying to pull off a heroic
comeback from two sets to love down against Felix Orge, Ali Assim, he's currently trying to serve out the full set. Take us into a fifth. Of course, you'll know the result of this by the time you're listening to it. We're going to try it. It's hard not to be too distracted over the course of this recording, but we of course will bring you these soon to be out of day tennis news from the match that we're watching.
David and I are featuring as some sort of freaky Friday style body swap event whereby I am completely rationally hopeful about Dominic team and David is bringing the realism to the party. You're not very disconcerting. You're not hopeful. Your expectant is what you are. I'm expectant. Oh well, I'm not even going to finish that. Should we talk about something else into it? Let's talk about the rest of the day tennis showy.
Yeah, that's a lot on location. Let's talk about that. What ever you like. We'll talk about this as and when it becomes relevant. It might not be at the moment. It should say Felix or J.S.E. in a similar position to Dominic team. It's backhand just doesn't make me feel the things that Dominic team's backhand does.
We'll get more than a mention later in the show if required, but I do think we should start with the return to grandson tennis of Naomi Osaka and the return to the party of Caroline Garcia who is probably what we should lead with tonight because she was utterly sublime. 6, 4, 7, 6. I'm not sure there were there are many players in the world that could have taken Caroline Garcia that close tonight. She was simply that good.
It was the sort of tennis that made Andy Murray tweet 12 years ago that she was a nailed on future world number one. It was one of those performances that reminds you why that wasn't a stupid tweet because she makes tennis look disgustingly easy, Matt. Yeah, and there were moments where Naomi Osaka made you remember why Andy Murray tweeted about her being the best ball striker in tennis.
It was a clash of two Andy Murray tweets, wasn't it? It was Garcia who came out on top and honestly right from the start she was just on it, wasn't she? It was like, wow, this is really good serving from Caroline Garcia straight away and also really good returning, pressuring Naomi Osaka, taking the ball so early, rushing Osaka.
I was just waiting for the moment that it might fall apart for Garcia. When it got tight, I thought there would be a moment where her game collapsed in on itself a bit maybe. The unforeseen errors came but she just didn't allow Naomi Osaka who played pretty well I think. She just didn't allow Naomi Osaka to have a real moment. She didn't face a break point that Garcia, you know, the Sarka didn't have a chance to really get into one of her service games and you thought,
well, she'd take the second set for tie break but then Garcia just plays an absolutely flawless tie break. She was brilliant. I mean, the sort of tennis I don't think she played once in 2023. Much more reminiscent of her really very exceptional 2022 season where she hit that really hot streak of form. Yeah, I was blown away by how good she was and it honestly it made me a little bit tricky to tell how well Osaka was playing.
There were good moments for sure from Osaka but it was just so overshadowed by how sublime Garcia was I suppose. I didn't really get a sense of Osaka's level because she wasn't allowed to do so much because Garcia was determining it all. Yeah, I mean, I felt like it was such a good performance from Garcia. I mean, I couldn't tell where Naomi Osaka was within the last 5% of her game but I felt very confident throughout that match that the base level is absolutely there.
I was really impressed with how she served. It was an incredibly served dominated match from both ends which kind of killed the vibe of it a little bit, didn't it? There were so few rallies that the crowd were desperate to get into it and there was the odd moment when they really had something to get their teeth into. And actually there was some really small but the cipherers pockets of Caroline Garcia support that did add to the atmosphere but it was a bit stuttering in terms of vibes.
I think David perhaps I'd underestimated the mental element for Garcia of this all being about Naomi Osaka and how much that would be a pressure reliever for her going into this match. She did look really comfortable out there, didn't she Garcia from ball one that did seem to be a freeness about her. Is that a word? Freedom.
I just went. Yeah. We were all prepared to go with it David. Yeah. You don't often feel that with Garcia. Sometimes you do and when she puts it all together, she's as good as anybody in the world because nobody who plays quite like her who does this thing of taking returns halfway between the baseline and the service line and increasingly is happy to follow them in and go to the net.
Nobody else tries that and it often malfunctions to be quite honest and she carries on doing it anyway but when it clicks you're overwhelmed. Yeah and she has a top spin that is quite unusual in the women's game I think maybe Shiontech matches it but she has an incredible kick serve.
Garcia and again Shiontech also has a great kick serve but Garcia's is way easier. It's got the top spin but it's also got some real heft to it and that's such a, well it's not really a secret but it's a real advantage that she has on so many other players because her opponents aren't used to facing it either in practice or in match play.
It's bamboozling I think when she's on I'm not even going to stitch you guys up with the question of what it could mean and how far she could go and all the rest of it because the answer is so simple if she plays like that unlimited how far she goes unlimited but it's always the if and there is absolutely no predicting the if.
Yeah agreed and I think you're absolutely right that there was some some conditions that actually suited Garcia today you know the pressure wasn't on her and match up wise it was they were both sort of trying to do the same thing out there big serving big returning big flat ground strokes obviously Garcia with the added top spin on the forehand as you said but you know it was all quite similar wasn't a lot of variation out there.
And Garcia was was sharper cleaner than than than a soccer at it you know understandably after after such a long time out for a soccer but you know she probably won't be on the road Laverina for her next match you know she'll probably be on a on an outside court perhaps and it might get a bit lost in the order of play and
she might have an opponent who's throwing a lot of different things and it just feels like a completely different environment and replicating that tennis again is is going to be difficult but if she can as you say she can beat anyone. I want to show how release a corner watching her next time I wonder whether release a corner will have tickets. Yeah midway through the first set we saw release a cornice and two two one identified males dressed in sort of comedy sports kit.
Yeah if you were going like as a tennis player to a fancy dress party this is what you know headband shorts socks pulled up and a Lisa corner was dressed I mean she looked incredible but she was in a sort of cartoon French woman. She was wearing a Breton top and a red scrunchy in her hair but they snuck down the gangway to our left midway through the first set and claimed some seats if you rose in front of us and then got kicked out of those seats.
So I had to do some serious clambering and some other nearby seats and then got kicked out of those so Elise a corn with a tray of chicken tenders clambering all over the shop also just having a fabulous time which was a really good vibe.
We didn't attend no mere circus press conference because we're here recording a podcast and watching Dominic team get two points away from taking this into a fifth set but reports are that she she's gutted obviously that her Australian open ends here but overall positive and. She's gutted with perspective sounds like the overall take she said I mean little sad because this is a great outfit and she really didn't come out with some pizzazz didn't she?
I loved it because now that today was a bit of a tale of two two jackets because there was the Osaka sort of reputation era black shiny disco ball style jacket which she walked out onto court and then continue to warm up in okay it was you know sports looks but it was a sporty style jacket.
Earlier on on the second court you had on this job or come out in a sort of inspector gadget trench coat which she of course immediately removed because it was completely impractical for the task at hand now I'm not saying in the right circumstances that wasn't a great jacket wasn't my taste but whatever I'm just saying it was entirely inappropriate for the occasion.
But I think she's got a new kids ones that hasn't she so I'm obviously not the target market but yeah I'm pleased to hear that Namiya Saga feels good about her tennis defeat.
I heard an interview with Wim Fissette her coach with Russell Fuller I think from probably from Brisbane when he was over there and Wim Fissette very strongly believes that her best tennis is to come not not necessarily her best results because he said he also thinks other players are getting better but he thinks she is actually a better tennis player now than when she was winning grand slams.
You know there's still physicality to add to that there's still champion mentality in the moments those sort of things but as a tennis player he thinks she's improved and will continue to improve. That is a fantastically exciting thing to hear. On the subject of on this rebirth by the way by the way Blink and you missed her I mean I genuinely did sort of I've at one point during the early stages of Dominic team.
I said to you to be still still got a play on this court right and I was like no no she's played she's been gone it took about 25 minutes. Well she really good so much fun to watch it today. Just she was to use my word again freeness there's a freedom about her she she just looks as though the way to lift it off her and I mean to look she had an opponent who is fairly straight up and down.
A decent ball striker who fed her a ball that she could do with what she wanted. She hit two stone cold drop shot return winners. And then on match point they're just having a rally up and down the court and she just sort of suddenly swished a forehand cross court winner dismissively like as though it was a joke. And then she did a sort of theatrical bow to the crowd as if she just put on a performance for them like on on a stage.
And it was entirely appropriate it was just wonderful atmosphere and who knows whether that can carry on with with other obviously much stronger opponents but it was great to see a play like that again. I'm very pleased to hear that because an unburdened on Stradberg is what I need to see in 2024 because I've been finding it quite stressful watching her since since Wimbledon and that's that's on me you'd have loved this.
And that sounds great. That sounds really great against Mira and Draver in the next round. Wow. I think she might school and Draver. Wow. And Draver think she plays like on Stradberg. She might find out that she really doesn't in a couple of days time.
She plays great but doesn't look an awful lot like on Stradberg. That makes by the way all four Grand Slam main draws that Mira and Draver has won matches in as a 15 or 16 year old which sounds a brilliant stat and is that's obviously so miles ahead of the curve. It's incredible and Draver is incredible and you're thinking oh that's a great match stat isn't it and then you realise Martina Hinges had sort of won two Grand Slam at the same point and kind of ruins all stats in that department.
So sticking with the women's draw, Coco Gough opened up play on Rod Leyver Arena today showing evidence of her offseason work with Andy Rodic David. Yeah, I was excited when I read that. I didn't know about it and yes he's helped her with the serve and who better. Obviously you're talking about one of the all time great service and I feel as though somebody who really understood what made his serve great.
He is somebody who can dissect and pick apart and I think he has the communication skills to paint the pitches for her to understand how to make her serve better and to show her. I think they spent two days together in Charlotte she was saying I mean that could be a total game changer because she's got the raw materials. That's what I'm sure he looked at looks at that and thinks and he offered his help. This is how it came about.
I reckon he knows that she's got the fast arms, she's got the general motion. This is somebody who could have a truly destructive serve in the sport and well with his help I think that that's given a heck of a lot better chance to come to fruition. Because we know Goths made a very small technical change on the serve. It's almost imperceptible. It's not major at all but it is there.
But I think what I really liked about her answer was that she wants to use her serve aggressively in the way that Andy Rodic used to. I think what she means by that is maybe almost going back to when I first saw Cocoa Goff in the juniors. The thing that struck me the most was how big her serve was like compared to everyone else.
It seemed like she would dominate points with that and I don't really think of Goff in quite the same way with her serve in the last few years. It has been a bit of a vulnerability at times. But I think it sounds like her sort of whole mindset, her sort of approach to the serve has been slightly adjusted.
And Andy Rodic has helped with that. Honestly it wasn't great to begin with today. She lost her first three service games. Andy Rodic was probably hoping that he wasn't shouted out for his services after the way that started. But then Goths had admitted that she was nervous in that first set and you could tell it was really tight. But as soon as she won that first set she breathes through the second and she broke Shmeed Levar in every single Shmeed Levar service game.
And yeah it was it was a pretty straightforward when in the end for golf. I have always found it a little curious that sort of shot or aspect specific coaching isn't more of a thing in tennis. I don't know whether it's just because of that brief time when no matter what job of it she employed Todd Martin and Mark Woodford to improve his volleys and that was seems to have been a failure that that kind of killed the whole idea forever more.
But it just seems like a really good idea to me and maybe it kind of happens more behind the scenes than we know about. But we certainly don't know about a lot of it happening. Yeah it is unusual really and it does seem that it should have merits and it tells me that Jackevic was really ahead of the game there. And yes whilst he didn't see immediate benefits we can say that he looks a pretty secure volleys these days and how much of that is down to them maybe.
I often think about things in life that I didn't learn when I was younger but actually I soaked up as it happens and realize that I do know about now. I wonder whether that is a thing but yeah I do think that there's something in it and I think it sometimes makes me sad the way that Emma Radicala's methods are dismissed a little bit because they're not traditional.
And I think that I'm not entirely sure she's right either but I think her and her dance idea would probably be line up a bunch of people and get them to work on my various bits of my game that's what I really want. I don't really want to just hang out with you and just have one coach just that that's not a career is it for many people that's the problem.
Dominic team by the way has taken the fourth step we're into a fifth but we're about what mile and a half down the road for Melbourne Park and it has just started raining really hard. I predict there's shortly going to be a stoppage on the second court which means that it'll probably resume just as we're finishing recording the podcast we'll all get embroils and we'll be voluntarily staying up till 4 a.m. with Dominic team and Felix Australia team. Oh the Australian open.
Coming back with a little night cup at the end. Yeah. What's this if not a night cap? The Wimbledon champion is out and it's not so much that she's out. Perhaps Marquetta Von Drausschverd like even after even since winning that Wimbledon title and backing it up pretty well in my view in the second half of last season, especially given that she was struggling with injury for a lot of it.
I don't think any of us ever thought she would suddenly become a completely different human being and not be prone to early exits and surprise results but to lose 6162 to qualify Dehane Stremskert is alarming frankly and I feel annoyed that I didn't see this coming more because she was poor at United Cup. She was really poor in Perth. Yes, she did win one match against Olga Dinilevich but only just.
Olga Dinilevich ranked way outside the world's top 100 and somebody that frankly Marquetta Von Drausschverd should be beating pretty comfortably and it was a bit of a struggle for her and she just, she looked not really there and not really bothered. I guess I thought maybe team competition isn't quite for her, it's very early in the season, she's building up to things, it'll be fine.
I do wonder if first off season back at home after becoming a Wimbledon champion maybe that's the point at which the adjustment hits her and maybe she isn't quite ready for the merry go round to resume again. I don't quite know because obviously I don't understand Marquetta Von Drausschverd and I'm not sure any of us can claim to but that's a brutal defeat today. And isn't that maybe the conclusion to come to that actually she's always been like this.
She's always been able to produce incredible performances, reach the French Open Final then disappear and you left scratch in your head as to why she can't string it together. I mean human beings aren't necessarily always able to just go down a straight line but I had her in the quarter finals and she's out in the first round and she wasn't even close to winning today.
She was nowhere near it, don't you know, you're Stremskett that was one of her better performances but she didn't have to beat much today. Tough scene for Von Drausschverd. Few other wins and losses on the women's side tough day for last year's quarter finalist Donna Vekitsch tough draw for quite frankly facing and Estasia Pavlii Chankver in the first round.
And Dodgy first set I think from both players quality really improved in the second set but Pavlii Chankver just I mean she's a talent Pavlii Chankver isn't she she's a lovely ball striker. Simon Briggs comically scathing about them both when he came to have a look over a shoulder at the screens. What did he say?
He was just like he was watching them very he just said it was a shocking match. Yes I felt like he needed to express that and he sort of needed to tell us what he was feeling about this match. Bless him for watching though and supporting Pam. Indeed. Hope you're all right Pam. Tough draw that tough day for Donna but I do like watching Pavlii Chankver I really do think she's a talent.
So Tolena a winner in straight sets Pavlii Badosa honestly look this happened at a time when a lot of things were happening didn't really get to watch much of it but she dismissed Taylor Townsend today. So I'm I'm going to make a pledge to watch her in her next round and find out if she's back maybe I'll let you know folks.
And Storm Hunter a winner today 6463 versus Sarah Arani and I wanted to mention that not only because I think she takes and the sensation of the day award for me not a not a dramatic match but I think she's. I know that. Matt questions whether women should be should be and considered sensations by the typical definition yeah look that makes me sound bad. Well explain it Matt and make it sound less bad official definition it is on the tennis podcast terminology page which is linked via our show.
Let's let Matthew Matt rescue himself well only call you Matthew there mom when you're in trouble. Quite right. Only from what I've observed on on channel nine and and and heard on on the various radio channels over the years that when they are referring to sensations it tends to be men. It tends to be Max Purcell because for a corner the original John Millman the Romania how can we forget.
The Australian sensation you know I just haven't picked up and describing the women's sensations but for us yes we're allowed to extend our. And definition and that was a lovely moment for Storm Hunter because I hadn't realized quite how long she'd been around.
She played the Australian open and lost in the main draw for the first time in 2014 and this was her sixth attempt on a winner main draw singles match for the first time and finally she did it and her parents were there they they they'd flown in. So really special and you know she's here as the world number one doubles player you know she she is a very sort of big deal.
And yet she just hasn't had the singles results to sort of back that up I suppose but she's incrementally made so many improvements in her game and yeah it was just really really nice for to get that that moment today. And she's such a sort of the earth Aussie like she is everything the Aussies want to cheer for. And she's been and she's been amazing for them in the Beijing King. Yes exactly and they are gunner cheer for her in the next round because she will be facing Laura Seagman.
So expect an Aussie version of golf against Seagman at the USA fin and we know all the who are that happen there. Give us a little bullet point list of things that Laura Seagman does in matches Catherine. Right on the edge of what's fair I would say. She look she's got a degree in psychology as Laura Seagman she knows exactly what she's doing. She is I commentated on her match today she beat 17 c to Catherine or Alexandra Rose alongside Andrea Peckovich who knows her well loves her as a person.
Admires how incredible a competitor she is but just says you know she's prepared to do whatever it takes to win a tennis match and I I love and admire the fact of that. But it does make her behave in some pretty does the way sometimes and it is pretty pretty dark you know some of it in my opinion is on the empire the rules of the game are you play at the service pace.
And she doesn't she just categorically doesn't she's constantly at the back of the court with her with her back to the server when they're stood there at the service line waiting to serve. She's constantly when the server is you know set to start their motion holding up her racket to say I'm not quite ready. There's a lot of look the sun was in a problematic position today and I'm sure there would have been some afforded ball tosses but the timing of them can be suspicious I would say.
And she she takes so much time between points she got one time violation today which I'd say was incredibly lenient on firing and she was furious about it. The she was utterly indignant to expect some dark arts and expect her to utterly lean into being the bad guy facing storm hunter and however many thousand Australians are on storm hunter side depending on what what court they put that match on in a couple of days time.
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I will tell you about men's sensation of the day and other more generally relevant men's results from from day two in just a moment but first I'm going to tell you about on location. The premium hospitality and experience provider who of course we are very proud to be sponsored by throughout the Australian open for the first time ever on location will be the official.
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I'm so good right on to men's results from day to at Melbourne Park very quickly my men's sensation of the day not overall sensation of the day but I'm going to award it to Alexi popper in pretty straightforward for him over fellow sensation mop almonds but it does mean that he sets up that meeting with no that job of it which is what we wanted to see him do and he's done yeah yeah absolutely he's done his job.
And he hasn't worn himself out he hasn't gone five epic sets with which I think would have been very easy to do in an environment like that and now he gets to go and show us what he's got and and I hope he plays well because he's got something and I don't feel like we've seen the full extremes of it yet.
Here here yet that one will be in two days time went it because we're still playing around while matches tomorrow there were other Aussie male winners today Alex to minor via the retirement of me loss around it and Jordan Thompson winning at the time of writing I'd written TBC on Rinky Hidjicata but we have just watched Rinky lose.
In a fifth time rate. Great scenes great he did well to take it to a fit and then look like he like he might have it but struff is struff tough isn't he he dealt well with that riot that was going on around him.
So many great matches atmosphere wise that we've had in the last couple of days. Court three is just the perfect match for that perfect court for that kind of match and conclusion is just a headache and coction and you mentioned Domenore there I am excited for Domenore are now will be in the next round.
Such a talent on a good watch I don't know how the rallies end because they both defend so well. Well you say that and they do Domenore still does defend really well but he's also become a bit of a serve but it's very well true. He's a very weird as suddenly he's an absolute machine on serve there was I think he was almost 100% first serve points one in the second set against me loss around it.
And okay he's not he's not an all time great returner is around it. He was struggling with injury by that point but it's not an isolated incident of course he was doing that against Drockovich at United Cup as well. So what about title contenders in action on date at Melbourne Park is that harsh on Alex Domenore. Does anyone want to correct me? No okay.
I tell you it is interesting though that I mean we joke about the sensation stuff but if you turn on the telly they they are talking about him as a title contender. So question about it. Yeah and I keep trying to imagine the same situation at Wimbledon because we do our own hyping the Brits. He's just cracked the top turn he's just beaten over at Drockovich World No. 1.
We'd be over playing it too I don't know to the same degree I honestly can't say but we certainly gave Tim Hemener a heck of a beast. Daniel Medvedev had a very odd match today which I missed most of because I was detained with Laura Seagman but Matt you had eyes on this bizarre debacle. Yeah I couldn't look away it just became so enthralling and I feel bad saying that really because the reason it became so enthralling was because Paul Terence Adman from France was just in terrible pain.
He had some of the worst cramps I have ever seen you know he went full using his racket as a walking stick bent over unable to walk which Medvedev himself did a couple of years back in Miami.
Yeah it was like that but for a longer period of time and he was honestly screaming in pain he was having to underarm serve and he was having to underarm serve but Medvedev was still really committing to his return position miles behind the baseline and sort of acting surprised every time the underarm served came at him and he would sprint forward and you know almost always hit it for a winner.
But it was a shame in a way because Adman was playing so well he was really playing well on the first stage a lefty he was causing Medvedev all sorts of problems. Medvedev said I knew the name but not the game and he said he asked some of his fellow players. You better than us things we didn't know the name.
The other one was fellow players and the general feedback that he got going into the match was that this guy's forehand was way better than his backhand so he took that on board and then he was like you never missed a backhand in the whole match so it was like thank you guys for giving me that wrong information. Unfortunately, Adman had to retire because it was just unsustainable to keep up that level of pain I think to be quite honest that he was in.
Medvedev himself said that he was struggling physically and he benefitted obviously from what was happening to his opponent and had his opponent not started cramping it might have got really quite tricky for Medvedev because he was feeling it out there in kind of his first match of the season and today was so much hotter.
Ever since he's been in Melbourne it hasn't been like this and suddenly he's playing his first match of the season and he's playing in conditions which are very different and he was feeling it. But yeah, I kind of matched that you just couldn't look away from but it was weird. Were those quotes from Medvedev's press conference or from his uncle interview? Well you were. I wouldn't know. You were in his press conference, weren't you? Well, I tried to be. It's been a weird day.
I really went with the best intentions of attending Daniel Medvedev's press conference there. I was early, took my seat in the main room, was eagerly waiting and I'm thinking this is weird isn't shown up. There's no one else in here. It's all very, very weird. Took a picture of the empty press conference room posted it on Instagram, caused a bit of who-haw about the state of tennis journalism. No one showing up for Daniel Medvedev's press conference turned out I was in the wrong room.
I was entirely on me. At first I was completely outraged. I was like they've put the wrong room on the WhatsApp group, check the receipts. They put the correct room on the WhatsApp group. I just had an absolute shocker. Can I just say as well, when I went to retrieve my lost water bottle from the commentary box and you have to walk through the players congregation area. Just after this match had finished, Medvedev's coach, Jill Savara, he was waiting there outside the locker room.
Walking towards me as I was going past Jill Savara was Alexander Bublick with a massive grin on his face. I just saw him walk past me and say to Jill Savara, so did the guy die or what? Okay. This was just his kind of humor I think. What did Savara say? Left. Sure. Poor Act man. Stefano Sitsapas is trialing a brand new service motion sort of some of the time. We've talked about, I mean I think there are more technical changes than usual.
Coming out of the off-season I would say. We've talked about quite a few of those Coco Gough, he is shrunk most notably I think. But it's all in the details, isn't it, with both of them. Stefano Sitsapas. He's reinvented it. Watch the YouTube video or something and go on, I'll try that for a bit. But not all the time necessarily and he only started practising it a couple of days ago. It's a bit like that right? Joe Wolfritzonger is in single-handed back at us for fun. What's going on Matt?
Well, yes. So he comes out to serve against Zizu Bergs, his lucky loser opponent. And I watched the first point and I think, I don't think it. Zizu Bergs doesn't serve like that. What's going on here? And also, I'd watched Zizu Bergs in the United Cup. So it wasn't like I hadn't seen him for weeks and perhaps I wouldn't have been so surprised. But I'd watched him play tennis just a few days ago. And yet in those few days he has, as you said, started trialing this new service motion.
And it's mid-sentence to the stomach team. This is here the most incredible backhand down the line. We all just held that breath. Screw Zizu Bergs is served. Let's talk about this. Do you see the grin on his face after he hit that? He's just kissed the frame of his racket. He needed that because this set has been a tough scene. Oh, he's going to make me cry. Carry on Matt. Anyway, Zizu Bergs has changed from what is called a platform.
A platform service motion where you keep your feet apart and throw yourself up into the ball to what is called a pinpoint service motion where you drag your back foot together to your front foot. So you sort of propel yourself forward with the back foot. Was that Lingo that you knew before today? Yes. Because... Most because Yannick Sinner has gone through the same thing in the last couple of years. He's experimented with both. Anyway, so it's a big change to make.
But yeah, he's only been apparently doing it in the last few months. There was some speculation that it might be a thing to help protect his back because we know he's got some back pain. And apparently the pinpoint service motion is better on your back. He didn't want to say whether that was the case. He didn't really go into that. And most of the time he was using the new service motion. There were occasional instances where he would go with the old one.
But it does seem like something he is trying to commit to. And do you think those were choices? Or do you think you just forgot? I don't know. Who can say? Just for confirmation, Roger Federer service motion platform. Andy Rodic pinpoint. Yes, I mean, I'm watching Felix O'Jalea's scene right now. Definite pinpoint. The way drags that back foot up to the front one. Okay. Yeah, I don't know. Is Fita together when he... They're together, but they start together. Oh, right. So what's that point?
The pinpoint is... So the drag is critical to pinpoint. It's going to be another name for him where your feet start together and don't move. Yeah. The Rodic. And the Monfice, which is just a copy of Rodic. Since Mass' decision is very much... I decided to have Melatonin. Suddenly wondered why I felt sleepy during the match. It doesn't feel like he's being very intentional about his career right now. And maybe that... We talk about this all the time, it's a spurs, don't we?
Maybe that makes for a happier human being. And maybe that's better. But we're here to talk about a certain not that we don't care about his happiness. But we're here to talk about his tennis. And I'm not... The thing is... Sure, it's going brilliantly from that perspective. I think he is very serious about his career. But I think he is making some confused... It is not a lot of decisions.
It's not a cook, it's not a... He was asked about that in press. He was specifically asked, was this your decision to trial this new motion or was it a team decision? And he was at pains to say it was a total team decision as in he consulted everybody on his team. He basically listed them one by one. He's not even just him and his dad, who's... I think formerly his coach, he said it was everybody. Presumably Petros had a say.
So, yeah, and I know I absolutely hear that, you know, there's a time and place for that. But it's a lot of cooks. Ben Shelton, a winner today, straight sets. He now plays sensation, Chris O'Connell, who I briefly was all about yesterday. Matt and I went to Ben Shelton's press conference just for the vibes, because we had a bit of an energy dip at that point in the day. We were really struggling. They called Ben Shelton to press and we just went, yeah, let's go for a pick me up. And it worked.
Tied me a visit as well, didn't you? Which also worked. We went to visit all the hype, man. One by one, it was great. And that was a good win for Shelton against Batista Agu. And what I liked about it was what I asked him in the press conference in terms of like a year ago. I don't think Shelton could win that match in the way he won it today. Like he wasn't relying on his serve. He was rallying with Batista Agu. He was mixing up his game and there's just been so much development in 12 months.
There's so much still to go. He thanked you for that question. He did actually didn't he? So thanks for saying a nice thing about my game. Yeah. That's pretty smooth. It was great. It was great. It was the pick me up. We needed after the 4am finish on day one of a slam. That is categorically not it. I hope you enjoyed reliving that pick me up because we now come on to the Andy Murray section of the podcast. I'd almost forgotten about that. Buckle up folks. Straight sets.
The straightest of sets really. For Thomas Martin, et cetera, who's some player? And Murray was at pains to point that out in his press conference afterwards. And it was clear for all to see. But much like with Vandrosha, it was the manner of defeat today for Andy Murray. There was no moment where you thought it might happen. The crowd. The crowd were up for it.
The crowd were up for a marathon ordeal to try and carry Andy Murray in his metal hip through to a rugged fifth setter that everybody would feel flattened by for days to come, but he just didn't have it in him today. And it was a pretty poignant departure from Melbourne Park. Nobody's going to be retiring Andy Murray. We've been there done that. We're not going to fall into that track. Track but of course retirement was a topic of discussion and questioning in the press conference afterwards.
Andy Murray didn't shy away from it. I don't think it's quite clear. He doesn't want to disclose what endpoint he has in mind, although he has disclosed that he does have an endpoint in mind if his body allows him to reach that endpoint. If his tennis allows him to reach that endpoint, he said if he continues to play tennis, he's not enjoying. Then he'll revise his plans, but he was quite happy to talk about the concept of retirement.
He's told us he's constantly reassessing on the basis of how well he's playing tennis. And it was not good tennis today and he said he was asked, is there a chance you won't return to Melbourne Park? Is there a chance that that was your last outing at Melbourne Park? And he said there's a definite possibility that that's the case yet. And look, I think there's a chance he will be back, as I said. I'm not retiring Andy Murray, but honestly, I'd be surprised.
He said after the interview, after the US Open defeat, and he said he's constantly re-evaluating these things, and if he doesn't see improvement, it's going to make him not want to carry on doing it beyond a certain point. And beyond whatever the idea in his head is about when he might finish, he was nowhere near today. It was sad to see him play like that. And he couldn't figure out why he couldn't tap into a really crowd that await him for him to give them something to get the teeth into.
I don't understand, normally I play my best tennis when there's a crowd like that, and they wanted to get into it, and they were doing everything they could, and I just couldn't do it. And part of that is an opponent, 12 years his junior, who clearly is so fit and so ready for the battle and would have happily gone all the way with Murray. But even so, Murray usually makes those incredible contests, he just didn't.
It reminded me of the great boxer, Muhammad Ali, when he faced Larry Holmes in 1980, and he was talking about the greatest boxer all time, and suddenly he went out there and he just didn't have it anymore. And nearly he was nearly 40 at the time, and he was just trying to get to the final bell. And that's what it looked like with Andy Murray, he looked like he was just trying to get to the final bell of a match, and he looked old out there.
I hope that changes, I still think that we will see something of him that is exciting and a great send-off at some point. I think it might be a Wimbledon, I'm sure he's going to play Wimbledon. He might play two more Wimbledons, because if he doesn't stop at Wimbledon, when do you stop? He may be in the Olympics. Yeah, possibly, but I still kind of feel like he might want to stop at Wimbledon, so if he played the Olympics then maybe there's a temptation to play another one.
But how many of these can you stomach? How many disappointments can you cope with when you work at this hard? How much pain? I know he played it down, impressed afterwards, big picture in terms of his hip. He asked him about the visible pain that he seemed to be in to me. There was more winsong that I'm used to seeing from Andy Murray, and it did seem to be directed towards his hip.
He was quite dismissive about it. He said, no, that's normal with the new hip. It's something to do with there not being very much soft tissue and not having the range of motion. He used to have... maybe that's the case, it looked different to me. He looked like a man in pain out there, and I found that a really tough watch. Matt and he's sadness to add to the party. No, I think you've said it really. I mean the words the word he used was flat. He used that word repeatedly.
I do think there is this sense that I think in many ways the incredible support he receives. In a way, it feels like it has extended his career. I think he really... I don't know whether he does, but he almost feels like he owes something to people when he goes out there. He just wasn't able to tap into that today. That was the aspect he was most disappointed about. The fact that he was lifeless and listless, and that's not Andy Murray.
He seemed almost ashamed. He used to lie about I wasn't able to pay them back or I wasn't able to give them what they deserved. That aspect of it I found really sad, to be honest. Yeah, it was a really weird experience. Yeah, more feast one today though. Yes. Just sort of in similar parallels. It's not good for me. It's all sad for that. I felt as though he put up more of a fight and won some sets, but Stan Varinka lost the fifth set or fourth set, sixth love against Adrian Manorino today.
Same court. Some of these players. I mean they can't go on forever, can they? And just want them to have a moment and then it's like how'd you time it? I don't know. I mean, they, Murray has had moments, hasn't it? This couldn't have been more different to last year's Australian Open. It was the exact opposite.
Any reference to that? Yeah. Okay, it is match point Felix Auseh and I will tell you about our various mascots and by the time I've done that we might be able to bring you the result from the final match of the day. It's only 140 am, so thank goodness they changed that schedule. That problem is solved. I'm so excited for this to be a bit every single night. Taking the box guys problem solved. David, your mascot is Francis.
Francis, I've disgraced us so far. Our two picks have got the total of zero sets out of five. I've got Darwin. We keep coming so close, Darwin. I feel really different about predictions this year now. It's Darwin. It's a lot of stake. Yeah, just feel such pressure to outperform you two because... I mean, the bar's pretty low. We don't want people thinking it's Darwin, do we? Yeah, well, exactly. But anyway, we endeavor to do better tomorrow. Matt, you've got Haider and Soma.
Yes, we got Poise. Now we got Karen and Garsead. Oh, well, so did Naomi Asakas here in Good Company. Billy Jean is sponsored by Billy Jean King and a Lana-class Felix Orje. Alia Seam has won, and that just about sums up the last couple of years with Dominic Team. Doesn't it? He's come back. But he hasn't come all the way back. We have our top folks, executive producers, Greg, Chris, Jamie, and Jeff and Matt. We have shout outs. We start with Dan Hatch, who says yes, like Dan Evans. Thanks, Dan.
Good work, Dan. That's it. Oh, we've got to find another Dan now. Or I'll have to do my own partridge bit. Daniel, well, Maya. David Hayser, when I do Alan Potter references that nobody understands. So somebody think of it. I thought of one and I'm not going to say. Okay. Fine. That's really annoying. But I'll tell you after. And you'll thank me for not saying it. Dan King, the former tennis correspondent for the Sun. Yes. Nailed it. Thank you very much, Dan.
We have Simon, just Simon from Ottawa in Canada. Like Sully Hall, Simon. Very much like Sully Hall, Simon, like Briggs. Yeah, like Simon Aspillen, a former doubles player. And like Jules Simon. Indeed. Simon, thanks. Thank you, Simon. The enigmatic aloof Simon, like it. Doesn't need a second name. We have Hazus Jimenez. Hello, Hazus. Hey, Hazus. Is this a Hazus Jimenez that we know? It may well be. It is. I live in Queens, New York. He writes for the New York Times.
Love that. I didn't know Hazus was a listener. Yeah. Oh. That's brilliant, Hazus. During the US Open, my favourite thing to do is listen to the part on the train and finish it as I'm arriving. Oh, thanks. That's lovely. Do we have any, we're relying on you here, Matt. Do we, do we have any tennis, Hazus? Are you relying on me? Well, because I feel like you might just be that bit more familiar with tennis figures from the Hispanic world. I can't think of any. I can only think of Gabrielle, Hazus.
That's a person. Yeah. We've expanded it to the sporting world, Hazus. Thank you very much. We have Chris Kumara, who is from Menlo Park, California. Like Chris Socono. I knew it. I couldn't get that out quick enough. He's my guy. Let me do it. Hello, Chris. Cheers, Chris. From, from where in California? Menlo Park. But then also says the San Francisco Bay area. Oh, that sounds lovely. Don't know if those are the same.
Lovely area. But the birthplace of Brad Gilbert, Sam Query, McKenzie McDonald and Katie Volleynitz. What a hub. Yeah. It's like that town in the Czech Republic, which sort of half of the world's top 100 rain from incredible scenes. Thank you, Chris. And finally, we have Dawn Sawyer. Oh, hello, Dawn. Dawn is in New Haven, Connecticut and Proud Mum of two former Grand Slam mascots, star and mocker. And Dawn is one of our very favourite people. Absolutely. We love Dawn.
And this is the first time we've had a shout out from Dawn, where Matt and I can say, we've driven through New Haven, Connecticut. We have, right? Yes. Yeah. Great. Thank you, Dawn, for your continued support. And Dawn is part of our newsletter predictions, this tournament. Doing damn, so better than us three. I think she's got a good knack for predictions. Must do better tomorrow. Tomorrow's the day I get points. If it's not, I'm in a Reggie situation.
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