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New activation and upfront payment for three month plan required, taxes and fees extra. Additional restrictions apply, cementmobile.com for full terms. Hi, this is Billie Jean King. This is Mary and Bartori. I'm Matt's Vellander. This is Mary Carrillo. This is Pam Shriver. This is Yannick Noah and you're listening to the tennis podcast. Hello and welcome to the tennis podcast on day three of the US Open, where it's 5 a 2 p.m.
We're recording part one as per usual in the media garden. Myself, Katarmirzka, David Law, or Matt Roberts, the reason we're recording part one now is, well, it's twofold. Fold number one is that we all want to go and watch Dominic team against Ben Shelton, which is currently in the last stages of the opening set. Fold number two is that it was a very stacked day early on. In fact, in terms of first matches on the schedule today, there was
a period of about an hour where the following things were all happening. Taylor Townsend was beating Beatrice Hadadmeier on Grandstand in the most extraordinarily atmospheric match out. There was real vibes. We had Kevin Bridges slashed on an extricter beatings, a definal sitter pass. That was also on Grandstand a little bit later on. We had, oh no, it was caught 17, wasn't it? Taylor Townsend had had admirers. Sitter pass, I've written Bridges in the agenda.
I've got to keep remembering to say stricker. I actually said it in common. That was on Grandstand. Coco Galfa, Mirandrava, were on Ash and over on Armstrong a match that we thought we could stop paying attention to the time when everything was happening at once because Daniel Collins seemed to be cruising over Lisa Mertens and then suddenly this extraordinary Mertens fight back. She's really desperately making a play for the intensity list as a Lisa Mertens and that match suddenly
became an epic. There was really a period in the first couple of hours of the day when things were frantic and Matt was complaining of not having enough eyes. I think that was the first time this tournament. I've done that actually. Wasn't it too many things happening at the same time? But I love it really. I do complain, but I do love those hours where everything's happening
all at once. A lot of drooling tennis being played in the most drooling imaginable conditions today because yesterday we talked about the air feeling like soup and today that is still the case but the temperature is a few degrees hotter. We're all sat here drinking rehydration salts and we have not done any strenuous physical activity today. So goodness me, it's a
bit of a magic go to the gym this morning. But did you do anything in the gym? Or did you just do one of those where you dress up, walk back in and go, I've been to the gym? Well, he came out looking sweaty. I was sweaty. Where would we like to start? Of those matches I mentioned or where folks would we like to start? David, I'll give you first choice.
I would actually like to hear from you if you saw it at all about the Taylor Townsend win because there was a line in commentary from Annabelle Croft that comparing her to John McInroe in terms of style of play. I didn't realise she was so into Taylor Townsend's game but I think we all are into it as well and I'm only sorry that we don't get to see her in singles that often. She's brilliant doubles player. She's managed to break through and become a real contender in
all the doubles. But when you actually get chance to watch Taylor Townsend play singles, it's just so alluring and attractive. I'm drawn to it because it's so different. Yeah, I think the defining Taylor Townsend match where very much was John McInroe coming to the net S because of course that one here a few years ago against Simone Nahale. The interesting thing about that is she got into the draw here Taylor Townsend through Simone Nahale's late withdrawal
from the US Open and she has absolutely made the most of that. One a couple of matches here and I think the main thing that struck me about this match was just how lively it was out on court 17. You always know that Taylor Townsend is going to get so much support and because she's playing bit for Sadaib Maya who like we said the other day when she played Stoen Stevens still got a lot of support in that match as well. There's always a wave of Brazilian support following her.
So he had these rival fan bases going up against each other and Taylor Townsend's tennis is just so electric. I was actually struck today by the fact that she wasn't always coming to the net. She came to the net a lot and her hand skills are maybe the best in the world the way she can pick balls up off her toes and put away Valleys but actually generally she was just
dictating in all the ways even from the baseline. It was a joy to watch. Her dad Maya was a breakdown at the start of the second set, got it back, turned it into a bit of a battle as she always does but Taylor Townsend managed to get the win and she said after one of her doubles wins recently you know wait for the new chapter of my career. I sort of wondered what that would be and she said after this win today, on court this is Maya time, this is Maya time and you know maybe she is
going to make try and make even more of the singles game. I'd love to see. I remember how good her results were on clay this year. She'd be Jessica Pagula and Rome won a lot of matches on that surface and I think we all said want to see her on the grass because with that game style you feel like it would fit and she didn't really have a very good grass call. She lost to Sophia Kenan and
she's a great volleyball qualifier man. It's just one of those isn't it can you get your ranking up so that you're automatically in all the best events and then pit your skill base up against the rest. Yeah she's stuck in that nether zone isn't she like born a goyote that we were watching. Yes I remember that name was going to come to your house. I did. Catherine and I were talking about
it earlier but you feel like if you could just get into the old stop 60. Yeah he could then get in he could then move on from there but it's making the big league from being stuck in the qualifying nether zone to getting direct entry into the into the biggest events that's the biggest leap that you have to make and it's so hard it feels like you're swimming against the tide everything
stacked against you to do it. She is the what might have been player of the last 10 years in many ways I think because you know she was a world number one junior everybody recognised her talent she was terribly treated I thought by the USDA. Unequivocally a poor lady. And you know lost her career lost big chunks of her career and has never really been out and make it go the way it could have done but what is she mid 20s now I mean there's still some time I think for her to to show
more of this and yeah I'm just really pleased for her. Yeah she hasn't come into press conference yet because of course she's playing doubles yet she just wore past it with her partner Leyla Fernandez with whom she's had some fantastic success this year so I ain't going to be watching out
for Taylor Townsend in the matches to come and I hope I hope it is matches plural she did so well obviously to win but to prevent that going three I mean all Beatrice and Admire matches go three 76 first set 75 second set it just it felt like a marathon match so for her to
withstand the force that is Beatrice and Admire trying to saple your anything over a period of three hours I thought was incredible she has such guile such precision on the serve that's very John McEnroe-esque the way the ball seems to bend in the air on the serve and plop right in the
postage stamp in the corner of the the service box I love her she's wonderful I hope this continues yeah who's she got now she has got Carolina Mukover now who until just moments ago David was loitering just over your right shoulder oh look like she was trying to find an interview to do
I should have been fighting her over what she is doing one over your right shoulder oh yeah she is in a blue outfit a big yes please to that match that is just a fantastic match on paper isn't it talk about Gaelin finesse and hand skills and hands oh put that on a good court yeah what's the
one that there's one court where the press seats are long linux 17 is it too big a match for 17 yes I think so daily time is on 17 today and that was answered Admire it's probably a grandstand match or an Armstrong match isn't it yeah also good press seats oh are they yeah okay if you're
not in the sun Matt came back from an hour in the grandstand press seats today watching um I really do need to change the agenda here because it does take heaven bridges which I found funny as I was typing it but now it's got to be the new bike shelter gonna have to call in by his proper name
at some point still so freaking me out because you've spelled bridges like angry bridges so it does that Twitter rather than Kevin bridges anyway that was out watching Dominic stricker for an hour earlier in the full sun in the press seats and he hasn't been the same man since you've come
back to shadow with yourself man it was so hot I mean I left like when they started a fifth set that is how hot I was you know everyone knows I will watch any fifth set of tennis basically or final set of tennis I just couldn't I couldn't stand it anymore I thought I'm going to enjoy
this more from the media center and the air conditioning I don't understand how the place do it conversely though there was really something of the diesel about Dominic stricker today wasn't there six three in the fifth he beat seven or six to pass one the first set but ended up going two
sets to one down six to pass serve for it in the fourth set at all of these points particularly when he went two sets to one down lost the third set on a tie break having had a set point I thought that's probably it now you've had your moment young player haven't played many best of five
set matches if any I mean this is his first ever us open these into round three I thought this was fun but it's almost certainly over now to come back and win in five was an unreal effort I thought where where do you put the unreal effort versus the choke I think Sid's surpass will have a lot of
regrets about the game he played when he was serving for the match at five three played a really poor game as as Catherine described he he'd got the match under control he was a breakdown at the start of that fourth set but then he managed to break twice and it looked like stricker was short
on energy it looked like Sid's surpass had him and you know things were good I was I was really struck by the fact that this was probably my first time watching Sid's surpass live when his father wasn't in the box and it was very different experience they calm they relax you know and the press seats
on Grandstander right behind one of the coaching boxes and it was Sid's surpasses and I was just I was struck by how at ease things seemed he then played an absolute shocker of a game to to let stricker back in and then from that moment on I thought stricker played really really well again
you know sort of found his level again so Sid's surpassed lead him back in absolutely but stricker came up with some fantastic shots he's he sort of lulls you in a bit he's he's not high energy on the core at all he's not showtime but his shot making is pretty special Matt came
back from watching it was the first time I think any of us have watched him live and I was quite excited about what that experience had been like I was unable to go myself because I would have passed out in the heat and Matt said he's very good he's not fun
right and then he started singing along to Whitney Houston at the change of ends just to make that take go out of date almost immediately because that was that was great man anyone's done all tournament yeah it was great as he's 5 to down in the final set moment's away from his biggest
ever win he's just chomping on his protein bar or ever singing along to I want to dance with somebody great there he is there he is David in all his agricultural glory okay do some interview confirmed that he is agricultural I mean from behind if somebody said to you that that's
Stan Varinka I would believe he is so Varinka like doesn't have a single handed backhand but he's a lefty he's a lefty double handed backhand but he is I mean he I think he must be the youngest player ever to achieve agricultural status because it usually it usually takes a few years to develop
a barrel chest doesn't it I mean Stan Varinka a famously late bloomer Dominic Stryker has all the attributes of all the positives of being out of agricultural so strong so resilient in going the distance and yet he also has such sweet timing it actually doesn't feel like
his stature is what's producing the power it's the timing that's producing the power yeah and like Varinka he seems to have this engine just hums along and he keeps on going and I think that is very rare in a 21 year old is to is to all the way through that match I'm expecting a turnaround even
when he won the first set even when it was a tight second set you know since the bass has become a pretty resolute professional over the years and even if he's not playing that well he knows how to win you know he doesn't I don't think of him as somebody who loses a lot of matches of that time
and he's keeping the scores close to close but fair play to Stryker he kind of had a second win but he never he never went away and just dropped in energy and had a dive the way you you normally expect with somebody who's inexperienced he's real never too high never too low
vibes and look he's got Benjamin Bonzi now for a place in the fourth round okay recovery he's going to be a big question mark he's never had to recover from a match like that before and come back and play two days later but Bonzi taking out Chris Ubank who was not in full health today that
was tough to see him lose in four sets especially with the draw opening up the way it has what an opportunity for Dominic Stryker yeah huge I mean I think that's a that's a big test that all players have to pass backing up a big win that is that is something that is so hard to do he saved
a match point in qualifying Stryker in the in the second round played an epic epic match in qualifying so he's done that thing you know that we often do talk about of playing a little bit with house money you know he could have gone out and qualifying here and yeah there's just
just so many positive signs for him I was I was reading his ATP bio you know his sort of personal lines on there and I was really strapped by the fact that his serve was really good today and that was apparently something in the Rocher Federer absolutely impressed on him you have to improve
your serve that has to be the sort of staple of your game and it really was today show great composure when serving it out after going love 30 down hit a couple of aces yeah just just so much to be impressed by but you know just another new experience trying to back up a big win in the next
round we we have lots more very uplifting fun stuff to talk about in this part of the show but should we get the massive bummer out of the way what's the massive bummer Dominic team is just retired oh no again spend shelton having lost the first set on the tie break it all seems to I mean
it just all seems to have devolved extremely quickly it looked like a really good match they're in the tie break and then Dominic team is doubled over saying he can't go on after a bathroom break seemingly suffering from gastroenteritis and actually there are quite a few players who are
going down on well aren't I mean we we saw Christopher U-Banks looking on well don't know the nature of it but you know he's gone out and that is a rough situation I mean particularly if if it is something that starts going around the locker room and the play launch I mean players
become paranoid coaches don't want players to be on site very long what a shame if the tennis gods are listening please send Dominic team a bit of luck here a little bit oh what actually sending quite a lot yeah I mean let's start with a bit and build from there I think he has earned it
moving on to more uplifting things cocoa golf today against Mira and Draver I say that not as a not Mira and Draver fan I think she's great but she's 16 her time will come I think it's perfectly fine to be seeing performances from her where she looks like an unpolished 16 year old and
where cocoa golf looked like an authoritative threat for the title yeah I think you could be a fan of both of those players and be happy with what you saw from from each one of them because and Draver broke golf in the very first game and I'm immediately thinking you know she just excites
me as a talent anytime I watch her play I think she can win against any body because she's just going to be so good if she can be if she can frankly tread a similar professional path to what golf has trodden and have the same attitude and you know it's not easy to do that's a talent in
itself isn't it and golf gave her some great advice at the end of the match in terms of like how to make that transition from talent at 16 year old which golfers be and she said not every match is life and death like it took me a while to learn that but I know that now I see people playing in their
thirties and I know that to get that far you have you can't treat every match as life and death and it does very much feel like mirror and Draver is still in that yeah treating everything like life and death yeah she's got an example there to look to in cocoa but I felt like I was watching
great progression from both players in the course of this match in that golf didn't get rattled by being broken in the first game she reels a four games in a row just as you said stamped her authority on the match and I was expecting the a real chance I thought there was a real chance that
and Draver and Draver might just go away at this point and just throw the racket about lose a mind and it might be 6161 it could it could very easily be in that except instead she kept the score relatively respectable in the first set went a breakdown in the second and then just ignited
and they boasted and watching them go toe to toe with their with their respective skill sets was I saw the best rally of the tournament in that match 30 strokes and it involved wonderful shot making from the baseline from Draver a drop shot a lob another drop shot
and yet golf still reached them all and still hit the winning shot she is a marvel in the way she can move about a tennis court and she's also I mean there were still some crumpled forehand errors but there's generally just a conviction about the way she's playing she loved the conditions
didn't she I mean I know I we've talked about how tough they were today and it's it's much more complex than just physical fitness you know some people thrive in these conditions and some don't even though they're all sort of highly tuned athletes but golf said this is like south Florida
this is like where I'm from and it was quicker than when she played the other night she was able to penetrate the court more with her shots and yeah she just stamped her authority on it tried you know as you said there was some really nice long rallies but generally I felt like golf was
trying to keep it short and be aggressive and just take control and she did that brilliantly today I don't know if either of you read her press conference transcript but there was some really interesting stuff in there about her forehand she talked a lot about it without actually
mentioning it by name there was a moment in the in the press conference where a journalist had to go you took about the four hundred yeah yeah um she said obviously she she played and andrava in Paris and golf ended up winning that match but it was very very close she she won the first
set andrava until she had a real collapse out there but she said that she thought that andrava had come on to court with the same tactics as she had had for their matching Paris which of course by and large had worked out really well but that those tactics didn't work today
because golf's a different player to who she was when they played in Paris and reading between the lines of what she was saying she considered herself a different player because her forehand isn't as attackable like it was basically what she was saying was the how to play Coco Gough
playbook has been torn up and a new one hasn't been written yet she was basically saying like I know the tactic that everybody's been deploying against me she was she didn't have an issue with that but she said now that's some working anymore guys got to find a new one and maybe they will
and maybe that tactic isn't busted forever because you know she hasn't made any technical technical changes to the forehand it's all in the mind at the moment but I found that absolutely fascinating also quite an interesting message to send to the rest of the locker room isn't it and
yeah I I was wondering today because I I think I don't care what AI says she's got a plum and hard draw here and I actually wonder whether that may end up helping her when if she can keep getting through these matches get into the the sharp end and the particularly the showdown
if she got to it with VianTech would that help her and I think it may well having all these tough opponents on paper well on paper she might not have quite this tough and opponent as she and we were expecting get tried as a rank is just stomped past you David I think
that means she lost to Zoolin okay yeah this is I'm going to categorically say that was not the walk of a player that had come from a set down to beat Zoolin it's prime position this isn't it for judging body language of people yes speaking of losses Coco Gauve will not face Daniel Collins
in round three she will face potential intensity list newbie Elisa Mertens who came back for the second match running from match points down three six seven six six one from Mertens saving two set two match points in the second set having also saved three in her first round match against
Miriam Bielklin again this is another one where you asked the question where's the balance between the Mertens fight back and the Collins maybe not choke but certainly letting it slip slip through her fingers yeah it's rough it's rough for her and I remember I was commentating on the
jokalich match at the time that that was going on and but we had it on in the monitor and I just looked out the corner of my hand saw Collins with I think six five in the second set tie break with so one of those match points and she was just getting pumped up and and I commentating on
a couple of more points and the next thing I saw when I looked over at the TV with Elisa Mertens shouting let's go and thinking wow there's a turn around of a of human beings for a start let alone the score line and I think you know huge credits to her for that and then in the third
set you just written all over Collins's face was just deflation and she just got with her left by the looks of it so there's an interesting match to witness apparently Elisa Mertens just loves New York yeah she was saying that I know I just I just was surprising to me I would have had
her on the Von Droschiver Shfeontek list of same and I also have her on the list of like I know Elisa Mertens like I don't expect to find out loads new about her but but this year she's been really intense as you say in in a lot of grand slam matches it's when where is that come from
because I've never associated that with her at all don't know don't know first registered it at the French Open this year oh they go Coco Gau from Jessica Bagoula off to the doubles call to Grandstand Nazarene Kadid Luz 6363 you're quite right each wearing their headphones as they walked the call rather than having a chat now they are having a chat despite wearing the headphones oh okay so Coco Gau for against Elisa Mertens round three it's still a good match I mean it's not
quite the Friday night match the ESPN might have been dreaming of slash Catherine Whitaker was dreaming off but it's still a cool match and it's a it's a challenge because she just give you anything in these men's that's doing her disservice she's not just a player that doesn't give you anything
she won that match today but Gau from need to play well really well this way I'm not sure this would be a match that she can win on me yeah that's a very good question isn't it I mean it could be it could be one that she kind of I could almost imagine it being a classic having like I
suppose to know you you're talking about is playing out of a skin and just dominating that's what you're after if you're in a Coco Gau mindset but she needs to be playing well to do that if she yeah she would if she's not playing well I think that's that's tough against Elisa Mertens I think it is tough to Mertens has had some pretty good prep today in terms of like dealing with a part as an American crowd like you know it was it was a loud in Armstrong when Collins was winning
points and it was silent when when Mertens was winning the interview after thank you all for supporting supporting me I mean and my opponent and I hope I'm looking forward to your supporting me oh well Coco I know I'm playing against Nick but bless it you know she's very different approach to Laura
Seagman that yeah there there was a there was a warmth towards her but she was so ecstatic and here she's the perennial third fourth round isn't she and here she is again doing things but yes like I think you're I think it will be interesting to see whether Gough can just find a gear
that Mertens can't deal with exactly which which she does have it she'll need to find it for two out of three sets both both top doubles players like they both got really good hand skills I always think Mertens is hand skills underrated she's got a great backhand down the line Mertens but again
that might not be as effective as you would have thought a few months ago against Gough because they got forehand has improved I expect I expect Gough to come out and play well and I I thought Gough played really well today I think I think the Seagman match was an anomaly I think it was all
so weird maybe some nerves as well you know opening up Arthur Ash night session with loads of big expectation on her I think she felt with it well she got through it it's a weird player literally playing yeah and the match of her the set of a line right and and we know how much you know
something Andy Mario is asked about in his press conference the other day was what will Brad Gilbert bring to Coco Gough because obviously Andy Mario worked with Brad Gilbert and Mary said that Brad is so big on matchups you know and scouting out the opponent and Brad Gilbert said on
ESPN Seagman played totally different to how she's been playing in qualifying but she wasn't wow she wasn't coming in all the time it was a so maybe Gough was caught a bit by surprise by the tactic that Seagman brought I actually I don't think as much as we're talking about the sort of
personality change that Merton's has gone through I don't think there's any surprises tennis-wise there like Gough will be ready for that I think do you think anything goes for the crowd when a Gough matches on I mean I was just thinking about to what Seagman was saying and complaining about
the other day do you think she's got I don't think that was about Gough I think that was about Seagman I mean it was amplified by the fact that it was the American darling of the tournament sure but that was about what Seagman was doing yeah yeah 100% they would not have done that against
someone just playing a normal match against Coco Gough she was on the war I don't think she was big big she was right on the edge of what's legal she she was right on it she seemed outraged that people were accusing her of that and that the crowd were being so mean but I know
understand how emotional you would get after a match like that and it can be a bit overwhelming and you you might behave a bit badly and whatever but I don't with her I just I've seen so many times not on the same stage but I know I don't buy it David's just greeting Coco Vanderwae there
co-commentary partner sometimes she's good actually she's off to play doubles with Sophia Kennin by the looks of things who plays tomorrow last couple of results to wrap up from the day session today wins for Eugish Viontec the defending women's champion 6364 over Darius
Savile look there's a golfing class here but it was a more competitive match than I think any of us expected I heard you doing a commentary report on this match David on BBC Radio and he said she likes letting you know she's there to Savile which I thought was a great summary it's one of
my favorite things is sitting next to David in the in the media room when he goes into commentary mode because it's just I would be so self-conscious about having to do commentary in a room that's sort of silent and you're like everyone everyone can hear what I'm saying and listening and
David just gives it the full well I love it so if I've got the earphones on and I can only hear the chords and I'm commentator I don't even know people are there sort of forget where you are but I do notice a couple of sort of side eye glances from down the other end of the room sometimes
it's fantastic yeah well great summary of if she want to Savile she just sort of made us over the annoying as possible for fish film so like kind of tells the story doesn't it because you know she's just destroying everybody else and Savile just makes it a bit more difficult
that that is the bobbyest ponytail in tennis isn't it and plenty of other tennis players play with an identical ponytail bit it's just a ball bit in the same way it has to be the combination of the hairstyle plus the walk yes I think it's the interaction there old
Savile Cepher Kenning can also pull that off I think to some degree yeah yeah her ponytail bob is a lot no matter jokovic 646161 over binari is a pattern Mirai is on ash another golden glass yeah and I mean I thought Zapatamari has played really well for about half a dozen games at the
start of the match I think he was pretty much red lining here and jokovic was a little bit off and the heat was not very nice at that stage the the sun was on the court but there was also the mix of the shadow the moment the shade properly came across the court and jokovic could take
that hat off to the hates where and then just play normally I mean he just suddenly relaxed you could see the you've used sometimes used the word released you know just stopped being anxious and and he was he was fine and and look it's so far it's unfolding I think as one would expect we've
got certainly the two best players in men's tennis by a street who are just cruising through the draw and it's only a couple of rounds but jokovic looks great laso gerr at next for no that jokovic there is a potential yeary visily lurking in around four although actually francesco sirendalo
is fighting back against visily and they're two all in the fifth that so let's not go too far down that road of discussion but I always think with visily where he's beaten number four twice yeah exactly and probably won't again but you know just makes it ever so slightly more
interesting in a draw that on paper for jokovic just looks absolutely dreamy shriantech incident he has kaya yuvan next who is a close friend of hers yeah I think and just a player that I always think when I watch her wow she's good why aren't you better and I don't have an answer to that but
I don't expect her to beat shriantech but she's a nice player she's a lovely player to watch I remember them playing at the french open either last year or a couple of years ago and you know knowing how close friends they are and yet she feels that was just as ruthless as you would expect in that match just took care of her um you vans father died last year I believe and you know I think there was a piece on wca website early this year she took a break from tennis for a little bit
sort of stunted her her development as a player perhaps very understandably but good to see her back and yeah I think she came through qualifying so she's won a lot of matches already which is good to see because you know when I watch her I always think there's a lot of talent there yeah and just on a sadly similar subject we also had a social media page from karelin gossier early on today telling us that her grandmother died suddenly on monday um and she didn't attribute her loss yesterday to
if i won or won't get fans specifically to that but um we discussed that in length yesterday and how shocking that result and performance were and now it makes total and complete sense and she has withdrawn from the doubles uh that she was due to play and that's really tough and we we wish
karelin gossier well and just just while we're getting sad stuff out of the way from a moment I've just seen that alitomnianovic has withdrawn from a match tonight against elaina rebacchiner she's got a walk over rebacchiner that is so tough to him now nvich having not played for the whole year
one i wrote no couple of days ago was a real good news story for tenors that i think everybody likes to mnanovic haven't seen the reason um that that's that's tough uh really wish her well don't want to end part one on abomas anyone got anything fun has anybody got anything fun oh yeah he's a good pick me out yeah he's who will be watching in the night session tonight also and I've just remembered that's finished as well. Oh, I'm quite looking forward to seeing Frances Tiafo.
He always puts a smile on my face. So how about that? Yeah, he's a good pick, Mel. Yeah, he's who we'll be watching in the night session tonight also upcoming we have. Who do we have tonight, man? Patrick Cavittiver against, can I be on the acting? Hello, I'm on the acting. Watching my kids 2014. Yeah, and Jennifer Brady gets my Dylan Net on Armstrong and Taylor Fritz against Pablo Varyas is on Armstrong as well. Incidentally, that Taylor Fritz section is suddenly so open.
Can't remember exactly the names that are in it, but it's it's a passive section, isn't it? That's, he's been taking that on Dominic Strick as that. Fritz needs to be added to the quarterfinals here. Absolutely. Which is where he would meet no at Jockevich, but he needs to be winning as much as before then. Big test for him now. Yeah. I think needs to be doing this. So we'll see. We'll be back later to wrap up the night session in any other sad news that unfolds in the meantime.
Hopefully none of that. No one can be sad when Francis Tiafos on the scene. Good call, David. So we'll be back then. We'll speak to you in a moment. Well, we're back folks. And so apparently is Caroline Wozniakia. It's been a fun night session. Before we get into all of that, I'm going to tell you that the tennis podcast is brought to you in association with AO Travel, who operate the travel program for the first grand slam of the calendar year.
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Oh, I want to go already. What are you? Hold your horses, David. We haven't even finished this sort of a yet. I already want to go to Australia. Yep, that is the beauty of working in tennis. It just keeps coming. Yeah. The tennis pretty much literally never stops. We are lucky, aren't we in tennis? That there's four grand slams, you know, and that they're as long as they are. Lucky and sometimes unlucky. Yeah, yeah, it is a treat of a sport to work in. And it's been an interesting night session.
Francis Tiafau brought the fun, brought the vibes, not a competitive match against Sebastian Offner. What was a competitive match? Caroline Wasney-Aki against Petra Kavitava. Really, really partying like it was 2014 out there today. I mean, it looked like a vintage wasney-Aki. Kavitava match, a true rolling back of the years. One by Caroline Wasney-Aki, 75, 76, by far the biggest win of her comeback. And quite frankly, not one I perhaps thought she had in her.
No. And having done the tennis relived recently, we'd came to Clestars and talked about her comeback in 2009. Look, I realize this is a second-round match. It's a far cry from what Clestars ultimately achieved. Who knows, maybe Wasney-Aki is about to go on a run that will have us talking in the same breath. But I do think that the speed would which they both picked it up and got back to their respective levels. I'm sure Wasney-Aki's not at the very highest level.
I think Clestars was very close to high-high level by the time she got to the US Open. But she's clearly at a blum in good level because that is impressive to come back. After the year she's been at, she's been at a lot longer than Clestars was. She's had two children three and a half years out of the sport. And she can play still. I mean, her anticipation has always been excellent. It's always been a factor that in her game that I've been impressed with. Really nice back end.
I'm curious to know, Matt, I don't know whether we were doing the podcast with you when Wasney-Aki was really at the height of her career. I suppose we caught the Australian Open, didn't we, when you were there? But I'm curious to know what you think of her back and in light of the list. But it's her anticipation. There was a moment towards the end where she's getting dominated and she just picks the right side before, almost before the shots even been played.
And so the instincts there, she obviously looks very fit and hungry for it. And yeah, I was impressed, surprised, actually. Yeah, me too. I'll be totally honest and say that I feel like there's been a slight arrogance attached to the comeback of Wasney-Aki. You know, real, you know, I sort of, in many ways, really admire the belief that she has in herself. And I know that you have to have that to be able to get to the top. It's a level of self-belief I can't understand.
So if I'm sort of reading it wrong, I very much realize that that's possible. But just the fact that she didn't dip down to a lower level like Alina's Fittalina did. And you know, we know Fittalina had that three month or four month training block. And was, you know, just, there's come back as a sort of slightly different player. When I watched Wasney-Aki in her warm up tournaments, yes, she reached a pretty good level, you know.
But it was absolutely not matching the words that she wrote in her comeback essay, which was, you know, I believe I can win the US Open kind of thing. Well, I'm coming back because I think I have a shot at winning that. There was just a slight disconnect there for me, I suppose. But this is probably the first moment where I've thought, wow, that's really impressive. There was stunning tennis at times.
And in terms of the backhand list, I mean, she does fit right into the category of the sort of players that I do like and a lot of them are on the backhand list with that slightly dodgy forehand that just sort of sits there and is a bit of a weakness. But then this incredible backhand that she can, you know, hit down the line or roll the wrists over and create angles on, she can do anything on that shot.
So had I had a backhand list in the Wasney-Aki peak years, yeah, I think she probably would have been backhand this worthy, I think that's a good call. Yeah, interesting. I felt very similarly to Matt about the Wasney-Aki comeback. I thought, you know, you do you. Good luck to you. You've got unfinished business. I've absolutely good luck to you. I'm interested to see it.
But in some of the things she was saying, and I heard an interview with her on the sky coverage, Jolly On Today, ahead of her match. And she was, you had to look quite hard for what she was saying because it was sort of slightly hidden. She was basically saying, look, I was competitive. I reached World No. 1 and won a grand slam during the Serena era. And you know, other associated players, Bazaar Enca, Venus, all of that lot.
So if I could do it then, I sure as hell can do it now if I put my mind to it. Which I get the logic. I do think Serena is the greatest player of all time. There's obviously something in that. But equally, I think there is an element of dismissiveness and perhaps unfounded arrogance about how her game might match up against the level of the players at the top of the game now. I think she's perhaps underestimating them. Only time will tell, really. I was hugely impressed with her tonight.
I'm just been in contact with Andrew, who was on our Twitter tonight and who watched every single ball of it. And he said he thought he did see a little bit of evidence of a Wozniaki 2.0. He said, still not going for a turn on the forehand, but she was far more willing to change direction on the backhand. And it's still a sweetest shot. It's ever been. He says there were moments that she got tight when she was ahead in the second set.
She went 40 up and in the 5-4 game as well, where she had a few match points. But maybe there is Wozniaki 2.0 that's just sort of emerging from its shell. And I'm certainly in here to see it. I loved the intensity that she showed tonight. I really enjoyed that performance. I'm not sure how much we can read into it in terms of how her game stacks up against those at the top right now, because as I said, this was a match up that could have been lifted directly from 10 years ago.
And it was a nostalgia fest. And no one loves nostalgia more than me. But I want to see her play the best of now. And she's going to play Jennifer Brady next. Who won tonight? And her match was moved to Armstrong. Who knows about that? The Jennifer Brady best is ahead of her or behind her or...? That's another match I'm looking forward to seeing, because Jennifer Brady still clearly has a lot to offer as a tennis player, whether her body can cope will find out.
But she was at a really high level when she was hit by those injuries. And it was multiple runs at Grand Slam's. Got to a final, got to that incredible semi-final she played against the Sarky. It's easy to forget just how good she was in that period. And I actually really enjoy seeing these players from the past. I mean, I know it's not that long ago, but wasn't the Accu playing Cavitiver? I really enjoyed that combination. I'm really looking forward to this next one.
But I do want to see, wasn't the Accu taste what it's like to play against the English Fountake or Savalanka? And you know, when she did have a 10-1 record against Serena Williams. So it's not like she was sort of some dominant force when Serena was around. She was World No. 1, along long time before. I think she took advantage of her gap. She actually maximized what she got, wasn't the Accu. But good luck to her that she's come back out here and played a match like that.
I mean, she played the Wimbledon Champion just a few weeks ago. She played Marquette of Androceva and made it competitive in the end, but there was a stretch in that match where Androceva was sort of picking her apart a bit. But I mean, she can kind of do that to anyone, Androceva. But with a few more matches in her legs, few more, you know, it was her first time tonight playing a tie break since 2019. She was a great stat that came up on the ESPN. And kind of like, yeah, of course it was.
She's barely played any matches since 2019. So it's not that surprising. It's her first tie break. But getting used to that again, I don't think you can just immediately pick that up. I think that will get better with time. And if she's got a bit more match toughness, it would be interesting to see her come up against the best of today. Absolutely. It's a fun storyline, isn't it? It's not the main plot of the Women's Tournament this US open.
It's not like, I don't think anyone's going to start going, oh my god, wasn't he, he could do it close to them when this tournament. I mean, maybe if she goes to another couple of rounds, that dialogue will start. But it's a fun little subplot. And what's not going to be against Jennifer Brady is a big deal match for this tournament. And then wouldn't it be winner to play golf if golf got that far?
Look, if I'm doing the show today, I haven't looked exactly forensically at what the men's matches will be on Friday. But if I'm ESPN, I'm pushing for for golf and I'm pushing for the Mertons and Brady wasn't asking you to be the night session. Why can't it be? Yeah, I mean, I think with the night sessions until the semi-finals, I think they just always go one man and some one women's day. But there's no reason why they can't do different.
Yeah, I mean, I definitely want to see golf on Friday night, or all those ones, getting the best slots really. Because they're the matches of this side of the draw, I think. Taylor Fritz, one tonight, one, two, and two against one Pablo Verriess. Yes, that's a match he should win. He should be reaching the quarter finals with how the draw is looking. I mean, even if the draw hadn't opened up for him, he's the ninth seed.
You could argue he should still be reaching the quarter finals from that section. But he has failed to deliver at ground slams. He lost a grand in hole in the first round here last year. So him winning matches at ground slams that he ought to win is not a given. So well done to him for winning that and doing it so convincingly. Not the case for Casparoude, he lost out in five sets to Jean Gégenne, the very talented Chinese player. 6, 4, 5, 7, 6, 2, love, 6, 6, 2 for Jean this evening.
Now I think Jean is a really good player. Yeah, you see it on the tip of my tongue is me saying that's a bad loss for Casparoude as the defending runner up from last year. But then you've seen more of him than me. I saw one match earlier this year. He's a really hard, big ball striker with like a sort of long wingspan and a whipplash delivery, hasn't he?
Yeah, I think when he gets in a rhythm and gets set in a match, I think I watched him play Corratsev in Madrid and it was just such sweet ball striking. It was a real sort of coloniser's paradise that much. He's been in and out since then. But I watched him up close during Madrid when he went on that round. I think to the quarter finals and I really was impressed. He's got something about him and his technique looks solid to me. There's not a lot that can break down about it.
Casparoude, it's tricky one, isn't it? Because part of me thinks, well, you show no form coming in. So maybe it's no great surprise these off second round. But none of the slams worries, this is the great contradiction of Casparoude. We think of him as misconception, but actually, none of the slams worries had his best results and reached the finals. Has he shown any particular form in the lead up tournament? So actually, maybe this is a shock that he's lost in the second round.
I don't really know. I don't know how many waves that'll cause that the fifth seed and last year's finalist has lost in the second round. No, I don't think it'll cause huge waves because, as you said, he has a bit of a history of losing in the second round of slams. He's keeping up his record of either losing in the second round or reaching the final. I think he's done that in all of his last seven slams. That was pleasing. You like it nice and neat.
Yeah, thank you, Caspar, for not going out in the third round. I do appreciate the commitment to the bit. Yelena and Roster Penko have the record of first round or winning. Yeah, that's what I'm going to go on, and then she ruined it. I did something really mundane. And you'd take it over six quarterfinals, wouldn't you? Three second rounds and three finals. Right, exactly. I think there's a peak level, which a lot of others are searching for.
But then no one put him in the same category as Carlos Alcarez or Novak Jocobic here. And I don't think anyone really had him in that second category, either, of Daniel Mevvedev and Janik Sinner. Did any of us put him in the quarterfinals? I know, I didn't. I didn't know. But I haven't had any of the slam to a against reach the final either. I mean, I think what happened today is he lost his head after that fourth set. There was drama involving toilet breaks, and he wanted a rule clarification.
He was unsure, and in his press conference, he said he was frustrated, and he sort of lost his groove and let John get on a roll at the start of the fifth. And that's a bit surprising, I suppose, from a player of roots experienced to let that happen. And honestly, if you reflect on his season, Roland Garros aside, it's been a disappointment, really. I mean, he left this tournament last year. He's a match away from one number one, wasn't he?
And he's now going to be World Number Nine, which maybe last year was overachieving. I don't think anyone ever thought Casper Rud will be World Number One, or World Number Nine maybe feels about right, but given where he set the bar last year, he hasn't quite been able to match that again this year. Interesting one. But I am pleased to see Jun's agenda doing well. Tommy Paul, probably the last significant result to wrap up from today.
He had to come back from two sets of love down, one in five against Roman Sepulin, 66, 46, 46, 63 in the end, kind of just two separate tennis matches. No tie break sets in there. I know the fourth set was really competitive, felt like it was all hanging in the balance there. But Tommy Paul is such an athlete that actually, coming back from two sets of love down, once he's in his groove, kind of doesn't feel like that bigger thing for him. It's just not a question whether he's got it physically.
I think it's mental, right? It's the first time he'd ever done it. He'd been two sets down, I think nine times before, finally does it at the tenth time. I would always back him physically to be able to do it, but once until you've done it, you don't know you can do it mentally. It's a big hurdle. I do find that interesting now that we're all backing his physicality because we've been told what a great athlete he is by, I think the American guys, he tested the best.
And yet to look at him, I would never have believed that. When I first saw Tommy Paul, he is not a remarkable looking man. And yet, his ability to move around a tennis court and just keep on going for hours on end. He's remarkable. And you can stick him on highlight rails. We've just seen one on Sports Centre, we're here on ESPN. And he's doing acrobatics to lunge and get it, get to a ball. And he still manages to balance, get back in position and be ready for the next shot.
Mind you, Adrian Manorino is doing that as well. Well, between the two of them, they own Sports Centre tonight. I think I might have become an Adrian Manorino. They say, for Adrian Manorino to the Dodgers in baseball. Tell you what that. It was a witplash, Ed. I am really impressed with those three American men for different reasons. Fritz, for the way you've said, Paul, because he's come back from Tis, that's love, dad.
And Francis Tiafoe, because he has just played thoroughly professional tennis within himself to win in straight sets. And it was perfectly good enough, but it wasn't Rasmussen's stuff. It didn't need to be. And he got the job done. It feels like an American pack hunter job against no about Jokovic in that bottom half of the draw. Oh, that's fantastic. I mean, Runa's gone, sits a pass, is gone, Rood's gone, Felix Ojalea seems gone. You know, it's Jokovic.
And the other big names there are those three American. And he would have to play two of them, wouldn't he, I think? Right, I think Fritz in the quarters. And then it would be Tiafoe or Paul in the semis, obviously, if they would get there. Imagine if you bounce, hadn't fallen. Right. Those things should happen, really, from where we are. I should make. Yeah, they should. You know, they absolutely should. Those meetings should happen.
Yeah. Tomorrow's schedule, folks, looks thus, it is failing to load on my app, but I can tell you from memory that Arthur Asteadium is opened by Grigal Dimitrov and Andy Murray. Tomorrow, are we okay with that being there? I'm looking forward to it. But then I'm quite pleased that we get to cover it for British radio and stuff like that, you know. It's good for British audiences, isn't it? Yeah, it really is. It is followed by, you need a Wickmire. No comment. Is it?
Against Madison Keys. That's right, isn't it? And that is followed in the night session by Carlos Alcarez against George, sorry, Lloyd Harris. Carlos Alcarez thought he was playing George Harris. No, Lloyd Harris. Why do you still call it? I was very worried. And finally, on Ash, it's Patricia Maria Thieg against Jessica Pagula. Son of a Gainson, we're all Italian match. First up on Armstrong, then it's Jodie Burridge, Jareena Sabalenca, Svitilina Pavliar Cchenkova.
It's the last day session match there. And the night session on Armstrong is Casakina Kennin, which I think could be fantastic. And then Medvedev against Chris O'Connell. The next potential end to John Isnus' career comes first on Grand Stand tomorrow. He faces Michael Moe, Trevisan, Vonderoysiava, Malfice Rublev, Jabernoskova. Over there, Roorinkas in action over on court 17. It's getting good. Hercatch draper is there somewhere. Court five. Court five. Court six is. Where else could it be?
It's the best place to be, some would say. I'm biased by Aina. It's a great schedule tomorrow. We're really pumped. And we should probably go and get some sleep in order to prepare for it. I want to go to court five for a bit tomorrow to see. You'll have to find it for. I know. Well, I'm going to take Holger with me. There's a map on Holger's Twitter. It's still there. Right folks, that's your lot for today. Willow is our US Open mascot. Hello, lovely Willow. We have our mascots.
I've got Zenya, David's got Maisie. And Matt has struck out with Darwin once again. Nick, this is Jerry. It's your panca. It's Nicholas Jerry. Come on. Billie Jean is sponsored by Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss. We have our executive producers and top folks, Jamie. Hannah Andrew, hello to you. And hello, Matt, to our shout outs for today. We start with Katarina, who is originally from Greece, but has been living in the Netherlands for the past 10 years.
I think that's sort of like a neighboring church. Maybe like the graveyard of the church. You've said the graveyard before and the person wasn't happy. Have I done that before? What are the bits of a church are there? The car box. It's not getting too much better, is it? Yeah, you get the idea, Katarina. What I'm saying is you're part of the family. Yeah. I think there was a tennis player in the 80s called Katarina Lungfest. I was going to go Katarina to a botnick. Well, that's quite good.
Who definitely did exist? She definitely did exist. But I do need now need to Google Katarina Lungfest to write a letter out. I think she was a Swedish player who was in the top 20. That's my prediction. Well, Dave is doing that. We'll do our next shout out. Thank you, Katarina. I would say Cinearkever. Oh, yeah, sure. Oh, yeah. I really couldn't make this easy. We've also got Natalie Matlack, who says, Matt is in Matt Roberts and Lack is in Lackluster. That's very helpful, Natalie.
Hopefully the only two times. Hopefully the only time that Matt Roberts and Lackluster are used next to each other. Natalie, like our friendship and landlady. Had any texts from her recently, David? Nope. I can. She loves to clean. I can update you to tell you that I am a genius. And that in 1963, Katarina Lungfest was born, a former professional tennis player, and she reached the semi-finals of both the Australian Open and Wimbledon in the late 80s and was number 10 in the world.
10. Thank you, Katarina. Sure, me. Thank you, Natalie. I'm sure Natalie loved her shout out, mostly being about Katarina Lungfest from the 80s. Oh, I was too busy thinking about Katarina at that particular point. Let me have a little thing about Natalie. That's the big one off, Natalie or landlady. Thank you, Natalie. Tosya. All the French nationalists. And finally, we have Catherine Higgins. Oh, this is same church, same pew, isn't it? No. No, same church. Quite a different pew.
K and a Y. No, but a K and an A. Ah, the lesser spotted. Catherine Higgins from Fleet in Hampshire. Oh, I know Fleet, yeah. But originally from Bristol and she's put like Joe Dury. Ah, she spots Bristol Rovers, isn't she? Well, I know I've been to Bristol, but I don't know it, but I do know Fleet a bit. Driven through it a few times. Lovely Hampshire. Lots of nice chalk streams. Great for wild swimming. Okay. Thank you, Catherine. Yeah, thank you, Catherine. Natalie, Catherine, all of you.
Thank you very much. Thank you all for listening. Thank you to friends of the tennis podcast for supporting us to be here at the USA Open Wear. We'll be back tomorrow with another pod. I will speak to you then. I call myself a confident taxi driver. Mom, brakes, please. Gotcha. But unless confident in the economy. Same here, buddy. Thankfully, Les Watteires helps make sure that our safety never takes a taxi, even when we're watching our wallets.
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