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Hello and welcome to the tennis podcast on day five of the US Open. It is 10 minutes to 2 a.m. And you find us at tennis podcast hours, New York once again, reeling because no that job of it. The defending US Open men's champion has followed Carlos Alcras out of the tournament beaten by 25 year old Australian Alexi Popper in 64. 64. 64. 26. 64 David Matt, you watched a lot of this match from the absolutely prime position court side and Jacavitch, frankly, was outplayed.
Yeah, he was never felt really to me as though it was going to change as the match wore on. He was outplayed by somebody who played brilliantly. I thought Alexi Popper in finally came of age tonight. He's shown signs over the last 18 months, I would say, that there's a lot more to him than I certainly thought there was. I was used to think of him as a dangerous player with weapons who actually just hasn't got it.
And he's proved tonight that he has got it, or he's certainly got something pretty special. He's had his moments against Jacavitch before, but this time he just stepped up. But that's only half the story because the other half is that that was an anemic performance from Novak Jacavitch. Different to Alcras, but very similar. Has Novak Jacavitch Matt not got it over best of five sets anymore?
It's a good question because the Olympics kind of masks the year that Novak Jacavitch has had in a way. And look, Novak Jacavitch's press conference tonight was cut extremely short and maybe it wouldn't have been the time to ask him anyway. But I am genuinely curious, like, would he have signed for the year that he's had? And I sort of think he probably would because he's described the Olympic gold as the greatest achievement that he's ever had in tennis.
And we know what a big deal that was for him and we'll get onto it. But I think that's a big part of why we saw him play so badly tonight. The experience he had at the Olympics has been a knock on effect for sure. But he has not played anywhere close to his best tennis at the majors this year. And the sort of common denominator, I suppose, is the fact that they're best to five. And he hasn't found his best.
I'm not ready to write Novak Jacavitch off yet in terms of a major winning force because, and I said this to David, we saw how high his level was just a few weeks ago at the Olympics. And I know Besta 3 rather than Besta 5, but it's still there. And I don't think tonight was about the fact that it was Besta 5. I think tonight was about the fact that in his words he arrived in New York, not feeling fresh mentally and physically.
He said he didn't have physical issues. He just felt out of gas from the very beginning. He said that these three matches have been some of the worst tennis he's ever played. He couldn't serve an absolutely astonishing number of double-falks today. 14, I think the most he's hit in his career in one match in a slam. That followed a low first-surf percentages and a lot of double-falks as well in his first two matches.
And he spoke about the big struggle mentally that it's been going from Wimbledon to the Olympics to the US Open, all off the back of New Surgery as well. And he was just a had a gas and sitting in those court-side seats that David and I were in for the second half of this match. The big thing that came across to me was how subdued he was and seemingly cons- I thought he was conserving energy. That was my read on the match.
I think he actually just didn't have any energy. There was no energy to give and you could see it in his facial expressions. You could see it when even in the little moments where because he's so great he still managed to make you think, well he's in managed to make me think. David Lessey, managed to make me think that he could still win this match with what he had.
But even in those moments he wasn't roaring in quite the same way, he wasn't grunting, he wasn't imposing himself, he wasn't doing any of the things that he normally does. And on reflection I think it was a sign that this was a sort of ghost of no-bad-jokavic shout out there. And obviously look three different players in different sets of circumstances, different matches, but it's also not a coincidence that we've lost the three men's medalists from the Olympics in the last 24 hours.
And so Mazzetti this evening as well, to a very impressive Brandon Nakashima performance. And look we were expecting less from him on hard chords because he doesn't have the results on this at the first yet in his career. But still I don't think that is an accident. There is too much tennis. Tennis makes absolutely no concession for an Olympic year, it's just lumped in and players have to make do and figure it out and cobble their bodies together.
And it's too much, and it's definitely too much for a 37 year old. Yeah, and as we saw yesterday, 21 year old too, and obviously it's going to be exacerbated still more when you are 37. And you know he'd had that incredible high, emotional high and winning gold and it's draining. It's not surprising. And I think he's defied all that so often in one way or another, various stops that you end up just assuming it's going to happen.
It just didn't feel like it would though tonight. And part of that is because Popperin took it. He didn't wait. And similarly to how Van der Zahn's shop last night didn't wait. There was one amazing moment at the end of the second set. He's already won the first and at the second set he looks like he's going to hold and win this easily.
And then suddenly he seems to get himself hurt towards the end of a service game of Jokovic when it looked like he was going to break him and he didn't. And Popperin was stumbling a little and he sat down. And when he came out, he was trying to test his leg. And I really thought, oh, crikey, this looks bad. This looks where Jokovic takes over.
First point of that game is 5-4 up. He's playing a rally with Jokovic and Jokovic looks like he's gone into lockdown mode of, I'm not going to miss. I can see what's happening. You're hurt. You're going to have to play a million balls and you're going to make an error. And they must have got eight shots, 10 shots into that rally and suddenly Popperin just opened his shoulders with a backhand down the line and it was all Jokovic could do to even get a racket on it.
And it was just sort of from a rally ball. To come up with something as destructive as that, explosive as that from a rally ball, took my breath away. And then that was his platform for the game and it just took it all for the rest of that game. Comparing Popperin's performance tonight to Bertic Van der Zanzelkulps last night, I mean obviously sort of similar in their brilliance, I think. But just so different.
Bertic Van der Zanzelkulp looked like his pulse was barely at resting rate for the whole thing. You know, loose and languid of performances, you can possibly imagine. As if you'd taken a muscle relaxant as preparation. Whereas a lexie Popperin was hyped, you know, just absolutely just boiling hot blood pumping through his veins. And just tight as a drum and sort of bouncing, bouncing around the court and just waiting for an opportunity to explode.
And I really enjoyed both performances, but I was really into the hype of Alexi Popperin tonight. It was a real vibe. It was, and there was one moment, like crucial moment in the fourth set where he hit an absolutely stunning forehand winner to get a crucial break.
And it actually came at the end of quite a tentative rally when he was really slicing the backhand a lot, but he just unleashed this forehand and just put his arms out and lent back and took in the applause of the Arthur Asterishe as he roared.
And there were also a couple of moments where he did quite big celebrations and put his finger to his ear that I think a different know about Jokovic would have been, I think he probably was a little bit pissed off, but didn't have the energy to sort of respond to it. There was one moment where he like gave it back, but not in the usual know about Jokovic's way and that's that's credit, I think, to Popperin for not letting Jokovic dictate the energy of the match. It wasn't in all of them.
Not at all. And I think having played him a couple of times this year probably helped. Yeah, and the fact that he won a couple of sets in both those matches, so he could go in tonight saying, look, I wasn't that far away then and I'm a better player now of one of Masters 1000 events. If I was if I was in touching distance then then why can't I beat him tonight? He looked like he believed throughout to me didn't, didn't ever feel like he was just hanging on.
And the thing is, unlike some of the players that have had Jokovic in that position, I realized Jokovic wasn't like he was on those days. For instance, Jero, when Jero was two sets to love up against him a year ago, Jokovic had way more in the tank that day generally. He's also a year younger. But Jero doesn't have Popperin's weapons.
That serve suddenly two points have gone by from Popperin. That forehand Jokovic, if you want to work it, he tried to work him over a few times the way he works people over. And occasionally Popperin just thought and bollocks this. I'm just going to go for a broken by forehand. Actually a little bit like the way Jokovic did to Alkraz in the Olympic final. So not wait, if the ball is even remotely there, you're going to pay because the forehand was liquid and loose. And Popperin's got that.
And you referenced his backhand map that you're not that comfortable with the Popperin backhand. And he's got a safety to it because he uses a slice of what's now. And he floats it and he diffuses with it and he doesn't try to do too much with it. And that means that he stays in Raleigh. And then if the guy works you over to the forehand, he's got one of the really good running forehands.
He's good on the run. I used to think of him as quite awkward as a move and not necessarily slow but just a bit lumbering. But yeah, I thought he was very impressive in that department tonight. I put pretty much in all departments. I thought that backhand was hugely improved. It didn't feel like a weakness tonight. Obviously it's not the explosive weapon that the forehand is but it really stood up to scrutiny.
So we now have a situation where Daniel Mevadev is the only former champion left in the draw. And he has famously never won the same title twice. So something new is happening. Are we constantly? And speaking of new, this is the first time since 2002 that no member of the Big Three will have won a major in a calendar year. So the year is the sun is setting on that era if it hasn't already.
So yeah, everything we said about the draw last night, re-alcoras and all of the players whose eyes will be lighting up. Well, you can apply that to the bottom half of the draw now. And yet what I think is interesting is the players who've been affected by Alcoras are not players who have ever really done anything at slams. Alex Diminore has reached some quarter finals but we know we've got a new semi-finalist out of that section.
And there's a lot of players there who, you know, it's a massive deal for. Whereas the players affected by Djokovic are the players who have been batting their head against a Djokovic brick wall for years. And there's Rue Blev, Dimitrov, Fritz, Tiafo. That's different to Mahatch, are now the Thompson Evans who are the sort of players in the top half.
So you've got a similar effect in both sides of the draw but different types of players impacted by it, which is pretty fascinating, I think, actually. And the Alcoras half, what was the Alcoras half, still has the World No. 1, Yannick Sinner in it and it still has a former champion, Daniel Memvedad. Indeed. Whereas this half now is just blown wide open. David is grinning at the prospect.
I was loving this. I mean, look, I, you know, David's been predicting chaos and finally it's all coming up, David. What else is here? Given the red marks on my predictions, quarter final sheet, it's about time things started to go my way. But there's aside from that and this is no anti Alcoras or anti Djokovic sentiment whatsoever. The names you've just reeled off there that suddenly have this land of opportunity.
I'm really pleased for them that they get this shot at it now and I'm really fascinated to find out who deals with it. It's just some people are going to shit the bear, aren't they? Of course. Because it's such a big opportunity. Yeah, I mean, I suppose if you go back to 2020 when Djokovic got disqualified and then suddenly your face would vary of and team. And I mean, look what happened. They play five sets in front of nobody. Team wins and we basically never hear from him again.
And Alexander's verve completely shit the bed and throwing a 60 mile an hour serve when he was actually matchpointed up. And he's never got over the line since and I mean now he's maybe going to get another chance. But this is the thing. It's delicious, I think this. Well, he's currently struggling to beat post-Puket Javari. It's very, it's just a scream title winning form to me. He probably will, you know, he probably will scrape through this because that's what that's what's verve does.
He's incredibly good at hanging tough and coming through these kind of matches. But he's less convincing even having said that than he was earlier in the season. He's not serving well. He's not serving as well. It's like 56% first serve in versus 80 in the earlier parts of the year. And I just, you know, everyone knows I bang on about late finishes. But I think they catch up with you. I really do. This is 2 a.m. and that's the, that's the start of the fourth set here.
And it really isn't necessarily about the time you finish the match. You know, you've got to add on several hours for press and for recovery and for just winding down before you can sleep. Like this is your next day pretty much ruined and okay, like you can probably make it work potentially the next round. But we've seen countless examples of it catching up with players and you know, he'd probably need to be pushed again.
Verve for that to really be a factor. But I think he will be given given the form that Nakashima's in, the form that Taylor Fritz is in. Like this is a problem, I think, for Alexander's where for what he's experiencing right now, even if he gets through it. But he is the name in the, in the Djokovic vacated section of the draw who, you know, has got the real pedigree of reaching grandstand finals and, you know, would definitely be someone benefiting from Djokovic going out.
Yeah, it's 10 past two in the morning and that verve at your very much still could have quite a few legs in it. That could be a late finish there. The long women's match first on Armstrong in the night session. Elisa Merton's beating Madison Keys, 67756, 4. Hard as nails. Elisa Merton's in the, in the latter stage there.
The fifth time in the fourth round of the US open. She, she likes it here and really has made the best of taking up on Strasbourg's position in the draw and becoming essentially the 33rd seed. She's made the most of that opportunity and she will now play Arena Sabilecka who finished her match with a Caterina Alexandreva winning through eventually 6-3 wasn't it in the, in the third set 6-2-6-3. It was five love at one stage but Alexander, Alexanderva had a mini wadi.
6-2 in the third set very, very comfortable in the end for Sabilecka after, after dropping the first set but really the story here is the fact that this match came on to court after midnight. The latest ever start to a US open match supposedly at a time when this tournament, well the tours have introduced a limit on how late a match can start.
Now that, that new rule was tested tonight and it was unearthed in fact it's entirely discretionary and pretty much meaningless. Matt Roberts, you have the floor. Yes so the tournament director Stacey Alister said that it's going to depend on many variables like do we have the broadcast team ready? Do we have a ball crew so forth and it's definitely a possibility and that's about whether or not they will start matches after 11-15pm is the time given.
Oh it's just so tiring, I feel like the last few slams we've had what the French opens latest never finish, we've had the latest never start time now for the US open. Last year at the Australian Open we had one of their latest ever finishes like it's such a problem tennis takes longer than it used to and we're still scheduling grand slams like we used to and we haven't adapted at all and we should we should not let ourselves.
Think that this is normal and okay because it isn't you know, Rena Savilekeren, Alexander Verkaming on it gone midnight to play a best of three and extra variance rare first ball of a best of five at 11pm.
What are we doing? What are we doing? There's virtually nobody in the stadium there's more there's more honeydew scuffs than people I would say in the stadium on Armstrong at the moment as we see some guy with a hero not guy with a tower of them but it's just it's just no good and the players are being screwed over the fans are being screwed over the tournament. The tournament staff the media everyone I just don't see who this is good for.
Yeah, why is everybody so reluctant to do something about it? I don't see the cost of doing something about it like it's all upside. Are you saying move matches to a different cause? Schedule differently to start with. Well, I think you need a big picture conversation can we actually fit grand slams with best of five in the men's from the very start into two weeks.
I don't think you can. I think that's where we are. I mean, I think I guess Wimbledon would say there's this tournament school Wimbledon. They would say like it works with a curfew and look curfews are not perfect. It isn't great when you have matches finishing at you know one set of all and having to come back the next day. I realize that isn't a perfect solution but Wimbledon do get it down there. More match courts you know so they.
Grasco tennis is a bit shorter. Yeah, so things like that like big picture conversations need to happen. It's not it's not an easy solution. Yeah, in terms of sort of sticking plaster on the bleeding wound absolutely introduce a rule right now that you can't put a women's match. You can't schedule a women's match after a best of five set men's match. Yeah, and in an evening session in an evening session. Yeah, absolutely.
And actually have a rule about moving the match at a time not a load of waff about variables. Right. There are always variables always. Yeah, it's it's unacceptable. It's worryingly normalized and it's kind of treated as inevitable. There's so much kind of well. What are we going to do you know tennis tennis be tennising and it's treated as epic and cool and memorable and I'm so over all that I'm not going to remember three AM at chavari's where I hope.
It's been an unverventful life if I'm remembering it's a very is there at the end of it. Two all in the fourth set by the way 15 all we we march on thoughts and prayers with Pam in in the commentary be for this one love your palm. Yeah, it's been overall a good day for Pam, but I would say this is a tough end. If it's the next day. Yeah, it sure is caught a pass to in the morning we are going to take you back now. Hey to once again.
We were slightly better as today or I was slightly better at this today. I didn't forget the Alexi popper in existing. We're going to take you back to a part of the podcast that we definitely thought was going to be part one, but we made more allowances for the possibility that it might end up being part two because you learn and you grow that's that's life.
So we're going to we're going to take you back to what we recorded earlier to cover off the day session before we do that a word from our sponsor who are of course a travel and experiences. We are partnering we are partnering with them throughout this US open and they are of course 321 your one. One stop shot for the Australian open and that includes as I've been telling you the a reserve which is the Australian open suite of hospitality packages.
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Because we heard there was a rumor that he was there and I one of my special skills is picking out celebrities in large tennis crowds and I managed to pick out his head in a very glamorous looking at hyper hide sick seat at court sides. So if it's good enough for Russell good enough for anyone. I've known you 17 years and I didn't know that was a special skill of yours.
Oh I was flooding the tennis podcast what's that chat this time last year with pictures of Timothy Chalamet and Kylie Jenner Kendall Jenner Kylie. I suppose I didn't know that this was a work. Kylie Jenner from the they came to the cocoa goff match. No they came to their final. No they were at the men's final yeah. And I picked out Leonardo DiCaprio and he was desperately trying to remain in Cognito. He's happy to take the free ticket but he doesn't doesn't want to be photographed doing so.
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Go to LinkedIn.com slash results to claim your credit. That's LinkedIn.com slash results terms and conditions apply. LinkedIn the place to be to be. Hi this is Kim and this is pen. We're from the Holderness Family Podcast and we're here to let you know you can get back to school ready at Whole Foods Market. The best in class event is packed with sales on organic seedless grapes, organic honey crisp apples, apple gate deli meat and much more.
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They've been fairly straightforward but that'll change today and for me this was the first session on Ash that had a truly dialled in crowd. I include last night's upset of Carlos Alcuras in that the atmosphere inside Ash today was really different.
The 23,000 people were paying attention and full attention to the tennis pretty much throughout and that's not to say that there wasn't hubbub because it's New York and there was hubbub but it was hubbub in the background rather than in the foreground. Totally different. Yeah I couldn't agree more. I remember remarking upon it during commentary the same with the Coco Gough match against Alina Svitzelina before it as well.
The crowd were diled in on an actual tennis match as being the main event rather than just being inside the Arthrashtadium and being out for the night or being in New York at the US Open, which in itself is fun. But you've basically got 23,000 conversations going on most of the time. That wasn't the case today. People were just thrilled by what they were served up and honestly I loved that Ben Shelton, Francis Tiaf, on that absolutely lived for it.
Yeah and speaking of hubbub I believe Francis Tiaf is shortly headed to the ESPN studio which is about 25 metres, 30 metres from where we are right now. A crowd has certainly gathered outside that ESPN studio in anticipation of such an event. So again if you hear some Ula Lars it is not for the tennis podcast on this particular occasion. You could have kept that quiet, we should have just pretend. It's a good vibe though isn't it? Those Ashmatches have really set the place a light.
Tiaf O beating Shelton 4-6, 75, 67, 64, 63 and I think as boring as this is I do think it was experience and maturity that told in the end in this match the greater experience, greater maturity of Francis Tiaf O.
And I think in particular the experience that Francis Tiaf O had of last year's match where last year against Ben Shelton he lost the third set tie break and faded and didn't put up much of a fight in the fourth set and it was all a bit weird the way Ben Shelton won that match last year.
It sort of fizzled out and it was last year it was the night session and it was the quarter final it was the business end of the tournament and it didn't really feel like that because Tiaf O just went away in that fourth set. But this year he's in a similar-ish position you know Ben Shelton last year, hit an incredible return to win the third set tie break and this time he hit an incredible serve 143 miles an hour having been six love up in the tie break.
So I got it all the way back to 65 and then Shelton just slammed the door in with this massive serve and honestly at that point I think you two were different but at that point I was thinking that Shelton was going to win this because of last year and I felt like he just had the momentum but I was so impressed with the way Tiaf O didn't allow this match to be like last years and he got better in sets four and five played really discipline tennis.
But still putting on a show for the crowd and yeah I think he learned from last year's match and that was what I was most impressed by. You given me too much credit I thought Shelton had it after winning that third set as well and actually I went out to watch in the courtside lower bowl press seats at that point expecting to see a real tussle and at that point if I'd been asked to pick a winner it would have been Ben Shelton.
And what I actually saw from that point on was to my eye to pretty convincing sets for Francis Tiaf O. I was so impressed with him in sets four and five I do think there was a slight physical fade from from Ben Shelton he started playing some dumb shots and I suspect that was out of fatigue more than anything his his rally tolerance diminished and Francis Tiaf O went in the other direction David.
And something that Tiaf O has said throughout the last couple of months is that what he and David Witt his new coach have been talking about is trying to keep more level and you know it is so exciting when Tiaf O starts to feel it and you get these huge highs but they are often accompanied by real lows and they weren't there today he lost two sets but he was in those sets there were no duds in there there were no.
So he was sort of mental and psychological and emotional lows really he just kept on coming and and really outlasted Shelton and Shelton was more of the up the up and down guy I mean some of the stuff he can do is amazing takes your breath away but considering what he said in his press conference to me the other day about how he's more intelligent these days and he tries to surf in a more efficient way.
And not always light up the speed gun I actually think he kind of did those things I don't think he was he was he was letting his word down there he kind of used that one forty three when he really needed it but the thing is the rest of the shot making it takes such energy to to move around the court the way he does to hit the ball the way he does and you know I remember saying at the start of that force set
I feel like there's a chance that Shelton could just put his foot down now and go for broke and just win this thing but in the back of my mind and all the way through the match and before it just everything I've seen from Tiafah the way he pushed Alcras to that five sets and very nearly got him at Wimbledon the way he fought his way through difficult moments in Cincinnati and then he pushed center in the final
and did okay he didn't win but he gave you a baseline level a flaw that was high and sometimes he managed to reach his ceiling as well but that's always been his problem that's but that's what he achieved two years ago he beaten a dial for goodness sake he nearly got Alcras not too far away and that player feels back today.
Interesting what you say about Tiafah kind of trying to rewire his DNA to not get too high or too low on the court there are a couple of times from my incredible vantage point there at court side where you know he won an incredible point or broke the Shelton serve or clinched the fourth set whatever it was and he did a huge celebration you know got the crowd involved engage them directly you know did stomped his feet and pointed at the back of the court.
Pointed at the court pointed in himself pointed at the crowd and then there was like a moment where he remembered no can't do too much of that and stopped in his tracks and kind of put a lid on it you can it's like when Kevin Anderson played that US open and got to the final without saying come on he rewired himself to say commit instead of come on you could see it every now and then you'd be like come on it commit.
And it seemed a little bit like that with with Tiafah to me today and I I kind of loved it you know watching him try to find the balance of not not being a shadow of himself like he was in the much they played last year you know still being the man still being the epicenter of the vibe out there but also allowing it to feel under control I thought it was a masterclass really.
From that perspective and we think there was an interesting exchange at the net between the two of them yeah and I can't I didn't overhear it was just it was it was really warm but it was Shelton immediately accepting defeat obviously
disappointed but then marching up with a big smile in his face pointing at Tiafah and and then grabbing him around the neck and really pulling him close and I just got the sense he was almost giving him a pep talk about what's to come look you know I've given everything I've got you got the win you deserve the win that's how it came across but don't stop here now I can't I won't know until we've gone in the press comments but that there was definitely
something going on there Matt yeah for sure like it was it was a really nice moment actually seeing seeing the genuine warmth between them after they'd just you know traded these incredible shots for for so long and it it did feel like Shelton was just saying yeah you deserved it today and we've got to get through this big without
the same jock of it I'm really trying because we're learning from our mistakes today man exactly look I'm going to I'm just going to say I think you were saying go beat no back the other thing I like to do you want to have to edit that section later Matt yeah it all goes to top the other thing I liked about the match was the pace that it's been played at we were you know we were we were David we were we were in into a fifth set and we've got like three and
half hours on the clock and it didn't feel like this kind of sluggish match that you often see when it goes five it was it was just shot making and get on with the next point and bit of a celebration and crack on and no that jock of each or not in the next round is
important in a way that Tiafo does go on here because you know there was a lot of people kind of saying oh what a shame that this is a third round match and I agree but like it's a third round match because of the form that Tiafo's been in through a year like given their 52
week record it deserved to be a third round match there've been way better players than Frances Tiafo over the last you know yeah and it kind of there were there were stays of this match where it felt like the quintessential match between this generation of
American players like it was really fun like this is a group of American players who I think are a lot more watchable and more entertaining than the previous group you know but the previous group didn't win Grand Samtai Tz was either and this group haven't done yet and there is just this nagging sense of oh that was an amazing time everyone everyone had a great time but how like meaningful is it for the tournaments and how meaningful is it actually for Tiafo unless he unless he goes on a run
exactly and like you know it's it's incredibly harsh to say like you've got to beat know that jock of it she's he's the greatest male player of all time and yet if you want to be a Grand Samt champion in this era that is what you have to do so I don't know I kind of feel like
what you know that was an really enjoyable match and we you know we were living for those rallies and the and the shot making between them but I think how we look back on that match might be defined by kind of what Tiafo goes on to do in this tournament
has been shouting had a good year I know there's more of the year to Carmony had a really good Asian swing didn't he last year one is first title in in Beijing but you know we've had his grand slam you know we've had the meat of it has he had a good year I think he's had a decent
year since that run here last year I think he I think he probably is right that he's become a better player overall and he he turns up most weeks you don't you don't see many duds and duffers of performances from him but the rest of the locker room does start to share secrets and know about him and and therefore I think you you you don't see quite the difference as as as when he came out and shocked everybody the way he did and I think last year was all about you
know the big the big bang the big rival on the scene I think this year has been with a different goal in mind I think he's been figuring out kind of what his favorite stops on the tour are and what he's scheduled is going to look like and how much does he want to play on clay and those kind of questions I just really knew the answer to obviously won that title on clay earlier in the year and that was a big step but
like I don't think his his tour results have quite been as impressive as I thought they might be and he's not had the the big run at the slam like he did last year but I think he's got out of this year what he was aiming to which is just building himself as a tour player and I think next year he needs to put the thing together you know he he's going to want to get have a big run somewhere but also be more consistent on the
tour and I think I think in a year's time we'll be able to kind of judge a little bit more easily yeah if this was his tricky second album it's it's not a flop is it it's not got to put yourself on the spot what was the honest Morisetzal of them after jagged little pill that was rubbish why are you looking at me I was supposed to former infatuation junky that's what it was called and it was crap just just by the by I was going to go
on to talk about Coco Gough's Fittelina next staying with the Arthur Ashe Day session but I'm actually going to change course because while we were having that discussion Taylor Fritz was about five meters away from us doing TV interviews over in the other section of the media garden and PS Taylor Fritz is the American number one and he's played bloody well to get to round four straight sets once again today against
Francisco Comissana okay that's a a decent third round draw but he hasn't dropped serve in his last two matches he's been very very convincing he hasn't he hasn't blinked and maybe we should be talking about him I don't know I do just wonder maybe he's thriving on flying under the radar a little bit and fueling himself with the kind of neglect that he's receiving I certainly don't think he minds this situation that he isn't yet being talked about much he said the other day the
Armstrong night session is his favorite slot is it that's interesting I think him and Mervida both have said that it's going to be interesting when they start having to transition on to Ashe but Mervida is on Ashe tomorrow Fritz is you know inevitably going
to end up on Ashe whether it's the next round or the one after I think I think Fritz is playing the best tennis I've seen him ever play at a grand slam he he does look more convincing here than I've seen him whether that's enough to actually make an impact against the top players we're going to wait and see but he remember when he had a a year or so where he was he lost early in the Australian open and he lost to he lost a proper in in Australia he lost a brand and hold here and and they those
were years when he he had results on the tour and then he came up short and it was it was tough for him that was and and that and he just seems that much more reliable I mean that went over Baratini a couple of days ago I know he's got a good record against him but that's serious stuff to knock him down three sets beat beat somebody's supposed to beat without a wobble today yeah I'm impressed yeah and then you know there might I might be reading too much into this
and looking for poetry where there isn't any but there might end up being something quite illustrative in him just quietly going about his business over an Armstrong well Shelton and Tiafo are taking chunks out of one another on Ash because yeah Tiafo Fritz's wins might end up being the consequential ones and not not Tiafo's only time will tell let's not say the word but it's a shock of it again because that just potentially leads to more edits
if you're hearing this as part one then Jacović is one right that's that's our policy now yes yes that's fair but we're Jacović will be covered don't worry in part two yesterday just has changed the entire game yeah yeah we've got new editorial system 1300 podcasts in and we've suddenly arrived at something that we've not really had before let's go back to plan a then cocoa golf beating Alina Svitalinas 366364 setting up a rematch with Emma Navarro in round four who of course got the
better of her at Wimbledon earlier this year you watched every ball of this David what did you think of golf today I think look it it followed a theme that we've had throughout the tournaments of starting slowly and then discovering her her game and look she was up against an opponent in Alina Svitalina today who's head and shoulders above everybody else that the golf has played so this was a real challenge to her hopes of making progress here I mean I think
before the tournament I'd I'd got a Svitalina win in this match and she won the first set she was playing beautifully not sure if Svitalina was fully fit she did have her have her some sort of pain killer I think she I think she's been saying that she's just playing in pain I've standard right now that's kind of baseline for her but my reading of the whole match my experience of the whole match is that suddenly the coca-golf that won this tournament last year arrived
midway through the second set of this match and what I mean by that is that the player that won the event last year had pockets of really good tennis but a lot of it was about struggle and using athleticism and incredible mental strength and then using the crowd last year she just got the crowd involved and suddenly midway through the second set she did the same again she she probably should have broken first in the first set she had loads of break point chances and then
she missed a stream of back hands that you just don't see her missing normally it's normally the forehand but then in the second set and throughout the third I was super impressed she was much more authoritative there was conviction
about all of the ground strokes really she outlasted Svitalina and she also took the game away from her I think this was this was a statement win from coca-golf well I felt a little less strongly about how good her game got like I but I totally agree with the point about how I think one of Goth's
problems in the last few months is that it when she's been getting down in the matches she hasn't actually quite had the same fight the same sort of spirit that defined her title run here last year she's she's looked like someone who maybe isn't quite trusting the process anymore in terms of like
maybe the relationship with the team and and all that it just felt like all of that was just coming to a bit of a natural end and she wasn't quite fighting through these matches like she was at the start of you know the year and and the end of last year but what happened today was she didn't have her game for large portion of this match as David said coca-golf not having a backhand is a very strange site she's got one of the best back hands in the world it's
reliable it does damage and she was missing it all the time today and it like the rest of her game was making up for either you know there was still the vulnerabilities a little bit with the serve the forehand wasn't perfect and yet her attitude in that second set and third set was on point there was a little moment where she told her team to be quiet and stop giving her advice but she started to use the crowd she stayed positive she turned the match around
with her attitude and I guess the reason I'm not quite as sold on like the level yet is because I think Sviterlina pretty much totally fell away in this match like she started serving loads of double faults she started missing balls that she wasn't missing she lost all of her discipline and I don't
think golf tennis wise had to do loads to get this match back on track but attitude wise she absolutely did I thought I think I come down somewhere in the middle of both of you I watched this match at home on the TV because as we've
already covered I got up at midday so I had the benefit of some of the stats and data the ESPN was showing up during the match and Coco Gough made a massive change to her game after the the first set really dialed down the risk factor kind of went into lockdown mode and Sviterlina responded to
that by feeling like she had to hit out even more now we know she's she's changed her game she's totally rebranded since her come back from maternity leave and she is a more aggressive player than she was but trying to hit out and hit through Coco Gough in the way that she was just was clearly way
outside of her comfort zone you know to hit through Coco Gough takes serious doing because she can chase down pretty much anything and I do think yes Sviterlina kind of dropped off a cliff but I think Coco Gough is responsible
for that it was kind of one of those like when is an unforeseen and unforeseen and unforeseen thing because generally Gough's play and switch up here in approach is is provoking this from Sviterlina now Sviterlina didn't keep a calm head about it at all I'm not saying that was that only option to
respond in that way and the serving did really drop off from her and that was a gift to Gough but I do think Gough elicited some of that bad play from Sviterlina and that is what she does to people a lot of her wins come that way and she's not too proud to win that way yeah and I'm not saying her level didn't improve as this match went on it absolutely did and there was one incredible 37 shot rally which like just simply wouldn't have been possible
with the with the way she was playing at the start you know she simply wouldn't have been able to hit the ball with such conviction that many times in a row like it was it was it was a remarkable rally and absolutely her her level improved and and she she extracted some of those errors from
Sviterlina for sure but I'm not convinced I suppose that she's going to get a lot of work on her game she's also interesting because she's not playing doubles here and normally like she's kind of able to practice her game on the doubles court as well and sort of fine tune herself that way and so different approach to the game and she's like she's like she's like a good guy and she's like a good guy and she's like a good guy and she's like a good guy
on the doubles court as well and sort of fine tune herself that way and so different approach I think it may well have some benefits for her not to be playing doubles but that element I think she is using practice to try and find her game in a way that sometimes she's used doubles even though she's always wanted to win the doubles I'm not saying that doubles was only ever practiced but it was
helpful. Emma Navare next Navare came from three one down in the today winning five games in a row to beat Marta Kostya she got the better of Gough Handley in their Wimbledon match up will Gough do a TFO and get revenge?
That's what's gone through my mind yes it's it's going to be very interesting because clearly there's there's I know that there's a there might have been a difference in levels for Gough that day compared to where she is right now but it sounds like there is a bit of a style challenge for Gough to overcome here against against this player and who knows what Navare will be like whether she can reach that those sort of heights on on this surface in this
environment I just feel like Gough is is gonna turn that around I think that will even put more fire in a belly and yeah I think Gough's gonna get better now she's so tough to beat Gough she really is and I think it's going to be
interesting for Navare playing Gough here like Gough is going to have the support and this isn't going to be like Shelton Tiafow is it this is probably going to be more one sided I think so and look Navare has a has quite a nifty slice she can keep the ball quite low and she also like likes to
take her returns pretty early and I think she'll be trying to rush Gough serve but I don't know I just I like Gough to get some revenge and battle through this one speaking of rematches we have Vekitch against Jung in the fourth round of rematch of the gold medal match from the Paris Olympics I
get to talk about the Olympics again Jung Jop just three games against Yulinimai today and Matt you watching Donna Vekitch he said was fantastic against Peyton Sterns and I'm going to take a bit of credit for that quite honestly because I got out to court at four five
Beckich down in the first set and she then won 20 of the next 21 points which was an extraordinary run and look Sterns Sterns was part of that like her energy dropped in that period Sterns is such an intense player she she she brings a lot of energy to the court and it fell away in that
period but Vekitch is like first strike tennis her first serve was doing so much damage she was getting the first hit in on return and she was just dominating and she went up a break in that second set and Sterns got it back and started doing her thing of pointing to her coach and trying to
get the crowd involved but Vekitch broke straight back and then served served it out with with authority and it was a really impressive display there was a lot of support for Vekitch on court 17 there was one guy in particular who was getting everyone going and when Vekitch
she's at you it wasn't me it wasn't far from me and when Vekitch won she she hit the ball into the crowd and picked him out and found him with the ball like straight to him he was doing all the let's go Donna and some people were trying to give it let's go pay it was a really
good vibe it was a big big contingent of Donna Vekitch fans and she was feeding off that energy and I just think she's playing really really well like she is kind of in that mode where I think she said in her press conference she's so happy to have won the silver medal so happy she kind of said
like if I never win anything again I'm gonna be happy because I got that that silver medal for Croatia and at the same time she said and yet I feel as motivated as I ever have because I think she's had a little taste of Wimbledon and in the Olympics of what it's been like to use our term be
in the mix at these big events in a way that she hasn't in the past and I think she feels like she's in the mix here again given how well she's playing and she mentioned the fact that she liked Patent Stern's is ball in because it wasn't it's not a flat hitch quite it's quite
loopy shots does Patent Stern's quite a lot of spin and Vekitch says she finds that easier to to hit her forehand which throwing it forward to the Junction when match is interesting because that's the type of ball you're going to get from Junction when the difference in the Olympics
final I think was the surface underneath clay and that's Junction when's favorite I think it's not done of Ekitch's for sure and that match up on that court was definitely in Junction when's favours she got Vekitch moving a lot and she played a flawless match but I think on these courts
Vekitch is going to have a bit more of an opportunity to get her strikes in and it's going to be tricky against Junction when who has leveled up I think since the Olympics and is playing David's been talking about it you know she's walking a bit more like her champion she's
kind of owning the stage a bit more she's she's confident and so it's going to be tricky but I cannot wait I've just got a sneaky feeling that Vekitch might might get some revenge as well the theme of this this pod seems to be revenge. Pace into the Junction forehand is the play isn't it Vekitch can do that off of both of these words she has. She has. It's been really good. How big is the mix in the women's draw? I mean to be specific are those two in it they are for me. I think they are yeah.
Yeah I think so. I think yeah. Now I wouldn't have said Donna at the start of the tournament because I just thought she was probably going to run out of gas by now. I think you know obviously I should probably be avoiding saying the name Arena Sabileco as well given she plays in the night session tonight but like I think she's been playing the most convincing tennis over the last couple of weeks but she's not played her best tennis at the
latter stage of the US Open ever so there has to be a little question mark there still obviously she on text in the mix obviously Coco Goss in the mix and you can extend that Junction Wijn and Donna Vekitch as well yeah I do think no one is no one's a sure thing even though a lot of players are playing well. Is Paola Badosa in the mix she saved much point today to be Elena Gabriela Risa 10-8 in the match try break.
All due respect to Wong Yafan but it's a good draw to play her for a place in the quarterfinals Wong Beat as a Renca today 6-1 in the third. I think a bit of a migraine hangover for as a Renca just incidentally on Wong. It's her first time in to round four of Islam at the age of 30.
She's the world number 80 her career high ranking just inside the world top 50 was five years ago you know this has really come out of nowhere for her and very impressive but Badosa is going to be the heavy favourite there and you have to think that you know we've got enough evidence of what's giving much point along the way can do to players how it can fortify them. I think that helps her cause.
Yeah I think she's another one she's certainly playing the best tennis she's played since she was right in the top five to him in the world at one stage. I would say I wouldn't put her in the mix and that definition of you if you're a new listener is that whether we think whether we'd be surprised if they won the title or not and you're in the mix if you wouldn't be surprised and I would still be surprised if it ended up being pala but also her one as tournament.
But you wouldn't be surprised if I pitched it? No not now because she's got the more recent reps of semi-final at Wimbledon and the Brinker the final getting to the final of the Olympic title match and as Matt said the surface just seems to suit her. Middle pace, medium pace sits up but when she cracks that thing it stays hit and it runs away. So Donna Vekitch in the mix Pam will enjoy hearing that if she ever gets to leave the comment she brings David. Etcher Varian's Verif still going at it.
So only past two in the morning. We'll receive a message from Pam about 2pm tomorrow when she's finally woken up and listened to the pod. And she sort of kind of live messages her listening experience to us on WhatsApp doesn't she? Which I kind of love. It's fantastic. Pam gets stopped by podcast fans now and she has her photo taken with them. It's a lovely lovely thing. All the verives about to get broken we're probably going to a fifth set. Sweepstake on when this is finishing.
What I'm really enjoying about this is that there's a little graphic in the bottom left corner that pops up saying prime time at the US Open. It's 2.19! Don't gas like me, SPM. Right, would you like to hear about what's on tomorrow Matt? Yes, today you mean. Today, after the full-on game this is what you've got coming up. Yep. I've got an alarm set for an hour and 40 minutes from now to attempt to get away this ticket. So pray for Catherine. I'm so pleased. Too young.
So please don't care about that. Why don't you just put the CD on. The CD. Come back disc. David. Right, all the thrash days. I've got it. Starts at midday with Jessica Boutas Manero against Jessica Baguille. First time two Jessica's playing one another. Yep. I've put you on the spot there at 2.20 a.m. I was at an actual question. It was a semi-retorical. And if you don't have the verified answer in about four seconds, Matt, you'll be a disappointment. A Yannick Sinner against Chris O'Connell.
One of many sensations in this tournament. I was hazard to say that Popperin is currently stealing the sensation limelight. But, you know, we know what Chris O'Connell is capable of on his day. So he is second on against Yannick Sinner. The night session starts with Eagishjontek against Anastasia Pavliacchenkova. And that's followed by Flavio Caboli against Daniel Medvedev. Armstrong is putting save a Paulini, a Rani Schneider. And then Diallo, Gabrielle Diallo against Tommy Paul.
And the night session on Armstrong is Alex Dimonorgans, Dan Evans followed by Beatrice Hadadjmaya. Taking on Anna Cannon Skaya Mukover against Potapovri's on Grandstand. Van der Zanzklop against Draper is second on Grandstand. Jessica Ponce, the beneficiary of Elena Rebacchino's withdrawal. She takes on Caroline Mozniacchi. And Matteo Arnaldi against Jordan Thompson is last on Davi Goffat and Thomas Mahatch open stadium 17 tomorrow.
So if you've got a grounds pass for Saturday, Labor Day weekend, that's our tip, I think, isn't it? It's a great day to 17. My favourite security guard is on 17. He doesn't work the early session, he's only there in the evenings, but he's got great takes. Great nails. Great nails, he's brilliant. It's a great court to watch. It's brilliant. We had a lot of fun watching the latter stages of Nakashima Muzetti over there today. And Borges Menzik is the last match of the day on court 17.
So that is your lot for today. Well, from us anyway, it's a very and it's very, very continue to entertain. Hello to Bruno, our US open mascot. Hello Bruno, hello Elissa Bruno's human. Hello to our mascots David. Got points today, which is bit annoying because I was enjoying enjoying the streak. It was really into the David being the new Reggie narrative, but it's broken. What if TFO reached the final like I said he did? Sadly for you David, I've stolen your thunder because I picked popper in.
How many did you get for that? Not as many as I should have done 60, I think. 60 whole points. You've gone up to third in the leaderboard at the lead of Catherine. I needed it David, it was going badly. So that's for the dearly departed Darwin, Hyder and Soma and Matt, how did you fare today? We were two sets to love up and lost. Yes. Jerry Shang made an impression on Grandstand against Casper Rude.
I have to say it was an odd pick because Jerry Shang was two sets to love up and he still didn't think he was going to win in the moment. So I'm thinking if you didn't think he could win from two sets to love up, then why did you pick him to win at all? I thought he could win from two sets to love up. I didn't think he was going to win when he lost the third set, the sixth love. It was a bad omen, wasn't it? And then Casper Rude started absolutely ripping four hands and Shang couldn't keep up.
It was game over. Billy Jean is sponsored by Billy Jean King and Ilana Kloss, hello to our topfakes and exec, she produces Greg, Chris, Jamie and Jeff and it's over to Matt for some late night shout outs. Again. We have Lawrence in Melbourne. Like Lawrence Telemann. Right Lawrence. Lawrence Telemann was the guy who reached the Queen's final in 1998, losing to Scott Dreypah. Is this a Lawrence with you or a W?
Our Lawrence is with a U. Okay, well I think that fits perfectly because I think Lawrence Telemann was a Lawrence with a U. He was indeed a Lawrence with a U, I've just looked it up. He's now working for the University of Miami. Oh, how lovely. Well Lawrence is going to be no other Lawrence. Well we don't actually know anything other than that he's from Melbourne and a friend of the pod. And he was wondering whether there were any tennis Lawrence's. So you've done him proud David.
I'm really pleased with myself and Lawrence is lovely to have you with us. He says Lorenzo does not count. Oh no, I would never try and smuggle Lorenzo in under the guise of a Lawrence. I would never do that to you Lawrence. But I am glad that I didn't have to mention that my cousin's called Lawrence because that's what I would have had to resort to. Just did. I only use an extra. Hooray for Lawrence Telemann, Hooray for Lawrence, our friend of the tennis podcast. We've also got Stefan Kapalak.
Right Stefan. Hello Stefan. Like Edberg. That's what he said. Yeah, well Stefan Edberg won six grand Sam titles. Stefan Jokovic. Yeah. I mean, he's one of no vac. This Stefan is looking for dog recommendations for a first dog. Any ideas Katherine? I don't know. Give Stefan my email address Matt and tell him we will talk extensively. Is this something you're off on now? I mean, yes, of course I've got ideas but I need to know more about Stefan's requirements, preferences. Living habits.
Yeah, Stefan, we will talk. Great. She's going to suggest one of those some burnids. No, you mean a Bernie's Mountain dog. That's the one. Only if the living situation is appropriate. Okay. Because it knocks stuff. Like I look. There's a reason I don't have a Bernie's Mountain dog. Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah, because it wouldn't fit. It wouldn't fit in my flat. No. Thank you Stefan. And finally we have a very special shout out for David Whitaker.
Right David. David writes, I have known Katherine for some time. Is that actually what he said? Is that it? Yep. Very accurate. Oh, I woke up to a message from my dad this morning about he's really interested in the men and the women playing with different balls here. And I am too. I just don't have, you know, it is something we reference and the players are asked about and we know it's different.
But my dad has asked for a photo of the two different types of balls side by side and for more details on exactly how aerodynamically they perform differently. How are you getting on with that so far? I sent him a thumbs up, David. I sent him a holding thumbs up. But I do, you know, he's right. It's a right dad message from you. Yeah. I know. There's a lot going on. It is interesting and I'm going to try and do better.
And without the two trips to the US open in 2004 and 2007 that my dad brought me on, I don't know if I'd be here today. Yeah. And then in 2007 one, you met me. Yeah. And baked for a job. Yeah. Yeah, those were two very, very important, I mean very, very fun trips first off, but I think very important in my life. So thank you, dad. Ten is David for my dad? David Prinousil, a German player from the 90s, Mr. Wittaker. And you're welcome and thank you for being a friend of the tennis podcast.
Thanks, dad. Brilliant note. Well, a note to end on. We'll be back tomorrow, folks. Day six of the US opens. Where I was going to break up in the fourth. Maybe we'll all be put out of our misery soon. The drama just keeps on coming. Cheening tomorrow. We'll be back. You'll be back. Hopefully you will speak to you then. This podcast is brought to you by E Harmony. The dating app to find someone. You can be yourself with. Why doesn't E Harmony allow copy and paste in first messages?
Because you are unique and your conversations should reflect that. E Harmony wants you to find someone who will get you. How are you going to know who gets you? If people sing you the same generic conversation starters, they message everyone else. Conversations that actually help you get to know each other. Imagine that. Get to get to you on E Harmony. Sign up today. Hi, this is Farnish Terabbi, host of the Weppy Winning Podcast, so money.
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