January 17, 2025 • 34 mins
Novak Djokovic is one win away from a potential Olympic final rematch with Carlos Alcaraz after beating Tomas Machac on Night 6, but not without signs of fatigue. Marathon man Jack Draper has edged out Aleks Vukic in another five-set thriller, leaving Alex de Minaur as the sole Australian left in singles. Arthur Fils' campaign has ended in injury, as has Naomi Osaka's, sending fellow mother Belinda Bencic into the fourth round — her next opponent is Coco Gauff who's a step closer to a SF rematch with Aryna Sabalenka after the world No.1 booked in a R16 date with Mirra Andreeva. Jessica Pegula is out in straight sets at the hands of Olga Danilovic, while Donna Vekic has downed Diana Shnaider in a three-hour epic — experts Simon Rea and Lou Pleming analyse the win and preview Day 7 action: Elina Svitolina v Jasmine Paolini and Ben Shelton v Lorenzo Musetti. Commentator Mark Petchey reacts to Learner Tien’s incredible unravelling of Daniil Medvedev. Plus, we get on board with the AO buggy drivers thanks to SafetyCulture.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yeah, I was trying to catch the breath. You know,
I struggled. I'm not nineteen anymore, I guess you know
you look nineteen nineteen times too.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Almost Gooday, and welcome to the tennis for Day six
of AO twenty twenty five, John houvenas with all the
big news from Melbourne Park every day of the main draw.
Today on the tennis Draper draws the curtains on Vook.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Boy was done there and then he just came back
from the dead.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Ben Chitch the beneficiary of an out of sorts OSAKA.
Speaker 4 (00:30):
Not the way you want to win the match, that's
for sure. I really felt for her.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Plus a preview of Day seven and the buggy drivers
who get the A listers from A to B at
the AO.
Speaker 5 (00:40):
Sometimes when I go back to my normal car, I
forget where the pedal is.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
That's all ahead. On the tennis.
Speaker 6 (00:50):
Match point for Draper, he says down the center.
Speaker 7 (00:54):
For I return.
Speaker 8 (00:54):
He's he too.
Speaker 6 (00:55):
Today it's a much dreaper find.
Speaker 9 (00:57):
Chriss Sex places drape finding that out of respect of.
Speaker 10 (01:01):
The cloud on Alexander Vukiksk.
Speaker 9 (01:04):
They have so much respect for each other and everybody
in the marga Corsina has so much respect for these
two players.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Alex Demonor is the only Australian player left in the
singles draws. After Alex Vukich found himself on the losing
end of another gripping five set battle with Jack Draper,
the Aussi journeyman who knocked out seb Quarter in the
second round, conceded the first set to the Bridge, but
Vukch soon found his range during the mid stages of
the match, winning the second set comfortably and a tight third,
(01:33):
before finding himself two points from victory in a fourth
set tiebreaker, but Draper picked himself up off the canvas
and struck back in the fourth sending the match to
it a sider which ebbed and flowed as the Warriors
attempted to wear each other down. In a ten point
super tiebreak, the Bridge shot out to a three zero lead,
and despite a gallant last gasp fight back from Vukich,
(01:55):
the match belonged to Draper six two, two, six, five, seven, seven,
seven to six, lasting a tick under four hours.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Yeah, I mean I thought it was done there and
then he just came back from the dead. He was
playing incredible, you know it was I think you know,
we're suffering a lot obviously in the five sets, and
sometimes you know, you get a little energy when he broke,
when he holded that game at forty fifteen myself and
it was just a great battleman to two competitors going
(02:24):
at it, and that's what it's sportsful about.
Speaker 11 (02:25):
So it's good.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Draper has now spent more than twelve hours on court
across fifteen sets of tennis over the first three rounds.
His next opponent, Carlos al Karaz.
Speaker 6 (02:35):
Djokovic is pushing hard here, trying to hit the winners.
That's a short ball brings Mahatch him.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Will there be a pass?
Speaker 10 (02:41):
Yes?
Speaker 12 (02:42):
There?
Speaker 6 (02:42):
Well, it's a comfortable performance on court from Novak Djokovic.
He's through to the fourth round in straight sets over
Thomas Mahatch.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Novak Djokovic has pushed through adversity in his third round
match against Thomas Mahatch to progress to the second week
of the AO for the seventeenth time. One time champ
was hot out of the blocks, breaking Mahutch in the
fourth and sixth games to open up a one set
lead in just thirty six minutes. The second set didn't
come quite so easily, Djokovic broken in the opening game
before requiring medical assistance for a breathing difficulty, but he
(03:15):
broke the Ma Hutch serve twice in a row and
saved a break point of his own in the tenth
game to snatch a two sets lead. Having never lost
a match in Melbourne from that position, the writing was
on the wall for the Check, who coughed up his
service in the opening game of the third set. By contrast,
Djokovic was impeccable, winning eighty nine percent of first serve
points and firing down six aces on the way to
(03:37):
a six one, six four six ' four victory.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Slightly surprised, to be honest with the results, you know,
to beat him street sets. He was a breakup in
early in the second. I struggled physically there, just somehow
managed to turn things around, hold my serve when I
needed to, just a couple of points, really decided A
decided a second set that could have gone his way,
and then maybe that the outcome of the match would
be different. But overall, I think in the third, you know,
(04:03):
felt fresh, moved really well. Overall, very pleased.
Speaker 13 (04:06):
With my game.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Djokovic now faces inform Check usually Lahechka, who swept aside
Benjamin Bonzi in an hour and forty seven minutes to
win through in straight sets.
Speaker 14 (04:16):
I was the better player in a very difficult situation
in the match, so I think it's a it's a
good start, I mean good position from which I'm going
to be playing against against Nola.
Speaker 15 (04:37):
The career six six one.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Serbians everywhere celebrate She's off to the fourth round of
the Australian Open.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Olga Danilovitch has claimed the biggest upset of Day six,
knocking out Jessica Pegoula in straight sets. The Serbs saved
two break points in the second game of the opening set,
which eventually went her way in a tiebreaker, and with
the wind in her sales, Danilovitch took full advantage of
the momentum in a one sided second set, breaking the
American twice consecutively before serving it out seven, six sixty
(05:09):
one in exactly ninety minutes.
Speaker 8 (05:11):
I'm super happy with the way I played, honestly. I mean,
she's in top of the world. I mean, she's such
a great player, and I knew I had to have
my AAA plus plus plus game to beat her. But
you know, in the back of my mind. Let's I
really believed in myself.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Danilovich is locked in a fourth round meeting with Paula Borosa.
More on that later in the episode. Coco Goff is
into the fourth round for the third straight year, dispatching
Leyla Fernandez with ruthless efficiency. The world number three one
eighty nine percent of first serve points and forty one
percent of receiving points to beat the Canadian thirtieth seed
six four six ' two in just an hour and
(05:52):
a quarter. While tonight's win pushes her one step closer
to the trophy, the twenty twenty three US Open champion
isn't getting too far ahead, as she shares her marathon mentality.
Speaker 16 (06:02):
I think I've learned that you just the trophy is
so far away, so it's almost as distant as it
probably feels when you're a junior trying to play this tournament.
To be honest, how I would say, obviously I have
the belief and that's my goal. But I think for
me personally, the best mindset is to treat it as
it being so far away.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
She'll facebook Linda Benchicch in the round of sixteen.
Speaker 16 (06:24):
Again.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
More on that later in the episode. Thank you your
match points.
Speaker 6 (06:31):
She serves out line and drops her racket into lights,
so that magic just come back from the brink in
this one to see off the challenge of Tianna Schneider
in three.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
And thralling sets and Beck it is through to the
fourth round. Well, Day six produced two matches that both
are on court for almost three hours, a women's match
and a men's match, and they are our spotlight matches
for today on the tennis and I'm joined by Simon
and Ray from gig Rolcolm Simon, Hey, John, than you
have me and commentator Louke Plaming. Hello, lou Hi, how
(07:04):
are you?
Speaker 17 (07:05):
John?
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Lovely to have you on the tennis for the first
time in twenty twenty five. And today we watched Donna
Vekch go up against Dianna Schneider and the results six
seven seven five. Schneider might not be familiar to a
lot of people in Australia, but she's a big time
player and that's a huge scalp for Vekich.
Speaker 7 (07:23):
Yeah, it's interesting because before the match Isilo tom Lanovitch
was going to call the match and she said to me,
who do you think is going to win that one?
I said, well, it's a really tough one, isn't it.
I mean, Donna has been, I feel like, being a
little bit more aggressive since she started working with Sessha Bayon,
And for me, if she serves well and she's up
(07:44):
in the court, she's going to cause anyone some problems.
Speaker 17 (07:48):
But then you go Snada, Okay.
Speaker 7 (07:50):
Lefty, she's going to go loopy, heavier, push Donna back
in the court, and it becomes a little bit more
of an equal equation. And obviously Schneider has been doing
a little bit better, got a higher ranking, and I
really thought, I mean, everyone's talking about this young young
lady to be one of the next big players, and
I kind of was leaning towards Snader, and then all
(08:12):
of a sudden in the third set, she was up.
But Donna just showed such incredible fighting qualities as she does,
so great match for Donna out there, and I think
with her consistency in the way she's been serving, I
think she can cause a lot of people a little
bit of havoc.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
So how did she do it?
Speaker 9 (08:31):
Simon or She was able to get just enough of
the points on her terms, and Lou mentioned the strength
of the veckit serve and that was a defining factor
in the match. So from a serving perspective, these two
women just go about it slightly differently. Vekch averaged one
hundred and seventy two kilometers an hour on first serve
today and one hundred and forty six on second. Schneider
is about one hundred and fifty eight on first serve
and down about the mid one thirties one hundred and
(08:53):
thirty five or so on second. So it was her
inability to pick that up against that Vekitch heat on
first serve and execute on fourhand return that was the
problem for Schneider made just fifty five percent of her
first serve fourhand returns today, which then leads into and
Lou mentioned that the wrestle and the back and forth
that ended up playing out in this third set. Really,
if the points were short, it was in Veketch's favor,
(09:14):
and she got just enough of them being short, so
short rallies won eighty seven to Vekitch, seventy four to Schneider.
Once the rallies went long, it was already touched on
this five shots plus. Really it's one way traffic for
Schneider thirty six points to twenty eight for Schniner. Not
one way traffic, but the odds are certainly in her favor.
So Veckis does just enough on serve, Schneider misses just enough.
(09:35):
From her perspective, just too many fourhand returns against that
Beckett first serve and really it traces back to serve
and return.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Anything.
Speaker 7 (09:43):
Yeah, wow, I mean interestingly there, just thought Snider was
getting a little bit more power off her serves, so
that was allowing Vikich to really dominate off some of
those returns, and we saw that today. But it's interesting,
isn't it, because she doesn't go for the big serve
all time. She generally goes for the kick and the
slider and mixes it up a little bit, likes to
(10:04):
just throw a bit of doubt in the returner's mind.
So I thought Donna did a very good, very good
job of picking up where she was serving and what
she needed to do in that part of her game.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
Will that be a tactic she can continue into the
next round against Anastasia Pavliahchenkova or is it a different
game plan required for a player of that caliber.
Speaker 9 (10:24):
Well, I think the Vickage game plan is the Vickage
game plan, and when you're able to generate heat on
serve and you've got a genuine weapon there on serve.
We know about her ball striking from the back of
the court, and typically Donna is someone that on second
serve return, as we're seeing with a lot of these
leading female players at the mum loves to be aggressive.
If she's not inside or on top of baseline, she's
really right there looking to press you as soon as
(10:44):
she gets an opening on second serve return. And that's
a bit of a consistent theme that we're seeing I
think we're seeing from some of these leading contenders.
Speaker 17 (10:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (10:50):
I think the challenge with Pavla Chhenkova though, is she
hits about ten clicks faster than Schneider, and she is
hitting big at the moment I did her in Adelaide.
She was very unlucky not to win that match, but
she has been exceptional and winning very quickly here at
the Australian Open as well. She looks fit and if
(11:13):
Vekich is inside the court, she's got to diffuse some
power and then get Pavlochenkova moving.
Speaker 17 (11:18):
I think that's going to be the issue. It's got
to be done pretty quickly.
Speaker 7 (11:21):
Otherwise, the depth that Anastasia is hitting with she's been
exceptional so far.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
It's a tricky part of the draw. The winner of
sable Anca and Andreva awaiting, whoever is the victor in
that match. Our second match for day six for the
tennis Spotlight is Carlos Alcaraz, who defeated Nuno Borges in
four sets, six ' two, six ' four, six ' seven,
six to two. Borges has got a bit of game.
It wasn't all smooth sailing for the number three seeds.
Speaker 17 (11:49):
Yeah, I tell you.
Speaker 7 (11:50):
Alcarez had to throw himself around the court there. I
saw him a couple of times down diving for some volleys.
And Nuno is interesting the way he can slideway, he
can die. I thought athletically he was really matching him,
particularly in that third set as well, where it was
so tight. I think al Karez is getting better, there's
(12:10):
no question. I mean, he's coming off the back of
a phenomenal last year. Hasn't played a lot though, since
the US Open and since that loss to Vanderskild.
Speaker 17 (12:18):
I mean, that's that was a little bit of a
an interesting couple of weeks.
Speaker 7 (12:23):
I think, but I think he's been back in Spain
working hard physically, and he looks incredible, and he's I think,
what two three set matches are two one three set
match in one four set match, He's got plenty in
the tank.
Speaker 9 (12:36):
Yeah. I think in some ways it's maybe the test
that not that you're necessarily looking for, but one that
you know in four, five, six, seven days from now
he might be grateful for having had. It's just enough
of a test to get the court time up. You
come in, as Lou's mentioned, with that limited preparations, like
more of the players. Again, there's a trend more of
the players are coming in here fresh without a lead
(12:57):
up event, and so it's valuable court time on the
pressure cooker that is rod Laver Arena. And we did
see some phenomenal defense from nu No Borges. We really
did see some impressive stuff. But again, ultimately, with the
match on the line, it's the firepower that Alcaraz possesses
off fourhand side. So in terms of groundstrokes four percent winners.
Four percent of the Borgs four hands today were winners.
(13:20):
When it came to the Alcaraz fourhand twenty percent. Okay, okay,
So that the times that leads to a win account
of about thirty. I think it is for Alcarez off
the fourhand side and four from Borges, and really that's
the gap in the match. It's on Alcaraz's terms more
often and try as he might, defend as he might
nu No Borges, it's just too hard to stop that
firepower that Alcaraz is consistently bring into the table.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
Any other areas where he was able to exploit the
Portuguese there because he was tested in that third set a.
Speaker 9 (13:46):
Little bit like we discussed with the Vekich and Snyder match,
once the rallies actually became extended and we saw some
of the shot making and some of the defensive capabilities
of Nun Borges, it things got interesting all of a sudden.
But it's about being able to blunt the weapons that
can Los Alcaraz is bringing. And he's bringing the same
amount of firepower and sets three, four and five as
he is and set one and two. So whilst you
(14:06):
might be able to navigate that for a period of time,
the challenge that the best players in the world keep
throwing at you is can you stay with them for
an extended period of time? So that this short rally count.
This is really where the match was decided. Here ninety
two for al Karaz short rallies points ending in four
shots or less, seventy one for Borges. Once we went
beyond that, really we're coming out in the wash twenty
five thirty seven. What have we got thirty seven to
(14:28):
thirty eight beyond that, so it's really fifty to fifty.
But when it's all about serve and return and who
can get the point on their terms, when it matters most,
it's al KaAZ.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Can you see him going all the way this year?
Speaker 7 (14:39):
I can actually, I mean if you look at the
last six months, I mean, you know, winning Wimbledon, just
recently in China and Shanghai. I think it was he
beat Sinner, He's beaten Novak a couple of times. I
think it's interesting because he's been a little bit of
an unknown quantity in the last couple of months, and
I think he's been saved himself for this and the
(15:01):
fact that he didn't do well at the US Open.
Speaker 17 (15:04):
It's given him time to reassess.
Speaker 7 (15:06):
I think also if we just see his path through
as long as he doesn't have too many I mean,
he strength his physicality, right, but if he lacks a
little bit of that firepower because he has a couple
of five seid matches, then it.
Speaker 17 (15:19):
Might be a bit tough mentally though.
Speaker 7 (15:23):
Sinner seems to be looking really good and he's kind
of coming in with the most matches under his belt
as well well.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
Plenty to look forward to with Arkraz as he chases
the career Grand Slam and a bit of history on
the line. He's saying to become the youngest man to
ever achieve it. Turning our attention now to day seven
in the Spotlight. First of all, our women's match between
Elena Spittalina and Jasmine Paulini's fit Alina, somewhat of a
sleeping giant in this straw, hasn't had much attention over that.
Speaker 7 (15:50):
It's interesting, isn't it, I think because she's only ever
gotten to the round of sixteen here at the Australia
and Open, so there's not that big talk and the
memory of her doing well at the Australian Open. Obviously
we know she's had a pretty stella twenty twenty four.
She's an unusual player. I mean, it's incredible right to
be number three in the world and to be play
(16:12):
to play like she does high and heavy runs incredibly well,
great counterpuncher. Look, I think also Siddelina. I mean, we
know she's had foot surgery, she's been out for a
little while. She's very very I think she's pumped to
come back and get back to where she's been.
Speaker 17 (16:31):
Number three in the world. I think she was.
Speaker 7 (16:34):
Look, we know she's a great fighter, and I think
this is going to be a really interesting match. Who
is going to counter punch. Who's going to be the
one that's going to come out and be more aggressive.
I mean, Palini, she's incredible to watch. She's going to
try to get the height and shape and spread the
short spread the court. Sidlina is going to try to
(16:54):
get the quicker serve plus one, try to be a
little bit more aggressive. Even though she doesn't have the
big strokes. She's up in the court and the backhand
is probably going to do a little bit of damage.
Speaker 17 (17:07):
She's going to have to try to stay up.
Speaker 7 (17:09):
But the minute she gets pushed back and Paulini starts
to work the ball and she gets the ball up here,
then we're going to see some trouble. So getting a
high percentage of serves in I think is going to
be key and really trying to keep the points a
little bit shorter she doesn't want to have because I
mean the legs. How much work has she got under
the legs obviously coming off the surgery. So I think
(17:30):
they're going to be key areas where Spidelina has to
really execute.
Speaker 9 (17:34):
Well, yeah, I'm really looking forward to this one. I
think they are aggressive, but in different ways. So from
a second serve return perspective, and that's something we talk
about a lot in the woman's game. It's a hugely
important aspect or element of who's ending up winning these battles.
You know, what type of return position do you take
up when you get an opportunity to press, to impose,
to send a message on your opponent's second So Jasmin
(17:57):
Palini in twenty twenty five's side the baseline two out
of three times she's on her inside baseline on second
serve return, whereas s Fitzalina she's only inside the baseline
one out of every twenty second server returns. OK, she's
typically within two meters of the baseline, but even there's
forty percent more than two meters beyond the baseline. So
she's actually prepared to yield a bit of court position
(18:19):
on second serve return. Still aggressive, as Lou says, still
wants to be aggressive an impact, still wants to deliver
a message in terms of energy on the ball, but
she's after a little more time to create to be
able to deliver that hit on the ball. So she's
wanting to be aggressive, but prepared to yield court position
to do it. Paulini's wanting to be aggressive in the
traditional way. She's coming forward, coming out you straight away,
(18:39):
looking to get the first strike in and clearly both
phenomenal athletes looking forward to this one very much.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
All right. Our second match for Spotlight on day seven
is between Ben Shelton and Lorenzo Mazzetti and Lou. Shelton
has come through the draw against Brandon Nakashima and Pablo
Coreno Buster to reach the third round. Mazzetti has come
through his countryman Mateo aar Naldi and Dennis Shapovalov. He's
been tested a little bit more so how do you
see this third round match?
Speaker 7 (19:03):
Yeh, it's interesting as well because just beating Chpovalov, he's
had an opportunity to look at the lefty Obviously, Ben
and and Chapovalov play a little bit differently. Shepeval of heavier,
little bit more spin, but the pace and the power
from Ben, that's going to be interesting if that is on,
if he's really on fire. Massetti, I love the way
(19:26):
he plays. He's going to throw everything at him. He's
very dynamic, he's a great athlete. Serve, He'll throw the
serve and volley in. He'll mix it up a little bit.
He's got the two wins over him, so he's coming
in here with more confidence. And neither of them have
really been tested with too long on the court, so
they're both going to have fresh legs.
Speaker 17 (19:45):
It's really whether Ben is.
Speaker 7 (19:47):
Going to find the big power consistently enough to beat Massetti.
Speaker 17 (19:52):
And I don't think. I don't think it's going to happen.
Speaker 9 (19:54):
Well, I think Leu's described it really, really well. It
is going to be a game of cat and mouse.
From a technical PERSPECTI because Shelton lose right, Shelton's got
the firepower on serve. He's going to hit the bigger
first serve, He's going to hit the bigger second serve.
In fact, he may have as much as twenty kilometers
an hour on Muzzetti from a second serve perspective. So
he's bringing much more heat, and Muzzetti he's okay with that.
What he's going to do to counter that is he's
(20:15):
going to retreat. He's going to give up court position
to buy time, and he's going to back his skill.
Having called the match the other day against Shapovalov, even
if you serve volley Muzzetti and he looks like he's
out of the picture, it looks like he's gone for
all money. He will back his ability to take pace
off the ball. He will use the chip return off
both sides and he will make it awkward. He will
force you to volley up. And then he will back
his extraordinary foot speed and his ability to generate speed
(20:39):
and spin on forehand. He's got a running forehand that's
the equal of any man left in the drawer to
kind of draw equal or find a way through the
lengthy battle that he wants to engage in to do
the damage with his forehand. So Shelton will be looking
to keep the points short, backing his firepower, He'll be
coming at Muzzetti. Muzzetti will be okay with that. To
a point to let's I think that's a what Let's
(21:00):
see how that works out from the perspective of Mozzetti,
because if he backs up too far, he may be
struggling to get a racket on the ball off Ben Shelton.
So I think the tactical cat and mouse that exists
in this contest. Really excited to see how that plays
out here.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
Do you reckon wins that, Shelton or Muzzetti.
Speaker 17 (21:15):
I think Mazzetti.
Speaker 7 (21:16):
I think the Italian is going to be drawing off
the confidence from the number one seed as well. The
Italians are just they're really enjoying having a good leader
out there.
Speaker 17 (21:29):
And it's just been great for Italian for Italian tennis.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
What a campaign it's been? Any more from you, Assimon?
Speaker 9 (21:35):
Yeah, well, I think it's too nothing to Moozetti and
this head to head lou mention it to nothing to
MAZZETI over Ben Shelton. But I think the tables start
to turn tomorrow. I think Shelton finds a way to
get this done in a five set marathon battle.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
Goodness seven Sixsaka to leave John Cane Arena. Now ami
Osaka is highly anticipated returned to the second week in
Melbourne has come to a grinding halt, forced to retire
from her third round showdown with Belinda Benchicch due to
an abdominal strain. The former world number one pulled the
(22:11):
stumps on the match after Benchicch took the first set
tiebreak seven to three, a premature end to Osaka's promising
start to her campaign.
Speaker 18 (22:19):
It was a little hectic trying to manage it because
obviously my draw was quite tough, but we were also
doing everything we could, like I was going to therapy
every day and stuff like that into the night. So
(22:39):
the days have been very long for me, and obviously
after my last match I got way worse. So credit
to her for being such a good opponent. But yeah,
it was just, I guess, a little inevitable, but I
think the competitor wanted to see it through until the end.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
It's the third round of sixteen. Berth for ben chic
who wrote get well soon, Mama for Osaka on the
broadcast camera in a selfless gesture after the match.
Speaker 4 (23:10):
Not the way you want to win the match, that's
for sure. I really felt for her. Been injured before,
so I know how it feels. Of course, I think
I will be more happy maybe tomorrow. Yeah, it's cool
to be in the fourth round arena.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
Sablenka has faced her toughest match yet in the form
of dangerous Dane Clara Towson. The pair exchanged eight breaks
of serve to begin the first set, which the world
number one eventually clinched in a tiebreaker. Tawson refused to
back down though in the second, clawing back Sablenka's lead
before the defending champion took care of business seven six,
six ' four.
Speaker 17 (23:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 12 (23:45):
Yeah, there was definitely really tough. Mike Ship played incredible tennis.
I really had to put it all together to get
that win. Hutsa mentally mostly, and I'm really glad that
I was able to fight no matter what and super happy.
Speaker 7 (24:00):
With this win.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
Sablinkall next face Mirror Andreva in a battle of the
Next Gen versus the Now, the seventeen year old advancing
to the round of sixteen for the second straight year
after a roller coaster triumph over Magdalena Frech. Andreva was
the aggressor, conceding forty five unforced errors but trebling the
number of her opponent's winners to progress six two one
(24:22):
six six two and set up a mouth watering fourth
round battle.
Speaker 10 (24:26):
Honest, I'm so tired to play against her.
Speaker 19 (24:27):
It's like.
Speaker 10 (24:29):
It's a I don't know. I think she she's the
one player that I've I don't know, I've played her
four or five times already.
Speaker 17 (24:38):
So it's like the.
Speaker 10 (24:41):
Yeah, it's a lot, So what can I say? Here
we are again. I just I know that probably it's
going to be an entertaining match, and of course I'm
going to do everything possible and I'm gonna give my best.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Paola Barroso has overcome Marta Costuk in a high octane
slog fest. The Spaniard landed the first blow before Costuok
won the tug of war on the second. But it
was the Spaniard's day, winning six four four six sixty three,
and she spoke to producer Alexia Mitchell shortly after the
win power congratulations.
Speaker 15 (25:13):
Dur into the fourth round. Not a bad way to
finish the first week.
Speaker 13 (25:17):
Yeah, I'm very happy. Today was really tough, especially the conditions,
but I'm very happy because it was quite a mental
battle and I fought through that. So I'm really proud.
Speaker 15 (25:27):
When Marta came at you in that second set, how
did you wrestle back control because it was quite difficult.
Speaker 13 (25:33):
Yeah, I think she increased her level in that moment.
And the third set, I knew I had to give
my all and I knew that also the conditions were
in easy, but I knew if I served well and
I was stayed really intense in that in that first games,
I could have maybe a chance of breaking her, and
that's what happened.
Speaker 20 (25:52):
So, yeah, it was tough.
Speaker 15 (25:55):
Sounds like quite a resilient game and a quite a
mental game. Is the resilience something that you work on
constantly or something you've naturally built in.
Speaker 13 (26:04):
With It's pretty natural. It's it's part of my personality,
my character, and that's why, of course I work on
it on it, but it's it comes pretty in my DNA.
Speaker 15 (26:16):
And you had an incredible season last year. Where can
you see your game improving?
Speaker 13 (26:22):
Well, I think there's so many things I can improve Still,
I'm changing some stuff of my game, but it's still
sometimes difficult to do it in competing. But I want
to be more aggressive, I want to go more to
the net, have a little bit more of variation. So
that's a little bit of what I'm working on.
Speaker 15 (26:39):
And your quota could be considered one of the toughest ones.
Have you looked too far ahead?
Speaker 13 (26:45):
I just go much by match. I know the next
ones and I think with that I have enough.
Speaker 15 (26:51):
And sort of when we talk about the Grand Slams,
the same name seem to be coming out your Sean
Tech and Ka GoF where do you see yourself amongst
those names?
Speaker 13 (27:04):
Well, I think that when I'm in my I believe
in myself and I have matches like like now, I
think I can beat them. I've I've proved that in
the in the past. Of course they prove and being
more consistent and doing amazing year, especially last year. But
you never know what can happen in Islam. And of
(27:25):
course if I don't believe in myself, nobody will do it.
Speaker 15 (27:27):
Pala, thanks for chatting.
Speaker 13 (27:29):
Thank you, thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
As mentioned earlier, Donavekc's next opponent will be Anastasia Publishchenkova,
who pushed past Lara Siegmund six six two. The thirty
three year old feeling the pinch of her sixteenth Australian
Open campaign.
Speaker 21 (27:42):
I'm turning myself to the wall and I'm like, oh
my god, spread hopefully I can play the next night,
but I think mentally was hoping because she's even older
than me today, so I tried to convince myself that, Okay,
you're a younger one here, so move your move.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
Your legs, blink and you'll miss it. Alexander Zverev is
through to the round of sixteen without dropping a set
this tournament. His latest casualty Jacob fernlely ousted by the
second seed sixty three six four sixty four in just
over two hours. The German feeling only mild discomfort in
windy conditions.
Speaker 19 (28:18):
I feel like in the first few matches, for a
few matches were kind of perfect conditions, no wind at all.
The second match was basically indoors, so obviously very very different.
I think my opponent did a great job of maximizing today,
was very aggressive for us, returning quite well, and yeah,
(28:39):
I'm unhappy with a straight said of win.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
The next opponent for Zverev is Ugo Umbert, who was
granted a safe passage into the fourth round after fellow
Frenchman Utter Feast retired in the fourth set of their match.
After snatching the opener, Feast was on the back foot
in what became a dog fight that lasted the next
two sets. Feeling the pinch of an ankle injury, Feast
had no choice but to retire, putting an end to
(29:02):
a special French Derby on Bear, the second athlete to
be granted a walkover on John Caine Arena on day six.
Speaker 20 (29:09):
Yeah, I'm so proud of this second week for the
first time. I love to play in Australia. I have
so good memories, even if I have some bad loss.
But yeah, I'm super happy to be in the second week.
Speaker 10 (29:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
Meantime, Alejandro Davidovich for Kina has come from the clouds
to defeat teen sensation Yahu Menzik in five. The new
kid on the block zipped through the first two sets
sixty three sixty four, before the Spaniard went to work
in the third. He saved two match points to win
a tiebreaker, then clinched the final set six four, six ' two,
(29:44):
much to the surprise of even himself.
Speaker 6 (29:46):
Not only did you come from two sets down this evening,
you also had to save two match points.
Speaker 17 (29:53):
I didn't remember that.
Speaker 15 (29:58):
Well.
Speaker 22 (29:59):
I didn't remember that I said too much.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
By really, I was focused on every point.
Speaker 20 (30:04):
I knew that the Dayrek was so so died.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
He sets up a fourth round date with twelfth seed
Tommy Paul, who powered past Roberto Cabas Bayenna in straight
sets after a neck and neck opening Stanza Paul refused
to concede a point in the tiebreak, eventually racing to
a seven six six ' two six love win.
Speaker 23 (30:24):
I came out playing some of my best tennis. He
matched it there Lad in the first set and turned
into a battle, and then yeah, I feel like I
you know, as the match got on, I started swinging
more and more free and started playing better and better tennis.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
The tennis world is still coming to terms with the
spectacular performance of Lerner Tien, the young man responsible for
eliminating twenty twenty four finalists Daniel Medvedev in the early
hours of this morning. The unassuming nineteen year old is
the youngest American man since Pete Sampras in nineteen ninety
to reach the third round of the Australian Open, where
he'll now face Frenchman Crenton. Mute commentator Mark Petchi giving
(31:05):
some insight into Tiann's backstory with Chris Stubbs on stan
Sports Grand Slam Daily.
Speaker 22 (31:11):
Incredible maturity for the youngster His parents obviously come from
Vietnam after the war. It was a very tumultuous time
for them. They went over obviously to California to live
the American dream. His dad was actually coaching in late
night classes where he met his mum, and that's kind
of all part of the part of the group there.
But he has got a game that was put together
(31:32):
so well. Already, great personality, he's again, he's another one
of these ones that when you watch him, he's very subtle.
But the performance last night in Daniel's Worlds is going
to bring him money, girls and casinos.
Speaker 11 (31:47):
His development and the next gen guys from last year
already Juel Fonsei Kerasaka Mensig like upsetting top ten players
for Medvedev where's he had. Obviously, it's been personally a
big couple of weeks.
Speaker 13 (31:59):
We just put this on.
Speaker 11 (32:00):
I'm behind us to.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
It, I think.
Speaker 22 (32:01):
So it is obviously probably nice he walks away from
Melbourne without having lost in the final in two sets
of love up, that will be a little bit easier.
Having said that, it is another tough loss for him.
But I do think the fact that his wife's just
given birth to his second daughter and all of those
things will make it a lot easier for him to
hop on the plane and reset at the start of
twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
Transport is an integral cog in the Australian Open Machine.
And it's not just our fleet of courtesy cars that
take our players where they need to go. There's also
a fleet of buggies that zig and zag across the
half killometer long Melbourne Park precinct transporting players and they're
entourages to matches, practice and back to the Rod Laver
Arena player area. And two of the drivers are a
(32:44):
father and daughter combination. Meet Jeff and Caitlin as we
go behind the wheel. Thanks to safety culture, sometimes when I.
Speaker 5 (32:54):
Go back to my normal car, I forget where the
pedal is.
Speaker 15 (33:00):
I've been a buggy driver at the AO for two
years now.
Speaker 5 (33:06):
We get the players from rod Labor Arena to their
practice courts and then we get them back to rod
Labor Arena to rest up, have something to eat. My
dad works at the Strain Open.
Speaker 24 (33:18):
Basically from the time that she was about eleven, she's
been trying to get onto the AO team, going to
NTC Rod Labor.
Speaker 17 (33:26):
Have your day going, Queen, get another buggy up at NTC.
Speaker 11 (33:29):
Please, Hey you.
Speaker 10 (33:30):
Guys on good day.
Speaker 17 (33:32):
I've driven Annie, Murray.
Speaker 21 (33:33):
Demona and back Hewet.
Speaker 5 (33:35):
I always talk to players, ask them how they are.
Speaker 12 (33:38):
Hey, Yeah, it's been good.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
Don't take off too quickly.
Speaker 16 (33:41):
I won't.
Speaker 5 (33:42):
I'm not going that far.
Speaker 24 (33:44):
Last year we caught up quite a lot for meals.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
This year it's been a bit different.
Speaker 17 (33:47):
Yeah, he's got a new job now I've.
Speaker 24 (33:50):
Found the executive cafe. It's almost like a family tradition,
you know that we sort of carry on over the years.
It really puts a smile on my face, you know,
just to see her having so much fun.
Speaker 5 (34:01):
It just means a lot to be a part of
such a great community.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Well that's all for Day six of the Australian Open,
but join me again tomorrow for all of the big
stories from day seven. Make sure you subscribe to never
miss an episode, and please consider leaving a rating or
review so more fans can discover the tennis. You can
also watch our daily spotlight segment on our YouTube channel,
Australian Open TV and I'll catch you tomorrow for more
(34:28):
of the tennis
Yeah, I was trying to catch the breath. You know,
I struggled. I'm not nineteen anymore, I guess you know
you look nineteen nineteen times too.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Almost Gooday, and welcome to the tennis for Day six
of AO twenty twenty five, John houvenas with all the
big news from Melbourne Park every day of the main draw.
Today on the tennis Draper draws the curtains on Vook.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Boy was done there and then he just came back
from the dead.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Ben Chitch the beneficiary of an out of sorts OSAKA.
Speaker 4 (00:30):
Not the way you want to win the match, that's
for sure. I really felt for her.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Plus a preview of Day seven and the buggy drivers
who get the A listers from A to B at
the AO.
Speaker 5 (00:40):
Sometimes when I go back to my normal car, I
forget where the pedal is.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
That's all ahead. On the tennis.
Speaker 6 (00:50):
Match point for Draper, he says down the center.
Speaker 7 (00:54):
For I return.
Speaker 8 (00:54):
He's he too.
Speaker 6 (00:55):
Today it's a much dreaper find.
Speaker 9 (00:57):
Chriss Sex places drape finding that out of respect of.
Speaker 10 (01:01):
The cloud on Alexander Vukiksk.
Speaker 9 (01:04):
They have so much respect for each other and everybody
in the marga Corsina has so much respect for these
two players.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Alex Demonor is the only Australian player left in the
singles draws. After Alex Vukich found himself on the losing
end of another gripping five set battle with Jack Draper,
the Aussi journeyman who knocked out seb Quarter in the
second round, conceded the first set to the Bridge, but
Vukch soon found his range during the mid stages of
the match, winning the second set comfortably and a tight third,
(01:33):
before finding himself two points from victory in a fourth
set tiebreaker, but Draper picked himself up off the canvas
and struck back in the fourth sending the match to
it a sider which ebbed and flowed as the Warriors
attempted to wear each other down. In a ten point
super tiebreak, the Bridge shot out to a three zero lead,
and despite a gallant last gasp fight back from Vukich,
(01:55):
the match belonged to Draper six two, two, six, five, seven, seven,
seven to six, lasting a tick under four hours.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Yeah, I mean I thought it was done there and
then he just came back from the dead. He was
playing incredible, you know it was I think you know,
we're suffering a lot obviously in the five sets, and
sometimes you know, you get a little energy when he broke,
when he holded that game at forty fifteen myself and
it was just a great battleman to two competitors going
(02:24):
at it, and that's what it's sportsful about.
Speaker 11 (02:25):
So it's good.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Draper has now spent more than twelve hours on court
across fifteen sets of tennis over the first three rounds.
His next opponent, Carlos al Karaz.
Speaker 6 (02:35):
Djokovic is pushing hard here, trying to hit the winners.
That's a short ball brings Mahatch him.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Will there be a pass?
Speaker 10 (02:41):
Yes?
Speaker 12 (02:42):
There?
Speaker 6 (02:42):
Well, it's a comfortable performance on court from Novak Djokovic.
He's through to the fourth round in straight sets over
Thomas Mahatch.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Novak Djokovic has pushed through adversity in his third round
match against Thomas Mahatch to progress to the second week
of the AO for the seventeenth time. One time champ
was hot out of the blocks, breaking Mahutch in the
fourth and sixth games to open up a one set
lead in just thirty six minutes. The second set didn't
come quite so easily, Djokovic broken in the opening game
before requiring medical assistance for a breathing difficulty, but he
(03:15):
broke the Ma Hutch serve twice in a row and
saved a break point of his own in the tenth
game to snatch a two sets lead. Having never lost
a match in Melbourne from that position, the writing was
on the wall for the Check, who coughed up his
service in the opening game of the third set. By contrast,
Djokovic was impeccable, winning eighty nine percent of first serve
points and firing down six aces on the way to
(03:37):
a six one, six four six ' four victory.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Slightly surprised, to be honest with the results, you know,
to beat him street sets. He was a breakup in
early in the second. I struggled physically there, just somehow
managed to turn things around, hold my serve when I
needed to, just a couple of points, really decided A
decided a second set that could have gone his way,
and then maybe that the outcome of the match would
be different. But overall, I think in the third, you know,
(04:03):
felt fresh, moved really well. Overall, very pleased.
Speaker 13 (04:06):
With my game.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Djokovic now faces inform Check usually Lahechka, who swept aside
Benjamin Bonzi in an hour and forty seven minutes to
win through in straight sets.
Speaker 14 (04:16):
I was the better player in a very difficult situation
in the match, so I think it's a it's a
good start, I mean good position from which I'm going
to be playing against against Nola.
Speaker 15 (04:37):
The career six six one.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Serbians everywhere celebrate She's off to the fourth round of
the Australian Open.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Olga Danilovitch has claimed the biggest upset of Day six,
knocking out Jessica Pegoula in straight sets. The Serbs saved
two break points in the second game of the opening set,
which eventually went her way in a tiebreaker, and with
the wind in her sales, Danilovitch took full advantage of
the momentum in a one sided second set, breaking the
American twice consecutively before serving it out seven, six sixty
(05:09):
one in exactly ninety minutes.
Speaker 8 (05:11):
I'm super happy with the way I played, honestly. I mean,
she's in top of the world. I mean, she's such
a great player, and I knew I had to have
my AAA plus plus plus game to beat her. But
you know, in the back of my mind. Let's I
really believed in myself.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Danilovich is locked in a fourth round meeting with Paula Borosa.
More on that later in the episode. Coco Goff is
into the fourth round for the third straight year, dispatching
Leyla Fernandez with ruthless efficiency. The world number three one
eighty nine percent of first serve points and forty one
percent of receiving points to beat the Canadian thirtieth seed
six four six ' two in just an hour and
(05:52):
a quarter. While tonight's win pushes her one step closer
to the trophy, the twenty twenty three US Open champion
isn't getting too far ahead, as she shares her marathon mentality.
Speaker 16 (06:02):
I think I've learned that you just the trophy is
so far away, so it's almost as distant as it
probably feels when you're a junior trying to play this tournament.
To be honest, how I would say, obviously I have
the belief and that's my goal. But I think for
me personally, the best mindset is to treat it as
it being so far away.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
She'll facebook Linda Benchicch in the round of sixteen.
Speaker 16 (06:24):
Again.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
More on that later in the episode. Thank you your
match points.
Speaker 6 (06:31):
She serves out line and drops her racket into lights,
so that magic just come back from the brink in
this one to see off the challenge of Tianna Schneider
in three.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
And thralling sets and Beck it is through to the
fourth round. Well, Day six produced two matches that both
are on court for almost three hours, a women's match
and a men's match, and they are our spotlight matches
for today on the tennis and I'm joined by Simon
and Ray from gig Rolcolm Simon, Hey, John, than you
have me and commentator Louke Plaming. Hello, lou Hi, how
(07:04):
are you?
Speaker 17 (07:05):
John?
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Lovely to have you on the tennis for the first
time in twenty twenty five. And today we watched Donna
Vekch go up against Dianna Schneider and the results six
seven seven five. Schneider might not be familiar to a
lot of people in Australia, but she's a big time
player and that's a huge scalp for Vekich.
Speaker 7 (07:23):
Yeah, it's interesting because before the match Isilo tom Lanovitch
was going to call the match and she said to me,
who do you think is going to win that one?
I said, well, it's a really tough one, isn't it.
I mean, Donna has been, I feel like, being a
little bit more aggressive since she started working with Sessha Bayon,
And for me, if she serves well and she's up
(07:44):
in the court, she's going to cause anyone some problems.
Speaker 17 (07:48):
But then you go Snada, Okay.
Speaker 7 (07:50):
Lefty, she's going to go loopy, heavier, push Donna back
in the court, and it becomes a little bit more
of an equal equation. And obviously Schneider has been doing
a little bit better, got a higher ranking, and I
really thought, I mean, everyone's talking about this young young
lady to be one of the next big players, and
I kind of was leaning towards Snader, and then all
(08:12):
of a sudden in the third set, she was up.
But Donna just showed such incredible fighting qualities as she does,
so great match for Donna out there, and I think
with her consistency in the way she's been serving, I
think she can cause a lot of people a little
bit of havoc.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
So how did she do it?
Speaker 9 (08:31):
Simon or She was able to get just enough of
the points on her terms, and Lou mentioned the strength
of the veckit serve and that was a defining factor
in the match. So from a serving perspective, these two
women just go about it slightly differently. Vekch averaged one
hundred and seventy two kilometers an hour on first serve
today and one hundred and forty six on second. Schneider
is about one hundred and fifty eight on first serve
and down about the mid one thirties one hundred and
(08:53):
thirty five or so on second. So it was her
inability to pick that up against that Vekitch heat on
first serve and execute on fourhand return that was the
problem for Schneider made just fifty five percent of her
first serve fourhand returns today, which then leads into and
Lou mentioned that the wrestle and the back and forth
that ended up playing out in this third set. Really,
if the points were short, it was in Veketch's favor,
(09:14):
and she got just enough of them being short, so
short rallies won eighty seven to Vekitch, seventy four to Schneider.
Once the rallies went long, it was already touched on
this five shots plus. Really it's one way traffic for
Schneider thirty six points to twenty eight for Schniner. Not
one way traffic, but the odds are certainly in her favor.
So Veckis does just enough on serve, Schneider misses just enough.
(09:35):
From her perspective, just too many fourhand returns against that
Beckett first serve and really it traces back to serve
and return.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Anything.
Speaker 7 (09:43):
Yeah, wow, I mean interestingly there, just thought Snider was
getting a little bit more power off her serves, so
that was allowing Vikich to really dominate off some of
those returns, and we saw that today. But it's interesting,
isn't it, because she doesn't go for the big serve
all time. She generally goes for the kick and the
slider and mixes it up a little bit, likes to
(10:04):
just throw a bit of doubt in the returner's mind.
So I thought Donna did a very good, very good
job of picking up where she was serving and what
she needed to do in that part of her game.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
Will that be a tactic she can continue into the
next round against Anastasia Pavliahchenkova or is it a different
game plan required for a player of that caliber.
Speaker 9 (10:24):
Well, I think the Vickage game plan is the Vickage
game plan, and when you're able to generate heat on
serve and you've got a genuine weapon there on serve.
We know about her ball striking from the back of
the court, and typically Donna is someone that on second
serve return, as we're seeing with a lot of these
leading female players at the mum loves to be aggressive.
If she's not inside or on top of baseline, she's
really right there looking to press you as soon as
(10:44):
she gets an opening on second serve return. And that's
a bit of a consistent theme that we're seeing I
think we're seeing from some of these leading contenders.
Speaker 17 (10:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (10:50):
I think the challenge with Pavla Chhenkova though, is she
hits about ten clicks faster than Schneider, and she is
hitting big at the moment I did her in Adelaide.
She was very unlucky not to win that match, but
she has been exceptional and winning very quickly here at
the Australian Open as well. She looks fit and if
(11:13):
Vekich is inside the court, she's got to diffuse some
power and then get Pavlochenkova moving.
Speaker 17 (11:18):
I think that's going to be the issue. It's got
to be done pretty quickly.
Speaker 7 (11:21):
Otherwise, the depth that Anastasia is hitting with she's been
exceptional so far.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
It's a tricky part of the draw. The winner of
sable Anca and Andreva awaiting, whoever is the victor in
that match. Our second match for day six for the
tennis Spotlight is Carlos Alcaraz, who defeated Nuno Borges in
four sets, six ' two, six ' four, six ' seven,
six to two. Borges has got a bit of game.
It wasn't all smooth sailing for the number three seeds.
Speaker 17 (11:49):
Yeah, I tell you.
Speaker 7 (11:50):
Alcarez had to throw himself around the court there. I
saw him a couple of times down diving for some volleys.
And Nuno is interesting the way he can slideway, he
can die. I thought athletically he was really matching him,
particularly in that third set as well, where it was
so tight. I think al Karez is getting better, there's
(12:10):
no question. I mean, he's coming off the back of
a phenomenal last year. Hasn't played a lot though, since
the US Open and since that loss to Vanderskild.
Speaker 17 (12:18):
I mean, that's that was a little bit of a
an interesting couple of weeks.
Speaker 7 (12:23):
I think, but I think he's been back in Spain
working hard physically, and he looks incredible, and he's I think,
what two three set matches are two one three set
match in one four set match, He's got plenty in
the tank.
Speaker 9 (12:36):
Yeah. I think in some ways it's maybe the test
that not that you're necessarily looking for, but one that
you know in four, five, six, seven days from now
he might be grateful for having had. It's just enough
of a test to get the court time up. You
come in, as Lou's mentioned, with that limited preparations, like
more of the players. Again, there's a trend more of
the players are coming in here fresh without a lead
(12:57):
up event, and so it's valuable court time on the
pressure cooker that is rod Laver Arena. And we did
see some phenomenal defense from nu No Borges. We really
did see some impressive stuff. But again, ultimately, with the
match on the line, it's the firepower that Alcaraz possesses
off fourhand side. So in terms of groundstrokes four percent winners.
Four percent of the Borgs four hands today were winners.
(13:20):
When it came to the Alcaraz fourhand twenty percent. Okay, okay,
So that the times that leads to a win account
of about thirty. I think it is for Alcarez off
the fourhand side and four from Borges, and really that's
the gap in the match. It's on Alcaraz's terms more
often and try as he might, defend as he might
nu No Borges, it's just too hard to stop that
firepower that Alcaraz is consistently bring into the table.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
Any other areas where he was able to exploit the
Portuguese there because he was tested in that third set a.
Speaker 9 (13:46):
Little bit like we discussed with the Vekich and Snyder match,
once the rallies actually became extended and we saw some
of the shot making and some of the defensive capabilities
of Nun Borges, it things got interesting all of a sudden.
But it's about being able to blunt the weapons that
can Los Alcaraz is bringing. And he's bringing the same
amount of firepower and sets three, four and five as
he is and set one and two. So whilst you
(14:06):
might be able to navigate that for a period of time,
the challenge that the best players in the world keep
throwing at you is can you stay with them for
an extended period of time? So that this short rally count.
This is really where the match was decided. Here ninety
two for al Karaz short rallies points ending in four
shots or less, seventy one for Borges. Once we went
beyond that, really we're coming out in the wash twenty
five thirty seven. What have we got thirty seven to
(14:28):
thirty eight beyond that, so it's really fifty to fifty.
But when it's all about serve and return and who
can get the point on their terms, when it matters most,
it's al KaAZ.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Can you see him going all the way this year?
Speaker 7 (14:39):
I can actually, I mean if you look at the
last six months, I mean, you know, winning Wimbledon, just
recently in China and Shanghai. I think it was he
beat Sinner, He's beaten Novak a couple of times. I
think it's interesting because he's been a little bit of
an unknown quantity in the last couple of months, and
I think he's been saved himself for this and the
(15:01):
fact that he didn't do well at the US Open.
Speaker 17 (15:04):
It's given him time to reassess.
Speaker 7 (15:06):
I think also if we just see his path through
as long as he doesn't have too many I mean,
he strength his physicality, right, but if he lacks a
little bit of that firepower because he has a couple
of five seid matches, then it.
Speaker 17 (15:19):
Might be a bit tough mentally though.
Speaker 7 (15:23):
Sinner seems to be looking really good and he's kind
of coming in with the most matches under his belt
as well well.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
Plenty to look forward to with Arkraz as he chases
the career Grand Slam and a bit of history on
the line. He's saying to become the youngest man to
ever achieve it. Turning our attention now to day seven
in the Spotlight. First of all, our women's match between
Elena Spittalina and Jasmine Paulini's fit Alina, somewhat of a
sleeping giant in this straw, hasn't had much attention over that.
Speaker 7 (15:50):
It's interesting, isn't it, I think because she's only ever
gotten to the round of sixteen here at the Australia
and Open, so there's not that big talk and the
memory of her doing well at the Australian Open. Obviously
we know she's had a pretty stella twenty twenty four.
She's an unusual player. I mean, it's incredible right to
be number three in the world and to be play
(16:12):
to play like she does high and heavy runs incredibly well,
great counterpuncher. Look, I think also Siddelina. I mean, we
know she's had foot surgery, she's been out for a
little while. She's very very I think she's pumped to
come back and get back to where she's been.
Speaker 17 (16:31):
Number three in the world. I think she was.
Speaker 7 (16:34):
Look, we know she's a great fighter, and I think
this is going to be a really interesting match. Who
is going to counter punch. Who's going to be the
one that's going to come out and be more aggressive.
I mean, Palini, she's incredible to watch. She's going to
try to get the height and shape and spread the
short spread the court. Sidlina is going to try to
(16:54):
get the quicker serve plus one, try to be a
little bit more aggressive. Even though she doesn't have the
big strokes. She's up in the court and the backhand
is probably going to do a little bit of damage.
Speaker 17 (17:07):
She's going to have to try to stay up.
Speaker 7 (17:09):
But the minute she gets pushed back and Paulini starts
to work the ball and she gets the ball up here,
then we're going to see some trouble. So getting a
high percentage of serves in I think is going to
be key and really trying to keep the points a
little bit shorter she doesn't want to have because I
mean the legs. How much work has she got under
the legs obviously coming off the surgery. So I think
(17:30):
they're going to be key areas where Spidelina has to
really execute.
Speaker 9 (17:34):
Well, yeah, I'm really looking forward to this one. I
think they are aggressive, but in different ways. So from
a second serve return perspective, and that's something we talk
about a lot in the woman's game. It's a hugely
important aspect or element of who's ending up winning these battles.
You know, what type of return position do you take
up when you get an opportunity to press, to impose,
to send a message on your opponent's second So Jasmin
(17:57):
Palini in twenty twenty five's side the baseline two out
of three times she's on her inside baseline on second
serve return, whereas s Fitzalina she's only inside the baseline
one out of every twenty second server returns. OK, she's
typically within two meters of the baseline, but even there's
forty percent more than two meters beyond the baseline. So
she's actually prepared to yield a bit of court position
(18:19):
on second serve return. Still aggressive, as Lou says, still
wants to be aggressive an impact, still wants to deliver
a message in terms of energy on the ball, but
she's after a little more time to create to be
able to deliver that hit on the ball. So she's
wanting to be aggressive, but prepared to yield court position
to do it. Paulini's wanting to be aggressive in the
traditional way. She's coming forward, coming out you straight away,
(18:39):
looking to get the first strike in and clearly both
phenomenal athletes looking forward to this one very much.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
All right. Our second match for Spotlight on day seven
is between Ben Shelton and Lorenzo Mazzetti and Lou. Shelton
has come through the draw against Brandon Nakashima and Pablo
Coreno Buster to reach the third round. Mazzetti has come
through his countryman Mateo aar Naldi and Dennis Shapovalov. He's
been tested a little bit more so how do you
see this third round match?
Speaker 7 (19:03):
Yeh, it's interesting as well because just beating Chpovalov, he's
had an opportunity to look at the lefty Obviously, Ben
and and Chapovalov play a little bit differently. Shepeval of heavier,
little bit more spin, but the pace and the power
from Ben, that's going to be interesting if that is on,
if he's really on fire. Massetti, I love the way
(19:26):
he plays. He's going to throw everything at him. He's
very dynamic, he's a great athlete. Serve, He'll throw the
serve and volley in. He'll mix it up a little bit.
He's got the two wins over him, so he's coming
in here with more confidence. And neither of them have
really been tested with too long on the court, so
they're both going to have fresh legs.
Speaker 17 (19:45):
It's really whether Ben is.
Speaker 7 (19:47):
Going to find the big power consistently enough to beat Massetti.
Speaker 17 (19:52):
And I don't think. I don't think it's going to happen.
Speaker 9 (19:54):
Well, I think Leu's described it really, really well. It
is going to be a game of cat and mouse.
From a technical PERSPECTI because Shelton lose right, Shelton's got
the firepower on serve. He's going to hit the bigger
first serve, He's going to hit the bigger second serve.
In fact, he may have as much as twenty kilometers
an hour on Muzzetti from a second serve perspective. So
he's bringing much more heat, and Muzzetti he's okay with that.
What he's going to do to counter that is he's
(20:15):
going to retreat. He's going to give up court position
to buy time, and he's going to back his skill.
Having called the match the other day against Shapovalov, even
if you serve volley Muzzetti and he looks like he's
out of the picture, it looks like he's gone for
all money. He will back his ability to take pace
off the ball. He will use the chip return off
both sides and he will make it awkward. He will
force you to volley up. And then he will back
his extraordinary foot speed and his ability to generate speed
(20:39):
and spin on forehand. He's got a running forehand that's
the equal of any man left in the drawer to
kind of draw equal or find a way through the
lengthy battle that he wants to engage in to do
the damage with his forehand. So Shelton will be looking
to keep the points short, backing his firepower, He'll be
coming at Muzzetti. Muzzetti will be okay with that. To
a point to let's I think that's a what Let's
(21:00):
see how that works out from the perspective of Mozzetti,
because if he backs up too far, he may be
struggling to get a racket on the ball off Ben Shelton.
So I think the tactical cat and mouse that exists
in this contest. Really excited to see how that plays
out here.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
Do you reckon wins that, Shelton or Muzzetti.
Speaker 17 (21:15):
I think Mazzetti.
Speaker 7 (21:16):
I think the Italian is going to be drawing off
the confidence from the number one seed as well. The
Italians are just they're really enjoying having a good leader
out there.
Speaker 17 (21:29):
And it's just been great for Italian for Italian tennis.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
What a campaign it's been? Any more from you, Assimon?
Speaker 9 (21:35):
Yeah, well, I think it's too nothing to Moozetti and
this head to head lou mention it to nothing to
MAZZETI over Ben Shelton. But I think the tables start
to turn tomorrow. I think Shelton finds a way to
get this done in a five set marathon battle.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
Goodness seven Sixsaka to leave John Cane Arena. Now ami
Osaka is highly anticipated returned to the second week in
Melbourne has come to a grinding halt, forced to retire
from her third round showdown with Belinda Benchicch due to
an abdominal strain. The former world number one pulled the
(22:11):
stumps on the match after Benchicch took the first set
tiebreak seven to three, a premature end to Osaka's promising
start to her campaign.
Speaker 18 (22:19):
It was a little hectic trying to manage it because
obviously my draw was quite tough, but we were also
doing everything we could, like I was going to therapy
every day and stuff like that into the night. So
(22:39):
the days have been very long for me, and obviously
after my last match I got way worse. So credit
to her for being such a good opponent. But yeah,
it was just, I guess, a little inevitable, but I
think the competitor wanted to see it through until the end.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
It's the third round of sixteen. Berth for ben chic
who wrote get well soon, Mama for Osaka on the
broadcast camera in a selfless gesture after the match.
Speaker 4 (23:10):
Not the way you want to win the match, that's
for sure. I really felt for her. Been injured before,
so I know how it feels. Of course, I think
I will be more happy maybe tomorrow. Yeah, it's cool
to be in the fourth round arena.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
Sablenka has faced her toughest match yet in the form
of dangerous Dane Clara Towson. The pair exchanged eight breaks
of serve to begin the first set, which the world
number one eventually clinched in a tiebreaker. Tawson refused to
back down though in the second, clawing back Sablenka's lead
before the defending champion took care of business seven six,
six ' four.
Speaker 17 (23:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 12 (23:45):
Yeah, there was definitely really tough. Mike Ship played incredible tennis.
I really had to put it all together to get
that win. Hutsa mentally mostly, and I'm really glad that
I was able to fight no matter what and super happy.
Speaker 7 (24:00):
With this win.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
Sablinkall next face Mirror Andreva in a battle of the
Next Gen versus the Now, the seventeen year old advancing
to the round of sixteen for the second straight year
after a roller coaster triumph over Magdalena Frech. Andreva was
the aggressor, conceding forty five unforced errors but trebling the
number of her opponent's winners to progress six two one
(24:22):
six six two and set up a mouth watering fourth
round battle.
Speaker 10 (24:26):
Honest, I'm so tired to play against her.
Speaker 19 (24:27):
It's like.
Speaker 10 (24:29):
It's a I don't know. I think she she's the
one player that I've I don't know, I've played her
four or five times already.
Speaker 17 (24:38):
So it's like the.
Speaker 10 (24:41):
Yeah, it's a lot, So what can I say? Here
we are again. I just I know that probably it's
going to be an entertaining match, and of course I'm
going to do everything possible and I'm gonna give my best.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Paola Barroso has overcome Marta Costuk in a high octane
slog fest. The Spaniard landed the first blow before Costuok
won the tug of war on the second. But it
was the Spaniard's day, winning six four four six sixty three,
and she spoke to producer Alexia Mitchell shortly after the
win power congratulations.
Speaker 15 (25:13):
Dur into the fourth round. Not a bad way to
finish the first week.
Speaker 13 (25:17):
Yeah, I'm very happy. Today was really tough, especially the conditions,
but I'm very happy because it was quite a mental
battle and I fought through that. So I'm really proud.
Speaker 15 (25:27):
When Marta came at you in that second set, how
did you wrestle back control because it was quite difficult.
Speaker 13 (25:33):
Yeah, I think she increased her level in that moment.
And the third set, I knew I had to give
my all and I knew that also the conditions were
in easy, but I knew if I served well and
I was stayed really intense in that in that first games,
I could have maybe a chance of breaking her, and
that's what happened.
Speaker 20 (25:52):
So, yeah, it was tough.
Speaker 15 (25:55):
Sounds like quite a resilient game and a quite a
mental game. Is the resilience something that you work on
constantly or something you've naturally built in.
Speaker 13 (26:04):
With It's pretty natural. It's it's part of my personality,
my character, and that's why, of course I work on
it on it, but it's it comes pretty in my DNA.
Speaker 15 (26:16):
And you had an incredible season last year. Where can
you see your game improving?
Speaker 13 (26:22):
Well, I think there's so many things I can improve Still,
I'm changing some stuff of my game, but it's still
sometimes difficult to do it in competing. But I want
to be more aggressive, I want to go more to
the net, have a little bit more of variation. So
that's a little bit of what I'm working on.
Speaker 15 (26:39):
And your quota could be considered one of the toughest ones.
Have you looked too far ahead?
Speaker 13 (26:45):
I just go much by match. I know the next
ones and I think with that I have enough.
Speaker 15 (26:51):
And sort of when we talk about the Grand Slams,
the same name seem to be coming out your Sean
Tech and Ka GoF where do you see yourself amongst
those names?
Speaker 13 (27:04):
Well, I think that when I'm in my I believe
in myself and I have matches like like now, I
think I can beat them. I've I've proved that in
the in the past. Of course they prove and being
more consistent and doing amazing year, especially last year. But
you never know what can happen in Islam. And of
(27:25):
course if I don't believe in myself, nobody will do it.
Speaker 15 (27:27):
Pala, thanks for chatting.
Speaker 13 (27:29):
Thank you, thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
As mentioned earlier, Donavekc's next opponent will be Anastasia Publishchenkova,
who pushed past Lara Siegmund six six two. The thirty
three year old feeling the pinch of her sixteenth Australian
Open campaign.
Speaker 21 (27:42):
I'm turning myself to the wall and I'm like, oh
my god, spread hopefully I can play the next night,
but I think mentally was hoping because she's even older
than me today, so I tried to convince myself that, Okay,
you're a younger one here, so move your move.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
Your legs, blink and you'll miss it. Alexander Zverev is
through to the round of sixteen without dropping a set
this tournament. His latest casualty Jacob fernlely ousted by the
second seed sixty three six four sixty four in just
over two hours. The German feeling only mild discomfort in
windy conditions.
Speaker 19 (28:18):
I feel like in the first few matches, for a
few matches were kind of perfect conditions, no wind at all.
The second match was basically indoors, so obviously very very different.
I think my opponent did a great job of maximizing today,
was very aggressive for us, returning quite well, and yeah,
(28:39):
I'm unhappy with a straight said of win.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
The next opponent for Zverev is Ugo Umbert, who was
granted a safe passage into the fourth round after fellow
Frenchman Utter Feast retired in the fourth set of their match.
After snatching the opener, Feast was on the back foot
in what became a dog fight that lasted the next
two sets. Feeling the pinch of an ankle injury, Feast
had no choice but to retire, putting an end to
(29:02):
a special French Derby on Bear, the second athlete to
be granted a walkover on John Caine Arena on day six.
Speaker 20 (29:09):
Yeah, I'm so proud of this second week for the
first time. I love to play in Australia. I have
so good memories, even if I have some bad loss.
But yeah, I'm super happy to be in the second week.
Speaker 10 (29:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
Meantime, Alejandro Davidovich for Kina has come from the clouds
to defeat teen sensation Yahu Menzik in five. The new
kid on the block zipped through the first two sets
sixty three sixty four, before the Spaniard went to work
in the third. He saved two match points to win
a tiebreaker, then clinched the final set six four, six ' two,
(29:44):
much to the surprise of even himself.
Speaker 6 (29:46):
Not only did you come from two sets down this evening,
you also had to save two match points.
Speaker 17 (29:53):
I didn't remember that.
Speaker 15 (29:58):
Well.
Speaker 22 (29:59):
I didn't remember that I said too much.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
By really, I was focused on every point.
Speaker 20 (30:04):
I knew that the Dayrek was so so died.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
He sets up a fourth round date with twelfth seed
Tommy Paul, who powered past Roberto Cabas Bayenna in straight
sets after a neck and neck opening Stanza Paul refused
to concede a point in the tiebreak, eventually racing to
a seven six six ' two six love win.
Speaker 23 (30:24):
I came out playing some of my best tennis. He
matched it there Lad in the first set and turned
into a battle, and then yeah, I feel like I
you know, as the match got on, I started swinging
more and more free and started playing better and better tennis.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
The tennis world is still coming to terms with the
spectacular performance of Lerner Tien, the young man responsible for
eliminating twenty twenty four finalists Daniel Medvedev in the early
hours of this morning. The unassuming nineteen year old is
the youngest American man since Pete Sampras in nineteen ninety
to reach the third round of the Australian Open, where
he'll now face Frenchman Crenton. Mute commentator Mark Petchi giving
(31:05):
some insight into Tiann's backstory with Chris Stubbs on stan
Sports Grand Slam Daily.
Speaker 22 (31:11):
Incredible maturity for the youngster His parents obviously come from
Vietnam after the war. It was a very tumultuous time
for them. They went over obviously to California to live
the American dream. His dad was actually coaching in late
night classes where he met his mum, and that's kind
of all part of the part of the group there.
But he has got a game that was put together
(31:32):
so well. Already, great personality, he's again, he's another one
of these ones that when you watch him, he's very subtle.
But the performance last night in Daniel's Worlds is going
to bring him money, girls and casinos.
Speaker 11 (31:47):
His development and the next gen guys from last year
already Juel Fonsei Kerasaka Mensig like upsetting top ten players
for Medvedev where's he had. Obviously, it's been personally a
big couple of weeks.
Speaker 13 (31:59):
We just put this on.
Speaker 11 (32:00):
I'm behind us to.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
It, I think.
Speaker 22 (32:01):
So it is obviously probably nice he walks away from
Melbourne without having lost in the final in two sets
of love up, that will be a little bit easier.
Having said that, it is another tough loss for him.
But I do think the fact that his wife's just
given birth to his second daughter and all of those
things will make it a lot easier for him to
hop on the plane and reset at the start of
twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
Transport is an integral cog in the Australian Open Machine.
And it's not just our fleet of courtesy cars that
take our players where they need to go. There's also
a fleet of buggies that zig and zag across the
half killometer long Melbourne Park precinct transporting players and they're
entourages to matches, practice and back to the Rod Laver
Arena player area. And two of the drivers are a
(32:44):
father and daughter combination. Meet Jeff and Caitlin as we
go behind the wheel. Thanks to safety culture, sometimes when I.
Speaker 5 (32:54):
Go back to my normal car, I forget where the
pedal is.
Speaker 15 (33:00):
I've been a buggy driver at the AO for two
years now.
Speaker 5 (33:06):
We get the players from rod Labor Arena to their
practice courts and then we get them back to rod
Labor Arena to rest up, have something to eat. My
dad works at the Strain Open.
Speaker 24 (33:18):
Basically from the time that she was about eleven, she's
been trying to get onto the AO team, going to
NTC Rod Labor.
Speaker 17 (33:26):
Have your day going, Queen, get another buggy up at NTC.
Speaker 11 (33:29):
Please, Hey you.
Speaker 10 (33:30):
Guys on good day.
Speaker 17 (33:32):
I've driven Annie, Murray.
Speaker 21 (33:33):
Demona and back Hewet.
Speaker 5 (33:35):
I always talk to players, ask them how they are.
Speaker 12 (33:38):
Hey, Yeah, it's been good.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
Don't take off too quickly.
Speaker 16 (33:41):
I won't.
Speaker 5 (33:42):
I'm not going that far.
Speaker 24 (33:44):
Last year we caught up quite a lot for meals.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
This year it's been a bit different.
Speaker 17 (33:47):
Yeah, he's got a new job now I've.
Speaker 24 (33:50):
Found the executive cafe. It's almost like a family tradition,
you know that we sort of carry on over the years.
It really puts a smile on my face, you know,
just to see her having so much fun.
Speaker 5 (34:01):
It just means a lot to be a part of
such a great community.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Well that's all for Day six of the Australian Open,
but join me again tomorrow for all of the big
stories from day seven. Make sure you subscribe to never
miss an episode, and please consider leaving a rating or
review so more fans can discover the tennis. You can
also watch our daily spotlight segment on our YouTube channel,
Australian Open TV and I'll catch you tomorrow for more
(34:28):
of the tennis
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