Aus Open Day 10 - What happened to Coco Gauff?

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Well, hello, and welcome to the tennis podcast on day 10 of the Australian Open, also known as Inferno Day. Temperatures hit forty six degrees Celsius here earlier before mercifully cooling off a couple of hours ago. It's also been All Abilities Day at the AO today, which is really tough timing because

Obviously thin because it was basically unbearable to be outside during daylight hours today. But they still went ahead with Mae llawer o'r llawer o'r llawer o'r llawer o'r llawer o'r llawer o'r llawer o'r llawer o'r llawer o'r llawer o'r llawer o'r llawer o'r llawer o. Household name and a big star here. All abilities day. Um and there was a a Paris standing tennis showcase as well, which is a a really cool thing. Unfortunately, because of the weather forecast,

uh the wheelchair tennis events which you're scheduled to get underway today don't get underway until tomorrow. And I would say if you if you have tickets to Melbourne Park over the next five days. Or if you are in Melbourne and don't have tickets, get yourself a a grounds pass and come and check out the the wheelchair tennis. They are those events are well worth watching. They get good crowds here in Australia. I think they'll be a vibe, um and they they deserve that support. So

Um yeah, it's a cool thing that they do here and it was just just a shame that that the timing worked out as it did. But um speaking of tennis showcases, David, Carlos Alcaraz. and poor old Alex DeManor, seven six, six two, six one for Alcaraz tonight. It felt like an exhibition. It felt like a Carlos Alcaraz testimonial. And this was again

someone who's gonna be a top five player next week. This was an absolutely unreal level from the world number one and a pretty harrowing experience for for Australia's number one Alex de Mano. And it it took diminore to remind me remind us in the press conference just now of the exhibition match they played on the eve of this tournament here, which was the first time we'd seen Carlos Sauerkraut play all year'cause he didn't play any warm up event.

uh because I'd asked him, you know, you've played him several times, did you were even w w were you even surprised by how high his level was? And he said to be honest, that exhibition he was freakishly good. in it and it felt the same tonight. And I and I mean look I I saw the first three games of this match.

from in our media centre because I wanted to attend the Alina Switzerlina and Coca-Colf press conferences. So I I joined a little bit later. I joined right at the end of the first set in the stadium uh in our press seats. So I but I saw the first three games.

I don't think it's possible to play better tennis than Carlos Alcra has played for those first three games. I I just he still startles me with what he's able to do and I always come back to that that uh line from from Millie, y uh your brother's partners Um line about how he is like a superhero discovering his powers. And I just always think that is so perfect.

to describe what you're witnessing when he's playing. I then went to one of these press conferences, came back, it was three games all and it was juice on Alcaraz's serve. And I'm thinking, what on earth has just happened? How and how has he gone from that level to this?

Um and that was really the Rocky s spell of the of the whole match. I'll I'll let you fill me in on what actually happened then. But when I got in the stadium he just wrapped up the first set and then he lost three games in what in the re next two sets and this is we Alex Demonor. Playing out of his mind. To my eye. Now he's not making every shot, he's making some errors because he's not.

In his words, he's he's playing out of his skin. He's he's going for shots that he wouldn't normally go for. I felt like he was rehearsing those shots in the previous two rounds against Francis Tiafo and Alexander Bublick and they were coming off and he comfortably beat them. But Alcrist just sort of just Said great, l let's do it then. Let's throw down you and me and l if you're gonna do this, throw your biggest stuff at me, I've got something even bigger to send back.

That was such a great line from Dimino, wasn't it? And what was generally quite a haunting press conference, I feel like I'm still recovering from it. It only ended about fifteen minutes ago, he said

Throughout the whole match I was playing out of my comfort zone and out of my skin. And he described Alcaraz as freakishly good and So often, ninety nine point nine percent of the time with tennis matches we're talking about what a mental sport it is and all the intangibles and how so often it's just not actually about forehands and backhands, it's about

so much more than that. This felt like it was just about tennis and one player having access to powers that the other player doesn't and yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n. Yeah. I mean we said it a couple of nights ago, didn't we, when we saw Alex Dimenour beat Francis Tiafo and Alexander Bublick in such a dominant fashion. if you didn't know the bigger picture of men's tennis, you would think well

How's there someone that can beat this guy easily? And obviously mostly there I was thinking of Yannick Sinner because of the the head to head that Sinner has absolutely dominated against Alex De Menor. Now obviously Carlos Alcaraz had beaten De Menor previously as well, but not as many times as Cinner. And I really did think that Alcaraz would have

a bit more trouble against Diminor tonight, and that Diminor would have a bit more of a chance against Alcaraz than he normally does against Cinna. But It just wasn't the case. Okay, the first set was very fun, and you know, both of these two are pretty much the best players in the world at resetting the point. you think the ball's past them and it's not and they're able to use their speed and their athleticism

to start the point again and say, Okay, well, that would have been a winner against someone else, but you're gonna have to do that again against me. They can both do that. And Dumanor was doing that himself even in that first set. It was remarkable to watch the athleticism and the and the crowd are into it. But From the moment the match started it did feel like the match was totally on Alcaraz's racket. As David's described, those first three games were a joke.

And Alcaraz said it in his on court interview, didn't he? He said, Uh uh I'd hit like eight winners in the first two games. I was I was playing so well. He was counting. You know, and then then he did get impatient, you know, and he he went for several impatient. Yes. It took me a while to realise what word he was saying there. By the way, his English has

I mean it's more than his tennis. It might have improved at a faster rate than his tennis. It is remarkable. Um but yeah, he he got impatient and he made four backhand errors in one game and gave the break back. But that was really the only poor little spell in the match that he had. Otherwise it was outrageously good. Off both wings, coming forward

Soaking up anything that Demonor had, throwing it back at him. His serve got better as the match went on, his serve wasn't brilliant in the first set, but oh I mean, just an outrageous level tonight from Alcaraz.

It's now two two matches in a row where where we've said that and he's he's starting to think that he's in close to US Open form. Yes, that was a lovely little exchange with Charlie Eckelshair in Alcraz's sydd wedi'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i

yet another one of those, a big one. And he's n Charlie said, I'll ask you again, like, how would you compare this form to the US Open? And he really thought about it. And you could see he gets a bit misty eyed just thinking about how well he played at the the US Open. He he went, N no, I I think the US Open was better and then he paused and and the the huge Alcaraz grins spread across his face and the whole room just sort of

felt a little bit warmer and he goes, But it's pretty close And then he went, I'll let you be the judge. And look, I think I think the thing about the US Open was that i i i it was from the first match, right? That's what was different about it, that he was just totally locked in and consistent and at his peak pretty much mewn gwirionedd, byddai'n mynd i'n mynd i'n mynd i'n mynd i'n mynd i'n mynd i'n mynd i'n mynd i'n mynd i'n mynd i'n mynd i'n mynd i'n mynd i'n mynd i'n mynd.

strings of matches but from start to finish in a Grand Salmon. I still don't think we whether he goes on to win the title or not, we've seen that here, you know, he was it was interesting that Diminal referenced that exhibition match they played before the tournament and Alcaraz having been freakishly good in that.

because Alcaraz was talking about how disappointed he was in his own level after his first match and he said his team had to give him a big talking to about how disappointed he was in his level a a talking to about being passion. Um and that's obviously something he's really working on, being being more patient. Um And And being not having the ups and downs in a in a match, which is which is clearly working. There were also real moments of lightness.

about him today, where he just broke out into a smile and obviously that was easy to do because he was playing so well. But I I liked seeing that. You know, like there there have been times, particularly here at the Australian Open actually, and you know, there's the significance of this is

feels quite minor because of everything else that he's done in his career. But now th this is now the first time he's reached the semifinals of the Australian Open. I think it was the first time he'd beaten top ten player at the Australian Open even. Like he he he hadn't played his best stuff here prior to this year. But he just seemed very, very relaxed and jovial and I think y that balance right now is absolutely right. Like he's he's totally locked in with his game, but he's

But there's a likeness to his to his being and his mind out there and that I think is the is the secret Alcaraz uh Alcaraz weapon really. Like he needs to be loose. But he needs to be in control of his game. And and sometimes he's loose and that and wayward. But at the moment he's absolutely in the in the perfect place, I think. And and David, you've got a working theory. No, look the hair one is why he's close to his level. Right and not at

Um so you know, get the skinhead over the next couple of days, Carlos, and you'll be right there. Um no, m I've I've kind of got two theories going on at the moment, and either one of them could be right or neither one. Uh but here's the theory. I mean obviously I've I've already given the one theory which is

He arrives at the semifinals, he ends up in a broad dinner battle. I thought it was gonna be against Daniel Medvedev, he looks over and Juan Carlsfrera is not there and he doesn't play the way he normally does, and he loses. That was that's my one working theory. Could happen in the final. The other one.

And if you think back to when the announcement first came of the separation with Ferrer is my f I that really took me aback at the time and and and made me doubt him. And it's I still have little doubts because we haven't seen him in those matches yet. Um because バラエオイストを

In the long run though, and Matt Futterman alluded to this, this could be a good thing. Like he's separated himself from the father figure on the tennis court and he's having to take total ownership of his own game, make his own decisions, be the boss. Um and that might empower him going forwards. I think it's possible that it's empowered him now. And that he has been released. Not I don't mean to say

Sound as though that's throwing shade at Ferrero in any way. He's done an incredible job. But there was a a reliance, I think, at moments. Don't think and we haven't seen him stressed yet, so we'll see what happens but if he gets stressed. But he that jovial nature, I mean, I do think he tried a few shots today that were a little bit overindulgent. You know, there were a couple of sort of

drop shots and then a rolled pass that Dimonor was just too fast for and he put em away. And I think he could have put them away in a different way. But there were the majority of it was just as good as I can imagine tennis being. Um and I just wonder whether the the growing up phase has just happened overnight almost. And he's not worried about being told off by a Parents type figure. Yeah. Yeah, and and yet he's mature enough not to do stupid stuff.

And and if you listen to him in that press comments, I found it such an interesting press comments, both his analysis of Dimeno and him saying how much he was missing because he can't actually play like he's trying to play really. He's trying to play la he was almost like he was saying, he's trying to play like us And he meant Djokovic sinner in himself.

I he wasn't trying to throw shade, but he was trying to say, but you know, if you that's not in his comfort zone and he starts to miss. Um The the other thing that really struck me was how much pride he spoke about in terms of his concentration, how hard he's worked at trying to stay concentrate. And I think that That's a brilliant thing for him to realise he needs to be able to do.

And it's to my mind I think he might have just matured another level by having separated from Ferrero. In which case my theory, my working theory from pre-tournament is completely wrong, and I'm completely happy to it to acknowledge that. And maybe the other one. It's very clever to have two concurrently opposing theories on the go, isn't it? Listen, I'm not gonna claim any credit for either one, but I think that they're both possible.

And and I'm just fascinated to see whether either of them ends up being right. Not and I won't take any credit for that,'cause I mean anybody could come up with that shit. But but I sort of I'm looking at a I'm thinking about the maturing process of of young people and I and I've always been fascinated with it'cause it happened a bit late for me and I ended up being a duffer for a while. And Carlos Sancros has never been a duffer. But

He is gett I think he's gonna get better. I don't think he's at max level yet.

And I think we might be seeing the next stage of it here. We'll find out. Just quickly on Alex De Manour. You know, he's someone that's never been a Duffer like he's been dialed in, maximizing it. That's been his identity his whole career. He hasn't had to have any kind of reckoning about about who he is as a tennis player. He's always that's been his whole identity, giving his all, ringing everything. I mean I I think

Nine games was him ringing everything out of this match. Okay, his on four star account will look bad, but that's because he was doing things that you have to try and do when you're taking on Carlos Alcara. as sad and bereft and haunted as I've ever seen him by some distance in that that press conference, this one clearly heard.

Um, do you think this will leave a mark? Like he you know, he he was asked a question about kind of what now? Like how do you pick yourself up from this and he said, Well you just have to keep going. That's all there is. but it felt to me like I was watching a uh s someone paint a picture of men's tennis at the moment, these these broken men. just killing themselves to to try and give themselves a shot at at these superheroes that are

in a different stratosphere to them. I I think it's a very similar feel to the Tommy Paul situation we had a couple of nights ago. Diminor's better than Tommy Paul. He's closer in many ways. Um Taylor Fritz another one. You know the they don't lack for effort. I've got huge admiration for them, but they are looking at a level that they cannot reach.

But the hope for them is that they keep on going and they keep on adding and maybe one day those two players are not around for whatever reason at one of these big tours. We've seen it before. Um we were talking with Charlie Eccleshair of the Athletic about he he he has his comparison of Demonore to Tim Hemman trying to win Wimbledon.

And Henman twice ran into the great Pete Sampras in the in the semifinals and lost. And then one year a young lad called Roger Federer came along and knocked Pete Sampras. And Tim Henman was better than a nineteen year old Roger Federer on a grass court and he beat him and he knocked him out and he didn't win Wimbledon. Suddenly the opportunity was there.

And he didn't win Wimbledon because he didn't beat the next guy. And Goran Ivaniseovich beat him in five sets and won Wimbledon. Pat Rafta was trying to win Wimbledon. One day that might happen for an Alex Demonor and he might be able to be the one to take the chance. I don't suppose you can say it quite like that, but that's what you've got to be aware of. And and I think that is eventually I think this one will hurt for a while. to take that grain of hope and run with it.

But my God it must be hard to lift that extra weight in the gym and spend that extra ten minutes on the practice court when you know almost certainly it's vanilla. Well, certainly if those guys are playing and they're fully fit because they're gonna also be trying to lift that extra weight and they ain't they're not losing anything. They're not they're not they're getting better. And just the mentality of having to hope that one of them, you know, injures themselves.

Or you know, g gets another gets another doping ban or something like that. Or Coran Ivanizovic comes comes comes back and maybe you just catch him on a bad day. I don't know what a bad day looks like in the Grand Slam world anymore, but that can happen. Yeah. I know, I know. Life comes at you fast. One minute it's twelve in a row, the next minute it's Bertie van der Zanskoop. That's very well said. It just feels like the Burtik van der Zanschop days

quite a long time ago for Alcaraz. Day. Right. But the day when we were like, gosh, that could happen That Alcaraz could show up any time. Like I don't feel that way about him anymore. No, but don't forget he lost to Danil Medvedev at the US Open, he lost to Alexander Zverev at the French Open, he lost to Alexander Vere Zverev here at the Australian Open. It's not like it's never happened.

It just hasn't happened to this version of Carlos Alcaraz recently and I can't see it. But that's what if you're the o if you're the pack, I think that's what you've got to be hanging on to. Yeah, I I mean look, you were in the Dimenoor press conference. I I wasn't. I d I don't know

how much Alex DeMinour is viewing his career through a Carlos Alcaraz Yannick Cinner lens. Like I I think obviously that's his ultimate goal, is to win the Australian Open or win a Grand Slam and he and he knows that you know, he's not he's not stupid, he knows the reality is If he's gonna do that, he's likely gonna have to be one of these two, or maybe both of them. And that's an incredibly tough task. But I

I don't know if he's the sort of character that is constantly thinking like that and being beaten down by that. I th I do think he's I agree that he isn't generally I think he is tonight. I think he is tonight, but I think as the as you know, time I think will help him sort of process that and I do think he is the sort of guy who is Who who knows that you're not going to be able to

almost everyone on tour would kill for his career and that he can be satisfied because he is wringing everything out of himself and as long as he's doing that ultimately he he can take comfort from that. Like obviously it stings in the moment and would he you know, would he trade Not getting better, but being able to win a slam because something happens to Alcaraz and Sinner. Yeah, probably it probably. But I don't know, I I I have some

Okay. I need to hear that after that press conference'cause it was tough. I agree with you. I agree he's uh he's gonna be In his life he's gonna be just fine because he he will have no regrets at the end of his career. He will have given everything. Same way as Leighton Hewitt did and and he and Andy Roddick did. They had Roger Federer to contend with. That was just one of those things. And they still had great careers. I know they won the Grand Slams that Dimonor Craig

But no, he's a he's a credit to himself. He's he's a brilliant player and a great competitor and you know, who knows? Maybe there is still something else, another level in his career at some point. And it's it's also not He he's also not like so good that you feel like he would have w won slams in other eras.

Do you know what I mean? Like I I I think he's a very, very good player, but I'm not sure there'd be any era of men's tennis where you would necessarily go, right, Alex Dimano guaranteed gr Grand Sam champion and it's just because Al Kresan Cinner is so good that he's not like I I I think he's become a better player than I ever expected him to be. Me too. Absolutely. He's so he he's so good and it

It's also only really here. You know, th you know the the fact that he's a he comes from a Grand Slam nation, I think, really does pile that that pressure on, that outside pressure. I think if he wasn't Australian we'd I I I don't think there'd be quite the same sort of noise around him as a as a possible Grand Slam champion. I just think he's a think he's a total maximizer. and there's just some guys who are who are better than him.

Yeah. Yeah, and I I I I gr I I agree with you. I think he's the type of character w for whom that will be enough. I guess it's just the control freak in me that's like I would find that so hard to to know there's nothing that I can do. to possibly be as good as them ever. No matter what I do. I'll never be as good. I'd be like, Okay, let's get a pizza then It's not worth trying.

It's a good no job he's not you then Do you know what I mean? Like it's just different different personality types, isn't it? Yeah. I think he's the type, well I'll be as good as I can be. Yeah. He that's the better type. I'll work on it. Um okay.

Alcaraz as we've alluded to will face Alexander Zverev in his first Australian Open semifinals. having beaten Learned Tien who gave us a little bit of Jeopardy today. Can I hear it for some Jeopardy? Woo Just a little bit. I've got a great stack. From about total lack of jeopardy. Yeah. From uh Sharko. Oh yeah. Greg Sharko. The legend that is. I was just having a little chat with him and Is this better than your newsletter start again? Uh it might be actually When was the last

five set match. When was the last fifth set on the Rod Laver Arena? Well I know there haven't been any this year. I've got an awful feeling there weren't any last year. There was one last year. Was it something terrible? It was Medvedev Kassadit Samrege in the first round. Oh dear. Wow. Isn't that wild? Yeah. Absolutely wild. Just imagine how good the Cinnaro crowds find was going to be.

Yeah. Wow. Yeah, well in the words of uh Carlos Alcaraz previewing uh the semifinal his semi final uh against Alexander Zverev, he said if he wants to beat me he has to sweat a lot. Great line. Great line. Yeah. So Zverev beating TN six three six seven six one seven six. And the main jeopardy here came obviously after TN leveled the match up at a set all after a a stunning performance in the second set tie break and it really felt like it was

game on and then that got sucked away so quickly in that third set. Yeah, huge credit to Zvera for that because It would have been so easy for him to pan. He's played a really good first set. He's kinda kept Lerner Tien who's got this left handed Lacerating forehand, and he's got everything really from the baseline, and he showed it against Medvide and he kept him at bay in that first set.

D Medvedev and he was serving brilliantly all match and really that's what kept him in charge of this thing because I think he he was taken aback by how good Tien is from the baseline. Second set, it's nip and tuck, T and serve in first this time, and Zverev's having to withstand the scoreboard pressure. They get into that tie break, Zverev gets the mini break, and you think okay that's The way he's serving that's probably that.

Suddenly Lerner Tien puts together I think maybe three or four points in a row at the end of that tie break that were I mean they weren't too far off Alcaraz level in terms of just taking the play away and just making us jump out of our seats and and gap. And for Zverev to sit down at one settle at that point and not completely have a meltdown.

I think tells you what a good place he must be in. He he's talked a lot about how he's not physically feeling pain this this tournament whereas he was all all a last year, niggles and not feeling great. And he just comes out and he just beats him six one in the next set. And I look there's a mental letdown, I think, or an emotional letdown from TN at that point, which I'm no doubt he'll learn from. But

I think Zverev is playing as well as I've ever seen him play at this tournament. I think maybe a couple of years ago when he beat Alcaraz and should have beaten Medvedev when he was two sets to low up. Um I think that was a similar level, but this is better than he was a year ago when he reached the final Twenty four aces today, seventy two percent first serves in, winning seventy six percent of those points and winning sixty five percent of points on the second serve. Now

I I think uh some of that was a TN some of those stats were TN specific. This that kick second serve was a problem for for TN today. But those serving stats for Zverev are fearsome. that's one of the best serving performances in recent memory for me. Like this was so good from him because it was also he was coming up with big serves when he needed them. You know, like his serve was there in the important moments, I think.

when he was breakpoint down he would find a big serve, you know, and just being able to keep Tien at bay that way. Because from the baseline there was very little between them. And you know, Zverev actually, as David said, was really heaping praise on TN's baseline game and I think he was a bit surprised by just how good it was. Um, you know, he really he he shouted out Michael Chang, didn't he, for the for the work that those two have clearly done together. And I I didn't

You know, we talked a lot the other day about the leftiness of Tien and whether that would be like this massive problem for for him against Verev. And look, I think there are elements in the matchup. mewn gwirionedd yn ymwneud yn ymwneudol, ond rwy'n credu bod yn ymwneud yn ymwneudol, ond rwy'n credu bod yn ymwneudol, ond rwy'n credu bod yn ymwneudol, ond rwy'n credu bod yn ymwneudol, ond ymwneudol.

Tien from the baseline has ways to get out of some of the patterns that other lefties get stuck in against Verev,'cause he's so good at distributing the ball and negating Zweyerov strengths in the rallies, but he lost at ATM because of Zverev's serve. I and the gap between their two serves. I truly believe that. This was just an astonishing display of serving from Zverev. Like every single time he needed a good serve, he found it. And it's so hard to play against there.

I think the indoor conditions probably helped Sverev a little bit with the serve and with his game generally. He said he loves those conditions when it's like that. But I thought T M played played pretty well today and there was just this huge

one shot difference between them and not many players would have would have made up that gap. Um it was it was very impressive from Zverov. And look if Zverov serves like that and I think that's a a big if Personally, I I think think the likelihood is he'll serve well'cause he does. Like his for for somebody with the size of serve he has, his percentage is generally extremely high.

Serving stats don't happen in a vacuum. Like it's about who's down the other end of the court and what they're doing. I'd be surprised if he had quite as good a serving day just because of the pressure that Alcaraz puts on you is just different to anybody else. But if he does have anywhere close to that, David. He does have a ch having said that Alcaraz and Sin are in a different stratosphere, a serve that good like it was today, as as Matt's described, gives him a chance.

Well it can keep you in a set and it can build scoreboard pressure and we saw Alcaraz have a ten, fifteen minute letdown today where he lost three games in a row and almost lost four games in a row. Um if he does that against Ferv and if Sverv's playing like serving like this, that's the set right there. And that's kind of what happened two years ago.

Let's not forget how terrible Al Kras was the f for the first two sets of that match. But Zverov was serving like he was today. He w he was just hitting the the spots and he was ace after ace and that then emboldened his baseline game to go after it. I think I think it's finally the penny has finally dropped to its verv, that y that that first shot after the server

earlier in the rally, he's gotta he's gotta pull the trigger. He's gotta go for it. And uh maybe there's a little bit of the Alex Demonor about the way he'll view it. I may as well just roll the dice because Playing within myself isn't gonna get it done against this guy. That's it, I think. That is the question.

Ahead of that semi-final. Can Zverev actually in practice be a bit more aggressive and not resort to standing several feet behind the baseline and doing the stuff that can get him through rounds at majors but will not be an Alcaraz or a Sinner or a Djokovic, you know, like he has to impose himself and there've just been very few occasions over his career where he's actually been able to do that in the very biggest matches against his biggest rivals. Um

And the serve will prov if he serves like that he'll have the foundation to do it because he will get the balls that he can that he can attack. Um but I don't know. I'm not convinced that he that he will. I think it's pretty good. We interesting. If you can serve like that.

We might get some jeopardy. Yeah, I think that's Yeah, I do think so. Yeah. Okay, well that'll be the day session match on Friday, right? Guaranteed to be scheduled that way because this side of the drawer get the extra day off relative to to the side of the draw that we'll play tomorrow. We'll look ahead to that order of play in part three and in part two we're gonna talk about a huge upset and a shocking result for Coco Got.

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Welcome back to part two of today's tennis podcast where it's now close to 1 a.m. and the leaf blowers are out. You know it's a late pod when there's leaf blower sound effects in the background so apologies for that. Uh, it feels a long time ago, doesn't it, that Coco Goff was out there losing six one six two in fifty eight minutes to Alina Svitilina who was awesome tonight and will be given her flowers but

This was an alarming, shocking defeat for Coco Goff, was it not? Oh. I know that we're always on a bit of alert for what Coco Goth might show up. You know, we talked about it at the United Cup. That was in the same tournament we had the Boothas Monero performance and and the Igos Fiontek performance. that inconsistency is there. A a a poorer performance does, you know, feel around the corner sometimes. But I did not expect this. I mean she could

She could not really play today. Like it was it was that bad. She actually started okay. Um she did get broken in the first game and and the serve was a bit of an issue from the start. But she broke back in the next game and there was a twenty six shot rally and she was looking s pretty secure from the baseline and You know, I thought we were gonna be in for okay, maybe one of those days where she's not at her best, but where she's able to dig in and fight and scrap and

maybe up her level as the match went on and cause her opponent to malfunction. I thought we were gonna be in for the full Coco Goth. experience after those first couple of games and I was I was excited about it. I thought, okay, this is gonna be our close match'cause these two have are looking evenly matched in the first couple of games. But

Life really does come at you fast. It went so wrong. I mean And so quickly like it was just over. It was over. It was within a flash it was one six love three for Coco Golf. Like And she won ten percent of points behind her second serve in that opening set. She hit two winners and fourteen unforced errors in that opening set. She finished with three winners and twenty-six. um forced errors. Like she She was so bad today, like had no feel off.

either wing, the backhand was bad, the forehand was bad. She actually in the second set just totally started rolling her serve in so to avoid hitting second serve. So it meant that okay she wasn't double faulting but it But her serve was not a weapon at all. It was just a point starter. And this is this is someone whose serve

Okay, has never been the most consistent shot, but it has at points in her career been a weapon for her. But right now She was just having to r resort to to get it in and her team were telling her to literally just hit down the middle of the court because anything else was a danger of making an error. Um she was under pressure from Svitilina, who I think absolutely sensed her opportunity and her chance and

played really well and aggressive and with real intensity and that made it extra hard for Coco Goff as well. But Honestly, it was a disaster. And what started out as just a couple of issues on the serve in the early couple of games, as Chandarubin said in the commentary, seeped into the rest of her game and It was a horror show. It it w it was so tough to watch. I couldn't believe how flat she was. Yeah. That was extremely strange to me for k the game's ultimate competitor in a grand slam

quarter final. I found that really bizarre. She was very distracted by not having the right string tension available. Sh you know, she just like everybody does, comes onto court with this enormous racket bag. Full of rackets strung at all different tensions. Well she didn't have any of the tensions that she wanted out there. I don't know whether that

Someone messing up. I I I d I just don't. She sort of talked it down in the presser, didn't she, in terms of it being a potential mistake from anyone in the channel? Defend herself really that she hadn't misjudged anything. Al albeit the conditions are a little different because she wasn't used to playing It was her first night session match, wasn't it? And it was under the roof.

And uh but it but I mean, i the gist of it was she was try just trying something. She wanted it wasn't working the way it was going, so she sent some off to try to get some other options. Um, but The main thing that came out of the press conference was that she just didn't understand what had happened and why, and she needs to get to the bottom of the

um because we're so used to her being this incredible problem solver and somebody who digs in and and she referenced that United Cup match and it's happened here again And she just didn't have any answers. And and I think as the match was going on the body language I saw was I can't play. I can't play. I don't I don't know what to do. And and it must be a horrible, horrible feeling. Imagine the best the thing you're best at in the world. What a horrible feeling.

eggs were by by the second I mean well you could see it by about the second game, but it got it compounded, didn't it? It got worse and worse and worse and there was One of the weirdest shots I've ever seen from Coco Goff midway through that second set. So weird. Like I'm still Svizzolina hit a ball that hit the neck cord and it was one of those neck cords that

Wasn't a dead neck cord, but also didn't sit up. It it was right in that region where suddenly Goth was having to sprint after it to try and track it down. And with her foot speed. It was very possible that she could track it down and she set off for it as she normally would, and within a couple of feet from the ball, she switched her racket from her right hand to her left hand and tried to play it left handed and dumped it straight into the net. It was

Completely inexplicable. I have absolutely no idea why you would try to play that shot left-handed rather than just. Hit a little bun on the backhand side. Like it's like the hard bit, she got there. Yeah. And then tried to hit it with her wrong hand. Like it it was it was bizarre and I th as you say, totally

illustrative o I think of the of the s just scrambled nature of her of her mind and and and brain at that time. I thought she did a really great job, Svitalina not only of as as you say, you know, playing playing a very tight game from the baseline and and keeping up her intensity really well. And that's not easy to do when there's something weird happening down the other end of the court, which is creating an uneasy feeling in the crowd. Like the vibes were odd.

And yet Alina Svitolina just created her own little v vibe bubble, which I think must be very difficult to do. But what she also did was play quickly to r really emphasize that feeling of it just just being a runaway train for for Coco Golf going in the wrong direction. I thought that was very clever from Svitelina. Yes, I agree. And Uh, she found, I think they said, about a extra eight or nine kilometers per hour on her

on her forehand today compared to the rest of the tournament. Just that just that constant feeling of trying to rush Coco Goff, I think, was present in the way she was playing and how she was going about her game. Don't give Coco Goff a a a a second to get out of this because Kokogoff is the one player who I was watching that match thinking well She's got no game.

Surely she's going to lose this. But there was something in the back of my mind saying Well if anyone can turn this around and if anyone can win from here it is Koko Goff, and I I'm sure her opponents feel that too, and I'm sure Svitsolina must have been aware of that, and Kokogoff did hold in that second set.

Finally. And then the next service game there was it you just felt like there was a little bit of pressure there for Svitolina because, you know, Kokogoff had been playing so badly and yet was only one break in the second set at that point. If Goff broke back, suddenly you're back on serve and does Fitzelina start doubting, but she just didn't didn't allow Koker Goff to to find her game and um yeah, as as I do think

The overall take on this match was Coco Goff's performance. But as she said, doesn't happen in isolation. You are you are you know, your form is caused by your opponent and Svitalina did play well as she has done all tournament and all year and she does deserve a lot of credit.

She she had a very violent racket smash backstage, Coco Goth, seven smashes of her racket, taking out that frustration and Something she was asked about impress because it was it was caught on camera, you know, they've got these C C T V style cameras everywhere here and they throw up brilliant content content, you know. I I'm lapping up these clips online. But I also have in the back of m my mind like

I shouldn't be allowed to enjoy this. Like this is like, is this okay? I am going to enjoy it if I'm being given it. But not entirely sure this is okay. And Kokogoff did say, like, I thought I was somewhere without cameras. I tried to get somewhere without cameras. Like it was a controlled thing like I wanted to take out some frustration, I wanted to do it away from prying eyes so that I didn't take it out on my team and it was

Shown live on TV. And we saw it with Sabalenka, didn't we, after the US Open Final when Kokov beat her and it that's that's a fascinating insight for us into where Coco Goff was and it's a picture that paints a real story but I think we probably shouldn't have been allowed to see that and it does feel intrusive.

she really was not happy about that at all in that press conference. In fact that was that uh you know, I've s I've been in a lot of press conferences of with Coco Goff when she's lost tough matches and she's often been emotional, tearful. Um

She was frustrat hugely frustrated and pretty angry, I think, with her performance and and desperate to find out what happened. But actually the thing she was most steely about was wanting to complain or or at least have a conversation with the tournament about this Surveillance. And this feeling that the only place she's gonna be able to go to have any privacy whatsoever is the locker room.

Um I I sort of I mean I re I do sympathise. I do sympathise and I do think there is a a big question mark over whether this is a bit too much. Um I would say though that I think everybody knows this is the deal. So you you better make sure, I think, uh i is the other argument. Maybe maybe it just needs to be accepted because it is creating such great content. It's it is creating insight.

Um and if you wanna maybe you just can't do it. Maybe you've gotta go to the locker room. Maybe you've gotta go back to your hotel. Maybe I'm being unfair. Um and I'm sure if I wa was her I'd be f angry and frustrated too. But Yeah.

I'm not I'm I'm not sure you can put it the toothpaste back in now. Hmm. Yeah, I thought she gave a great answer about why she smashed the racket. I mean that was That was really powerful hearing her talk about how she knows that she It f feels emotional in those moments and the last thing she wants to do is have an outburst at her team.

And I'm sure that was why she wanted to get the racket smash done, get it out before she went back to the locker room and the privacy of the locker room where her team likely would have been. Because she said

I was trying my best out there, they're trying their best for me, everyone is putting in a lot of work, no one deserves to be like shouted at or have anger taken out on them after a moment like that. And she said So I knew that the best thing to do was actually smash the racket, get it out of my system and then go and see my uh team. So I thought that was incredible perspective and tells you a lot about Coco Goff as a as a person I think and and how much she respects the people around her.

Um but yeah, I I I very much see the dilemma here in terms of in terms of the surveillance, in terms of content versus player privacy. Um maybe there needs to be a A private rack smashing area. Yes. Imagine that you just go in and and there's to close the door. If that happens before the media sleeping area that I've been pushing for many years. Sound proof room where they can go in and just go

Can I go in there and scream on days when there are only crap matches? Daily daily visit Uh on Citolina she's

She's the most amazing story, isn't she? I mean this is her first Australian Open semi final, it's her fourth major semifinal overall, her second since maternity leave after that one at Wimbledon a while ago. Two really nice questions. It was it was well done and you know, it's not not Elena Dokich's fault who was doing the interview. There was clearly a pressure to get that done quickly because the headline, the the main show

Alex DeMinour against Carlos Alcaraz was was waiting to come onto the stage. Um and I look I understand that and I I know how T V works, trust me and I I know an Australian is always gonna be the headline act, but this stuff matters, you know, like it's m now more than ever. How viral I haven't even looked online, but how viral is the clip of Carlos Alcraz doing his racket

trick demo with Jim Courier gonna go online. Like that's gonna be amazing for Al Craz and for the Australian Open and for men's tennis. Alina Svitellina was and and the WTA was denied any opportunity to have that kind of exposure this evening, and that makes me really sad, like she She earned that and she's been denied it and it shouldn't be allowed to happen. No, and when I considered that the match lasted what, fifty eight minutes? I mean okay, if it had been three hours and

Alkraz and Diminora trying to get on for court at ten o'clock for a best of five cent match, I would get it. But this was fifty-eight minutes. Ask her four questions, for God's sake. Do a proper interview. It's not gonna hurt.

So Svitolina against Arena Sabalenka is gonna be the semi final in a couple of days time. That because Arena Sabalenka in the first match of the day, this really does feel a long time ago, beat Iviovich six three Six Love and w we all watched this one together at at the flat because it was too hot to be anywhere but uh the flat. Um and look my take on it was that three games feels

really harsh for Iviovich but entirely fair for Irina Sabalenka. Hm. Yeah, I think that's a good way of putting it. That that opening set felt closer than six three to me. I think it was pushing an hour in in length itself. just on its own, that that first set and I thought Jovic played really well. I thought she did quite a good job actually of

of handling the Sabalenka game at times. S certainly sh it felt like she uh was able to handle it from the off better than Umboko had the previous round, another another teenager.

Um you know, I think she's just a bit more stable off both wings, Jovic. Uh and she kept it pretty close. She saved uh She saved a set point with a forehand on the run, she had break back points, you know, it was it was a good set, it was really it was really entertaining, but Sabalenka was awesome in it and even better I think in the in the second set, like her ratio of winners to unforced errors was remarkable and in the end she just totally overwhelmed Jovic in the match as a whole and

Jovic didn't quite have what Umboko had at the end of that match, which was the ability to actually hurt Sabalenko. She's still still developing her game as as you would expect. But yeah, Sabalenko was well, kind of in that flow state really that that she was in in the previous round and she and she started it today. There were there were great drop shots, there was

slices to negate some of Yovic uh some of Yovich's nice nice moments. And then there was just the overwhelming, blistering power as well. Like it was It was so good and um yeah, I was I was really watching that thinking, well This is the tennis to be.

you know, like someone is gonna have to go some to beat Irina Sabalenka here. We've talked about it before, but her record in Australia and I I mean here but also in the lead in tournaments as well is incredible and it has taken Madison Keys and Elena Rabakina uh in Brisbane playing pretty much out of their minds to be able to beat her in these conditions in the last few years and she's just laying down the level that everyone else in this tournament is gonna have to to try and match.

And and even new Alina Svitolina, post maternity leave Svitelina, this incredible aggressive force that she's rebanded uh r rebranded into. that is not a Madison Keys or an Elena Robatkiner. Like she just doesn't have the type of game to hurt Sabalenka like that. It's a five one head to head for Sabalenka. She has typically played her tough Svitolina. A lot of those have been tight sets or three setters

Um the one victory for Switchlin it was in Strasbourg back in back in twenty twenty. I'd be surprised if this was a beat down like we saw today, but I would also be surprised if if Sabalenka doesn't win. Yeah. Six three seven five, the most recent one. Um And then it was and it was seven five six two on a hardcore in Cincinnati. The one really close from was the Italian Open in Rome, seven six in the third for Sabalenka, that's a year and a half ago.

So that there's been close sets as you say in all of them. Um and I I was in Switzerland's press conference. She's She's aware of what she's up against. She's not she's not deluding herself about how hard this is gonna be. But she's also I asked her whether she thought she's a better player now than the one that won the WTA finals sort of seven years, six, seven years ago.

And she gave a long answer about how that player has led to this player. Um and there has been a clear movement of of trying to be aggressive and it's been successful. I I think the problem is it still ends up on Sabalenka's racket. I think Sveterina could play really well and hit the shot And still not win. That's that's the tough thing and we've seen that well, we've seen that a lot today. And I mean there have been occasions where

matches her on Irina Sabalenka's racket and that ends up being a very stressful experience for her down the stretch at Majors. Now A lot of the time those occasions have been against Coco Golf and it's it's one of the fascinations of tennis. that Alina Svitilina can beat Koho Goff like that tonight, and yet I think it's good news for Arena Savalenka that Koho Goff has gone out. Like, I don't quite know how I reconcile those two things in my mind, but I do believe that.

Yeah, like I I was thinking tonight watching Coco Golf that if you if you just change change the rules and said, if this was around Robert Koko Gawffydd wedi'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i

It wouldn't really affect what I saw tonight wouldn't really affect how I'd feel about her taking on Sabalenka in two days two days time. Yeah. But I I do expect Spitolina to to play well and I would be very surprised if there's not at least one tight set there. Problem is Tight set might mean a tie break. And we know how Sabalenka steps up in those like she's got the defences even for a tight set. Like it's it's such a tall order. Interested to see what the crow crowd's like.

Yeah. And of course there's that you know, there's that element for Svitalina t t twin twenty percent higher win rate against Russians and Belarusians, um than than versus uh Rydyn ni'n gwneud hynny. Rydyn ni'n gwneud hynny. Rydyn ni'n gwneud hynny. Rydyn ni'n gwneud, Rydyn ni'n gwneud.

Well you promise we one tight set. One tight set. That's what that's what counts for jeopardy at the twenty twenty six Australian Open. I predicted. I'm holding you to it. Uh folks, do you know what? Never disappoint.

Sensation of the day. Sensation of the day and it's a good one today. We'll see you in part three. Why choose a sleep number smartbed? Can I make my sight softer? Can I make my sight firmer? Can we sleep cooler? that cools up to eight times faster and lets you choose your ideal comfort on either side. Customer satisfaction with Check it out at the Speedbox. If you're the purchasing manager at a manufacturing plant, you know having a trusted partner makes all the differences.

That's why hands down you count on Granger for auto reordering. With on-time restocks, your team will have the cut-resistant gloves they need at the start of their shift. And you can end your day knowing they've got safety well in hand. Call 1-800-Granger, clickGranger.com, or just stop by. Granger the ones who get it done. Welcome back to part three of today's tennis podcast where we have a few contenders for sensation of the day. Well in fact what we have

is some runners up. We have Olivia Gedecki and John Pierce who beat Alexandra Kruenich and Mate Pavic in straight sets. The fifth seed

i wneud y semis o'r mixt-doubles. Wel done Gadecki and Piers. Mae wedi wedi'i wedi'i wedi'i'i wedi'i'i wedi'i'i wedi'i'i wedi'i'i wedi'i'i wedi'i'i wedi'i'i wedi'i'i wedi'i'i wedi'i'i wedi'i'i wedi'i'i wedi'i'i wedi'i'i wedi'i'i wedi'i'i wedi'i'i wedi'i'i wedi'i wedi'i wedi'i wedi'i wedi'i wedi'i wedi'i wedi'i wedi'i wedi'i wedi'i wedi'i wedi'i wedi'i wedi'i wedi'i wedi'i wedi'i

So they get a little runners up rosette, as do Jason Kubler and Mark Pullman's, yesterday's sensations of the day winners. They've won again today. They beat the twelfth seeded French team to reach the men's doubles. semifinals, but I'm afraid for Olivia Gadecki, John Pierce, Jason Kubler and Mark Pullman's sensation of the day was sewn up at twelve twenty one when a DM slid in. From from if you remember a couple of days ago, the iconic Fred. Fred.

I love Fred. I'm obsessed with Fred. Uh Fred says um he said thank you for championing my cause for Friday's sensation of the day but the correct decision was made. He's okay with not having won it on Friday. But he's made another he's taken another big swing, David. And uh he has sent a BWS which is a uh an Australian uh brand of uh they call them bottle shops here, don't they? Beer, wine and spirits, it's called. He has sent us a gift card for BWS.

And I'm afraid it doesn't ha it doesn't matter how hard you give me that look, Fred is winning sensation of the day. Oh, we stopped doing it as a a combined decision. Well, if you think it's two one because I'm voting for Fred as well. I don't drink. You they do non alcoholic beer at BWS. Oh. See, I wanted And you can sub you can support our joy. I mean I was keen to to make make the claim for the lovely woman who gave me three dinners today at the uh but no. No, it's Fred. It's Fred.

No, it's Fred. We love you, Fred. Uh tomorrow's order of play. Day eleven at the Australian Open, all the singles action on the Rodlaver Arena from eleven thirty AM, Elena Rabakina. against Ego Schwiątek, big uh and look, we always get this because the women have to come back and play the next day, but it's a big get the women out of the way flavour and it'll annoy me but

Anyway, not gonna let it get in the way of how pumped I am about these matches. Rabakna against Schwytek, followed by not before one PM, Pagula against Anisomova. It's a big day for Matt. He's gotta get shorts for the one point slam as well. Hold on, when's that gotta be s fitted into the shed shirt? I know, but it feels quite important. Matt doesn't have any tennis shorts. I forgot my tennis shorts on this on the tennis. I've just been wearing sort of Otherwise.

No, but it's like, you know, when I win I need to look good with the at least the you know, I need to with the troas I need to be pleased with my outfit for the troops. New balance Wilson Nike No not Nike. Um New Balance Wilson Adidas, this is a come and get me plea to kit out the bottom half of Matt Roberts for the media one point slam on Thursday. There might be a sensation of the day option up for graphs. Yes, absolutely.

Very good. Yeah, absolutely. Uh night session tomorrow is Mussetti uh sorry, not night session. There's a not before two thirty. So the third day session match is Lorenzo Mazzetti against Novat Djokovic and then the night session is Ben Shelton against Yannick Sinner, followed by potential sensations of the day, Talia Gibson and Kim Birrell taking on Enoshi Bahara and Vera Zvonoreva. In the year twenty twenty six. That's a women's doubles quarter final. Uh do we foresee any upsets tomorrow?

Upsets would be Rebecca. That took my interest for the newsletter predictions, which uh you can sign up to. She's not my favourite. No, I don't think she's mine either. But I mean look, it it would be an upset's not an upset, wouldn't it? Like She's playing bloody well. Yeah. Uh Pagula. Who do you think's gonna win out of Shvantek and Rebecca? You two. I'm gonna go Shvantek. Shvantek. And I'm gonna go an Islamova.

I'm gonna get those two as well. Muzzetti would be the upset in the Muzzetti Djokovic. No, that's not happening. Djokovic is kinda. And Shelton feeling about that, which might be silly, but Oh. It's silly, isn't it? You're grinning like Carlos Alcaraz when he said but it's close. I certainly am in the newsletter. Uh the second court tomorrow is all doubles, quarter finals, you got men's

women's mixed as well. Uh Kia is a mixture of uh lots of different wheelchair events. You got quad wheelchair singles, women wheelchair women's wheelchair singles, men's wheelchair singles, Alfie Hewitt, the top seed. In the men's is in action, Sam Schroeder in the quad, uh Yuki Kimiji the top se seed in the The women's uh Tequito Odor is last on the Kia Arena. Is he not the top seed? He's the second seed behind Alfie Hewitt. Wow. But probab I'd imagine the favourite.

We'll check on that but based on recent times. Yeah. And then uh you've also got the quad wheelchair doubles and the men's wheelchair doubles and I think the women's wheelchair doubles all starting tomorrow. There's legends if If Marcus Magdartis and Tommy Haas taking on Leighton Hewitt and Pat Rafter is what floats your boat, then that's happening tomorrow as well. And we'll be back at the end of all of it with another tennis podcast.

Uh we have an update from lovely mascot Gus. Gus Gus says while the tennis podcast crew is soaking up the sun in Melbourne, upstate in New York is buried under snow and no one is happier about it than Gus. No matter how cold it gets, minus five degrees at the time of writing, Gus is constantly requesting access to the outdoors. Once released, events unfold in a very predictable order. Her snout is immediately plunged into the nearest patch of snow for a good sniff.

The rest of her body soon follows in dramatic sliding motion as if she's trying to wriggle into it. This then evolves into a full 360 degree roll so that she's simultaneously in, under, and entirely covered by snow. What a manoeuvre. She's wearing winter coats. Uh and she's very, very happy in the snow covered photo of her that I am looking at. Uh Renee says, Mum being Australian means she has a natural aversion to quite this much winter, but watching how much joy it brings gas.

has completely changed her appreciation of the colder months. There's a lesson in there somewhere. Embrace the season with enthusiasm and possibly a full body snow roll. Words to live by, Rene. Thank you for that. Hello to Bodie, to Maisie, and to Roger, always embracing the season that they're in. with enthusiasm. Uh hello to Greg, Chris and Jeff. I'm sure they're doing the same, our executive producers and all around top folks. Matt, let's have some shout outs.

We have Kristen Brockmeyer. Hello, Kristen. Hi, Kristen. She is from Virginia, USA. Oh. And she says, Thank you for the joy you bring me. Oh, Kristen. Oh. Thank you so much. That's extremely lovely. Kristen. I ain't got nothing. Oh, have we got anything on Virginia? This is Virginia Wade. Yeah, well there you go. Yeah. Yeah. It's Virginia Wade, isn't it? Yeah. V uh uh Kristen, please accept Virginia Wade at this late hour. Thank you very much.

We've also got Blair Patterson from Manchester, but originally from Edinburgh. Hello, Blair. Hi Blair. And Blair says he generally listens to the podcast when out walking Colin, our five year old Fox Red Labrador. Oh, like Pippin, my parents Fox Red Lab puppy. Colin. That's Pippin. That's a fun dog name. I got a lovely photo of Pippin earlier. She's she's getting big. She's doing a Roger. Excellent. But she's gorgeous. Um

Tennis Blairs. Well there's Blair Henley. Yeah, the most excellent on court interviewer. Brilliant at it. Superstar. And rumour has it she's in the one point. Oh, apparently she's quite good. I've got problems. I think she's a top seed. Can you get in the other half of the drawer? Will there be seedings? Don't think so.

I'd be surprised. This is my kind of draw. Yes. Yeah. We'll all be using wooden rackets if you have your if you have yours say. Uh yeah. Blair Henley, let's go with that. I can't think of any other tennis blairs. Hope that's all right, Blair. And Colin. Like Colin Fleming. Yeah. Who's also a top blag. Yeah. Thank you, Blair. And finally we have Ali who is in Iran. Hello, Ali. Hi Ali.

Ali says I fell in love with tennis because of Chrissy Evert, stood in awe of Monica Selesh, and was utterly spellbound by Roger Fernando. Yeah. Know how you feel, Ali. A lot of listeners will relate to that. Like Ali Nilly, the former umpire and supervisor on the A T B tour. I see him having lunch every day. Dear? Yeah.

I don't. No, I see John Blom every day. Yeah, I see a lot we see a lot of the umpires, they all get their lunch in the media restaurant. They're like a Red Bull, don't they? The umpires. They need it. Stay alert. I would just f would you not just drop off in that seat? I would No, I'd be so aware of the eye the camera's on me, I think. You know what I'm like. I can't sit still. I'm walking on the city. I would. Yeah. Um you could draft me in to fill in for toilet break.

Well, you know, you do the rest of it. I think I I think I could be an um I I'm quite good at sitting still. Yeah, I think you would be hours at a time. Yeah. I'd start wanting to do the dishes and stuff. You would, yeah. You'd get distracted. I just don't want to drink Red Bull. You don't have to It looks an or the the right there knocking it back. It looks an awful lot like you might have to. Uh Allie.

Blair and Kristen, thank you ever so much for being friends of the tennis podcast. You help us to be here covering this tournament and uh one twenty six in the morning with the sound of leaf blowers in the background and there is Inexably Inexplicably there's no no there's no leaves to blow but they're out there. Get on'em. Well actually no, I'd rather they stopped. But anyway.

Uh there's nowhere else we'd rather be and we're very grateful to all of our friends of the tennis podcast and the wonderful community that they have created. So if you'd like to become a friend of the pod uh and join the fun, then the link as always is in Show notes. We are part of the Athletic Podcast Network, and we will be back to speak to you tomorrow. Thanks for listening. Guys, it's no use putting it off. The best time for an underwear refresh.

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