You Almost Had Him

No, Casper Ruud did NOT almost have Jannik Sinner—but he might still be a favorite for Roland Garros, along with four women and Carlos Alcaraz. We recap the Italian Open—from the exquisite (Paolini's movement, Alcaraz's toolkit on natural surfaces) to the atrocious (Errani's serve, Zverev's rants).

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:14):
Hello everybody, and welcome to the Renee Stubs Tennis podcast.
It is that time we get to wrap up roam
and we get to talk about the upcoming tournament called
the French Open or is it now Roland Garross? What
are they calling it? You know who wasn't happy about it?

Speaker 2 (00:31):
Shaquille o'niel's calling at the French Open? No, did you know?

Speaker 1 (00:34):
It was Charles Barclay who was given it the ship
Charles Barker was like, why would you change it from
the from French Open to Rolling Girls? Nobody knows who
rolling girls?

Speaker 2 (00:41):
I'm not calling at that.

Speaker 1 (00:43):
I was like, that's not a good way to get
off on the T and T foot And.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
The other guy was like, uh, we won't be using
that as our broadcasting. Just a ting jingle for the
upcoming coverage, and which is hilarious. They have so many commentators,
but they didn't pick all the good ones.

Speaker 1 (00:58):
Oh well, I'm not gonna stay out of that eye.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
I mean, it wasn't dying about you. I was just
talking about the other guy.

Speaker 1 (01:02):
I still out of that argument. Although if anyone is
listening to our podcasts, and who does work for Warner HBO,
Max who knows, people who know people, let them know.
I'd I'd love to do the French open for them.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
It just feels like my rule, this is my rule,
this is Marinee's rule, but my rule is yes.

Speaker 1 (01:22):
I just want to preface this. I had nothing to
do with whatever's coming out of her mouth.

Speaker 2 (01:25):
I just think it is time for us to assess,
especially when a new network gets a new gets a
new coverage of a slam. Yeah, it's time for us
to assess, like, hey, who are the people who are
already in the field doing great? Who are some new
voices we can emphasize. I was thrilled to see that
they got Chris Eubanks. I was, Yes, that's Salon Stevens
will joined their coverage under Agacy whenever he dropped by

(01:46):
the booth, which is not often but every time, it's amazing.

Speaker 1 (01:49):
He's going to do two or three days. Yeah, I
doubt he's saying with Venus. I don't know how much
Venus is going to do. I think Venus is apparently
from what I'm hearing, I don't know, actually, but from
what I've heard, she's doing some features and stuff, not
really necess are really commentating. I don't know we'll find out.

Speaker 2 (02:02):
I'll watch Venus do literally anything. I just think my
rule is, if you haven't played or coached, played or
coached at the pro level in this century, maybe.

Speaker 1 (02:13):
In this century. That's what I'm saying. This century.

Speaker 2 (02:15):
It's pretty wide ranging. I leave a lot of room.

Speaker 1 (02:18):
I haven't made it into this century.

Speaker 2 (02:20):
You've both played and coached in this century? Yes, I
just think there is a there is a benefit to
being to staying close to the game, either as a no,
it's not where as a coach. I think maybe some
of the voices that have not played the century or
coach can just you know, they got enough money.

Speaker 1 (02:35):
Like what do we do?

Speaker 2 (02:36):
I just, you know, let's make some room for some
new uh from new voices.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
Anyway, again, asterisk next to that, I had nothing to
do with even we didn't even talk about this. We
have our little thing that we're going to talk about,
and that did not come up. So for anyone who
listens to our podcast who is working for A T
and T wanna, it was not made that brought that up.
But then again, I am I'm.

Speaker 2 (02:54):
Going to watch all of it, and I am he
excited about some voices and not excited about it.

Speaker 1 (02:58):
I will say this, and this might be a little controversial,
and I might get in trouble for this, but what's
fucking new in the world of Rene stops when it
comes to the one liners. But I love Jimmy Arius,
and I really there's certain people on Tennis channel that
I actually when I listen to them, I go, oh,
you know, that makes sense or whatever. And some of

(03:18):
the content text is really good.

Speaker 2 (03:22):
But.

Speaker 1 (03:24):
Boy, oh boy, he was talking over the points a
lot in Rome and listen again, I am not perfect.
There are certain things about my commentary that I watch myself,
and I am hard on my soul and my oh geez,
I talked too much there. I probably could have pulled
out there. YadA, YadA, yadda. But one rule I have is,
even if I'm in the middle of a conversation, I
will stop before the start of the point. And you know,

(03:45):
if anyone says I don't do that, that is crap.
I'm a big believer in not talking over the point.

Speaker 3 (03:51):
Now.

Speaker 1 (03:51):
I might talk in between first and second serves every
now and again, but that's rare as well. But I
don't know what was going on him and Mark Petchy
would just having a waffle on for a lot of
the points that were going on. I'm like, guys, you've
got to have more discipline than that. Your context and
what you're saying was awesome. Everything that was saying was right,
Everything they said was good. Both of them are great,
But you got to have better discipline. You can't talk

(04:12):
over the point. It really it really bothered me this time,
Like I was like, okay, once I can handle it. Okay,
twice we've all done it. Maybe we want to get
that point out. It kind of sounds dumb to just
stop in the middle of this particular comment, but it
happened over and over and over again, and I was like,
what is happening? Are they having seizures? It was bothering me.
It bothered me a lot this time.

Speaker 2 (04:33):
I mean, there's no shortage of critiques and kudos that
we can spread and sprinkle around the contrary because Mark.

Speaker 1 (04:42):
Petchy's like him. Both him and they were spot on
with their analysis. They were great with the analysis, but guys,
you got to you can't talk over the points. It
was pissing me off. And sometimes it happens when you
were calling from a booth in another country, like I've
done the Olympics from Connecticut and I'm calling it in Tokyo,
I'm calling in Brazil or whatever.

Speaker 2 (05:01):
You know.

Speaker 1 (05:01):
Last one was in Paris. There are times we have
a time lag and the same thing happens to us
in Australia. We have a bit of a time lag
with it going back to Connecticut and coming back to Australia,
and so we have to be really conscious of like
getting our words out because the points already started. But
in the States the point hasn't finished. It's like it's
not easy to do it right. But they were in Rome,
they were actually there, so they were watching the match live.

(05:23):
So I'm like, there is no excuses for you guys
to be talking over the point.

Speaker 2 (05:27):
I feel like with commentary lessu's more. If I noticed
the commentary, I want it to be insane film. Then
I don't want to think about it again. I wanted
to only enhance my viewing.

Speaker 1 (05:35):
Yeah, I really, That's why I like Lindsay Davenport so much.
I think Lindsay's great.

Speaker 2 (05:39):
Yeah, she does a great job. Yeah, and she's commentating. Okay,
So friend Jubin has started actually the qualifying matches and.

Speaker 1 (05:45):
It was on Max, so if you have Max you
can see even callfying.

Speaker 2 (05:47):
Which is really cool. I watched Bibi Undrescue when her
first round, yes, in a very tidy fashion. I think
it was yesterday morning. And uh yeah, I've been watching Strasbourg.
Watched Little Out of Canu this morning playing Daria. Kassakina
got her first win in four tries over Daria. Just
I love tennis. I love that it's on. I love
that it's on in the morning, and the French Open

(06:08):
is and pon us I'm so excited. Yeah, let's wrap
up Rome because most people think about Rome, and we've
talked a lot about the clear seasons so far. We
talked about Monto Carlo, we talked about Barcelona, obviously Madrid
which had both the men's and women's, but really the
precursor and the best indicator is Rome.

Speaker 1 (06:27):
Yeah, I've always said it. It's always been for me
the best indicator of you know, it's just very similar
the conditions to Paris. So for the fact that we
saw Carlos and Paulini is really interesting because you think
about it, you've got last year's winner in the men's
and then you've got the last year's finalists who was
probably absolutely out of her mind going into that final

(06:51):
last year, going what the air am I doing here?
But this year, look out, little Jazzy, and you know
how I feel about Jasmine.

Speaker 2 (06:58):
You have been on I'm on the Paulini train since
well before last year's French Opens, certainly well before last
year's Wimbledon and last year's Olympics. She's got a lot
of points to defend, and now it's looking like, hey,
totally feasible scrambling around takes.

Speaker 1 (07:14):
She just got a thousand points this way.

Speaker 2 (07:17):
I gotta say, and we should talk a little bit
about EGA in this coming tournament, because now that EGA's
ranking puts her out of the top four, she's not
going to be seated in the top four, which means
she's going to be in somebody dangerous' quarter of the draw,
which is in and of itself interesting. But I got
to say, like, yeah, to your point, Paulini going into
the final of Roland Garros last year against Ego, who's

(07:39):
won it so many times, starts to look a little different.
Now that Paulini has gotten this not only single title,
but also doubles title at home in front of a
home crowd in Rome, just like so so so excited.

Speaker 1 (07:49):
Back to back. They won the doubles last year as well,
and so they got another win there. It kind of
feels like, you know, the French, where she did so
well at the French was she won the doubles and
then she losing the finals of the doubles of the French.
So she won I think she wanted last year, or
if she didn't, she was definitely in the final. So
she's gone back to back, you know finals there. Look,
she plays great on clay, her variety, her not missing,

(08:13):
she has a great serve, a great kickserve, and so
and she is teeny tiny, peeny piece.

Speaker 2 (08:19):
It's gonna say she moves so well because she anticipates
really well, and even though she's little, she moves around
the court so well. And she gets around.

Speaker 1 (08:27):
Yeah, she gets around. She's a great mover. She slides
really well on clay. She utilizes that ability so well.
But she pops the ball too. She really clocks the forehand,
she hits a big backhand. There are so many things
about this particular match that showed you how important it
is to have such good technique on every shot. And

(08:47):
not only that, she has this joy about her that
is so infectious. Like there was one particular shot where
she slid up to a Coco hit a really good
little drop shot and she hustled her ass up to
this ball and she slid to it. And sometimes you
slide so much, you actually slide like out of your
not out of your shoe, but you slip and fall.

(09:07):
And she fell on the ground. Didn't hurt herself, She
just kind of fell on her butt, and she was
she was smiling through the slide. She she smiled, smiled.
After she fell, she looked at Coco, gave her the
thumbs up, went to the towel, looked over her. People smiled, laughed,
and it was actually a massive point in the match.
And I thought to myself, Oh my god, if I'd
only had that joy, Like everything is a joy for her.

(09:28):
Even when she was she'd get a little bit tight
or not, she would step up, she was smiling. She's
just I have I have loved this kid forever, Like
I told you, I saw her play for the first
time in Prague at a really small like one twenty five.
It was during COVID times, and I remember her playing
collies at this tournament. I was like Who is this kid?

(09:48):
She's so good, there's not a weakness. She had. Backhand's great,
forehand looks good, serves good. Wow, she hits the ball well,
she moves well. Why is why's she in qualifying? That's
what I thought. And then slowly over time she has
just chipped away, chipped away a lot of work with
her coach, Ronzo Fulan, and now has a new coach
in her, which I thought was an interesting move because

(10:10):
she had been with Ferland for years and years and
years and had stuck with him forever, and then she
had a change and is now with Mark Lopez. Of course,
of Ruffia and Nadal fame. Who was you know, Ruffia
and Nadal's doubles partner when he won the gold medal
doubles at whatever Olympics it was. And then he was
with Rafa in his coaching box sort of helping as

(10:31):
a hitting partner. Played a lot of doubles with Rafa.
I mean, what a great person to have in your
player's box now and teaching you and new things and
work ethic and all that. And Ronzo Furlan was a
great player himself. But then you sort of get a
little bit stale you're hearing the same thing, and so
many great coaches, Darren K. Hill will say the maximum
that you should work with somebody's probably four or five years,

(10:53):
because at some point you're just you're telling them the
same thing and you need afresh and she has gotten
that from Mark. She was not well at the side
of the year and now all of a sudden, bom
wins the biggest tournament of her career.

Speaker 2 (11:05):
But you know, and didn't have a waltz to get
there either. I mean she beat a red hot Peyton
Stearns who had taken out tons of everyone. Madison, he's
Elenis Videlina.

Speaker 1 (11:18):
I think, I don't know. But she made a couple
of Grand Slam champions back to.

Speaker 2 (11:22):
Back, and uh, you know her she had a Diana
Schneider and a tight three setter, like you know, she
had a she had a she battled, she battled.

Speaker 1 (11:34):
She battled away, and she was playing doubles.

Speaker 2 (11:36):
Yeah, she played a ton of ton of tennis and
she battled really well. I do want to talk about
some of the before we talk about the Coco Final.
I do want to talk about two exceptional matches that
I thought were probably like contenders of matches of the year,
which is Coco taking out Chenuen Jung seven six and
the third Oh my god, that was one of my

(11:58):
favorite favorite matches ever for ever in the semi and
that was just a brutal but incredible showing on the
part of Coco.

Speaker 1 (12:07):
Yeah, I mean that showed Coco's resilience as well as
I've ever seen because you know, and and it also
showed Chinwin's vulnerability because she had that match. She should
have won that mad at the end and Coco had chances,
she didn't get it done. And then chin Win had
her chances and she didn't get it done, and then
got into a tie break and I think it was
four two in the tiebreak, and all of a sudden,

(12:27):
you really saw a chin When really get nervous and
she stopped attacking the ball and she got way passive.
And that's where Coco was like, because Coco's very observant
out there, she saw, she saw an opportunity to jump
on that, and she jumped on it and she was
aggressive and she got back into that tie break and
then Chinwin just went era eerror. It was crazy.

Speaker 2 (12:47):
Yeah, she fell a home.

Speaker 1 (12:48):
Yeah, she fell apart. And that that's a little concerning
because really Coco's the one with the pressure on her
there you you got to step it and finish that match. Yeah,
and they play really similar. They do play really so
I heavy four hands, flat backhands, and.

Speaker 2 (13:03):
They both have no problem going to the high looper,
which I thought was interesting, like seeing those guys both
max it out and I went not on Clay it's
smart and Chinwin had just come through and beaten Sabolenka
in the first try. I mean, granted, it's a lot
easier on Clay in Rome than it is the other
times they've played each other on that courts, but yeah,
I thought that was really chin One's match to lose.
In credit to Coco, I think really just getting a

(13:24):
hugely confidence inspiring like battle, yeah, to get to get
through it. And I think that's something that I think
you're right. She's not only very observant, but she's so
match tough that even as you were saying, like Paolini's technique,
she's so so good. Pauline's technique is so much better
than Coco's, but Coco's just got so much fight in
her and I think that that is what makes for
a really sort of compelling, you know, matchup in that

(13:47):
in that way.

Speaker 1 (13:48):
I think that you know, Chinwin and Coco played the
most similar to each other on tour. They both have heavy,
top spinny fourhands. They can go off at times. Particularly
we know Coco's backhand is flat and really good. Cocos
is better, her back end is much better, but Genuine's forehand,
in my opinion, is much better. And the second the

(14:12):
serves are a little bit all over the place as well.
They're big when they're going in, they're working, they're awesome.
When they're off, they're off. That both of them can
double fault. I mean, we saw it over and over
and over and over and over and over and over
and over and over and over again in that match
where it was a double faults that kill Coco, I mean,
and in the end it was just her resilience and
her ability to fight through those difficult moments that were

(14:35):
able to get the win. You know, now going into
the final, it's a different situation because you know, Pauolini
is going to have the crowd, she's not going to quit,
she's not going to give up, and she can match
it power for power on both sides with Coco and
arguably much better, more reliable forehand that can change directions

(14:56):
so easily, and she's not afraid to come into the
and her volleys and her volley skill is excellent, clearly
playing a lot of doubles, but it's just about the technique.
Coco's pretty good at the net as well, because she
likes to move forward, but her technique on Volli's is
nowhere near as good as Paulini. So under pressure, she's
going to come in and you know she has a

(15:17):
basic sort of forehand volly or back and volley, she's
going to make that. Whereas Coco, you're not quite sure
she's I mean, she pulled off this one point that
was incredible against chin Win. It was like a back
and forth at the net, and she won it. Because
she plays more doubles, I would argue that Chinwinn should
play little doubles. But look at the two of them.
You know they both did great and doubles, and they

(15:37):
both did great and single, So I would suggest more
women play doubles.

Speaker 2 (15:41):
Something tells me the chinmen have a hard time getting
a partner.

Speaker 1 (15:44):
Yeah, I don't think she's overly liked and that I
love her. She doesn't know. She doesn't want to be
friends with anyone. She's actually said it in public.

Speaker 2 (15:50):
She's like, she's really, I'm not here.

Speaker 3 (15:52):
You know.

Speaker 2 (15:52):
This is flavor of love, no flavor of friendship. Yah.

Speaker 1 (15:54):
She's like, I'm not out here to make friends. I'm
out here to beat people.

Speaker 2 (15:57):
But who's not the friends we've made along the way.

Speaker 1 (16:00):
But let's go into the final. The thing that I
was worried about immediately for Coco was the very first point.
I was like, this is not going to go well
for her today, because when you step up to the line,
everybody's nervous. So that's where you have to have that
three quarter pace first serf to be able to get

(16:22):
an in and start the point. Because Coco, arguably, when
she gets her serve in the court, can beat anyone.
But when you are giving someone free point after free
point after free point, that's a free point. You mustle
just walk to the other side. It's like a point
penalty's first point. Double faull I was like, oh my god, no,
that set the tone for me immediately. If I'm playing

(16:45):
against her and I'm Parolini and I'm like, I'm hitting
the ball good, I'm seeing the ball like a watermelon.
I know how well I can play on this court.
I'm going to have the crowd on my side. What
do I need to do to beat Coco? I need
to break her foehand down and I need to hope
she doesn't serve well, which she did against Eager for example,
she served unbelievable in that match. First point, I'm standing now,

(17:05):
I'm nervous myself. Double fault. I'm like, oh, okay, well
you're way more nervous than me, and you're arguably one
of your weapons. Her first serve isn't going in. I'm
gonna I'm going to kick your ass today, Like that
would have been my first thought, immediate immediate release of
is she going to come out playing like she did

(17:27):
against Coco? Or is she going to come out a
little bit unsure? And that's what we saw a first point.
And you know, I sort of wrote a few things
down as I was watching the match, because you know,
I want people to understand how important one or two
points is in a match and why having a weakness
on a side, and particularly on a second serve is
it's so detrimental to her in these big matches. And

(17:48):
you know when you double fold that first point. It
just sets the tone. You know. She just made some
just some rash decisions as well, like trying to hit
one drop shot when she was up in the next
game and Paolini ran in, And you got to know,
you're playing against someone who slides well, who moves well
in clay. You hit drop shots against Danielle Collins, against
Saber Lenka, you get the ball below the net, short

(18:11):
in the court. Against someone who can't slide on clay,
things are going to be pretty good for you, especially
with Coco, because she hits the ball so good when
someone comes in. She uses that lob really well on
the forehands, really right. She hits that top spin lob
down the line over the back end side, Like those
are little things that she does well because she knows
she can't just flatten out her forehand, so she uses
her top spin lob, you know. So there's little things
that she does. But against Paulina, you're screwed. She's gonna slide,

(18:33):
she's gonna go whack with the forehand. You're dead. And
that's what happened. And then all of a sudden, she
gets down so easily in the first set and just
sets the tone and again, you know, double faulted a
couple of times. In the next service game, she just doesn't.
I would say, listen, if you're nervous, like, let's just
hit some kick serves as first service. You're playing against
the girl who's five to three on a good day.

Speaker 2 (18:53):
Yeah, you're not gonna you don't have to hit her
off the court with.

Speaker 1 (18:56):
A rally with her.

Speaker 2 (18:58):
See how you go that point her teeth into it.

Speaker 1 (19:00):
And if you get your nerves out early and you're
getting you first servey in, go for it a little
bit more.

Speaker 2 (19:04):
When you talk about rash decisions, I mean, because you
know you said it before. We've seen Coco's serve and
forehand both because of technique, they can go astray and
you know, so hopefully sometimes they come back because she
can fight through some rough patches. Yea. But I do
want to sort of talk about like a little bit
of the decision making. To me that that is troublesome,

(19:28):
especially when she's playing somebody who is also an excellent counterpuncher, right, Like,
it's so clear what she needs to do against Disablanca
or somebody like Ego who's also sort of a counterpuncher.
But is an aggressor, certainly on clay, whereas you see
Coco hanging in the points, making herself a nuisance, making
them hit one more ball, and then she's able to
turn that defense into offense. I don't know that she's

(19:51):
I don't know that she did that against Paulini. And
as much as she may be needed to.

Speaker 1 (19:55):
Well, give you an example, like the first game, obviously
with a double fault and then just a not a
good game at all. Then you know Paulina holds okay,
but okay, no big deal, right, let's just get our
service going. Let's just hang in there. She can get nervous.
Blah blah blah. Coco then at fifteen thirty on her
serve had a backhand mid court. Paulini was all the

(20:17):
way over on the left side of the court, on
the backhand side of the court. And Coco's best shot
is her back end, and arguably your forehand back and down
the line or a back and cross court is arguably
the best on tour. She has a mid court backhand
and shows to hit a sliced drop shot like to
go like what you know, you hit the back end

(20:38):
down the line, like hit your shot. You know, and
then she double faults and then loses that game again.
So it's just like all of a sudden, she's down
three love and it's like there's panic. There was bad
shot selection. And I have to say, if you if
you know what your weaknesses are, and at the beginning
of that match, it's not going in you start just
your brain just starts kicking over a million miles an hour.

(21:00):
Oh my god is this and you're trying to fix it,
But it's because you made a really poor decision there.
You should have smashed that back and down the line.
She runs over and gets it back. Great, but you're
probably coming into the net. Like there are just little
decisions like that, And I think it's affected by when
she doesn't start a match well like that. Now she's
done it so many times. Was she's fought back, but
on this occasion she just she was playing a better player.

Speaker 2 (21:22):
What do you think about Coco's coaching retinue. We've talked
about this before and past.

Speaker 1 (21:30):
Yeah, I don't know them well enough. I'll be really honest, like,
I don't know her coaching crew at all. You know,
I've heard great things about a couple of them and
hard workers. And all that sort of stuff. But and look,
look she says, made two back to back finals, So
I'm not going I can't critique what they're doing. One
thing that I know, I know everyone talks about, you know,

(21:52):
the grip and her serve. There is one thing if
she would ever to listen to this podcast or anyone
that knows her, please get her to not go forward
on her serve before she's thrown the ball toss up
like she If you look at her service motion, she
goes onto the front leg as she's throwing the ball
toss up. There's nowhere to go there, right, So unless

(22:15):
you're serving and you feel really confident, you better hit
it well from that point because you are already coming
forward and down on the ball. Right, So there's no
she's got to get the rocking motion, you know, or
but the fact that she's on her front left foot quickly,
I'm like, good luck getting under the ball, good luck

(22:37):
getting kick, good luck being able to have any kind
of a three quarter serve. That's one thing. There is
a bunch of stuff. The grip is also not a
great thing. Her elbow she lunges, you know, falls to
the left. There's a lot of things that she does.
But one of the things that I really would change immediately,
and I think it's it would not be that hard
for her to do is to not get on her
front leg as quickly as she does. That really, particularly

(23:01):
with the second serve.

Speaker 2 (23:02):
What's interesting, I was teaching serve to my kid over
the weekend. We've done a family hit every now and
and you know, my wife and center now at a
place where they can rally pretty decently, and the thing
that they cannot do very well is serve because it's
really hard. And I was basically just like, look, the
basic idea, like you're throwing any kind of a ball,
is you go from the back lay to the front leg.

Speaker 1 (23:21):
That's it.

Speaker 2 (23:22):
It's a way of transfer, right. You just want to
start going backwards to your point. You want to rock back,
go up, and you want to come forward so that
your body weight transfer gets the power. And I think, you.

Speaker 1 (23:33):
Know, imagine try try this. Imagine this. If you're at home, Okay,
get a tennis ball, go to throw it. Now, would
you when you go to throw a ball, do you
are you forward? Like, think about think about being on
your left leg? Okay, so think about your playing you know,
little league, or you're over there and like on the

(23:54):
outfield and you get a ball hit to you and
you go to throw it, and you're already on your
left leg to go and throw it. Where it's it
going to go. It's going to go straight in the ground.
So your brain is the thing about tennis players, and
this is the thing about technique, is that you randomly
know what's not going to work right. But then all
of a sudden, she's already forward so to get That's
why she falls to the left, because she has she's

(24:16):
trying to get, she's trying to get under it. She's
actually trying to get under the ball.

Speaker 2 (24:20):
It's just like she's falling.

Speaker 1 (24:21):
I think coaching stuff with your chicken is before your
egg is.

Speaker 2 (24:26):
There so many things about her that makes her so good,
and then there's like fixable things that you're just like, ah,
there's fixable things here. You know. It's not like your
brain is scrambled eggs like half the people, certainly me
on the you know, on the court, where you're just like, well,
I can't help that. Forehands hey, my for you haven't
seen my beforehand. I cannot take time.

Speaker 1 (24:46):
Christ christ Christy good forehand. So Christian her forend was
much better than mine.

Speaker 2 (24:51):
Listen to Christie's Christie has but there's my full time coach.

Speaker 1 (24:54):
But that's what I'm talking about. There are mechanical methanical
things exactly. And for bull at home that darn't know
had to serve. You all can throw it a ball,
not well, I'm sure some of you can't throw it well,
but try and throw a ball and be on your
front leg as you're throwing it, like you go back
on your right and then as you're hitting you're throwing it,

(25:15):
you're then you go onto your front leg.

Speaker 2 (25:16):
I want to talk about this is such a perfect
opening to talk about the Women's Devils Final Oh God,
which features truly, truly, truly one of the most atrocious
serves that ever existed in professionals.

Speaker 1 (25:28):
Speaking of bad serves.

Speaker 2 (25:29):
Holy moly. I mean, listen kudas to jas mcpalini. She

(26:03):
got the devil. That's incredible. She won it with Sarah Rani,
who you know is not everyone's flavor, but I mean,
I'll forever be indebted to her for giving us. You know,
the doping fellon to my mama's Tortelloni. The Tortilloni defense
when she got.

Speaker 1 (26:20):
You know, it was the last time that someone was
in the French the Italian Open final as an Italian
was Sarahani.

Speaker 2 (26:26):
Sarahani was years ago. Sarah and he has been playing
tennis on the pro circuit for a long time.

Speaker 1 (26:32):
First, yeah, I played her many many times. That's how
long she's been out there.

Speaker 2 (26:36):
God love her. She's she's like what four to eleven?
I mean, she's yeah.

Speaker 1 (26:39):
Well, the two of them at height is maybe maybe
six foot.

Speaker 2 (26:45):
I turned on the devils at one point because our
friend Soviet exit us and it was like, ladies, what's
going on with this Devil's final? And it was the
two of them at the baseline yea, And I was
just kind of like, you know what I triggered from juniors,
when you got two opponents at the baseline, I won't
know how much we want to do.

Speaker 1 (26:57):
I mean, for me, listen. The first time that ever happened,
I was playing in Australia. I was playing with Lisa Raymond.
It was when we were making a comeback together as
a team and we played mari An Bartoli and Caroline Garcia.
Both have very good serves. By the way, both could
bomb the serve down like one ten, one twenty, and

(27:18):
Lisa and I we see and I was like first
or second round, so it was a really tough first round.
And I look over and Bartoli's talking to her dad.
Now he was a mad scientist. Like the shit he
would make her do was I could write a book
about the things that he used to write. Maybe we'll
do a podcast on it one day. I can tell
you the stories, deept. Oh my god. The nonsense that
he would make her do was just out rayed.

Speaker 2 (27:40):
What's an example of one.

Speaker 1 (27:42):
One time he had tennis balls taped under her tennis shoe. Okay,
so think about putting a tennis shoe under your shoe
and then taping it so you're in like high heels essentially,
but it's not a heel, it's a ball. And he
would make her walk around on that and hit serves.
Then he had a fishing line to get her to
snap her wrist, like as if she was like throwing

(28:02):
out something and be doing.

Speaker 2 (28:04):
This at the tournament in front of people.

Speaker 1 (28:06):
Yes, one time I saw a running on a treadmill
and then he'd make her stop and come off the
back of the treadmill and do a split step and
then jump back onto the treadmill and do a split
step and go off the trip.

Speaker 2 (28:15):
I wonder if they're still speaking.

Speaker 1 (28:16):
The amount of ship he would make her do that
was crazy, was unbelievable. The first time I ever saw her,
he was doing a drill with her indoors in Strasbourg
and we're like, who's that. We're like, she's a young
French girl, and I was like, what is that drill?
He would literally just hit a ball over the net
that was like a drop shot, and she would have
to run in and try and smack it. And we're like, uh,
it's like, what is going You want to practice a drill?

(28:39):
Some of the god love her. She won Wimbledon. I
meant she was such a good player for considering what
she went through. But not not the point of this story.
Lisa looks at me and I go, I wonder what
those two over there coming up with with the mad
scientists about how to beat us? Right, I wonder what
the wonder what the game plan is?

Speaker 2 (28:57):
Right?

Speaker 1 (28:58):
We're kind of laughing about it. Right. We go out
in the court. First game, they win the toss, choose
to serve we're about about to start. All of a sudden,
I see Bartoli go back on the baseline with Garcia,
who has one of the best serves in the world.

Speaker 2 (29:12):
Two of them at the baseline, nobody's at the.

Speaker 1 (29:14):
Net, two of them on the baseline. Lisa looks at
me and she goes, what do I do? I'm like,
what do you mean? What do you do? This is
the perfect situation for us. You get to hit the
ball with no pressure with anyone at the net and
come in. And now we're both at the net and
they're both in the baseline. Who's winning that battle? We
are winning that battle every single time. So I said,

(29:35):
what do you mean? Just hit it through the middle
and come in. She goes, oh, okay, slices up the middle,
comes in, they try and hit We just go short Molly, yeah,
Bally right, that's all you have to do. Or I'm like,
what I would do if they stood back? So I
go pop and hit a drop shot off my return.
I do an osterbur drop shot and then bring them forward.
We would come in and then smack the ball of
it hip and dip. Why, I'm like, dud, you know

(29:57):
why people get away with it?

Speaker 2 (29:59):
Now?

Speaker 1 (29:59):
Like them way because no one can volley, so they
are hitting return. These ding dongs are playing against them,
going big return. We're gonna stay back here. I go, Okay,
do you know how dumb you are because you know
what's gonna happen? Because Sarah Rounni can't serve. But I'll
tell you what she can do. She can volley, and
she's smarter than you. She's an old school doubles player.

(30:22):
So then you hit the return to Paolini or to her.

Speaker 2 (30:26):
Yeah, both excellents from the ground.

Speaker 1 (30:28):
And if you're dumb enough to hit it to Paulini,
that's what you are dumb, because then you hit it
to Pauline and you know what Aruni does, runs into
the net. So now it's a Runi at the net
Paulini in the baseline. You two dummies are on the baseline.
Net players always going to win that battle doubles. I
don't care who you are or what you're doing. The
team that are best of the net will always win.

(30:48):
They will always win. And Sarah RUnni knows how to
dink you and lob you and get the ball to
your feet at the net and take advantage of your
lack of ability to play at the net. She was
the best player at the US Open Mix S doubbles
final last year by a mile, because she was the
only one that actually knew how to play doubles. So
I'll give her shit for the serve and staying back.

(31:10):
But remember, Caitlin, this is a girl five years ago
or four or five years ago. Still to this day,
to a certain degree, she's gotten better. Could not hit
a serve in the court. And when I say Baltos
was going twenty feet away from her, she was hitting
underarmed serves. You thought Sablenka had a bad problem. Nobody's
had it worse than a run. So the fact that

(31:31):
she's getting it in the court is a miracle. And
if she hits it under him, she gets the points started.
You dummies are stupid enough to hit that next ball
to Paulini. You should lose there you did there. It
is Well, I didn't know I was going to get
to that's.

Speaker 2 (31:43):
Either I'm really glad, I asked Alcarez center.

Speaker 1 (31:46):
Well, well, let me just say there's a lot of
reasons why Alcarez is always not always. There will be
a time that Sinner beats him on clay. But I
would say It's kind of like a Roger Ruffer thing
to a lesser degree because Roger one handed backhand Nadal
clay court special list. Well, he's not a special, but

(32:07):
he was the greatest clay court player of all time.
Alcoraz is a better natural. He's a better natural athlete,
and that's coming from someone like Janikhu's an incredible athlete.
He's a world class skier. He is an for his height.
No one moves better. He's unbelievable mover, but he is
not as good. He's taller, his center of gravity on

(32:31):
clay is not as good. His sliding ability is not
as good because he's got a little bit he's got
to move differently. He's like a like a he's like
that Mexican boat in the Hudson. He's just like flinging
around out there, just hitting hitting bridges. I heard the
story behind that today. By the way, we're not.

Speaker 2 (32:49):
Getting sack anyway, but they've got tragic but boat accident.

Speaker 1 (32:53):
It's terrible. There's two people died on that was terrible.
But too you know, Alcaraz is lower center gravity. He's
a more natural sort of mover on clay, and he
has way more variety. Now on hard court, Yannick hits
you off the court. He just serves you off the court,
and he hits you off the court. He's serving is
so accurate. His ball striking, I mean he just smashes

(33:16):
the ball. He just hits the ball bigger than everybody.
But Alcarez hits the ball as big. Ken hit the
ball as big, but he chooses not to on clay
because he didn't have to, so he hits the spin.
He has more spin. The ball gets out of Alcarez,
out of Yanick's hitting perfect, hitting spot more. He's tall,
so he can kind of get away with it a

(33:36):
little bit. But it's the drop shot, it's the coming
into the net, it's the sliding, it's the slice backhand.
It's just the variety. And having said that, Yanick should
have won the first set. He had two set points
and the point at thirty forty was a bad decision
from sinner. He had a backhand. I don't know why

(33:58):
the effing hell he decided to try and hit it
down the line. He bailed out of that point. He
should have hit now credit He hasn't played a match
in like three years three months, must have felt like
three years to him, but the fact that he got
to the final was incredible. The fact that he beat
Rude oh and one, Rude just one Madrid people.

Speaker 2 (34:17):
The best part of that was on Instagram, Uh Taylor.
Fritz added a comment to Casper Rude's profile, saying, you
almost had him. I don't know if he's a man.

Speaker 1 (34:34):
Almost, but you know, it's arguably the best match that
Youanixen has ever played.

Speaker 2 (34:39):
I mean, indistructive of the magic one point. And you
know casp Rude, who as you just said, one Madrid
just one, a master one thousand. He came in film,
but himself he just like got he just got dismantled.

Speaker 1 (34:52):
Everyone's like, all the big test is going to be Rude,
though you know he's coming in. He's a clay court specialist.
He just won Madrid oh and one, and it was
excited when he won a game.

Speaker 2 (35:00):
He was so excited with the crowd was so excited.
I was excited. I was like, Fritz was excited.

Speaker 1 (35:05):
And he went in the press conference later and he said, listen,
I don't feel like I'm like that bad. You got
a little ship from people on Twitter, like, how can
you say that? I mean what kind of professional are you.
It's like, dude, it happens.

Speaker 2 (35:16):
Sometimes you're just playing a zoning opponent. They hit seed
to like you said, the bars as big as watermelon. Yeah,
you know, they find their groove.

Speaker 1 (35:24):
Carolina Plishko but lost oh and o in the finals
to a couple of years ago. She was hitting the
ball real way. Well, that's the thing.

Speaker 2 (35:29):
You don't get finals without getting without having a go Urnamy.
You don't give the semis if you're rude having won
the last. So one thing I like about this matchup,
especially on clay, is the sort of really smooth, like
easy power of Cinner gets Negata get gets dealt with

(35:50):
in so many creative.

Speaker 1 (35:51):
Ways, particularly on the return right. So he's not getting
the free points like he does on a hardcore as
much the variety that Carlos was trying to do. On
the turn of serve, he was trying everything. One time
he moved in because Carlos one Carlos told him to
move forward, and janikid a serve at the body and
he got tubed. And he turned around and looked at
one Carlos as me like, well that didn't work. Nope,

(36:12):
I'm going way back now.

Speaker 2 (36:13):
But I just love that he's willing to throw all
of it in there. And I think the to me,
the only downside to Center is that he's not as creative,
which I think you know again his his dividends on
the Australian Open and US Open, and just that's the
hard court because it's also the movement right.

Speaker 1 (36:29):
So here he runs out to a forehand. He knows
if I crush this forehand down the line, it's more
than likely not going to come back, and if it
comes back, it'll come back with it'll come floating back
in the court. Whereas on clay he has that same
opportunity to hit that fourhand down the line or whatever
it is, and he goes, man, if I don't hit
this perfect down the line, I'm going to have to
stop prop finish my slide and get back and try

(36:52):
and get back into the point again. Whereas on hardcourt
it's so simple. He just pulls a trigger boom, he knows,
but on clay you have to be patient, you have
to be a little bit more strategic, and like someone
like Carlos for example, if he's out of position, he'll
hit a little bit more spin or he'll slice the forehand.
He plays with a little bit more variety. And that's
why on a grass court or on a clay court,

(37:13):
because he has that variety, he can get away with
it more on on on clay and on the natural
surface like grass, and he can on a hard court.

Speaker 2 (37:22):
He also has to me, the thing that I love
so much about him is and this kind of gets
in his way sometimes when he gets too creative or
he surprises himself. He's got great powers of deception. YEA.
So he's got that great wind up for his forehand,
which like is a haymaker forehand. By the way, he's
not not hitting the h out of the forehand, but
he can hit the floating drop shot where he fakes it.

(37:42):
He can hit the looper, he can hit the buggy
whip up the line. Like he's got all of the things,
and he never know and sometimes you get the sense
he doesn't know until the very end. Like everyone's sort
of sharing. After Yannick failed to close that game out
when he was at forty thirty, a couple of points later, tiebreak,
Carlos Alpaerez, Everyone's of lards that incredibly athletic jumping inside

(38:03):
out Becker set point valley to set up the forehand
to the open court. Well, that was beautiful set point.
It was gorgeous. But what was amazing about it to
me was that he didn't know that that's what was
going to happen at all up until the minute.

Speaker 1 (38:17):
I'll tell you what he did know when he had
the When he had it at six y four on
his own serve, he played incredibly passively. Is that word passive? Yeah, passively,
that's the word.

Speaker 2 (38:29):
It's anighbor.

Speaker 1 (38:29):
Yeah, thank you. He was very very passive on that
And on that service point he did not go for
the ball. He sort of waited for an error or
maybe he was just tight and he wasn't trying to
get an error. He was just like not willing to
pull the trigger. And and and Yarnick hit two or
three unbelievable shots at six four like deep, like within
a couple of inches of the baseline, and Mark Petchy

(38:52):
actually said, oh he was. He was seeing that ball
and thing it's going to go out, it's going to
go out, and didn't go out. And Yannick played that
point beautifully to get back to six', five and you, thought, oh,
okay now it's going to be six, all and this
could turn around and you could lose his set now
because he got, passive kind of Like Chin ween. Did
but the difference Was alcharaz immediately knew IF i get

(39:13):
this serve back in the, Court he's, Like i'm not
going to be. Passive and he was so aggressive once
he got the serve back in the. Court on that,
point if you go and rewatch it, again he coll
locked the. Ball it's, like, OKAY i KNOW i wisked
out at six. FOUR i totally pushed. IT i got
to go for it because IF i, don't you, know
as a great, player it's just like. Rash you, Know

(39:34):
rauffa And roger And novak playing against each. Other they sense,
it they smell, it and they go for it once
they know that someone's got a bit, tight just like
when you Know novak won that incredible match Against roger
at the olymp at The wimbledon when he had two
match points and all of a sudden he gets the
juced and you, go, oh last time your brain. Changes
it's kind of Like paulini when he's a double. FAULT

(39:55):
i got, you that's. Right and so so there's little
things like that that you hope for on the tennis,
court and you. Don't you don't go into it, hoping
but you see it. Immediately And carlos was, like, OH
i was a. Pussy THEN i get to go for,
it and he, did and he went for. It and
then he ends up coming into, there like you, said
hits that beautiful backhand vollie inside out and then he you,
know he reads the ball so well and he hits
that fourhand volley into the open court to win the first,

(40:17):
set and then it was over. Off that was kind of.

Speaker 2 (40:18):
It, YEAH i, mean you, KNOW i think you can
tail for.

Speaker 1 (40:21):
Once janick was, like, AH i don't know IF i
can beat this guy.

Speaker 2 (40:23):
Today, ALSO i, think you, know being away for three
months obviously he trained herd it.

Speaker 1 (40:30):
Sound like he was you, KNOW i heard he had
a pretty bad blister on that foot.

Speaker 2 (40:34):
Too i'm positive that something movement, wise. Fatigue you, know
he made it to the. Final obviously the home crowd
would have liked to have seen him win the match at.
Home that, said you, know tremendous. Effort another sort of
like amazing chapter in their. Match the last time they
played it was In beijing last. Fall yea on hardcourt.

Speaker 1 (40:53):
So if they play In beijing this, YEAR i can
guarantee You sinner.

Speaker 2 (40:56):
Wins i'm Sure i'm positive Sin it wins that match
because you can see the things that he does that
on that Dismantled carlos and make his incredible brilliant improvisation
on the natural surfaces look impetuous and stupid on the hard. Court,
like it's just really interesting how the same, matchup the same,
technique the same, too you, know personnel just get exploited,

(41:20):
differently and how you're just sort of which Is that's so.
Cool that is the beauty of.

Speaker 1 (41:25):
Love this is the greatest thing about our. Sport is
that surface. Temperature like if you Played rafa on a
in rome or any clay court when it was, hot,
yeah you were praying you could win a, game right
if you played him on a really, slow muddy, court
maybe at a chance if you're a big hitter like

(41:45):
a you, know that's the one match that he lost
The french you, know.

Speaker 2 (41:50):
Hit him off the, court you.

Speaker 1 (41:51):
Know, Yeah but like you've got to hope for those.
Things whereas WITH i think That yannick would have had
more of a chance if it had been really hot
in the middle of the day, Maybe BUT i just
think that the Way carlos, plays he hits that beautiful
kicks of he doesn't Give yannick a chance to rip
the return because he hits. IT i, Mean Mark petchi
get a great stat where he said. THAT i think

(42:13):
the last time they, played he did not hit one
serve to the forehand on the second. Court he hit
every second serve as a. Kicker So yannick has to
figure out a way to get around, that AND i
don't know. How maybe he bum rushes him and rips
it and comes in and prushures, him BUT i don't.
Know it's a hard one to.

Speaker 2 (42:28):
Attack the last thing we talked about him a little
bit on the, podcast but the other semi finalists Besides
rude and the two we've been talking about for a
minute deserves mention Was Jack, draper which you, KNOW i
don't think there's a lot of scenarios in which he
Beats Carlos alcaraz in the semifinal At, Rome BUT i
like the fact that he's in. THERE i like the
fact that he's. CONTENDING i like his left the. GAME
i like the fact that he's kind of, chippy Like i'm.

(42:48):
Thrilled just the way that the women's game has really
filled out in the last couple of, years with all
these different casts of. CHARACTERS i feel really excited about
the men's game at the. MOMENT i will, Say zverev
losing two to the world's sexiest, man but guess what
Happened Lorenzo Lorenzo, Messetti.

Speaker 1 (43:04):
But guess what happened with the? Balls guess he's not
going to be number two in the.

Speaker 2 (43:08):
World zverev doesn't.

Speaker 1 (43:09):
Deserve REMEMBER i said he doesn't deserve to be number
two seed to The. French WELL i was, Right he's
not going to Be thank. God, now thank god we're
going to Have carlos And sinner on the opposite. Sides that's,
right finally at A Grand. Slam but, Yes zverev is
JUST i mean complaining about the, balls like what are you?

(43:29):
Get come?

Speaker 2 (43:30):
On and then he goes on this like bizarre press
conference diatribe where despite the fact that he and we
said he both hit the same amount of, winners like
he was, like, Oh i'm such an. Aggressor you know this.

Speaker 1 (43:43):
Your, forehand you're a bigger pusher on that, shot and
you hate Playing messeetti because he slices to your forehand
and you're seventeen feet, tall you have the worst, grip
you can't get underneath, it and you're a pussy when
it comes to a big point and you don't go for.
It that's why you're never going to be a great.
PLAYER i, mean you're a great, player but you're never
going to win A Grand slam if you want to
complain about the. Balls it was the last Time raphael And,
Nadala Roger, Federer novak djokovits complained about the. Balls it's

(44:07):
like what the defense rests, guilty ist, charge giltest. Charge we,
need we need sound.

Speaker 2 (44:17):
Stuff, actually we just launched a newsletter On, friday a
Hilarious australian writer Named Mel we're funny taking etiquette. Questions
and she poses the question in her very first column
and she's actually taking questions from readers and. Listeners is
tennis etiquette? Real and we conclude not, really it's a it's.
Wild it's wild at.

Speaker 1 (44:38):
There, WELL i, mean, listen there's the whole concept of you,
know when you get elect cord and putting your hand up.

Speaker 2 (44:43):
And then fist. Pumping, yeah this whole.

Speaker 1 (44:46):
THING i got to move my leftover food from my
lunch today because your cat is going to eat.

Speaker 2 (44:51):
It Jeff. Nutty, okay so we've already talked a little
bit about the seedings that are we're looking. At it's
going to be.

Speaker 1 (44:59):
Excited oh my, god someone in the top four in
the world is going to have to play if she makes,
it Uh egerontech in the. QUARTERS i MEAN i, hope, like, look,
look seating gods, whatever please pull out of the. Draw
not playing someone like Sabal aanka in the, quarters, like

(45:21):
let her play somebody, else like just, well actually, no you,
know a fuck. It if she's gonna win the, tournament
she has to beat one of them. Anyway, yeah and
at this, point let's she needs to get. There BUT
i would assume she's going to get. There she's arguably
the best player in clay we've had in donkeys'? Ages
is that in an actual? Freeze donkeys? Years actually donkeys. Years

(45:45):
you've never heard.

Speaker 2 (45:45):
That, no half the things that you say That AUSTRALIAN
i don't even take as Many i've.

Speaker 1 (45:49):
Never heard donkeys.

Speaker 2 (45:50):
Years that's not a.

Speaker 1 (45:51):
Thing, Okay, writers, listeners writers, listeners write to me On
twitter and let me know if you know That Donkeys
years is a thing because it is A.

Speaker 2 (46:00):
Caitlin, now we're going to Activate Australian.

Speaker 1 (46:02):
Twitter we're going to activate it so you your takeaway
from this clay court. Season obviously there's a tournament going
on on both the women's side and the men's. Side
Novak djokovic is playing this week trying to Get.

Speaker 2 (46:14):
Geneva, yes and.

Speaker 1 (46:17):
Isn't Didn't severiev go and play In germany or?

Speaker 2 (46:20):
Something he's In. Humberg oh my. God, yeah he.

Speaker 1 (46:23):
Only wins In. Germany so the only place that like.

Speaker 2 (46:25):
HIM i can't believe he desca gets. ENDORSEMENTS i, mean it's,
crazy like the only people that like him Are.

Speaker 1 (46:30):
Germans AND i have to, say, LOOK i stuck up
for him last week On twitter when he kind of
was a bit salty with the question that was asked
to him on The World feed and it was a dumb. Question,
yeah we talked about.

Speaker 2 (46:41):
IT i think you freezed it in a much more elegant.

Speaker 1 (46:43):
Way you pat someone on the back before you stab
them in the, back right when you ask a, question
you make them feel great about themselves and then you,
go but what's happening? Here like you don't go in and, go,
look you stuck At master's one, thousand so you're. Terrible
are you happy you won your first?

Speaker 2 (46:59):
Round that's not a good Fel, no You're you're going
to get a just fable shitty.

Speaker 1 (47:04):
Response, YEAH i Mean Roger federer would have answered it very,
diplomatically because that's Just roger and.

Speaker 2 (47:08):
This agent would have called behind the scenes and gotten
that gafad.

Speaker 1 (47:11):
Probably but also at the same, time you know a
player a, salty so you don't ask those. Questions i'm
not going to ask a player THAT i know is
salty and give salty answers the question like, That Like
i'm not going to have to say To serena so
you know WHAT i, mean BECAUSE i know she's just
gonna look at me, like oh, really maybe not me
because we're, friends BUT i don't.

Speaker 2 (47:29):
KNOW i THINK i don't.

Speaker 1 (47:30):
Know she still give me some. Shit for.

Speaker 2 (47:32):
Sure she's.

Speaker 1 (47:32):
Trying met you under the bus a couple of.

Speaker 2 (47:34):
TIMES i saver of.

Speaker 1 (47:36):
Man, yeah just get over, yourself, bro just fix your
forehand and then you might win a match of. Importance
we're talking finals Of, slams we're Talking masters one.

Speaker 2 (47:48):
THOUSANDS i think WHAT i like so much about the
finalists that we had at this past tournament is they're
all committed to humbly working their asses, off, yes to
get such a great. Finals blame everybody. Else they're not
talking about the, balls they're not screaming at their, box

(48:09):
none of none of them congratulating each. Other they're they're
not corporate and. Boring they're they've got personalities that but
they're they're, yeah they're just you, know we had a
great we had embodiments of what we, had.

Speaker 3 (48:22):
Four incredible human beings in the finals Of, rome AND
i mean Even sinner was so he said to his,
team you, know we're you, know it's been a hard
three three months and you Know i've worked my butt
off to be, here AND i thank you And alcaraz
and he goes and then he thanks his family and
everyone there and he goes except my brother who's WATCHING.

Speaker 1 (48:40):
Emmla he was at THE f one. Race it was, like, thanks,
bro thanks for supporting.

Speaker 2 (48:47):
Me totally related supporting him.

Speaker 1 (48:49):
It but then Even, coco you, know she Congratulated jasmine
and she, said you, know wished to well in the
doubles the next, day AND i just just for uh,
PEOPLE i really like genuinely with those, four.

Speaker 2 (49:02):
AND i think the reason that you, know AND i
wouldn't mind.

Speaker 1 (49:05):
Seeing them all in the finals of The FRENCH i
think definitely would like to See alcrez go out it
in five. Sets AND i do think that there is
a real chance That coco and A pauolini could be
in the. Finals agree the way they play their. Game
there is five contenders for me on the women's, Side, Coco, Sable, Anca,
Eager paulini and Chin win.

Speaker 2 (49:30):
Chin, win who has won a gold medal on those.

Speaker 1 (49:32):
That's, right and she's found her, Form, Phelip she's found a.
Form she's going to go back to Rolland garos and, go,
oh that's, RIGHT i beat all you bitches.

Speaker 2 (49:41):
Here that's.

Speaker 1 (49:42):
RIGHT i know how to win, here do you know
WHAT i? Mean so THAT i would not have put
her in that category a week, ago but there is
no question she is one of the best players on.
Clay the, game the clay suits her game and the
way she hits are perfectly SO i would say those
five without question are in can win the. Tournament. Definitely Madison,

(50:04):
keys maybe because she's done well in the past and
maybe she finds reform at The french and The Grand.
Slam you just made a semi. There and, Listen madison
on any given day can beat. Anyone you, know Astar,
penko you never. Know, look she once stood, guards she's One.
French so there are arguably five to seven women that
can legitimately win WHERE i wouldn't be like what yeah men? Two?

Speaker 2 (50:27):
Okay, so setting Aside carlos And, sinner what do you
think about The, Runa, Rude Cambo. Runa up until this,
TOURNAMENT i was, like, oh, YEAH i feel like he's In, WELL.

Speaker 1 (50:39):
I Think runa is going to have a hard time
because he's dealing with this sickness and you, know best
of five sets mate that Against you, know we're talking
about having to beat A, runa A rude and Al,
chirez A sinner And. Zvere you don't have to beat
those guys over five. Sets you better be physically. Ready,
YEAH i just don't know physically he's going to be ready.
Enough could he was at peak? Performance? Yes could he

(51:03):
get to the final? Yes DO i think that he
could win?

Speaker 2 (51:06):
It?

Speaker 1 (51:06):
No BUT i think That yannick And alcarez will probably
play each other in the. Finals unless you get a Hot,
Massetti unless you get a you, know a hot you. Know,
Look kesper could come back and play out of his.
Mind he plays really well In, paris so we'll, see
BUT i don't the women are way more open as per.
Usual but, yeah we'll see over five. Sets it's just

(51:27):
very different the best of.

Speaker 2 (51:28):
Three, YEAH i think you're. It it definitely favors less disruptive.

Speaker 1 (51:32):
Outcomes i'm.

Speaker 2 (51:33):
EXCITED i Feel i'm so sad peak.

Speaker 1 (51:35):
One woman and one man of The. Americans, wait, wait
of The, americans This american BECAUSE i just wanted to
throw that.

Speaker 2 (51:43):
Out who are making? Me oh?

Speaker 1 (51:46):
God did he play well in that first set Against?
Sinner that's, right he played. Great all of a sudden
he just stopped going for it. Though oh, yeah he
got he Was.

Speaker 2 (51:52):
Redlin did you think he just kind of like went?

Speaker 1 (51:55):
Hard AND i don't, know he's won the juniors super.
FIT i agree with. You you're going to Say tommy Pauland.

Speaker 2 (52:01):
Coco, NO i was going to, Say.

Speaker 1 (52:03):
Cooker what you think An american is going to do
better Than?

Speaker 2 (52:06):
Coco, yeah somebody tells me it's not going to do
it this. Here oh BUT i don't know who Would?

Speaker 1 (52:12):
Madison Maybe?

Speaker 2 (52:13):
Madison, YEAH i don't think it's going to be An.
AMERICAN i think it's going to BE i think Actually
chine's gonna win.

Speaker 1 (52:21):
It oh, okay that's my, car all.

Speaker 2 (52:22):
RIGHT i THINK i think SHE'S.

Speaker 1 (52:25):
I think she will definitely be. IN i think she
can be in the.

Speaker 2 (52:28):
SEMIS i Think pauline is going to have a, letdown
even THOUGH i think she's playing.

Speaker 1 (52:31):
Great, no she's too. Solid that's the greatest thing about.
Her she's. SOLID i, mean and she's. Solid she's that,
little stucky little. Solid she just love. Her but and
she's as you, know everybody knows, this anyone who's listened
to the. Pod she's my. FAVORITE i love.

Speaker 2 (52:47):
Her so you're Calling, PAULINI i.

Speaker 1 (52:50):
AM i don't.

Speaker 2 (52:53):
Know now you have to call An american for no?

Speaker 1 (52:55):
Reason, no, WELL i THINK i Think coco could win
The French. Open, yeah but you, KNOW i honestly don't.
Know there's so. There it just depends on the day
with the. MEN i Think alcaize is going to win it.

Speaker 2 (53:07):
Again, okay but you have to pick An american for no.

Speaker 1 (53:09):
REASON i ain't gonna Pick tommy paul to do the,
best Not. Klayla, no he's stinking it. Up right. NOW
i think he needs a change of coaching. Situation, actually,
YEAH i think he's sort Of this is the point
That Dan kaye was making about he's been With Mike
russell and he's done a fantastic. Job micha will find
a job in one second with somebody, else because he's
that kind of guy and he's. Professional BUT i think

(53:31):
a new, idea is a new, vibe might be a
good thing for. Him And i'm not asking for people
to go and Tell Michael RUSSELL i want him to get.
FIRED i just think he's done such a good. Job
BUT i think he's at his max now AND i
think maybe it's time for a new voice for him
and then move on to another guy and improve his,
game because he's done a great job With. Taylor BUT i.

Speaker 2 (53:51):
Can see something. Insane what About, Armstraber.

Speaker 1 (53:56):
No no, chance she can't, Physically she's just not mentally there. Anymore.
NO i would love to see, Her, NO i just
don't think she's going to reach that upper echelance of
The Grand slams. Anymore she could do it on, grass
because that's her best, surface that's, true BUT i don't
THINK i think that's the LAST i Think eager might.
SURPRISE i Think eager might come and get To paris

(54:18):
and be, Like, OKAY i know how to do this,
here you. Know and unless she gets a really tough drall,
early she's going to get deep into the tournament and
she's going to find her form a little. Bit AND
i think that she'll probably be the one that she's
still the favorite odds on, favorite so you can't bet
against her. Anyway i'm getting so. Excited i'm getting.

Speaker 2 (54:36):
So Excited mattery players from the early qualifying, Right, yeah that's.

Speaker 1 (54:39):
What we should. Do we Should AND i want to
give a shout out to my lunch dates, Today Carolyn
mano And Erica, hill BECAUSE i SAID i was coming
to do the pod after, this And erica, said you know,
What i've getting into tennis after listening to your. Podcast
so that anyone who else is out there who's actually
gotten more interested and wants to play more tennis from
listening to the, podcast let us, know write us on

(54:59):
the socials and, again please like and subscribe.

Speaker 2 (55:04):
And subscribe and.

Speaker 1 (55:05):
Subscribe come, on be nice to.

Speaker 2 (55:06):
Us do we deserve?

Speaker 1 (55:08):
It we're good. People, okay all, right, guys thanks for
listening to, us drivel on today was a long, one
but we were so excited About. Rome we were just
so excited about all the awesome tenis and we cannot
wait for The French. Open are you going over?

Speaker 2 (55:24):
There?

Speaker 1 (55:25):
No, no? Okay should we do a live podcast In New? York?

Speaker 2 (55:29):
YES i mean we.

Speaker 1 (55:31):
We, okay so fans let us, know write us on
the socials and let us. Know would you come to
a live podcast In New York city in the in
the either the middle weekend or the final weekend of
The French. Open let's do maybe we can do two we.
OKAY i don't know what you. Said THEN i, said why?
Not Okay. Onniva, okay, guys we'll see you next. Week

(55:53):
thanks for listening to. Us we'll talk to. You oh

Speaker 2 (56:00):
Conduct cont