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Hello and welcome to the tennis podcast. Welcome to November. Welcome to November in tennis podcast land where we will be producing goodness knows how many podcasts I haven't actually counted it up, but I do know that every time I go into my I Cal, there is a dot on every day and I keep thinking, oh, that's an active social life. What's going on there?
And it's it's always a podcast recording. So that is what is coming up for you in the month of November. Lots of big events coming your way. Obviously we've got the Paris Masters on the ATP side very much underway.
And in full swing already will be covering that on Monday show as usual. What we're here to talk about today is the WTA finals in RIAD, which gets underway in Ernest tomorrow. This is our preview of the WTA finals. We've got the ATP finals in Churrin coming up. And of course the Billie Jean King and Davis Cup finals in Malaga as well. It is it is coming thick and fast just how you like it David Law. Oh, yeah, this is this is one of my favorite months in a way.
And of MBS can't breathe for podcasts. And yeah, and actually when I look at the events just loads of little plots and subplots and some interesting matches, particularly I think this draw has thrown up a lot of good matches on paper. I am really intrigued by the Billie Jean King Cup and the Davis Cup finals that are coming our way. And the fact that you know, Matt will be there every day. I love all that and the insights that we get.
And so and it's there's also an added layer of intrigue just generally about what it might all mean for 25. And that's that's what I start to send my mind towards.
Yes, we spend all of November speculating about what it all means for 2025. And then we spend all of January explaining that the answer is in fact with retrospect nothing except for this year when of course, you know, the annex center of all meant that it really really did mean something the end of the year last year for the annex and but for every annex any year.
There's a caroling arse here. Yeah, so what is a podcast to do? Matt, you have conveniently got your winter cold slash flu out of the way just before the madness begins. I'm sure it didn't feel that convenient a couple of days ago.
No, it didn't. I had to miss our live show for friends, which which was a great shame, but a little plug for that we had the brilliant Hannah Wilkes on there. Not instead she was she was always going to be on, but she was fabulous. And I very much enjoyed listening to that and watching that along with you both. And yes, hopefully I will have now a full slate of good health when I when I get to Malaga in 10 days or so and the madness really begins.
Now, Matt, your deterioration in your health coincided exactly with the WTA finals draw reveal. Was that a coincidence or did the nature of the draw reveal send you into a spiral on all fronts? Yeah, it was so offensive. I had to get a lie down for two days. The thing is, it actually bothers me slightly less for the finals because I just think the draw is slightly less exciting as a concept for the finals when you've only got eight players. There's just fewer possibilities.
The ground Robin tennis doesn't do it for me all that much, so I don't get like super hyped about the groups. And there's no like dangerous unseeded floaters and all that kind of stuff. So I think generally draws slightly less exciting for the finals than like for a slam, for example. All that being said, still obviously an absolute disgrace the way that it happened and like no one knew it was happening on Tuesday, like maybe a very select group of insiders at the WTA.
I had absolutely no idea. It just appeared on the WTA website that I happened to be on. There was no social media. I don't think the WTA's social team knew that it was happening. Yeah, just like what are we doing? This is one of the premium events. Let's promote it and let's celebrate those players who've made it. We've had a trickle of photoshoot photos haven't we today, but I think even those took like a while to come out. And yeah, it's all been pretty kind of low key really.
Yeah, usually in the past what happens is the draw ceremony coincides with that big. They call it the iconic photo, don't they, where everyone wears their dresses, eagish fjorn take ignores the dress code and everybody has their photo taken and those photos go around the world.
That usually is sort of tied in with the draw ceremony that this year for my guess is that not all players were available until today, which is the day before the tournament and they needed to get the draw done prior to that. They had to separate out the two events. And I totally understand that, but that doesn't mean it necessarily integers randomly appear on the website on Tuesday.
It was bizarre to the point that I was wondering if it was some sort of hoax, I was trying to sort of fact check whether this was indeed David the real WTA finals draw. If a draw takes place in the woods and nobody is there to witness it or post about it, did it even happen?
And we have been taken in by things like that before on social media. Well, mainly you and me, not Matt. Usually it's Matt saying, no, no, hold on, if you double check that that's real because sometimes somebody will put a quota up and it'll look really stick so realistic. Matt is looking, Matt is looking sheepish right now because he was a 50% part of he and I falling for the biggest internet hoax ever. Which one was that?
Well, when we were going to see Taylor Swift in Vegas, we thought that there'd been a big era. We thought that they changed the architecture of Las Vegas, David, to recognize Taylor Swift's arrival there. Matt and I, to the point where we re-rooted the GPS to go via this. We re-rooted the satnav to go via this clearly on reflection AI created bridge arch type thing that simply did not exist. When we arrived.
And it was very much a, we literally had to turn a corner and it would reveal itself to us and we turn the corner. It was like, oh, it's not there. It's all alive. I was trying to sort of stick up for your Catherine by kind of including myself in that comparison. And now you've just looked yourself in with Matt for this one as well. It's not looking good.
Very validating moment for me, David, because as you both can attest, I am always falling for the internet. And as you've described Matt is always sort of gently saying, oh, I think that's one of those ironic accounts. I was just too excited about going to Vegas. But on that occasion. I didn't bother to check. I was like, yeah, let's go. Let's do it. Right. Sorry, David, as you were, you were saying something about tennis, I think. I hijacked it.
Can't remember what it was now. No, I mean, the WTA draw, you know, it was, that is as out of the blue a draw as I can ever remember. And then sort of kind of stumbling across what the actual groups were because nobody goes to websites anymore. You just sort of look up something on social media and expect to see it. But anyway, when it was actually revealed in the end, it was kind of pretty good. So I'm quite happy with what it's thrown up personally. I don't know what you two think.
Yeah, look, we have the purple group and we have the orange group. The purple group is the world number one arena, Savile Enker, Jasmine Paulini, Elena, Rebecca, more on her in a moment. And Jun, Chen, when that group will start on Saturday. And then we have the orange group, which is Egas Fionte, Coco Gough, Jessica, Gula, and Barbara, Craig, Chicaver. Just to note that the first alternate onsite is Daryl Kasakina. And the second is Daniel Collins. So those two are waiting in the wings.
All due respect to them. Hope they don't get activated in their roles as alternate because that means somebody has suffered an illness or injury. And ideally, we don't want that. Let's talk about the purple group first. And there's two big stories here. There's Arena Savile Enker aiming to secure year end number one.
We will talk about that in a moment. But I feel like she has been gizzumped in the headline stakes by Elena Rabakina, who we learned today via Remabileel, who is out there in Readd covering the tournament for herself. And she works for the National News Paper, doesn't she? She's revealed today on Twitter that Elena Rabakina will be coached from the offseason onwards by your friend and mine, David Goran, even as a witch. What a bombshell.
It was. I mean, I think Goran is probably one of the two people players, the players that I know best in tennis. And I did not know this was happening at all. I mean, look, we're not that in touch. I mean, frankly, you know, it's what I do for a living. So probably wasn't about to tell me.
But you know, we did have him on the show when he split with with Novak Chokovych. He did say from September onwards, he would be looking to have a new horrible word project, I suppose he didn't use that word, but I suppose that's what you're talking about. He wanted a new coaching assignment. He didn't want to stop coaching. He clearly loves it. But an an an an an am in I floated the idea with him of maybe working with a young player, a sort of new player and developing them.
And it's it's a failing a mind. I didn't think about whether that the list of possibilities might include a female bloke didn't really occur to me. And there's absolutely no reason why it shouldn't. And I I message him earlier on today to sort of just say, oh, Elena Rebecca there. That's that that that sounds great. You know, and and he replied and asked him, well, why why Elena Rebecca there? And I mean, look, he said, first of all, she's she's a really great player.
I mean, and I mean, I he didn't say this specifically, but as well as he always gone on with Novak Chokovych and as successful as they always were together, that was pretty stressful. That whole process of working with Novak, I mean, Novak is incredibly demanding. And there's nothing wrong with being demanding.
But I mean, you know, he told in press conferences and various interviews that we've done with him, he would get called in the middle of the night because Novak suddenly was anxious about something that he needed to work on, you know, and he'd got us all to know he would be bawling across the court and kind of using gore and as a sort of sort of human stress ball almost to to just vent to and I think a lot of it gore and found immensely amusing and
and it was kind of that frisson between the two of them that was part of the magic to some degree, but I think I think it became wearing really for probably for both of them. I mean, he said he said himself, you know, we kind of both got tired of each other a little bit. And I think that the the feeling is that that is not going to be the situation here. You're not going to get that sort of stress with with Elena Rebecca, who is just a completely different character altogether.
And he also said that he said quite specifically I want to I want the challenge of seeing if I can be successful coaching on the WTA tour. And if you look at his record, he's coached Marin Chilich, Miller Shrownich, Thomas Burtich and then Novak Chokovich, you know, and he's been immensely successful as a coach. And this is a different challenge altogether. And he's taking over or guiding somebody with already one of the very best serves in the sport.
And I can only imagine that gore and will help that serve function even better. But the main thing I just think you're likely to get is a much more serene experience for both of them. And and I think Rebecca knows who's who's had a lot of success with with Vukov on the side of the court.
I mean, it was it was an uncomfortable watch all along. I mean, there's so many examples of of commentating or watching matches that she was playing where you just want to tell my look away or I, you know, closure is some of the things that he was saying.
He's not going to have any of that with gore and he is a he's a fun guy. He is a relaxing, entertaining presence. And I can only guess, but I'm my guess is that that she will find his presence really, really good for her and and I think probably vice versa. Yeah, honestly, I'm annoyed that I didn't think of this as a as a potential team up because gore and told us he was going to he was going to have a hot guy summer and then be looking for a for a new coaching partnership come the autumn.
So we should have been on alert for a big gore and announcement and honestly now I've now this has been announced. It makes a lot of sense to me second to her announcing a female growing in it is which equivalent. You know, there is a part of me that just in principle immense the fact that
there wasn't an obvious female coach with the hasn't chosen a female coach, you know, I just always worry about these young girls sort of developing as humans as well as tennis players in a very unnatural environment and just not having any female energy around them.
But that aside that one aspect of it aside, I think this is potentially an absolutely genius appointment. I'm really, really energized by the prospect of it, Matt. And I hope Elena, a back in her feels the same way it sounds like gore and does, which is really cool.
I think energized is a great word a great way to describe how I end up feeling about this. It's nice to have like a new positive fresh reback in a talking point, you know, and just to give her some new impetus heading into the new season, you know, let's not forget she's played two matches since Wimbledon, you know, two matches, none since the US open.
So she's really a big unknown coming into this WTA finals, we don't know what sort of form or fitness she's in and it's just great that she's here and is we think going to play and you know that in itself is a positive given the last few months that she's had.
But I don't think we should be beating ourselves up for not seeing this coming like I don't think anyone saw this coming that was real wow news when that when that dropped but you're right like it does it does make sense as a as a partnership I think I think what David's spoken about there in terms of gore and hopefully trying to bring some fun to the camp I think I think is really important and also that big weapon that we're back in her has obviously being the serve.
Has kind of linked a lot of the players that gore and has worked with you know, chillic and birdic and round it's you know the serve was was kind of their keys shot and the rest of their games was built around that and he almost turned Jacović into that kind of player as well, you know, how much Jacović serve improved under gore and we've all talked about it it's been so notable.
And I think one of the things for me that even when we're back and I was doing really well at the start of the season and she won the she won what three WTA 500 title was reached a couple of 1000 finals as well that's kind of why she's in the WTA finals from that first half of the season.
I still remember her getting involved in a lot of like fun matches but matches that I remember thinking for back in us should not be getting involved in these sorts of matches her tennis should be uncomplicated and straightforward and I think gore and has had a way of bringing that out of of the players he's coach particularly chillic he's the one that really stands out the way that he just.
Well absolutely dominated at that us open but on sort of other occasions as well and I think Rebecca in his tennis should be clinical and effective we should be using those kinds of words about it big serve dominate and I think gore and that will probably I'm sure there'll be lots more.
Inside and technical wisdom that I can't possibly know about but I think that will be like a clear message in a clear directive and that that gives me a lot of belief that he can he can really kind of do good things alongside.
Yeah I think I think you know the headline for his coaching style would be cut the faf and I know that you know I walk through life telling people to cut the faf like but it's about sort of empowering empowering her to do that really convincing her the assets in her game are enough that she doesn't need to be fafing around.
And I really back him to do that I also think I'm convinced that she she's developed she's changed her service motion ever so slightly to protect her shoulder she's had long periods wearing that kinesiotape on her shoulder hasn't she and she's changed the very start of her service motion. Sort of the the the the what would you call that bit kind of like the very start of the take back.
Yeah exactly the setup if you like and she takes a kind of wider she draws a wider arc with her with her hands with her arms than she used to it could it could just be a coincidence it could just be a little kink but I don't know why her service pretty much perfect
and it why would you change anything about it if you don't have to and I just back back go around to just sort of that out sort of that out and maximize her serve as a weapon whatever that absolutely looks like and I and as you say like make it fun make it light because go and he takes the sport incredibly seriously but he doesn't take himself too seriously
and I hope people just kind of give her space to be her he's a very he's very non judgemental character is an ego and so yeah I'm really really pumped about this and I don't want to put too much pressure on the partnership to sort of deliver results straight away but I also I'm extremely excited and wanted to deliver results straight away they're not officially working together yet she said
their collaboration will start in the off season although I would be very interested to know you know surely they're texting surely well he's texting days so yeah she's falling in this purple group with Jasmine Paulini Junction when and Arena Sabile Enca now just to lay out the situation with Sabile Enca in year end number one she is far more in pole position here than I had quite realized she will finish year end
number one by winning her three round robin matches if she wins two or one round robin matches but still advances to the final I go on to win her semi final she will secure year end number one essentially the the longer short of it is she reaches the final and she's year end number one and there are still there is still a way for her to finish year end number one without even reaching the final
if she reaches the semi's but wins all three matches in her group and she's going to be favorite to do that I think it isn't she I mean Junction when is the form player but she's the one that has the the dodgy head to head with with Arena Sabile Enca I don't think Sabile Enca will be cowed by the form of Junction when yeah I agree I think that was probably the one thing from the draw that I was maybe hoping went the
other way like I think we've seen a lot of Sabile Enca against Junction when recently and we kind of know what that match up is and how it goes I was kind of hoping that we'd see Jun against Fiontec again after their after their match at the Olympics but you know equally their last match that Sabile Enca and Jun played was better than their their previous few and there's some hope there for Jun
but I agree I think Sabile Enca is is a big favorite for this group for this tournament quite frankly I had a look and re add is actually pretty much the same altitude as Madrid it's about 600 meters above above sea level and you know we know how well Sabile Enca has traditionally played in Madrid
as I've got to think that she's going to like these conditions I know that there's more that comes into conditions than that there's court speed and there's ball speed but that's something that's definitely I think going to be in her favour
and yeah she's got that good record against Jun she actually got quite an even record against Paulini I think it's too all in fact but their meetings haven't been this year but just in my head that's a match up that Sabile Enca can kind of impose herself on and dominate so yeah I really like this set up really for Sabile Enca I think she's the favourite and there's a very good stat from the WTA which is just kind of on that number one number two ranking thing
I think kind of speaks to the consistency of Shfiantech and Sabile Enca that we're living through at the moment and we shouldn't overlook the stat is that Sabile Enca and Shfiantech will be the first pair to finish first or second in the WTA rankings for two straight seasons since Martina Hinges and Lindsay Davenport in 98, 99, 2000
like it's been that long since we've had two players jostling for position at the very very top of the WTA rankings so kind of you know like whoever finishes the year number one I think it will probably be Sabile Enca but like they've both had absolutely outstanding couple of seasons and I just thought that that's that really sort of put it into perspective how outrageously consistent they've been compared to so many other players over the years
David having said all of that and I do really agree with Matt's take that this is Sabile Enca's tournament to lose Junsu and Maenke do with the win over Sabile Enca couldn't she? Yeah and to me it is actually a match I want to keep watching I mean I totally take your point about wanting to see Junsu against Shfiantech I kind of want to see her against everybody because she's
she's the new kid on the block in some way she's the one who's come out of the pack this year and just has something really magnetic and a presence and I I am really interested to know how much of a problem she sees the match up in her own head because I feel like she's she seems very secure with an her own sense of self I don't feel like she walks around with an inferiority complex against anybody and yet the the facts and the stats don't make kind reading for her against Sabile Enca
that altitude is a fascinating element because I I was going to say I my reading of who ends up doing well at this tournament feels quite conditions based and then so I'm looking forward to seeing what sort of speed of court it ends up being but frankly altitude might kind of over come all of that if you think of midrids a clay court tournament and she just sort of blazes away through that most of the time you know the the the fast tournaments with with a gritty surface
you sometimes get like fast air but in Indian Wells but but a slower surface higher bouncing does does seem like a first first strike for Sabile Enca there with that altitude but no I I want to see young against everybody I'm looking forward to seeing young against Rebecca now because we just haven't seen Rebecca for so long but I guess with altitude you may end up in a match like that with just not many rallies because they they both got such great serves
okay I know this is a brutal question because Elena Rebecca is such an unknown quantity here but I am going to ask for predictions as to who is progressing from the purple group I think well I'm very guilty of doing the thing that I've said that I would never want to do again which is
you're going to underestimate Jasmine Pauline and totally overlooked Jasmine Pauline I'm sorry David is as well I think it's interesting that she's playing doubles as well you know she's she's qualified in the doubles and she's with a Rani who did the same herself you know 10 10 11 years ago qualified in singles and doubles and Irani spoke about how tough she she found that and does just make scheduling and everything
pretty complicated she's already played 95 matches this year Pauline this is all my this is all my working as to why Pauline is not going to be what you're doing yeah excuse isn't yeah obviously she's great she's amazing she's my most improved or best story of the year absolutely
but that's such a crumb off the table isn't it most improved pat on the head go home Jasmine I think I'm going to take Savile and Kunjung I'm going to go form I think rather than just that kind of unknown quantity that Rebecca has David I think I would do the same I do feel like
Rebecca there's of all the players maybe is the one that makes you think who I'm not sure because if she has a good day she could go three and out in that group you know this is the player who just blitzed Savile and Crott the start of the year and we know what her top level is like but there's also there's no form or fitness to to look at and feel confident in I mean the last few times we've seen her she's looked really on well quite honestly
and all I want is for it to not look like that because the rest of it will take care of itself and that's why I'm really encouraged by this coaching alliance with Grinem and Isvich for the for the off season and for the new year I just hope she comes out looking as though she's not on well that that's all that matters and if she's a bit rusty along the way which I think you you
should probably expect then then that's okay but I also think it's quite possible that if she is physically okay she's just because and wins the whole thing and says go on it turns out I don't need you after all I'm renaging on our contract go on and say well it was my positive vibes you see Savile and Crouching will be the opening singles match on Saturday Paulini Rebecca the other singles match we are going to look at the orange group in just a moment see you in pop to
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if you're looking to connect with highly engaged audiences now's the time to dive in download podcast post twenty twenty four for all the latest insights see how podcast ads can drive real results for you welcome back to part two now it's time to look at the orange group featuring eagish
yonte cocoa gov Jessica pagula and Barbora Craig Chicavert I think this is a great draw for eagish fjontek can you tell me any different Matt initially I thought yes absolutely this this is a great draw for eagish fjontek but then she's lost her last two against Craig Chicavert and and they were both finals you know they were big matches and she lost to pagula at the US open so you know she's actually lost her most recent meeting with with two other
members in her group obviously we know she loves the match up with cocoa gov and I think that's my big takeaway of this group like how much gov has struggled against all of these players she is a combined two and sixteen against them now obviously the head to head against fjontek is doing a lot of the heavy lifting there but she's she's one and four against korea chicavert is gov and yet gov has got the form that we talked about from you know why we're kind of
favoring sabalenco and june in that in that purple group is because of the form they're in well gov's been in pretty good form since the US open and since her coaching change and there are unknowns about fjontek you know she hasn't played since since the US open there's a big unknown about korea chicavert she's only just arrived in reared she's frankly outside of winbord and not one a ton of matches this season you know the bulk of her her season was that winbord
and run I think pagula we can we can be pretty sure is going to show up and and we're confident in kind of what her level will be but I find this group really confusing every every way I would you know when I try and look at form I go one way when I try and look ahead to head I end up kind of going another way but to go back to your point about fjontek I think if she's playing if she's playing her best if she's playing well then I do think it's
it's a fine draw because I think she would I think she would back herself against those players kind of at her best there aren't like huge take take your racket out your hand players in this group and you know she's not with Rebecca no and obviously she was never going to be with sapper linker but even jung I think has the sort of power to to take the racket out of her hand which which the players in her group don't quite so much so that's
probably a very confusing answer and I probably I've probably left everyone I hope I've left everyone as confused
as I feel about this group. She shuntec can finish the year world number one but it's in saver linker's hand she has to win the title to stand a chance at it and she needs saver linker not to reach the final this and some other permutations in there it still might not be enough even if those two things happen but but that is the bottom line and I find it hard to gauge David how much of a carrot mode not not not motivated that's not the right word I don't think she needs any
motivation but how desperately she wants to finish the year is as year and number one how important that is to her. Yeah I wouldn't expect it to be as big a deal to shuntec as it is to saver linker I think saver linker really wants that and she wants to underline herself as the best player in the world this year because frankly she is the best player in the world this year to my mind and I think saver linker
accepts that her results have tailed off her form has tailed off she hasn't really been anything alike the same player in the second half of the year she was in the first it gives me memories of Jim Courier back in the early 90s and some of the times Raffa and the Dowl would sort of struggle late on in a year I mean I know he won US and she's only won the won so maybe that's not quite quite the right comparison but I feel where
he goes shuntec is that she's missed tournaments and not worried about the ranking in that process because now whether that's because of needing to freshen up certainly it's about hiring a new coach and I think far more of interest and motivation to her will be new beginning new coach
clean slate now rather than in a couple of months time in Australia obviously that will be the continuation of it since you'll have an offseason in between to do some of the work there but now I really think that this is her chance to sort of start again a little now and I think that she'll be she'll be fascinated and I will be fascinated to see how she ends up coping and thriving potentially I think what I love about these these times you know I'm not a massive round robin fam
at all I prefer knockout I wish I wish in a way these fields were bigger and it was knockout but when I see them grouped the way they are I love the possibilities and I love the fact that as you say coca-cough comes in with some form and yet she's got this terrible head Ted against everybody I like the fact that we haven't seen the Gishri Untap for ages you know Jessica Begula beat her most recently Crachika who's the sort of Paulini of her group you know which she always gets underestimated
and I don't know how fully how fidget she is but could beat all of them on her day and so I just it makes every single match in this tournament intriguing and one that I will turn on and they may end up not being that good but at the start of them there's there's not that feeling of oh what's the point watching this this is just going to be an obvious win for such and such I don't even feel like that about Shri Untap against Gough just because of the unknowns in the form elements
yet it is Shri Untap Crachika that kicks off this orange group on Sunday with Gough against Pagula to follow I don't love Gough Pagula matches might it be now they're not playing doubles together?
I hope so I hope so but I don't know they've just been just not good tennis matches maybe that's because of the weird social dynamic but I just haven't enjoyed haven't enjoyed their matches historically and I do I worry about Bora Crachika but Bora Crachika was fitness but other than that totally pumped for the first day of orange group orange group action who do we think is going through from the orange group?
I would say Shri Untap and Gough and I think that that pretty much typically lays there how often I underestimate Pagula but I do also think she's had a you know long few months you know a lot of tennis and I'm not completely... Just pulled out a Billie Jean King Cup Pagula that doesn't say full full canister energy in the tank raring to go does it?
I mean I do think that conditions wise it might it might actually suit both her and Crachika very if the balls find through the air quickly but no I would go with the form of Gough and the freshness of her and the physical freshness maybe Shri Untap Matt I think I'm going the same Gough and Shri Untap Maybe I'll go Gough and Pagula just to mix things up No Shri Untap I just got a feeling it might be... I don't know it might be ragged Are you not a Winferset guy?
I don't know I'm a big I'm a big form guy and there isn't any really for Shri Untap given that she just hasn't played I don't know I've got no real reason to not go with the best player the last few years but that's where I'm at I'm going with Gough and Pagula and I'm prepared to have egg on my face
Love it okay what a way to end part two with egg on Matt's face We'll be back in a moment with part three Hey I'm Ryan Reynolds at Mint Mobile We like to do the opposite of what big wireless does They charge you a lot we charge you a little
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And I'm sure the reason you're listening to this podcast right now is because you chose it Well choose progressive's name your price tool and you could find insurance options that fit your budget So you can pick the best one for your situation Who doesn't like choice try it at progressive.com
Now some legal info progressive casualty insurance company and affiliates price and coverage match limited by state law Not available in all states Welcome back to part three just a couple of other bits and bobs to wrap up namely The doubles draw we have the green group with Miller Kitchenok and Elena Osterpenko against Sué Chéna Lisa Merton's Nicole Melacar Martinez and Ellen Perra's and Catherine a Cinear cover and Taylor Townsend
The white group is Gabby Debrowski and Erin Routliffe, Sarah Irrani and Jasmine Paulini Caroline Dollerhide and Desray Kravchick And Houching Chan and Veronica Kudemetova Cinear cover Townsend the favourites for this title
I just think they're the best. I think Cinear cover is the best doubles player I think she kind of proved this summer that it's kind of Cinear cover and anyone She went on that tear of just winning titles with all different people She's turned Thomas Mahatch into a gold medalist
Exactly Matt although I am slightly worried about that situation I think there might be trouble in paradise there I'll continue to do Standing on an Olympic podium Matt with your bow and a gold medal round your neck If that is not paradise what is But the big question is was he the bow?
I think he was in that moment and might not be now But we will continue to do important hashtag journalism for the tennis podcast listeners Someone tell me why Cinear cover Townsend aren't the favourites for this title Because they were the Knights team in it to qualify
And there was one team above them that didn't make it They never have to stick out for all the reasons you mentioned And Townsend is just such a stunning doubles player to watch It doesn't use me that Elstepenko is part of the world's top doubles team I'm really looking forward to seeing her in action in this event I am fascinated to see how Arrani and Pauline get along And I wonder how much difference it might have been had Pauline who not made it in the singles Who's going to win?
I don't know and I love that about it I don't reckon you're going to get a dominant team as such There's not a dominant team that sticks out to me I assume that you're going to take this opportunity to talk about Gabi Debrowski And tell you that she's really good Yeah Because I'm always doing that
Well This is your big chance, you're fumbling Number two seats She's really good, honestly You watch Gary Debrowski play doubles and come away with a different opinion I challenge you Having said that I think Arrani and Pauline are going to win But you spooked me about Pauline playing singles and doubles That's made me write them off It's made me write her off in the singles He's got his excuses in early as what we're saying Catherine Okay I think it could be really fun
It's really open and really fun and how cool would it be if Shea and Merton's won As well That would be fantastic Yeah, exactly Okay folks, well it all gets underway in earnest tomorrow Paris continues Holgerina and Alex Dominole are on my screen David's and my newsletter predictions
I've lost a full 24 hours before the newsletter even has gone out which it still hasn't yet But our picks remain defeated Still worth a read And you weren't alone There were a few of our competitors who went for a safe Carlos Alcras pick I went with form Matt and that did not go well for me
But you've got a factor in fatigue It's a very important part of the form equation Yeah, yeah, anyway Paris continues in earnest And we'll be talking about that on Monday as well as what we've seen So far in Riyadh and talking about the WTA events that have been happening this week
In Zhengji, Merida and Hong Kong as well So do join us on Monday for our next tennis podcast of many in the month of November We have a mascot for this episode a lovely mascot it is Clara Clara is owned by Steph and Theo and is a one year old rescue dog To the extent you believe the dog breed tests
And that spectrum is broad some people believe them entirely some people think they're It's nonsense but I don't know where I sit on it But anyway the dog breed tests detected six breeds in Clara If Catherine wants to guess they say here are the breeds from highest percentage to lower ones
I've got to confess Steph and Theo I would not have I would not have got this The largely because the first one is American Foxhound which is not a breed I'm even familiar with So thank you for that I love discovering new dog breeds We've got some rock-viler in there I think I would have backed myself to get a bit of a rock-viler There's some Labrador, there's some German Shepherd, there's some Golden Retriever and there's some Boxer She's a glorious assortment of excellent dogs in her photo
She's walking in Washington DC's congressional cemetery Which is a 48-acre park that allows dogs to run free among the historic Gravesone stones And it feels apt that we have a Washington-based mascot perhaps this week Big Week for Washington Big Week for Clara, welcome to the tennis podcast at mascot family She is absolutely lovely we will pop that photo on our Instagram and in our newsletter She's cheered me right up today
David was like what are we going to do in part three and Matt was like don't worry about it we've got a great mascot We also of course have our regular mascots, the dearly departed Darwin, Francis of course and Hyder and Somer As well, Billy Jean, sponsored by Billy Jean King and Delana Kloss
We have our top folks and executive producers Chris Greg Jamie and Jeff and Matt we have some shout outs We have Caroline Carey in Chicago Hello Caroline like Caroline Dolehide of being in the WTA finals doubles draw fame
Exactly absolutely and this is a gift from partner Brian so I don't think Caroline knows it Oh good work Brian That's absolutely lovely Carey like Chris Clarey, the esteemed journalist formerly of the New York Times while you're laughing at that David Or I could do Jade Carey, the American gymnast
Which is a bit of a tangent but it's still in the sporting arena And I think Caroline actually gets known as Carro Like Caroline was in the acting I'm going to put some strays on the friends pod this week didn't she?
Caroline Garcia And Carro, thank you and Brian thank you that's a lovely, lovely thing to do It's very touching for us that people choose to gift people this And it's an option as well Yes, yes, Lincoln our show notes as always if you've got somebody that would you think Be touched by being shouted out then you know what to do Hello Carro We've also got Lee Weiner in Massachusetts Right, right?
Hello Lee, it's a big week for American shoutouts We know Lee, we met Lee on court 17 at the US Open this year Lee is a big Bruce Springsteen fan and started the Bruce Springsteen thread on the barge Splint work away We also saw him again didn't we on Ash Later in the week I met a cat called Bruce Springsteen last night Did they just call him Bruce or did they have to use the phone there?
They call him Bruce I call him Bruce Springsteen they just call him Bruce Right, you just call him Bruce And I, yeah I did do that Does it turn around? And I try to force him to be friends with Billy Jean No did that go, more moderate success I would say Lee you're an absolute legend thank you very much And yeah if you want to join the Bruce Springsteen thread on the barge again Lincoln the show notes And the final shoutout today is for Anders
Who is from Finland but lives in Switzerland And is Yarrid Yes Absolutely who was well the one from the 80s Yeah very good he was a brilliant doubles player And he also I remember just to show how far my prediction failures go back
In 1993 I predicted very confidently to all of my friends that Boris Becker would win the Australian Open And because he'd won the 80p finals just a couple of months previously So once again proving that what happens in November bears no relation to what happens in January
Boris Becker was beaten in the first round of the Australian Open by Anders Yarrid Oh Anders you've got a David Law anecdote for your shoutouts That is top draw And he's a nice bloke isn't he Anders Yarrid we've met him on the Champions Tour I have any more songs
Yes lovely bloke all that the Swedes are always lovely aren't they And the Finns Anders I'm sure I just don't know so many Finne Never never had any personal interactions with Yarr Co. Neiman And But if you had he would have been a delight I'm sure he would have been a delight Anders thank you ever so much do we know anything else about Anders?
We do and Anders would like to dedicate his shoutout to his dad Leif A huge tennis fan and the reason Anders started playing as a child And as says my dad visited Wimbledon and wrote on Gareth with my mum Some years ago before she passed away and he always wanted to go to the US Open
My sister and I decided that we would go with him now in August this year And we book flights and accommodation unfortunately he passed away a week before we book the trip So he won't be with us in person but will carry him with us throughout our visit it was his trip
So very moving touching words there from Anders And we hope you did make that US Open trip and thinking of your dad Absolutely Anders that is got wrenching actually Thinking of you and yeah that's a beautiful beautiful dedication thank you for that
And that's it for the tennis podcast Anders thank you thank you to all of our shoutouts If you'd like to get a shoutout as David said the link as always is in our show notes We'll be back on Monday to talk tennis and we'll speak to you then It's official podcast advertising is transcending audio
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