Hi, this is Billie Jean King. This is Mary Ann Bartori. I'm Matt Svillander. This is Mary Carillo. This is Pam Shriver. This is Yannick Noah and you're listening to The Tennis Podcast. RG Day 2, 2020. Tennis is still happening. Malfice is still toiling away on Philip Shatchey in his night session first round match. There's actually still several matches going on. We hope to get the results of those into tonight's show.
We will be covering everything that happened at Roland Garros today. Of course, it is a day that has been dominated by one story and one headline. That is the probable last French Open match of 14-time champion Rafa’s on the dial. We will be covering everything that happened at the time of the season. We will be covering everything that happened at the time of the season.
We will be covering everything. We will cover everything that happened at the time of the season. We will cover everything that happened at the time of the season. The first version is... Millions of people have lost weight with personalized plans for noon, like Evan, who can't stand valid and still lost 50 pounds. Salads generally for most people are the easy button, right? For me, that wasn't an option. I'd never really was a salad guy, that's just not who I am, but noon worked for me.
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In association with on-nication, they can arrange the best tennis experiences imaginable to all of the biggest tournaments in the world, including dot dot dot, the Australian Open. Experience a summer down under in January with Steve Vogel's international tennis tours. As part of the package, you get the following. A choice of sessions from opening rounds through to semis and finals, hotel accommodation, in the Crown Promenade or Crown Towers.
Now I've never stayed in either of those, but I do know that those places are where many of the players stay. Yeah. And these players don't settle for second best. No. That's all I'll say. VIP category one seats behind the baseline and in the shade in Rod Leyva Arena. Trust me. I'll show you that's a big deal. And behind the baseline is where David gets to sit for a lot of Rod Leyva Arena matches in his five-live commentary booth. Yeah. It's worth it, folks. Tell me, yeah.
You also get access to the Atrium Lounge, which we visited and very much enjoyed. You get river boat transfer each day to the championships if you're in the Crown Towers hotel. That's the big one for me. Commuting by river is definitely the way to live life. If you get a daily breakfast, a professional tour host, you get a complete traveller's information portfolio. David, do you know what one of those is? Nope, but I want one. Yeah, sounds great.
Time for optional sites seeing shopping and social tennis. Just a social tennis. Who with? Well, I'll tell you, Matt sometimes likes a game. Yeah. I do. But no promises. Matt's just on standby to play tennis with you. Matt is what you get with on location and Steve Foggles International tennis tours. Just go to tours4tennis.com forward slash podcast tours the number 4 tennis.com forward slash podcast to get your Australian open package.
And if you're a friend of the tennis podcast, you have access to a 5% discount code. Just contact us at friends at tennispodcast.net to obtain that code. Now, via a quick happy birthday message to us. It is our 12th birthday today. Happy birthday. One and all in this room. We move on to the big story of the day. Very, very quick. Very quick. Does anyone have anything to say? Teenager next year. At the birthday. I'm just very conscious that people haven't tuned in for our birthday celebrations.
I know, but you know what? Say what you've got to say David. It's worth marking because you know you would know it. I did mark it. You would never send it to listen to. It's all if it wasn't for us 12 years ago. I did. I did mark it. And now I'm giving the people what they want. OK. Nadal, probably waving goodbye to Roland Garros for the final time. He's left the door open. Very much open, but I still expect that today was the final time we saw him compete in a French open match.
Straight sets, 637663. Two Alexander's verve, he said after the match in the press conference, if it's the last time I play here, I am in peace. Do you feel in peace about the end of Raffa on the dolls French Open career? No. As Hannah said, he may be in peace and we're in pieces. And I thought that was brilliantly said as always by Hannah.
And look, I'm very aware that what I'm about to say is speaking from a place of tremendous privilege, really, and that I've been very fortunate to see Raffa on the doll that Roland Garros many times. And I have seen him win and lose at this tournament and had many memorable experiences watching him in his prime on Philip Chattrier.
And I'm well aware that I'm sure there have been people in the stadium today that maybe we're watching Raffa on the doll at Roland Garros for the first time and they just felt like it was special to be able to watch him that one time. I totally understand that. And of course, it's Raffa on the doll at Roland Garros. I was still able to experience the fact that it was special. But it felt wrong to me. It didn't feel like the way that Raffa on the doll should be going out at this tournament.
And I know that we can't give everything a perfect ending. That's sport. Very few endings are perfect in sport. And it's unrealistic to expect that Nadal just wins Roland Garros and retires and goes off into the sunset. I know things don't necessarily work like that. But just seeing Raffa on the doll lose in the first round just felt wrong. That is not representative of what he's done at this tournament.
And even more so, lose to someone in Alexander Zarev who, yes, is one of the favourites for this tournament. And based on the way he played today, which was excellently, may well have a very deep run here and win this tournament and is in brilliant form. But losing to someone who, if this sport had a domestic violence policy, might not even be playing right now. That nags. It really nags. And I found the whole experience quite difficult to enjoy, actually.
As much as Nadal had his moments and I thought played pretty well at times and there were some vintage moments. And as I said, Zarev played a very high level. I didn't enjoy the match. And I wanted to enjoy Raffa on the doll's last round on Gareth's moment. But yeah, that was just my take. But personally, I found it tough. David, your level of peace? Higher than maths.
I would say, I'm suosed on your behalf by the fact that I think there's a very good chance you at least plays on that court again. That's true. I think it's a very good idea to play the Olympic games. The way he was talking, I mean, he's made it very clear. That is a goal of his. And he doesn't feel that he is out of gas in terms of potential to play this sport. I actually think, you know, there's definitely a part of him that thinks, I could still do this next year.
You know, when he's feeling good, the good days, he thinks he can do it all as he used to do it. I mean, it's just that he doesn't have many of those these days. That's the hard thing. It's really hard for these players to tear them away from it because they love it so much. We saw Stan, Verenker and Andy Murray yesterday in each of his arms. And they know what it's like. And there's those people that have breathed this rarefied air of being champions and having had these long careers.
I'm talking to my mom today about it on messaging about how you leave behind a career and in the knowledge that you'll probably never experience highs like it again. And you're less than 40 years old. And that, listen, this shouldn't be some sort of sub story. These guys have had wonderful careers. They're multi-millionaires. They've, you know, we don't need to get the violence out in that regard. But in terms of how they feel, a lot of the time they can feel lost.
I listen to the way Raffaun that I speak and seeing him just generally for all these years. I don't have any fears for him being happy in life. He is well sorted out. But replacing that competitiveness will be a big challenge for him. I don't know whether he can. I don't even know if he ever will. I speak and I'm more at peace. I'm looking forward to those Olympic games hopeful for them. I did see some snapshots today that I enjoyed.
And when I was considering that he might never play again last year when he said he would like to have one more year, but he was going to basically pull out of the rest of 2023. I think it was at least being able to see him run all over the place and hit whiplash passing shots and get in the crowd up. And yet at the same time, the way things have unfolded here, I think that tennis would have beaten a few people here.
And because it was very ever and he did play really well in the years playing the tennis of his life right now, it wasn't enough. And as you say, there's that thing and the nagging thing feeling in the back of your mind. So it's unsatisfactory on some levels. But I also feel like I've probably seen more great champions come and go just because I'm twice your age. So I'm more used to it. You've never seen tennis without Rafael Nadal.
And I really understand how you feel because I felt like that about champions that I loved 25 years ago when I was your age. I really understand it from not trying to be condescending or patronising. It's just with age, you just maybe don't take it quite so hard. I can't wait to experience this more and more. This is just the beginning for us. But the way I look at it is that somebody else comes along, okay, they don't come along quite like Rafael Nadal. I mean, he's a one off, I know.
But there were other people doing vest yourself in and that's kind of how I end up feeling about it. But I share your view about that doesn't feel like how Rafael Nadal should go out. As it didn't feel like how Roger Federer should go out losing a six love set at Wimbledon. You know, it's so difficult because if you win a tournament, why do you want to stop? So you don't. And then you carry on and then eventually your body breaks and then you end up losing six love to you.
But it's just one of those things. But there have been 14 very, very good years to remember. Yeah, and I think the point David makes there about like the tennis was in Nadal to have a run here. And I think if this had come in the fourth round where he'd lost to one of the top seeds and it had been, you know, like a close match, a competitive match in Nadal's words, he wasn't that far away even if he wasn't that close to actually winning either.
I think that would have felt more satisfactory for me. Like just a few victories, kind of like what Serena had at the US Open. Like I do think that felt like the right amount of closure, I suppose. And I just don't really feel like we got that. But as David said, the Olympics is an interesting element because it's special that it's going to be happening on Shatre. It won't be run on Garros and you know, it is run on Garros that I'm sort of most associate in a Darl with.
But it will be that court. And that's something. And if he plays like he did today, then if he gets a better draw at the Olympics and that is a big if because he's going to be unseeded there as well and you know, something like this could happen again. But I agree with David. He'd beat another lot of players I think in the draw today based on his tennis and also the fact that he's Raffa on the Darl. You know, he would have probably freaked quite a lot of people out if he was playing like that.
There's this nagging sense that it wasn't quite the closure here, but also some hope that maybe we'll get something resembling closure at the Olympics. Yeah, he said I was ready to build day by day, but I never had those days because of the draw, which is confirmation of what you were saying that we feel and he feels that that tennis today was good enough to beat a lot of other players in the draw.
And it just didn't fall for him just on what you were saying about the Olympics as evidence of his commitment to targeting the Olympics. He was pretty clear that he's not going to play grass and he's not going to play Wimbledon and that that is a transaction that is a sacrifice in order to have a shot at doing something at the Olympics. He said, changing to grass and then back to clay would not be sensible for me at this stage of my physical condition.
And for that reason, he would be sacrificing what would likely be one last Wimbledon. He said, my body has been a jungle for two years. I wake up one morning and there's a snake eating me the next detigah. What a line. Good as Nadal's tennis was today and I think it did exceed most of our expectations. Was there ever a moment for either of you where you actually thought he might win? Yeah. No. Go on then.
Okay, well, just to, I think it is, it warrants going through the match a little because I found it a very interesting match and it started very nerfly for Nadal. Nadal, he was broken to love, wasn't he? I think he won the toss. He chose to serve. He gets broken. Some media and he's on the back for it. And I did fear for him that he was going to struggle to find his rage and just get completely overwhelmed.
But once he got that game out of the way, he started to get into the match and I mean, he had a couple of break point chances in that first set and I think the one thing I felt really strongly about is the whole run it to this match is that he had to start taking
his chances because when he played here at Herkatch in that horrible match for him and Rome and he lost it very heavily, they had a 26 minute exchange for the first two games in which he had loads of break points and he just took none of them and then he just seemed to wear himself out and got no rhythm after that.
And here he messed up a chance there at 1540 and he was lifted a shot long and he was trying to put air under a few shots and change trajectory which I liked and he eventually tried to build up until he had some form. The moment I thought, I really thought when he led the second set and he started to play some inspired stuff to lead 5-3, he had 15-30 on his very own serve. I just thought at that stage his spurts feel more sustainable than the vast majority of players we watch these days.
You see it, we saw it with Art of Fisi at a spurt didn't he and his match against Marta and Aldi and he looks incredible for that period of time, the four games or whatever he wins in a row to turn that spell around. With Nadal, vintage Nadal, he just moves, it's like moving up a gear and then he's in that gear and then he finds another one and he just stays in that one and he takes over. And I did think at 5-3 if he'd have broken the serve when he's at 15-30 in particular.
I did fear for him when he didn't because I thought okay now you've got to serve for it and suddenly you saw in the match various points where it's very when he was behind played better and when he was a head he got nervy and the same as happening to Nadal and it's just I think it happens to most players really whether you can hit freely or not.
And I just thought if you'd have got it to one set all right there you get some energy because when he didn't win the set in the third he breaks immediately again doesn't Nadal so he's had chances in every set really. So it was all about that second set I thought and I did feel like there was a chance from there because I thought maybe it was very of a might get rocked. Matt tell me why at 5-3, 15-30 on the very serve you weren't thinking there was a chance that Nadal could win.
I think honestly the conditions and the fact that the match was played indoors was part of it. I just felt like we saw that match two years ago and Nadal was playing a hell of a lot better then and he was a hell of a lot fitter and he didn't have to win the final ball because it's very of turn his ankle that day but it was three hours and it was barely well I hadn't even finished two sets two years ago.
It was hard for that version of Nadal to finish off as very of in those conditions and I think it's very of arguably playing with more confidence now coming off the title in Rome. It just felt like as soon as he started on the back foot in the dial it was going to be such a long slog to get back into it and I just didn't think he ever really had it in him. He did have these spurts as David said but they just didn't quite last in the way that they used to.
He would have these good games and then play a bit of a poor game and it just didn't feel like his very best tennis was sustainable for the whole match. That's kind of why and I think it's very of was pretty much the worst possible opponent. I think he would have had more chance against Novak Djokovic in the first round here.
I genuinely think that given what we've seen from Novak Djokovic this season and the way he's searching right now I think he maybe had more chance against Carlos Alcarez who he could have played once that draw was made it was going to be either Zravo or Alcarez. But both of whom were watching.
Absolutely. By the way Alcarez for the duration and reacting like all of us and Djokovic docked out after Nadal lost the second set he does have to play tomorrow in Shviontech watch the whole thing as well. Yeah and that was great. I did love seeing all those great players come out to watch Nadal and Nadal said in his press conference they didn't see them but he could understand why they were there. It was it. It's normal.
Yeah. There was no Yannick Sinner he was he was watching Anna Callinskaya. More on that later. Hard launching that. But like that was special to see those players and there was this great sense of occasion which actually again I'm sounding terribly somber tonight but that was one of the things I found tough about it. Like it's day one of a slam and also day two of a slam you know so much is happening.
Okay it wasn't always because the it was raining during the first portion of the match but I find it hard when there's just one big match that captures your attention during the opening few days of a slam because it's slightly takes you out of that feeling of buzz and wanting to look everywhere. You know you know I wanted to watch Nadal's very out of and yet I had this feeling I was missing out on other stuff and I just found that balance a bit tricky I suppose.
Do you know there was a moment just as Nadal was doing his on court interview which obviously isn't customary for the losing player but as Nadal was heading over to his bag after the handshake, Amalini Marismo and the media director of the tournament appeared at his side and were clearly asking him to do something. He had made it clear.
Marismo said this in a press conference yesterday that he didn't want any kind of retirement ceremony but they didn't want him just to walk off court unrecognised so there they were asking him to do an interview. I've said I don't think he looked thrilled about that but he said he actually I'll do it. So there he is doing the interview and the sun breaks through the cloud. Now the roof was still on but the roof is designed in a way that it's very obvious when it's sunny.
It's natural light gets in and there are these patches that develop on the court and as he was leaving the court then and receiving the crowds ovation he hovered just for a moment in a shaft of sunlight on the court and in that moment I thought two things. One of them very pretentious and poetic about the sun setting on the brightest light this tournament has ever seen and the other frankly more prominent thought was where was that bloody sun when he needed it. Honestly he needed it today.
He needed it for two reasons for me. The technical reasons that Matt's detailed I really think it plays so differently that court under the roof and in cold conditions he needed that extra bit of zip he needed the nitro gas didn't need to kickstart his shots today and he needed the vibe. Now there was vibe in there. We were sitting about ten feet from it. We were two rows behind the band. We felt the drama in our souls. Trust me I know the atmosphere is incredible but bear with me here.
It still didn't look or feel like the Roland Garros, like the Philippe Chattreikort where he won the 14 titles. The only one it resembled was the one that he won in COVID in October and that's probably not the one that we all or he wants to remember the most. Incredible feet that one but it didn't feel like the same court to me. Now I'm not criticising that. It was raining for most of the match and I was very glad there was a roof and that that match could be played but it's just a fact.
It doesn't feel the same and it doesn't feel as atmospheric and it lacked something for me today. I feel bad saying that because that crowd gave it everything they had and it was an incredibly moving moment and experience when he walked on to court when Mark Maroy did the announcement. That actual shivers. It went into my soul.
There were moments that deeply moved me today but he was being asked so much and his pre-tournament interview about whether just the magic of looking around and remembering those 14 titles would inspire something in him and I felt something was lacking to bring back that muscle memory. Then there was this very over-vidol which Matt has touched upon but did leave me with a very uncomfortable feeling. I know lots of people can compartmentalise with this and I accept that and that's totally fine.
To point out that he's innocent in the eyes of the law, a legal principle that I absolutely respect and believe in. I do have a random career history of working at the Crown Prosecution Service. I don't know if anybody knows that. A quarter life crisis. But for me it is entirely valid to have feelings and emotions not dictated by a court's verdict and I had those today.
I felt deeply uncomfortable and upset by his very presence in what was otherwise and should have been a very profound and moving narrative. It was slightly tainted for me. We've talked about it at length when the draw was made and wondered how it would make us feel and I think that that was born out really on the day. And probably the sensible reaction to the draw was to expect a score line like we got really. Are you accusing yourself of being unsensible David? Yes. You're past selves.
Very much. Actually, I think in many ways Nadal did better than he had a right to do given the running he's had. But yeah, that is what you get when you're unseated and you end up in a draw and you just could end up anywhere. And still extraordinary that he did actually end up there. This has been a helpful exercise. I feel good that we've all shared. In the Dahls words spoken are true.
Oh, in today's press conference, as another little parting gift to us all, we had a, that's the true and we had a, that's my true. And Matt, courtesy of Matt, we know this or else it would have gone un, clearly unnoticed by, by me, we had a, I did a disaster in Catalan to complete the trio. Three languages this week. Yeah, I was, I was listening intently to the final question which was asked in Catalan in the answer in Catalan and he said that in Rome, effect un partit desastros.
I did a disaster match. And how different is that to the Spanish? In Spanish, he did a much more literal. I just, I did a disaster. He didn't say a match. So he said, if they unate desastre. Oh, we're going to miss it always. So much. Is it going to win the Olympics? Might do. David. I'm, it might do. Do you really think that? Yeah, I think there's a, like, the weather should be better, right? It'd be hotter, you'd have thought in Paris at that time.
I know he was particularly unlucky with the draw here to draw the Rome champion for seed, but it's a smaller draw in the Olympics, the chances of getting a terrible one are higher than everybody else will have come back from grass. Look at him go.
You tell him me that Raffa on the Dow, who's not going to do anything other than practice on clay between now and then, isn't going to get better and have a better chance against people who've gone to Wimbledon and played on grass and are all exhausted. I definitely think he's got a better chance. And as you say, I bet Besta 3. I mean, look, he was, he was leading that second set today and then he started to lead the third set as well.
So he was in that match against the most informed player in the world. So it's not over yet, folks. And he gave this incredible line about the fact that the reason he doesn't want to say that his last row on Garros is that the only way he understands life is to give 100%. What a line that was. And what he doesn't want to do is be in a year's time and have this feeling of what if I had tried for a bit longer while I was healthy.
He wants to squeeze everything out of himself now while he is feeling better and he is feeling better than he was a few weeks and months ago. It's the Nadal way, isn't it? He just perfectly summed up his approach to the sport. He won't let us let go. Well, he, because he can't let go. There was a moment in the dying stages of the match. He had just been broken by his very own third set and he got love 15 on the very serve in the next game. And he, he is very of serving at 4-3. He is just broken.
And Nadal wins the first point. He draws to life and he shakes his defeat fist in the direction of the crowd who had gone a bit flatter after the break of serve. It's like he is saying, don't give up on me because I haven't given up on myself. And I am like, I have made peace with it of sorts and keep dragging me back in because that's who you are. Yeah, extraordinary. Okay, so we'll reconvene for the Olympics. Yep. That's the plan. Let's do it. Quality sleep is essential.
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Individual results may vary. What else happened today, folks? On Philippe Chattray, we had Eagish Vientek beating Leo Lio Jean-Joseph 6162 having a very quick shower, jogging to the press conference room and then coming out to watch Raffa on the dial. The match we expected, it's a terrible, terrible match-up, isn't it, for Jean-Joseph? There was no way that she could do Jean-Tek any damage.
No. No. I mean, you know, Jean-Tek is head and shoulders favourite just all the way through the draw right now. And that's one of the few cases where you feel like, doesn't matter what caught you put it on, what crowd you've got involved. How can anybody help to bridge that gap? Yes, Vientek is so dominant right now that it genuinely gets to the stage where she's won the first set, 6161, right, of this match. And then she goes, break down one love, let's start the second.
And I'm like, oh my goodness. Vientek's gone down a break, like something's happening. Like it felt significant, felt pivotal. But Jean-Joseph just gone up a break in the second set because like no one's doing that to Vientek just going up a break on her and Vientek just immediately broke back and was like, oh, why did I get even a tiny bit interested in that? Like, it was nothing. And then Vientek closed the match comfortably.
But like, she's so good that you just latch on to any bit of form that the opponent shows in a match like that. And yet it didn't last and a very, very dominant win for Vientek. And it sets up the match that we're looking forward to against Namiya Sarka. Yes, please. That'll be on Wednesday. Honest Jeburene, the first match to the downed chapter, a beat Sasha Vickory, 6462. I do think that's one of the easier draws. That was the reciprocal wildcard Sasha Vickory.
But still, straight set, straightforward wins for Jeburene, not been easy to come by recently. So I do think that counts for something. She's actually got to rebuild a bit of hope aura, I think. And she's got to rebuild her own sense of self as a tennis player. I think Honest Jeburene, she did reassure me, to be honest, in the press conference talking about her knee and saying that the knee is no longer really a bother for her, because I think it was a big problem, personally.
And I think it really put doubt in her mind. And I think that allied to the missed opportunities, the three-ground slam finals she'd been and that she hadn't taken. When we know she was hoping to win a Grand Suntakland take time off tour, hopefully to start a family, then to get the knee injury, I think it probably just amps up the anxiety in her, because, oh my word, how am I going to do it? If I've got a knee injury, and suddenly that has at least lifted from her.
And she seems a better presence in terms of being in the moment now on the court. But I think it has to be incremental. It's not going to just be a click of the fingers and she's back. She kind of needs a good draw to get herself into the tournament. And then maybe. Well I can't remember exactly what her draw looks like David, but I remember despite having no confidence in her form, putting her in my quarterfinals because looking at that section of the draw, I felt like it was open for her.
So yeah, could happen. We'd love to see it. Over on Longland today, Yannick's Sinner opened things up, very comfortable for him. This is 36364 over Chris UBanks. I watched bits of this in and out on the screen, wasn't in the stadium for it. But I was very reassured from what I was seeing about how Yannick's Sinner was physically and it put to bed any latent concerns I had about it. It's hit some people reporting that he was winsing a little.
But I personally didn't see any of that and he seemed pretty okay about everything in press afterwards. Yeah, he basically said in press today what he'd said in his pre-tornement, he's not worried about the hit. He says the hit is absolutely fine not causing him any issues, but physically generally he's not actually where he wants to be because he's missed so much tennis. Not just, okay, doesn't feel like he's been out for that long.
He just put the racket down for a couple of weeks because he couldn't play. I think he sounded like he was reacting to playing a match for the first time in a little while off the back of not having that much training. It felt like it just pulled up and hurt at a few little moments. But hopefully he will just be able to get better and stronger as the tournament goes on. He's not caught out by this lack of conditioning early on.
I think if he makes his way through the draw, we'll see a much stronger and tougher Yannick sinner. It reminds me of the Australian Open when he started to touch his stomach and we thought, no, he's talking about my son, he said, I'd got wind. Post-fart sinner was even better than post-puccer, wasn't he?
And it's quite a lot of pressure to put on an early relationship, isn't it, that Yannick sinner elected not to watch our phone at ours last ever match and instead to watch new girlfriend, Dana Callinskaya in action, confirmed in Italian press afterwards. You into this hook up, David? Have we got a name yet? Sinner Sky? No, I'm sure the internet does. Well, you've just done one for them. That's quite good of me.
Yeah. I mean, internet sleuths had sussed this one out, it was mere confirmation, but anyway, that's on. Sinner Sky, I mean, we need to stick that on the bar, do I think. Yeah, more on Anacallis Guy in a moment, by the way, Stefano Sitzapas, 764661 for him. Yeah, very. And the Martin Futurich, who's coming back from injury, sporting a sleeve, Alcarazza's made sleeves cool, apparently, he's done what Milos Rownitch couldn't.
Yeah, I think the first set in this one was vital because, you know, went to a tie break and Futurich was ahead in that tie break. Sitzpast did well to win that, squeeze through it. And then again, a pretty tight second set before racing through the third. And yeah, that's a good start for Sitzpast because I think Futurich is not easy. Yeah, just like a bumble bee sits a pass, which really confirmed my working theory that this is an all-time bad slam for kit.
If that is what he stressed, it's quite funny, really. Yes, because he has had a famous bee incident. I mean, tennis in general has had far too many famous bee incidents. Futurich should have said, I'm part of there's a player in front of me imitating a bee. Matt, you've outdone yourself. And if you don't understand that joke, well... I know it's my fuchsia, but it's just the guy to make it though. No, I think you might be right there. So on Longland, Coco Gough defeated Julia Abdavis 6161.
Actually, that's a good outfit. It's a rare... Good, isn't it? Coco Gough. Oh, I know. Good outfit, good performance. And also for Alina Svitalina, who was last on Longland tonight, tricky draw for her. Caroleena Plichka of her first round, 366, 466, 62, and she's just watched Gamel Fees. Get safely through to Round 2. So a good, good afternoon's work for Gem's line. Lots of couples, victories today. And just on Gough, I will probably do this after every round. Just check to her serving numbers.
Only dropped one point on first serve in the entire match. So very dominant serving display. Did hit four double faults, and that was four of the seven points she lost on second serve were a double fault. So still a kind of high, kind of high-ish number there, given that it was such a straightforward day on serve generally. But she wasn't troubled, pretty dominant performance. And yeah, I think she looked pretty good and moves on. As does Daniel Collins.
She defeated Caroline Dollarhyde, Mucket of Vondrosiva. Do we need to watch out for her? Yeah. Yeah? Well, because she's coming in with no form. Yeah, Matt keeps prodding us to remind us that Vondrosiva is dangerous. Have you got her in your quarters, Matt? No. Because she's in the Daniel Collins section, isn't she? Have you got Collins beating Vondrosiva? Yes, but I just think Vondrosiva's dangerous for stopping that Collins fiontex. Absolutely. You can't underestimate it. You can't predict it.
No, I tried a year ago and it messed up. You can't even make the call to it. It's good at going one slam early with his predictions. And I think Collins has looked pretty tired at the back end of her last two tournaments. You know, in Rome and last week in Strasbourg, she kind of hit the wall at the end of both of those. And look, she's won today. That's great. And I really hope that Daniel Collins keeps making progress through this draw.
But I do think if Vondrosiva gets there, it's going to be tough. Like Collins has got the game to hit through it for sure. She really does. And you know, she's only actually lost a big hitter on the clay this year. It's been Sam Berlenker and Keys. Hasn't it? Who've beaten Collins? And Vondrosiva's not in that mold. But she's just a nightmare if she's in for. She's not really anyone smart. She's in a mold all of her own, isn't she? And it stays your Pavlovichankov.1 today, 2021 finalist here.
Of course, it's had an awful time with injury in the last year. So it's good to see that. And Bianca Andrescu won today on her comeback beat Sarah Seribas Tormo in a non-marathon match. In fact, absolutely dismissed Sarah Seribas Tormo. And it was a sorry to Sarah Seribas Tormo fans listening, but it was thrilling. You know, she's like Catherine's voice change, when she talks about the end of the day. It was great. It was. It was absolutely great. It was fantastic.
It was a pretty typical Sarah Seribas Tormo first set in the, you know, took an hour. But then Andrescu absolutely raced through the second set. She got a new racket. She's using a different head racket. New racket. Yeah, David, you're like it. Bright yellow. I do because of Jimmy Conn is in 1991. It's very notice it jumps out of you. I love that. You threw the screen. Like she could have run from. She's got a slightly new service motion as well.
Hopefully she'll win her next match and I'll get the chance to ask her about it because I can tell it's different, but I can't quite put my finger on. I read. Exactly how and why. I read today, Catherine, that she'd said she wants to embrace her variety again. Yes, Bianca. Rather. She was moonballing quite a lot today. You know, rather than just going toe to toe for power, I mean, she does have a big ball straight, doesn't she?
But it was her use of spin and height and and angles and things that others can't do necessarily that set her a pass at the time. Well, I have looked at her draw. How's it looking? Well, that's a funny old question, David, because the high seed in her section is Jasmine Paulini. So how would you say her draw is looking? Dreamy. Gosh. That would be the third round match. Jasmine Paulini, the second round match. I don't mean that, folks. I think Jasmine Paulini is an inspiration.
It's an inside joke. Isn't she about the 14th seed now? Something like that. She's here round. She's had a incredible year. For a long time. And I mean, she's tough as old boots. And then the really, you know, what rounds that, by the way? That would be third round. It's standing in the way of Andrescu reaching that is one half of Sinner's Skyer, not Yannick's sinner.
Although we might be there watching, Anna Callins Skyer is Andrescu's next opponent She beat a French player today, which moves us on to Muscatair Watch. And you said, shall I'm introducing for day two to wrap up? Oh, I like that. French players not yet covered. Callins Skyer beat Clara Burel today. Oh, really?
And I have to tell you, it's, well, it's, let's call it mixed fortunes for French players today, because, because I think Gamel Fees is victory, which has just come in in the last few minutes over to Yago's Iboch Ruch in the Chatterein Night Session. I think that's rather saved the day a little, because before that, it was just Vivara Grecceva winning on the French side of things. She beat Sixth Seed Maria Sakari. It's an interesting one this because Vivara Grecceva used to represent Russia.
She switched nationality little under a year ago to represent France. And this is her first Roland Garros as a French player. And Matt, you were at the Billie Jean King Cup in Seville last year where Grecceva was part of the French team for the first time at the finals. And it was all a little bit awkward. And I was very pleased today to see her supported like a French player here.
Yes. She was obviously on pretty late and it wasn't an absolutely full crowd on Samo Mathieu, but they were really supporting her and treating her as one of their own as they should. And I think the thing that the Billie Jean King Cup was that she was probably the more informed player, sort of out of, I remember at the time, Julian Benito went with Cornay over Grecceva. And if you were picking on form, you wouldn't have done that.
But I think the fact that Cornay is so integrated in that team, so part of it, it was kind of the easy pick for Benito. And it was only when I think they played a sort of dead rubber that Grecceva came in and he sort of integrated her that way. And they just felt like, perhaps very naturally there was just a little bit of distance between the players who've been part of that team for so long and Grecceva coming in.
So I think it's important for her nationalisation, really, that she gets a moment like this in France for the first time in front of a decent crowd on Samo Mathieu and beating a big name, one of the top seeds. Even if it's probably not as impressive result in reality as it looks on paper because Maria Sakery and Grand Slam has done lots of disasters. Back to back, first round of feats here for Sakery, it was tough watching her leave the court.
On to the French losses today, we've covered Clara Borelle. Hugo Gaston is a goner. We watched much of his matching and Ben Shelton. It was first up on court 14 today. Boy, was it hard to jostle through the crowds that were queuing for this match on an outside court to get to the press seats, which made us incredibly unpopular. Everyone hated it. But we were thrilled because it was a joy until the rain came and we had to leave. And the players had to leave. It was such a good time.
Yeah, I really enjoyed this match. And honestly, Gaston, that first set was kind of schooling Shelton. Shelton constantly looked off balance. It was not your typical Clay Court match. There was an awful lot of serve volleying. There was a lot of drop shots. It was fun. It was a really fun time. And Shelton did well to win that.
To just be a bit more patient, he was pulling the trigger on the wrong shots to begin with and worked his way into the match and had to withstand a huge amount of support for Gaston. But he loves that. He absolutely loves that atmosphere. He would rather play in that and be the enemy than on a court with no atmosphere whatsoever. He was kind of relishing it. He had his own support, but he didn't do anything to massively roll them up. It was a lot like Sonnego yesterday, Matt, I have to say.
Yeah. He was pretty smart with it. Yeah, he was aware of how it could turn. Absolutely. And use it to his advantage. Yeah. I was very impressed. And I just love watching Ben Shelton and always pleased to see him progressing in a draw. And the last French defeat of the day to touch one, David Yvourdy hinted at it. Art of Feast gone at the hands of Mateo and Aldi. Yeah. I went out to court Simone Mathieu for some of the first set whilst waiting for the endow match to come on.
And I didn't get to stay very long because things just roared through with the English felon tech. And we got a note saying that the press seats are already filling up big time. And bear in mind, this is an enormous press area on court, Felix Chattriet. I mean, the tournament really do look after the media in terms of space that they're given to sit, that we're given to sit down. So I don't think I've ever seen it really full.
Maybe a final is getting a little tighter, but you've got somewhere to sit. So anyway, I went back and left Art of Feast really just scrambling around against Mateo on Aldi, unable to make any impression at all who lost that first set. And then I kind of lost track of the match, only for Matt to reveal that he'd got a laptop open with the match on. And he was just feeding me little scores here and there and little bits of inspired play from Art of Feast that briefly got me rather cheered up.
But that brief is unfortunately the worst, isn't it? Yeah, there was just this spell of probably 10 or 15 minutes at the end of the second set, which Feast managed to win and the start of the third set when he went to break up, where Feast was rolling. You know, he was winning all the points. There was seemingly nothing that Art of Nowdy could do to stop him. But then it disappeared as quickly as it had come and Art of Nowdy took over again.
And actually speaking of being quite smart with the French crowd, Art of Nowdy, first of all was dressed as a Frenchman wearing Lecock's forte, very smart from him to be in that. I think Richard Gascas, the only player I've ever seen wearing Lecock's forte. Yeah, and you can add Mateo on Aldi to that short list.
And then number two, there was a moment, a bit worrying actually towards the end where Feast died for a ball and was scrambling around on the clay and got clay all over his shirt and heard his hand. And there was a bit of a worry that he might not be able to continue. But Art of Nowdy went over and poured his own water on his hand to help get the clay off and, you know, the crowd obviously appreciated that gesture very much. He's a hard guy to hate Mateo Art of Nowdy. He seems lovely.
So I think he played that pretty well as well with the crowd. And it was also probably a day where everyone was just distracted by Rafael Nadal kind of as I said earlier. Strange day to be playing on an outside court. I think so.
You know, as demonstrated by all of the players that have taken time out of their match preparations to sit court side and watch that Nadal match, you know, Caroleen Garcia and Lise Courner were there as well and probably others hidden around that weren't caught by the cameras. And everybody else watching it on the tele and tweeting about it, etc. I would find it hard to be scheduled, you know, for my match at that time. Yeah. Or it was just a strange part.
Yeah. And it's just when there's lots of French players playing and winning, there's just kind of a sort of snowball sound effect, isn't there? That just goes around the grounds and you, and it's like one atmosphere feeds off another and you just didn't really get that today because of the rain, because of everyone's attention being on Rafael Nadal. And yeah, it was just a different vibe than it was yesterday.
Luke Van Ash, another French casualty today that I forgot lost to Dennis Schapp of Al of Sorry Matt to have to mention that. That's all right. Yeah, that was my prediction and Catherine can attest to the fact that I spent a very long time yesterday deliberating whether to go for that or for the Rochaver. And I obviously picked the wrong one. The wrong musketeer. We've all been there Matt. And I think that's it for wrapping up day two, what a day two. How will be still in the round one weeds?
Yeah. Still another day of it to go. All Karen Hashan of one today. So the dream is on. I am watching. I'm watching that. Just I'm watching it results just a little bit more closely just because of that incredibly vivid random dream that I had. Daniel Medvedev is still on court against Dominic Cupfer. I'm looking at photos of what he's wearing for this match. And I would describe it as definitely he's wearing socks over tights. And then a jumper. He's dressed for a ski trip.
And he's actually just lost the third set to Dominic Cupfer. He was two sets up. If it's now two sets to one, of course, if the FICI does crash out there, we will cover it tomorrow. Beatrice Hadadj Maia. She is on the brink of going out just now. She's a settle against Elizabeth Cotciareto who leads three love in the deciding set. It has been a tough year for Beatrice Hadadj Maia. And that would be a tough result if it does end up going the way it looks like it's going. And Roma's a fuel in.
And Ducan Liewicz are deep into a fifth set. So actually, night matches have become night sessions, sort of by stealth. I know the rain has contributed to this flurry of matches we're having on outside courts late at night. But it's 10 to midnight and there's lots going on for the second night in a row. Yeah, it changes the field of the tournament, actually. I think it's crept up on me because we just didn't get this last year because we had no rain delays at all.
It's just perfect weather for two weeks, which meant that if there were four matches scheduled from 11 a.m. on the outside courts, they were done by nine, probably at the latest, maybe nine, 30, something like that. And it felt pretty normal. And now with these rain delays and the fact they've got floodlights and all the outside courts, they can keep playing until, well, midnight and beyond. And that's more in keeping with the US open and the Australian open.
And it feels a bit like that now with the way that the first two days have gone and play continuing so late. And you're right, I think it does help the night match. As you said, one of our, one of our greats with that has been just the fact that it's a singular match. There's other stuff happening elsewhere. I genuinely think that's a better vibe. But I'm not sure I would take that, you know, over lovely weather and everything finishing on time.
The afternoon shower has been quite frustrating the last two days and looks like we might be set for some more. Yes, the forecast of the next few days is very similar to what we've had today and yesterday, which is when it's nice, it's lovely. We've had really nice evenings, lovely clear, watery sky and dappled sunlight. But then this sort of stinker of a three hour period between about 1 and 1 and 4 pm. So what do we got to look forward to tomorrow?
We start on Shatchray with Junction Wen against Alise Cone. I really thought this would be a night session match. And the fact that it's not does make me a little worried that there isn't going to be a women's night session match. But here we are. It's first up on Shatchray tomorrow, the final slam, of course, potentially the final match of Alise Cone. Then Kasper Rouge, two time finalist against Felipe Melligeni Alves.
Then Erika André Vesister, of course, of mirror André Ves takes on the second seed Arena Savileinco, the night session match is Pierre Ugg Eber against Novak Djokovic. Elaine Rabatkinner opens up Suzanne Longlen against Grit Minn and Thomas Martinez Chavere against Arto Kazoo is second on. I suspect that's where David will be at that time. Magdelein Afrek and Doria Kazakina third on. And then Dan Evans against Hoggerino, which is one that I've circled for tomorrow.
Could be Agro Central. Simone Mathieu is Domenore against Alex Mikkelsen, Fritz against Coria, Keys against Zarazura and as a Renka against former semi-finals to Nadia Pada Rosca. We have Petra Martis against Kristina Mnedenovic, which feels very 2015, doesn't it? That's first on court 14. Goffa against Impesci Perricare, the Leon champion tomorrow, Bolta Bedossa and Barre of Blik, some fun stuff there. Manorino is... they don't get very excited about Manorino here, do they?
I mean, the bloke was walking through the public yesterday with his kids. No, but he would stop, I don't know. We were like the only people going, that's Adria Manorino. What else have we got? Putin's Saver Stevens, that's a connoisseur's match. It's not one scam, it's another. That is last on court 7 tomorrow. Arta Rindakneš, another French player, he is on court number 6. And double starts tomorrow. It's too soon. It's too soon. I'm not ready. Blimey. We're still at the first round.
Yeah, double starting tomorrow and Gosh, there is a lot happening tomorrow. Vera and Draver playing tomorrow against a Mena Bektas, the American player. So that's all coming up tomorrow. What a day to it has been. How will you remember it? How I remember it. Yeah, it's pretty momentous because the greatest has probably been seen for the last time in this tournament. Yeah. The guy who has played every point like it's his last has probably played his last at Ronald Garros.
That's all I remember it. Did you just come up with that? I did. Blimey. Sorry, Bershir, but you have to follow that. Bershir is our French open mascot. I've been pronouncing it Bershir, but I've had a few people on Instagram today saying, I think it should be Bershir. So if it leaves, if you could get in touch and let me know, I would be horrified to think that I've been mispronouncing Bershir's name. So please, please let me know so I can get it right.
But Bershir, Bershir, whatever your name, you are absolutely lovely. And the content you're sending is marvelous. We have our mascots. I have the dearly departed Darwin David has Francis and Matt has Heider and Soma. Billy Jean is sponsored by Billy Jean King in Elana class. We have top folks and executive producers Jamie Jeff, Greg and Chris and Matt, we have shout outs. We have Derrinda in Melbourne. Hello, Derrinda. Sorry, originally from Melbourne, but now in Connecticut.
Oh, driven through there. Into a Dunkin' Donuts there. Yeah, would deny that access to a public bathroom. Yeah, you can't call it a motorway services if there isn't a publicly available bathroom. That's how I feel about Connecticut and that's Dunkin' Donuts. Math had to talk to me out of... That's no story for a podcast. Okay. It really isn't. Thank you, Derrinda. We've also got Anna Bigelow. Hello, Anna. In California. Hi, Anna. Like Anna Callins' Skyer, one half of Sinner's Skyer.
I can't believe I've coined something. I'm trying to make it happen for you, David. There's also tennis annas. Sure, no one else is saying any. Evanna Vitch. Anna Cornicover. Blinkover. Yeah, bogged down. I don't know, I think it's punching above its weight as a name. There's your shout out, Anna. Lovely name. Yeah. Thank you ever so much. And finally, we've got Seagal Shahar Abani. Hello, Seagal. Is Seagal getting touched with us? We know Seagal. We know Seagal.
Seagal has says the anglicised version of my name is Violet. Oh. I've got an awful feeling that the last time I did Seagal's shout out, I said, I mentioned Steven Seagal. The name to it again. Now I've done it again. Well, anyone else got anything? Well, Seagal says, since you didn't know any tennis pilots last year, I've got a little bit of a feeling that I looked it up. And there's an Australian player, Violet, Episarr. Oh, well, thank you very much for doing that.
We love it when I shout out to Steve the research for us. Especially when we're not exactly on a top-back game. Speak for yourself, David. What do you say, David? Thank you ever so much, Seagal. Thank you to all of our friends at the tennis podcast. Hey, if you'd like to become a friend at the tennis podcast, you won't. I don't regret it. And the link to do that is in our show notes.
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Tough scene for Hugo and Pay, yes today. I promise I'll do a cheery stat at one point. Subscribe to the Newsletter to find out when folks will be back tomorrow with the final day of Round 1 action, we'll be struggling into Round 2 with Peppin' or Step. We'll speak to you then. Meet new glasses or want a fresh new style? Be