Oh, you know the coaches.
They always talked too much, so I can't remember.
Anything Gooday and welcome to the tennis For Day thirteen of AO twenty twenty five. John Huveerniles with all the big news from Melbourne Park every day of the main draw. Today on the tennis, Djokovic shock as Sasha sails through.
Was it the way I wanted to turn?
Not?
Of course not, but it's how it is sometimes in sports.
Scintillating Sinner bet as Ben.
I'm very happy how I handle the situation today.
Class A preview of the women's finals, sable Anca versus Keys and the greatest player to never win a Slam. The legends have their say.
Songa myself maybe.
Momfis that's all ahead On the tennis, A Sinner will deliver this ball to the back and.
For the second year in a row, Yannickcinner it's through to the Australian Open Men's singles final. He has dismantled Ben Shelter Tonight's hey brutal contests, but he passes the test and he will face set As in Sunday's decider.
Janick Sinner is one victory away from retaining his Australian Open crown after a measured straight sets win over first time semi finalist Ben Shelton. The world number one was broken twice in the first set and found himself staring down the barrel of two set points at six ' five, but managed to stave off the dangerous Shelton to send it to a tie break, which he won seven to two.
The second set was pretty much one way traffic. Sinner won ninety four percent of first serve points and eighty six percent of net points, while his opponent considered sixteen unforced errors to open up a two sets to love lead.
Shelton had his share of opportunities in the third set, with a break point in the second game and another couple two games later, but couldn't convert any and despite battling cramps, it was Sinner who found the crucial break against the tide to go ahead three to two, just in the nick of time. With the hydrolts and pickled juice flowing through his veins, the Italian loosened up again, first consolidating to love, then breaking to love for a
five to two lead. The defending champion left Shelton a shell of himself, a bullet winner that shaved the sideline. The last shot fired from the Americans gun. Three more errors and the match was over. Sinner through to his second straight final in Melbourne seven six six two six two in two hours thirty six minutes.
It was very that first first set, but a very crucial one, and I felt like he was he was serving not that his best today or not A percentage was not there where I guess he wanted to. And I think we both actually returned better than we served. And you know, first set's always, you know, very important. You know, it gives you a little bit of confidence. There was a lot of tension for both of us,
and I'm very happy how I handle the situation today. Obviously, the support has been amazing, so thank you so much as always, and yeah, happy, happy to be to be back into financy.
For Shelton, he goes back to the drawing board after being confronted with top level tennis.
I know my levels close. I know I have a lot of the stuff that I need. I certainly believe in myself. I just think that the reps against those guys and the consistency of playing those guys and playing a lot of matches in a week or a couple of weeks. I just this, this will be the year for That'll be the goal this year for me. I think that those guys the center, alkaaz Novak, on on their bad days, they're still you know, winning in three sets, winning in four sets. They figure it out, and I'm
getting closer. I'm disappointed because I wanted to see where this match ended up. You know, I win that first set and kind of get into the depths of it deep in the fourth or the fifth, which should have been possible with where I was at in the first set. You know, serving with set points, so you know next time I'm out there with set points.
Is unusually seen. It into Sunday's championship match against alex Verev on the losing side of a four to two head to head record.
Well, first of all, it's gonna be mental. No, then of course we played already. Sometimes it's gonna be a tough match for both of us. It's gonna be physical for sure. Then we see you know I I I think he played some incredible tennis to go to the final. It's it's it's tough to say whoever is the favorite in a way because everything can happen, but these are our all questions. We're gonna I'm gonna get answered.
No.
Sunday, Jocovic inexplicably puts a full head volley into the nets and I think Djokovic.
Is done my worst.
Extraordinarily, Jogo is retiring from the match. He knew immediately he put the four and molly into the nets and immediately moved.
To shake hands with Alexander Zverev and James Kilvong in the chair.
Unfortunately, well men's semi final day and at the time of recording this spotlight segment, we have already seen one semi finalist through to the Australian Open Championship decider. It is alex Verev for the first time. I'm joined today by Simon Ray from gig Welcome back, Razer, Hey, John, thanks having me back, and Candy Reid from the commentary team.
Thank you.
Today we saw what looked like it was going to turn into one of the great epic men's semifinals. A first set that went for some eighty minutes and ended in very quick circumstances when Novak Djokovic first met an unforced eraror into the net on the volley, and no sooner had he done so than Alex vere wins the tiebreaker and Novak Djokovic pulls the pin. I think you were halfway down into the Pomitary booth and you didn't even realize what was happening.
So Peter mccarto and I were just coming down the stairs. We'd watched this unbelievable first set, so competitive, we almost an hour and a half for one set of tennis. It'd gone all the way to the tie break, so we're making our way down. We literally missed two points and by the time we got to the commentary booth to see Steve Pearce and Kate Kerns, the match was over.
It was shock and you could see by Alex Zaverev's reaction when he was sitting down, he was in shock and he just got going, what a shame, I think, for everybody in the crowd, for Novak, for Sasha. Of course, Sasha is so happy to be in the final having played just one set, because he's going to feel relatively fresh, but no one, no one wanted end to end like that.
Well, even though it was just one set, there was so much to unpack. It was a great battle. I mean that was at the third service game alone, where Sasha had at least five break points to break the Djokovic serv and didn't convert.
Yeah, it was looking like an all time classic from the perspective of the tug of war or the arm wrestle between these two men. I have to say Novak didn't look right to me in terms of the electric movement. And I know he's older clearly in twenty twenty five than we've ever seen him down here before, but the electric movement that he's been known for, it wasn't really there.
And I thought we saw him at en Rain, so as he's been pushed wide in the court, having to take one hand off the racket a lot on back hand side, just didn't look explosive electric dynamic, you know, as explosive dynamic and electric as we've become accustomed to year on year down here from a movement perspective.
And someone we're all older this year before we are, unfortunately.
And he's doing pretty well for someone that's been around so long, but I thought he lost a little bit of an edge of physicality and so in that regard, and as the first set played out, I thought Throughout the first set breaker, I thought it was becoming more apparent that it was really a little bit more of a shell of Novak Drokovic or a shadow of the best version of Novak Djokovic that we've come to expect over such a long time here in Melbourne Park.
I think it was just so nip and tuck, because where ever is someone we've all watched it a lot. It's now legitimate world number two once again, been to a couple of major finals, and Zverev doesn't miss. He's got a backhand that's as good as Novak, and maybe Simon will disagree with me on that one. I'm not sure, but let's just say those two have the best backhands in the men's game, and maybe have ever seen They're unbelievable.
So it was always going to be one of those kind of brutal fights that Severev doesn't hit a huge amount of winners, but also doesn't hit that many unforced errors. What was Novak's level going to be? Maybe he just shot his bolt a little bit in that remarkable quarter final winner for Carlos al KaAZ. Of course, now Novak the world number seven, so they met earlier than they perhaps should have, and he was desperate to win that match.
And we've been speaking in commentary about how over a two week major title, it's so much of a gas petrol tank, isn't it, where it's worn down and you can reset and revitalize a little bit, but within reason. And I think Simon's right being thirty seven years of age and we still think of him as this immense athlete who just lives his life the perfect way of an ultra professional tennis player, and I think the greatest of all time in not just tennis but all of sports.
I really believe that he is just an absolute legend. But I just think he was wearing out a lot, and the thought of playing alex Sander Zverev in two, three, four more sets just like that one was just too much to think about.
So what insights could we glean then from the minimal data that we have from the first set? Where was this match heading?
Well, you mentioned the struggles that Novak was having in terms of first serves landing in the court. I think he was down at fifty four percent of first serves in play throughout that opening set. But really, once the points did become extended and we saw a lot of them. It was trouble for Novak, so we know without naked eye what we thought we saw in terms of the
movement not being as explosive. But when the rallies got extended to five plus shots, it was twenty six for Zeiv and sixteen for Novak, so he put a margin of ten on them. In those lengthy exchanges when it was short, Novak's right there, so serve and return twenty
six to twenty three Novaks favor. So that doesn't or wasn't auguring well from the perspective of Novak, as Candy says, thinking about what's going to be required to get this done now in four or five sets, I've got another three or four or five hours in front of me of that type of physicality, and I just think it was a bridge too far.
Fro Ovack Well.
Novak spoke in press. He was asked a question whether this might be his last Australian Open, and here was his response.
I don't know, there is a chance, who knows. I'll just have to see how the season goes, and you know, I want to keep going. But whether I'm going to have a revise schedule or not for the next year. I'm not sure. I normally like to come to Australia and play, and I've had the biggest success in my career here, so if I'm if I'm fit, healthy, motivated, I don't see a reason why I wouldn't come, you know.
But there's there's always a chance. If I won the first set, I mean, maybe I would try, I don't know, a few more games, half a set, maybe a set, I don't know. But it was just it was getting worse and worse. So I knew, even if I won the first set, that is going to be a huge uphill battle for me, you know, to stay physically fit enough to stay with him in the rallies, you know, for another god knows what, two three, four hours, you know, I don't think I had that unfortunately, today in the.
Tank, Candy, I was most surprised because of what we'd seen Novak push through in previous years. When he went to the twenty twenty one title, went to the twenty twenty three title, he had injuries that were similarly concerning, if not more, and so I think that's what left a lot of people shocked when he left the court so quickly. Do you think if he'd made that volley at the net and won the set, he would have pushed on.
Yes, unbelievably, he absolutely would have. I think it was just the fact that he'd lost that really exhausting set and he thought, now I've got to do three more and I'm not feeling well. My leg's hurting. But as you said, a couple of years ago, he won this title with a three centimeter tear in his hamstring, which to my mind is absolutely bonkers. I wouldn't even walk on court. He is superhuman. And then the year before that was the ABS, wasn't it, and he won there.
So you just think a little bit like Nadal, you can never ever count him out regardless. He could be walking on one leg with a stick and you know, have his eyes closed and he'd still find a way. So I think that was what was so shocking, especially to Severev, who was really going in now for a second set. He'd just gone one set, he'd got two more to get and then Novak retires. So Novak obviously is very very in tune with his body and just
felt I can't do this, it's not worth it. But I like the fact also impressed that he was talking about the fact that he'd entered Doha in a few weeks time and was hoping to make it and we'll see about the injury. So that does bode really well that Novak's going to continue and he's not going to retire.
I think, just finally, the other thing that I would throw into the mix is, you know, we know what our I was seeing out there on the court, and we know what some of the numbers were saying about short medium alarm and Cannie's mentioned her observations from the opening set. But given some of what we're able to do now through the tracking that the team are capturing in terms of Novak's what we call skeletal data, Okay, so having a look at actually what his body is doing.
The cameras that surrounded rod Laver Arena today are giving us these types of insights together with some of the clever minds that I'm lucky enough to work with. And his leg drive so out of his serve where he's clearly in complete control of that, so Zveriv's got no say over that whatsoever. His leg drive number, so we measure this at the hip in terms of his velocity to drive up to the ball was down on his average, So that was a bit of an indication for me.
Now we've spoken about the eye test and then the numbers, but if we get into the skeletal data, there are some clues in here that says, okay, it was a compromised version of Novak today. He was struggling to drive up to the peak of impact on serve with the normal speed that we associate with him coming out of that position of maximal leg drive on a serve, and perhaps that played a role in some of thetruggles that he had on first serve execution throughout that.
If absolutely great insights. So looking ahead, then alex Verev into a third major final. We've seen him go there at the US Open twenty twenty ye roll in Garrass twenty twenty four. How does this playout for severia of what can he be doing? And simon you might be able to give some data insights as well. To be acquitting himself on the court in a position to win his first major.
Zverev has got to keep with his own game plan. He is not going to become chip and charger a vollyear, particularly although he has very much added I think that part to his game. He's no longer just the baseline guy, although certainly that's where he feels comfortable. I think these courts are favoring him because they're a bit gritty, a little bit slower, that's what we're hearing from the players. He's really worked on his second serve, so that's no
longer a liability as it was. I think he's got scar tissue, particularly from the twenty twenty US Open final, which he lost to Dominic team. He really wants a major title. The amount that that guy works off the court was at the NTC a couple of days ago and he was there stretching and working out with his fitness coach, Jess Green, who's back in the camp after departing ways and so I think that's really good. He's
got a really solid crew around him. He's got a hitter, His father is here as coach, his brother Misha is also here with him to support him. So he's got all that in place. He seems settled, doesn't. He off the court with his girlfriend Sofia. I think they were talking. They've been together for over a couple of years now and she's always around, so I think off the court. He's very settled on the court. He really believes he's
put so much work into it. I can't underestimate that as they all have, but I think alex Verev has gone above and beyond in that he'll win a match or lose a match, and then he'll be back out on court that same day working on particular shots. So if anyone deserves one, probably him. However, I do think if he comes up against the Aanix Sinner, Yanick Sinner has got the X factor that little one percent, and I suspect that Sinner will win again.
Where are the numbers trending well for Zveria of this tournament.
Well, I think I keep that pretty simple. Not many have a winning record against the number one player in the game at the moment, and Alex Zverev has one. So it's four two in his favor in terms of the head to head, and we know the weapons that he's got at his disposal. Candy's given great background into the type of preseason that he's had with Jess Green back in the camp, so he'll be prepared and we've
seen them. Candy's right, We've seen him postmatch back out onto the practice court on more than one occasion throughout the event, so continuing to build with the aim to peak on the final Sunday, So he's going to give himself every opportunity. I'm with Candy, though I still feel like the head to head may bean's Vera's favor, but I feel like Center, if it is, Sinner, has got
the ability to elevate again. But I think it's a potential tantalizing matchup that awaits us because of the head to head being the way it is, and when these two have played, any time they've clashed, this has normally been an absolute arm wrestle between these two. No reason to think it won't be the case again.
Let's hear from Sasha Zaverev following today's result against Novak Djokovic.
Obviously happy that I'm in the Grand Slam final again. I'm obviously happy to have another shot that winning Grand Slam. Was it the way I wanted to know, of course, but it's how it is sometimes in sports. I've been in his situation, you know, at the French Open, with probably a worse injury. You know, it's it's life at sports. Life goes on.
John Piers with a smash, It goes back up Goodecki with a smash and it's finished. It's Olivia Goodeci and John Piers who are the mixed doubles champions of Australian Open twenty twenty five. It couldn't happen to two nicer people. Goodeci and Peers have won this major title together. A second for John Piers in major level, a first for Olivia Goodecki, who was just an absolute rock star in
the latter stages of that match. John Piers and Goodeki broken first, but boy did they come up trumps when it really mattled.
Olivia Goadeci and John Piers have staged an epic come from behind win to triumph in an all Australian Mixed doubles final. Fellow wild cards Kim Burrell and John Patrick Smith landed first blow, snatching an early break to claim the opening set. With one hand on the trophy, Beryl and Smith were looking to hold serve for five all in the second when Smith served two double faults and coughed up the crucial tenth game and the second set, Goodeci and Peers made them pay in a ten point
match tiebreak. A Godeki smash on championship points, sealing the victory three six six four ten six. It's a second mixed doubles title at the Australian Open for Peers and a career first slam for Gadeki.
That one was a really tight match out there, and for us to be able to get it done the way we did in the tiebreak was was was credit especially to way liv came in back into this match. She really took charge and took her own to really step it up there at the end, which was fantastic. And as we've been doing match after match, we just keep hanging hanging in there and hopefully things go our way.
And today we hung around long enough and then we were better for the last five minutes in the match, which worked out really nice.
Olivia, Yeah, pretty much.
What Johnny said. You know, it was an incredible sort of five to ten minutes, and yeah, I just thought, you know, if we're gonna you know, just have a crack and just enjoy the moment. And yeah, I played some of my best tennis in that last you know, ten minutes, and I'm so glad we could get over the line.
Top seeds cut arounda siney Arkiva and Taylor Townsend have booked their spot in Sunday's women's doubles final after a three set battle with Mirror Andreva and Dianna Schneider. The unseeded Russians clawed their way into the opening set, breaking back in the eighth game to force a tiebreak, the youngsters coming up with three winners in the breaker, which
they won seven to four. Suddenly on notice Sine Arkiva and Townsend upped their level and played bold tennis, sending down twenty eight winners across the second and third sets in the end experience, proving the difference the wimbled and champs, steam rolling towards the finish line six to seven, sixth.
It feels amazing to me. This is my first time being in the grands and finals since twenty twelve when I won the juniors here, so it means a lot to me. It's been a long time, so thank you guys for cheering us on. This is such a beautiful court, such a beautiful place, so you know, it feels amazing to be the last one standing here.
Dell now faced the fresh combination of che Suway and Yelena Ostapenko in the final after they outlasted Gabrielle Debrowski and Aaron Ratliffe winning a tug of war seven six three six sixty three. Chet and Ostapenko are into back to back finals in Melbourne, but this time on the same side of the net.
Yeah.
I feel like first tournament to Ada do we're getting to know each other because we never played so we played against each other obviously, but together as a team not And I feel like this tournament we start to feel each other better. And I feel like Suey is one of the best net players, like in the world, and I think I hit the ball pretty hard, so it makes your life a little bit easier and I think it's like a good chemistry.
The men's wheelchair doubles final featured arguably the championship point of the year. British bear Alfi Hewitt and Gordon Reid were serving for the match against Daniel Kavazaski and Stefan Hude when all four athletes were sent into a full court scramble. A thirty two shot rally included last ditch saves, hail Mary's and lightning reflexes until an unforced error ended the incredible point Hewitt and Reed clinching their sixth consecutive Australian Open title six two six four.
Yeah, thrilled obviously, you know you want to start the year strong and here in Australia is a great opportunity to get some confidence and get you know, that first Slam title under the belt. So to go out there and do it, you know, for the sixth time as well, it's it's a really nice feeling.
In the quad wheelchair doubles final, their compatriot Andy Lapthorne and his partner Sam Schroeder defended their title once again, taking down Gaias Sasson and Nil Sphink in the decider six one, six four. Chinese pair Li Jiao Dwangzi Young have won the women's wheelchair doubles final, a decisive six ' two six ' three victory over compatriot Ju Jen Zen and her partner Maname Tanaka. Well, Day fourteen is the women's final, and today we're going to be looking at
Madison Keys and Arena Sabalanca in a diagnostic fashion. We're going to be considering the reasons for both why each could win this title and perhaps the reasons why each could lose this title. So Simon has put together a little bit on each. Simon, we're going to start with the case for Madison Keys. What are the things working in keys favor?
Well, I think I'll piggyback off the back of the momentum that she generates in her what was nothing short of a remarkable performance and overcoming IGISHCHWONTEK last night on Rodale Arena. I think that was one of the better semifinals certainly that I've seen, and then talking to a lot of people today, it was something to behold that
contest between those two women. And that's my first point is I feel like she's got this new sense of perspective, momentum, just this sense that this has maybe her time, and it's taken her a little longer than some of his thought, and she's trodden her own path to get there. But I think in recent memory as well, she's been able to trouble Sabolinka. She doesn't necessarily have the edge from head to head perspective, but we know about some of
the weapons. So I'll get there in a second. There was a six love set at the twenty twenty three US Open between these two women that win in Madison Keys's favor. She ended up losing the next two sets and tiebreakers. But I went back and had to look at the data from that match. Every time Arena Sabalinka is served to the back end side of Madison Keys, whether it was a first serve or a second serve, and that opening set, it got punished. And that's an
example of what Madison Keys can do to you. She can take the racket out of your hand with the weapons that she's got at her disposal. As well as that Arena Sabalinka is really aware of what type of challenges down the other end tomorrow night in terms of what Madison Keys possesses. And the proof was in the putting here when I went back and had a look at this match, because Arena Sablanca actually backed up in
her return position. She doesn't do that, Sabolenka, not on first and second serve, and against Keys, she's back sometimes a meter mids and a half, sometimes two meters further back in the court than what you'd expect. So she's aware of the threat that Keys poses in that regard. So there's a couple of things, and I think on four hand side, not many players can generate more heat
than Arena Sable Inca. Madison Keys is won, and we saw at times last night in some huge moments her hitting fourhand winners down the line almost at will Madison Keys. So she's got more heat, which is quite something to say. She's got more heat and more firepower on fourhand side than Arena Sableinca does. She can maybe make more errors on fourhand side, but we'll get to that in a second.
I think those are some of the things. Those are some of the reasons why she can be a real threat to Arena sablel Inca tomorrow night.
I think Madison Keys has got as good a chance as anybody. I think this is a fifty to fifty. Actually commentated the whole Adelaide International for the WTA right before the Australian Open, and Jesse Pegoula, I've said this a few times after the match, said she'd never played anyone that hit the ball harder than Madison Keys. It's a new racket, with a new racket and the new strings, and she's got a new service technique to take the pressure off the shoulder which hampered her a lot last year.
Madison Keys has spoken a lot about being Madison Keys part two. So this is almost the thirty year old version of Madison Keys. I think her husband, now beyond Fortangelo, has done a phenomenal job. He would get Coach of the Year in my opinion, already twenty twenty five. Absolutely, it's only a month then, and he's already got it as far as I'm concerned, because he's giving her concise, just easy structured tactics to go along with he is
in the last eighteen months. And I saw her at Eastbourne, the first one that they got together in twenty three, having a lot more creative game. So he's urging her to get to the net. He's urging her to throw in the drop shots. She used the backhand slice, which I thought she did very well against Eager, particularly going into Eager's fourhand, where she's got that more extreme grip so she can change the pace. Now obviously when he play a sabal anchor, it's a little bit harder, but
she's free. She says she's going for her shot. She wants to finish matches now, going for it. If she's made a mistake, then so be it. And you saw that in the final set tiebreaker against Eager. I said in commentary that fortune is going to favor the brave here.
Even though Keys was down the entire match, tie break until the very last part, she was the one being brave and eager, was playing conservatively, and I think for that reason, Keys has got maybe you know, it's fifty to fifty with sable ancor it just depends who hits a few more unforced eras.
So Raiserware, are the chinks in the American's armor?
Well, you know, reluctantly, it looked like deep in that match last night, there was potential physical question marks. We've seen the hamstring looks like high hamstring be taped up across the fortnite so far, she's spent two hours more on court so far, and getting to the final than Arena Sablanca. She's sprinted in our definition of a sprint, she's sprinted nearly double the amount that we've seen from
Arena Sablanca. She's covered two five hundred more meters to get there, So the body, the physical toll, the body's paid a bit of a price to get there. Now she's got to bury all of that because there's a Grand Slam title on the line tomorrow, slate. But that's the reality is she's had to pay more of a price to get there. If you don't strike any player, but particularly Madison, if you don't strike the right balance
against Arena Sableinca, You're in trouble. And this is where I feel like it could go pear shape for her. Court position's key for Madison Keys tomorrow. She's going to unleash on the ball at times. But if you're trying to unleash from against Sablenka from beyond the baseline, so if Areena's able to back you up, and then Madison feels like, well, I've got to get out of here and I'm going to explode on the ball right now. But I'm going to try and do that from three
and four meters behind the baseline. That's when you'll see the air account start to climb. That's trouble for Madison Keys. If you're seeing her pull trigger change direction from what I would call is a reckless or a defensive court position trouble and that potentially leaves you in a spot where you have to hurt her. But then you're trying to walk to or tread this really fine line. I'm being backed up in the court. I know I need to play aggressive because I've got to expose Arena's movement.
I can't turn this into a physical, long elongated contest. I need to make her feel my ball striking. But I'm trying to do that from tricky positions. That's trouble and first ther percentage I think is huge for Madison
Keys tomorrow. If she has a poor first thert percentage in plane number in the opening set, I'm worried if I'm in her camp because and I know it's been a conscious change to go to the kickserve on the second serve, her speed on second serve is way down, okay, and that's challenging players because whilst the speed is down, the bounces up. And Madison Keys a tall player, so the trajectory of that serve with her height and then
with the kickserve, it's elevating on players. But I don't think that'll challenge Sablenka with her height, with her strength, I think she'll be all over that second serve looking to climb into it an unleash. So if Madison Keys has a poor first set tomorrow night, from a first serve in play perspective on worried she's going to be chasing the point thereafter.
I need to look out for all Right, Candy, let's switch and talk about Arena sable Anca, the positives for her. What are we looking for that's going to give us the best indication that she's going on to an historic three peat.
She's added so much to a game, including that incredible drop shot, which I just love. Her second serve return is unbelievable. If you serve tea, if you serve tea from both sides, you are in big trouble. So Madison Keys has to swing the second serve out wide, which isn't actually that comfortable from the juice side, and then she can go with the kicker. But when I was watching Clara Tuwson, every time Klaus when a second serve tea from both sides, the ball came back down the line.
Allah Yelene el Wastapenko, and you just can't get to that next shot. If you do, you're just popping it up. I love the way she plays. I like the way she's coming forward taking the balls out of the air. That was something I thought the Keys could have done a bit better against Saballenka. I'm sorry about against the ego when a ball popped up, she was waiting for it. Saballenka doesn't do that anymore. She's always looking forward to
taking the ball on. So I think the belief if you had to guess who was going to win tomorrow, I don't think anyone would put their money on keys just because Sabolenka's done it twice before.
What else is working in her favor?
Well?
I thought it was her most dominant performance of the event so far last night against Paerla Badosa. Some of the numbers were frightening in terms of generating momentum coming into a Grand Slam final tomorrow. So seventy seven percent of first serve points one, sixty one percent second serve points one, and her forehand ball speed elevated so when she needed it the most, all of a sudden, she up in the mid one twenties in terms of her
ball speed on fourhand side. Now that's a number we hadn't really seen from her, not only this year, but even in twenty two and twenty three, sorry, twenty three and twenty four. Those are not numbers that we've seen from her. So her quality of shot off fourhand wing
elevated last night. That's ominous. I think if you're on the receiving end of that first serve returns in play, we can expect her tomorrow night to make seventy five percent of fourhand returns on her first serve return and seventy eight percent of backhand Both of those numbers are ten to fifteen percent higher than what we'd expect from Madison. Arena Sablink is going to make more first serve returns against the threat that Keys poses on return and sprints
per match. I've already mentioned kind of the match up physically, well, Arena. You can only force Arena at the moment to sprint eleven times per match. We said Keys was up around twenty five. That's what we're expecting. So Arena is saying, hey, I'm in charge of the point here. No one's bullying me around here, and the challenge remains for Madison Keys to try to do that, and she does have that ability. But those are some of the reasons why Arena Sablink is going and feeling good about things.
Okay, so if you're a fan of Madison Keys then and you're worried about all this potential data that Simon's given us, what are the signs you're looking for that Arena is potential a little bit off her game.
Well, I suppose the unforced era account can go off, and as Simon said, you've got to really get her out of the strike zon. You get to get her on the run. If anyone can do that, Madison Keys can because she, as Simon said, she can match her for power, and very few people could do that. I think if Eager had got to the final, it would have been Saberlenka for sure winning because Eger just cannot cope with that kind of pace. So Madison Keys can hit the ball as big. She's got to serve well,
that is so imperative, and of course the belief. Now we've seen Keys lose a few first sets, so that could be trouble. So Saballenk will be eyeing that up and knowing that perhaps it's hard to put Keys to bed. But I suspect that if Sabelenka gets on a roll like she did against Podosa from two love down, she's going to be hard to stop, just because she's done it before. She thoroughly believes in herself, and she's just got such a huge game.
What else, well, I think in terms of Madison Keys and her ability to challenge Arena Sableinca, So where things might be looking a little bit off if you're in the sable Anca camp, I think Arena Sablinca can be challenged by Madison Keys exactly as Candy said, from a
ball speed, from a weapons perspective. So the players that have played against Arena Sablanca so far in the twenty twenty five Australian Open on four hand side, they've averaged one hundred and nine, one hundred and sixteen, one hundred and seventeen, one hundred and seventeen, one hundred and eighteen hundred and eight kilometers an hour. What do we expect from Madison Keys tomorrow night? One hundred and thirty okay, next, Okay,
that's a different ballgame all of a sudden. So Arena's not going to find that baseline exchange as easy to dominate, or in fact easy at all to dominate. Madison Keys a whole different threat with her ball striking capability. And there's a little bit of a template in terms of what Pablochenkova did the other night, and easier said than done, but her purpose, her intent, her aggression on second serve return anytime she got to look at the arena, sabalinca
second serve was to get after that thing. I think Madison Keys she has the if she runs hot, she can get rolling, she can generate momentum and look out because she can generate winners at will Madison.
Keys, all right, this is You've set it up as a tantalizing battle like this is a dream matchup for a really final. So I'm going to find a word to both of you. How is this? I want a winner and a scoreline, Candy all.
Right, I'm going to have to go with Saberlenka and I think she's going to win five and three, And I think Mattie Keys is just going to run out of steam.
Okay, and Raiser, I'm tempted to say that you know what, Yep, I'm going to I'm going to call it. I think Madison Keys can can pull this upset off. I think this is a three set battle. It's going to take every ounce of grit and resilience and determination that she's got. But I think her weapons give her an opportunity anyway to pull this off. So I'm going to say she gets it done seven to six and the third John.
When we think about the greats of the game, our minds typically go to Grand Slam winners. But what about the players that did everything else but win a major? The hundreds of players who somehow managed to never lift the trophies at Melbourne Park, Roland Garross, Wimbledon or Flushing Meadows.
Producer Alexia Mitchell chatted with some of the players competing in the AO Legends Cup, Alisha Mollick, Sam Stosa, Daniela Huntakova, Marcos Bagdatis, Andrea Petkevich and Eva Meoli, who shared their greatest players to never win a major.
Who's the greatest player to never win a Slam?
Oh my gosh, this is really a tough one. Actually, I'd have to go back into the archives to really be on point with my answer, but I think probably I just mentioned Madison Keyes. I think she's definitely there for me. Alisha Mullek, like, I don't know. Te Elena Dementieva was very very good and she made a couple of finals but didn't win one. Who's the greatest player to never win a Slam? Men's or women's?
Thank you for I would say maybe Gaile montfil. I mean there is a lot because of the generation of Roger Djokovic and Raffa and Andy Marie. Of course there is a I think there's a bunch of them in my generation. We're all talented. Like I can give examples like Songa, myself, maybe Momfeez Gasque that you know, if maybe Roger and Rafa and Novak and Andy were not as good, we could have won a Grand Slam. But yeah, I would name a couple.
Alexander Zev I think maybe he will win one still, he's still active, but I think he's the one right.
Now, huh. I would have to go at the moment. With sashas Verev. I think he's having an amazing career without ever winning a Slam, So I really wish for him to win his first Slam. I think he really deserves it.
Do you have a pick for the women past or present.
Past or present? Well, many women that I played with, they all want at least one Slam, So having the present player, maybe Madison Keys. I think she would deserve to win a Slam.
That's all for Day thirteen of the Australian Open. Join me again tomorrow for all the big stories from Day fourteen, Women's final Day. Be sure to subscribe to never miss an episode, and why not leave a rating and review while you're there so more people can discover the tennis. You can also watch our daily spotlight segment on our YouTube channel, Australian Open TV and I'll catch you tomorrow for more of the tennis