Craig Gabriel: tennis correspondent on the US Open drawing to a close

We are getting towards the business end of the 145th edition of the US Open, with the singles round of 16 match ups happening earlier today. 

As the finals start to heat up, D'Arcy caught up with tennis correspondent Craig Gabriel to get the rundown of what's been happening and who's looking good as the tournament draws to a close.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Waldegrave
from News Talk ZEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Got a big tennis turning on at the moment. Not
that you'd know if you don't pay through the nose
to get coverage, but I did so be yet the
US Open, one of the oldest tennis champs in the word,
one hundred and forty fifth and Desson currently going on.
We're going to go to Craig Gabriel, our regular correspondent
for the Majors evening. Craig got, we're down to the
final week of the US Open. What's the noise around,
who's performing well? And have you seen that you're like

(00:35):
the look of hitting into the point at end of
the tournaments?

Speaker 3 (00:38):
Well, I guess you know it's the usual suspects really,
I mean Colors after us and Ciner on the men's side,
and Ciner this evening here in New York has just
played an absolute blind. Granted, Alexander Bublic was not quite
there in the match, but it was. It seemed to
be over in the blink of an eye, with Ciner
winning sixty one sixty one sixty one and Bublin double

(00:59):
forcing on the match point. So you know, Yannick was
an absolutely splendid form and considering a bud Lick had
beaten them the last time they played, so yes, certainly
with him and Alcasus and dropped a set in the tournament.
So far, what happens with Novak You'll be playing again
tomorrow night, We wait to see. That's against Taylor Fritz,
last year's finalists. And on the women's side, iagas Rontek

(01:24):
has been rolling through her matches playing incredibly well. So too,
obviously is the women's defending champion, Arena Sablenka. So I
guess at the moment we're looking at the usual suspects,
So the ones that have been in these situations time again,
time and again.

Speaker 2 (01:38):
Any any holes in any of their games do you
think that you've seen? Is there any place or room
to wig Jenna maybe get one over top of them
or not?

Speaker 3 (01:48):
Well, I think Alix Sinner drilled more holes into Alexander
Publicks game that you get in a block of Swiss cheese.
It was just outstanding. So but you know, with those
sort of guys, no, I can't say that I've seen
anything like that. I mean, it's how they handle the pressure.
It's all sorts of things that go into the way
they've been playing and it's been exceptional.

Speaker 2 (02:10):
And the woman's side of the drawer, any holes there either,
I'd suggest No, probably not. I mean, is there an
outsider that might come in acause one of a Ruckers?

Speaker 3 (02:18):
No, I mean, you know the one who's coming certainly
coming to contention now is now we also after being
in Cocoa Golf very handley today, So you know, there's
quite quite a variety of stars to choose from, and
I think that's what's making it pretty exciting in these
closing few days of the US Open.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
As far as the New Zealanders a concern to see
Debraski and Routler for managed to get the way through
the quarter final as well, so that's pretty good for
the third seeds.

Speaker 3 (02:46):
Yeah, absolutely, I mean, you know, they have done well
here in the past, so you know it's a happy
hunting ground. And let's see again if they if they
go through.

Speaker 2 (02:56):
And what about Michael Venus, how do you say himbrogressing
along in the doubles.

Speaker 3 (03:01):
I haven't looked at any doubles. I mean, I've been
snowed under here, so I can't answer on the doubles and.

Speaker 2 (03:08):
Anything else we need to know around the Open and
the laid up to Winever they have semi finals and finals,
any other big stories around there.

Speaker 3 (03:15):
Craig, Yeah, a lot of celebrities going in and out
of Fortunately, unlike Wimbledon they provide us with a whole
list of who's in the raw box each day, they
don't do that over here, so it's a matter of
who you might just spot on the TV. Today they
Man of Winter was there alongside Ramy Mallick, who won
the Oscar for playing Freddie Mercury, and they caught up

(03:36):
with Janick Sinner after his practor session this afternoon and
had a chat with him and pictures and all that.
So and then you know, there's been a lot of
talk about these la booboo things, these troll looking dolls
or whatever that have suddenly become a sensation. And almost
every time she goes out to play, Naomi Osaka has

(03:57):
got a new one with some sort of glitter on it. So,
and that's certainly because if you you know, congus to
wagon chat and all that. So e know, Otherwise, it's
been relatively straightforward here with some very good matches and
some disappointing matches, but you know, I think probably one
of the best matches we've seen was the one that
Taylor Twansend played yesterday against Bobora Kritchikova, who ended up

(04:22):
winning from eight match points down.

Speaker 1 (04:24):
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