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Hello and welcome to the tennis podcast, where it is very much the morning after the night before you find myself and Matt Roberts, that's putched on a grassy knoll in the foothills of an enormous, grassy, araffa poster, which is emblazoned on a stadium opposite the Davis Cup stadium,
but part of the same sporting complex. We won't talk too much about the sunshine that we're basking in, because I know the weather is pretty rubbish at home for a nearest and dearest, but it is extremely lovely, and there is quite a different feel about the Davis Cup today, now that the Spanish Nadal circus has rolled out of town, I guess.
Massively different feel, to be honest. I think there's a kind of mixture of sadness. I think people were really ready for that Nadal story to turbo charge this whole event, and for it to be a story and a narrative that continues, and that we're basking in for the whole finals. I think there is also a slight sense of relief for some people. For some sleep deprived people. For some very sleep deprived people.
Content teams went so heavy on the day yesterday, they used up all the end of the day material, and suddenly, well they're going to have to do it all again in a few days time,
and there was this unknown about how much he would play. It does feel like a very different tournament now, and frankly, it feels like it's about the Davis Cup now, whereas yesterday, as David Freire showed, it wasn't really about the Davis Cup, it was about Raffa and Nadal and his send-off, which I still think was so affecting for so many people. But yeah, it's kind of back to business now, and finding out who's going to win this thing.
Yeah, and in terms of that, Germany have taken a step closer, or certainly put themselves in the conversation with the two and Ovićtri over Canada this afternoon, so it will be Germany against the Netherlands in the semi-finals on Friday. So Germany with wins, starting off with Daniel Altmaier over Gabriel Diallo, 7664, and just half an hour or so ago for Jan and it's strough 766 in the third over Dennis Schappelvalov,
and that is probably where we should start, isn't it Matt? A heartbreaker obviously for Dennis Schappelvalov, but also in many ways quite a Dennis Schappelvalov trademark match. It was quite a thing to go from yesterday celebrating the career of Raffa and Nadal, and everything that he has represented on the tennis court, and then the next match that I watched live was Dennis Schappelvalov.
And that might sound like an incredibly harsh thing to do, like say, comparing anyone to Raffa and Nadal is harsh, but so many of the things that people were praising Raffa and Nadal for yesterday are just not things that Dennis Schappelvalov has, and the main one is discipline.
That like Schappelvalov played really well today. He really did, he served 27 aces I think in this match, and his first serve 0.1% was so high, he won the first set, he grabbed it with a brilliant passing shot up the line, he was applying pressure on serve in the second set, he was doing a lot of good things.
And yet once it got to the closing stages, all the discipline in his game just completely fell away, he lost serve at 3 all in the third set with 3 missed 4 hands, 1 in the net, 1 wide and 1 long, literally the 3 ways you can miss a 4 hand. And then he maybe he's a completed and then it do see serve back to back double folds to get broken. I just really didn't really have to do anything in that in that game to win it.
And then Struf got really tight serving for the match really, really tight as we have seen from him before, and Schappelvalov made him play did well and got the break back, took it into a tie break, and the first few points of the tie break were brilliant from both players.
They were backing up their serve, but then Struf brilliant with a 4 hand cross court to get a mini break and then Schappelvalov facing match point, you've got to make Struf serve it out and Schappelvalov serves a double fold on match point. And it just felt so quintessentially Schappelvalov, like he played some wonderful tennis, he fights, it's not like he's not a fighter, he's absolutely doing his best out there, I really do believe that.
But he gets almost distracted, he gets down on himself, his shot selection is sometimes poor, and his boldness, which is such an asset when he's playing really well, sort of holds him back when he hasn't quite got it, and it can fall into a lot of unforced errors. And to go with those 27 aces, I think it was double figures of double faults as well, just like really costly mistakes at costly times, and we know that Struf is a little bit in his head as well, he now leads that head to head 7-3.
You know, he played a lot for two players of kind of their ranking, their parts have crossed a lot, and Struf I think really backs himself against Schappelvalov, and he did really really well to win it, but yeah, it just was very, very den of Schappelvalov. He was in a tough spot, wasn't he, because given the strength of the German doubles pair, they were well on the back foot Canada after losing that first singles match, Gabriel Diallo, 7664 defeat to Daniel Altmeier.
Your reaction when it was Altmeier picked it, it too for Germany? I think I was expecting that, given that they just don't have a huge number of options. The other one would have been Hampton, who could have played, and I don't think there's much between them.
Interesting that that was kind of the headline from Altmeier's press conference, like how he was feeling this morning having been chosen, because he said he found out on Monday that he was going to play Altmeier, so he had a couple of days to get used to it, but he said, and this was in the German portion of his press conference,
and I heard this through our colleague, Janik Schneider, who's out here covering the Davis Cup for lots of outlets in Germany, that apparently Altmeier was so nervous this morning, he woke up with a totally different feeling than the one he'd had in a couple of days, and he actually went to speak to the German captain about it and said, look, I know you want me to play, but I'm really, really nervous, I'm feeling it.
And he said that he did that because he always feels better when he talks these things through, like he said, he really needed to just speak to someone about how he was feeling and the nerves he was having, and the captain reassured him that, no, he was his pick, he trusts him, and by all accounts, it wasn't extremely nervey, maxed.
Like it was a very, it was very number two singles match, it wasn't particularly high quality, a lot of errors, Altmeier doesn't have a lot of experience in Davis Cup, I think this was maybe only his second or third match. And he was up in the first set tie break, and then he was, you know, suddenly got really tight, and Diallo was coming back at him, but then Diallo missed a volley on set point, and then the second set was a lot more comfortable for Altmeier with the one break to win it.
Like both players kind of struggling with their game, with their nerves, with the occasion, like it was just a tight match.
But that was the one that really set up the win for Germany, as you say, because I think they'd have probably backed themselves through a fowler's cap of Alive, given that head to head, but that was tight, that was always going to be tight, and they'd have definitely backed themselves in the doubles, and then Kravitz and Putz have only ever lost one match in Davis Cup, that was to this Canadian team, but still, like they'd backed themselves.
But if Germany knew if they could pinch that number two singles, that would just set them up beautifully for the tie, and then, you know, maybe that ends up having a bit of a difference in that second one, where Struth knows that they're won their lap, they've got the doubles to come in those tight moments, he's maybe a bit freer, whereas Schappelvalov in the tight moments,
it's a bit of an unforced error machine, and you know, if Schappelvalov had the one-nil win behind him, maybe it doesn't make those errors, I do like how the first singles can sometimes affect the second in that way, and yeah, it's a big moment for Germany, they don't have their best player, and Alexander Zwerov, who's choosing not to play here, and yet, they're into the semi-finals, and it's pretty evenly matched, I would say, with the Dutch and the semis.
I wonder if Canada wish they had rolled out Miloshrownitch, maybe they should have. Just to curse for me that we might never see Miloshrownitch at a Davis Cup finals again. I definitely thought that last year though. But he still had a few protected ranking events up his sleeve this year, didn't he, from past injuries, I think those have gone now, and he, I don't know, what's his appetite to go out and play challenges in ITF? Maybe it's there, I don't know, but I perhaps would be surprised.
I think that might be it. Yeah, he'd get a wildcard in Canada, I'm sure, but I don't think he's getting wildcards regularly on the ITF. The Rogers Cup does not a career make. Well said. Okay, so Germany through to the semi-finals, Germany or the Netherlands will be a Davis Cup finalist. Wow, yeah, just the way this draw has panned out. I think both a good Davis Cup teams, they've both got really strong doubles pairs. If that does go to the doubles, that would be fascinating.
Putting that German pair, Kravitz and puts off the back of the ATP finals win up against the Dutch with Cool-Half, and we saw how good they were yesterday against the Spanish. So, would love to see it, go to the doubles, I think that would be awesome. And you know, it might well, I think probably the Dutch have the age in the number two singles with Burtik. I think he probably is the favourite against Altmire. I think it's got Matt being a Burtik. Yeah, you could have a marvel yesterday.
That's it, a stand by it. But you're the guy that forgot he existed. Fair. You're the guy that previewed a draper Alcharez match on a podcast. Actually, I think I'm, he might even have been Mahatch Alcharez that I was getting carried away with. Okay, yeah, what a, what a prospect for those two teams. It's a bit like the situation when we yesterday with GBS and Slovakia, just the size of the opportunity with all due respect to each of them in terms of the opposition.
Like an enormous opportunity for those two teams. And given everything you said about Daniel Altmire's nerves, I wonder how that'll play out on Friday. And there's obviously like historic sporting rivalry between the Netherlands and Germany. Like I don't think tennis is really the place where that's played out. You know, historically it's been football.
There was that famous World Cup final and you know, the Dutch were their total football loss to the German, to West Germany, who were very defensive. And I think that's been like a scarring thing on the Dutch nation. Excellent sporting context, Matt. That is, that is, you've earned your money. Well done, Matt. That's part one we'll be back in part two to look ahead to tomorrow's Davis Cup ties.
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Welcome back to part two where before Matt and I leave our incredibly lovely sunny spot to go and watch the Billie Jean King Cup final. We must look ahead to tomorrow's Davis Cup quarter finals. Two of them tomorrow. In the afternoon, it's, it's probably the clash of, clash of this round, USA against Australia.
Now David has picked USA for the whole thing. Quite a few people have picked USA for this whole thing. How much of this tie hinges on what Taylor Fritz has left in the tank? Whether the ATP finals, Taylor Fritz shows up here. I think that's a really good point because he played Diminor, didn't he at the ATP finals? I didn't see that match, but it didn't Diminor take the lead and really maybe look like he could have,
type match, definitely. I think it was the first three set match of the tournament. Yeah. And Fritz has played two more matches since then, including a grueling one against Veriv in the semis, whereas Diminor is going to be a little bit fresher, I think. So there's definitely a, there's definitely a scenario where Diminor wins that. Like I think Fritz is the favorite. I think we have to respect the season he's had and the level he's shown.
Second singles like both captains have got choices to make. Really interesting choices, you know. And he wins his hard to predict, isn't it? Because we know he does it off the basis of what he's seen at his training camp and we haven't seen that. It makes it pretty fascinating, doesn't it? Because he could do something really random. Yeah, like I think the most random thing he could do would be put cockenakis in.
I mean, I thought it's pretty random that cockenakis wasn't the one to be dropped for Diminor. Perhaps on random, that's an overstatement. But he had been the one that I'd have dropped for that way. Yeah, I think he was saying in his press conference, he had a mad, like, travel schedule because I think he's actually, I think he was in Sydney recently playing a sort of lower event.
I saw that on Instagram, yeah. And he won it, I think. Yeah. You know, but to go all the way to Sydney and then back here this time of year, like that's just a lot. But he said it's the first time he's shown up at the Davis Cup finals, like really feeling ready with his game. So he was pretty bullish that he's like ready to go and ready to play. But I do think Jordan Thompson's had a very good year, like a sneaky good year in singles.
He's improved a lot. He's an option like a quick court. Exactly. You know, we'll come forward. But then pop it in like it's hard to, it's hard to resist that. I would have thought if you're here with his firepower knowing you're going to have to face Paul or Shelton. Like, do you want someone who can maybe, maybe slightly have the racket have the match on their racket, which which popper in would have a shot at that against, against Paul or Shelton?
I think I would as well. Yeah, a pretty scarring match here last year in the Davis Cup. We lost to our now, Dean. He was very tight. And he said he said that's given him nightmares. You know, he thinks about that. But the, I don't know. He's grown as a player, popper. And he really has. I think we trust him more.
He's beaten no bad joke of each other slam. Look, not by no means peak, no bad joke of it, but you're still playing the aura of no bad joke. A lot of players would have lost a joke of each that night and popper in delivers. So I think he's probably done enough this year to earn, earn, hewits trust and get the call up, but you're right. There is this whole Australia camp thing that that hewits runs and which, which he'll be basing his decision on.
But yeah, really, really tight. And then if it goes to the doubles, both have got good doubles options as well. You know, the US with Ram and Craig check. And do you think it definitely would be Ram and Craig check that they play not definitely. I think, you know, Bob Brian doubles play. He's going to, I think he's going to, he's going to back a doubles team.
But you know, if he doesn't play Shelton in the singles, maybe, maybe you try and get Shelton out there in the doubles. He might be afraid of what Rajiv Ram might tweet if he doesn't pick him. Yes. And Rajiv Ram revealed recently in an interview that Maldives Fish has blocked him, I think, on social media. Yeah, but if anyone really, if that hatchet has been buried, I think we can categorically say the opposite is no. The hatchet lives on in everyone's minds.
And I asked Bob Brian about that in the press conference. I said like last time you were here, it was a controversy that you only had four players. You know, I know you weren't the captain, but you know, how important was it for you to bring five and have a complete team with doubles guys. And he very categorically said, as long as I'm the Davis Cup captain, I will be bringing five players. Like, I think he really thinks that was a mistake as well.
Yeah, like two, two of the heavyweights really left in the, left in the competition. Like, it's a, it's a big, big tie this one. And for Australia, who do you expect to play the doubles max? No, Max was self-indroped, excuse me. Yeah, I think it would probably be Ebtan and Thompson. I think that's almost certainly. Who are you picking? I'll go, I'll go US. It's tight though, it's very tight. It's a really exciting tie. This time. It's really great.
In the evening session, we have Italy against Argentina. I won't ask you who you're picking for this one, because I'm not sure you'll find many people around here. Argentines included picking Argentina, but can you make it a little case for Argentina? Well, what I've been doing is looking at the makeup of their squad, which I think is quite interesting. There are three singles options. Sebastian Buyers, Francisco Cerundolo and Thomas Martín Ectuary in that order.
That's their current ranking order. Buyers is ranked one. So why I think that's interesting is because personally, I think they're two best players in these conditions are Cerundolo and Ectuary. It's not Buyers. It's not Buyers, but Yannick Sinner. He's fairly plays on anything but Clare. Well, I think that's where he earns a lot of points. He's banked them and they've contributed to a really good ranking.
But if you're Argentina, you've got to look at this tactically. You've got to win that number two singles, because you're ain't beating Yannick Sinner, most likely. So I think you want your best option at the number two slot. Now, personally, I think that's Cerundolo. Over at Chavere. Over at Chavere. On an indoor hard core. So Sebastian Buyers is your sacrificial lamb.
I think so. And there was an interview with Correa that I saw that he gave to Argentina Press, where he hinted that that might be the case. Even though like Cerundolo and Ectuary probably his best option. Cerundolo is the one with the weapon. Exactly. And he's... Ectuary is a lovely player, a lovely bull striker, a retriever, a run all day. But Cerundolo's got a weapon on a fast hard core. That forehand is big time.
He was very impressive in Manchester when he beat Draper, really good performance. He's beaten Rubelev as well in the last few weeks. He's played some very tight matches with Sitzer Pass. He's just been playing at that level recently. Question for you. In this scenario, do you think the captain is honest with buyers or whoever it might be in this situation? Or do you think the captain tries to pretend that that isn't the thinking behind his decision?
The thing is, I don't think he has to do much pretending here because that is just lining up his one and two. Right. Okay. Yeah. It would be more... If he was trying to manufacture a wage. Yes. To give extra very a chance than that would be. Yeah. So it can all be unsaid. Yeah. Like I think he's going to line up his one and two on ranking. But because he wants Cerundolo to face... Well, we don't know. That's the thing. We don't know who Italy are going to play. They've got Mazzetti and Baratini.
Oh, many options. It's grotesque. Who would you play on this court? It's a good question. Baratini wasn't even in the team a week ago. No, but I would lean him. When he's played this year, Baratini's been really good. And if he's fit and you've got him here, I think maybe they've brought him in because they're thinking of using him. You know, like Mazzetti's been fantastic this year. He really has. And as you said the other day, I trusted more this year than I did last year.
And I think his game can work and keep the slice low on this surface. But there's no doubt I've just watched that match between Struth and Chapavalo. This is a court that rewards big serving. And you've got Baratini. I think maybe they'll go with him, but I don't know. Baratini would love to be picked. Yes. I think he would really rise to it. He is a guy that understands his, I always say this about him. In many ways, it was one of my biggest takeaways from breakpoint.
He's realism about himself as a tennis player in his window of opportunity. If there ever even was one and the injuries that he's had. Like he's a realist by his place in tennis, I think. And what his game is capable of. And, you know, there was a period there where he maxed it out. And, you know, qualified for Turin and had to withdraw. And, it was utterly heartbreaking for him for me. He just, well, he's felt cursed, hasn't he?
And I think, God, I think it would be everything to him to be picked to play this. And I'm pretty sure he was here last year, even though he wasn't on the team. He was injured. He was still in the mobs. He came, he was on the bench, he was cheering. Like, he loves it. I've talked to myself into being absolutely desperate for Baratini to be picked. And also it's kind of a, it's not no pressure. But, you know, with, with Sinner, like that number two, it's not, doesn't feel essential for Italy.
Does it? It's not a free hit, but it's definitely not essential. It's go out there, Mateo, you see what you can do. Yeah. Yeah. And look, I, I, I think Sinner's going to play. Mate, like, is there a scenario where Sinner wants a bit more rest coming off to you? Like, think of it. You think there's a chance Sinner doesn't play? No, I'm just putting it out there. Right. I was like, to cover ourselves up. Yeah, just, if we've learned anything this week, we need to be covering ourselves.
Like, you know, he played on Sunday. He didn't get here until only, I think only a couple of, maybe only a couple of days ago. But the thing is, he played last year when he'd had a much more taxing to him. He played straight off the bat here. He didn't drop a set into it. Like, I really do think he probably is just absolutely ready to go. And it is a choice between Baratini and Mazzetti.
But if Argentina can win that second, second singles with either extra-vari or surrender low, then that does make it fascinating. Because as I said, Sinner doesn't have Sonnego to play in the double, you know, to play within the doubles. So that would just open that up as maybe, maybe a bit more interesting. But I'm expecting Italy to nail. But it's another intriguing tie, especially with those sort of strategic decisions that Corrie has got to make. Okay. We'll find out tomorrow.
That is the evening tie. USA Australia is the afternoon tie. We'll be back to talk about it. It's a mere one-part podcast day tomorrow. It is a two-podcast day today. We're going to go and watch the Billie Jean King Cup final. And then we're going to talk about it later with David on our second podcast of the day. Hello to Phoebe, our Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup mascot. Hello Phoebe, waking up today in a, in a darlless world. We're all doing that Phoebe. Hello.
Hello to our mascots, of course. The dearly departed Darwin, Francis, Hyder and Soma. Hello to you. Hello to Billie Jean, both Billie Jean's and Alana Claus. Hello to our executive producers, Greg Chris, Jamie and Jeff. And of course we don't have shout outs because what is a shout outs without David Law? He'll be back later for our second pod of the day. We'll speak to you then. A cast powers the world's best podcast. Here's a show that we recommend.
Before John F Kennedy's famous decade was out, before Eagle had set down on the surface of the moon, before NASA had rescued the crew of Apollo 13, they had already set their sights on a new vehicle. Space shuttle. I'm Kevin Fong. And in this new podcast, we're bringing you the incredible story of the birth of the space shuttle era was told by the people who built and flew it. From the A-Cast Creator Network, 16 Sunsets coming soon.
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