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For JD Power 2023 award information, visit JD Power dot com slash awards. Only at a sleep number store or sleep number dot com. Hi, this is Billie Jean King. This is Mayan Bartotti. I'm Matt Svillander. This is Mary Carillo. This is Pam Shriver. This is Yannick Noah and you're listening to the tennis podcast.
Hello and welcome to La Plastin Muscatère here at Roland Garros in the shadow of the Philippe Chatelier Stadium where the night session is just getting underway. We will cover that night session in the start of Novak Djokovic's title defense in part two. So don't worry, we'll be talking about that in just a little while, but it's 10 to 9 just now. And against the odds, it's turned into quite a nice evening albeit a bit cold because David Matt, it has been a bit of a misery of a day so far.
Sogi, it has been and it appears to be a bit of a theme of this week unlike last year when it was glorious sunshine every day. But we are not going to complain. Well, not too much. But yes, the most frustrating element of it being that for the first several hours of the day there was just no play on the outside courts. Thank goodness you have covered courts in the New Longland roof and Chatelier, the main court.
But it's not really what the first week of Grand Slam is all about, is it you want vibe, you want stuff going on everywhere. We now have that and you end up getting an amplified sense of that because there's all these matches to catch up on, but it's a bit frustrating early on.
Yes, you, De Listener, will know the pod title when you're listening to this, but there was definitely a time when we'd walked in to Roland Garros getting absolutely drenched and gone to lunch with seemingly every member of the media. And there was a huge queue where I was thinking we were going to have to roll back a dud of a day as our pod title, but things have improved in the last few hours. And we do actually have some interesting stuff to talk about, I think.
Yeah, we're never rolling out a dud of a day again. That was, it was a canary down the mine and the show didn't rate well, so that canary died. No, none of a day. Well, baller, baller listening. No, things have picked up considerably and we're now, well, we're ending up with an evening where there's just all sorts of things happening because they're desperately trying to catch up on the time that they've missed.
And it is a slight feeling of chaos on all of the outside courts. David and I have just been watching Hamad Mediettovich, who we touted, David, over the course of the weekend in the build up to this. He's the toughest qualifier in the draw. Well, he's two sets of love down. We was two sets of love down to Flavia Caboli. We just went on to court three and helped him in the third set in the tie break. So TBC, on whether he can come all the way back.
Well, it turns out he needs two thirds of the tennis broadcast team to be there with him because he's five two double break down in the fourth now. I did think he looked tired, sluggish, would be my word. And he's clearly a rink-esque player, agricultural, if you will. He's a big, hulking figure on the tennis court. I get that liveliness might not necessarily be his vibe, but he looked not up on the balls of his feet.
No, and I mean those first two sets, which we didn't see six, two, six, three. That is one side of me. You get out there and Caboli is the complete opposite build of him. He is like a greyhound. And he looks just as though he's got energy to burn really. But you've got the big brute down the other end who's just smashing the ball around and looks like he's capable of knocking him off the court.
And from match point down, he started to do a bit of that. And I mean it was one or two of the exchanges where he saw Catherine when they were going full out power at each other. Took us back to that time we walked past Thomas Mahatch on the practice court. You get that close up on sort of court number seven, don't you? I think it was, well court three. I can't remember exactly what we were on. But it's not seats. We were just on a balcony with several other people looking over.
Works for me, you know, six foot seven and all that. But I'm slightly more limited. You're very close to the action. And you get this feeling of just how physical these guys are. And how glad the editorial, the exchanges are. But he has faded dramatically on the scoreboard there as Majedavitch.
Hulking agricultural and big brute. I can't wait to be hated by Hamad, Majedavitch fans. It's going to be fun. And I think Flavio Caboli is an interesting player this year actually because I think in his one big moment that probably most people will have seen.
He really didn't play well against Raffa Nadal in, where was that Madrid? Barcelona. Like he really shrunk in that moment and kind of forgot how to construct points and was just going after the ball all the time and didn't look that impressive.
But I have seen him a few times this year and been quite impressed. He's beaten McGuinickless, Jerry a couple of times. So he was very close to beaten Casparud in Geneva last week. And he is one of the very many Italians who are taking up the top 100 in the rankings these days.
And he certainly want to watch as well as Majedavitch. He is in the Holger rune section of the draw, the Karen Hashanov section of the draw. Later down the road it's Taylor Fritz, Alexander's very over section of the draw. But that's way, way, way down the road. Let's take you back to where we started our day, the first match on court today, the only match on court for a good hour until Philip Chattray got underway was Elena Rabakina against Grip Minin.
And I was actually very pleased that this was the only match on court because it meant we and the television channel had to focus on it because it was pouring with rain. So we decided to watch this one from home and I watched the first six points on my own and Rabakina lost them all I think on unforeseen errors. And on the seventh point, which Rabakina won on Minin's serve, she got sympathetic applause for actually finally winning a point. And I was thinking, oh my goodness.
And my did the table's turn from that point onwards because Rabakina ended up breathing past Grip Minin in the end and looking like she was purring that. Yeah, she was pretty flawless from that moment on actually, one nine games in a row at one point and just totally took over the match. And it was funny we were talking yesterday about how different the vibe is when the roofs are and it's pretty wet and cold.
And one about to say might sound like a surrender slate on Rabakina, it isn't, but she just actually suits that environment quite well. She's not a player who necessarily ever really has big atmospheres at her matches because of her pretty quiet personality on court. And the fact that she can just swap opponents aside as she did with Minin today and she just really suited that early spot indoors able to tee off on her ground strokes.
Like she was absolutely awesome to be honest had a little hiccup at the end when she was serving for it Minin broke her back and had a little streak of points on her own as well. No, it was a very, very satisfying watching Elena Rabakina just sort of tune up her grounds for expiring to her range and hit her spots with them.
And I think despite how uneventful that match ended up being Rabakina might end up occupying a few headlines tomorrow because of her press conference after the match, which was awkward at best. I think very, very uncomfortable. Now we weren't in that press conference, but we read the transcripts. There was kind of murmurs going around the press room about it.
We read the transcripts and then I caught up with a few people that were in the room to try and get a sense of what the energy was like because sometimes transcripts can be misleading, especially something like this where Rabakina isn't saying an awful lot.
And that's part of the problem. She's being asked totally legitimate questions and she's not only shutting them down or refusing to engage, but she's kind of mocking the questioner for the quality of their questions and rolling her eyes and gesturing to her agent and saying, you kind of look what I have to put up with with this stuff, you know. She was rude quite frankly by the sounds of things and I'm always a bit defensive of Rabakina with this kind of thing. She's not always like this.
It should be said she definitely has good days in press where she gives more and she's more receptive, but she has bad days too. This is the worst that I've seen, but you know she can be prone to a little bit of this. It's not totally out of character. I'm always a little bit defensive of her because I just think back to that press conference two years ago when she won the Wimbledon title.
The crowning most joyful moment of her career so far and still so far. And there were two lines of questioning. One was about her being of Russian descent. At Wimbledon of course when Russian athletes were banned. Now I think those were legitimate questions. I totally think that was a legitimate journalist's line of questioning, but I also feel very sorry for her having to deal with that line of questioning in that moment.
I kind of think that's just one of those tricky tricky things I see both sides of that. The other angle of questioning was why don't you look happier? Why aren't you smiling more? Why aren't you behaving like a perfect sweet, you know, trace Justin type smiley little blonde girl.
And that I really did find extremely upsetting really, you know, that why can't you be a bit different? Why can't you behave differently in this moment? And that must, you know, that was a very formative moment for her, the young, young time in her career. She's still very young.
I do cut her a bit of slack for being ill at ease with the media and perhaps a little bit wary. I do. But I also think there's a lot more going on here and it's incumbent on the tennis world to, to as far as possible allow for tennis players not to feel that way. I think that's a cultural issue that we've touched upon a lot in the tennis podcast with players just being with the sort of the the the the the the the menace.
Energy and the agents being at the front of press conferences. The message that agents standing there at the front sends to the player is, I'm here to protect you. I suggest that there's something that they might need to be protected from. No, yeah, that's there's the odd dodgy question. But they're really rare despite what the internet might suggest they are really rare.
And these are adults and they are capable and allowed to say politely sorry, I don't feel comfortable answering that question or I don't think that's relevant to my performance today, whatever it is. And they have the agency to do that. And I just think there is a culture of suspicion and hierarchy and mistrust. And this this kind of speaks to that. But it's protective as I am of her and despite the slack I cut her, I do think she was flat out rude today and it was not on.
Yeah, it's a shame. And hopefully that changes over the course of the week when she comes into the media room in the future. And yeah, I mean, not everybody's cut out necessarily for for those scenarios. It's not watch necessarily she wants to be is that somebody asked us answer questions.
She wants to play tennis and whatever else she she's into, but it is part of the job. And when I used to work with tennis players behind the scenes for as a communications person, they would sometimes say and I understand it. They'd say, oh, they always spend the same questions. Why do they do that? And I'd say, well, your coach is always asking you to hit your forehand, isn't he or she or your backhand.
You don't not do it because you did it five minutes ago. You just keep doing it because that's the job and you want to improve it and you want to do more to progress. And in the interview room, you've got to keep answering questions because that's your seed job and being rude is not helping anybody, is it?
But still, I'm hopeful that maybe somebody might have a word. I am too, actually, and yeah, I am. I'm hopeful that that was just a particularly bad day for for a lane or a back in a we will keep you posted, but it basically it's brilliant to see her playing great tennis again.
And you know, the, there was a lot of chat around that press conference transcript today kind of saying, you know, the media are helping the public to get to know or trying to help the public to get to know a lane or a back in a little bit of the corner because she emotes so little on the court and I do get that. But I also kind of weirdly for me because I love emoting on the court. I do love how stone cold she is. I do find that quite compelling. The ice in her veins vibe.
I think she's very satisfying to watch. You know, it just, it isn't about anything other than the tennis and the ground strokes and the big serve and the pretty smooth movement like there's lots to enjoy there without you know, too much other than the tennis being being the draw and the show. And yeah, the personally I flipping kind of loved the way she celebrated her women title. She was walking to the net.
That was that was pretty cool in a way. Yeah, I agree. I'm with you there. Yes, stone cold. So she did that on long lane a little bit later on. We saw Sabalenko kind of do anything you can do. I can do better against Erica and Draver. The elder of the Andrava sisters. Yeah, how many and ravers will it take to be Sabalenko because she she likes playing an and raver. She's she's treated them both in very similar ways just overpowered them.
Really just shown her like a big gap actually in terms of you know where they're out in in their development and and where she is as as of you know fairly recent world number one. It's not a gap that you would necessarily be surprised by.
But I think certainly with mirror and raver people are you know expecting her to start closing that gap a bit over the next years but every time Sabalenko's played mirror and ravers she's beaten her very easily and and today was the same against the sister and yeah pretty pretty impressive statement performances I would say from Rebecca and and Sabalenko in fact all of the women's top four seeds have barely dropped games in their in their first round matches.
Yeah, I think I'm just thinking about my predictions. I think I do have the top four seeds making the semi finals. Yeah, so does anyone does anyone not have that how how many people roughly in our predictions thought they would be much deviation from the top four. They honestly don't know the numbers but I think there was some hesitancy over a back. Right just because of how she came into this tournament you know unwell and understandably.
Dario Cazakino is an action today over on long-learn but basically looked really good against someone who can be a tricky opponent Magdalena Frecht. There was a slightly dodgy moment in early in the second set she had a medical time out and she she has been injury prone over the years and I was a little bit worried she'd hyper extended her knee.
She got some treatment she was fine. Proceeded to the finish line gave a lovely interview afterwards. Dario Cazakino rolls on now the other women's match that we had on Shatri today was the end of a Lise Kourne's career at the hands of Junqin Wen.
It wasn't really about the match this was it I mean Junqin Wen it was a reminder from her I think we were all struck by this watching it together just how comfortable she is on clay those big strokes that she has the time really benefits her she moves well she looks like such an incredible athlete on this surface.
Every time I see her I'm slightly taken aback every time of how statuess she is what an imposing figure she is and she played a little role in Kourne's very very elaborate retirement ceremony didn't she and she handled it perfectly.
It was a lovely little cameo and a lovely we were talking with Charlie Elkosho won't we match now with the athletic about retirement well been with the ad now with the athletic tennis department about retirements and how often players really get perfect retirement or even good retirement what I think Lise Kourne is that a good retirement there.
Yeah because I think to be honest she's probably a year past when maybe it would have been sensible to retire if she was going to be competitive at the same time because today and in recent times she struggled big time and look she's playing a very good player here I really feared for her at fall of down I genuinely wonder whether she would win a game it was going so badly.
She dug in she started to play some of the tennis in a little snapshot that we've seen from her absorbing big ground strokes and squatting and then trying to retaliate with her own big back and then the line but it was brief and she won a couple of games in that set she almost got a third but when you say a sort of perfect retirement I think that the relief was that it wasn't a humiliation on the scoreboard and an awkwardness in the in the in the chatriate it was a comfortable comfortable victory for young people.
And then a very very long and quite elaborate ceremony afterwards in which she embraced it and she loves a microphone and she really is able to connect with a crowd and communicate with an audience and as you say I think young at the end she sort of waited around for and then said some nice words and I just think the kind of the world's getting to know young at the same time this last six to eight months and so yeah I think that was a good time around.
I think I'll miss a least corner you know like her her run in 2022 when actually she'd hinted at the start of that year that that could be her final year on tour and she finally broke through and reached a grand sample to final for the first time in Australia.
I remember that so so vividly and all that year she'd be a host of big names and I kind of think that she had probably a big impact in the sport than like her ranking would suggest a sort of career high of 11 but I think she was there for a lot of moments you know she'd be serena three times she ended English fiontex streak at Wimbledon and we shouldn't forget that she was very important in speaking out about Punshui.
A few years ago and had she not done that I don't know whether the WTA would have even done what it did I mean quite possibly but she set that emotion she got everyone's attention and made sure that people cared about that and I think that is a pretty big impact on the sport that she had right there and someone who wasn't you know was always giving good quotes in impress conferences and certainly understood the relationship with the media.
I think Alise Kourner has been a force for good over the last 15 years or so and has had tremendous longevity as well during that montage they showed her I think playing here as a 15 year old like fantastic fantastic career and I hope she you know stays in the sport in in some capacity because I think she's got a lot to offer. Very very well said match he did Alise Kourner play a part in what has been a dreadful day for Muscatair watch.
Oh no. There are still chances for wins because there are still matches to come but we've had loss for Alta Kazoo against Thomas Martin at Chavere. I mean a very valiant loss a very Muscatair worthy loss that we watched the closing stages of over on on long land. He gave the crowd everything but a win did Alta Kazoo.
Yeah he won the first set I mean he's a swashbuckling player I mean a classic Muscatair of recent times of somebody who throws heart and soul and playing incredibly flamboyant and flare filled shots at his opponent and including one in the first three games that reminded me of pitch of the statue of Susan Longland outside the stadium there because he leapt from right to left. To hit a two handed backhand two feet off the ground in the air.
This was one of the most dramatic jump backhand I think I've seen and he hit it for a clean winner and so he wins the first set against Setshe Vary. Next thing I know he's two sets to one down he's cramping there's all sorts going on and it really looks like he's not in the match at all.
We go over there because he's got a break back and then immediately loses a serve again and we're facing it so very about serve for the match and we just about thought you know what let's still go in and he broke back again and it was drama and it was noise and the long land crowd were packed in and going for it and who got gassed on was sat behind us one row behind as he was getting into it. Trying to be incognito in his hoodie in the pressing we can all see you go.
And it was just dramatic and wonderful but it didn't last and it's a very you know that's one of the things I love about this tournament obviously is the French crowd pulling for French players but also seeing an opponent try to deal with it and get through and it's a very you could see the stress and the compartmentalizing is having to do and the kind of shrugging off of whatever people was shouting at him from the opposing crowd and he still managed to win.
And he got booed afterwards David he did nothing to wrong that crowd other than a little celebration after he won and then he's doing his uncle interview and he's talking about how he loves this tournament so much he named his dog roll on Garros. Still didn't win a moment. They might be loud for their people but they are hard of heart. Okay so elsewhere in Muscatair watch I'm afraid David that constant lestian.
Constant lestian is on his way out it's two sets of love and three love for a boat of Kobayas by Ena. I don't think you're going to catch Constant lestian this tournament. Oh well I saw him. Oh yeah got his long socks on. Okay he sort of dressed as France. Doing it the only way he knows how we might be about to lose Andrew and Manorino at the hands of Julio Zepieri the Italian not sure he's a big fan of the old play.
Andrew and Manorino. Giovanni and Pesci Perica David is in a fifth set with David Goffan what she got found has the break in that fifth set but we'll keep you posted so thus far no French winners on day three they could do with one. We could all do it one or two because honestly that and it's not about being biased it's just about the vibe that this place I can't get it across enough. It's so different when there's a French player in action. Can I offer you an art to win the Knecht he won.
Did he? Yep. There you go French winner David. Great. Excellent. He just does it on Matt Delivis. Can't believe he didn't make my round up. And of course there's Pierre-Rouget Bay currently in action against Novak Djokovic so not overly hopeful. He's shooting to part two to find out what happens there. Christina Medenevich lost today. I think that's it for French players.
You watch some of Kasper Rouget. David he was second on Chattray. He beat Philippe Meligeni Alvers watched on by Arsene Venger. You watch some and you spoke to him afterwards. Yeah I only watched a little bit of it but I went to his press conference afterwards and actually it's quite interesting that Kasper Rouget's dad, Christian Rouget, had played in the past against Meligeni Alvers. Is that his name? His uncle was Fernando Meligeni who is somebody I knew from my ATP days in the 90s.
And I was actually at the I think probably only first or one of the only titles that Fernando Meligeni ever won in Prague that year. He's a great guy, really good, serious and actually reached a run and a semi-final one time. But apparently Meligeni had beaten Christian Rouget and so Kasper Rouget was asked, did you want to win one for the family? And usually they just sort of laugh sheepishly and he goes, yeah did actually.
So it's nice to get a bit of revenge he said. I asked him in there, what I like about Kasper Rouget, you can ask him pretty much any question and he will not duck it. He will give you an answer, he will think about what you've asked and he'll give you an answer, not just trot out some platitude. I asked him about playing Geneva last week and generally playing the week before a tournament, why?
Why do that at a Grand Slam? So few players at that level do it. Now obviously he may be getting paid a handsome appearance fee, I'd say he was and maybe that's the reason it's not something he would reveal I don't think in a press conference. Although Daniel Collins did say today that you've got to pay the bills, that's why she played Strasbourg or one of the reasons.
But with Rouget he said, look if I'd have won lots of matches in Madrid and Rome, if I don't maybe won eight matches or ten matches or something like that, I may well have decided not to play Geneva because I'd have felt I've had enough matches and it's not that much time between the two tournaments because I've got to the end of Rome.
But that wasn't the case, he lost early in Rome and he said I would have faced about 17 days of kicking my heels and practicing but it's just the same thing too long. And so I'd prefer to go to Geneva, try to get a lot of win, something obviously won the tournament in the end, it's something he's done the last couple of years and reached the round and go final.
I can totally understand why he wouldn't change that but I was just curious about the thinking and he said it's about being in match mode and so that's why he does it. And he was also asked, just one question came to him as well about something and he said recently on his podcast about having suffered from skin cancer and having had treatment for it, it's quite recently and quite a lot of treatment as well for his face.
And he was asked, do you ever worry about skin cancer as a tennis player and Rude said, yeah do, actually. And it's something I take seriously, I do apply sun lotion whenever I play but we sweat so much that you do wonder whether it's washing off and whether it's not effective. And so I'm going to be getting tested as my life goes on to see how my skin's reacted and to probably take better care of it in the future. I thought I really considered an interesting answer.
Yeah, hadn't heard that put to a player before, that's interesting. He said he feels like tennis players are more at risk because they're in the sun all the time. And another reason to like Casper Rude is that he didn't give you a, having you had my last transcript David because some players would because I saw Rude having to justify his appearance in Geneva and his pre-tronement press conference as well. Sorry, Casper.
So that's great that he went back into detail and told you stuff. Yeah, that just tells you something. Yeah, absolutely. Good for you. And a very legitimate question David. We can't go to every press conference, we read every transcript and go to every tournament. You know, we're not as diligent as Paola Badosa, evidently. Little niche joke there for you.
I do have one more agenda item for part one, but something very awkward has happened that has slightly torpedoed it because my fun agenda might item was the Carota boys and they have just descended on us over your right shoulder days. Oh, yeah, they are within ear shots. We were rubbing shoulders with them. I was going to address the fact that it turns out the Carota boys will support any old Italian. Yeah, it was Caboli this time, isn't it?
Yeah, and it also turns out that they no longer actually dress as carrots. They're now just men in branded or in turdies. Yeah. How do we feel about that? They've gone corporate. Yeah. They've sold out. Yeah, and to that end, man, I put a picture of them in their uniforms on our Instagram. And I've had a reply in from someone called Catherine, who was at the tournament in Rome, and she said their merch, because she's calling it merch, their merch was everywhere at the Italian Open on a good.
It was being worn by about five percent of attendees, she says, and available in one of the stores. Good for them. They're a brand. Yeah, someone's just taking herself here with them. I honestly can't believe it's just a load of bloats on a freebie. Dressed as carrots. Not even dressed as carrots anymore. Not even dressed as carrots. It's just some bloats in orange hoodie. Care for them. Oh, yeah, I mean, good luck to them. They've nailed life. We're stealing a living there, stealing a living.
I see now one of them has turned around. I see they have Corota boys written in white lettering across their chests. They have matching hats. Wow, they are. Wow, okay. Should we go and watch some jock of it and come back for party? Good idea. You'll speak to the minute. Quality sleep is essential. That's why the sleep number smart bed is designed for your ever evolving sleep needs. Need a bed that's firmer or softer on either side? Helps you sleep at a comfortable temperature?
Sleep number smart beds let you individualize your comfort. So you sleep better together. JD Power Rink sleep number number one in customer satisfaction with mattresses purchased in store. And now save 50% on the sleep number limited edition smart bed for a limited time. For JD Power 2023 award information, visit JDpower.com slash awards. Only at a sleep number store or sleep number dot com. Life is full of what ifs. Some awesome. Like what if AI could fold your laundry?
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And I want to tell you about a company that I've been loving all of in June. Olive in June gives you everything that you need for a salon quality manicure in one box. And if you break it down, it really comes out to two dollars a manicure, which is absolutely insane. It's also so easy to get salon worthy nails at home with olive in June. The difference between how your nails used to look when you did them yourself. And now with the manny system is a complete game changer.
The best thing about all of in June too is it's a quick drive. Drives in about one minute, last for five days and full coverage and up to one to two coats. Visit all of in June dot com slash perfect manny 20 for 20% off your first system. Welcome back to part two where we are back at tennis podcast towers. We are surrounded by significantly more weird lamps than we were in part one. You'll have to take my word for it. And we have seen Nova Jokovic win through in straight sets or bids.
We have seen Nova Jokovic win through in straight sets or bids relatively tight straight sets. Three to round number two where he'll face Roberto Caballos byina. You watched most of this match after we'd finished recording part one. How did Nova Jokovic play and how much do you read into how he played given the quality of the opposition or do you respect to Pierre Hugo Bay's had a great career but he's ranked 142 in the world and he hasn't played a tour level event or match or year.
He's played exclusively on the challenger tour. Yes and actually he should probably just quickly preface this by saying that one of the other reasons I think why Pierre Hugo Bay hasn't played all that much is that his son was very ill in the last few months and very young and Pierre Hugo Bay has had to spend a lot of time in the hospital and thankfully everything seems to be okay now. But yeah I think that's kind of important context for Pierre Hugo Bay's season.
But Jokovic I think context matters, right? Like if he'd played like this in the opening round of a slam over the past couple of years I'd probably say well it's just first round of a slam, no but Jokovic doesn't need to be at his best. Wasn't at his best absolutely fine no problem at all but given the ways played this season wasn't particularly impressive tonight against Pierre Hugo Bay. He got the job done in straight sets because he is just that good.
But his return game was kind of off and I've kind of been having a bit of a text thread with Matt Futterman all year about no but Jokovic's form and we were able to sort of do that in person today because obviously we're both covering this event and he came over to me and halfway through the third set and said hmm it's not not playing very well is he? And he's been of the opinion that nothing up to run on Garros really matters.
You know he's going to turn it on and I've been pushing back on that a little bit more. But do you mean nothing in between the Australian open and the French open? Yes. Presumably, yeah. Yeah, exactly. So it is tough to know what to make of it. I didn't think it was a particularly impressive performance. The DJ was obviously sort of had his finger on the pulse in terms of Jokovic's year because he was playing.
I used to rule the world and under pressure and I was thinking this is this is bit too on the nose from the DJ based on no but Jokovic's season so far. But having said that there were these little flickers from Jokovic. In the second set tie break he wanted it very impressive point to go through love up and then raw to the crowd. And I was like oh that's the no but Jokovic's I haven't seen for several months. He is in there somewhere.
And I was reminded of the fact that last year in tie breaks there's tournament he didn't make a single unforestationary. I think one of the most unbelievable know about Jokovic's statistics that there's ever been. He didn't do that here. He did make some unforestationary but he also raised the intensity and just upped his game when he needed to. And the set point in the second set was just absolutely vintage Jokovic.
And then I was watching the final game with Matt, Futterman and I said well a sign that Jokovic is doing Jokovic's things would be if he breaks here. 5-4 in that third set. Let's wrap it up before we get ourselves involved in another tie break. And he did do that. He broke right at the final game. In a game which actually included quite a tumble that he took but he seemed to be okay. So I think the summary is there was some no but Jokovic little moments as I've described.
But generally this was more in keeping with his season so far and that it was far from his best form. And he's going to need to play a whole lot better. Certainly in the second week. Like I think this level probably over 5 sets can get him through Carbias Bayano in the next round most likely. But at some point he is going to have to up his level. And we've just become so used to him doing that but there is a bit more of a question mark now over whether he will. But we'll see.
Will it be a bit tougher against Carbias Bayano? I think yes I think he's a seasoned clay court player. I think Pierre-Gabre would not say that Clay is his best surface even when he was kind of at his best. So I would expect more of a physical test for Jokovic. I think that was one thing where he didn't look too bad today. It wasn't hard, he was playing at night. Not always that gruelling rallies and he seemed physically fine in a way that he hasn't in a lot of matches this year.
I think that will be tougher against Carbias Bayano but I just don't think he's got the weapons to hurt. No, Jokovic to be honest. When Pierre-Gabre played doubles with Andy Murray at Wembleden. Yes. Just had a memory. Just come to me. He just won Queen's with Flicciano Lopez and it was all the hype when they lost second round. You didn't go that well, did you? No, very badly. They both want to pound the same side. It was actually a terrible idea. It turns out.
It was a big conference where Andy Murray got all the questions and Pierre-Gabre was just sat there and then they basically... He did, he's a delight. There are doubles players that get sassy about that situation. It is a bit awkward when you see that sort of thing, isn't it? Talking to press comrades, it's quite interesting Jokovic says that he thought his performance was good. I thought it was solid. I think most interestingly he said, I was fist pumping. I was focused. I was there.
I was present. So I'm pleased with the way at least I behaved or had a mindset on the court. That was something I was looking for. Well, that's what I picked out from that second set, Tide Break. There was just this big fist pump to the crowd that, as I said, I was like, wow, haven't seen that all year. So that intensity, he raised it when he needed to. Would you include Australia in that? Haven't seen that all year?
No, not, no, I wouldn't because I think in that third set, Tide Break against Sinner, we saw that. Actually, he referenced that here and he said, even in Australia, it felt like an uphill battle. Even today, he seems to be saying today might be a bit of a corner turn, is what I'm getting from his words. But I do think we have to also recognize that now he's in a grand slam. He's not going to start wanting to talk down his own game.
This is now his mode to turn it on and use press conferences as a bit of a mind game. Build up that aura. Absolutely because it is diminished the locker remora and that's not nothing for sure. He wants to be sending out signals that I'm coming. Absolutely, yeah, I think that's smart play. I just want to see him tested to get the data on where he's really at. And I don't know if Kobayas Bainer is that guy and I definitely don't know if Gamel Feast would be that guy in the third round.
Who does Gamel Feast play? He plays to enter a Mazzetti. I don't even know if the friend's over Zetti would be that guy either. No, I instinctively agree with you. But he has played job of its tough Mazzetti. He's beaten him on clay and he's led him here to set the lot. And retired for the fan. And then retired for the fan. I saw Ricardo Kobayas Bainer tonight because he was the opponent of Constant Lestian. Yes, David went to resurrect the chances of Constant Lestian.
And it was briefly successful. Yeah, he was... Before he very much wasn't successful. He was two sets down, six, four, seven, five. I like Constant Lestian because he's just such a maverick of a tennis player. A real one-off. And I got out there and there's not a huge crowd for him. It's fairly backwards tennis court at Raleigh-Garras behind court Susan Longman.
I actually loved it, I mean, it made you realize just how close up to Grand Slam tennis you can get if you have a grounds pass and you're prepared to go and maybe choose somebody who's not a household name to go and watch. And there he is with his little gaggle of fans and Kobayas Bainer. He got a few of his own with his Spanish flags. And Lestian is hitting these. He hits so many fake shots, kind of like you'll fake to go deep and then hit a drop shot or fake to do a drop shot and then go deep.
And I mean, he was doing several drop shots per game when I got there as he tried to launch his comeback. And sure enough, he won the third set and he was getting very excited and he fought really hard in the four set. But Kobayas Bainer is just one of those guys who accept stuff. You know, a lot of players would just be driven to despair by the drop shots and the lob combos and be made to look at it stupid sometimes.
But each just sticks to his guns, keeps on piling away with his forehand, feats going a million miles an hour to get around the ball. And actually a nice moment to the net where he clearly was saying to Lestian, you are a nightmare to play. But I'm glad I got through you sort of thing and he went and thanked his fans, shook hands with them all individually. I don't know that many, but still over there. But you know, the idea of him puncturing Jocovitch on a grand sound stage, it's unlikely.
I'm glad you're enjoying these French players while you can David because it isn't, it's not going well for getting many of them through to even the latter stages of week one. We do need to save these atmosphere as well. We can confirm that Arthur and the Kinesh is the only French winner from today. We lost Greg Wabarre this evening. He lost to Alexander Bubli, Constraint Zetsman, Reno ended up losing in Peshie Perricard as well.
Lost to David Goughan, so only Arthur Rindakinesh and you didn't seem that interested in him earlier David. I'll take what I can get at this point. So that's Muscatère Watch, a match that wasn't quite finished when we recorded part one was Holger Runer against Dan Evans. He ended up being a full four and four victory for Runer over and out of form Dan Evans. He's such a case study at the moment in the fine margins of tennis.
He said what three wins all season after popping his calf at the end of last season, mid match on camera, just boom and an instant gone. Brutal terribly timed injury, not there's ever a good time for something like that. He's playing some really nice tennis. He doesn't look like a different Dan Evans, but he's not winning matches. He's not winning important points. He's lost a lot of really tight ones.
I think one to Arthur Rindakinesh, you're only a guy David, and it's tough for Dan Evans right now. Because he doesn't need to overhaul his game and do anything mightily different, but he does need to start winning. Yeah, I think that is frustrating for him because he thinks he's playing decent tennis. And I think you just have to kind of like how he's describing Kobayas Bayani. You just have to stick to your guns. Not panic, keep turning up, but it's tough.
It's obviously really tough when you play a guy like Olga Runa. We went out and saw some of it. And Evans was playing some lovely stuff. Some of the rallies were beautiful to watch just the touch around the net from both players. Evans coming in a lot, Runa figuring out passing shot strategies. And he just has such a pure ball strike, Runa. The conviction he has when he lines up a shot. The ball comes off the racket as cleanly as anybody in the world. And Evans did have some chances.
He had a break of serve, a thing in the third set. He was in the first set all the way to 5-4. But he was having to play to his limits on that particular surface. You don't get the free stuff. He could play like that on a fast surface and probably win quite a lot of easy quick points. You don't get to do that on the play. And trying to play at your limit for the best of five sets is not a real recipe for success, I don't think. Have we been sleeping on Olga Runa at this tournament?
I don't think you've given much reason to be awake on him. But I do at the same time thing, Catherine. I don't know what you've got. Four games a minute earlier and I thought, oh my god, I'm so scared. He does, though. That's exactly what he does. There's no question that if he could put it all together and have a good attitude and a good mindset, he could go deep here, really deep, because he's good enough. But would you believe in him to do that?
No, and I very much didn't when I was doing my predictions. But he should be going deep with that game. He needs to be pulling this, pulling this together. It hurts me a bit that he's not, because I do love watching his game. I love that ball strike. I love his backhand. I love it. I mean, as you said, David, he's not just a ball machine. He's got nice touch. He's got, it's all a bit inconsistent and unpredictable. I don't know what his DNA is as a tennis player, but it is all there.
There's quite a lot to him, but he's just chaotic. If he could win his next two matches, I would believe that we could be in for something special from him at Ryan Gowdy. It's Kaboli. It's Kaboli, and then it's likely Kahn Hashanov. And I just feel that is, we've often talked about him as one of the rights of passage for tennis players seeking to do stuff. Yannick Sinner beating Hashanov in straight sets in Australia, when that was close.
You know, there were close sets, but he took care of him, which is what you have to do. And I just feel like at the moment I'd be expecting Hashanov to beat him to just bludgeon him and be too relentless and eventually outlast him. It's up to him to prove that wrong, because he's capable. Okay, we will keep an eye on Holgeruna and the chaos. I just wanted to point out that Alejandro Davidavitch Fikina won today, which in and of itself not particularly remarkable, but he plays Casparoude next.
And he's another one that the results don't necessarily reflect this, but he is capable of a lot. That could be, you know, really if Alejandro Davidavitch Fikina is reaching his potential, that should be a fourth round grand stand match, or even a quarter final. Well, I do understand why Alejandro Davidavitch Fikina isn't high-ranked. I think he might be a bit mad, but yeah, that's a great second round match, I think, or has the potential to be.
He's in job other watches, need Davidavitch Fikina, but he has had a really rough year. He's not won many matches. Absolutely. I think you both said it. Yeah, he's, you know, you said about Rude. You don't know what his DNA is, sorry, Runa. You don't know what his DNA is as a tennis player, sort of how, what's his go-to way of winning points?
I think Davidavitch Fikina, his DNA is obvious in that he's all over the place. He's kind of crazy as a tennis player, but he doesn't have that at all, that you just do not know what's coming, and doesn't have reliable patterns, I don't think. It's not, whereas Rude's a complete opposite, Rude has absolutely maximized his game. He knows what he is as a tennis player, down to a T.
I think actually that's a two opposite ends of the spec from there. Like, Rude knows how to use his big forehand, and knows how to set up points with his serve, and I just don't think Davidavitch Fikina has ever figured that out, really, but he's an incredibly fun time. And if he gets on a roll, he's great fun, but he's just as likely to die for a ball that he shouldn't go for and turn his ankle.
I could see that match on Long-Len, and I could see the French taking Davidavitch Fikina under their wing. That's what I see. It's a good vision. For that match. Yeah, I have that vision, and I have Karen Hashen of lifting the trophy. Take your pick. Assorted other... This was an actual dream you had, wasn't it? It's not my dream. It's a dream in the most literal sense of the world.
It was a sleep when it happened. And there was Karen Hashen of the world. But it was very realistic. Usually with dreams, even if there's something realistic happening, they'll be fairy aliens dancing in the background, or someone that you went to primary school with, that your brain has aged to be an adult. No, you're looking mean like I'm an alien. Anyway, this was all, everything was as per reality. You know, it was Filipe Chatrier, you were there, you both were there.
What was actually not wearing? Just a normal shirt. When you woke up, did you believe... Yeah, yeah, I woke up, and I had those few moments of blurry, unreality where I thought I lived in a university where Karen Hashen of it won the French Open. One, the best moments of my life. Okay. We move on. Assorted other results. Victoria Zarenka beat Nadia Padaroska today, 616 Love. I've picked this out just because Padaroska reached a semi-final here.
This is extraordinary. I almost want to go and watch that back and see, see, was that a dream? Was that a dream? Yeah, my exact reaction. Julia Puten-Saver beat Sloan Stephen, 6162. What happened there? I mean, I didn't see any of that, and I just don't, I'm so surprised. I just, I don't know, I wonder how much Stephen's has left in the tank of her career. I hope I'm wrong. She's launched a podcast recently, hasn't she? And very, very switched on person, I'm sure would have millions of options.
I'm not retiring, I very much hope this is a blip and she's always been an up and down player. That's not based on anything really, but I don't really want to say I lose one and two to Julia Puten-Saver too much. It's a bit of a scam. I walked past a very sad looking Josie Altedore, which was how I was alerted to the fact that this match had finished. Sondland fans will have seen that before. Husband, right? Yes.
And what else to say about this? Like, obviously that's a pretty shocking score line. Puten-Saver did beat Stephen's just a couple of weeks ago in Rome. Very similar score line, not quite so one sided, but 6362 then. And after saying Puten-Saver has been very good in the last few months. Last 16 at Indian Wells, quarterfinals in Miami, quarterfinals in Madrid, round a 32 Rome, and that was a loss to Eugish Fiontek.
She's been racking up the wins recently. That was a tough draw for both, but obviously particularly for Stephen, who's been pretty soundly beaten. And Puten-Saver plays Palabadossa, which is interesting. Also beating Katie Bolters, 64 in the third. Bolter had a chance as she led by a set. She had a chance at the business end of the second set. She'll probably have regrets I would have thought.
Found this difficult to watch because they were wearing the exact same kit down to the visor. And they have the same hair. That's not their fault. But it made it close to unwatchable. And I'm an expert in identifying tennis players. As in, like, you know, we all are. I'm not a particular expert among us three. I'd one of my worst moments at Queens answering the question. Excuse me, are you good at identifying tennis players?
This is one of my best things from a cameraman. I would like to think so too. A cameraman who had taken photos and he needed to know who he'd taken a photo of so he could capture it. He said, can you come over and tell me who this is? I said, yes, sure. Thinking, of course, I'm going to know this is an absolutely no idea if it was. Who did it turn out to be? I think it might have been a hitting partner in my defence. That's exactly doesn't count. But like, it was a terribly embarrassing moment.
I had a rare moment of self-confidence. And it was deflated very quickly. Yeah, just totally unacceptable. And it just made me just made me angry watching it that that was allowed to happen. So yeah, but Bidossa against Putin's saver and a blink of a one-of-final set tie break today. Of course she did. She beats Veronica Stey. I haven't thought about hers since the Australian opening. And of course she pops back up to her in a deciding set tie break.
Angelique Kerber lost today to Aransha Rousse. She's never liked the French open. No. She's never going to complete that. The quest for the career slam. Wins from Miran Draver, Peyton Sterns, who obviously was the champion in Rabat last week. She's carried on winning and saw it at Arani. Matt enjoyed a bit of this. Of course it is guilty pleasure. Yeah, Saurarani serve. It is extraordinary how she makes it work. There was an incredible stat from Jussette and Matt, which is a Twitter account.
Is it an all-twitter account? In French, there's some very good tennis stats. They put out the other day that Saurarani, the last time she hit an ace in a grand slam. Donald Trump was your ex-president and Ash Barati was world number one. Oh my god, that's my favourite ever stat. I want to go back and find that ace. But then, in her next match, she hit an ace in qualifying. She did hit one the other day, but it had been well over three years since she managed it. Yeah, extraordinary.
I'm glad there are people in the world doing the work of making sure those stats are out there. Thank you very much, Jussette, in Matt. It's Matt like Matt's. Not Matt as in Roberts. Not Matt as in Roberts. Okay, still great. Thomas Mahatch, one today speaking of Champions from last week or not quite Champions from, but people had a good week last week continuing it. No, I mean, it was a rubbish week as far as I understand. Finalist. Finalist in Geneva, he beat Nuno Bojesh today, straight sets.
Look, of course, he should be beating Nuno Bojesh in straight sets. He's the best player in the world, but it is not uncommon for people to be in the world. It's not uncommon for players that reach the final or have a great week, the week before a slam and have a massive balloon pop in the first round of a slam. I would like to see Mahatch Medvedev third round. That's interesting because Medvedev's such a ball machine.
And does Mahatch have the patience to just find a way to hit through him, but you're not going to just do it with one shot, are you? I would really, really like to see that. Okay, what are we going to be seeing tomorrow? I thought tomorrow was a big opportunity for the tournament to put a women's match on the night session. Of course, they have swerved that big opportunity. So we start with Sophia Kennin and Karely and Garcia opening up Philly Pshatriya.
I thought that was one of the two women's matches that could very much have stood up in the night session, but alas, it is in what Hannah calls the graveyard slot on Shatriya tomorrow. Then Jesper de Jong against Carlos Alcras and then the other match that definitely could have been what the tournament calls the match of the day, Shivonteck against Asaka. What is in the night session is Rishogaske against Yannick Sinner.
Over on Longman, we have Daniel Altmeier against Stefano Sitzpasek, who of course, Altmeier took out Yannick Sinner in the second round here last year. So watch out for that one, Camilla Rosario against Longs de Bers, second on, Andro Ruble and Pedro Martinez. And then Coco Gough against Tomorrow Zidanshek over on Simon Matria tomorrow. He but her catch against Brandon Nakashima. Then Katrinis Niohkeva and Chloe Bague Daniel Collins against Olga Dinilevich. That will be intensity central.
And then Korantan Mute against Alexander Shepchenko. Shelton Nishikori is in court seven, actually I think, I think court seven is a good match. I think court seven is a good place to be. Oster Penko, Towson, second on, Marijan Dimitrov. And then some son of Anisimovra. And that's very worried about Reim tomorrow, because Anisimovas lost on. And it could be a sort of midnight sitting out in the cold on court seven situation. But he'll be there folks. He will be there.
My cut of Androsha is on court 14 tomorrow. I see Shepah Valov against Tiafo. Is it bad that I'm worried about that being sad? Vekitch Kostiuk. I'm pumped for it. Yeah. Just an insight into the personalities there. Kotov Varenka. And I think Varenka and Sinner are on a collision course. Yes. Both. Win tomorrow. Kotov's tough. I would like to see that. Yes. You're absolutely right. Kotov is tough. And you know what else he is? I do. Aziz Dan. Agri-cultural. That's a big time, agricultural.
That's about as agricultural as a tennis court gets. Varenka Kotov. So maybe that's where Dave will go. There's plenty else happening tomorrow. And it is a doubles fest, because all the doubles that were scheduled for today got cancelled quite early on today, actually, because it was very clear from the way the rain was setting in that that changes had to be made. And I'm afraid to say there is some rain forecast for tomorrow as well.
I don't think as much, which would be welcome, but certainly some. So could be some major chaos tomorrow evening. Whatever it is, we will be here to bring you a podcast with our role on Gareth's mascot, Bershear. I have had it confirmed by Lees today that it is Bershear, and I have been pronouncing it wrong all along. And Elise was too lovely and polite to let me know. Oh, yeah. So apologies, Bershear, and Elise for that, but we're getting it right now.
And we do appreciate all the content you're sending. So thank you over so much. Is it definitely Elise, or could it be Elise? Oh, for goodness sake. Or Elise, like Elise and Murtons. Who could say? You had to bring it up, didn't you? Elise, let me know. We have our mascots. I have the dearly departed Darwin, and we've been accused of some dark arts with our tactics this tournament. Subscribe to the newsletter. That was either what those dark arts might be.
But yeah, David has demanded a rule change. She wants the algorithm recalibrated. Yeah, David is David has Francis and Matt has Hyder and Soma. Billy Jean is sponsored by Billy Jean King and Alana Klos. We have top folks and executive producers, Jamie Jeff Gregg and Chris. And it's over to Matt, four shout outs. We have Joel Berger in New Mexico. Right, Joel? Like Jay Berger. Yes, very good. Thank you. He was very much a field filler at a Champions Tour event I used to work at.
Well, four David back in the day in Delray Beach. They used to have a Champions Tour event over qualifying weekend of Delray Beach. I loved it. It was a great assignment. And I would say it wasn't one of the bigger player field budgets on the Champions Tour. So they'd usually get sort of one medium size name and then quite a lot of Aaron Crookstein and Jay Berger's. And he was a lovely chap.
Jay Berger. Yeah. I was trying to think of a Joel and I was just about to say it and then I realised because I thought it was going to be the umpire. And then I realised it wasn't him. It was a cricketer. I was about to say because the umpire was thinking of was Jay Garner and I was going to say Joel Garner, who is the West Indies cricketer from the 80s. So Joel, sorry about that. But thank you for being a friend of the tennis player.
And it's a blighitry for me to mention when New Mexico comes up, which it doesn't very often. We don't seem to have that many listeners in New Mexico. But my brother did live there for a year, randomly, and I'll be curking. And my parents visited. Sounds like a wild place. Thank you Joel. We've also got Lorna Lamotte. Oh great name. Who is from Queens, New York. Ah, like Mary Carillo and John McEnroe. Would you believe I think I have a Lorna tennis player?
Well, that would be us improving on ourselves David, because apparently in 2023 we struggled to find the tennis Lorna. I would ask you to Google Lorna Woodruff. That is who Lorna has come up with. Yes. I think I own a search and found Lorna Woodruff. Yes. British tennis player from the 90s. And yes. So I remember her. Wow. I've brilliant work. I've thought value. I think that 2020 for David is greater than 2023. That's what we've learned. Improving with age. Always work for yourself, folks.
Yes, David. Thank you Lorna. And finally, we have a special happy birthday shout out. Oh. This comes from Jimmy, who wants to say happy birthday Marianne. Jimmy says, I love you Marianne and thank you for making my world a brighter place. Oh, 10 years together. Good work, Siri. Happy birthday Marianne. Lovely. Orquidly, I can only think of a tennis Jimmy and not a tennis Marianne. And this should very much be about Marianne. David. I can only think of a singer. That's not really helpful, is it?
He's the singer. Marianne Faithful, who my dad used to love listening to when I was a boy. I was a lovely name Marianne. Is it Marianne, double N.E.? Yes. Ray French. Hold Tratt amongst yourselves. I'm googling Marianne. We need to do well for Marianne. Yes, I can tell you a bit more about Marianne. She's a longtime fan of the pod. She is coming to wrote on Garros this year for the first time. Oh. And she plays tennis in Wandsworth. Oh. Oh. Oh. Local to you, Catherine.
Amazing. Okay. That's great information. And it has given me time to find out about Marianne Werdell. I see. If you heard of her. No. Former WCA World No.21. Oh. She's got her own website. Oh, currently find myself on MarianneWerdell.com. Full touch. My hyphen story. Do you think she's had more hits on her page since Werdell became a fan? It's W-E-R-D-E-L. Oh. But short. Yes, probably.
She says in my formal life, I was a professional tennis player who played competitive tennis from age of seven to 29. And yeah, I think she's from America. I was looking at a picture of her hitting a backhand. Not sure she'd be on the list, but good enough for World No.21. And yeah. Hello Marianne and happy birthday. And enjoy Roland Garros. Really hope this unshines for you and for me because the walk-in today was grim. But we've still enjoyed it, haven't we?
If this is the worst that Paris has to throw at us. Yeah. It was a bit like Nadal's out. Have this rain. Yeah. That's definitely how it felt on the walk-in. But with the help of David's vibes, we've polished a turd today. And I hope you the listener will agree we've done that serviceably. But I really am pumped about tomorrow's order of play. I think tomorrow's. Yes. Tomorrow could be special. And these will rise. We'll be back tomorrow in the meantime. Do subscribe to that newsletter.
Become a friend of the tennis podcast. If that takes your fancy, it's still all happening on the barge and it's still an awful lot of fun. So that's the place to be. Link is in our show notes as always. We will be back tomorrow with more fun from Paris. Meet new glasses or want a fresh new style? Warby Parker has you covered. Glasses started just 95 bucks, including anti-reflective scratch-resistant prescription lenses that block 100% of UV rays.
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And I caught a bigger wall I than dad when we went to the Missouri River. Then I rode my bike through these huge rocks called needles. Ooh, I also saw my first herd of bison even a fuzzy furry baby one. I can't wait to go back and see more. There's so much South Dakota. So little time.