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Well, hello and welcome to the tennis podcast on another beautiful New York evening, day nine of the US Open recording part one in between day and night sessions in the media garden, myself, Catherine,
and Matt Roberts and David Law on a day that is seen so far to Americans progress through to the US Open semi finals. Emma Navarra beating Paola Badossa in straight sets in the first match of the day on Ash. And we've just seen Taylor Fritz get the best of full seed Alexander Vera of 76366476 to reach a grand slam semi final for the first time.
I have to say a few rounds ago. I think in the third round we're watching Taylor Fritz from home and upon victory, Mary Carillo in the commentary booth said that is grand slam winning form from Taylor Fritz. I've looked at one another and said, wow, that is that is a big statement from Mary and boy was sheep proven right. He might not go on to win this title. He might very well not go on to win this title, but I do agree that he is in potentially major winning form. So impressive today, David.
I've certainly the best form that I've ever seen from him. And I can't remember whether Mary said that before Jocovician aircrafts had gone out or not. Yeah, it was the second round against Baratini when she said it. So they were pretty sure they were still in.
And I mean, it was sort of jaw dropping as a moment and it made me look at him a bit more closely, I suppose, for the next couple of matches. And apart from that one dodgy set he played against Casparoud at the start a couple of days ago, I've been pretty impressed with him.
But then today, that first set and a bit is the best I've ever seen in play. And I think also as he closed it out at the end, the way he just went and got it. He didn't wait. He didn't hope that his normal game was going to get it done. I think he did in sets two and three when it when the wheels fell off, he reverted to type a bit around there. And the moment when he was three love up and he lost his lead in the in the fourth set.
But you know, he won a first set in which Alexander's very ever was serving 86% first serves in and Fritz had love for to on his serve at six five. He didn't take those chances. He then won it in the tie break and and territory Lee from where I'm sitting right at the top of the stadium, commentating on it for the BBC.
You could see how he was just refused into back off the baseline and how's Vera was having to retreat to the backstop, which he kind of likes to do almost as a default, particularly when he's nervous anyway. But the bottom line is I think sometimes you see Fritz moving back and letting it happen certainly against Jacović whenever they've played in recent times him and Jacović.
It's it's felt over before it's even begun. The moment you get the one break, you think, oh, this is done. There's no jeopardy in this whatsoever. This was Taylor Fritz playing really well. The best of sin in play, eyeing an opportunity and holding it together just about. But but I mean, he absolutely outblades Vera for a second half, even though the score was close. It was a masterclass in controlled aggression from Taylor for it's map.
Yes. And you know, I thought Vera would probably win this match despite him not being as convincing as he usually is at this slam. It's been a tough start for Matt's punchy position. It has. It's been a blow for that. But the segment lives on. Rest assured. You know, I just thought frankly, normally it takes better players than Taylor Fritz to beat Alexander's Vera of at a slam over five sets.
And I think that speaks to what we're saying. Like I think Fritz is a better version of himself at this tournament. And yeah, controlled aggression is a good way of putting it. I do think, you know, the head to head now with Vera of his five all is extremely close. Even though Vera has, you know, been a far more accomplished player than Fritz over the course of their careers, this matchup Fritz is okay in it.
Because I think he can go toe to toe with the backhand in a way that not many players can. And then he can go toe to toe with his backhand today. But even when he has a good day, Fritz can kind of live with that. And then it kind of becomes about those forehands and who goes after it a little bit more. And that was Fritz today. He was being the proactive one. As David said, there was a little lapse in kind of the middle of the match.
But generally he was, he was the one trying to make things happen and was very retreated and kind of push the ball in. And I still think is holding him back from actually winning one of these Grand Sam titles. But yeah, absolutely. Fritz brilliant performance. And David mentioned how good he was at the end of that first set. I would also shout out the end of the third set when it's where I've got to break point at four all having won the most unbelievable rally really long from the baseline.
And he won it up at the net. And he had break point. The crowd was up. And then Fritz held from that point. And then ended up winning the set. And I just thought that was a real moment where it could have turned into very his favour. And Fritz just didn't allow it. And then he played a very good fourth set as well. And yeah, I think this is a big moment for him because some of his American colleagues, if you like, rivals of course.
But you know, fellow American men, Paul, Tiafo, Shelton have all reached Grand Sam semi-finals before him. And even though he'd been more consistent and kind of the number one out of those for quite a while, he hadn't done this. And now he has. And he's also got a chance to go even further because of what we've said and how well he's playing. And yeah, it's a huge moment in his career. There was such tenacity about him today. As we come to in part one, he hasn't come into press yet.
But in the post-match interview on court, he said, today felt different. I didn't want to be the losing in Grand Sam quarter finals guy. He said, I felt like it was my time. He just, he wasn't going to let this one go today. And I felt like that was evident in how he didn't get dragged into this verve vortex. You know, his verve so often makes players lose. And that is a tremendous skill in itself. Do you know that, Jocovitch has been a master at it. You know, that is match management.
Go into a lockdown mode. Ask the question when things are tight, if the opponent and so often they do cough up an error. Eventually, if you really, really lock down and I good at it. But his verve's lockdown mode isn't as good as Jocovitch's. If someone stands up to it and says, no, I'm going to, I'm going to hit through this. I'm going to hit through your mid court forehands and take advantage of your court position.
And the fact that you are a six-foot six-inch counter-puncher, he is there for the taking. If somebody really, really believes that I felt like I really saw that from, from Taylor Fritz today. That is not what Alexander's verve saw. I've just been to his press conference. And he was asked, you know, it was clear in his demeanor in answering the first couple of questions very, very curtly, that he was feuming, boiling, absolutely boiling.
And he was then asked, is this the most frustrated you felt recently after a loss? And he kind of didn't even let him finish the question. He said, yeah, and then said, actually, no, angry. And he was quite a, quite a chilling moment there. And he kind of stopped his answer dead in the tracks, dead in its tracks, and then looked around the room and sort of threatened to say, and don't, don't accuse me of not giving Taylor Fritz any credit.
And at this point, he hasn't given Taylor Fritz any credit. All he's talked about is how bad he was today, how bad he felt his backhand was. He obviously felt all at sea about the fact that the backhand is usually the banker. Even when he's been through rough periods with other parts of his game, he's been able to rely on his backhand. And that must be a terrible feeling to have your, you know, how it feels, Matt, you've lost your backhand recently. Lost my entire identity as a initial.
It's a rough moment. I get that. But, you know, at this point in the press conference, he literally hadn't mentioned Taylor Fritz. And then he looks around the room and says, and don't you guys go saying, I'm not giving Taylor Fritz enough credit. And then, and then you're thinking, okay, he's now going to do the customary giving Taylor Fritz lots of credit. And then he goes, he played quite well. I mean, it was classic. The thing is, Jockovich is the master of the lockdown.
But he's also the master at pulling the trigger when he really needs to. And also, when he gets hot, when he gets threatened sometimes, he becomes more aggressive. And I don't, I just don't think it's very of has that. He's never had it. There's a reason he hasn't won a grand stamp title. You know, he goes into his shell when he gets nervous most of the time. And when he tries to hit out, he's actually got a fundamental weakness on his forehand side.
And you're just as likely to get a forehand shank as you are a blistering winner. The other thing is, I just don't think he's played very well all tournaments. It's a testament to his sort of cockroach like abilities that I've referred to in the past. That he still sticks around. But he was in the 50s and 60s percent first serves in in the first three rounds. Fourth round, he got it above 70 percent and looked decent. Today, he got it to 86 percent in that first set.
Second set, it's down below 50 again. So I don't think he's serving that well. And then there was a moment where he's getting Boston in the match. And he comes up with, I genuinely think one of the best, certainly the best shot of the championships stretched out to his right. On his full stretch, he manages to hit around the net post banana shot into the corner. I mean, it was an astonishing shot. And he celebrated it like he just won the title. He put his arms out wide. He looked to the sky.
He wanted the cheers and he deserved them because it was an astonishing shot. He then was aced and he hit two forehand shanks to lose the game immediately. And that's the bottom line is when you're having to pull rabbits like Alcras was the other day. When you're having to pull rabbits out of the hat to stay in a match, that doesn't bowed well for you actually winning it. It was an astonishing shot, although Carolin and Mook have it does say high, fish shot at the tournament.
Yeah. Okay, I take the point, this one was breathtaking, no, because the only other player I think you hit that shot quite like it is Nadal, the bend on the ball. He's actually better as a player on the forehand when he's absolutely stretched to his limit and has to do a shot like that, which is a kind of roulette shot. He's better at those than he is a standard forehand in a rally. Because a lot of the time I think he gets too close to the ball on the forehand. It's all about spacing.
That's what coach Shriver had to say to Matt Roberts. Taylor Fritz, look, we won't go too deep into that because we don't know who's opponent will be yet. On the basis of what I saw today and actually what I've seen throughout the whole tournament, but particularly today, I think he's the favourite in the semifinal regardless of who he plays. I think it's better for him to play Dimitrov because the crowd will be so with Tiafo if it is Tiafo and I think that could be tough for him.
But I think he's the favourite regardless. He's playing serious tennis. Do you think the crowd, like I agree, the crowd would be with Tiafo, but do you think kind of what we saw with Navarro and Gough, he might be able to just take some of the sting out of that Tiafo crowd and it might have an effect on Tiafo that, okay, I have most of the crowd, but he won't have all of it like he usually does.
I don't know, that did happen a bit in Navarro and Gough, other than the end of the second set where Gough absolutely got them going. I think a lot of it will be matched dependent about how it's going because they'll want to see it go all the way. And whoever's down will get more cheers. That said, I do think there's an affection and maybe an acknowledgement of who Tiafo is more than there is for Fritz because he's had moments of the US Open that Fritz just hasn't had yet.
So, yeah, that's going to be really interesting. And I think generally everything about this tournament just feels interesting from here on because we're in such unknown territory for so many different players. Yeah, absolutely. And it's interesting given how much American success there's been at this tournament, but that it is these two proverbial under the radar players.
I do think there's quite a lot of similarities between MNFRO and Taylor Fritz that are the first to book their places in the semifinals on the American front. Obviously, Fritz's Tiafo could join them this evening. But Emma Navarro earlier on today, she is not going to stay under the radar for long if she keeps playing tennis like this on the biggest stages. I mean, talk about totally undaunted by the prospect of reaching a first Grand Slam semifinal. Now, there were two things at play here.
There was there was Paola Badosa, who in her own words, I was completely disaster. And yeah, that is about the size of it. But there was also brilliant Emma Navarro six to seven five. A lot of the story from this match was the fact that Badosa led five one in the second set with a double break and completely collapse Navarro winning 22 of the last 24 points.
And Navarro saying in her on court post match interview that she had an inkling when she held for five to say she's still a double breakdown at this point that she was going to win in straight sets. And Matt and I were watching that on the telly and heard that quote in both went wow. But actually, Paola Badosa came into press and said exactly the same thing. She backed up that take. She said, I never felt like I had the momentum even at five one.
You know, there was a total lack of belief from Paola Badosa today. And it made me think of what Pagula was saying yesterday because she said, I felt great this morning. And then I stepped on to court and I felt weird. Didn't expect to feel weird. I can't explain it, but I did. And that's happened on the biggest day of my career. And it sucks.
Yeah, and that's an interesting take, I think, from Badosa that she didn't feel like she had the momentum at five one because I was not the experience that I was having watching it very much felt like she had the momentum. She had to my eyes started to play a lot better than she had in the first set. And, you know, I was I was primed for a decider. But I guess the fact that when it went, it went so quickly was demonstrative of the fact that she wasn't feeling good.
And honestly, her whole expression changed as soon as she lost that game for five two. There was suddenly a look of anguish on her face and nerves. And, you know, honestly towards the end, I started to wonder whether she was feeling some of the injuries that she's had, you know, the back in particular because she kind of stopped moving for the ball in that final game.
You know, the final shot of this match was a Navara drop shot that was a very good weapon for a throughout the match, but it didn't seem like a drop shot that Badosa would have no hope of even reaching. And yet she kind of didn't fully run for it. And I think that was just because, well, in her words, she kind of wasn't wasn't feeling it out there. It was almost like she'd just gone by that point, having lost so many points in a row and really collapsing from that position of authority.
And yeah, it was a tough, tough way for that match to end. But Navara was impressive. And the point you make about her being undaunted by the prospect of a semi-final. Well, at the previous slam she played, she was very daunted by that. You know, when she beat Goff, she did not back it up at all well against Jasmine Palini in the following match. And she's learned from that and come out today playing brilliantly. She was excellent from the start.
Some of her passing shots were just so precise. Her anticipation is such a weapon. She seems to be able to read the opponent's game. She was always behind the ball where Bodosa was going for it and turning it back on her. Yeah, she was very impressive. And kind of she's got this pretty neat grand slam record this year, where she's improved one round every slam, third round, fourth round, quarter final and now semi-final. So, you know, whether she can go two steps better here remains to be seen.
But I certainly think kind of like, what Jasmine Palini did this summer where you now no longer, you no longer underestimate Palini, you're looking at her name and a draw. That's what Navara has done to me now. Like, I didn't come into this tournament thinking necessarily that Navara would be the American woman to go the furthest. I definitely didn't, but I'm going to pay a lot more respect to her game now, going forward because it's a really good game that causes opponents a lot of problems.
She has no weaknesses, David. No, I don't think she does. It's... I just watch her and I think where have you been? Why is this taken so long to come? Well, she went to college for a couple of years, decided to take that route and I don't think that's a coincidence in terms of her temperament and how well she seems to handle the tour and the challenges of life as a tennis player. She seems like a real grown-up.
It's a great advertisement, isn't it? And she's not the only one. No, absolutely. So she went to college for a couple of years. She also last year at a point when she'd already made big strides with her ranking. So she's around about 50 in the world. Her ranking's high enough to get her into main tour events. She elected to play a lot of ITFs at that point and get her ranking up, get reps in, build strength in her body, get used to time on tour.
And get used to winning. And she got... That was how she got her ranking up to a place where she was ceded for the Australian Open. So she got this platform to make the third round and as Matt described, she's just built and built and built on that. And there was a quote from her coach Peter Ears who was brought into press today as they tend to do with players coaches once they get down to the semi-final stage.
He's been working with her since she was 14. Obviously, took more of a back seat during the couple of years while she was at college. But we're still involved from the sidelines. And how Jasmine Paulini is this? He described her as an incremental achiever. It's not as sexy as an Emirad Akarnu or a Coco Gough breaking through at 15. But it might be the better foundation for long-term success.
You know, in the words of Mary Carillo, I was lucky enough to bump into her for an impromptu chat earlier. She said, Emma Navarro didn't skip any grades. She went step by step to get here. That's a great line. She feels like a younger version of Jessica Pagula to me in so many ways. And that's a game built to last. It is weird to feel that you just... I feel like I've been sleeping on the potential that she's got and not really understood it.
And then suddenly now it's unavoidable. And she's facing down big stars of the game. Coco Gough twice in successive grand slams. I really thought Gough would end up getting revenge because of how good she is and what a fight she is and obviously she had her issues. But inevitably we end up focusing on Gough's weaknesses. And actually Navarro's game just stacks up against a lot of people right now.
And it was far more noticeable today how good Emma Navarro is than it was against Coco Gough. That was a bad match against Coco Gough. You know, the level just was sort of dragged down and sort of just kept getting worse. You know, Navarro did do plenty of good things. But I never really had a wow moment in the way that I immediately did today against Blossa when she came out. She was just timing the ball perfectly and as I said, coming up with some incredible passing shots most notably.
Yeah, like she really has improved so much. And you know, she's not, you know, you sort of say where she's been and absolutely that's true. But she is young, you know, she is only 23. And I guess we've just got so used to a lot of breakout stars. We're used to hype. Yes. I mean, I'm responsible for a fair bit of it. You know, but it's, you haven't seen her as a junior and just ID to star of the future.
We haven't seen those sort of things because it's been quite be building in the in the background. Absolutely. And I am a little bit obsessed with Peter as Emma Navarro's coach. He gave the most extraordinary press conference earlier. I mean, he could be a life coach quite frankly. He was asked about Emma Navarro's perfectionism. You know, in by her own admission, she's a perfectionist.
And you know, as most people know and as as Petriere has pointed out, most high achievers are perfectionists. But that can be a problem because perfection is basically impossible. And he said, one of the first times we sat down together going back to when she was 14 years old, he was like, so you're a perfectionist, most high achievers are. And if it's a good quality, it's a good quality. If it's applied in a healthy, sustainable way. So I said, here's what I want you to strive to be perfect at.
I want you to strive to be perfect at bouncing back. Stuff's going to happen. There's going to be adversity every time you play. So let's strive to be perfect at bouncing back. So way of like, okay, you can be a perfectionist, but you're going to be you're going to channel it into this one thing which is compatible with an imperfect world and an imperfect sport. And I just really love that. And I am going to use it in life. Brilliant. That's very, very impressive.
Yeah, and I've no doubt that he. Very healthy, isn't it? Very healthy. He and the clear stability of their relationship has been a big factor in her success. And again, look, we'll talk about the matchups once we know them after the night session. She's going to be the underdog. I think no matter who she faces in the semi-final, but I also think she's very comfortable being the underdog.
So, so let's find out. Shall we? And rest assured that if it is, Rungchin, when that wins tonight and books are meeting with them in a Varo, we will be revisiting Aggrogate from the Olympics. And there is a small update in that department. So yeah, we will let you know in part two. For now, though, a word from our sponsors, AO Travel and Experiences, the tennis podcast is brought to you in partnership with AO Traveling Experiences, your one stop shop for the Australian Open.
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Welcome back to part two of the tennis podcast on day nine of the US Open where it is quarter past midnight. We three are back at tennis podcast towers. New York the night session has just concluded. I'm afraid to say it's ended on a bit of a bum note. Of course, Joy for Francis TFA through to his second US Open semi-final. But he's done it via the retirement of Grigal Dimitrov. 6367, 6363 was the score when Grigal Dimitrov in the final game.
If that third set pulled up incredibly lame, it was immediately obvious that something very bad was wrong. He went off for an injury timeout at the end of that third set.
Limped back onto court was determined to continue. I guess wanting to see if some sort of pain medication that he must have taken off court would kick in being urged to call it quits by everybody in his box because it was so evident that he had nothing to give physically in this match and did eventually belatedly call it quits trailing 4-1 in the fourth set. In the words of Mary Carrillo David, we've just watched Grigal's image of dancing at his own funeral.
Yeah, that was Grimm. That was a tough scene. I think for everybody who watches tennis because Grigal Dimitrov has been an ever-presenter for the last 15 years in everybody's lives. And he is unlikely to ever fulfill the sort of ambitions that he would have had. And yet he's kind of rung out some extra in his career in this latter stage and suddenly there was this big opportunity.
For everybody including him and yet he's the oldest of them all. He's 33 years of age now. Suddenly, Jacavitch isn't there. An hour has been there and Federer has retired. All the people that have beaten him over the years. Another is still some top players left and Mevadev has beaten him in the past two. But it was Mevadev he retired against at Wimbledon when he was playing really well too.
So that in itself on a wider scale is a tough scene. But in isolation he just played the most spellbinding set of tennis in the second set. Which seemed so unlikely that he would come back into it. But he just turned it around with the most daring sort of array of shot-making to win that second set. And I mean this podcast has been going for more than 12 years which basically covers the main part of Grigor Dimitraz's entire career.
And we've been hyping him ever since we first sat in my parents' dining room in 2012 Catherine. And I did ask you both to just imagine at the end of that second set what would it be like if Grigor Dimitrov won the US Airplane open? And then he needed back to back double folds. And then he still won the set. Yeah that was it wasn't he hit the most amazing shot to set up three match points and then he did two double folds. Two double folds followed by a TFO double fold.
I don't think I've ever seen that before. Jim Courier didn't think he'd ever seen it before. No. In commentary, Mary Carillo said she never wants to see it again. Extraordinary way to end the set. Yeah and yet it feels so funny at the time wasn't it? And does it have company laugh about it now? No exactly it's ruined the joke. It was so sad watching Grigor Dimitrov's Trudge Limp down that corridor Matt. Just desperate. He'll most like, I mean he's waited.
And now he's reached ground some semi-finals before but he's been around the block enough to know that this was the chance he was waiting for to come his way really. And it's unlikely to come again like this. Yeah it's brutal. It's absolutely brutal. And as David said off the back of the Wemwarden retirement as well. I think he has had a few retirements at Slam, sort of sprinkled through his career but generally he's been healthy.
And he's been able to rely on his athleticism even into his 30s and it's such a weapon for him and to see him not even be able to push off on the serve and just arm the ball over and not chase anything down. And yeah you can see it all sort of happening in slow motion. You can tell that he's desperately wanting to try and somehow have some sort of miracle and get through this but also he knows.
He knows it's over and confronting that reality in a quarter final when yeah let's be honest the draw has opened up. And certainly to reach the final which would be his best ever showing in a slam for him to be sort of cut down by this injury is brutal and watching him depart the court with a very sad expression on his face will unfortunately be a be a lasting image of this US open I think. Yeah just horrible for Gregor haunting.
And I think tough of Francis TFO because he's such a sportsman isn't he and he's a he's a vibes guy. There was not there was not a vibe in sight at the end of that match.
The win does mean that there is going to be an American man in the final of the US open first time since 2006 and Andy Rodic it does mean that we're going to get an all American semi final between Taylor Fritz and Francis TFO and very interesting that in the post match interview with Chris U-Banks just now TFO did a sort of early early appeal for the support you know he said I know it's two Americans and that's brilliant but you've got to support me right which I
I've had a bit surprise a little bit needy from TFO because I would have assumed he'd thought yeah the crowd would be with me and I'm assuming the crowd will be with him but he's not taking that for granted he's yeah it's interesting well and it's it is an interesting dynamic for him because when he had his run two years ago yes I know last year he
faced Shelton and that was weird you know for him he didn't enjoy that I know he didn't play very well he handled it much better this time round I think he he sort of rode that the highs and lows and he understood that the crowd were kind of coming and going with whoever needed the help to elongate and extend the match last two years ago he was facing the
Dow obviously the Dow has got huge support but he's the American he's facing Carlos Alcara's and and so it was all in his corner this is a really fascinating contest ahead for so many different reasons because it's the big opportunity that both been waiting for we will have an American finalist and he and we don't really know what the crowd is going to do we can kind of guess based on previous matchups but yeah it's it's full of intrigue
not least because of the head to head we were all I think pretty shocked to look up the head to head between Taylor Fritz and Francis TFO it is led 6-1 by Fritz and that one was in their first meeting in 2016 Taylor Fritz is one the last six most of them in fact all of them on on hard courts one of them on an indoor hard court but all of them on hard courts most of them in straight sets a couple of them have been close you know the Tokyo final couple of years ago that was two
tie break sets their last meeting at Capulco last year 6-3 6-4 but there is something going on there for that head to head to be that one-sided yeah there's no where there's no way that's coincidental there's the reclear factors that's it's not just about somebody feeling good on the day there's something specific and and that's something that TFO needs to find a way
around and overcome I think maybe his coach might be a big help in this because he's he's new he's going to come and sit from a different angle but even so well what I mean I know I'm not expecting even the mind of Matt Roberts to be able to to pull up memories of those six wins for Taylor Fritz that's just as well but care to speculate about what it might be in that match up
I really don't know I mean all all I can think is I bet they know each other's games inside out and I think TFO very often you know such an instinctive player I think he's he surprises opponents like that's kind of one of his biggest strengths I think people not quite knowing what he's going to do but I don't think that's the case against Fritz you know I think Fritz is clearly wise to whatever TFO is doing giving that head to head
and and yeah like I could imagine just a dynamic of of their matches being a bit different you know they are friends and I think TFO feeds off vibes as you said and perhaps when they play it's a little bit awkward I don't know I am purely speculating but I I think just Fritz being comfortable and not being disrupted by TFO in a way that he he often can disrupt players
would be my best guess but I'm sure there's also you know tactical elements in there and match up of strokes which always find quite hard to visualize when I'm not actually watching the players but yeah like that's that's a fascinating element going into this because kind of in my head I think big match showtime at the US Open that makes me lean towards TFO and given the form he's been in this summer as well but kind of given the form they've been in this tournament
and the fact that Fritz has already beaten two top 10 players in Rudans Veriv and given that head to head that makes me lean Fritz so it feels so even to me Francis Tiafo said on the court just now in that interview with Chris U-Banks that it's going to come down to who wants it more and I know that's just the sort of thing that you say in the moment isn't it it's a sort of high-pline but I don't think that Taylor Fritz wants it any less than Francis Tiafo
I really think that Fritz is a man on a mission just as much he just expresses and emotes it very differently his girlfriend Morgan Riddle has just posted on her Instagram a picture of a note that Taylor Fritz wrote on her phone after he lost his verve at Wimbledon in 2021
She said this is a note Taylor wrote himself on the bus of Wimbledon on my phone after he lost and dropped out of the world's top 40 The note reads nobody in the whole world is underachieving harder than you you are so fucking good but 40 in the world get your fucking shit together
He wants it as much as Francis Tiafo. Yeah I don't doubt that at all I think Tiafo is saying that to pump himself up and to because I think he can get that vibe out of this match even without the crowd in quite the same way as it might be if he was playing somebody else he will find a way to produce what he needs to produce
It's whether it has the desired effect. I actually think the reason Fritz probably has this head Ted against him Aside from the fact that there are always vibes around in a lot of these matches is because he's so solid He doesn't really have weaknesses Fritz. He's just solid as a rock where'd you go? Where'd you go to hurt him?
And that I think could be a problem for Tiafo in this instance too. I still back him though. I still back him picked him at the start of the tournament to reach the final. Still feel like that. Just think this is his time. And one of the reasons I think you've been so high on Tiafo day but is that he is having fewer of those ups and downs. And that would serve him well against Fritz. Absolutely. That's what David Witt's coach has been working on within more than anything else.
You've got all this massive upside. We know your touch and he's a wonderfully instinctive player who does things that are difficult for opponents because they're so unusual. But it does come and go sometimes. And David Witt is hammering this point. Stay even all the time. And I just keep going back to the Alcrasse at Wimbledon match because Tommy Paul's played well against Alcrasse. He hasn't pushed him that close. None of these guys have.
It was Tiafo who very nearly ended well changed history there. And I just think that suggests an upside that these are the guys I don't think of God. If such a turnaround tournament for Tiafo Wimbledon wasn't it? That come back from two sets of love down. Again, to Mateo Onaldi in the first round changed the course of his season. I think the first time he'd ever come from two sets to love down. I think that's just something clicked for him. Absolutely.
And the David Witt element is interesting because he was such a big factor in getting Jessica Pagula to become such a great player. Absolutely don't want to overlook everything that they achieved together. But Pagula got rid of David Witt or separated from David Witt with the aim of going beyond the corner final of the major. And now David Witt in this tournament with Frances Tiafo is beyond the corner final of the major.
And so I suppose it's just sort of coaching situations aren't the same with one player as they are necessarily with another. And we may well be in a situation where it's absolutely the right decision for Jessica Pagula to part with David Witt. If she beats Eagish Fjellntek tomorrow and finds herself in the semi-final herself, it's just an interesting element to all this, the fact that he's involved.
Yeah, for sure. By the way, that Morgan Riddle post, it was last year she posted it, but it's back in circulation for very obvious reasons. Going back to the first match of the night session tonight, Blinken, you missed it. Arena Sabilecka defeating Junqin when 6162 in an hour and 13 minutes. Incredibly one-sided match, quite frankly, just 44% first serves in.
Fjellntek exactly as you called it, Matt, the pace of the Sabilecka ground strokes into the Junqin when 4-hand in particular rushing her with that big swing was just a huge problem. And it is a match up problem in that respect for Fjellntek when she could do with a bit of extra time.
And Sabilecka, this is a match that, as you pointed out, while we were watching together, totally highlights the fact that there are a lot of players with heavy ground strokes out there in women's tennis, but none anywhere near as heavy as Arena Sabilecka.
The combination of power and spin that she gets on her ball is kind of unlike anything else, and there's very frequently graphics, aren't they, on the SPN, that her average ground stroke speed is up there with Sinner and Alkarez, the way that's how hard she's hitting the ball.
And she's also an incredibly good athlete, which is something that I think I perhaps overlook often. You know, you think she just hits the ball hard, but, you know, kind of comparing her to Donna Vekicch the other night, like, she's hitting the ball even harder than Vekicch, and Vekicch is a big hitter.
But she's also, I think, able to be in the right position more to hit those shots than someone like Vekicch is. Like, Jung can't push Sabilecka off the court in the same way she can push Donna Vekicch, you know, wide. And, yeah, she's a great athlete with huge power, and it feels like the Australian Open, again, it feels like she is in that form, just brushing players aside, racking up winners. And I think the big question we have now is the one that I had at the start of the tournament.
Can she play her best tennis at the business end of the US Open, because she's never done it when she's, when she's got here previously, this is her fourth year in a row, reaching the semis. Her tennis and the latter stage of this tournament has become ragged and erasthroon. And as though she's feeling the pressure of this place, really. It's quite a chaotic environment to play in, and her tennis can be quite chaotic, but it hasn't been. It's been efficient, it's been ruthless.
And I think the big question is whether she can keep that up. I back her to. I think she's the favorite for this tournament, a really do, given the form that she's in. And I think the really big test, I said in part one, I'm never going to underestimate Emma Navarro, and I'm about to do it in part two. I think the really big test is going to be, you know, if she has to face the on-text or even Mukava in the final, but I just think her level is so high that it's on her racket.
And that has caused her stress in the past, but I back her now and, yeah, absolutely awesome performance. I know both of you went out to watch and you sort of came back and I was absolutely raving about Savalenko and you were both quite down on Junqin Wen. And I think that's probably just, you know, the way we saw the match was slightly different.
But of course, I'm sure you'll say this as well, but I do think and I know this is, you know, part of our own agenda in a way, but I'm going to keep pushing it. And I think it's an important point. Like I think the other night, Ru and Junqin Wen, I just, I just don't know how you come back from, you know, that kind of finish and then play your, and then play well the next time.
Plus she's playing Savalenko with a match-up problem. It just seemed like such a difficult task, even if there are elements that were a little bit disappointing with her performance. Agree. Look, I do think it was a tremendously disappointing performance in terms of what I was expecting and hoping for from the match, you know, David and I, Giddy Lee took our incredible seats court side with high expectations.
And it was an odd atmosphere because it was so uncompestive. It really was a bad tennis match in terms of competition. Like there was just nothing from Junqin Wen. But that is entirely understandable. I agree. It ruined her. What happened two days ago. She talked about it in press afterwards. She said, she got to sleep at 5 a.m. yesterday morning.
She said she couldn't practice as normal yesterday because she had no energy due to lack of sleep. She said she felt terrible yesterday. And she also said she felt extremely nervous today in a way that it sounds like took her by surprise a bit because this isn't her first rodeo at this stage of Islam at all. And you know, I think all of us and everybody listening can attest to the fact that anxiety is worse when you're tired. Like those two things aren't unrelated for sure.
But what was also striking about what she had to say in press is despite all of that, she wasn't angry. She wasn't annoyed. She was like, it's tennis. I know that it's just unfortunate that it happened to me.
Like, you've been screwed over here. And you have power. Tennis players have power. And I do find it odd where and when they choose to wield it and the things that they just accept and internalize and are normalized and the things that they choose to go to battle for because she was just totally accepting of this situation that I think if you take a step back from looks utterly absurd.
Yeah, I think maybe a bit of it is just not wanting to seem like a bad loser. But there isn't a movement within the sports to get together and say this needs to change. I don't think the players, if they're asked, they might say something, but that they are accepting. They are just sort of brainwashed really into believing that this is normal, normal tennis behavior because frankly, that's what it's been like for goodness knows how long.
It's just it's only if you go and speak to people who are in other sports and tell them what you're doing in tennis and they're just looking at you. So you're losing it. But I don't know. I just couldn't believe how few serve she was getting in. This is a player who was serving more than twice as many as is as everybody else in the draw and she got 30 something percent serves in first serves in the first set 40 something in the whole match.
That is not going to get it done against a rena sub-alenko when your service your main weapon. And I dare say having your equilibrium removed from you by getting to bed at 5 a.m. the morning before this match. It's not surprising if that's going to mess you up. It also means we've been denied Navarro Jung take two after Olympics drama now. I promised in part one that if Jung won I would update everybody on on the aggro that they have in the Olympics.
But I think I'm just going to do it anyway despite the fact that it's now irrelevant because at the time that Emma Navarro did her press conference. We didn't know who should be facing in the semifinals so it was legit to do Oscar about the possibility of facing Jung and the Olympics rematch. She kind of said I don't want to I don't want to get into the weeds with it but then said she doesn't treat me or the sport with much respect.
Which is quite a quote I think and there was it was a very frosty handshake between Jung and sub-alenko after the match. So the definitely is some ill feeling towards Jung out there now my understanding is and there could be other stuff going on but the thing that I know about that seems to be pissing off the locker room is that Jung hits winners in the knockup. Which is quite funny. Yeah I mean honestly as much as it would probably piss me off if I was down the other end of the court.
All I think she's doing is exposing the absurdity of the knockup and I support her in that quest. Yeah why do you want to give your opponent a load of rhythm? Right I love it. Yeah but apparently that's that's a big big part of it and Navarro said she's been doing it since juniors. Navarro didn't say specifically that in press. She alluded to you know whatever it is that she's doing that's disrespectful. She's been doing it going back to junior days.
It's just to be more than that don't you think? Well it's not so. I hope so. Grow up everybody. Yeah get rid of the flipping knockup it's ridiculous. So there you go there's your aggro update that is no longer relevant but still enjoyable. I think just one last quick note to end on Taylor Townsend and Donald Young are into the mixed doubles final they'll play Sare Rani and Andrea Vavassori the third seeds.
Two lefties Taylor Townsend and Donald Young they've known each other since childhood both from Chicago Donald Young is 35 years old now and he and the tennis world thought he'd retired last year and become a professional pickable player but here he is. Out of retirement playing what definitely will be his last ever tennis tournament and it's been a really emotional heart wrenching run really.
And incredibly vibes he run as well. I we had some friends at the tennis yesterday that went out and watched them. We're not the grandstand court and they were totally swept up in the in the in the in the Donald Young Taylor Townsend vibes out there and since this run is gathered ahead of steam. There have been some some articles and stories out there about Donald Young who it's really sad that he's kind of his name is associated with a cautionary tale isn't it?
Of too much hype too young too many wild cards too many mistakes but there's actually a different story to tell about Donald Young and a really uplifting one and Chris UBanks tells it as well as anybody. Chris UBanks says that he would not be where he is today without Donald Young. UBanks travel with him as his hitting partner throughout a portion of his career. Discribes him as a big brother figure says without Donald and Donald's family relocating to Atlanta to open a tennis center.
Then he wouldn't have had the life that he has ended up having in Donald Young very very quietly over the last decade or so who's kind of dedicated himself to paying it forward within the sport and giving opportunities to to kids that wouldn't have opportunities without somebody like him and I think that's pretty incredible. But dude's got to make a living.
He was getting them way too early I think and he just couldn't win matches and he ended up carving out a pretty decent career when a couple of titles he was top 50 in the world. He had a couple of big wins he got to win around him hurry one time.
But I didn't know I remember when you banks came on the scene he told some of this story at the time but I don't think without you banks we would never have got to know this stuff because he's such a great communicator you banks he was able to kind of tell Donald Young story for him when when Donald's maybe not so comfortable in front of the media and I'm really happy about that because we've discovered actually that there's a good guy there.
And his career is coming to an end and it isn't what maybe he hopes it was and what a lot of people thought it might be but it's meant something. It is a disappointment to me that he's not competing his final tournament wearing the wonky baseball cap that he he started his career wearing that would have been a nice bit of nostalgia. Although it is nice that it's with Taylor Townsend is lovely they played the 2011 US Open Mix doubles together.
Wow and also 2014 as well and yeah Taylor Townsend sites sites Donald Young is a big inspiration for her when she was a junior and yeah like awesome that they're into the final. And Taylor Townsend is on for the double because she and Catrin and Cineon cover are into the women's doubles semi finals today which they'll play today later on today Wednesday you know what I mean. That's the expensive Luis as to Farni though David I'm afraid.
Still some player some player right hello to Bruno who's owner Alyssa our US Open mascot of course Bruno bumped into Matt on the subway earlier what are the chances in New York City. Hello we're a lovely chat. She's been putting Bruno stickers around the New York subway. Those stickers are quite something I have to tell you yeah really amazing.
Great way to start the day for Matt hello Alyssa and hello Bruno. Hello to our mascots not in the words of Emma Navarro going to get into the weeds here with how predictions went to date because Matt there has been talk of Matt committing an egregious miscarriage of justice. So so that's one side of the so I have to do sign up to the news letter to find out whether Matt is a man of honor.
Whether he disgraces the memory of dearly departed Darwin the the thing is you and David are both in the same position and one of you is taking this like a grown up. Yeah it's not me correct. I am Maxine Cressy throwing yeah. Yeah you're you the a piece in save a waiting for a bulky you're going to be pissing off the funds. Matt that is too far. I'm getting a beating save I hadn't suffered a grave injustice. She thought she had.
I'm getting to discover what it's like to be Matt most of the time and just be in the middle. Trying to keep quiet. Well the argument raises look there might be a campaign for justice tomorrow folks I'm going to need your backing but there we go the. I haven't I should say I haven't made any decision exactly things are very much. And yeah I'm getting it in the net subscribe to the newsletter folks it is free and it is excellent and and it it carries my fate. Oh written power fate written within.
Matt's of course has hydro and so I'm and David has Francis and Francis and David's fate also hangs in the newsletter balance but David is a grown up. Billy Jean is once upon a Billy Jean King and Ilana class hello to our top folks and executive producers Greg Chris Jamie and Jeff and it's over to Matt for shout outs. We have Dallas Nelson. What a name. Right Dallas. Hello Dallas.
And Dallas confusingly is in Utah. That is quite confusing. I think it's for the best that he's not in Dallas that would be too much. I would love that personally. Dallas like the tournament Dallas like a woman called Heather Dallas no longer with us anymore but who was once the press officer of the Queen's tournament before well certainly before my time but somebody that I heard amazing stories about from back in the day. Wow. Yeah. Wow.
And are there any tennis players from Utah? I know if I need Mormons from Utah. I know only of the jazz basketball team. Salt Lake City. Yes that is where Dallas is from. Home of isn't the next Winter Olympics but one going back to Salt Lake. There we go. Do we know anything about Dallas? We know that he has three daughters and he's a huge raffer fan. Oh lovely. Thank you. Thanks for being a friend. Thank you Dallas.
We've also got Rebecca in California. Right Rebecca. Hello Rebecca like Rebecca Moreno. Yeah from Canada. And like Taylor Fritz from California. You should send you a ghost me. That's right. And Rebecca has a lovable yellow lab called Sammy. Oh that all counts for a lovable. But I'm sure Sammy is particularly lovely. Oh a yellow lab such a classic. Thank you Rebecca. Thank you Rebecca and hello Sammy. And finally we have Skip Schwartzman.
Oh we know Skip. Yeah he's in Philadelphia. Yeah I don't know any skips in tennis other than you Skip. Well can I tell you can I tell you that when the joyful news that my brother and his partner were expecting Nina. We didn't know it was Nina at the time it was just you know a conceptual conceptual baby. You have the process of grandparents deciding what their grandparents names are going to be. You know grand grand mar granny. Yes. And it was floated that my dad would be Skip.
Oh that would be quite cool. But very much poo pooed by the man himself and it didn't it didn't take at all. But there is a world in which my dad is known by his grandchildren as Skip. So if I call him Skip that's not going to go down so well. Well I would like it Dave. I would enjoy it very much. What did he go for? He is grandpa. I'll carry on with Mr. Whittaker. So there you go Skip you are the only Skip we know in tennis officially.
You're it. And Schwartzman of course like Diego. I'm sure we've said that before but it'd be rude not to say Diego. Especially given he's just retired. Yeah. Thank you Skip. Yeah cheers Skip. Love that. Thank you Skip. Thank you Dallas. And thank you Rebecca. Nailed it. Nailed it folks. We'll be back tomorrow. Do subscribe to that newsletter. And if you'd like to become a friend of the tennis podcast remember next week we'll be recording our US open review show
to help you get through the post grand slam blues. And to help ourselves get through the post grand slam blues. Quite frankly so that'll be exclusively for friends of the tennis podcast and we'll be recording a Q&A for friends of the tennis podcast on Monday as well. So lots of fun stuff coming your way. The link to become a friend is in our show notes as is the link to subscribe to the newsletter.
So we will be back tomorrow. It's a bond stormer of a day at the US open. It could be a late one. We are braced. We'll speak to you then. When you use SAP concur solutions to automator business finances you'll be ready for anything. Except when you're trained to work is also headed to the comic convention with the mighty Zorg on board. Who happened to bump into his arsenevisis? With SAP concur you can be ready for almost anything. Take control of your business finances today at concur.com.
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