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Hi, this is Billie Jean King. This is Mary and Bartori. This is Bianca and Drasco. I'm Matt Belander. This is Mary Carillo. This is Pam Shriver. This is Yannick Noah and you're listening to the tennis podcast. Hello and welcome to the tennis podcast where we are neither live nor from Wimbledon, much to everybody's disappointment. We are pre-recorded from Winnersh and Solly Hole respectively. David, how are you doing?
I'm alright, but I do feel a little bit... I've been all over the place, so I don't feel like everybody's everything's where it should be. We're just cobbling this one together, but it's going to be good anyway, somehow. Yes, consider this as kind of retro old school podcast. David and I are using some slightly dated tech with slightly fuzzy post-wimbledon brains and devastatingly without Matt. Where is Matt? I hear you ask, well, let's hear from the man himself.
Hello everyone and greetings from Lanzerotti, where I'm on my mate Andy's very fun stag-do sports weekend. Just thought I would check in with you all. Highlights so far have included coming second in a volleyball tournament. We were split randomly into teams. Mine were two thirds Danish and I love them all. We'd die for them all and we've been seeing each other at breakfast and dinner in the hotel and nodding to each other. It was just a very fun time.
What else I've also been for some very early morning swims. I've played a few hours of tennis and a few hours of paddle. We went to a very fun local fiesta on Friday night as well. Lowlights have included it being too windy to land in Lanzerotti. We had a couple of attempts and then the pilot took off again both times and decided that we couldn't land.
We ended up in nearby Fwett eventura, much to the amusement of the two women behind us on the plane who stepped through the whole thing and woke up in the wrong place. That was a two or three hour delay. I also had one of the worst nights of my life on Saturday. Turns out I'm very, very bad at pub golf. That meant that the first half of Sunday was a total write-off as I battled a hangover and an overwhelming sense of shame.
I must admit to something which is going to be tough for many of you to hear in particular David. That's what I played pickleball yesterday. Yes, I thought I would get ahead of this story and own up to it because apparently there might be some video footage circulating. I just wouldn't want that to look like something that it wasn't because this was simply me gathering information so that I can give more informed takes next time the opportunity to rant about pickleball comes up.
What I will say for now is that by far and away the worst sport I played this weekend and a bit of a joke really and very, very difficult in the windy in particular. Anyway, I'm taking a self-imposed one pod holiday and we'll leave you with David and Catherine. And frankly, who wants my takes when you can get David's on Art of Feast winning a title in the most dramatic fashion possible against Alexander's Veriv?
And who wants my takes when you can get Catherine's on Diana Schneider winning a third title on a third different surface? So I'm very excited to hear about all of that and also to hear about some wildcard called Raffa Nadal who had quite a week in Borschtead. So David, Catherine, I will leave it to you. Cheers everyone. Happy Bruce Springsteen Place twice at Wembley Week and Happy Olympics Week. Very excited to say that. And I'll be back for one of our Olympic preview shows later in the week.
Yes, we'll all be back from the Olympic preview show later in the week. I will be dropping in from Paris where I'm going to be commentating on the opening ceremony. I'm currently doing some research about countries in the South Pacific and their respective populations and who will be carrying the flags for them. But also watching tennis and listening to that voice note from Matt several times over who needs Matt's takes David. I fear we do. But let's find out over the next hour.
Your reaction to the pickle ball revelation first and foremost, please. Well, first I've heard of it for a starter. I noticed he kept that close to his chest until the last possible moment. And yes, I'm delighted that he didn't enjoy it. And I'm not surprised in the slightest. But yeah, well, it's been an inauspicious few days for Matt Roberts and now crowned by a pickle ball moment.
It's what he deserved, isn't it? It's what he deserved to undertaking that activity. Weighted 48 hours for the I'm never drinking again text, but was was pleased when it did eventually come through. What is a stag do in Lancer, if you don't send your nearest and dearest a text to that effect at some point and he backed it up with a photo which confirmed he probably shouldn't ever drink again Matt. We we hope you're okay.
We're going to miss you on this show, but definitely you need to rest and recuperate and come back fired up for our Olympic shows which start later this week. We have lots to talk about because in true tennis fashion a whole lot of tennis has been happening this week on a whole different surface to what it was happening on last week just before we do get into all of that.
You might remember that during our last show live from Wimbledon all of eight days ago, we announced our live New York show on August the 22nd from the green space. Draw day at the US Open live show that evening, tickets went on sale midweek for friends of the tennis podcast and the general sale was intended to start today, but I am astonished and thrilled to tell you that in fact all of the tickets sold very quickly in the pre sale window.
In fact, they sold in three hours, which is really quite extraordinary. So thank you to every single one of you that bought a ticket. We cannot wait to see you there. I'm honestly so excited. Sorry to everybody that wanted to get a ticket or might have wanted to get a ticket and hasn't been able to be really weren't expected them to go that quickly.
And look, we do intend to do this again next year, maybe even with a bigger venue. So please do hang in there, keep expressing interest and that will embolden us to keep doing this because we loved it when we did it in London. We felt good about doing it in New York show and so far this one's going well to you can still get a ticket to join us for the New York live show online virtually. A ticket surprised at $10 or $5 plus a booking fee for friends of the tennis podcast.
The link to buy virtual tickets is available in our show notes and it's in our newsletter as well. So we'll make sure that's very easy for you to access. And of course the tennis podcast live in New York is supported by nice Greg Hall, nice Greg and a travel and experiences as well. So thank you to everybody that has been involved with the tennis podcast live in New York.
We are very, very excited indeed. Also since Wimbledon we haven't stopped. We released our Wimbledon review podcast last week with guest voice notes from nine of our favorite contributors including Pam Schreiver, Matt Futterman, Hannah Wilkes and Mary Carrillo who closed the show with a personal experience of this year's Wimbledon and honestly it was one of the most moving contributions we've ever had to a show and judging by the mass of correspondence we've had in response to it.
We've had friends of the tennis podcast who listened to it equally moved and some of them in tears. So if you'd like to cry and become a friend of the tennis podcast to gain access to that show and of course all the other bonus shows that we put up there and we'll be putting up there over the coming weeks and months just go to tennis.
We've got a 14 cast dot FM to sign up and as always the link will be in our show notes as well. So onwards to tennis and as much as I would love to start with Danish and Ida and David would love to start with our to feast. I do feel like we should start in Borschtad David and in the words of Matt Roberts some some wild card who reached the final there.
While Nadal I think he was called lost that final to Nuno Borscht 6362 whose career might now be ruined due to a champagne in the eye injury sustained during his very excited celebration. You've written the overarching important question here David in the agenda glass empty or half full for our final Nadal.
I don't really feel like I have a truly satisfactory answer because I came away from the tournament feeling both things if somebody told me that we're finally down with get to the final in Borschtad I would be really encouraged and I am encouraged because you know you have to fight through a match in the semifinals from a set down we know how little tennis he's had and obviously hasn't played at all since running out so you know that match against very which you lost in straight says was the last.
We've seen him and to come through several matches and you know couple of matches in doubles as well I think that that is overall a really good thing and you would hope that for his sake and for his fans sake then when he gets to rolling hours for the Olympic Games that he's had lots of matches now that he that he's able to play his way in and in a different way to how he was able to take to the court at the French open where he was kind of having to start again really because he just he's just.
He couldn't get anything going he'd look terrible I mean in Rome and yet he was so comprehensively outplayed by new no borscht that that feeling of half full really is mitigated and and it should be said I thought borscht was excellent he was really clever he hit lots of drop shots and just generally made it difficult for a guy in his late 30s who doesn't move like he used to move.
And I think probably the cases that Nadal had sort of hit the wall a little bit and and was was sort of not as fresh as he was earlier in the tournament and I saw some of his earlier matches and he certainly looked better than he did in this one up against not such strong opposition of course.
But I still can't get away from the fact that it doesn't really look and feel like Raffa and Nadal when you watch him play he doesn't impose himself on matches anymore on play he doesn't his ground strokes his forehand is not hurting the opposition and that's a really strange feeling to have and most of the time he was going cross court with his left hand in forehand to the back end of borscht and I can see the logic to that you know it's it's worth for.
20 years really this this sort of shot but he would often obviously open it up down the line as well and there wasn't a lot of that going on in this match but the main thing was it just felt as though that game looked and felt a bit impotent a bit like when you're watching Andy Murray these days you're like where were you going to hurt these players and why aren't you hurting them anymore so he ended up I think navigating his way to the final most of the time by.
By fantastic court now and understanding of his game and different types of shots drop shots off pay shots of all these overheads flick back and overheads he was showing a full repertoire of shots but not the plan a Raffa and the Dow that we've become accustomed to and I just wonder whether that is even possible anymore I don't know really and and he's got that to prove in my view what do you think.
I find it really really difficult because look for for match winds back to back it's been two years since the dials done that I mean of course that's that's absolutely massive you know beating Cameron Norion in straight sets I thought the Mary and a Vickery coming through tight moments coming from a set down in back to back matches these are all really big important milestones and we know that the dollars always been a player even in his pomp that's needed to get.
It's needed to get these benchmarks these reps under his belt when he's building towards something so I don't think that's nothing but I share your feeling that just watching it doesn't feel like watching Raffa on the dial and that's kind of in a in a way that can't quite put my finger on in a very concrete way I guess I guess the thought I was left with after the the final defeat to the
new board show who I agree was I was so impressed with he's very can eat and his players and he board shows after his first round of feet to Alexander's very over at Roland Garros David most people's analysis of that us included was that had he had a better draw had it not been Zverev
hit a one that match and could have won a fair few more matches most people would have said if that had been no bullseye hit a one well were we wrong were we a bit trigger happy on that was he was he better in that match against
Borgia yesterday I find that very difficult to judge because I watched this very of match in the stadium whereas I watched this one on the TV and I just find that comparison that direct comparison when you've had two such different watching experiences I personally find that really really difficult
but I was thrown back to to Roland Garros and thinking most people if you'd been asked on the day that he lost in straight sets to Zverev if that had been no bullseye today what do you think the results would have been most people would have gone oh yeah an adult would have won easy he's good enough to be no bullseye
so I don't know really quite what what to make of that I mean can you offer any comparisons between what you saw this week and what you saw in Paris or did we just not see enough in Paris to make that comparison I think I think the point you make about the beating nori is a good one in that that's a legitimate win over a player who yeah I mean in years gone by obviously he used to beat Nori quite straight forward
leave and the noeus has some sort of artist to his game and he beat him quite straight forward to here I thought against Navonet I thought like I say he found solutions this is the thing he's found he founds but but years ago he'd have just swiped him off the court like he was nothing and he can't do that anymore I don't know whether that's even possible with this body I think it probably isn't
and so the comparison to to that Roland Garros match when he came into that there was a real feeling that I'm onto something here I'm getting somewhere I've I've I wish this had been maybe a bit further down the line because I'm starting to play well and he looked quite encouraged I just didn't feel the same in this environment now it may click when he gets to Roland Garros it may it may be different in those surroundings
I definitely think that is possible and I think overall the several matches that he's had were probably mean as long as he has another setback that he's that he's further along when he comes into the Olympic Games then he was when he came into the French Open but you can't you kind of want to see something there you kind of need to draw that enables him to show that and then first round win and and you kind of think oh that's rough on the dial there because this this doesn't really
I mean match jokes about this guy with a wild card it kind of didn't really feel like the same guy as we know he was reading his quotes from after the performance yesterday and he was confused about his performance it was kind of like I have to go away and look at and try and figure out why I played like that
he said he basically said I felt flat out there and suggested possibly that fatigue was a factor in that because of those two back to back three set wins the Naveau no one in particular I think was was pretty exhausting now maybe that would be less of a factor at Roland Garros where we know he's prepared to die on the court
there's no voice in the back of his head saying maybe you shouldn't just leave it all out there here and also some of it just generally inspires inspires him to do superhuman things I don't know but you know the whole four matches back to back things can there's two sides of that coin isn't there before four match wins back to back that's brilliant but also he found that really hard because he hasn't been playing that many matches in that shorter period of time
so eight days ago David you said that Nadal was in the Olympics mix and Jacocavich wasn't I'm willing to give you a I'm willing to give you a pass on that for just generally being high on life and exhausted after two weeks of Wimbledon how do you feel about that take now
I'm going to stick with it I'm going to stick with it I believe in your face is different I believe in the dial sized miracles I don't feel great right now I got to say but okay you know I just I do wonder about how Jacocavich turns it on and in in in such a rapid rapid surface change and with a with a knee that still that he's recovering from so I think Nadal having had these several matches is going to come out in Paris looking a bit more like the real thing
and I think he can still build on that and I do think it it benefits him being best of three sets I really do I mean I know that in years gone by that wouldn't be the case but now I think it is the case the draws everything isn't it I know we always say that but it really really is everything we will we will get to Hamburg David in just a moment I just want to cover off the other two 50s from this week before we end up at the big one in Hamburg on the men's side
Mitea Brotini on the Gestard title he beat Conte a Lisse in the finals Stefano Sittapasse in the semis Felix Orgerlias in the quarters I didn't have a chance to watch too much of this because weirdly there was really quite a lot of tennis happening this week and I was also in a coma for portions of the week but I am so pleased for Mitea Brotini he makes me he makes me a bit sort of sad and emotional David
I just want the best for him I think there's something in just a little bit tragic about Mitea Brotini and the curse that that he wears around his neck and I do think his window has closed at the top if there ever was one I think there was a glimmer of a maybe of a possible gap that he could just sneak into and grab a Wimbledon or you know or something
I do think that's closed sadly for him but that doesn't mean the window on his career has closed I still think he can be a nightmare for people and I still I don't know if he's still fine with going go on Mitea Prove that curse wrong young man I know what you mean and I feel like it is perfectly defined that window by his five set win over Carlos Alcraz before Alcraz became Alcraz
the Australian open and his close loss to Yannick Sinner at Wimbledon recently that feels like okay that's there was your chance and that's where your problem is because you can't do that anymore and not against those guys this tennis isn't good enough to beat those guys if they're if they're fresh and at the best and yet here he is still punching the clock and the holes in his resume and his CV if you're in the UK in Gostard
and he's beating good players players who've been right at the sharp end of Grand Slam's in Oshali Oseem and sits the past and then beating a guy who's been in great form in Alice he's still that reliable player Mitea Rotini
still turns up at events and you think well if the others don't do it he's probably one of your next ones if he can stay fit and obviously the staying fit element has really cost him because he probably would have broken through and taken advantage of somebody to reach another final or something like that if you haven't got so regularly injured but I am pleased for him too but if he has a strong run of fitness massive if but if he does I still think he can be a quarter-fionist at a Grand Slam
and then it's whether he gets lucky or not with a draw whether with somebody else getting injured or not injured but like beaten but I don't think his top level troubles the very top level of the top two or three that's the problem and there's more of them now agreed it was quite widely reported on social media David I don't know if you saw this that sits the past I think it was after his quarter final win was asked in press
who he considers his biggest rival on tour and he said Carlos Alcaraz and then promptly lost Mitea Rotini the next day which you know when presented like that is quite a funny sequence of events the sort of the footnotes to it
he was asked the question it was a multiple choice between Jocovic Alcaraz and Sinner so it makes it a bit less funny because he was sort of stitched up a bit there but anyway he still fell into the trap because you know he's just he's just eons away from them isn't he at the moment.
Trading water really he doesn't really feel like his career is going anywhere in terms of progress I don't think it's massive regression either it's certainly not where he was but it's it just feels like he's staying still and paddling away and not going anywhere.
The ATP tour was also in Newport this week the last time for now at least that the Newport event at the International tennis Hall of Fame will be a tour level event it will still be an event going forward but it will be downgraded from tour level
and Marcus Girone one is first title they save match point against Alex Mikkelsen who I know is a talented youngster that a lot of people have got their eye on it's been running since 1976 this tournament it will be a challenger event from next year and also a WTA event at the same level
as well so I'm pleased to see that it will become a you know men's and women's event and I'm sure it will still be really well attended I don't think it will be sort of hit too much in terms of attendance and everything but it is a shame because it's it's cool having a tour event at the at the tennis Hall of Fame which is summer I would like to go to eventually I think maybe all of us would like to go certainly Matt would like to
and they you know I've always felt sorry for them having that place in the calendar it's not ideal is it having this one random grass called events straight after Wimbledon so they've never feel like they've never really had a fair run at building that event up into something proper you know yeah for sure yeah it's a long time you know that's 47 years of tennis tournament and yes it carries on but losing that status is significant and it will no longer feature as part of the proper ATP tour
it's the it's the Rung below Marcus Garone what a moment for him you know he's been around for quite a while and he just meant the world to him really to seem win that and yeah and it was it was also the the weekend in which the the inductees were celebrated Leander Pays VJM Retrage and our great colleague from the media Richard Evans and there was just a brilliant turnout of great champions from the past Martin and Everettel over who's who gave the speech for Leander Pays
very close to him after their mixed doubles triumphs Chrissy Everett was there on drag or see I love to see that Hall of Fame although Hall of Halls of Fame are not big in the UK that they'll be referenced sometimes by an American player an American member of the media as a Hall of Famer as an absolute cast iron certainty first baller taller famer they'll be called calling somebody and I'll think I really don't understand what
how you become that what what the criteria is and so forth but I'm also really glad it exists because it's just such a great celebration of achievement and longevity and impact and and it's something there at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport which is properly celebrated and exhibited year round and and and forever you would hope
and so you could just go there and just celebrate tennis history so yeah I'm I am sad that that the tournament is to be no more and yeah I hope that that idea that they've or the reason for it is well thought through because it is a loss I wonder if Hall Halls of Fame will be something that Britain will sort of limply try and do eventually you know adopting it like Halloween and proms will have our own sort of slightly anemic apologetic attempt at emulating
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what would you like the power to do investing involves risk mayoral inch pierce fennel and smith incorporated registered broker dealer registered investment advisor member s i pc okay we arrive now david at hamburg the 80 p 500 event there and a first 80 p 500 title win for young Frenchman are to a fee who is now a top 20 player he beat the local guy Alexander's very six three three six seven six in three hours 33 minutes seven points to one in the deciding set tie break
there was all sorts of who are in this match david as well as awesome tennis and I was utterly gripped by it I am totally on board the art of feast train I've always been I mean how can you not be taken in by his top level like we've all seen his top level over the the last year or two and been one over by it but I think we've all been slightly concerned by how low his floor can be and how quickly he can go from top level to basement level
and how unpredictable that plummet can be well what I saw david throughout his run in hamburger in particular in that final though I think it was the case throughout the week was a sustained controlled level of power and precision and brilliance and athleticism that I found intoxicating it was such an impressive week and final performance from a young man who's
who's had question marks surrounding him and his temperament I think well I thought that was a total exemplary display of temperament in that final yeah I think anybody who's seen him for the first six months of this year and I've seen virtually every match that he's played this year and believe me it has been stinker after stinker in terms of performance level
and yes you do get the old flurry of shop making and exuberance and inspiration that is what first drew me to him when I first saw him in the indoor tournaments in France early last year but his inability to hold a rally together has just been so alarming really I mean I genuinely watched him and thought I'm not sure that this is something you can overcome very easily because I've never really noticed that last year
and I sort of want to go back almost and watch some of the matches last year but a lot of them are played indoors where you can just play big tennis and you're off the court whereas stick stick him in elements he's got a very high ball task he's got a very big forehand wind up that can be rushed
and you would watch him and I remember first okay he didn't go very far in the Australian open but then he went to the South American swing and I think there was real hope that that's where he's going to put some building blocks together that will really push him through the sunshine double and into the clay court season always
but he would be playing matches where he'd hit three ground strokes if you had to hit three ground strokes one of them would go net or long there's just there's just no confidence no security to his baseline game whatsoever his rally balls were just error strewn of theirs
and he then got to Wimbledon or to the tournament performed on the grass and it just looked like I could see what was happening because Sebastian Grojean is his coach he'd broken up with Sebastia Bigeros they were kind of doing the job together and he just shortened a bit of his backswings he was getting low to the clan he looked suddenly so much more compact and he got to the fourth round of Wimbledon and he gave a good account of himself overall against Alex Dimonore
but this was a level all the way through and then particularly in this final that I've never seen from the guy anything close because this had the top level of last year and probably more but it had got a base level a rally ball level which I probably thought I would never see from him
but just didn't think he necessarily had this in him as this ability to go toe to toe stroke to stroke baseline game I mean bear mind he's going back and to back and with Alexander's vera this probably got what I would consider to be the best back and immense tennis and he went toe to toe with that okay probably one fewer rallies playing that than he lost you know overall but it stood up it stood up to him and his mental strength his consistency his thanks
you know to use that expression that we often use from Eric Rello to describe whether somebody's got that ability to play their best stuff and put someone away
was there in abundance at the end when all the who are which I'm sure will get onto once all that had happened to then real off a seven one tie break in the final set tells you what this guy actually has and I think I think it was a really exciting performance and one that we could end up looking back on his thinking that was that that was the match that made him
yeah in terms of what he he had to deal with during that match there is a medical time out taken by Alexander's vera of at one four is very trailing one four in the opening set and juice now he has he was wearing the the knee brace the very fashionable at the moment knee braces he was wearing that throughout the weekend Hamburg was very related to that knee injury that he seemed to sustain at Wimbledon
he seemed to be moving fine but he wasn't sitting down at the change of hands very well for what I could see I mean he popped a pill he didn't look very well but at the same time I thought that's a really curious time to have a time out so totally unrelated you think to the to the knee not a sort of pain reliever anti-inflammatory or I mean it could have been I don't know he just he just he didn't look great you know when you looked at him I did think oh he doesn't look he doesn't look too well
so I don't know what it was in relation to but I did think it was it was a rough time the timing was right to the city yeah absolutely juice then the roof shots at the start of set three which okay I don't think that's bad necessarily for fees as you say he's got that that really high ball toss as me I know we think the high the ball toss the better it is for you to be indoors with
with no conditions but it undoubtedly is the ultimate preferred conditions of of Alexander's very I think that as soon as the roof close I thought I thought wow this really favours is very of now the service also also doing his full circus act with circling marks acting like the Islam don't to be in or out depending on how he's calling them
and and turning his back on the empire and walking away and and then being outraged when when the empire says that they're they're not what he's claiming them to be I mean that's just it's a it's there's very every team at this point isn't it was so so used to seeing it so he's getting up to to all of that and and more and more of it as the match gets on
and it gets more and more tense then it at five all in the deciding set feasts is apparently cramping and it's break pointers verve and feasts and under arms serve now he's subsequently explained that is kind of a an enforced decision due to the cramping I don't really care I mean he as far as I'm concerned he doesn't need to explain himself it's a completely legitimate tactic but anyway he hits that under arms serve he wins the point incidentally he wins 20 of 21 break points on his own
serve throughout the match that is an extraordinary stat from that match 20 of 20 21 break points saved by art of feasts it the sit down after that under arms serve after another game goes by and as verve fails to break is verve apparently calls him out for disrespectful behavior with the under arms
serve feasts isn't having any of that the umpire then intervenes gets moves feasts as way from verve even though I think it was verve was was the instigator in that situation certainly vervely the instigator then feasts plays an almost perfect tie break after is verve holds to take it into the tie break and then feasts goes five love up in that tie break wins it seven points to one an
extraordinary mental effort in that tie break not to mention a physical one as well given that we know he was cramping and really struggling and then there is just an absolutely textbook drive by no look and shake from from Alexander's very if he refuses to make eye contact with art of feasts throughout the presentation ceremony it was it was pretty poor sportsmanship all
around from to very of David would you say yeah I think so I think he was pathetic quite on a safe that throughout all of it I felt it was he was trying to intimidate him he was trying to use the crowd I get all that and he's entitled to you can use whatever tactics you want really but don't don't expect the opponent not to stand up to you because just because you try to bully somebody doesn't mean that they have to just take it
and an art of feasts wouldn't take it and actually I think it emboldened feasts I think we saw him visibly stand up and viscerally kind of react to it and become better as a result of it because that that whole situation of of the exchange at five six you know he was getting he was getting he got booed for that undrammed serve he got and he put his hand to his ear to did feasts he got he was getting stick left front center really at that point
and then he played the best tennis of the entire match and his celebration was to actually not celebrate to just walk around sort of saying effectively saying I don't care I don't care what you do I don't think I behave badly here and I beaten your guy 7-1 in a tie break I thought that was epic first of all
it's quite interesting with his very because I'm sure there'll be some people listening to this who think I'll done you guys are always laughing when you're in rostopenko does her no look and shakes you're always laughing when you're in rostopenko complains ridiculously about line calls and wants to challenge or guy and all this sort of stuff so what's the difference and and I do take that point I I do sometimes think well why am I okay with
rostopenko doing it why do I find that funny and I don't find this funny and I think look I think there are you have to add up all the incidents you know rostopenko has never gone up to an umpire's chair and smashed it with a racket right next to the feet of the umpire and and clearly been trying to intimidate and bully so I can remember all that that the scenario of being the home crowd and and the young lad
Europe against I just thought it was I just thought it's crap just thought it's terrible behavior and and look I I know people will also say well you're just an art of feast family you don't like it's very yeah both of those two things are true I think it's very was given enough evidence over the course of time in his career to make me think not having you not not not really into this this this behavior at all that I'm seeing this this intimidation of
the umpire and then winging and and so forth and yeah I do love watching art of feasts just on the ceremony the what I watched it back afterwards because I thought I want to I want to be sure of what I'm seeing here and it's very does make a very momentary reference to art of feasts having been the best player in tournament and
deserving the win it's very very short at the end of what he says but he says it okay then art of feasts during his part does turn around to him and try to make specific reference to this look this has been a really hard insane match in in his words sort of thing you know it's one of those things
it's kind of that just but well done to you and your team on the and the whole times very just looking at his feet and not acknowledging this and I didn't I really didn't like that after that there is there is a moment where it's very I think what happens is very of grabs himself at that point of
thinks I'm being a I'm being an idiot here and this is not looking good I'm not I'm not covering myself in glory here and he goes and gets the bottle of champagne and he opens it and he sprays feasts with it felt quite performative to me it also felt like he was
realising actually I'm being a dick here and I'll give the guy a hug and okay I accept you know people in absence of the heat of the moment they come to the senses and you know realize that they were at fault but you'll behave you're in the need to the moment to me was pretty telling as to as to how you felt at that point and and I thought it was just terrible and ultimately our to feasts deserve that win you showed what he got and you know that may be the culmination of his whole
career that might be the best moment we see I suspect it wasn't I suspect that that's a starting point.
Okay well given that David I'm just going to say Artifice Paris Roll and Garros Olympics well I tell you this I surely going to be dangerous I can't wait to see it I can't wait to see it because I think he's a player who when he's feeling good his his highest level comes when he's inspired and I think that he's somebody who will love the crowd now you've got to play well as well that's the thing I mean we've seen him at two Roland Garros is now and he
hasn't won a match because he wasn't playing very well so if if they if he could get on a roll if he could provide that baseline game or that basic foundation at a high level then he's going to be in matches and then I think the crowd can ignite his top level so I actually think he could be a real danger to some people I don't expect him to go and reach the final I don't I think that that would be unrealistic but I definitely think that nobody's going to
want to draw him nobody God I can't wait for the draw the draws Thursday isn't it and we're going to be doing a pod on Thursday and we're going to be doing twice weekly pods during the Olympics as well so two coming at you next week to this week to next week and I'll be in Paris for the next one so yeah official Olympics reporter sort of a bit okay that is that's Hamburg in terms of the WTA events this week there
were two both on clay both two fifties there was Palermo the title won by Jun Chen Wen she'd be carried in a mucava in the battle of the the Grand Slam finalist 644662 great final and she'd also been Dianne Perry in the semifinals I feel good about this for Jun Chen Wen I'm not saying it's the biggest deal in the world winning a 250 straight after Wimbledon but I think it's been tough for us since reaching that Australian open final I really do
and this could could just be enough of a boost to to course correct a bit because because I think she needs to just take the Australian open out of the equation and continue a just a steady rise up the rankings you know that was a a blip of a peak it's it's not the new normal it might end up being one day for Jun Chen Wen that that becomes a normal thing for a reaching the latter stages of Grand Slam's but it's it's not yet
she did get did get a bit lucky with the draw she made the most of it brilliant run she was playing awesome tennis but I you know at the time I think we thought this isn't a new normal for her and I think that must be kind of confusing mindset and yeah I hope this can just be a reset and the restart of steady progression is it's unsexy is is that is I'm pleased right and mucava got through a week David unhinged
it's good going to I mean you know considering yeah honestly that we should throw a party for that how recently she's had wrist surgery and had ten months out the game to reach a final on clay I think that's a fantastic achievement and more to the point a fantastic kind of suggestion that that her body her wrist might be able to handle this and and might be fixed let's hope that above all everything else
that's the most important thing hopefully we have a fit Karen and mucava to find out what what is possible in the in the months and years to come and I agree on Zhang I that that wasn't a good month or two for her just gone and and to come back and reset here and win
this tournament you know it might be lower level but she's she's having to beat Deam Parry in the same me she's having to beat Karen and mucava in the final dude this isn't easy and and she's she's reached the Australian open on a hard court she's now done this on a clay court we've seen other
results from on a clay court there's a lot to kind of think that she has ahead of her as well so I think it's it's an excellent achievement and speaking of excellent achievements David Danish Schneider the the top seed in Budapest has won the title 6464 over Alexandra Sassnovich in the
final her third title this year for Schneider on three different surfaces an official triple threat she's up to a career high ranking of number 23 and she is still doing it all David with several bits of extremely heavy strapping on her leg she has both her upper and lower leg heavily strapped
kind of either side of her left knee I don't even know if they're related injuries whether it's kind of a a two-part single bit of strapping or two entirely separate bits of strapping but extraordinarily I think she seems to be moving better than ever like I think the movement is an area of her game that is hugely improved she seems to be hitting the ball even harder than she was before I mean that was she's always had a power game but she seems to have added to the power and injected some extra
control I just think I really think she's got it all I really do I would like to see her play without that strapping on her leg it does like it just makes me feel a bit anxious but I think she's awesome I really
think she's the real deal I do well she must have thanks I haven't watched enough of her in really big tight matches to get a total appreciation of the type of player she is but three titles you don't do that in a year when you're when you're basically a rookie she's so new to this and she's come
out in one three titles and different surfaces I think it's exciting and I think she's just got that that bit of hoots parabana isn't she she's you know she's come through this this college system and she's just looks a bit different you know she's got the different style to her and and
she's got her lefty and fun fun watch I can understand why you so into her bringing the bandana back David another one yeah she's she's really really cool and I love her tennis as well she's one of those no weaknesses really pretty even forehand and backhand as I say the
movement really improved and just big time fangs big time and and just incredible self assurance she makes you feel confident in her and I do think there's something about college tennis that that breeds that you know breeds breed human beings that can handle themselves in a in a
very very challenging environment so watch this space with Diana Schneider I think she this is a very long range pick I think she's going to be a grand sum champion one day I do oh I like that yeah punchy yeah first female bandana grand slam champions since when with the lost female bandana
wearer be I can't remember I see saboteenie it I think it depends David whether we count a rolled up bandana yeah yeah I don't think I do I think no and I don't think because a rolled up bandana is sort of just a headband isn't it that's a headband loader than wear headbands you need
a head card game will develop some official criteria and we'll once much back we'll work on that stat just to have it ready for when she fulfills my my long range prediction there are a load of tournaments this week on the ATP and WTA tours and mostly populated by well in fact I
think entirely populated by players who aren't playing in the Olympics because of course the Olympic tennis gets underway on Saturday we're just five days away and I have very much been enjoying Darius Savals Olympic athletes village vlogs David have you been watching those
cats I have oh they're excellent for an insight into what it's like in the athletes village all of the beds are made of cardboard they're big on sustainability at this Olympics which is great and the the beds are made of cardboard and they've been testing the robustness of the
beds in a very kosher above board not x rated way you know doing jump squats onto the bed and the like check it out it's great are the tournaments this week the WTA are in Prague Linda Noscover is the top seed there there is a WTA event in Lassie Romania I hope I'm
saying that right Mira and Draver the top seed there and Hannah's reported on the barge that the tournament has been upgraded from a 125 to a 250 tournament and the last couple of years it was won by Anna Bogdan of backhand list reinstatement fame who might soon be getting
bumped for Bob or a crachy of a TBC the ATP are in Atlanta where Ben Shelton is the top seed Francis Tiafos also there interesting to see if he can kind of continue to build on what he showed at Wimbledon Dennis Schapper Valov is there and Taylor Fritz isn't the
Fendi champion not playing the ATP are also in Kitchbill top seed there is Sebastian Buyers could face Dominic team in the second round that would require Dominic team to get to the second round Dominic teams last Kitchbill David I know that the ATP have been out there this week filming time and content with him apparently he's very happy in that piece with it also maybe I should
be too. Monsieur Baratini also in the Kitchbill jaw and the ATP are also in Umag in Croatia no tournament close to your heart David Alexi Popperin is the defending champion he's unseeded and faces Iacob Mensic in round one Andre Rublev is the top seed around Zomazetti
second seed one bit of other news from the week the Billie Jean King Cup finals is moving to Malaga which of course is already host to the Davis Cup final eight this from the press release that went out this week the Billie Jean King Cup by Gameridge the women's World Cup of
tennis today announced that it's 2024 finals will relocate from Seville to nearby Malaga Spain and take place alongside the Mens Davis Cup final eight the Billie Jean King Cup finals dates and match schedule will remain unchanged running from the 13th to the 20th of November 2024
and the Davis Cup final eight will run from the 19th to the 24th of November so there are a couple of days of overlap in there still they say the relocation was required by the events host partner Huntad and Aluthair and supported by the city and Diputethion of Malaga which
says states David that this was this was not a choice this was certainly not the tournaments ideal direction which sounds you know not ideal it sounds like there's been some tough happening behind the scenes however just objectively I think this is a tremendous
solution I think of course they should be in the same place I still have a bit of anxiety about them overlapping the two events but I it less so overlapping in the same venue because it will feel less like they're competing with one another for for eyeballs and attention
and airtime and everything I just think for the viewer in the tennis fan this makes a lot of sense even if it wasn't arrived at necessarily with the viewer in the tennis fan in mind yeah could end up great that and it feels like it it will to me I think we'll end up thinking
oh well this has got to happen every year now whether that will be the case we'll also find out in due course but two team events country against country both from by the ITF one man one woman I mean why wouldn't you have them in the same place
it's a great idea yeah absolutely just makes total sense doesn't it and just finally in in reverse makes total sense news this this news dropped during Wimbledon's got a bit lost in the shuffle but the ATP announced that they're going to go back to ball kids handling
sweaty towels which I find really bizarre I thought that was one of these sort of unintended good consequences of the pandemic that we all realised it was a bit gross for ball kids to handle players sweaty towels I know it takes extra time for the
players to go and get their own towels from the towel baskets but I don't know that I was I was happy enough dealing with that David I mean what do you think were you were I mean you're the you're the you're the fast protester yeah but I just think yeah the solution to that is just to tell everyone
hurry up or to have more proximate towel baskets like to have it be easier not to have ball kids going back to listen I got to be honest I don't like it I don't like this this change to to ball kids handling towels again it is I do find it unhygienic I find it gross I don't like the way seems to encourage players to talk to ball kids sometimes we've seen enough examples of that and I do I do think that it's quite it is quite interesting that it's it's also very recent that they've changed the
shot clock rule and that they start the next points count down the moment the point ends rather than an unpower taking the decision is to when to press the button that's something Carlos R. Cross was complaining about a Queen's he wanted
some clarification on that rule so I suppose you might say well if you're a player how you expected to get everything done inside the shot clock if you have got a walk all over there to go and get your towel and so forth my view is you adapt once you're given a rule you adapt and you just
you just you just speed up your process and I realised that there are some points that are more tiring than others and and maybe it's difficult but I don't like this yeah agreed stronger agree or just have like I don't know someone invent like well sort of extra big wrist bands that are sort of essentially towel wearable towels I don't know your new favorite sport Catherine NFL they have a towel in their back pocket yeah that exactly have a little little towel poking out of
your bum anything like that all fine oh yeah I'm not denying there's a there's a a faff problem I just think having children handle sweaty towels is a pretty ludicrous solution to that okay we've ended on sweaty towels in bombs bring back Matt I hear you say don't worry folks he will be back and hopefully recovered for Thursday's Olympic draw day show I as I'm sure you can imagine I'm extremely pumped for that we have our mascots of course I have the dearly departed Darwin Matt
still has hydrant Soma despite his absence and David you have Francis you don't have any points for for autofesis success but you do generally on behalf of Francis get get kudos so congratulations yes exactly we have Billy Jean who is sleep behind me at my mum and dad's house sponsored by Billy Jean
King and Delana Claus we have our top folks and executive producers Jamie Jeff Chris and Greg and shout outs we'll have to wait till Thursday because we need Matt for those although in the absence of official shout outs I would like to shout out my dad without whom this podcast wouldn't have been possible because I traveled all the way back to my mum and dad's yesterday before realizing I've forgotten all of my podcast equipment so my dad drove to my house
in the evening and straight back again to to collect the equipment so yes this podcast is brought to you in association with Captain David Whitaker we have been all over the place since Wimbledon folks this this event came off the
back of us all forgetting to work at who got the mics and who needed them off the back of Wimbledon and me traveling up Solihor would zero mics Catherine going to hers would zero Matt having four then having to sort of stealthily break his way into Catherine's apartment to drop off two and then
be able to buy a fifth so so that's all happened and then we realized Catherine hadn't got all the sort of branded microphones and the various bits and bobs that we need in order to record the show so I had to post all of those to arrive first delivery today but here we are an air Catherine you know yeah for most of this week David and I were professional podcasters that didn't own a microphone which was it was a hairy time but we're back we are largely back
and we will be fully back firing on all cylinders once we have Matt on Thursday so do join us for that folks I'm bereft without having to tell people to like and subscribe I mean you can still go on our YouTube page and and like and subscribe if you like that would still that would still be great
so we'll be back do join us on those if folks we can't wait thanks for listening and we will speak to you then hi this is Jonathan Fields host of the Good Life Project where each week I talk to listeners about investing in the future by increasing their own vitality but when it comes to those financial goals whether it be saving for home renovation growing your child's college fund or travel life can make it difficult to stay the course by working with a dedicated Merrill advisor
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