Good day everyone, and welcome to the tennis. Riley Opelke has taken aim at doubles, Miron Drever's history making Win in the Desert, and Ossie Women on the Rise. That's just a sample of what's ahead on the tennis today with me. John huvenis writing Shotgun Today. From the sit Down is Viv Christy. Welcome Viv.
Thanks John. It's always great to be here in Podlover arena.
Lovely to have you filling in for Brie, who's away for another week of well deserved leave. On the other side of the table. From oz open dot com, Dan him Hoff is back, Welcome.
Down, Thanks John. Good to be back back in the studio for change.
Yeah, it's a lovely change of scenery for you and the coach of Darius Saville Luke Saville.
Thanks Johnny.
It still sounds a little interesting, little strange, but great to be here.
I mean, I could have picked any number of titles for you, but I think that's the most relevant one at the moment right.
It is a it's a period of transition for me and really enjoying it. It just had a bit of a bit of a stint in the Middle East with her and back home now doing a little bit of coaching here and there myself and surprisingly enough, well not surprisingly, but she's having a great run this week in Brita. So it's great to see.
Yeah, doing wonderful things among a lot of ossies down this week. Who we're going to be chatting about on the show today.
Who will particularly the Uzzy girl's doing really well, a bit of a rankings milestone there.
We'll touch on that later.
Of course, absolutely, and viv you'll give us the latest and what's happening in the sit down because a great episode coming up next Monday.
Yeah, we've we as we've talked about, we had the chance to do a lot of interviews over the summer and one of those was with Ivan Lubacik and it was one of my favorite interviews.
Well, as we like to do off the top, what's caught your eye, and we're going to start with you, Luke Saville, what's caught your eye in the world of tennis this week?
Well, Johnny mine is Riley Opelker's comments about doubles not so positive. It's fair to say what some negative comments. He's been very outspoken in the past, and I believe you've got the comments there front.
Yeah, so he wrote this on social media. He said they should one hundred percent get rid of dubs. Now, I think he's come back and sort of alerted that that particular statement was made with a little bit of sarcasm. But it goes on. It's for failed singles players. There's no such thing as a doubles specialist. They don't sell a single ticket, They take up practice courts, physios resources, they don't turn a profit, and they complain that they
don't make enough money. That's pretty greedy behavior if you ask me. Now, it's got the tennis world in a spin. But I want to get your reaction first. What do you think of Riley's remarks about doubles.
They're pretty strong comments, aren't they. And I think it was very interesting listening to Fitzi's comments a few weeks ago on the AO podcast, and he mentioned something like pickleball with the kitchen, I think, not being able to get so close to the nets, and I think that's been I don't played much pickleball myself, but that's been a very sort of productive rule in that sort of format.
And I just feel like tennis doubles has just lost little bit of its entertainment and probably at skill level a little bit as well. And I've been guilty of that as well, because I think if you're not crowding the net and using those skills, you're going to be
left behind. So I just feel like something like that where it just stops, particularly in men's doubles as well, where it's so dominated by the serve to get the net players back a little bit and just sort of incorporating a little more skill, sort of ther first volleys and a bit more of the doubles prowess that was probably they're a bit more evident quite a few years ago.
So sort of feel like, you know, obviously the US Open have made big waves in basically getting rid of the mixed doubles and making it basically like an exhibition unfortunately, and I just hope that that's just not one of
many things to come with the doubles formats. And I still feel like there's great entertainment value, but I just feel like there's probably a little tweak that could be made in the game of doubles to make it a little more entertaining, maybe with longer rallies again, especially in the men's doubles, where I think it's just a lot of sort of serve return, you know, folly put away. So I think it's very interesting.
I think what I found most interesting about his comment is that it's for failed singles players. I totally I don't agree with that statement at all. You know, we've seen so many singles players that have actually thrived in doubles before they've won a Grand Slam title, for example, So Martina Hingis is one that springs to mind. She won with Jana Navotna at Wimbledon, and then the following year she went on to win three of the four
Grand Slams in singles. I think doubles provides an incredible foundation for a lot of players, and we actually had the chance to ask Martina about that on the sit down and she talked about, you know, it just prepares you for that big stage. So yeah, I think singles, I mean, doubles provides a great foundation for singles, and you know, doubles has it's built the game in a lot of places.
As well, especially here in Australia.
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
You know, we talk about our golden era of tennis and you know, all of the players who thrived in singles in that golden era that you know, I'm talking in the fifties the sixties, they loved to play doubles. There was kind of that real camaraderie and I think that we're seeing a lot of that again in today's game.
And Rohan Bapana, a current doubles player obviously from India, had a really good response to it, saying he didn't necessarily make it in singles, but what he's been able to make it at doubles.
He's been able to pour a lot of that.
Back into his community and I think he cited more than thirty girls he's managed to educate under privileged children in India. So that's a massive gateway that we probably don't even consider sometimes, you know how important that impact could be and just how big of a reach doubles has that not everyone sees on the surface.
Absolutely, look at Sonya Merza, who thrived in doubles, and you know she's provided a wonderful example for so many girls in India as well.
Mahshba Pati is another.
Indian player who you know, made a lot of you know, achieved a lot in doubles. And has also inspired a lot of players. We spoke to sum Negual on the sit down and he attended his academy and that was a life changing experience for him. So again, I just think that Doubles leads to so many wonderful, other wonderful things.
Lepelk has certainly said a cat amongst the pigeons, but I think Andy Roddick has sort of been someone who might not have fully agreed with Riley, but has supported his right to have his opinion and kind of has given credit to people players who are prepared to put their opinions out there, because you don't see it every day players being this forward about their opinions on effectively, what are other peers in the game.
Yeah, I really don't. And the one thing is just so black and white Riley Opelger's comment as well, and just no sort of leeway, there's no flexibility. And I mean, I'm sure he doesn't even chat to a lot of the Doubles players as well, have really any relationships with so I think just getting to know some of them, know their story, their background, because just saying the failed singles players, that's just completely false. And I think, you know, maybe he could go and play some doubles and see
if he can make it. There's nothing, there's nothing stopping is it? So very strong comments and very good for conversation.
And surely doubles is fun. I know that you've played a lot of doubles and done a lot in doubles, but the team element, I mean, surely that's fun.
It really is. And a lot of my greatest achievements came in the doubles format in my career, and it allowed me to play Davis carp Olympics so represent my country, which I'm forever grateful for and some of my biggest achievements. So I love the game of doubles, the camaraderie. Everyone says I sort of get like a man possessed when I get on doubles quarter I had to bring that in my singles, so that sort of energy, a lot of jumping around in my arms, do strange things when
I play doubles. So especially here at this Train Open and going out playing doubles as well, making the third round and absolutely loved it. So I think there's definitely a place for doubles.
Absolutely absolutely going nowhere here at the OZ Open where we do sell plenty of tickets for the doubles, both men's, women's and also mixed. Let's move on from that now, Viv what's caught your eye in the tennis world this week?
Well, what's caught my I was really pleased to see Andre Rublev back in the winner's circle in Doha, So, you know, it's been it's been quite a journey for him in tennis in recent times. You know, I think we all remember he got defaulted in Dubai a year ago, so it was good for him to go back to that part of the world and sort of I guess rewrite the story of what happened there, But yeah, he had an incredible run there in Doha. He three of
his matches went to three sets. He beat Dimonor, Felix Augier, Elysium and Jack Draper in the finals. I had to fight pretty hard in all of those matches. It's the first title he's won twice in his career, so seventeenth career title, but the first one first mournament his one twice. And yeah, he has been very open recently about some struggles with depression and his mental health, so he talked again about that after the final.
You know, he talked about Marette Saffon having helped him.
Sort of turn his game or he's not his game, but he's sorry that mistality.
Yeah, he's mentally.
So he's been very open about you know who he's reached out to for support, including Marat Saffen, his countryman, particularly after Wimbledon last year when he lost in the first round. Yeah, and he's just I think he's inspired a lot of people.
It's really great to see, you know, someone in this day and age being so open about that side of it, because there's a lot of perks on the tour, you know, traveling and being a professional tennis layer, but there's some parts that are quite difficult as well, a traveling component being away from loved ones, friends and family. So it's great to see and you know, he's been one of those players that have been in the top ten but just sort of struggling to probably make waves at Grand Slams.
He's playing in a pretty tough era right now and probably similar to like a David Ferrer when such an amazing player, but just very tough when they've got three or four very very good players. So it's yeah, I watched a little bit of the Alex demon Ar match there in Dubai and in Doha, sorry, and that was a very topsy turvy one. I think rub Lev had his first match point at five to two and then
they played a ten eight tirebreak thirds at tirebreak. So great to see that he's been struggling a little bit but staying with the process and winning that title.
I think it was like seven or eight match points.
I can't remember the exact number, but there were a lot of match points before he won that dim and all match, So you kind of wonder if that was a turning point for his whole tournament really, and I.
Think there are a few of the matches went to deciding said tiebreaks, which he'd kind of been losing a few of them in the last year or two, so I think this will do This was really important for him.
Ossie Open first round.
Of course, he lost to von Zecra as well, so that's not a terrible loss, but given the run he's had, that just would have compounded things again and again, you know, kick all these early round exits to finally pull through a big title like that and beat the caliber players that he beat too.
Yeah, you love to.
Say congratulations to andre rub Lev. Also last week in Rio de Janeiro, it was Sebastian Bayaz who took the title. There he defeated Alexandra Mulla in the final. Well what about you, Dan, what's caught your eye?
In the world of tennis, Similarly, while rub Lev was doing well, it was mirror Andreva winning her first WTA one thousand event in Huge Dubai, which looks she'd already reached a Slam semi in Paris last year, but I feel like this.
One might have been more of.
An announcement of her arrival, more confirmation that she can actually beat these big names now. She beat three Slam champion von Drusiva, Sion Tech and Rebakna along the way before Clara Tolson in the final.
So that's champions, three of them, three.
Of them Grand Sam champions.
She's the youngest to crack the top ten since Nicole Vitis over in two thousand and seven, which is pretty remarkable just to reel off a few more of those youngest since stats only the fifth player to win two titles before turning eighteen. And he guesses who the youngest tour titleist might have been and what.
Age before before the youngest WTA. Yeah, not not necessarily WTA one thousand.
Yeah, it's got to be Capriarti it is.
It was you us somewhere in the It was Puerto Rico fourteen years and six months. So that's obviously not possible anymore because of the eighth restrictions. So yeah, seventh player in the past thirty is to make her top ten deboo before her eighteenth birthday. I will reel off these names. So the others are Hingus, Venus Williams and a corner Kova, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapover and Vitis Over.
Keep in mind, two of those never did win Slam, so it's no guarantee she's going to go all the way, but she's in pretty good company.
I loved her acceptance speech as well.
She thanked she did all the right things, she thanked her team the tournament, and then she thanked herself.
Yeah, let's take a listen.
And last but not least, I would like to thank me. I know what I have been dealing with, and I just want to thank me for always believing in me.
And I wanna.
Thank mer and I were quitting and always dealing with her pressure and today was not easy, but I chose to be there one hundred percent. So I thank myself for d and I hope to see you all soon somewhere in the world.
Thank you.
How charming was that speech?
I love mer Andrew. I'm not going to hide that. She's another sit down guest that we had. We talked to her Wimbledon last year and she was fantastic. She's just she's just so naturally bubbly, and you know, she asked her age, you know, as well while doing all these incredible things on court.
She's innocently funny, isn't she. She doesn't even realize she's off the calf. She's very natural, you know, do you reckon?
She realized that she was quoting Snoop Dogg in that acceptance speech. I didn't think she did.
I don't think so.
No.
I think it was just purely from the heart.
I wasn't cool enough to know that she was quoting Snoop Dogg until.
After the fast a smile on her face that suggested she knew something.
Yeah, I think it just came across so humble as well. There's probably there's probably a sort of an arrogant way that that speech could come across. But I got zero sense of that, just so humble, and I think she'd been thinking about it for a while because she started saying then laughed a little bit. The crowd laughs. So but I actually loved it. I mean the start of the speech she thanked everyone, thanked her team, the opponent,
the tournament, everyone that's helped her. And then to finish that off, And I think it's important for the athletes. Obviously you need a support team, of course, but you've got to thank yourself. You've got to believe in yourself. Otherwise she wouldn't be there, and it's great to sort of recognize that in a funny way in a speech.
Yeah, it's worth pointing out too.
She's one of only two teenagers in the top one hundred, and she's ahead by an enormous margin.
The other is a top one hundred debutante.
And that'll be my joint the young Aussie eighteen year old who'll come in at At the moment she's live ranked, I think eighty eighth could go up further if she keeps going in Mereda.
Yeah, that's right, So she's in Mereda this week among a number of Ozzie's doing great stuff, including your wife Dasher, as we've touched on already. But let's go further down that rabbit hole because this could be a historic week for Australian women's tennis. Viv Dan has mentioned Maya joint up to eighty eight in the live rankings, Olivia Gadecki was already inside the top one hundred, and we've also got in there Kim Birel out Ossie number one, from
whom we heard last week it's seventy five. We haven't had three Ossie women inside the top one hundred since Ash Barti retired in twenty twenty two.
Yeah, I think it's it's a great week for Ozzie women's tennis already. You know, there's been a lot of focus on the men, fairly so with Alex Dimeno doing so well, but we've known that, you know, there were so many women that was sort of just outside that group and waiting to sort of make that leap, And isn't it wonderful to say see it actually happened.
Thinking ow sit down at the New Core Metal, I was saying that there's a lot of focus on the men at the moment, but I was really looking at the next crop of Australian women and I really felt at the end of this year twenty twenty five, we could have five, six seven women in the top one hundred, and we've got three and I'm hoping Dasha becomes a fourth quite soon. And I've got Eiler and then you know,
Tarlie Gibson's playing great tennis. Madison English, Emerson Jones, maybe not this year, she's got a little bit of time up her sleeve, but tracking incredibly well. So Priscilla Hon. I think there's a great crop there and it's fantastic to see. I think Kim's playing great right now. She's had an amazing start to the year, sitting at seventy five and still going this week in Austin and my joint sitting at the live ranking of eighty eight, and Chris Marney is doing a fantastic job with her, so
shout out to Chris. And she's just taking all in her stride so she's not getting too overawed. Great to see, so.
Round of sixteen in Meredith at the moment. Let's stay there for a moment because we do want to acknowledge that Dara is the first woman through to the to the quarterfinals in Mereda after knocking off Anhelna Kalinina this morning as we record this podcast in three sets. She also beat Marta Costuk, the sixth seed yesterday. I actually didn't watch that match, but tell us about that match, because that's a formidable seed to take down.
Yeah, it was a great match. She won six, four, seven, six, And I was actually at the match where she played her at Wimbledon, and she was leading a set and five two serving, so she went down in three sets there. So that was a tough one. But I felt like Dasha after that previous performance, had the belief that she could go out there and win that one. And I think getting two wins in qualifying as well was super important. The conditions are a little bit different there in Mexico
compared to the Middle East where Dasha came from. So to come through qualities and to win two matches in main draw, she was struggling a little bit prior to this, especially in the Middle East and even during the Australian summer, to be honest, but we were staying in the process. We're staying very process orientated and doing a lot of
the right things, and Dash's been fantastic. She acknowledged that she wasn't playing her best tennis, but she was working so hard every day and we felt like the practice is very good, but we need to make that transfer to matches, and it feels like it's paying off this week. So I'm very proud of her.
That must have been a huge weightlifted that first round, particularly given she hadn't won a main draw match for quite a while.
Yeah, for sure, and even playing Ellen Perez's first round qualities. I'm not sure if anyone saw that one, but Ellen hasn't played many singles matches in the past few years, so they're great friends as well. So to get through that, get through qualities. She had a really good win last round qualities as well against Lepchenko, who's a fantastic player. So to beat cost Shuk and sitting in the quarterfinals, she's a little bit tired, but hot, humid conditions there.
She's got a day off tomorrow and then possibly look at a quarter final match with Powler Bidosa, so it doesn't get too much harder than that one. But very very happy where she's aden a much needed sort of run this week.
Yep.
Jacqueline Christian and Powler Bidosa to playoff in a round of sixteen match later today as we record this, my joint the other Aussie there, Dan, as you mentioned, she's through to a round of sixteen clash with Donna Vekisch. Should be a tough one for her back, not beyond her.
Tough one of Herbert.
I think she's playing amazingly this first couple of months of the year and loving the hard courts. She's not sure in confidence at all. Vekich, on the other hand, not in the greatest form at the moment. She's struggling a little bit. So that's a definitely winnable match for my joint.
Great and viv over in Austin with a couple of other ossies in action a La Tom Ladovich will be taking on Kim Berrel If Kim gets through her round of sixteen match against Shibahara, and it's kind of a win win in that. If Beryl wins, well, she continues on her merry way. If she loses, Tom Lanovich advance into the top one hundred.
Yeah, it is a win either way, isn't it. Let's just look at it like that. I think it must be so tough when the Aussies have to play each other, as you just alluded to, Luke, But yeah, I think it's great to see. And again it shows that there's numbers. There's numbers in Ozzie women's tennis, and if they have to face each other in those matches, there's always a positive that comes from it.
Jess Bergoula is the top seed in Austin, a big favorite to win that we've already seen the elimination of a couple of the higher seeds, including pet sorry, including Peyton Sterns and also Yuan Yuat who Kim Berrell took down in the round of thirty two. So that's what's happening in Austin. Also, storm Hunter made her comeback in the doubles, I think got all the way to a deep into a third set match tiebreak and didn't come away with a win, but just so wonderful to see her back on court.
Absolutely, And I think she posted something on Instagram of early days or a video of early days of her rehab process and just said she's never been so happy to losing a super tie break and just great that she came out of it, you know, feeling good physically, and Storm is absolutely flushing the ball. I did some sessions with her and she's hitting the ball fantastically well. So if she can to stay on court, don't get too sore. I'm sure the results will come thick and fast for Storm.
Plenty more of the tennis coming up, including the men in Dubai and Akapulco, plus our preview of Indian Wells next week. Stay tuned. So the men are in Dubai this week and well, some big storylines coming out. I think the main one from an Aussie perspective is that Marion Chilich has knocked off two Aussies in as many days, starting with Alex Demenorviv and then Alexi popronovernight.
Yeah.
I don't know what it is about Maroon Chilich and the Aussie players, but he's having an incredible run there in Dubai.
And you know, we know.
He's a great hardcourt player, He's a former US Open champion and you know, just a really solid player all around who has struggled with injuries over the past few years. So you know, it's not surprising that he would have a run like this, and you know, I believe his game is very suited to Dubai as well.
He hadn't been on many people's radars, but that's his first top ten win the demonoll one since twenty twenty two and somewhat of a late career resurgence from the croast.
It is, But keep in mind he won his first tournament back last year in China, which was a two fifty. I know it wasn't as strong as this, but he's still capable of pulling off good results like this here and there. It's probably more about getting in the rhythm and keeping his body right at that age because it's been I think a pretty tough few years for him, and the confidence probably dissipates a bit there as well.
But that's an impressive run. Both those players, particularly demon or the quicker surface there probably suits Filage to hit through it. I imagine Popriin won his first match in a while, so he won't be totally disappointed, but still he would have seen that as a winnable match.
What are the.
Challenges for a big player like Chilich you know later in life? Because as Dan touched on that, that win over Demono's no mean, feat, what are the challenges for big players in the twilight of their careers.
Well, yeah, it's obviously Excuse me, it's obviously the injury side as well. Being bigger, there's probably a few more
niggles that can go wrong as well. And I was there for the w T A tournament in Dubai a week or so ago, and it's very fast conditions there, so it wasn't surprising to me that when I saw that draw, I thought it was going to be quite difficult for Alex Demenaar and I just sort of felt like on a slower court, Alex will be able to stretch out the rallies, move Chilich around a little bit more and make a little more physical But on those fast courts there, I think Chilich was able to shorten
the rallies play quite aggressive, quite big, and serve enormous as well. So probably just one of those ones where Alex came in and probably tried to find a little bit of rhythm early, unable to define his feed and lost in three sets.
Unfortunately. Vivas the first time we've seen Alex at this tournament in Dubai. He won Acapulco the previous two years and therefore has missed out on defending those points, so that puts his top ten spot in jeopardy.
Yeah, I was, I was looking at that earlier. I don't believe he'll quite full out of the top ten. It was an interesting decision that he chose to play Dubai rather than Akapolco because he's played so well in that tournament over the past two years. So I'm not sure of the reasoning, but yeah, it's very surprising to me.
What do you reckon?
I think I'm not sure the reasoning, but he was five points ahead of Tommy Paul. If Tommy Paul won his next match against Marcus Chiron, he would have leapfrogged him. But he's just filled out, so number nine he'll stay for now. I think Sitzipass, though, could still pass him. He's about three hundred behind him.
So Sitzipas now has Berettini, who's also entered the top third. I think okay, so his climb continues. Bear Attini, have you got any insights on why Alex might have chosen to shun Akapulco. Do you reckon it be a money thing or perhaps a kate to be closer to Katie who was also playing in the area.
I just feel like I don't know the reason, but the week before so Doha, there was no hard court events in North America for Alex to play. The only one was was Rio, So I'm assuming that Alex didn't want to go from clay onto the hard court. It is wanted that continuity and consistency of surface, so he was going to get that for Doha and Dubai. I just played the two five hundreds in the Middle East, and I'm assuming he really likes the conditions there in
the Middle East as well. Alex he plays very well on FASc plays well on sort of any surface as well. But I just think he wanted to go there after Rotterdam when he had that week off. He made the fine on Rotterdam, of course, and just sort of have that consistency. Has had the hip issue as well, so I feel like he just doesn't want to hop around from surface to surface. Just one of that hard court continuity. And now he's got a week to prepare for Indian Welles.
I believe he he just arrived there, so it's got some great preparation there. He's had a fantastic start to the year, so I think he can put that probably a bit of a disappointing Middle East swing behind him and get ready for the North American swing.
So the quarter finalists in Dubai, it'll be Medvedev the top seed against Talon, Greek spor Stefano sits a pass against Barrettini. As I mentioned, Sitzipas defeated Karen Hutchenoff for a ninth time from ten meetings. He'll take on his good mate Bretini. Now Luca Nadi the lucky loser taking on Quentin Halis the qualifier, and Felix Augier Alisim against Murran Chiliic with his projected ranking who entered that tournament.
And over in Akapulco a few Ozzi is there, Rinky Hijakarta knocked out by David Goffahn in the round of sixteen. There'll be Goffan taking on Ben Shelton there, so round of thirty two. So into the round of sixteen now for Gofan and Alex Zverev took care of Mateo Analdi. He takes on leern at Tien. That's going to be a fascinating contest. Both had pretty charmed runs in Melbourne, contrasting styles. But learner Tien Dan just going from strength to strength.
Yeah, he really is after that, as you said, the run in Melbourne where he beat Medvedev, I think save match points. Even made the fourth round as a qualifier and he's only eighteen, so he's backing that up.
Clearly loves the hard courts. Zverev's a good test for him.
I mean, he's got absolutely nothing to lose there, So two good wins already Analdi Nori, Sorry ignore that he didn't.
That's right, a good.
Win coming off a good win there against Norri. So I think he'll come out swinging all.
Right plenty to keep our eyes on as we head into Indian Wells next week. We'll have all the results from Akapulco and Dubai next week on the show. Well, where are we going to start? We'll start with the women. I think igsh Fiontek the defending champion at Indian Wells. The tournament kick off March five, and great to have men and women in one combined one thousand event.
Vig Yeah, I think it's always fun when you've got the men and women competing at the same tournament. It's just a different vibe. And we know that Indian Wells is a really popular tournament with the players, and there is always lots kind of happening. There's lots of celebrities, there's you know, lots of events happening off the court. So yeah, it's always a fun tournament to look forward to.
So who you're keeping your eye on down well, Maria Sakari had a good run last year and hasn't had much of a run since, so she's got an awful lot of points there to defend after reaching the final. I think she lost Eager quite easily there in the final, but yeah, a lot of points coming off for her, so pressures on there.
Eager too would be pretty keen.
To back it up because it was about this time last year that she started to find a form again. It'll be good tests for the Eager whim for set coaching partnership. They needed a big title, I think soon.
Who would have thought would be entering March and Indian Wells and from the top three players in the world, we've only got one title to be shown for which is Arena Sable Anchor up in Brisbane this year.
Yeah, it's a strange one and sable anchor didn't have the greatest Middle East swing as well, so she was struggling there a little bit. So I'm sure she's looking for a bounce back at Indian Wells. But they caught the fifth Grand Slam and fantastic weather, great golf around there, so I've always loved Indian Wells. But yeah, looking forward to the two week event like a Grand Slam and should be very exciting to watch the top women in the world go at it.
Arena talked in the Middle East about she's been struggling a little bit with motivation, which I found quite interesting. You know, she's world number one, is it kind of like, you know, is she struggling to find a goal?
I don't know. I think this will be a really interesting test for her.
I think the loss two keys would still be hurting him bit. She said it hurt more than any other Grand Slam loss. That wouldn't be totally surprising that it could still be lingering smaller events straight after. It's hard to pick yourself up again for those.
I think so, and possibly not the most amazing crowds there in the Middle East as well, and that possibly that's what she loves playing for is the crowd and the entertainment factor as well. And I think the tennis season is quite long, so there's probably going to be some sort of ebbs and flows with the motivation and the energy. So like you said, Dan, she probably took that strain open lost very very hard, so maybe probably takes her a few weeks to get over that one.
But where else to sort of get that motivation back then Indian Welles, and I think she'll be ready and rare to go well.
Most of the big men will be there too, of course, no Yannick Sinner sitting out for a few months until Rome, but it'll be alex Verev, Carlos al Karez, the defending champ, Taylor Fritz and Novak Djokovic among some of the big names.
I'm kind of interested to see how Daniel Medvedev goes as well. He was a finalist last year. We'll have lots of points to defend. It didn't win a title last year, so I think that will eventually start to play on his mind that he's chasing a title again.
I'll look to some of our Aussies and you know you've got hopefully Jordan Thompson making his return to the tour after a bit of a break with his foot. So I haven't haven't chatted to Tomo, but I'm hoping he'll be backing the likes of Alexi Popper and Chris O'Connell, Ranky James Darkwath. So I think a few of these boys will be in qualifying, but think a great time for a lot of us, a lot of the Aussies to make to make some waves there.
Planning to look forward to in Indian Wales, we'll have Duncan mckeens in mccagu and Danny hunter Kova on the ground for the tennis so we'll check in with them on the show next week for their preview of the tournament. Heaps to look forward to in one of the most beautiful settings in world tennis. All right, Vivia, and you've got the reins from brief for Viv's top five. What are we doing this week?
Well, we're doing top five teenage Champions on the back of Mira Andreva winning her title in Dubai.
I thought it was very topical.
I like it. Well, you know how this works. We count down from five to one. Feel free to interject with your thoughts along the way. Lets start us off five.
Well, we're gonna start with jail Fonseka winning his title in Areas last month.
Yeah, just last month.
So he carried through the momentum of winning the next Gen ATP Finals. We know that he won the Cambridge Challenger here, had a great Australian Open. But yeah, he becomes he won his first title at age eighteen.
He joins names like Leyton.
Hewart, Kane, Shikori, Referenado and Carlos Alcarez as a teenage champion on the ATP tour.
Hot start to your top five, viv And.
Next on the list we have Mira Androva. So how could we leave Mira out After that incredible week that she has. She becomes the youngest champion of a WTA one thousand tournaments. So that format has been in place for sixteen years, just one year less than Mira's age of seventeen. But yeah, I think she shows such composure for a young player.
We talked about that earlier.
She says she's wept on her anger management, so on court, I love her relationship with Concitta Martinez, which is, you know, it's more than a year old now, they obviously work so well together. And again, as I said earlier, I think it's it's.
All upside for her. She just gives this vibe of a lot of great things to come.
I like how she said about the Martinez coaching player relationship. She said, I've made her funnier. Martin said that mirat Concitta, she said, I've brought humor to her.
Yeah, that's great tongue cheek, I'm sure.
But number three.
View, number three on the list, we have Egos fiontech. So she was only nineteen when she won Roland Gross in twenty twenty, so that was an incredible tournament for her. She took down Simona Hallop along the way, who was a former champion.
She didn't drop a set for the.
Whole tournament that year, So she went on to become the youngest champion since Rafael Nadal at the tournament in two thousand and five, and the youngest women's champion since Monica Sallis in nineteen ninety two.
Yeah, that was probably the start of what really started to take notice of Ego, wasn't it? Sure was, yeah, and now it to five major titles.
Is that right?
Five majors? Yeah? Four of them at the French.
Open, easily chasing double digits. I reckon by the end of her career, who's it too?
Viva two, we have Coco GoF So Coco turns twenty one in March in a couple of weeks. But you kind of there's this sense around Coco that she's actually much older than that because she did so much at such a young age. So she won her first title in twenty nineteen. She then went on to win five more titles before she became a US Open champion in twenty twenty three. So in the final there she beat Arina Sablenka.
She had it. That was an incredible final, come from behind win. So yeah, she definitely number two on the list for sure.
She definitely has the game to win multiple majors. Absolutely, her athleticism and just her game in general. Her serve, her backhand a absolute world class and just feel like if she can bring the full hand in and just keep making gradual improvements, that shot has in particularly improved a lot over the last couple of years, but it can still break down in some big matches. So if she can improve that, I don't almost see anyone beating her if she can maintain a consistent level.
So I f Seca, Andreva, Shiontek GoF who's coming in at one, number one.
Number one, we have Carlos el Karez, So we already knew he was an incredible player. By the time we got to the twenty twenty two US Open, he'd won numerous titles, including a couple of ATP one thousand Masters titles. But yeah, it was at the US Open that was his biggest milestone. He beat Caspar Rude in the final, but he had three five set matches along the way, including that incredible quarterfinal was against Yannick Sinner, also beat
Marion Silch, Francis Trfi. But in winning the US Open, he became the youngest world number one in ATP history.
I think the question mark on Carlos is the body and staying injury free, because he's just having a few injuries, and he's quite young, and he's obviously played such a physical brand of tennis for already quite a few years, even though he's in his early twenties. So if you can stay injury free. Obviously, with Sinner around as well and a few young guns coming up, including Fonseca, I'll say that he wins twelve slams, Yeah.
Any little number to end up on. But yeah, I agree, it's his body and then your motivation. How long can you sustain that if you're getting injured. And he even said last year he lost a lot of motivation. It kind of happened after the Olympics, but he didn't say it was purely because of that, And it took him until Beijing, not that long, but he captured the title there and it was started to kick things along again. But yeah, I think injury's motivation is his biggest enemy there.
It's so interesting to hear you say that because I remember early in my tennis writing career I used to say the same thing about Raphael Nadal, So, you know, the style of.
Game that he played, and you know, just having.
To keep up all of the you know, everything that he needed to maintain in terms of motivation. So I was very happy to be proven wrong on that front. And I hope it's the same.
Yeah. Indeed, how many times did Rafa surprise us with his little We've all thought it was over in twenty fifteen or sixteen with the shoulder, and then wins another six.
Or seven kept coming back, so incredible inspiration for Carlos there as well.
Well, I'm viv that was a that was an excellent top five.
I'm glad you enjoyed, John top.
Five teenage titleist. Congratulations to our winners. Okay, time for Ace of the Week. We each share a highlight from our weeks and I might throw it over to you, Luke to kick us off.
Thanks Johnny. Yes, I'm home for a few weeks now and my next trip is to Europe. I'm taking a bunch of our best twelve and four Dane juniors to Europe for two and a half weeks on the clay
and it's part of the Alex Dimonaar Foundation. So Alex has a real drive to help and mentor our next crop of juniors, especially the twelves and fourteens, and I think he feels that a big part of his development when he was young, getting on the clay in Europe that really assisted in his development and the player and
the person he is today. So he really has a strong drive to give back to the next generation of Australian juniors and so yeah, I'm part of I think it made sense with our relationship Alex, my you know, we get along very well and for me to be the coach there and hopefully instill some of the values that Alex so strongly believes into these juniors and he really wants to be involved in the next crop of
Australians coming through. And it's just another feather in his cap of the champion play, not only player, but the person he is.
Nice.
How many children are you're taking over?
There's five on the trip and there's two other coaches.
Nice. Oh that's pretty good ratio. Then yeah, you won't be overcome.
No, no, so it will be fantastic. I think even for me when I got on the clay as a young sort of twelve fourteen year old going to Europe, it was very important for me to see the level.
Enjoy that Dan your ace of the weeks.
Yeah, mine's nowhere near that exciting. But had a couple of Adelaide based European friends visit last weekend and did all the touristic things, rode bikes around in thirty four degree heat, and neither of them were game to drink Melbourne's tapwater.
Really for them drink of water, they wouldn't touch it.
I don't know how bad that tapwater is in Adelaide, but they took some convincing and I've since looked it up.
It's meant to be one of the best quality drinking waters in.
The world Melbourne's yes. Yeah, So they soon got over this little hurdle because they had a big drive ahead of them. Where are they from and Spain but live in Adelaide.
Yeah, okay, I don't know any well, essay insights just really quickly.
So I was born in the country country Riverland in South Australia and we moved to Adelaid when I was ten and my mum and I we weren't able to drink the Adelaide water for it is. We were only hooked onto rainwater back home, so we had to bring gallons and big bottles we go home every weekend. So I'm sorry Adelaide people, but the Rainford is much better.
So they had a point.
Your friends sounded scarred from the words in the City of Churches. Oh that's good. So you were playing tour guide.
I didn't. I let them guide themselves. I just offered the water.
The water boy, I love it. Good stuff. Dan im Hoff viv over to you your ace of the week.
My ace of the week is it's actually something that's coming up. So I'm about to head off on some malive from next week. So this time next week I will be on my way to Cape Town, inside Africa.
So yes, I'm looking forward.
To spending a couple of weeks with family connection.
There is a fan connection, family friends, but yeah, it's just a place that I love to spend time.
I've not yet been to South Africa, but my South African wife is doing everything in her power to get me over there.
I would highly recommend it.
She's from Pretoria though, so a little bit of a different experience because Cape Town's what It's a sea city, right it is.
It is a seaside city. There's mountains, there's wineries. There's a lot to see in Cape Town. But we'll be traveling around a bit as well, so we'll be driving back to Joe Berger along the Garden route. So yeah, I would recommend it.
Amazing there you go for me.
All is in readiness, ladies and gentlemen and listeners and viewers. I think we're thirteen days to go till the due date of our daughter, and next week on the show will be my last episode in the hosting chair forever, not forever, just for the actually for four episodes. But I am looking forward to to a break. We'd call it a break. It's a break of sorts, but where it's a staycation. We've got the house ready and the
baby will be joining us very soon. Elmy is very ready to get this over and done with.
I can imagine that's a really special time and an exciting time.
So we wish you all the best for them.
You can join us again next week for the Tennis. Don't forget. You can watch this episode and all of the episodes of the Tennis on the Australian Open YouTube channel. Luke, thanks for joining us today, Thanks Johnny, and thanks Vero. Thanks Dan, Dan love your insights.
Thank you good to be back.
Catch you on oz open dot com throughout the week. You will, Lovely and Viv. When's the next mag out? First? John, there is a.
Mag out now, so yeah, I should have brought a copy, but yeah, you'll find it online.
Thanks to you as well. I'd like to also thank myself for all my hard work throughout this week and throughout the show, and don't forget to subscribe to the Tennis to never miss an episode all year long, Have a great week in tennis, and we'll catch you next week.