Madrid - Sabalenka stopped, but what about Sinner?

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Well hello and welcome to the tennis podcast where it is Friday morning men's semifinals day in Madrid with the women's final to come on Saturday and the men's final following on Sunday. has unfolded since we last podded on Monday, uh, including a winning end to the season for Coach David Law. Hello, David. Yes, hello. Uh on on a number of levels really, because uh my son's football team last night uh was victorious with their third win in a row, uh uh of which I am one of the the coaches.

Um and also my fantasy team has both women's finalists in it and a men's semi finalist as we come to you right now. So I am indeed inspiring people everywhere I go. Yeah. Meanwhile, Matt's fantasy team is unexpectedly being held together at the seams by Alexander Bloch. I mean, thank goodness for Alexander Bloch's map.

Yeah, it was a good pick that, wasn't it? It's just a shame my other nine were so bad. But I am quite pleased with myself for picking out blocks at the start of the year. He's had a nice rise. Uh yeah, I do appear to be in a stage Several tournaments in a row where Alexander Blocks is my last man standing. And that wasn't the strategy of my fantasy team, but here we are.

We go with the flow with our with our fantasy teams. Okay. Lots to get into uh today because there's there's a lot of ground to cover, uh including an exclusive on Emirandicanu's latest coaching developments later in the show. Stay tuned for that. Um but we're gonna start with a report from the heart of things in Madrid because Matt Fotterman of the Athletic is on the ground at the Kaha Magica and he has sent us this bit of magic.

Hey there podcast friends, greetings from Madrid. I want to start by saying the hardest thing for me about being a tennis writer is separating the signal from the noise. I know I'm supposed to be able to look at a player or a tournament and sort the great from the good and explain what it means and why it's important. The truth is, I mostly feel lost.

One moment I think I think something, and the next I'm talking myself out of it. Do you all know who Yogi Barrow was? He was the catcher for all those great Yankee teams in the nineteen fifties. His unique truths are known as yogiisms. There's an old quote he gets credited for that goes something like this It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future.

That's what I'm thinking about in Madrid, as this oddball tournament unfolds. Sorry, I didn't have Alexander Blocks in the semis on my bingo card, and I know Alexander didn't have it on his. He didn't even think he was very good at tennis on clay. Even in a normal year, Madrid is an outlier. Hardened, dry red clay at a couple thousand feet of altitude only tells you so much. Rafael Nadal only won it five times, compared with double digit wins on the other dirt.

And this is hardly a normal year. All those withdrawals on the men's side, then half the field starts puking. Can you imagine how crappy Ego must have felt to bail in the middle of a third set? Cookle has her head in the trash can and somehow wins. But then the next day she can't close from four one and two breaks up in the third set and four two up in the tie break. Is that because of intestinal problems or something else? I don't know.

Hindsight would tell us that Coco's French Open win last year had its roots in Madrid, where she made the final. Did it? I suppose. Does the loss to Linda Noscova in the round of sixteen foretell Red Clay disappointment ahead? Or was just getting to a third set tie break a day after she looked like she wanted to curl up on the side of the court and take a nap, a sign of how good she is on clay.

I view Madrid as a version of tennis purgatory. That's not a comment on the venue, which I find seducely utilitarian, other than the crap Wi Fi and self service. If you're a fan of the modernist school of architecture, it's beautifully sleek, a true intersection of form and function. If you're not, it's got all the charm of a tennis version of IKEA. Not surprisingly, I can argue it both ways.

It's a massive translucent steel and concrete box with metal screening on the sides that lets in air and light. Inside the box are three stadiums, all with roofs, all about twenty steps from each other, and then a line of field courts stretching out across a wetland, also about twenty steps from one another and everything else. There's a lot of shade if you need that, and with the Iberian sun you do.

Deforo Italico it is not. You're not missing a ton if you never make it to the magic box. But it kind of works, especially when it rains. Madrid is a pretty glorious and welcoming city which helps. Spaniards have never been anything but warm to me. You get a mountain of ice cream for five Euros at the Magic Box. Jude Bellingham shows up, and I have to admit, I kind of like IKEA.

But I digress. Purgatory. Why? I think it's a function of its place in the calendar and the conditions. I know it's supposed to be a part of the big lead up to rolling garrows. I actually view it almost the same way I look at the sunshine double. It's supposed to be kind of big and important, but I really feel like it's more of a last chance to play for the sake of playing before the really important shit comes fast and furious.

Except maybe, just maybe, we're gonna look back at this year's edition of Madrid as a hinge moment in the sport, the week when Haley Baptiste and Raphael Hodar came of age. If you haven't watched Baptiste, please start. She might be the closest thing America has to Roger Federer. No, I don't think she's gonna win twenty grand slam titles, but on any given day, she could put on a wild display of tennis artistry.

She gives that illusion of floating across the court into her shots. Her touch volleys are ridiculous. She has about eight different forehands. Her sliced backhand can torture opponents. Her head has long been a work in progress, though. She'd be the first to tell you this.

I know there are still matches to go, but it's hard to believe that something will top Baptiste saving six match points against Sabalenka and then hammering that cross court forehand to the postage stamp on the only match point she needed to knock off the world number one. I don't really believe that careers turn on the outcome of a single match. It's nice for a narrative, but a successful career is about so much more.

Did you know that Leila Fernandez now has eight million dollars in career prize money? Emma Raticano has six point seven. Think about that. Here's what I think is important about Haley Baptiste in Madrid, even though she lost her semi to Mera Andreva. She blew some match points in the second set against Belinda Benchich and smashed a shit out of her racket. It was an all time bludgeoning. I was worried for the clay.

Then she took a deep breath and cruised through the third set. She served for the match in the third set against Sabalanka and lost. She was down in the tiebreak. She kept coming, playing each point on its own merit. She won but easily could have lost. It's the competing and resetting that, if anything, could be signal rather than noise.

That brings me to Hodar. I came away from his match with Fonseco wowed but worried. Amazing power from those two. But they seem like a function of a tennis culture that can get a little too wrapped up in speed and spin. Look, no one loves a sellout running forehand winner more than I do. But I stopped counting how many of those Fatseca and Hodar tried and missed against each other.

I know we're living in an era of first strike tennis. I also believe that the really great ones know how to extend points and work their way out of trouble and then they unleash the howitzer. Three days later I watched Hodard take a blow to the chin in the first set against Sinner. In the second though, he gave Sinner all kinds of trouble. Those crosscut forehands are a lie.

But what stayed me with me from the second set were two points when he didn't fire the cannon. On one, he reached and hit a squash shot and got back in the point. On another, as he chased a center approach shot across the baseline, I was sure the big blast was coming.

Instead, he lost at a high defensive lob. Sinner took a few steps back and netted the overhead. We all know what happened in the tiebreaker. What did you expect? There's a long way to go. Hodar was still a Virginia Cavalier six months ago. Sinners spent a couple hours watching Hodar live last week. Then he stayed up until one AM scouting him in his hotel room Sunday night during the Fonseca match. After beating him, Sinner said Hodar had everything that's needed to be a great player.

He'd just come through a seriously stressful couple hours. I'm gonna trust him. Seems like he knows some things about the game. Between the squash shot, the defensive lob, and sooner's words, I think I've got all the signals I need. And Spain's got another Rafa to get excited about. See you in Paris, the chocolate moose awaits. Mae'n ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud.

round the corner from Roland Garros that we quite often frequent. In fact last year frequented so much or certainly Matt Fusterman did that they ran out of chocolate moose. Matt was bringing people there on the promise of chocolate mousse. And they had run out. Uh so very much looking forward uh to that in a few weeks' time. Uh

A brilliant voice note, as always. Um lots of potential starting points. I actually want to start with two players who are no longer in the tournament. Let's go back to Tuesday and Hailey Baptiste. thrilling win over overwhelming tournament favourite Arena Sabalenka saving six match points along the way. A Baptiste coming of age, in the words of Matt Futterman. Um I was at the theatre this night and look, I love liaison dangereuses and uh

Uh had a lovely time, but watching this match it was not and I have terrible, terrible FOMO about it. Matt, tell me everything that I miss. I'm afraid I'm not gonna make you feel any better, Catherine. This is gonna be a tough five or ten minutes for you. I'm I'm sorry. Uh it was one of the matches of the year, just an absolute thriller and honestly I will never forget the night because

I was also watching the PSG Bay Munich Champions League game. It was happening at the same time. It was just Yeah, all right. Overwhelming brilliant sport. I did warn you. So good. Um Like and and honestly like I wouldn't have thought that after the first set because Sabalenka won it pretty easily, to be honest, and that was the third set in a row. She'd won against Baptiste, having beaten her pretty straightforwardly in the Miami quarters.

earlier this season, and I just didn't think this was gonna turn into the epic that it did. But Sabalenka just opened the door a little bit at the start of the second set, played a really loose game with some double fold. and that let Baptiste in. And from that point on, Baptiste was incredible. And what I loved about it is that it was like the biggest win of her life and yet she did it her way.

You know, it kind of reminded me of when McElroy won the Masters and he did it playing his golf. He was still blowing shots over the green and missing short putts and You know, doing all the things that make you go, Oh Rory, what have you done? You're so good, why have you done that? But then he was pulling it back and coming up with these wondrous shots, and that is exactly what Baptiste.

kept doing. We still saw the double faults that are a bit of an issue for her. We still f saw her get a little tight as she attempted to serve it out. but we s also saw the magic in those hands and the talent that she possesses and I think, you know her her coach, uh, Will Woodle told Ben Rothenberg that they've been talking about trying to lose even playing the right way, because then if you lose

We've got better as a result because you've tried playing your game in the big moments and I I felt like that was her approach, the whole match. Even if I lose this, I'm gonna play my game. And nothing Nothing better demonstrated that than the way she saved those six match points. An ace to save the first one, a forehand winner to save the second, back to back serve volleys, including a second serve serve volley to save the third and fourth.

A drop shot lob combo from the heavens to save the fifth and then on the sixth Sabalenka just missed a a backhand wide. But like in those biggest moments she played this bold tennis and we're used to seeing that from Sabalenka, you know, and you know She just couldn't get over the line because Baptiste was coming up with all the plays on those on those biggest points. It was

just a joy to watch. And I think I think Sabalenka Rabakina Indian Wells is probably still my match of the year just in terms of like'cause it was a final and it was the two sort of heavyweights and this sustained quality. But there is something very special about this sort of genre of match and someone trying to break through and do something that you've never seen them do before because you just have this doubt in the in your mind. Can can she actually pull this off?

And then she did and she let out this incredible roar at the end to her team after a moment of looking over at them in in disbelief. And yeah, it was an incredible performance and I love that Everyone now is is on board. Just what a what a fun player Haley Baptiste.

Big moments are so important for getting hype trains moving, aren't they? Like I think a big problem for Joel Fonsecka and his hype train has been that win he had over Andre Rublev at the Australian Open last year, if you view the hype train as kind of a a negative thing and a standard against which he is judged, because he kind of announced himself in that big

dramatic, sit up and take notice way rather than the kind of incremental way. It's like, okay, we expect you to be doing this now and Haile Baptiste I think this is a big enough moment that she kind of now is gonna find herself in in that situation and and did a little bit against Mirandra in in the next round in the uh in the semifinal yesterday and

She rallied at the end, David, um, but it she didn't have anything left in the tank really for the majority of this match, did she? Six four, seven six for for Andreva and you know, Baptiste had had a match like the Sabalenka one in the previous round as well, against Belinda Bencic, where she'd squandered a load of match points in the second set.

dug a hole in the clay as Matt Futterman was talking about. She kinda choked him one anyway, which is which is an amazing skill to have have in your locker. Um but yeah, not a lot left in the tank against Andraver who in her own way, David What a wild week Mir Andrava has had. Yes, because I mean she had another one of her

you know, healthy leads evaporate, uh this one against Anna Bondar. I mean I say healthy it was the rudest of health. She was five one up in the final set. And then she finds herself five six down. And you know, the body language coming out, she's She's doing the whole thing of of I'm I I'm not a champion, I'm gonna choke and I'm sort of you know, she's just falling apart really. On the c on the precipice of victory, it's it's really quite ups I find it quite upsetting to watch Yeah.

When that's going on. A year ago she was giving victory speeches saying, I'd like to thank me for always believing in myself. Yeah, and... That was her thing, wasn't it? She got a she got some bespoke merch made with with I'd like to thank me on it. She's still doing it. I mean, she did that after winning Linz the other week, you know. And so like within a tournament.

I don't I mean I think I think what it shows you is just how hard it is in the in the heat of the of the battle. How many players I mean Madrid is a tournament I think we'll remember for what pressure and expectation and hope And nearly being there does too. Because that's what we saw with Baptiste. I mean, just another quick word for that racket smash. I think that that could be the coolest racket smash I've ever seen.

I I don't I don't say to to to celebrate racket smashes generally, but three smacks into the ground, but then an instantaneous breaking in half over her knee and then walking back to the chair. It was so cool. It was so quick and efficient. Anyway, but we saw what losing match points was doing to her brain, and it's what makes this sport so intoxicating. Matt mentions McElroy, this trying to get over the line when something means so much to you.

And Andreva I think obviously it means a lot to her, but I think that there's more going on there now because of the serial nature of what's of the number of times this has happened to her, it's become a thing. It's become an Andrava thing that oh my word, she's about to win. Oh no, now she's lost to serve, suddenly it feels like she could lose. And you get the feeling that she thinks

And yet when she when she composes herself and gets into the interviews again, she's just charming and funny and lovely and she's self deprecating and she's talking about making fun of Conchita Martinez. I mean it's

I I think she's great. I love I s I uh but I really do my heart Aches for her when she's upset and it's not You know, um and I kind of hope that eventually she figures out she's she's been winning a bit more efficiently of late and I think she just needs to keep doing that to get used to it so that this doesn't go bad. Look, she's in the final. How cool's that? I saw an interview with Conchita Martinez on Sky where She said very deadly.

Up front, we know she needs to change this. We know that this is a problem. She knows this. She talked about how they've been working with a couple of different psychologists, I think. And actually, like there'll be some people probably looking at this

path, potential path for Andreva to the title and thinking, Oh well she's you know, she's not gonna have to face any of, you know, the very big players in the world. I actually think that would make it kind of more impressive for Andreva to win this one because that is the particular issue that she's battling at the moment when she's favoured in matches.

And when the pressure and expectation is on her, that's when she struggled. We saw her play Igos Fiontek the other week and okay it's not peak Igosh Fiontek at the moment. But she was brilliant and she handled herself brilliantly in that match. We know she can do that. It's this that we need the proof of. Can she get over the line in these matches she's expected to win? And

So far, look, it's been it's been up and down. As you said, that Bondar match was was you know, really dicey. She was also struggling to keep her composure against Leila Fernandez in in the following round. But I must say I thought against Baptiste she did a lot better. I think generally it was a matchup that suited her because she didn't have to be...

the offensive player. You know, she could be the counterpuncture, the defender, the one who's not setting the tempo in all the rallies, and she's so good at that and she did that brilliantly for most of the match. Until she came to serve it out. And then we saw those demons and

She missed a smash that she should never have missed, served a double fault, and that let Baptiste back in and suddenly the match got really complicated but compelling. But I thought she kept it together really well in in the tie break, Andreva, kind of emotionally, because that could have spiralled and really got out of hand for her but but she did well. So I'm just I'm just fascinated by this.

Andreva situation that we're in and I think she's got like another one of those in in the final because again I think, you know, Kostiak's playing really well but I do think Andreva will see herself as the favourite in that match and you know, she should be winning it and yet the title's on the line. So it's going to be another test of of whether she can handle those moments.

Kostic has been so impressive, hasn't she? I mean, up until last night's semi final against Anastasia Posapova, which was a chaotic mess of a match. She hadn't dropped her set. I mean, she'd played several of the most impressive sets of the tournament, I think, most notably against uh Linda Northkova, beating her seven six, six love. So she comes into the semi final late last night against Potopova

Riding high, full of confidence, playing great tennis, she wins the first set. Oh, Cos Cost Jukes on course, you're thinking. and then an absolute aberration takes place in the second set. And I do think Anastasia Pottopova is one of those players that can cause that sort of thing to happen in a tennis court. I mean Her side of the court last night was total chaos. I mean Talon Greekspoor anointing himself mental and technical coach.

with absolutely seemingly no qualifications or skills to back that up. Um yeah, it was it was a wild ride of a semi final, wasn't it? But I still e even despite that um second set, she she did get a game in it in the end, didn't she? Uh cost you but she was five love down at one point. Even despite that second set. Um I give Koschuk a really fighting chance in this final, David. I've been so impressed with her this week.

Yeah, so so do I. I I think she's the best player that I've seen so far this week. And and actually she's shown me Throughout this year at various points, I mean she had that that big injury gap. But before the injury gap, right at the start of the year, I remember watching her in a tournament and thinking, Crikey, her ceiling is higher than I thought and I I kind of got a sense of it a little bit because of her movement last year, you know, th when you see her move

There's nobody better, really. But then it's like, do you have the firepower and the consistency to to make that count and and take you to another level? If she puts it all together, I think Right up there in the sort of top five or six in the world. Um it's just it it seems to be only coming together now. So it's a fascinating final because obviously i i again it's a Ukrainian against a Russian

She they are used to this now, I know. Um but it still can't be a a non factor, I don't think. I wouldn't have thought anyway. But uh but I think she's playing the better tennis of the two at the moment. She's all also she's a very emotional player.

Different to Andreva, she's quite explosive is is Kostiuk. You know, she lets you have it if it goes wrong. I think that's probably quite good for her to get it out of the system. But but more this I I was noticing last night when she lost that set, Catherine, you s you immediately said I still think she's gonna win this match, Cotton. Mm. I never really doubted that she was gonna win that.

Because it was the other end of the court where all the drama was going on. It was Potopova, I mean frankly Greek sport was caused in a domestic. You know, they're th they're Yeah, it was really embarrassing, wasn't it? It's just like you know, it's just stop talking to her because you're not it doesn't look like you're helping. And it was really it I mean

I think my favourite moment was when was when the other coach said, You're right in this and Potovova said, Have you seen the scoreboard? And I rolled at him and gave him a sarcastic thumbs up. Ha ha. Yeah. But Kostic all the time was smiling and light. You know, she wasn't catastrophizing and I feel like I've seen that a lot from her where she's got on her own case and tails spun out of the tournament. She she there was one incredible rally that she won.

And she really Carlos Alkaz'd it. You know, she sort of walked around with you know Including with the celebration, yeah. Yeah, you know, asking the crowd to get involved and and they did because it was such a spectacular rally, showing off her full uh athleticism, uh and and her ability to to retrieve and then turn into attack, you know. She's a heck of a player. She's getting better. And yeah, I think I'd pick her. In the final.

I think so. When I ask him for a prediction. I think I'll go Andreva, but I don't feel confident. I d I do think they both actually are quite similar from the baseline, you know, in that they much prefer their backhands to their forehands. You know, both of those shots can

can go off as as Kostix did in that second set yesterday quite dramatically. I think Andreva's got the better serve. I was quite impressed with the way she served against Baptiste. Like On the first 20 points on her first serve. barely had issues there, but I do think Kostuk's better returner than Baptiste. I think it's exactly what we've been talking about. Who who handles that moment? Because they both play on the edge.

they you know, and it can both run away from them quite quickly. Um I guess I just go Andreva, but I think I do agree with David that Kostiuk has impressed me more through the week. I think Andreva at various points has been quite unconvincing actually. I don't know. I think it's a big moment for Kostiuk to play a to play a final like that. Hm.

Honourable mentioned just before we move on for the Osaka Sabalenka match, which was another absolute thriller. Naomi Osaka came so close to beating Irina Sabalenka and it was one of those matches where if this was a young up and coming player it would be I mean obviously heartbreaking in the moment to lose it, but nothing but positives for Osaka. It would be a I'm getting closer moment, right? You know, in the scheme of things. But

we know she doesn't have that mindset, right? We know her mindset is I can't keep taking these these losses. I don't I don't wanna be I don't wanna be out here to to not be a top player and to be losing to these top players. So I d I worry I don't know, I worry about how she'll take a loss. yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw Proof that this her efforts are worth it.

Yes, I I agree. She definitely could do a getting one. I I Can't imagine she wouldn't feel encouraged by this week, by the the win she had to get there and then the fact that she really pushed Sabalenka compared to say a couple of few weeks ago when they played each other and she did

That's my hope. And it and it is also you know, the surface she's less keen on compared to hardcore typically. So yeah, I hope that this encourages her'cause I I want to see her around. She's just still great to have a back. and also like How bloody hard is it to beat Irina Sabolenka? Because Asaka won a you know, she won the tie break and that was the first time all year I think that Sabolenka had lost a tiebreak. And then they had these incredible

games right at start of the second set, start of the third set, where it was like several deuces and Sabalenka was toughing out those games as well. And then okay, we do eventually see Sabalenka lose, but we've talked about what it took out of Baptiste. You know, like she had kinda nothing left the next match and she played literally the match of her life to be able to win that by the skin of her teeth. That is

just like the standard that Sabalenko is setting right now. I s I still you know, I think, you know, typically she'd she wins Madrid or gets the final of Madrid so you could kind of say this is a bit of a regression but I don't know her it was her first tournament on Calais this season, wasn't it? And it still felt like she was Yeah, yeah.

Not winning Madrid too much, is she? Savalenka. Yeah, absolutely. Okay, that's it for part one. We'll be back in part two to talk about the men and Matt's guy, Alexander Blocks. Exceeds all expectations. I always knew that you would end up doing something great. See the movie that's fun, fierce, and well worth the way. Runway does best. And now the devil is back in all her glory. My boss is back. Don't miss the iconic movie event now playing Omian Theaters.

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Welcome back to part two of today's tennis podcast. The men in Madrid are at the semi-final stage. We have Yannick Sinner against Artifice in the first semi-final. Both of them unbeaten on clay this season. And then we have the surprise package of Alexander Blocks. More on him in a moment, taking on the two-time former Madrid champion Alexander Zverev in the second semifinal. Let's talk Sinner and Feet. David, how how big a chance do you give Artifice here? Both unbeaten on clay. Tantalising.

I mean look, I think Cinner is the heavy favourite. I uh obviously he will be on on paper and I do think he is. I think he does things that unsettle feast. It it'll be very interesting to to s to see that. In this case. current year, you know, with with as you say, feast playing his best stuff, but also Cinner being an another level altogether to when they played each other previously. What are the things that you're doing? What are the things he does that'll unsettle him?

Get him off balance. I th I not not that Fees isn't a good enough athlete to to deal with that. I think it's more just You know, he does usually he's used to settling into a backhand cross court exchange and then trying to get his forehand going and dominating with that. Cinner just doesn't give players chance to do that. You know, we saw it with the in the Raphael Hodar match, you know, or the power that Hodar has

was difficult to invoke because he's not got his feet under him against Yannick Sinner because Sinner's so often going down the line, both forehand and backhand, and he's got a great drop shot. He's become Do you know, uh there was a a a moment in the cinemach the other day when when I think Matt referenced Carlos Alkraus, I think the two of you were talking about that, that it's all it's he's doing Carlos Alkras things. It was.

followed by the backhand, the improbable angle It was to save a break point. To save a great point. Absolutely. It was almost indulgently brilliant. Because, you know, there are probably m other ways he could have hit that shot and he he went for the backhand and there was the volley knifed backhand cross court that hits the line. It's just unrealed touch that he has. Do you know the person that reminds he reminds me of more is Novak Jokov.

Because Djokovic I think i is more like him anyway, in terms of his fundamental game. And Djokovic developed all of these other layers, these other skills on top and became this master of craftsman around the court. His his understanding of the geometry of the court is is pretty much unmatched to my mind, uh Novak Djokovic is. And I think that Sinner is developed and becoming more and more difficult to to beat. It's fascinating, isn't it?

What what one of the old adages of tennis is you can't really learn tough Okay, you can learn you can learn angles and geometry and stuff, but Yannikson's touch has improved. I remember seeing him play Daniel Medvedev in Miami a couple of years ago, back in the it was at the tail end of

Yannick Sonna being unable to beat Daniel Medvedev. Remember those days? It wasn't that long ago. Um and I w I was there for this. It was my one of my last tournaments for Amazon and you know, Daniel Medvedev was four hundred meters behind the baseline, and Yannick Senna was like seems like a good idea to to drop shot him, which it is a good idea to drop shot Daniel Medvedev, but his drop shots were crap. Like he just didn't

it like he just didn't have the touch for them. Um and I okay, he's not he's not Carlos Alcaraz, but that's the highest possible bar. His touch is really good. Like it's so impressive what he's doing. He y there are actually drills that we're seeing of him practicing his drop shots. And I wonder whether ahead of that Daniel Medvedev All those years ago, weather

His practising of that drop shot ahead of Medvedev was consigned to one day. You know, whereas we know since the US Open last year he's he said, No, no, this is my new thing. I'm going to... I'm prepared I'm prepared to take losses to make the gains in the long term. And he hasn't taken those. No, it's incredible, isn't it? It's and I mean i in his own ways.

You know, he said I'm prepared to lose some matches to try to get a level that I've not had before and I I respect that. I think that's a a great way to go. It can derail some players who who maybe aren't good enough or I don't or aren't trusting enough in the moment. With artifice What he has is a punchous chance.

And what he needs to do is be able to settle. If he can settle and feel like he can win it win service games and get his timing because Cinner the reason I think Cinner has so many lopsided score lines, I mean like he beats people so often really easily because the moment they get on the court, he he owns the thing. He's directing the play and they are just off balance and not able to do all the things they're good at. And he may do that to feed.

But I've seen Feast settle in a few matches the last few weeks, like against Lorenzo Mazz Mazzetti and um and the bad ones have come against probably inferior players who he just hasn't really settled. Once he settles, his game is so heavy and destructive, and his aura is so kind of Cocky in a positive way that I actually think he could do some damage against Sinner. He could do s I I think he would. With that gone. He he's number one for aura in men's tennis, I think.

One of these days he will beat uh he will beat Cinnar or Al Krauz or both on clay, I believe that. Um I'm not sure it's yet. Uh, but bloody impressive, isn't it? The guy has been back since February. He's played what, eight or nine tournaments and he hasn't he hasn't gone out before the quarterfinals. It's incre he's fourth in the race, right? And he didn't even play the Australian. Prayed for times like these. Mm-hmm.

He didn't even play the Australian Open the year's only grand sum tournament and he's fourth in the race.

for a minute. Um did well, Hoddar, didn't he, to make it as competitive as it was in that second set and it really was competitive. Sinna was having to pull some rabbits out of hats to to win Pressure points, eventually won it on a tiebreak of lopsided seven and IO tie break. A match that in my opinion was by the roof being closed for it. Sorry to be a damp squib. It was it's a disgrace. It was sunny outside.

Yeah. They hurt Hodoa, they hurt I mean, look, it was still a great atmosphere. But C closing closing roofs because of risk of possible rain is Clay cool. It's an absolute nonsense. On clay in particular, but on an on anything really. These roofs close so quickly. Uh yeah, on clay it is I I can't think of a single defence of it really. It's a disgrace and

Yeah, obviously it impacts my enjoyment in particular because I hate indoor tennis so much and I hate indoor clay. But it's I'm glad we have the roof. for when it is raining. But um it's not a pleasant roof in Madrid. You know, it's not one that lets any natural light in. It's a very imposing as you can imagine, the Caja Magica. No no matter what Matt Fatiman tries to tell you about its architectural beauty. It is a monstrosity, folks.

Uh bless you Matt. I n I knew he was gonna have a pro magic box agenda. It's horrible. It's horrible. And obviously that's me being an architectural you know, non appreciator of art apparently. But it's horrible and it's purpose built. That I think is what riles me so much about the Kaha Magico. They could have built anything. It was purpose built from scratch a few years ago. They could have done anything, and they did that. Anyway, back to Khodar. Sinna wrote um in his message on the camera.

after the match, what a player. Which is very clever'cause it's ingratiating yourself with the the Spanish crowd, paying a huge compliment to Rafa Holdar. He's also paying himself a com compliment, isn't he? Very Federer esque, like What a player, I've just beaten you in straight sets. Well done both of us. I Yeah. Are we definitely sure he wasn't called referring to himself as what a player? for your market.

No he wasn't doing that folks, just to be clear. But that would be really baller. I'd love Mm-hmm. I know we've talked about it, but I'm not sure. It's funny, like I go into that map Thinking, oh I'm I feel I'm gonna come out of this mostly thinking about Hollar. Right? I know about Yannick Sinner, I'm interested in what Hollar's gonna bring here. And yet I came out of it I was impressed with Holder, I think he did really well. He handled the occasion, he pus he pushed Sinner in a way.

But it's like the story it's like it's what men's tennis is doing at the moment. You you y you think about someone else and then you end up thinking, Oh How good are Cinner and Alcaraz? Because that passage of play from Cinner from three he was three four fifteen forty down and he barely missed a ball for the rest of the match. It was just an absolute

clinic, you know, and like a perfect, like, free demonstration for Hodar about everything that he can work on and improve in order to get to that level. As we said, Sinner's Touch is drop shot. He's hitting at the end of his range. I think that's one of the things that Matt Fatiman was hinting at there. You know, with Hodar, when he gets on the run, okay, he might make a winner, but he might also like blast it long.

Sinner is so good and this is a very Djokovic trait. I think Sinner's maybe even better at it. being uh stretched out wide on either wing and still managing to hit with great pace on his shots. That it's it's remarkable how he does that. Depth to suffocate Hollar and then just generally like

the very just cold ability to just bring it under pressure. You know, like it's all very well being able to play good points. All these people can play good points. Sinner can do it when he needs to do it. And he's done it time and time again and

Yeah, I think I think Matt Futterman's report wrote that he hit one unforced error on the back end all match. And he he switched up his return position right at the end of the match, became a bit more aggressive, crowded the baseline, put some doubt in Hodar's mind. It was It was remarkable how how Sinna turned it on and

That's that's what makes it so tantalising today against Feast,'cause I agree with David. I think Feast is gonna bring it. I think he's gonna I think he's gonna worry him and he's gonna shake him. I think that power is enough to to hurt anyone. But then I'm also just waiting for what Sinner does in response to that. And that is kind of exciting as well.

D j seeing as Alcraz has got a couple of mentions, d we all saw the absolutely adorable footage of him going going out with his family to watch his younger brother Jaime in the uh junior tournament that they have in Madrid. Greeted his parents like he hadn't seen them in months. We know they all live together.

Thanks. Oh fancy seeing you here. It was it was adorable. And of course he's got his big, quite cumbersome wrist support on, which looks alarming, but of course it's to is to just immobilise the joint, isn't it? And to give it just total rest, but he c you know, he was still he's got this sort of limp, modified clap that he was doing for Jaime and he couldn't help himself from fist pumping. He sort of instinctively was fist pumping for his younger brother but

You could see him sort of remember like, Oh, I can't I can't really do that. Um Yeah, it was it was all incredibly sweet. Um let's talk about the other semi final. Alexander blocked

Against Alexander Zverev. Matt, tell us about your guy. Well, what a run he's had. He's beaten Orgi Aliasim, Francisco Surundalo and Casparut, the defending champion. All of them in straight sets, and that's three top twenty wins in a row right there. Um I first saw I think Blocks play in person actually. It was only a it was only a practice session, but it's at the Davis Cup.

last year when he was there for Belgium, in Bologna and he w he wasn't picked to play the singles, you know, it was Colignon and Burgs who who played the singles, but Blocks kind of caught my eye. It's kind of my failing, I think, as a as a as a tennis analyst, potentially, that I just always come away

with an outsized impression of how good someone is having seen them play in person. Do you know what I mean? Like I'm never I'm never not impressed by the way these guys hit the ball and move. You know, it's why we ended up with the best player in the world bit for Thomas Mahach, isn't it? Like you can just get lulled in. And I watched Blocks and I just thought, Bloody hell, he like he's a big guy, he's like six foot four and he just hits such a clean

big ball. So I just thought, okay, he's one he's kinda one to watch next year and he obviously played the next gen finals and you know, he he had a pretty good season. There was a reason he was on that Belgium Davis Cup. squad. But frankly, this little run he's put together on the clay has really just catapulted him to a new level. You know, he's he's basically next to Hollar now in the live rankings. He's right there with him in terms of, you know, thirty ish

match in in the world with this run in Madrid and he'd also qualified in Monte Carlo, he'd beat Caboli in Monte Carlo, got to the last sixteen there, won a match in Munich, and this is all happening on clay, where you wouldn't necessarily have thought that was his

preferred surface. I think a lot of his junior r good results are on hardcore or indoors and that makes sense to me. He's got this massive serve. Absolutely enormous serve and a a huge forehand as well. But what's impressed me actually is the the blend of his game. You know, I think he's he's prepared to rally when he needs to rally. He's pretty solid off both sides. His backhand is not really a weapon, but he's prepared to use it to kind of go toe to toe from the baseline.

He's very disconcerting for opponents, isn't he? They don't they don't know what's coming off his racket from the back of the court. And and he's also got some decent touch. You know, there was a there was a moment early on against Casparude where he chased down a drop shot and responded with a counter drop shot as he slid into it and just had the softest hands to be able to just kill it.

And I just thought, wow, okay, that's that's real skill as well as big power and then he was pretty nervous down the stretch. Okay, he had a couple of match points that Rude saved really well, so then he had to serve it out against Rude. And he came forward. He had a dry volley, he had a huge inside out forehand. It was he just stepped up in in that moment as well. And he he in his interview afterwards on Sky he was saying

No, I don't think I'm better than these guys. I don't I don't sort of have this outsized belief in myself, but I totally think I'm there with them and I belong. And it it kind of came across like There's a there's a sort of quiet confidence to him, I suppose, and yeah, this this run through the clay has put him on the cusp of being seeded at the French Open in a few weeks' time.

To not get seeded for the sake of orangerie for yeah, just you can get to like forty in the world, but just Just put the brakes on for the sake of orangerie fun, please. And and and I do think to Matt Fatiman's point, Madrid is this slight outlier event. I think that's a good way of looking at it as well in terms of like Yn ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud.

She's been on the rise and has had a steady, consistent rise over the last few years and especially this year. But it's not a shock to me that like her best tennis gets played in Madrid. You know, I think it helps the serve, I think it helps the forehand, and I think similarly with blocks as well.

You know, these are conditions which are good for him. So I'm kind of coming out of this thinking, yes, absolutely excited about Baptiste and Blocks. I'm not not trying to knock their achievements or anything, but I think if we're bit trying to be sensible and a sensible analysts as well, you have to think about where they're playing and how helped are they by the conditions. And I I do think those game styles just seem like they fit Madrid really well for both of them. Much like Zark.

Yeah, yeah, it's the case of love. Not that he doesn't have success elsewhere on clay as well, lots of it, but Madrid is just a dream for Ale Alexander Zverev, I think, isn't it? And he has been impressive, particularly last night against Kaboli, who was disappointing. It i it continues to be a roller coaster being a Kaboli guy.

Um, Blocks, incidentally, if you're thinking where do I recognise that name from? Um it's interesting seeing him sort of emerge at the same time as Hodar, because Hodar obviously went the US college route he um's been studying and playing for Virginia, I think, university. Um so he's kind of been in in incubation and emerged as this butterfly from a chrysalis whereas block

we knew about from juniors. Um, he he went the playing lots of juniors route he was junior number one. He won the US O uh he won the Australian Open Juniors in twenty twenty three. beating Lerner Tien in the final and he was runner up in the doubles that year, partnering Joel Fonsec. So that tells you what what vintage he is and what what cohort. a part of. And he does seem to have that slow heartbeat thing, David, that you often talk about. Never too high, never too low.

Takes things in his stride. So look it was a very heavy favourite, but who know. Yeah, I would have thought so. I mean... It's actually the it's so Zverev is a is a really fascinating story the next few weeks because he he uses his experience very well against these sort of players'cause he knows how to get over the line and outlast them and make them choke, make them

miss. Um blocks just I I mean I I I had been struggling to get a handle on what type of player he was because I saw the Augier Ali Assim match and and he he he hit six four hand winners to Orgelia seems thirteen and yet he beat him in straight sets and he's supposed to have a big forehand, so what sort of player is he? So very interesting to hear your your uh dissection of his game. I I I was I'm entertained by the the the matter of factness of his answers in interview.

And um the the but but there was an actually interesting story I saw on on social media, w an interview with uh I think a Belgian TV station, um, talking about how asking him about Splitting from his coach of sixteen years, Philip Cassier. And it it was really funny the way he just sort of said, Look, I I can't talk about But I can confirm it's true.

That's uh oh, so you're not gonna talk about it, but you are gonna absolutely confirm the story. Um don't know the reason for it, I think is what he was getting at. Scene for Philippe Cassier for him to have split from a and immediately had this like total breakout run of form. Or Alcaraz going and completing the career slam, isn't it? It it is one of the hard things of coaching. I mean I don't I don't know the the the the the circumstances of this one, but very often you'll see

formative coach is doing an incredible job and then kind of not getting to live off the glory at the end. But um anyway it's he he's a nice addition to the mix, isn't he? He's got um Rubin Bemmelmans in his box. now who I think is is is coaching feel like we should have an honourable mention for Kasparud and Stefano Sitzapass.

and their backhand avoiding drama fuelled final set tie break of a match. Sits about said two match points, I think just an utterly heartbreaking defeat for him to defending champion Kasparud, who went on to lose to block in the following match. I mean I I suppose it's positive to negative to Sitzapass, isn't it? This week has been some of the best tennis we've seen from him in a long time, but also a loss like that is gonna bloody hurt and these tournaments are

opportunities for him. You know, big opportunities and ones that frankly, if he still has the aspirations that he once had of achieving things in the sport, opportunities that he It was tough from a Sitsipas perspective at the end. I think we were all watching this in various different ways. Matt, I know you were watching this.

Yes, we were playing our um hold or break game with the athletic group chat, which is, you know, kinda what we do when there's a big game and we're all watching it, do we think they're gonna serve this out or not? Um I had too much faith in Sitsipass. I thought he was gonna I thought he was gonna serve it out. Um

And look, he's had a he's had a s look, we've talked a lot about Sitzapaz, he's had a strange year'cause he's had some good performances in there, you know, he's beaten Fritz, Medvedev, Demonor, Bublik. You know, these are these are all pretty good wins and he was so close to beating Casparude in some of his favourite conditions there as the defending champion in Madrid.

And yet I agree, Catherine, like, you know, the clay court season's running running out, you know, like we're almost at Roland Garros and this is his time of year where you thought, okay, maybe he might still be able to get something together on the clay'cause his game does still, you know, kind of suit that

Schedules differently this year and maybe plays some of those Clay Court events after after Wimbledon, like that might be a smart move. Like he needs to get his ranking going in the right direction, and Clay does feel like The Casparude swing.

shot at that. Um I mean he was talking afterwards about like feeling like himself again on the court and I think generally it kind of was a a positive week. He did look better, his game looked better, looked looked more damaging. You know, I think we talk a lot about to surpass his weaknesses in the areas he hasn't improved and I think we're right to do that. But the other thing as well is that

He doesn't hurt players as much as he used to. You know, his his strengths are maybe not quite as effective as they used to be. You know, we used to talk about him having one of the best forehands in the world. When was the last Devastate.

Yeah. W when was the last time you would have thought that? You know, it feels like that shot has maybe regressed a little bit, but it was doing a bit more damage. There were some There were some good signs if you're if if you're if you're trying to clutch and see them, but yeah, it's it's still a it's still a tough scene for Did you see the footage that came out on social media of him on the practice court with both his parents? I've seen it before.

Yeah, w we know it, we've seen it but and yet somehow it's still quite shocking and I just feel so sorry for him. It was his dad's on the baseline with him, he's serving, I think. And then his mum steps in to try and give some advice and then his dad tells his mum to pipe down And that i it's it's just grim. It's r I mean you just don't stand a chance with that going on. D I mean, in the context of that, the fact that he's in the world's top one hundred is pretty damn impressive, to be honest.

um so yeah we wish him well and he still came and did a one-on-one with matt fatterman after that defeat um So get on him. Funnily enough, just just watching him. I I got the same feeling watching him as he describes. It was like watching Stefana Sitzipas. And I'cause I love watching him when he's playing well. And I and listen, I I think it's gonna take a long time if he's gonna come back to kind of get over the demons and

of how to how to win. You know, how to win the big matches uh that he used to do without too much trouble. But look, you've you've just got to do it step by step. You've got to just try to feel like yourself. Okay, that is it for part two. We will be back in part three with some bits and bobs of news away from Madrid, including that Emma Radicanu coaching exclusive, or what we think is an exclusive, maybe. Hopefully. Composed in any condition, confident on any terrain, envied everywhere.

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Welcome back to part three of today's tennis podcast. Some news you might have seen by now and it was being rumoured for a few days, but it is now confirmed. Jack Draper is out of the remainder of the Clay Court season, including of course Roland Garros, and that means that his ranking We'll drop outside of the world's top one hundred, he said in a social media post my knee is on the mend and I've started back hitting balls, but unfortunately I've been advised not to play Roland Garros.

As gutting as it is to miss another slam, the advice is not to rush. straight back into playing five set tennis on clay. Off the back of the arm injury I sustained last year, I've been restricted with my training, and by giving myself the time to heal and build, I can be the player I want to be out there once again. See you soon.

Um it's it's it's a relief that he's being so cautious with these injuries in spite of what I imagine is an absolute desperation to get back out on the tour properly but the Jet Draper mood music is um is out of tune at the moment, isn't it? It's it's it's a it's a tough situation. Um, he's lucky I think that the Wimbledon cut off is as early as it is. He should get into Wimbledon.

But um I don't think he's gonna get into I think he's gonna need a wild card or have to play qualities at at the US Open because of when the cutoff for that is unless he wins Wimbledon or something. Um yeah, US open wildcards I think are gonna be interesting because we are we've got a lot of retiring players, um, that are gonna be asking for them, I think. Potentially one of them, Kenishikori.

Former finalist of course at the US Open, he's announced that this will be his final season, saying I still wish I could continue my career, which is pretty heartbreaking, to be honest. So the US Open will be his his final Grand Slam, as as it will be for Stan Rinka. I imagine Grigor Dimitrov's gonna he's needing world cards to get into Grand Slam main draws, isn't he? Or else he'll have to play qualifying.

Interesting, interesting wildcard situation um emerging over the course of the summer, I would think. And we also Give any of them wild cards is what Catherine's really thinking. Get rid of it. to the wall, Carl. Yeah. If we're gonna have wildcards, I'm happy for all of those people to get them. I don't I I the thought of some being left out is not Not great. Bianca Andrescu didn't get one last year. Just throw that out there. Anastasia Savastava, who also um

had some great results at the US segment, didn't she? I really associate her with that Grand Slam in particular. She has announced her retirement again. She first retired back in twenty thirteen, but she came back, reached the quarterfinals of the US Open in twenty sixteen and twenty seventeen. Um and then the semifinals in twenty eighteen. Um, career high ranking of eleven, one of those really underrated tennis players I think, and had some incredible peaks. So we wish Anastasia Savastava

a happy retirement and finally um in our news section we have been contacted by a tennis podcast listener who tells us That they have seen Emma Radicani training with Andrew Richardson, the coach with whom she won the US Open in twenty twenty one. David, tell us more.

Um this very much came out of the blue and into my email inbox. We were told where this took place, where where she was seen practising with Andrew Richardson in Spain And that information does tally with where we understand Richardson has been based for a few years now, basically since He finished working with Emiratakarno, coaching his son in recent years um as the head coach there.

Um, look, we haven't had this information confirmed. Um and also even if it is confirmed, we don't know whether it's actually a meaningful development other than, you know, they may just be practicing together for a bit. Don't know. I did put it to Radicanu's representative uh a couple of times in messages over the last week. Just to ask if it was accurate and for any comments on it, and I have not received a response to those messages, despite them seemingly having been read.

Um now most of the time I do get a response from that particular agent, so whether you can read anything into that Who can say? Um that's all we can say really, uh, right now because we haven't been able to get any more on it. Um, but it certainly hasn't been shot down either um

So it's one to keep an eye out for, not only because Radicano's I mean, she's always an interesting talking point on a coaching level, because she's had so many of them since she won that US Open with Andrew Richardson. He was there by her side when she won it as a qualifier. Um he actually did an interview. I mean th their relationship ended basically a couple of weeks after he once

he he was by aside when she won that tournament. Um and he he did an interview with with our late and much missed colleague Mike Dixon in the Daily Mail back in twenty twenty three did did Andrew Richardson and

And he said at the time that he'd hoped to continue working with her after that US open win and they'd begun negotiations and then he received a call from her agent the following week to say that she wanted to go in a different direction. So He then embarked on on an on a new career basically, um, as a as a head coach at this club and obviously his son's

a promising junior too. Uh and he was coaching him. So but because of their history, because m she she hasn't been able to reproduce that success, despite having A lot of coaches and obviously a lot of injuries as well. It's inevitably an interesting development if indeed they have been training together. So we watch this space with interest. Especially in light of what she is. told us and made very clear that she wants to get back to playing how she

played as an eighteen year old when she she won the US Open. Obviously, you know, she wants to get back to those results but she wants to get back to that style of playing which she'd really, really drifted from, um, most notably with um with Francisco Roig. So it's really fascinating. I love it when players get back together with ex coaches. Going back to your ex is a risky and fascinating experiments. Uh so we will

We will watch that situation closely. Uh in terms of us, we of course will be back with our next show to wrap up Madrid, talk about the finals, talk about everything that is gonna unfold over the next three days and that show will be live on Sunday night at eight PM UK time or if the men's final is a thrilling four-hour epic then the final that our show will be whenever that final finishes but

It is planned for eight pm UK time. That'll be live on YouTube. We will send out the link in our newsletter. We will uh pop it on our Instagram or you can just follow our YouTube channel and then you never have to miss anything if you uh want to join our shows live. It'll be up shortly after as a podcast as well, of course. We also have a friend show next week on Wednesday night, that is a QA show, sixth of May, eight PM UK time, live on YouTube as always, and up as a podcast. So

If you want to join us for that, then the link to become a friend is in our show notes. Um and I didn't write this. I assume this was either Matt or David. Rydyn ni'n ei wneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud, David? Well I mean it definitely contributes, yeah. very unexpected David winning a quiz content, then our Instagram is the place to go, folks.

Especially given the cont content of that particular Yeah, if you're feeling down about AI um and and the the evils therein and look I'm not saying this content cancels all o out all of those evils, but it might make you feel a a bit better about the upsides of AI. Is that enough of a tease? Pretty good. I mean it's n no surprise that I've cut I've come up with it after the one that I won, having not won the previous two, math.

I d I don't know where this idea has come from that David is not good at tennis quizzes. Like David knows more about tennis That idea has not come for me. I just wasn't expecting him to be good at this tennis quiz. David, David! Loves the drama, really, and All the Or the tennis celebrity. Break ups. David loves it. David. Tennis. Bye. David's good at quiz. I I did f I weighted it towards the nineties just for you, Dave.

I thought that. I did think there's a couple of things going on here that Matt just wasn't alive for. And I feel like this is being skewed in my favour and I'm all for it. Yeah, you know. We have not one but two mascots for this episode, introducing Archer and Dot, who are owned by Greg and Beth. And this mascotum is a gift wed for her brother and sister in law from Greg's sister Rachel.

So it's a gift from Rachel to Greg and Beth. Is that right, Matt? Is that how you've interpreted that? Yes. And Archer and Dot are Greg and Beth's dogs. Archer is a red doodle And Dot is the party doodle. Uh I don't understand that, but I'm obsessed with it. Uh Ar Archer was the OG pre Greg. Um so before before Greg came along it was just Beth and Archer. Uh and they welcomed the crazy, energetic and lovable Dot to the family a few years later. Archer and Dot commute between Boulder, Colorado,

where their dad works part time. And Colorado Springs, where their mum works and lives. They love tennis balls, all balls for that matter, and are avid fans of the tennis podcast and tennis i in general. Both of a joy and they love their aunt Rachel. And I'm looking at a picture of them here where they're snuggled up on their couch.

A very comfortable looking couch, by the way, and they are nuzzled forehead to forehead, and I could I could weep at the beauty of this photo. So that is a lovely thing, Rachel, for you to have done for Greg and for Beth. and for Archer and for Dot and I'm gonna be google Googling uh Red Doodle and Party Doodle immediately after this. Uh hello to our mascots, Bodie, Maisie and Roger. Hello to our top folks and executive producers, Greg, Chris, and Jeff. Matt, let's have some shout-outs.

We have Stefan Kapolak from Seattle, home of the Seahawks, Stefan Rice. Yeah, great. If you're watching us on YouTube, Stefan, you'll see that David is appropriately dressed for your shout out. I mean David is always wearing an item of Seahawks match, so I could I could have a different outfit every day of the week with C. Ha ha ha. He's got his um he's got his neck pillow for the for the pla i it's not just clothes, is it, David? You've got accessories too.

Yeah. Yeah. I've rescued that neck pillow. Yeah. Uh what do we know about Stefan? Very good tennis name. Stefan would like to dedicate this shout out to my bestie John, he says, who's a tent a new tennis podcast friend and a lifelong friend of Stefan. Stefan says he always beats me in tennis, but I love it every day. Stefan, consider it done and hello John, welcome to the party. Cheers, Stefan. Hi, Jean. We also have Jim Session from Melbourne.

Hello Jim. gym says fulham fan here so a question for matt is harry wilson's left foot the closest football comparison to the anisimova backhand It's a great question. I think I think we're too biased in favour of Fulham Jim, you know. When like next season Wilson scoring those left footed goals for Aston Villa having left on a free.

Probably not gonna be so into them, you know? But the fact he does them for Fulham, they do give me similar similar feelings of joy, yes. I see where you're coming from, Jim. Yeah. Jim Parsons? Korea. Uh listener? Jim Currier? A gym career. Yeah. But yeah, hi Jim Parsons, our listener. Jim Courier who started the rumour about the shrimp. Yeah. Thank you, Jim. And finally we have Heather Day.

Heather says last spring I shared with the pod my overwhelming delight at getting to see my beloved Carlos Alcaraz at Roland Garros, which was the first match I had ever seen live. This year I went to Indian Wales for two days with two tennis friends from Seattle. Tennis, especially through your pod, brings me joy, and I would not be going on these trips if it were not for you. Thank you, Catherine, David. That's lovely from here then. That's so nice. Thank you, Helen.

That is extremely lovely. And I'm sure Heather got this last time, but Heather Watson. Yeah. Heather. Jim. John and Stefan, thank you ever so much for your support of the tennis podcast. If you'd like to become a friend, the link is in our show notes. Uh we are part of the Athletic Podcast Network. We will be back on Eating. So thank you for listening. We will see you and You've decided to quit smoking. That's a big step. But cravings don't always make it easy. Zonic can help.

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