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But here we are, well into the night and tomorrow morning. It was men's semi-finals day and a whole lot more today. We have a lot to get into. Matt, how you feeling? Pretty tired, but ready for finals weekend. Okay, good. And I'm playing tennis tomorrow. Yes. Who's playing? The usual gang, Matt Fusserman, Simon Briggs, Neil McClemmon. Take him down. You've got five players for a double, so it's a... Yeah, it's going to be a rotating system figure out who the weak link is.
We should make it very difficult for you to answer the question who won, but I will be asking you that question nonetheless. Tune in to tomorrow's show to find out the answer. David, how are you doing? Yeah, good. It's been a long day. I think I did five sets of commentary today, ball by ball on the radio, lots of reports as well. But you know, it's semi-finals day and it's men's semi-finals day. Best of five set matches and there were a lot of those sets.
So yeah, pretty exhilarating stuff, particularly in the first semi as well, obviously, get on to. Yeah, a five set match and a four set match to decide on men's finalists. It will be Colossal Krause, who beat Yannick Sinner in five sets today against Alexander's Varro, who beat Casparoud in four sets today. The final on Sunday will be a tenth career meeting between those two men and we'll talk about both semi-finals, of course.
We also woke up to the news today that Alexander's Varro's domestic abuse case, which began a week ago in Berlin, has been discontinued without a verdict. It was something he was asked to ban his press conference after the match. That is something we'll be talking about later in the show as well. And of course, we have the women's final to look ahead to and a number of other results to bring you up today with too. And it was Pride Day at the French Open today.
I didn't see like a ton of stuff to mark that. I would like to see more. I'd love to see all the players walk out in Rainbow Laces and goodness knows what else. But it's good that they have it here. Yeah. Yeah, I must admit, I didn't see an awful lot, but then I wasn't really around the grounds. I was stuck in a commentary box the whole day really, but yes, it is definite progress at least that they have it. Yeah, so some more flags, more rainbow stuff. Who doesn't love a rainbow?
We could all have done with some more rainbows today. I think you're Australian Open set the bar. Yeah. Yeah, they do fun stuff and it's cool. It feels like a real vibe rather than a... I don't want to say box tick, I feel like it is more than that, but come on. Like, let's make it fun. But yeah, good that they have it. So the first of the two men's semi-finals that we saw in Philippe's factory today, Sinoraz, anyone for that nickname, hasn't quite caught on, I would say.
Not really into those sort of things, as you may have seen. Not a lie, but that's one of the better ones. I don't like it. I'm quite happy with just saying Sinor against Algrass. I don't know against Algrass. Meeting number nine, one by Carlos Algrass, two, six, six, three, three, six, six, four, six, three, in four hours and nine minutes. It takes their head-to-head record to five, four in Algrass' favour. And it brings Carlos Algrass' five set record to ten, one, and just one lost.
That's extraordinary, isn't it? What a record that is. And before the match, I think if you'd have told me that, I wouldn't have really believed it. I can kind of remember a few of them. But I wouldn't have believed that he was on nine-one before today. It was only when we entered the fifth set that I looked it up and saw it. And I was really taken aback by that number.
And it probably does him a little bit of a disservice that I view him through the lens of the guy who just plays showbiz, tennis, and prime time tennis and has us jumping off our seats, rather than the guy who finds a way through in five sets. But yeah, maybe there's a reframing needed. We're going to go through this chronologically set by set, I think, because it really was a roller coaster of a ride this match. But could you try and summarise this tennis match in just a few words?
Because I'm not sure I can, you know. Weird would be probably the first one that comes to mind. And one of those where just because it's five sets doesn't mean by any stretch of the imagination that it was an epic. I think for three sets, they hadn't played well at the same time. They had played badly at the same time in that third set. That was probably the peak-weird moment. Sinner came out strong, fast, playing well. Alcarez less so than that turned. And that was why we're at one set all.
Third set was incredibly strange, where Sinner was visibly cramping. We learnt afterwards that Alcarez was cramping as well. But Sinner was visibly cramping in his forearm and yet it was Alcarez who lost that set and completely fell off and dropped his level. But then I think what I will try and take away and remember from this match was the last two sets, which actually I think the level increased dramatically. And there were some excellent moments from both players.
And it was more like the match I was expecting. And I think Alcarez was able to create a little more on the court with a piece of how I would end up describing it. The number of drop shots that were successful for him or drop shot lob combinations. And he's able to hit winners from just crazy positions and do spectacular things. And that all sort of came together. And he had so many options at his disposal in those last two sets.
And I think that greater variety ended up really, really helping him today. And his serve also improved as the match went on. So that's what I'll take away from it. But I think for a long period it was maybe a match which, you know, if there are other matches have really highlighted what their strengths are. This for a time may be exposed to few limitations or zoned in on where they can still both improve. Even though they're both obviously amazing.
There was a slight feeling of, oh, like they can still play like this. And that was kind of a thing that you had to process while this match was going on. Like you want it to be amazing. And you know, you expect it to be. But it wasn't what your eyes were seeing. There were there were periods in this match which were, you know, pretty lackluster from from both players, even if they did have some some tremendous peaks as well.
Yeah, we all started our day today by watching on YouTube on our big tele, which is obscured from various different angles by enormous hanging lamps. The highlights of their US Open Quarter Final in 2022. Now, okay, they're highlights, but they're extended highlights like 50 minutes long. So, okay, they're cutting out the odd bad bit. But it was the most, I mean, we will watch that turn its match at the time. And yet we were astonished by how good it was looking back to years on.
That we we gasped at the first rally. The first point of that match, David and I both exclaimed out loud watching it. And then we had to pause it because Matt was out. Yeah, David was like, we can't watch this for that Matt. Yeah. And Matt was out for a run, making us all feel bad. And and that match, this wasn't right? And it's it's unfair. Like they might never play a match as good as that again. I'm quite sure they'll play brilliant matches again.
But it was it was absolutely ridiculous that they both played that well for five sets in that match. And that yeah, we should we should probably never hold that them to that standard. It is unfair because because I think if you look at quite a few of their other matches, they're more like today's, okay, this was longer than a lot of those. But the Wimbledon match they played was four sets for a Senate. It wasn't a great match at all. There was a six one set for Sinner and that.
The match they played in UMAG on Clavier, one of the match that had was a tie-break first set. That was exhilarating. And then there were two six one six one sets. And so, you know, it's not always a classic. I think that particularly me, I get one over by that one match that we saw at the USO. But I think they will have many more exhilarating matches to come. And I think also that incredible rally that they had in Miami. And that was a great match.
That match was great. It wasn't just the rally. Like the rally was one of the best things there's ever been. But the match was great as well. Yeah, it was. It was particularly that first set. But we actually saw both of their Achilles heels a little today. I think in Alcras' case, the first set where he makes a slow start. And he does that. He made a slow start in In New Wales. And he lost the first set six one to Tionic Ciner. He made a slow, terribly slow start against Verive in Australia.
So, see, I think this one was different to Zverive. I thought it was more like In New Wales. I didn't, against Verive, like he laid an egg for you. Yeah, and he didn't. And he didn't do a set against Verive. Didn't do a disaster this time. I didn't think that's what this was at all. I felt like he was rocked by how brilliantly Sinner came out of the block. And I felt like that was what happened in In New Wales as well. Sinner was pretty close to unplayable.
If not unplayable in the first set in In New Wales. And similar today, really. And Alcras was rocked by it. And that show that he was playing worse towards the end of the first set than he was at the start of it. It wasn't the... Yes, I agree with that. It wasn't the eerie atmosphere that you had in Australia. That was going to start. What is this guy doing? Is he okay? It was exciting for a couple of games, wasn't it? It's just that he didn't hold. And then he's on the back foot.
And then Sinner's returns at that stage were extraordinary. It was hand-posed. And it was... And it was jock of itch-like. The depth precision right on the toes of Alcras time after time after time. Yeah. Now, he was handcuffing him on the baseline. But what I was getting at with regard to the Achilles heels is that... Alcras still was... He was six, two, two, love, down. I mean, that is not a great situation to be in. And a comeback was not on the cards. That didn't look likely.
And then Sinner's Achilles heel came in. He lost five games in a row. And I mean... And that's not the first time. What do you put that down to? Because that was before, I think, before he started cramping. I mean, it was pretty obvious when he started cramping, wasn't it? It was early stages of the third set. He seemed to drop off a little out of nowhere there, Sinner. He... He hadn't dropped... He hadn't... Double-fulted at all in the opening set.
Suddenly, he hits three double-fulting into games. Juan Carlos Fuerero shouted at Alcras to take his time. Apparently, after that first set, New also said, play with your heart. I did Alcras about that in press afterwards. He said, I didn't hear him. Yeah, I would say that Sinner... He was almost as though somebody had given him a Novak truck of its blueprint. Play like this, return like this, deep down the centre. Take his space away to create.
You can't create if he's just on his baseline all the time. And he played it to perfection. Maybe he's not good enough yet to keep that up. Maybe he's physically... I mean, we've got a bear in mind the injuries these guys had on the eve of this tournament. Lack of match practice. Lack of energy in the tack, right? Yeah, and I think if you go back to the very start of the tournament, Sinner hinted at that. He said, the hit's fine, but physically, I'm not in perfect condition.
And it hadn't been a huge amount of time that he hadn't played. We're not talking, he'd been out for absolutely months. But he clearly took a big break from two weeks off actually playing. And suddenly he's in a semi-final against Carlos Alcras, which is a whole different level to what he's faced in this tournament so far. I mean, it just is, even if he's winning at that point. And it just seemed like there was a deterioration, like almost like a power outage I felt.
Suddenly he wasn't the one bossing the rallies. Alcras was. And as you said, he just couldn't keep up that incredible level he had at the start. And I have to think that some of that is just what was due to what he said there. It just wasn't quite in peak physical condition at this tournament. But I do think the tension that he then felt, the cramps that he then experienced, that might be a slightly separate issue. And that might be something that generally he maybe needs to... He cramps a lot.
Get under control in his career, like against Sitsapasim on Tukar, though. I think against Alcras and Indian Wells, you know, and then, however, in the US Open Last year, that was extremely... that was extreme because of the temperature. But like, this is something we've seen from Sino a little bit in the losses he's taken this year. Just some tension, some cramping in his body.
And so I think those two things combining led to a slightly diminished Sino through the sort of middle portion of that match. I think he got it back. I think he started playing well again. He never played as well again as he had in the first set. And you've already made the point on Twitter that with a hip injury, he wouldn't have been able to do cardio for those three weeks.
If you've got something lower body, unless you're doing some very intense, like, arm waving, you basically can't do any cardio during that period. Like, there is a difference between... Like, not all injuries are the same, with his point. Yeah. And he said in his press conference Sino that his right hip is not as strong as his left hip because of the injury. And it was, you know, it then made sense to me.
Alcrasso was getting a lot of joy towards the end of that match serving out wide on the due side and pushing Sino into that right hip area. Really good. You've almost served, didn't you? Yeah. And, you know, I think perhaps that's just... You know, when there's so little between them, something like that is probably going to make quite a big difference. I would have thought. I did also think in that second set, Alcrasso got better at constructing points.
So whether he heard Juan Carlos Ferreiro shout, take your time or not, he did start playing more patiently. I thought he was, you know, he was again doing similar to what he did in India Miles in that second set. Setting the point up with heavy lute top spin with depth and earning the short ball to put away. Not wanting to pull the trigger too early or too hard. And yeah, it felt like there was quite a subtle momentum shift. It midway through that second set.
And I was expecting Alcrasso to go on and win the third, particularly when the annex in has started stretching and shaking out his first, all his right hand and then his arm and then his left hand as well. And that arm, he sort of, yeah, he's shaking out both his limbs. And this is where things got weird. You know, in the words of Alex Karechri in the encore interview afterwards, in the third set, it was a little bit weird for everyone. Yeah. And Alcrasso, Alcrasso Grease.
Well, we were talking at that point as to where's Alcrasso's forehand gone. He stopped going after it. And there was one rally where he tried to play a passing shot with a paddled forehand, completely flat without trying to hit it hard. And I was worried about his forearm at that stage, which has still got the sleeve on. And actually, I think that that was the cramp. That was the moment that he's actually having to just try to get the ball in somehow, because he's got no feel anymore.
But that wasn't, he did a great job of hiding the cramp. I think he wasn't doing the shaking and all this sort of stuff. And he did a great job of recovering from it. And he was right about Sinra too, for them to then get over that and still be able to play and be better later on is impressive. You did not see that very often. No. Players recover from cramp. OK, I agreed that Sinra was never quite the same as he was in the first set.
But he came back to be way better than it had been in the second set, say, which was pretty cramp. Played in Alcrasso, playing his best right at the end of the match. You really don't see that very often. You can sometimes see players get to the point where they can just about struggle on. But usually it's pretty crippling, isn't it? And we had a direct example of that in the last years, Frank Schopen semi-final. There was this eerie sense of, oh my god, it's happening again.
We were so excited about this match. And it's about to be ruined by cramp. It was different because in the last years, semifinal, we had that incredible peak of Alcrasso winning the second set. And suddenly, all the air left the room. It was more violent, wasn't it? It was. It was a sudden, oh, this is a disaster. Yeah, you're literally settling in and getting snacks and then it's over. Where is this match? I actually felt it kind of dragged for a while. Oh, it was.
It was like, you know, and when you looked at the statistics. I did the wordle at the end of the year of the first set. I was looking at the statistics. I think probably early part of the fourth set, well, mid of the fourth set, an early fifth set. And there were more errors, unforced errors than there were winners for both players. And that's just a telltale sign, isn't it? You know it's not a classic match when you feel like that.
And yet, I come out of it thinking for Alcrasso, quite possibly his most important career victory today. Okay, didn't win him a title, but because he had to win it in a completely different way to what we've become accustomed to, it has more resins to me. And for Sinner, I'm not worried, because he's actually done incredibly well to get this far. Part of my growing and the process is what Sinner said about this match. The most Sinner quote ever. He's fine. He's going to be fine.
Whereas Alcrasso was really, I think Alcrasso might agree with that take of yours, David. I guess the Wimbledon final would probably stand in that way, because he had recovery from that first set. That was another one, six one set, that he lost. But I think here, the fact that he came over the cramp, which obviously crippled him last year, he said in the Spanish portion of his press conference that he's not tripping over the same stone was kind of the phrase that he used.
And he's pleased about that. That's something he can point to, I've improved at dealing with those cramps. And I think it was an incredible mental effort really for him to do that as he did. Am I just desperately searching for Fnarrative or was the moment that the eventual fate of this match was sealed, the forehand in the three-all game of the four-set that sparked a Mexican wave? Did that really, I think it was? I would pick out a different shot. Oh, did it spark a Mexican wave?
Can you tell me what that forehand was? Because my memory fails me. He left a mark in the clay, David. Oh, is that the one he really cracked? Yeah, running forehand down the line. The impossible one. It absolutely impossible. Yeah, sorry, I remember. Basically doing the splits. I wrote, Alcorazmaté is on the bug. Yeah, and it sparked a Mexican wave. And that was the sign that he was unshackled and he was free. And he started doing the fun stuff and throwing in more variety from that point.
And that was all working for him today. But it was like he had to be unleashed to do all that stuff. And from that point on, it felt like that's where he was mentally and physically. Which one was yours then, Matt? I would pick out the sinner serving at four-five in the fourth set. Until this point, there's been, I don't think a break point or certainly no breaks in this set. It's looking like we're probably heading to a tie break, sinner serving to stay in the set.
There had just been a stoppage. Someone was unwell in the crowd, actually just in front of us. And that had slightly broken some of the momentum. But sinner missed a bounce smash. He was 30, 15 up in the game. He had an easy smash and he hit it wide. I remember you. And then he lost the next two points and lost the set. And that was it. It was over. And if he'd made that, it's 40, 15 on serve. He likely holds and the set goes on. It was a terrible miss.
If he could have one shot back, I reckon it would be that one. And I agree like that. That's pick is more sensible and mine is more fun. You're sinner at home, Alkaz. Definitely that helped. Alkaz was loose by that point, as you said, because of the sort of shot making he was coming up in the fourth set. But sinner let that game go. He did. He did no love holds for Carlos Alkarez, the whole match, five set match, not a single love hold. Goodness. I didn't know that. 23 drop shots. Really?
11 lobs. I liked these stats. Good stats. I felt like lobs were a big feature of the match today from Alkarez. Yeah. I learned a few things for him, when he was really under the cosh. Yeah, I loved them. He talked about the joy of suffering. It's a great line. In his post-match interview on the court. I mean, if somebody told him that two years ago that he'd be thinking like that, tennis wasn't like that player we saw on the TV this morning. He didn't have to worry about that stuff.
I mean, he kind of was suffering. He played one of the longest routes through to a grand slam title ever, didn't he? In terms of time spent on court against Tiafo and Sinra obviously and then Rude in the final. But it was all so new. He was like a sort of newly born horse just suddenly getting up and galloping off into the distance. Oh, here we go again with the horse analogies. Mine not quite as good as Mary's, of course.
But here we are a couple of years on and he's gone through some rocky periods, really. I mean, he's won these two incredible grand slam titles. I mean, it's all great for him. But relatively speaking, he's had some tough times, some dips, some injuries and he's kind of learning on the job and it is fascinating to see. Yeah, oh, sure is.
He talked in his press conference afterwards, Alchora is about the significance of the French Open Term as he was growing up as a tennis loving kid and described running home from school to put the French Open on the telly in very relatable Carlos Alchora's content. We've all been there, I think. He was asked what he would do tomorrow in preparation for the final and it felt very clear to me that he intended to go for a walk. He kept saying that.
Yeah. He didn't have a full plan for the day yet except for the walk. That was very much set in stone, I felt. When he said, and he mentioned that when he won the US Open, he wasn't prepsing on his off days. He was put in the rackets away which I do remember at the time and I think I thought at the time that was just because he kept playing these long matches. As you said, David, he had a couple of late finishes and I just thought that was all part of just sort of recovery.
But maybe that's just now the rhythm that he likes doing a slam and what he feels comfortable with and if there is any lingering problem with his arm, then best not to practice I suppose. Just go for that walk. He was asked in the Spanish portion of his press conference, how do you make sure that you go again after beating Sinner? As you've said, David, this is a big deal.
Okay, now leads the head to head with Sinner but it has felt a little bit like Sinner's had his number a bit and there was such a hype around this match. He hasn't won the trophy yet. He's got to play again in the final and he was very, very convincing that that's not going to be a problem. He said this incredible line, he said, las finales, no son para, son para ganálas, which means finals are not for playing, they're for winning.
And I think he's won eight of his last ten and there was just a slight change in his demeanor when he was talking about the final. I think he was pretty sort of, you know, his usual smiley and cheery self during the press conference but when it got on to the final, there was a slight change of tone and as an essence of my work is not done. How different do you find him generally in Spanish press to English? Because his English has come on leaps and bounds and we'll continue to do so.
It's incredible. These guys do not have time for language lessons. This is something else they're learning on the job and it's bloody hard learning a second language. It comes easier to sum them to others but they deserve a tremendous amount of credit for that and to even with increased skills and confidence to come and face the media and stuff that's going to be quoted and beamed around the world in your second language. It always blows my mind.
He absolutely has improved but he's by no means entirely fluent in terms of completely expressing himself. Do you find him very different in Spanish press? Not really. No. I think he obviously has slightly more, slightly more interesting terms of phrase I suppose.
But he's got the same easy relationship with the journalists and actually there was a question in the Spanish portion of the press conference about the photo that was circulating on social media of him coming to Paris for a long hours when he was a kid. With his dad, right? Watching on a big screen. And he hadn't seen the photo so he wasn't exactly sure what was being referred to but he could remember coming as a kid.
And afterwards the journalist asked the question, went up to show him the photo and they were talking about it and like I get the sense that there isn't really any distance really or hostility and I, why would there be? But there isn't between our presence and the Spanish press and look, they all feel free to ask the questions that need asking. They're not pandering to him. But at the same time there's a nice relationship there.
And yeah, I just like staying because he can just express himself a little more freely but he doesn't give a lot more away. So much of his communication is just energy, isn't it? It's just... He can communicate without words. Yeah. But increasingly his words are more accomplished. Yeah. Yeah. I mean to say, to talk about the joy of suffering.
I consider myself a pretty good French speaker and I couldn't stand in front on the Philippe Chattier Stadium and talk about the joy of suffering to Alex Corrette. Or anyone else for that matter. In fact, I don't pre-finely enjoy in it. No, that's true. Right. So that was Carlos Alcarez through to Sunday's final of first Roland Garros final. He's in the locker room with his feet up. And he's standing his walk around the border blue line on Saturday. And there's a very tight turner.
And remember, Alexander, remember the second... The semi-finals here in Paris are sold as two separate sessions. There's two separate tickets. Which... Look, they seem to sell out. The second match wasn't full today. Well, Catherine, I mean, I don't think they did sell it out. If they did, a lot of ticket holders didn't turn out. Well, that's confusing to me because anecdotally, you sort of hear that they do sell out. But why would you not turn up?
I mean, I think that look a lot of these... I think all the night sessions pretty much sold out. This second semi-final where they're selling a single match twice for a new set of fans. The first match was rammed. The second match was, I'd say, it started at two thirds to three quarters full. It ended less than half full, I would say. But the time they'll buy in the ticket, you don't know who you're going to get, right? Yeah, I mean, I'm not exactly sure how that works.
I can only say what I saw in my Commentsary Box window, which is a heck of a lot of seats. In the early stage, I mean, look, I initially thought, okay, people are just taking time to get into the stadium and there were people filing in after three games and then five games. But there were a good 3,000 seats in the first set and a half empty. And that would be my guess. Anyway, people may disagree if they were in there and think I've got that wrong. That was my impression.
And then once they got to a set all, two sets to one. And bear in mind, I'm going to come on to talk about the match. I do set to one, it kind of felt over because of what was happening to Casperood and obviously how well it's very, very plain. But it didn't really feel like there was loads more tennis left. But this is only 10 o'clock at night at this point. This is not really late. And the place had thinned out big time. It was half full. Interesting.
And of course, you also had the issue of, they turned the sessions around very, very quickly because the first match had gone so long. They wanted to get that second session crowd in. But there was overlap. You had two sessions worth of two full Philippe Chattier crowds basically mingling in the not sufficiently spacious public areas for a little while. And yeah, it's really suboptimal. So, okay, we've marked your card. There's stuff to get in here into here.
But let's get the match out of the way first because there's not that much to talk about. Certainly not nearly as much as with the first match because it was so, so compromised by Casperood's health quite frankly. Alexander's very over his great. But Casperood was so, I mean, goodness me, I feel for him. He somehow, he won the first set six games to two.
And now he said in his press conference afterwards that he was just starting to feel the onset of the stomachache that he ended up being pretty crippled by throughout this match. He was starting to feel it in the first set. But by the start of the second set, he was a goner really. It was very similar to Arena Sabilell and Casperood a couple of days ago. If not, it was kind, it was more despondent from Casperood. It was like he knew straight away. This has taken me over.
He was almost like somebody who's turned his ankle and is having to go for broke on a return and then maybe be able to hit one more shot. But if you have to run, forget it. And there were so many rallies like that. Yeah. He called for the trainer at the start of the third set. He had a stomachache, gave him a pill, looked pale and ill and anemic and just, you know, there's a lot of shots of Casperood just sort of staring into the middle distance. Like hunched over as well.
Yeah. Yeah. And look, who knows if there's something going around the locker room Casperood said, you know, as far as he knew, it was only him and Savileenka that he was aware of. There have been some reports, maybe Daniel Medvedev was suffering a bit. I don't know. But if it is just coincidence and it's a bloody tough scene to see two huge matches totally compromised by illness. Yeah. And given that he'd had three days off, I was talking to him about that. Did you come in with anything?
No. I just really wish it had been yesterday, he said. Yeah. He sort of said, there were so many surplus days when this could have been Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. You know, I had so many days to spare. And yet in that first set, he'd strike me down on any of them. He's won that first set six, too. And it was just like last year, he's jumping on Zverev. Zverev has started slowly in a lot of matches. Particularly on Surf, hasn't he? I was looking back at this.
He was 44% first serves in the first set today. And his whole game is built around that surf. Like it's kind of the only stat you need to look at to know how Zverev's playing. What's chicken and what's egg, you know, who can say? But that is the barometer for his game. And his first serve percentage in opening sets has been significantly down on what his overall average is, which is an interesting one.
You know, we'll do more preview of the men's final tomorrow, but it's an interesting one going into Sunday because Alchoraz is typically a bit crappin' first set in big matches. Like they both play badly and relatively in opening sets. Yeah. Zverev's only been in the one grand sum final. So we don't know really how he's going to react. I mean, he talked afterwards about how four years ago he wasn't ready in that final.
And now he does feel ready, being 27 years of age, etc. But he doesn't panic these days. And in that second set, he started to play better, but it didn't take long to... And actually, there was that moment Matt where you flagged up the fact that Rud has lost his last three... Or was it last three second sets in this tournament? Yes, he hadn't won a second set in this tournament since the first round. Yeah. He'd lost David H. Fakina, Xiavary and Fritz, and then again to Zverev.
And a couple of them were six-one. And he was sort of fall of down in this one before you knew it. And my assumption was this... Oh, he's... There's a problem with Casperhood and second sets. It's happening again. And it was at the end of that set. I think I actually... The start of the third was when our first saw him touch his stomach. Because I was commentating on the second set. I didn't see ill health at that point visibly.
But he started to touch his stomach at the start of the third, and then that's when the trainer came on and... Oh, dear. I mean, that was a pretty grim hour and a half of tennis that followed. Because you knew what was going to happen. And it was just... Just to case, you get into the finish line. Yeah. I mean... I'm afraid I don't have much to add on this match. You know, people heard my reaction to the Saberlenker match the other day. And this was... This was a tougher scene in lots of ways.
Like, it felt... There was an ang... There was an anguish about Saberlenker, but she was... She was sort of desperately trying to fight through it. And not saying there wasn't fight in Casperhood, but there was also... In his eyes were giving resignation. There was nowhere to go. He knew it was... He was going to try, but he knew what was coming. And the crowd knew so it was flat, really, in the stadium. And so, yeah, what happened was what...
What expected to happen, so it was pretty uneventful, really. Yeah, but not... Non-uneventful day overall for Alexander Svaryv, because, as I mentioned at the start of the day, we woke up to the news, and this is from... Reporting by Jonathan Crane in DW.com, a German website, and from BBC Sport. We woke up to the news that Alexander Svaryv's domestic abuse case has been discontinued without a verdict. Svaryv has reached an out-of-court settlement.
It was reported with his ex-Gurfen, Brenda Pataya, who said he had strangled her in the stairwell of an apartment building in May of 2020. Allegations that Svaryv, of course, denies, Svaryv was ordered to pay court costs totaling 200,000 euros within a month today. Of this, 150,000 euros goes to the state, while 50,000 euros are for charitable causes. Under the agreement, there is no admission of guilt by Svaryv.
Quote, the decision is not a verdict, and it is not a decision about guilt or innocence. That is what the court told BBC Sport, both his lawyers and lawyers representing Pataya, declined to give details of the settlement, including whether there was a financial component. On the first day of the trial, on May 31st, a week ago today, one of Svaryv's lawyers had portrayed ex-girlfriend Brenda Pataya as a liar who was motivated by fame and fortune.
That case was presented before the trial was adjourned and moved behind closed doors and before the chance, before she had the chance to testify in public. Pataya had been due to be cross-examined today behind closed doors, but the court heard how the fact that the pair share a child together played an important role in the decision to come to a settlement today.
Now, obviously, this was a matter that was brought up in Svaryv's post-match press conference late this evening, which the three of us all attended as well as a number of other journalists. Zara's father, his brother, his agent, and Marcelo Mello, whose part of team Svaryv were all present in the room, sort of huddled at the side. And there was a very tense exchange, David. Yes, an immediate question from Matt Futterman from the athletic,
which reads as follows. He said, I imagine given the announcement this morning, regarding the legal process that's been terminated, I'm curious if you could share your thoughts about that ending and then working through to this match that you've just played, which is probably some of the best tennis you've ever played and sort of whether you feel you're moving on from something. That's what Matt said. It's very replied, I told you so from the start. I told everybody, I'm happy that it's over.
Yeah, nothing else more to say. That's it. Four years, I'm happy about that. My colleague from the BBC Russell Fuller then followed up that question and said, on that Sasha, any reservations on your part that you came to a settlement and that you didn't have chance for the court in Berlin to say that you were innocent of all the charges? Zara have said, that's what dropping the case is. That is innocence. They're not going to drop the case if you're guilty at the end of the day.
I don't know what translations you have, but that's what it means. Done. We move on. I never ever want to hear another question about the subject again. That goes out to everybody. Now, I will just reiterate what you said, Catherine, in your portrayal or your description of the reporting today from the BBC and what the court told BBC Sport, which is the decision is not a verdict and it is not a decision about guilt or innocence. This episode is brought to you by Progressive.
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That's why United Healthcare provides health protector guard fixed indemnity insurance plans to supplement your primary plan and help manage out of Falka costs. Learn more at UH1.com. I said it. Trying unsuccessfully, I would say. Go on then. Is she going to win? No, but I think she's going to play well. And I think she's going to give a good account of herself. I don't know how close she can get it, but I don't think she's turning up.
I mean, we compare Eagishvantec over the last week or two to Steffi Graf. Right now, titles wise, that's an absurdity. So far, Schvantec's won four. Right? She's only 23 as old. She's only just turned 23. Now, graph 122. So you're talking about a different level of success. Who knows what Schvantec may well end upward? But in terms of watching them, there are similarities. The way they're rushed between the points and the intensity, all the time and the great forehand.
And the score lines, the score lines that Schvantec puts on opponents are very graph-like. You may remember that Steffi Graf is the player when the fastest French Open Fin in history. Six love, six love in less than 40 minutes when she beat Natalia Zareva, often known as Natasha Zareva. I don't see that happening. I don't see six love, six love. I don't see six one, six one. I think that Pauline can get into the sets.
You know, my expectation is it might be more like four and four or something like that. I just think she's playing so well that if she can turn up and that's a big question, Mark, I know it is. That there's a chance she may freeze. There's a chance she may experience Schvantec's game and go, oh my word, that's a different level. That's a very good possibility given how good Schvantec is and how brilliant she's in finals.
But the way she handled those two stages, on court, Philip Chatterey and came out and sort of stood up to Rebeccaner and then beat Andraeva. I know they're not the level that Schvantec is, but I have confidence that Jasmine Pauline is going to give a good account of herself. See, I feel the same. I think we kind of making the same point and framing it differently.
I really have confidence in Pauliney showing up tomorrow and giving you a good account of herself and playing well and losing heavily. Like, I just think the matchup is awful. The people that threaten Shiontech are big flat hitters. Paulini is the opposite. I just think this is a horrible matchup for Paulini. Just in the games as well. I think that you make a good point. You can make games close and lose them all. Yeah, it's kind of like, you know, we're trying to give a hopeful take.
It's kind of the least hopeful take you can give to say, we actually really think this person is going to play well, but we also think they're going to lose heaven. Right. I've got similar feelings going into this. Maybe slightly, slightly less hopeful, but it is reminding me it is giving your Australian open final between Sabelank and Jum. And I remember feeling, I just think Sabelank is playing too well. And I think that, that, that, I've just looked now.
That was 6362. And I would expect a similar sort of scoreline tomorrow. And I do feel like we've had so many great matches this year between the top women's players. If it was a bit of a shame to me that we've not been able to quite bring that same level of hype to a grand stand final yet. You know, like that's really where you want to have those matches. If this match turns out to be a great surprise and turns out to be much closer than we're all expecting, that will be great too.
Matches which go in no actions which are not expecting a great fun. But I like to have some hype before a grand stand final. And I think two in a row have not really had that. And most of that is because of how damn good Arena Sabelanka, certainly in Australia is and that was just such a good level. It was like, well, like how can you live with that? And that's the same with Eagish Fionte. Like she's so good as I think Mary put brilliantly on the pod yesterday.
Like there's kind of nowhere for Coco Gough to go currently with her game against the Eagish Fionte on a clay core. And that speaks to how good Eagish Fiontex game is. And I would expect a pretty convincing straight sets when Fishth Fionte. Can you remember how we fell to year ago when Shranset was about to play Mukva? Were we hyping that? I think I'm pretty sure we said that Mukva would test Fionte.
I think I probably would have thought to straight sets but I would have been pretty confident of a tight set in there. I think also the fact that, you know, like Mukva, no one really ever doubted that Mukva had the game. So like when she got to that stage, okay, she was in experience, but it wasn't like, oh, there's a massive game gap. Like she's been denied being up in the top rankings purely for injury, not because her game isn't good enough.
And we'd seen her play so well against Saba Lenka that you then carried a bit of belief that she could do it against Fionte. And I know Paulini beat Rebecca in her, Rebecca in her did not play at all well in that match other than a little spell at the end of the second set. That was nowhere near peak Rebecca in her. And I'm expecting peak Fionte tomorrow. Yeah. 3pm local time for that final. It's one of three finals on Philip Chetry tomorrow. We start with the Women's wheelchair singles final.
That is at 11am. And it features Dida De Hort, you'll be surprised to hear the top seed going for 22nd major singles title, aged 27. That's bonkers. Wow. And she's playing the unseeded Ju Jun Jun. Chinese player, 34 years old, playing in her first Grand Slam Final. Some really cool stories. She only made her Grand Slam debut in 2020. She's going to be the first Chinese woman playing in a wheelchair Grand Slam Final. It's a really, really cool story.
Obviously did it with the overwhelming favorite in that one for obvious, well, for 21 very obvious reasons. But it's a cool final and it's called it. That'll be on Chetry tomorrow at 11am. Then it's the Women's singles final at 3pm. And that is followed by the Men's doubles final, which will be Marcelo Aravalo and Matte Pavitch against Simone Bollelli and Andrea Vavassori. There you go. To you surprise finalists, I think. Aravalo and Pavitch beat the top seeds Gunoia Zabios today together.
It's a least taking this thing over. Unbelievable, isn't it? Yeah, there are some very, I mean, very excited, but also quite harass looking Italian journalists bobbing around the place. Well, yeah, because they are facing dilemmas like Yannick Sinners in the fourth set and potentially about to reach the final. But what's that notifications come through? Paulini and Arania in press. Right. Like what do you do? And Renzo Ferlan came in the coach of Paulini.
Yeah, and that was all happening during Sinner Alcras. I mean... You're just being pulled in so many directions. Yeah, because Arania and Paulini are in the Women's doubles final. That's amazing. Paulini's on for the doubles. It's a really cool story. Even though we're having a set of songs for the double. Yeah. Right, I think she can do it.
They beat multicostic and alienigabriola Roussa today and they will face Coco Gough and Catarina Sinner Alcava, who beat Caroline Dullahide and Deseret Kravczyk today. So Gough and Paulini both in the doubles final. That's really cool. And actually, there was some quotes from Gough about the doubles yesterday. That I found quite interesting. Two points.
Well, one she talked about being in the doubles final as well as the singles final here two years ago and how her disappointment from defeating the singles really affected how she performed in the doubles final. She felt it kind of seeped in to that performance. The singles final was on the Saturday, the doubles final on the Sunday. And the other thing was she said was about how... She said, I'm going to... I will keep playing doubles. I'm not going to give it up altogether.
But she talked about wanting to take off winning a doubles grand slam. Like, they've had so... She has had so much success. She and Jessica Beguilet in particular have had so much double success. They've been the world number one in doubles. They haven't won a slam. It feels like I need to tick that off before I can let the doubles take a back seat. I do think she'll continue to play doubles here and there. But yeah, I found that interesting. She really wants this title.
I saw them at the stages of that final set. And it was intense. And she's such a great competitor. And she's got herself a good partner there. So yeah, I think you're right. I think she's such a determined person that she wants this. And I noticed that Brad Gilbert was there and on all her team. And it was really quite a communal thing. They really were all in this together. Yeah, I've been talking to Matt Futterman this week quite a lot about this golf, Cinear, of a pairing.
And because he's been out to watch quite a lot because obviously he covers Cocoa, got very closely and the doubles is part of that story. And he just thinks they're an amazing team. And together they could win so much if they really wanted to, which is kind of interesting if Gough is thinking of, you know, sort of rolling back or scaling back on the doubles if they do win this. But it is interesting that Iranian palini did so well in Rome just a few weeks ago as well.
You know, they're not a scratch pairing themselves. Like I think I think I could be a absolutely brilliant women's doubles final. I'm going to try and make sure I'm there for that on Sunday. On Sunday, yeah. They can do well everywhere, but not the Olympics. Gough is Cinear for that. Well, again, that's maybe stealing a line for Matt Futterman, but he said, we need to, we need to naturalize Cinear of a by July, guaranteed gold medal. She's defending champion, of course, in the doubles.
Will they defend their title? They are, I believe they, they confirmed that. Yes, they've confirmed that they're playing the Olympics quick, she confirmed Cinear. OK, will it be awkward? Still don't know what happened there. I think they just got a bit sick of each other on the doubles. I think they're still friends, but I think they're both quite a lot in different ways. You've been speaking to Thomas Mahatch. Notice my cheque sources. A few other finals to touch upon for tomorrow.
The men's wheelchair singles final is on court 14. Gustavo Fernandez, the third seat against Takeda Oda, the second seat. And the quad wheelchair doubles final is on, sorry, the quad wheelchair singles final is on court 13. Unseeded Guy Sassan of Israel against the second seat. The Dutchman Sam Schroeder, there are wheelchair doubles finals on the agenda. Tomorrow, court 14, also the place for the women's wheelchair doubles final. That is a unique meegee top seed along with her partner.
We could go that so Montiagne of South Africa they take on Dide de Chout and Anikovankut, the second seat. We also have the men's wheelchair doubles final, Alphihuit and Gordon Reed against Takeda Oda and Takuyamiki, the Japanese pair. That is the second seat. So it's second seat against the top seed. You got the quad wheelchair doubles final as well. That is on court 13, last on court 13. Sam Schroeder and Nils Vink against Andy Laphtorn and Guy Sassan.
And they've also had junior wheelchair events at this tournament, which is really cool, I think. And there are junior finals happening tomorrow. So we'll let you know who wins them. And the names you should be looking out for in the future in tomorrow's show. Matt might go out and do some talent spotting. I like a bit of that. I do like doing that, but I've got my own tennis to play. Fat more important. There's also legends tomorrow, but I don't think anyone needs to hear me go through.
No, I think I'll go through that. If they want to go and have a look, they can find it on the website. Yes, if John Mac and Rho partnering Joe Wilford Songer is your thing against Matt's for Lander and... Jill Seymour. Jill Seymour, that's a match that happened yesterday. I kind of would have liked to say that. I think Rolongaros might have put up video highlights on the day. OK, so if you make your dreams come true. Right, that's all to come tomorrow and Sunday.
Finals weekend of Rolongaros 2024. We will be here with podcasts at the end of both days. And we might have Pauline Eig on our faces. Who knows? Find out tomorrow. We'll be with Beshear, our French Open mascot, not literally, but spiritually. Beshear always with us. Thank you, Beshear. We have our mascots, the dearly departed Darwin, Francis, and Heider and Soma for Matt. We have Billie Jean King, sponsoring Billie Jean, Alana Claus, as well. Hello, Billie Jean, I'll see you Monday.
Top folks and executive producers, Jamie Jeff Greig and Chris. And Matt, we have shout outs. We have James Nathan. Or James? Hello, James, like Gary Nathan. Yes. The writer. Big day for him, as he's got a, he's got a sinner, Alcharez sort of transition from the Jacobic Jira to sinner Alcharez book coming out next year. And well, thematically, that's very much what this tournament has been about. And no, I thought I had a James, but I don't. Do we have a James? A James Blake. Yes. How about that?
In Ciothevon. Yeah, James Cothevon the Emperor. Very good. What do we know about James? He is originally from Auckland, but now lives in Hong Kong. Ah, lovely stuff. And his favourite player is Grigal Dimitralth. Oh, a life of heartbreak. It's not over yet, Catherine. Hmm. Yeah. Wishing you luck, James, as a Dimitral fan. We're all Dimitral fans here. Thank you, James, and hello. We've also got Flur Thomas. Or Flur? Like Flur Anderson, my local MP in Potny.
You can look at me like that, but if you two got any tennis flurs. No, I was trying to think because that's, and that is a tennis. That is tennis-related because... I wasn't looking at you like that at the beginning. Because Flur, according to the leafletting that I receive, I'm a big fan of Flur. And she's very opposed to the Wimbledon development. Oh, I'm not a human. Yeah, I get a lot of materials from her, follower, and Instagram.
She's very good at engaging with her constituents, but one of the things she's hot on is really opposing the development of Wimbledon that would enable them to bring qualifying on-site and expanded site. Boom. OK, do you want to get into local council issues in my local area? I don't care. Just want Wimbledon to be better. Yeah, so like Flur Anderson. Very good. What do we know about Flur?
We know that she's from New Zealand once upon a time, but now lives in Melbourne, says quote, most bizarre climate in the world. Lived in England for 20 years, Singapore for 10 and New York for 5. Wow, Flur. And she was a big fan of the Ted Tinling. Tedness relived. Oh, thank you, Flur. We loved that show as well. Really, really loved it, so that means a lot to us. Thank you. And finally, we've got Adam Booth, who is from Newcastle, Australia.
All right, Adam. Hello, Adam. And Adam says, my 2024 tennis highlight so far was meeting Matt and Catherine after Amanda and Isomovas, first round match in Melbourne. Oh, I think I remember that. I do love it when people turn up at Innocent Overmatch is knowing they'll see Matt. Did Matt have a massive smile on his face at the time? Probably, although she won that one. Matt's been dealt in Anisomovablo today. Big time. What's happened?
Anisomovas has split with her coach, who I was getting to know. It's all about us, you see, mate. Matt thought he was in with the camp, and now he's just in with a very nice chap. Yeah, good coach, lovely, Blake. Yeah. Yeah. Who's got lots of Amanda and Isomovas in tell? Yeah, now he's. Yeah. We used to coach Steve Johnson. So went from the worst double handed backhand to the best. Anti-backhand list, to backhand list. Oh, dear. Thank you, Adam. Thank you, Floor. Thank you, James.
Thank you to all of our shout out friends or intro friends, all of our friends at the tennis podcast that are enabling us to be here in this lamp filled, wondrous apartment at 25 minutes past one in the morning, talking tennis and looking ahead to finals weekend. We will, of course, be back tomorrow. And on Sunday with our final daily pods, we will have our review show with voice notes exclusively for friends of the tennis podcast.
We also have monthly live shows on YouTube and as available as podcasts for all friends. We have our tennis-free lived episodes. We have the barge, lovely things happening on the barge. So if you want to become a friend of the tennis podcast, the link to do that is in our show notes. Sweet, sweet, tomorrow. When you use SAP concur solutions to automate your business finances, you'll be ready for anything.
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