Aus Open Day 3 - Keys, Sinner start title defences well

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Well, hello and welcome to the Tennis Podcast, coming to you at the end of day three of the Australian Open. go on to win either title in a couple of weeks time then rest assured we will issue Fullhearted apologies. Uh you find us tonight on Court Five, which is shut up shop for the day at Sandwich between Court Six, the Bar Court, and the artist formerly known as Court Three.

the banking court. Um so so right in the thick of it at Melbourne Park on a really beautiful summer's evening. It's been a really fun day today but not Much of the fun has come from the runners and riders for the titles. So it feels like we should start with Yannick Sinner, but actually I want to start with Giovanni and Pesci Pericar and Sebastian Bayers, or maybe even with James

Duckwith who I think is currently serving at match point over on Court Six. Uh that is where the noise that you're hearing is coming from. That sounded like the subdued sound of Dino Prismich saving match point, actually, and now the sound of Croatian fans getting just a a little bit of belief, David. Yes, yeah. It's it's a wonderful time of day to be at a Grand Slam tournament. I think generally we're sitting under floodlights.

Dark sky up above, Melbourne skyline in the distance with with the the s the the big towers and uh lum illuminating lights coming at us and to our left is the Rodleva Arena and in the distance We have the final dregs of a of a knockdown drag out affair between a Croatian player with a huge backing full of red and white checked shirts and obviously the the local sensation who's

Who's doing the locals prowl? Well T B C David on that. Whether he's in the running for sensation of the day, he's he's making a good fist of it. Yes. I'll I'll tell you that much. But he is love fifteen down serving. Yeah, but but but it's I mean it is It is you know it's it's kind of we've all

Matt's put his jumper on. I've got my Seahawk sweater uh hoodie on because it is a little bit cooler but it's not cold. It's just beautiful and it also it's the it's probably the first time I've walked around the grounds and actually gone and watched tennis where it hasn't been so full.

that you're struggling to get into a court or you're, you know, as as wonderful as the atmospheres are. I mean I had a lovely 15 minutes on the third row watching Laura Siegmund mount a fight back earlier on and that and that was brilliant fun, you know, and people

all around me jumping out of the seats and punching the air and making a noise. It's just great stuff. Well I think it's safe to say we're not starting with Yannick Sinner then. So pick a fun match that you would like to start with. Matt Roberts, the floor is yours.

I think the most fun I had all day was Madison Keys' match. Yeah, that that was so fun. Madison Keys beating Oleksandra Olinikova 7-6-6-1. With serious drama and genuine jeopardy in the first set. Olenikova served for the first set. She had set points in the ensuing tie break. It was right on a knife edge. It resembled Tatiana Maria again.

Against insert big hitting opponent at Queens 2025 here, except Olenikova has an even weirder game than Tatiana Maria. Like the serve, i it's in the running for weirdest serve on tour. If I hadn't commentated on uh what's her name? Zaharov. The name that I nailed yesterday, yes. Anastasia Zacharova. If I hadn't commentated on her yesterday, I'd be giving it to Olin.

is a slam dunk but I do have that present in my mind. But I sort of fell in love with Olinikova a bit today. Me too. She bewitched me. Yeah I mean like she came I came out onto the Rodlave Arena and look I I'd never I'd never seen her before. And she makes quite an impression just when you look at her. Like she's amazing. She's got neck tattoo. Um She got a lot more tattoos. She had sort of synchronized swimmer style marker stuff on her face. I'm not quite sure what that was, but

But were those not tattoos? Were they not face tattoos? I don't know, potentially. Uh there were. I think they were face tattoos. I could be they might have been temporary henna ones, I don't know. And look, I don't want to make sweeping generalizations about people that have those

kind of tattoos but the sort of instinctive reaction is wow here's a person with real confidence because like I heard some of the things that people were saying today about her tattoos like you're not trying to fit in with expectation that people have of women are you if you've got those kind of tattoos it takes somebody with a real sense of self to do that and I thought okay okay Alexandra you have my attention totally and then her game is kind of a four

Of self-expression as well, uh, and uh and a bold game because you've got to commit to that game style to be able to pull it off, you know, like slicing and dicing and moon. Moonballing, I mean the moonballing was we're talking proper moonballing here. Sometimes we call things moonballs these days that are just heavy top spin. Yeah. And like fine, we're all looking for fun. But this this was proper moon.

moon balling like where the ball sometimes went out of shot. Yeah it goes as high as it goes sort of far into the distance down the other end of the court. Like its first movement is up off the racket, espe especially off the forehand side. And she was Causing Madison Keyes so many problems in that first set. She raced into, I think, a four-love lead and was just putting the ball in all the awkward spots, making life so difficult for Madison Keyes, who of course was you know stepping onto the

Leverina was the defending champion. This was her title defense, and immediately she was just tied up in knots in a nightmare match. It was an incredible scenario just to start the day. And Oninakova was enthralled. really like so many defensive digs um and I really thought she was gonna win the first set and Madison Keys full credit to her because she not only got back into the set but then looked like she was gonna lose the tiebreaker

eventually was and then she just found 2025 Madison Keys Australian Open Tennis and ripped winners to win the set. Four of them? Four of them in a row from two set points down. Just such a brilliant surge. And yeah, you kinda got to see the best of this new player that we're all discovering. It was her first main draw match at WTA level. She hadn't she hadn't even played a tour level WTA match. She done a lot of winning on the sort of ITFs and one two five level.

Not on the tour, and then it was the best of Madison Keys in some big moments today. So oh I had had so much fun watching that, and I feel like both players came out with a lot of credit, and there was fun scenes at the end as Madison Key. Keyes was giving her interview and Olenakova was signing autographs in the background of that interview. Like she she was popular on the Rodlover Arena. People realised she had style and she was cool and yeah, more of

Yeah absolutely real Hutzpur. And I do think Madison Keys could have panicked in that opening set. I think maybe an o uh an old version of Madison Keys would have panicked in that opening set. There were moments where she was clearly really torn between torn about what to do with that game. Sometimes she was sitting sliced forehands of her own, you know, and that is what those kind of players do, is isn't it? They draw you in to their webs.

See again Tatiana Maria, Queens 2025. But then it was like the end she went, no no no, hang on a second, I'm Madison Keys, boom. Yeah, it was like she gathered herself just in the nick of time. Um And uh as uh as basically the entirety of uh court six is is filing past us, that was the noise of uh of uh James Dutworth and his campaign for sensation of the day and also getting through to the second round of the Australian Open.

Um he but but that first set was to my mind imagine imagine if you had told Madison Keys a week ago that the first time you ever play a tennis match as the defending champion.

Of a grand slam. It is gonna be against Tatiana Maria times three, because that's what she was up against really in that first set. You described those moon balls perfectly. I mean she really made Tatiana Maria look fairly straightforward and normal. Um And and I mean she was asked in her press comments afterwards, Keys, when did you last play a player who is doing that sort of thing, just throwing the ball up to the sky and and chopping down on short balls and just generally kind of trying to

Irritate you into missing and she said twelve and under. Twelve and under. I know. And she did some kind of weird stuff that I've never really seen before, like basically applaud every good shot in Madison Keys. And I haven't seen

enough of it to know if that's just her vibe or whether that was like uh I'm on Rod Labour Arena I'm playing the defending champion, why don't I just do something weird and see if that works. Yes, and if I mean if Laura Siegman did that you'd think, oh this is you're a wind up match. And that because the

how much she embraced the occasion and also the fact that Keys, having admitted in in the postmatch press conference that I was in, that she got caught between the two stalls. She didn't know whether to just try and hit the living daylight. lights out of the ball or whether to be patient. She just didn't really know what was the best thing, so she ended up

up kind of veering between the two and neither one of them was working. I mean she was four love down, you know, and and she was six four down in that tie break and then boom, boom, boom, boom. It's over. And and I mean, I think at that point I went for a a quick cup of tea and I came back and she was four one up in the second set. So that I think ultimately is a big win for Keys, like mentally that

That was just about her worst nightmare, I think, for a first-round opponent. And I think it was just about the perfect top player for Olenikova to use her style against because I don't think that that would have got to Schviontek or got to Sabalenka in the

same way and and I don't know how far that can take you but but it does remind me of being a little kid and playing tennis with my granddad and saying am I allowed to just hit it as high as I want granddad is that something you're allowed to do in tennis because I used to think that

That would be impossible for an opponent to play against and that's basically what Ola McKevin was doing at times. Um and it was v quite funny, but but look, a great start to the schedule today and and kind of a win for both players in a way. like w once you know Olenikova's story, like her attitude to that match and being out there on one of the four biggest stages in the sport makes a lot of sense. Ben Rothenberg and his substeck sub steck bounces had had done a big feat.

A big interview with Olenikova in advance of this match and told the most kind of gasp inducing story about how she still lives and trains in Kiev in in Ukraine. Um lots of the Ukrainian players returned To Ukraine often, but she thinks she's the only one that is still living and training full time in Kyiv. She said I don't need a big arena to enjoy my game. I can play on any court and I will love it absolutely the same. But I do need

a big arena to represent my country, to represent Ukrainians and to tell people that the war is still going on and we need their support and their help. Um she was she had some very strong things to say about seeing Russian players in the drawer in the locker room alongside her. She said when I see them here, Russian players, they if we talk about WTA players, girls playing tennis, it all looks like fun, nice dresses, they're filming TikToks, making posts

on Instagram and they look like normal girls and people don't feel like these people are dangerous but actually if you research you will find that many of them are supporting Putin or Lukashenko and this is something which is super easy to find. That's that's what she says and she said I was

trying to speak about this a lot. Um the opinions and the things they're doing, they're dangerous. These players are one of the reasons why my apartment was shaking before I came here and now I'm here and I see the same kind of treatment for me and for them. and we're absolutely not in the same condition. Um yeah, look, people will have their views on what she has to say, but she's she's using this platform. She's grateful for this platform and she she made the most of it today and it was

It was pretty incredible to see. Yeah. More of Olinikova, please. But I also am super impressed by the way Madison Keyes found a way through what looked like an absolute nightmare. It was one of those matches where I I just in her shoes I would have just melted and stormed off court. Like this isn't tennis. Yeah, absolutely. I thought she was gonna be coming off and we were gonna have a

horribly upsetting press conference. She said she was very nervous beforehand, understandably, but she actually said the the point before the four winners is the one where she realized, ah, okay, I'm I may have missed that shot, but that's how I should be playing. Quite ominous that actually. Yeah. For the rest of the draw. Okay, um seeing as we're doing things an unorthodox way tonight, what what fun story would we like to go to next? Matt, you chose well the first time.

Oh surely it should be someone else's go. I d I I don't want to steal all of it. Well David was swallowing, so Oh right, okay. Well I've done enough stalling. What about Janice Chen? Go for it. Tell us about Janice Chen. Janice Chen beat Leila Fernandez. This was happening at the same time as the Madison.

and Keys uh match that we've just discussed. Uh yeah, 6276 over Leila Fernandez. And look, that feels a little bit like one of these upsets that isn't an upset, you know, like I think a lot of people might have picked That or certainly thought that Chen could push Fernandez who has you know has not started the year particularly strongly. Um but again it's another one of those stories with Chen from

you know, Southeast Asia and l a lot of support here and she played great in this match, really good. Um what I what I feel like is Fernandez is someone who likes to use opponent's power and redirect it and turn it back on them and actually Chen therefore was a bit of a nightmare because she has a lot of slice off the backhand, the heavy top spin on the forehand. It was it was tough to Fernandez kind of get the rallies that she wanted. She ended up was

into quite a lot of drop shots, Fernandez, which was a nice tactical shift, but Chen kind of got wise to it and it ended up in a second step tie break. And then Chen just strung so many brilliant points together to win it. 6-2-7-6 and

Yeah, like just just a fun just fun result from a player who is who is coming, you know, and like had a had a bit bit of a breakout of the US Open last year and now is showing up at another slam. This is this is what we like to see, you know, players uh players perform well at the slams and yeah just just a really um just a really uplifting story I think Janice Chen. Particularly for people uh with her and their fantasy team who are otherwise having an absolute catastrophe.

say who I might be referring to. Next story, David, you choose. I am actually going to go to the match I saw which was the final match of Gaelmontfils' Australian Open Career. Which Sounds sad, doesn't it? But actually it wasn't sad. I mean obviously, you know, there's anytime you get him winning a match, it's it it it's an ins an exciting and inspiring moment and people are emotional and love it. But

But you know, he was on his his last legs really in terms of this tournament. Uh uh f for really the last two sets of it. He was exhausted. Um but he put up a great fight. He showed the Guermont Feast that we Have known for as he put it twenty-three years since he first came here in 2003. You know, it's a it's a long, long time when he was playing the juniors here. And the guy that beat him, a local

called Dane Sweeney is somebody who's who's had a lot of struggles in his career. You know, he's twenty four years of age I think now. Um he's he's had injuries, he's had financial challenges to try to make it as a pro and

I mean I think those continue, you know, it's uh he he's not at a sort of ranking that is gonna make him a wealthy man at this point, even though at this tournament now having got to the third round, he's really made some money that'll make a huge difference to him. But you know This is a guy who sort of half a dozen years ago was was running a GoFundMe in order to try to travel and be a player.

Media comparisons because of his style of play, people were comparing him to Rafael Nadal when he was how old, Catherine? About ten years old? Eight years old. Eight years old. Eight years old. The courier the courier male had a Headline about him. Matt, what was the headline? Plays Like Nadal. Yeah, and I'm in the Dane Sweeney plays like Nadal. Eight years older making his second appearance on Centre Court. Dane Sweeney has the tennis world

at his feet. That was January the eighth, twenty ten. Yeah, um also comparisons made to Leighton Hewitt because of how he looks. He's got the blonde hair and the cap and and today we saw him pressing shirt off, you know, he's got similar sort of sort of build I mean maybe a bit a bit stronger looking than than you may remember a very young Leighton Hewitt looking but he's not a big guy. He's he's short, he's he's fast.

He's not at that level and yet today he went toe-to-do with Mont Montfils on the Kia Arena which is what maybe the fourth biggest court here um and you had two sections of fans Singing these two players' names. All the French fans they always travel well or they come out in force to support the French players. Obviously Monfils is the the emotional, spiritual leader of it all really, isn't he, in France? And hugely popular as well.

And then you had the yellow and green clad Aussies singing the name of Dane Sweeney and he and it was just good vibes all round I thought. Nice ends, real, really warm words from Monfils to Sweeney. aware of the stuff he's gone through and that it hasn't been easy for him and he gave him all the all the the credit and um and then he was presented with something by the tournament afterwards and got to speak to the crowd and yeah very emotional. Do we know what he

was presented with by the tournament. Craig Tiley was standing there with sort of a it looked like he'd arrived at a birthday party, you know where you've got a liber a liberties bag but you don't know what's in it. Could could be a notebook, could be a silk scarf, could be some it could be something from the A.O. shop. It was in an A.O. shop bag. Right, yeah. Very nice bag, but sort of yeah. It wasn't

A cross section of the Philippe Chatrier clay. No, it wasn't that. No. But it was nice. It was. And I got to see I was there for the first set tie break that Mont Feast won and when he won the point to go set point up, several set points up, he did it with a slam dunk forehand at the net and he turned around and raised his arms to to the crowd, to the biggest French contingent.

in the crowd and they went absolutely bananas and it was really made me feel things so I'm glad I was there for that and a bit sad that it went so far south afterwards but pleased to have contenders for sensational Of the day. Stay tuned for part three. Uh next bit of fun. Can we go to Giovanni Pesci Perica and uh Sebastian Baez? Well, I mean just seeing them stood next to each other was fun. I mean

one of them is five foot six, the other one's six foot seven. Uh six foot eight I think, David. Sorry, but he is taller than you. He is taller than me and he's a big lad as well. Pesci Pericar and see Bayas just making out of his serve in the first two sets and passing him and broke him twice was incredible and then absolute credit to the Frenchman for coming back and leveling it levelling it up at two sets all again sections of fans there was some

Argentine football shirt shirt wearing fans with Messi on the back who when he went two sets of love up were dancing right in front of me and jumping up and down and two sets in which he didn't have his serve broken. I know he did eventually break the bar. serve Pesci Pericarp but I do wonder the last time that Sebastian Byers went two sets without having a serve broken. Yeah probably probably not that often. Yes I think today stopped

Um Peshi Perikar's run at the Hardcourt and Grass Majors where he he went twenty-three sets without breaking serve. He needed bias, didn't he? He did. I mean he did lose but he at least has broken. Yeah, like in one sense a step forward from Pesci Perry Carl. He uh this this was described as Danny DeVito beating Arnold Schwarzenegger on Australian TV, which is

Right in my millennial reference sweet spot. Twins. Twins. Yeah. What a film. Probably problematic if we watch it back now. I'm sure of it. But happy memories of watching it in a simpler time. And and bias, by the way. Honestly. Yeah, maybe he is consequential, editorially consequential. We'll we'll let you know in in a couple of weeks' time. Okay, that's it for the really fun stuff. We still have s we still have moderately fun.

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Welcome back to part two of today's tennis podcast on day three of the Australian Open, where we're gonna cover the moderately fun stuff now. Folks, where would we like to start? I think Matt had moderate amounts of fun watching Thomas Mahat.

Be quite frankly excellent against Dim Grigor Dimitrov. I I'm I'm imagining it was only moderate amounts'cause I'm hoping there's some humanity in you somewhere, Matt, and your enjoyment was tempered by sad Grigor Dimitrov. Yeah you might even have overstated it at Modrup. Oh more humanity than I gave you credit for. It was sad, wasn't it? It was and it was it was one of those that took me a little while to figure out.

You know, like what's going on in this match because Mahatch was comfortable throughout, like really comfortable, and I couldn't figure out whether he was playing brilliantly or Dimitrov. was way short. It uh like it took me a couple of sets really to actually fully realise what was happening. And it became more and more obvious that Dimitrov was way short. You know, I mean by the end he was barely moving, he was rolling his serve in, he decided

essentially sort of given up on on the match, which was a sad, um very sad thing to see. But even before then I think what ended up happening was that he wasn't able to be explosive, you know, and he needed to be, because the Mahatch game can actually deal with quite a lot of what Dimitrov typically throws at opponent, slice, movement. You know, these are these are kind of Mahachi's plays as well, and he's he's good in those sorts of crafty exchanges. So what I felt like Dimitrov

needed to do was stamp authority on the match and take over, try and get his big forehand into play, but he just didn't have a big forehand today. You know, he was he was playing at playing at sort of half pace, it seems, for for much of it. So Mahax, you know, didn't he was very focused. He di he di he he played a very very disciplined, very contained match. I I I thought he was good and sort of picked up where he left off with his title last week. But unfortunately the main

The main story here is is sad. And I wasn't necessarily expecting him to win today, but I was I was pretty caught up in how optimistic he was a few days ago when I spoke to him for for tennis podcast meets. I was so invested in this match and okay him not necessarily winning it, this was a tough draw, but him recapturing something and finding a foundation to build upon

And I I don't feel like that's what we saw tonight, David. I I I feel like I was watching the beginning of the end. Yeah, I mean w it's possible in the future we may look back on his career and realised that's what it was and and frankly even maybe before that if you consider the sheer number of times over the last twelve months he has retired from Grand Slam tournaments during matches, uh through walkovers, etc.

What was it four in a row that he retired from, Matt? Including the one that was obviously is uh so devastating at Wimbledon when he was two sets to love up against Yannick Sinner. Yeah, I think we we looked this up the other day, I think it might be the French Open twenty twenty four is the coming up for two years since he last completed a Grand Slam match. Well no, it was the last time he lost at a Grand Slam not being retirement. He he had he has

completed some matches. Because he'd exited a a grand scene. But I mean this time um I was watching him on the screen. I was gonna go out and join you actually Matt but then Very quickly it just became a non-competitive match because Dimitrov, well, he couldn't keep up for a start, but then it's it was a question of now what's the problem here? Is is there a problem? Because we're looking at Grigor and he's sitting there at the

change of ends and his head is down, his face is sad, and he's shaking his head. And you knew something was wrong. Now then it was a question of well what is it? And we actually at that point requested From the tournament to speak to Grigor afterwards um because we wanted to find that out. Um we subsequently received a message from from his agent saying, Is there any chance you could give him a pass? Because you are the only ones who've asked for him and he's

he's down because he's hurt his wrist. And well look, you know, we we don't want to put him through any more any more sadness. So I said look if you could ask him what what happened that would be appreciated.

So we could let our listeners know and and we've been sent a quote from Greg Orr which says, I unfortunately jammed my wrist during the match and the intensity of the pain limited my ability as it went on. I apologize for not being able to give the fight I wanted to, thanks to the fact that I'm not sure. the Australian Open for the incredible support. I'm looking forward to coming back again. Um but I mean you know that that's another body part that has caused him trouble. You know he's

I I I'm sort of on the border of thinking how unlucky he is, but then I'm thinking maybe he he's just feeling his age now and the body is not standing up to the rigors of what he's a what he's asking of it. I hope it's not that

I hope he's just been a bit unlucky on this occasion and that there's a that there's a really good future for him because I mean you heard in Tennis Podcast Meets if you listen to that Friends of the Tennis Podcast, just what a what a great sort of presence he still is in the tennis.

world and how how good it would be if he could find something again and and make another run and and and build on what he showed against sinner that day. But I d I'm not convinced that that is going to happen. I I I can only be hopeful for him because I think he's he's a good guy. Okay, staying with the sad stuff then let's just get it all out of the way. Uh Joel von Secke not able to be all that competitive, certainly not for the duration of his full set

Lost to Elliot Spizzeri, the uh American qualifier, I think. Spizzeri. Um I was watching this match thinking doesn't look to me like you should have played this, Joel. Like we know he's had this corruption. Chronic injury that he's been rehabbing and probably will intermittently be rehabbing at various points of his career, and you just think, What is the point when you're that young? Surely the the medium and long term has to take progress.

priority over the short term, but look, we're not in his body. He says my back is a hundred percent, I'm healthy, I just need time. He kept on talking about preparation and not having the preparation to be able to play a best of five set match today. I

I still kind of think, well then why? Um but I'm very relieved to hear him say that his his back felt fine today and look he said he had no regrets about playing, so that's somewhat reassuring, but generally Generally speaking, just this constant onslaught of news about the most exciting young players in the sport, particularly well very much so in in the men's version of the sport.

suffering from chronic injury that feels like is going to prevent them to s to a greater or lesser degree from fulfilling the potential that the whole sport wants them to. It I find extremely sad and extremely worrying, and I find it incredibly frustrating that tennis just buries its head in the sand about it. Like it just feels so increasingly clear to me that.

five set tennis does not work. Doesn't it doesn't work. It's not fit for purpose in in the modern day. I loved the Roland Garrett's final. I don't want to be watching every I don't want to be watching every eighteen year old And nineteen year old play and and wincing all the time and worrying about them all the time and I suppose the only thing is is there evidence to say that it is because of five set tennis? That's happening a lot more in men's tennis than in women's tennis.

Tennis and you know, Jack Draper said he was ready to play, he's just not ready to play best of five set tennis. Like the bar for these sorts of injuries is higher, I think. The more match time you have, the more likely you are to s sustain injury or to re injure yourself. Like it just makes logical logical sense. And I was thinking, like, imagine a world where best of five set tennis is.

never existed and we'd only ever had best of three set tenors across both formats. No w nobody would be going, Do you know what we need we need a longer format for the men. It would It just wouldn't be happening. We're only doing it because we've always been doing it. And we know what we'd be missing by not doing it. Like I'm sure best of seven set tennis would have its moments, give it long enough and I'm sure we'd

have a Roland Garros twenty twenty five men's final on steroids, but like nobody thinks that it that's a good idea because of the obvious downsides. Like

it just the sport is so institutionalized. Everybody within the sport is so institutionalised. We've got to zoom out is my view anyway. Yeah, and I think I think to David's point I would I would say I don't necessarily think that Five set tennis is causing these injuries. But I do think if you if you look at the general picture of tennis and the calendar, like five set tennis does seem to be

exacerbating them or making it harder for the men to then come here and play five sets. Like i as you said, it's it's it it's a whole picture. I I wouldn't go quite as far and say five set tenants is not I can't remember the exact expression you use, sort of fit for purpose kind of thing. Um I I wouldn't go quite that far, but I would I am getting that way in terms of

the way that tennis is set up generally, if you then include five set tennis in it. Like I think there's a world where there's less tennis on tour, there's more there's a longer off season, there's more breaks through the year and the bodies can withstand and and and hold up to five set tennis. I do think that

That's I do think that's possible, but what we're seeing but'cause that's kind of the s the game and the system that Yannick Siner and Carlos Alcaraz are playing, right? You know, like I I still think we are going to have period periods in the game where one or both of those are injured and and things will f the men's tennis will feel pretty crap pretty quickly. No I I I absolutely take that point. Um but yeah like it goes back

Back to me it goes back to bigger picture tennis scheduling issues. Um and five set tennis makes it even worse. There's definitely a world in which you could structure the spectrum. So that five set tennis does work, but so many more things and competing agendas need to change and align in order for that to happen that it feels Yeah. It feels like fantasy land in a way

that this feels unlikely to happen because tennis, but Yeah. And I mean I would say like I do think just getting rid of five set tennis wouldn't at the stamps wouldn't necessarily make all the difference. Like you know like we have seen injuries on the W Yeah. Um And th and the big three played till forty. But I d but they're not normal. No t th this is the problem. I do think the big three are are they they were

fucking exceptional in every way. Let's not cite them as an example of normal and structure entire sport around that expectation. And also Nadal was injured a lot, you know, um and

If he hadn't have had two other guys, we could have been in a situation where it felt like we were you know, we were constantly missing the doll. I know a lot of people would have felt like they were constantly missing the doll, but there were enough other guys in that era that it sort of made up for it. Whereas if you know

If Alcaz was in injured as often as Nadal was, I think we would really, really feel that. There are far more examples of greats that have retired from the sport prematurely because their bodies or their minds or their emotions couldn't sustain it. On but on on both the men's and the women's side, to to be fair, but I I d I think Fedora Nadal and Djokovic are so exceptional. Like does any

But I don't think that's normal anyway, really, to be playing at thirty eight. Right, but they all did. Like a few years ago, should be the goal. I th I think try t trying to figure out w whether there is a a an actual issue with the sport that is contributing to these specific injuries that we are seeing currently uh with Draper and Fees, etc. Or whether I mean I

I definitely think there should be I I hope there's been thought given to that. Um I don't know if there is. Other stuff that happened today. We had a lot of five set matches that that just kind of didn't thrill They weren't bad matches. They had huge crowds. People were really into them. But there was just a lot going on today and they didn't kind of they didn't grab us by the gills. You know, there was Jakob Menzik beating Pablo Corinna.

ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud Look, all of these were great and they're the sort of you know, they are the sort of matches that that week one at slams are kind of built on, aren't they? But but I don't have loads to say about them. I th I think the one that jumped out for me is Mencick because

Because you know you could look at that and think, well he really lost his way in the middle of that match, and that's a bit worrying. Which he did. Which he absolutely did. His forehand went went well off, um, and that is his weak shots. But also he

He needed to win a five-set match because he's lost a lot of them, and I he was he was really starting to have issues over five sets. He was one and six in his career in in fifth sets, one win, six losses. You know, he's just had a lot of exits at slams in these sorts of matches.

matches. So I I do think it's big for him to come through, sort of just sort of showing that he can do it physically as much as anything. But the next step for him is to, you know, sharpen up so he's not getting embroiled in that in that kind of match. You know, I mean, obviously Krenya Buster's a good player, but I st I I do feel like Nensik has the tools to be able to win that in maybe four sets, you know, and and that's that's a development he still needs to make at the slams.

um yeah he's not as he's just not convincing yet in a way that you sort of feel like he should be with his serve and his power and his pedigree that he's that he's shown on on tour at times. Like just I'm I'm still waiting for bit more for Menc but maybe today is a step in the right direction in that sense at least getting over this hurdle of constantly losing the fifth set. Dangerous floater Hubert Herkatch one in four sets helped out a little bit by Zizou Berg

getting injured in that fourth set he had some he had some treatment, looked pretty pretty nasty, but look Kukatch was, in Matt's words, a real vibe. Never thought I'd see the day. It's in the place to be that match. I tell you, it is impressive that Urkash is doing this physically. You know, we're talking about players that are struggling out there and uh look I hope he doesn't but I would have thought he would have done. You know, it with seven months layoff after near

surgery and he's just getting very fresh and hungry, doesn't he? Yeah and orange. Yeah it was it was uh I think it was Vicky said that someone had had pointed out this match was like two highlighter pens up against each other. Bergs in And it was a match which jumped out from the moment the draw was made because these were two of the most informed players at the United Cup, you know, like really they'd started the season strongly and I tough draw for Bergs, isn't it?

Very tough. And I look, I was a doubter about her catch. You know, I thought that I sometimes have the sense that when you initially make a comeback from injury, your first couple of matches can actually provide a bit of a false sense of your level. I think you're just so sometimes pleased to be back and you're playing, you're fresh, you know, and sometimes you can play up. And then as the comeback sets in, sort of the reality of where you are can sometimes kick in. And I thought, I thought both

Would take Herkatch out today given what we've seen from Berg. So yeah, full credit to Herkatch for actually keeping that level up, especially after being a set-down. He's he's continuing to serve absolutely brilliantly, and that makes him a bit of a nightmare.

On his energy levels, I think that they are assisted by the the incredible support the Polish players are getting. I mean that and this is a tournament where you really can do that. If you if you've got a local player or sorry, what your player in action, you can get out of

there and see them and and they were out there in force for her catch today. Taylor Fritz took a bit of a scening scenic route against the Frenchman Valentin Royer. It's always a bit complicated for Taylor Fritz against Frenchmen, isn't it? But look he fought his way through in the end. I just

don't think sort of i extra match time is necessarily what Tayl Taylor Fritz's knees need at the moment, but he's he's doing it his own way. Uh Ben Shelton, by contrast, uh very comfortable, very efficient. against Hugo and Bear and pe on paper a very tough draw, the Adelaide Adelaide finalist. Six three, seven six, seven six. He just always peeks at slams, Shelton, and it's such a skill. Yeah he was

the most convincing player I saw today. I was gonna say the same. I mean I o obviously Yannick sinner, but I think that this that wasn't the test that this was. And Shelton is a player who you're right he does deliver at the grand slams but I actually detected a little bit extra today I think j just the the authority that he came out with and just stomped on a guy who's almost like him but light you know it's like Ben

Shelton light out there and uh yeah lefty big forehands. Yeah Shelton was having none of it and he he he did he did have one extra break of serve in a set that that that he lost and he had to go to the tie break but even so you know I think that that's that's understandable Yeah, look, Yannick Sinner, I know we need to t to talk about him, but I honestly don't know what to say because six two, six one against Hugo Gaston before

Gaston had to retire with a an Achilles, quite an acute looking Achilles issue. Really, really tough scenes actually out on the Rod Lever arena. He was he was devastated, Gaston. And I just don't think we learned anything about Yannick Sinna here. Like it would be disingenuous for us to try and have takes other than about that kit. He looks it's it's horrific. I could give a whole do a whole show on. He he look Yannick Sinna looked like Yannick Sinna.

Yeah. That's it. He's got a sensation next. Who's that? James Duckworth. Oh, the one who was starting our show and giving us the vibes. Look, it was always a good drawer. It was gonna be Lucky Loser Dino Prismich or Wildcard. James Duckworth. Is he a wild card? Sounds like a wild card. Do you remember when um Tristan Schulhatte or Skullkate um when a when a couple of breaks up on him? I do. Last year against

I think he might want a set. And he was competitive in the second one as well. I think he got sensation of the day for that. Um actually I think we had a big argument that night. Oh good, what was that about? Whether to give him sensation One also via retirement or have I failed to write the fourth set score in? Uh no, by retirement in the middle of that fourth set. Right, yeah. I mean Once you got the break. Right Colignon was was gone from well the

Third set, really, two and a half sets in. He he looks like a diesel to me, Colin. I know I I'm always reluctant to judge people on on body type at all, but I dunno, i he just gave me real confidence that in his sort of strength uh both mental and physical and that is why I picked him in the predictions today and that is why I'm now oh for three. But I am pleased that Lorenzo Mazzetti seemed vaguely fit'cause he has been a warrior. Yeah, he did to be honest. Uh

I think his serve speeds were a bit down and he look he wasn't convincing today. He he certainly didn't come out playing particularly well. He was very tense throughout, you know, like even when even when Colignon was clearly hampered

Mazzetti was still tightly wound out there and he just just wanted to say, chill out. Like you're gonna win this match, uh because your opponent is just slapping the ball around and and can't move. You're gonna be fine. But I I think he's you know, I think he he's he's he's feeling that that weight of expectation a little bit as, you know, the fi coming in here as the fifth seed he's He's in his Turin era again. Right. Yeah. It's all it's already a nightmare. But

But actually, look, i he was in serious trouble at the start of the second set here because he'd lost the first, he was being outplayed, and he was he could very easily have have have sort of lost the match from there. But actually he he he regrouped well in that second set.

put the drop shot away. It was so frustrating how insistent he was on hitting a drop shot today. Like it was clearly not the play. He's got a big forehand, get it into play against Colignon, play the aggressive tennis that he says he's trying to do on a hard court.

But he came out and was over playing that shot. But anyway, he he he did manage to correct that and then he brought the drop shot back when Colignon was struggling with his with his cramp, which was a good move, um and he gets through and that's

that's all that matters really because he didn't come into this tournament with quite with quite the feel and form I think because of these little injury worries. But yeah, he moves on and um I think he'll be expecting to play better from here. Back to some

women's results, Belinda Bencic looked in in peak form and fitness against Katie Bolter tonight. I mean frankly, Bolter making a match of this in the second set deserved some kind of medal from her because we were on double bag. watch like it was a six love six loves can look very different and this was a a flattering six love they they flashed up a a a graphic on the screen on the coverage David and I were watching about that they do some

they do some you know, they're always trying to innovate and they do funky stats that, you know, don't necessarily mean all that much anywhere. They d did one about sprints. And it said that Belinda Benchic had done zero sprints in the first set. Katie Bolter had not made her break out of a light jog even once. Yeah. And and I mean look, I think that is a problem when you play benches is how do you get

On the run, yeah, because she's walking into your shots as if they're nothing quite a lot. Um, and yeah, I I mean Bolter looked pretty rusty, uh, and and it's uh it's again one of those the worst type of player to play against.

against is is Benchich if sh given the form she's in if you're trying to find your feet and and I agree with you Catherine that actually getting half a dozen games as she did or a load of games in the second set as she did to make it competitive was a good sh a good showing.

really. Um but yeah Benchitch is gonna be an interesting one to follow in this tournament to see whether she can back it up. You know it's she comes in with all this promise and hope and potential and we've seen that before and it not amount to a lot.

Mm. I ho I kinda hope it does this time,'cause I think that would be a really interesting element to throw into it all. She's playing gorgeous tennis. That's all I know at the moment. Elena Rabakina, Matt, I think you watched all of her six four, six three women. over Kaya Yuvan. Okay. Tells everything. And kept an eye on the rest. And and kept an eye on the rest. And um I th I believe Benchic and Rabakna are in the same section actually. So I think um

that's potential fourth round, I believe. Um very clean match from Rabatkinna against Kaya Juvan. Um not much to report really, like clinical opening set from Rabatkiner. Always felt like the better player and grabbed the brake right at the end to see it out and then and then stretched her lead in the second set. Like she had a huge weight of shot advantage in this one. Very comfy matchup for her and yeah, she looked um

She looked very convincing, I would say. Teresa Valentova of Tennis Podcast Meets Fame with the win over Australian women's number one, Maya Joint, four and four in the first match of the day on John Kane.

Today, I really felt for Maya joint in this one because she's a really good player and she's gonna become an even better player. And on paper, you know, a lot of the Australian public will see this and go, Oh, she's a seeded player, she's playing an unseeded player, she should win this, but like to Valentova is so much better than her ranking and seemingly getting better with every match that she played and

just kind of overpowered Maya joint today. Like Teresa Valentova is gonna take some beating, I think, and this this was always going to be tough for for Maya joint, who is a great watch, by the way, really great watch. She started I learned during uh while watching this on the on the Channel Nine coverage she started to play tennis with the squash racket.'Cause her dad was a pro squash player. Why you making that face, Matt?

My brother started playing with a squash racket, Saunov squash racket, two years old. Just doesn't seem like the best idea, really. See, to me, because it's such a small head and a long Hmm um racket frame, I think it would develop incredible timing for you as a player. Maths Matt's not convinced. You can talk about it with math.

No, I'm not convinced. You get you're gonna be getting a thirtieth seed, mate. She's doing all right. She is out in round in round one and out of sensation of the day. Carolina Plishkova beat Sloan Stevens today. Let's party like it's Like it's twenty sixteen, everyone. Amazing. It is amazing. Uh I don't have loads to say about it. It really looked like one of their matches

From twenty seventeen or whatever, sort of slightly in slow motion. Yeah, tight first set and then very one sided second set. And I mean these are two players that, yeah, they're trying to find something from the past. Um I actually went and spoke to both

them as part of their little media huddles after the match. Um because I just find it so interesting to to wonder what makes you come back for more. You know, I I didn't ask it in quite that way because I I I understand why players often get a little a little bit irritated why why when you ask why you still play I don't want to say it like that but why are you bothering? Y but but the fact is they're both multimillionaires, they're both

um have have gone all the way at Grand Slams. Sloane Stevens has won one, Plishka has been in the final. Um a couple of finals. Hasn't she? Yeah. She uh she's uh she's been world number one she's an amazing you know, been world number one. Um, but both have been terribly injured over the course of time and and actually Plishkova, I think she's played, you know,

three matches since the US Open in twenty twenty four. You know, she's had she's had surgeries um to her ankles. Um really, really unpleasant stuff that she's had to endure and and I went and had a chat with her and and and she said that

'Cause I asked have you thought about cause she was talking about time off, the the time off sh that she spent and that it's the first time that she sort of behaved kind of like a normal person where you're just not on the road, you're not travelling, you're back home. And I said, D did it give you any time to think about what you might like to do in the

the future, you know, when you're not playing tennis one day and she said, you know, I did think you know, it made me think a lot all the time. She says, I don't have specific plans, but it did make me realise I can do this. You know, when my career does Finish, I'll be alright. I'll be happy living a normal life. Um, and not everybody, not every player is, some players find it really tough.

Um Sloane Stevens by contrast said, Look, you know, I wanna b'cause I think a lot of people were expecting'cause she she made such a a splash and did a lot of TV work over the last eighteen months, maybe thought that she was gonna grab

gradually move in that direction and away from playing the sport. She says I I don't exactly know what I'm gonna do next, where I'm gonna go next, but I can tell you I wanna play a lot of tennis this year. That's that's her goal and I dare say she'll probably do some T V work too but um

Yeah, she um i i i i and I think Plishkova wants to as well. That she hasn't got specific plans, Plishkova. Obviously she's still going in the tournament here. Um but but she says it's very much day-to-day these days because I still don't know how my body will cover.

with what I'm trying to do here after these surgeries and and and I I did say to him it's classic Pliska, I did say did you you know, did you feel maybe a little more emotional after this win than you maybe would normally, you know, six years ago when these were just run of the mill you'd always get through first range. She

No, no, I I feel the same. I you know, I I've always been able to just just take things in my stride really and ch and Yeah. We have noticed Carolina. Off you go, fair enough, you're doing fine. She's got Janice Chen next. Plishkiva. Yes, that's right. Fun. That is yeah. I I actually was at laughing when I saw that in the triple. Because because you got a a a tall player with classic baseline ground strokes

against a player who plays anything but that. Yeah, and and two players just at the c the opposite ends of the you know, of their careers really. Um yeah. As you said, fun. Okay, that is it for part two. Join us in part You're a pro at running your life, at committing to your workout, at showing up every day. At Bombus, we're pros too. Pros at making socks. Our sport assorbent has specialized socks for whatever sport you're committed to. Running, hiking, golf.

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Welcome back to part three of today's tennis podcast. There is still some tennis going on, folks. Uh in fact, Naomi Asaka is locked in battle. We might need to go and check this out. Uh she is on serve two one. in the deciding set against the young Croatian player Antonia Ruzic who I didn't previously know anything about but she's she's really showing some talent tonight. Um and look we'll talk about her

Naomi Osaka, the outfit. Uh, maybe on tomorrow's show. In fact, maybe I'll just say say what I have to say about the outfit. I don't mind I don't I don't mind an avant-garde fun tennis outfit, even if it's not my taste. Like I support people's right to do a fun tennis outfit. It's the outfits that people wear to walk on court for ten seconds and then remove and discard that I find to be absolute nonsense. Like if you can wear it

I used to play tennis, I support it, even if I don't like it. But but wearing a mosquito net just to walk on court is stupid. That's how I feel about it. If she'd played in the Mosquito Net, different conversation. Anyone have different takes? Do you like it, Matt? The beekeeper vibe? I like fun. And I think it was quite fun. It didn't offend me. Yeah, I like fun too. I just didn't find it that fun. No, okay. But I would like to let it be n let it be known I like fun like fun. I like fun too.

I always sound like a party pooper. Last night was pissing on Australian bonfires. Tonight it's pooping on this party. Uh do you know what I found fun today? Sensations. I found Dane Sweeney fun, even though he was any And I found Taylor Preston fun. She beat Zhang Shui 6-3-2-6-6-3 in the first match of the day today, her first ever Grand Slam main draw win.

And she probably deserves sensation of the day for that. And I could make the case for her, but I I fear it's it's a moot point and Dane Sweeney is walking away with the prize. Yeah. He gets my vote. Yeah, I'm okay. with it. And well done James Duckworth, but sorry, I'm in Dane Sweeney's corner. Dane James Duckworth needed five sets to beat a lucky loser. These are facts. We've also got Madison English serving for the match.

again Kim Birrell at the moment, but that's not beating Dane Sweeney, is it? No. No. Dane Sweeney, you are our winner. Well and then we probably need a conversation about whether Casakino is a sensation. I think I don't think she is. I think she's too good. I think she's too good.

She also might not win. She's currently a set apiece with uh the Young Czech qualifier Young Czech, who'd have thought it, uh Nikola Bartankova, uh who I understand is very talented and took the first set against Darek. Kazakina, that's happening on the Kia Arena. Kazakhina's won the second set, six love, so fingers crossed for her on her Australian debut. But yeah, win or lose, she's not a sensation, sorry. Uh okay, shall we have a

Look at tomorrow's order of play. We finally get going with round two matches. Feels like it's never gonna come, and then suddenly the tournament starts moving so quickly. Uh we open the Rod Lever Arena tomorrow with uh arena sound Tabalenka, uh the top seed, of course, the two time former champion, again Zhu Zhuan Bai uh of China, who you watched beat Anastasia Pavlyachenkova the other night, David. Then we have Carlos Alcaraz in the day session, it's a not before two o'clock against Yannick.

Mike Hampfman, Hamad Majedovic against Alex Demanor is in the night session, and Eva Jovic and Priscilla Hon are second on the Rodlava Arena night session. How's that happening? I'm not sure. Jaime Farrier and Andre Rublev open the second court. Coco Goff and Olga Danilovic second on. Then Maria Sakari against Mir Mira Andreva first on the night session. And that's a good match.

It is a good match. Francis Tiafo and Francisco Comesania uh last on. John Cain is uh Linus Fitolina, Daniel Medvedev tomorrow, Aila Tom Lyanovich. Not against each other. No I'm trying to avoid saying Alina Svitilina's opponent's name, but I feel like you've exposed me, so I'm gonna give it a go. Linda Klimoviczkova. Wow. Uh, from Poland. Klimovich.

Vichov Vichova. Uh yeah. Young pole. I always I'm saying young. I'm assuming she's young'cause I haven't heard of her. She might not be. Uh Daniel Medvedev's against contact Ali Silitomlyanovich Ali Alexander Zverov against Alexander Muller is last on John Cain tomorrow. Kia Arena is where you'll find Sensation of the Day winner from day one. Remember that? Talia Gibson taking on Diana Schneider on the Kia Arena.

Rylia Pelka yn ystod Alejandro Davidovich Fikina, Alexander Bublix yn ystod. Jasmyn Paolini yn ystod KIA arena yn ystod. Victoria Mboko yn ystod Casey McNally yn ystod 1573 yn ystod. Karolina Muko yn ystod Alicia Parks. ANZ tomorrow formerly caught three is where you'll find Storm Hunter against Haley Baptiste, that's second on. Alexander Shevchenko is

Fourth on. There's other good stuff tomorrow. Michael Zheng, David, against Corintam Mute. Third on the bar course. Oh, yes, please. I'll see you there. Alright. Yeah, lots of good stuff tomorrow, folks. We, of course, will be back with the tennis podcast at the end of it.

it all we will have lovely Gus, of course. Uh Gus's owner Renee has written to clear up the misgendering issue of Gus's sibling, Tumble. Renee wrote in to confirm Tumble is a boy. I can confirm Tumble is a boy and a very naughty boy at that, an absolute troublemaker, a stereotypical little brother that gets away with murder compared to Gus's perfectly behaved big sister energy. Gus is so good she even comes to tell me when Tumble

is up to no good and will often bring him into line for me. I love sibling dogs being best friends, so I'm very into Gus and Tumble. Thank you, Renee, for clearing that up. Hello to Bodhi! Hello to Maisie and hello to Roger, our mascots. I am letting you down, Bodie. And I've got Big plans for Hail Mary's in round two. That's where we're at. I'm doing you proud, Maisie. Yeah.

Yeah, Matt's always just trucking along just fine, not doing anything stupid. And every Sam I'm like, I'm gonna be more Matt and then here we are. Greg, Chris and Jeff our executive producers, we thank you, we salute you, Matt. Let's have some shout outs. I'm gonna use that when pick my mum and dad say, How's it going, Matthew? I'm trucking along, not doing anything stupid. You're welcome. We have Naomi Horden from East Sussex. Hi Naomi.

Hello Naomi. Like Naomi Asaka. He's still on court. Naomi says I did the fan calendar slam in twenty fifteen with my best friend Sue. a decision made during one of our many kitchen cocktail parties. Oh, that sounds great. Yeah, can I come to a kitchen cocktail party? Uh we don't we don't meet many people who've done a fan C calendar slam. That's really rare and incredible, Naomi. Uh I'll also give you Naomi Brody. Yep. Just a little bonus ball. Thank you, Naomi.

We also have Elaine Hayworth from Derbyshire. Hi Elaine. Hello, Elaine. Elaine says hi gang, still enjoying the podcast after six years. I've always loved listening to the on the boat chat and last year my husband and I moved on to a seventy foot long, twelve and a half foot wide canal barge. Whoa. Wow, she lives on a barge? Yep. No way. We now live in Derbyshire where we walk the canals and the peak district. Oh it's like a big

B B C two sort of documentary. One of those gentle, you know, here are two sea list celebrities on a barge shows that lull you to sleep. Uh Elaine an actual barge dweller? Awesome. That is that is fantastic. Um I've just while you were talking about put in tennis Elaine and we've got ten Elaine Genevieves. I feel like that's t feeble. I've no idea who that is. I know, I mean I've just looked in the Nick Imerson d directory and there's nothing in there. So we've got nothing.

Elaine, we will be getting uh an email or a WhatsApp from Nick Nick Imerson to correct or to fill this gaping void. Uh so you've done us a service here, thank you very much. And finally, we have Sapna Shah. Hello Sapna. Hello Sapna. And Sapna says last year for my shout out. I mentioned that our family was one slam away from the Spectator Slam, and that was the Australian Open, and we were planning to come to Australia for Christmas, but couldn't go.

to the Australian Open and we would take a tour of the Rodlever Arena instead. You all rightly said no, that would not count. for completing the slam and we should extend our trip and so we did and Sutner has been here at the Australian Open the last couple of days to complete the Spectator SLAM. So we're influencers

Catherine's been an influencer twice today. Yeah, and I know that was a harsh adjudication, Supner at the time, but I do stand by it and I hope Absolutely and Supner's taken it well. Well done. I love that. Uh yes, David met I met Michael, uh a a Polish tennis fan who was just coming out of the Hubert Herkatch match, uh delighted. Uh and he clocked me.

Um and he whipped out his phone and he showed me a picture of uh Rico, uh his cava poo, which he said he got because of Catherine. He said I was never a dog person until I started listening to the television podcast. And he is my dog as a result. And he was a lovely fella. Well, it really made my day. So thank you. Thank you. What was his name? Uh Michael. Michael. Like Michael Zheng? Yes. Thank you, Michael.

Hey y Michael didn't ask for a shout out, but but he's sorry Supner for getting Michael to gate crash your shout out. But it's you know, it's it's it's a It's a broad church here at Tennis Podcar shout outs. Thank you all so much. So we have Supna Elaine and Naomi. Thank you very much. And bonus Michael and Rico. Thank you all very much for being friends of the Tennis Podcast. If you'd like to become a friend, get ad-free listening, access to all of our

Bonus episodes and archive. The barge, our community platform where people are chatting away about the Australian Open. Uh all day long. It's good stuff on there. Then the link to become a friend will be in our show notes. We are part of the Athletic Podcast Network. It's been a fun day. We'll be back tomorrow.

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