June 19, 2025 • 44 mins
The grasscourt season is building to a crescendo with Wimbledon right around the corner. Ben Shelton has cracked the ATP Top 10 after a semifinal run in Stuttgart, joining compatriots Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul, while German veteran Tatjana Maria has taken down four top-20 opponents en route to the Queens title. Past and present players, John Fitzgerald and Jaimee Fourlis, react to the US Open’s star-studded Mixed Doubles entry list, which includes Carlos Alcaraz partnering Emma Raducanu and Nick Kyrgios with Naomi Osaka. Plus the panel dissects Novak Djokovic's 2028 Olympic aspirations, and the lack of grass-court events available to women leading into Wimbledon. Plus, Brie puts the panel to the test with her grasscourt quiz.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hello, and welcome to another week of the tennis. More
big news coming your way, jokers, Olympic dream Novak targeting
a gold medal defense at twenty twenty eight LA Games,
The Queen of Queen's Tachi Maria becomes the oldest WTA
five hundred champion in history. And move over Sitsi Dosa,
the starpairs vying for glory in the US Open Mixed doubles.
(00:25):
All that and more with me Zave muhlback live from
Tennis HQ and Melbourne and of course joining me as always.
Her initials might be bs, but she's not full of it.
It's brief Stewart.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
That's a good one, right right know someone else? God
who wrote it?
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Was it? Halfer?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
I'm coming for you.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
I spent my whole life people making that joke about
my initials.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Well, thanks for giving us new material in your corporate
Barbie attire.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Yeah, you've got a court date later or.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
I've got some meetings. I've got to look good.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
For Oh, fair enough for it. Well, it's thrilled to
have you here as always, and across the desk, our favorite
man about town is John Fitzgerald. Welcome Fitzie, thank.
Speaker 4 (00:58):
You jaf for why is it you bring a smile
on my face? I don't know, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
The check clear most people, it's good to be here
with that reaction.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
There's a fine line between smiling and grimacing.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Yeah, yeah, okay, I just thought you have got some
indigestion or something if you're to have you back? Fitsy,
thank you and making her podcast debut big Welcome to
Aussie pro Jamie Falls. Yeah, first ever. Jen Zeta on
the tennis thank you.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Happy to be here.
Speaker 5 (01:25):
Yeah, podcast, so happy to be here and thanks for
having me.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
Very good.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
How good was that?
Speaker 2 (01:30):
That was perfect?
Speaker 1 (01:31):
It was really good.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
You can come every week.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Yeah, over me. Time for Jamie. Well, we'll jump straight in.
People want to hear about what's caught your eye and
we're going to kick off first. Fitzy, what's happening in
the older ATP rankings.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
Well, I think the big mover of the week, or
the big thought process for me is the Americans. They're
pretty good and of course Ben Shelton has broken into
the top ten for the first time. So you know,
I don't think there's a ceiling on this lead.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
I was going to say, what is his ceiling. Yeah,
I got one.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
I don't think anyone knows. I think he's a bit
of a throwback for me. He's got a game that
looks a bit like it was played ten years ago
or fifteen years ago. But that can be a good thing.
He's got some talent and some strengths and weaknesses that
make him look like a more mature player. But I
(02:22):
don't know. I think on the on the clay, you
would imagine he would struggle a bit more. But on
the hard court it's obviously where he grew up, and
on the grass he can do serious damage. So I
think when you serve that well, no one wants to
play you. And those left handers, you know, it's an
unfair advantage here. When you're lefty and you serve that well,
(02:44):
it is a difficult thing to combat if you're just
a non talented right hander.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Jammy lefty power superpower.
Speaker 5 (02:51):
I actually quite like playing against lefties. Yeah, I've quite
a good record against lefty so for.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Me, Yeah, you're the lefty kryptonite.
Speaker 5 (03:00):
Yeah, kind of like when I get one in the droid.
It doesn't you like it?
Speaker 6 (03:03):
Okay?
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Good for you. When you play that, you play them
a lot less than right hand.
Speaker 5 (03:07):
Yeah, definitely a lot.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Well, yeah, there's less of them.
Speaker 5 (03:09):
Of them, but anytime I do get one.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
Okay, Yeah, Well I can tell you I wouldn't have
liked to play Ben Shelton with that serve and battling
away to hold your own serve and he can just
blow it past you quickly game after game. So look,
I don't know what his ceiling is. I think he's
going to probably have to keep his unforced errors down
and maybe he shot selection for me sometimes, you know,
(03:34):
needs to be improved. He gives away some points at
the wrong time and play some low percentage stuff when
probably should think about hy percent high percentage. But geez good,
and he's busting into the top ten. Taylor, Fritz, Tommy
Paul are already there. The Americans are looking pretty.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Strong and American renaissance, yeah, to a degree. So you
mentioned like ten years ago he would be the big
dog who is he for lack of a better word,
the reincarnation of who is He? Similar to from a
decade ago Ben Shelton.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
Well, you'd have to give me a couple of minutes
probably to think about the list that was back then.
But there were more players like him or had that
style back then. There's more players these days that are
so tight with their mistakes. They don't give away balls
as much as they should have. Ben still does a
little bit, but he's got flair on the other side
(04:26):
of that. So look, off the top of my head,
I'm not going to give you too many answers on
that question, but I think compared to the Americans twenty
years ago, you'd still have to stick with the three
that were in the top ten. Back then, there was agacy.
He did happen to win eight major titles.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
He did yea.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
Andy Roddick, James Blake his podcast could do.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
I love Roddick's podcast.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
They go Free shout out from the little podcast.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
It is going well. I saw Andre interviewed on that
last week and it was really interesting. To get inside
is to have a taste of what's inside of Andre's head.
He was well, what a player, Yeah, and what knowledge.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
It was a good interview, wasn't it. Ben Shelton his
dad tennis player, Brian.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Yes, yes, so he's vintage a little than a little
bit younger than me. My vintage is goodyer, but his
son has already gone past probably the level that he
was at. But Brian was good and he was a
right handed but had he also had a big serve,
difficult jumping kicking right handed serve Over to you.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
What's your eye catching eye catch?
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Well, you can't really go past the fact that the
US Open announced, Well we've talked about on the pod
the change in how they're doing mixed doubles, and this
week they announced who those mixed doubles will be and
the pairings as well, And you really can't go past
some of the big names in there.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
So you've got Curios with.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
You've got our Kras with Radikanu, which he's saying he
thinks he's been teamed up with the best woman on
the tour.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
So there's some really big names in there.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
But no doubles plays really.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Well, that's the thing. So it's the number ones head up.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
And then there is space in the draw for the
top mixed doubles players as well, it's my understanding, but
that's yet to be announced.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
That'll be more kind of like in a normal draw.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
What do you think, Jamie, from a player's perspective, the
whole new way of doing mixed doubles at a Slam
in opening week two.
Speaker 5 (06:37):
Yeah, yeah, I think it's tough to be honest, Like,
you can look at it one side, for your so
open to bring fans in, what a great opportunity to
watch some of the best players in the world to
play with each other. But on the other hand, you've
got the ones that are playing mixed doubles week in
week out, playing doubles that don't have that opportunity, so
it kind of gets taken away from them. And I
(06:59):
don't know if you would call this so much a
Grand Slam for mixed doubles. I don't know if you
would have just gone with an exhibition and then you
can still put the prize money towards that and then gone, okay,
we're doing it in an opening week here our players
that want to come, like come watch us play, and
then still have that opportunity for the mixed doubles and
doubles players to be able to have a Grand Slam
(07:20):
to their name. So yeah, it's it's a bit of
a tough one. And then like of course with the
format best of three up to four games, no i'd
scoring ten point match tiebreaker, Like it's a tough pill
to swallow. For the doubles players, I think, and for
the singles players that also play doubles a week in,
week out, so that don't have that opportunity to play.
But then yeah, on the other hand, to be able
(07:41):
to go watch all these top players, like, I think
that's pretty cool. And yeah, my sister was like, I'd
watch that. What a cool opportunity to be able to
watch that, And I'm like, yeah, like.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
That's as a fan that's pretty had.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Which is certainly what I think the event was had
in mind, going Okay, how can we get some earlier
eyeballs Opening week? And it makes complete sense, don't get
me wrong.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
And for our listeners out there who may not understand
what opening week is, that's what US Open and Rolling
Garross called qualifying week, and the US actually calls it
fan week.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Yeah, Wimbledon calls it qualifying.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
How Wimbledon off them?
Speaker 5 (08:19):
Yeah, well that's that Roehampton.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
It's a cricket pitch, Yeah exactly. Now you can't come
on side to us the real deal. Well, okay, hypotheticals
round the table. Who would be your dream mixed doubles partner?
Speaker 2 (08:33):
I think you'd.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
Probably I would probably have to go for a Roger
or Raffa. I think that would be pretty cool, just
an unreal experience.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Yeah, I put a tennis. If I could play with
it would be pretty cool.
Speaker 5 (08:43):
I don't know if that would be cool, But.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
I'm not sure we want to see that. Get your
mind out together.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
Are we talking about current players or any through the
history history?
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Could be Billy King could be.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
Well, my mixed doubles partner paid half of my house.
So I'm sticking with Liz Smiley.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Okay, but if.
Speaker 4 (09:05):
You look at global and if you look at the generations,
how could how could anyone go past Martina Naver at
all over as a call as a doubles player that
could win in any situation. I mean, I think she
won singles and doubles. It's something I don't want to
(09:25):
be quoted wrongly, but around eighty times might have been
seventy here first eighty might have been might have been
in the seventies. Can you imagine on the a TV
Tour level or Grand SAMs or that to win that
many singles and doubles the same week.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
Yeah, that's for the record books and beyond. I did
that once, hence half a house once once.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
Now Liz smile. I'm going to stick with my old friend.
But if I had to go some somewhere else and
say who would you win mostly with him? Be Martina?
Speaker 1 (09:55):
Yeah yeah, I'd watch that.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
Yeah. Well, you've got to get a yes from She's
got She's got a lot of people.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
Podcast at tennis dot com dot are you now rat?
Let us know?
Speaker 6 (10:06):
Ah?
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Do you know what?
Speaker 3 (10:07):
My head went straight to some of my favorite Ossiesson
and Storm.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
Why not.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
I've probably seen them play already to be honest, like
an nighted cup or something.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
But for me to play with it would be Demon.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
Yeah. Yeah, same height.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
I just like the way he plays and I probably
wouldn't have to do much because he's very zippy.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Yeah, just stand there. Yeah, that was my thing. I
would hands down Serena for me because then I can
just have a seat at the back of court with
a peanutolata and she'll take care of business living.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
And you get half the prize money.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Yeah you're trying to buy you Yeah, smart at least,
I don't know. But you guys took it seriously and
we were like, how can I do the least work
but still get that prize money?
Speaker 6 (10:56):
All right?
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Well, that's our picks for our partners. But let's have
a quick listen to one Carlos on who he wonder
have a week with.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
There's a lot of excitement in British Chinese because we've
seen you vented in the US Open mixed doubles with
Emma RADICANU who asked who did you ask Emma or
did she ask you to play?
Speaker 7 (11:13):
That thing came came up and I think it was
a really beautiful idea that the tournament gave gave to us,
and uh, yeah it was.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
I was excited.
Speaker 7 (11:24):
I'm excited about our playing mix mixed in the use
of and uh the yeah, at the beginning, if if,
I mean, I didn't know if she she wants you
to play doubles with me, but but yeah, she she
didn't think that that much. I'm just I'm just happy
to you to play to play with with her, have
(11:44):
a really good relationship. We know each other since that a
really long time, so it's gonna be it's gonna be fun.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Pretty cute. So it's like asking for prom it really,
will you play with me?
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Yeah? It's cute, Yeah, it's really cute. All right, Well,
maybe something with blossom all eyes on that.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
What would be their celeb match couple name thoughts al
Chorazrakanu need to think rata. Well, workshop that sent us
your ideas podcast Radical that'll work half of wins once again.
(12:24):
Now Jamie over to you. It's wearing the season de
Grass Wimbledon. Hit us up with your thoughts on Wimbledon
and lack of leading tournaments.
Speaker 5 (12:33):
Yeah, I think that's caught my eye this week is
the lack of leading tournaments on the women's side. I'm
not sure about like the men's side, but in terms
of the women's side pre Wimby Collies. So I was
scrolling on Instagram the other day and I clicked one
of the girl's stories and she put up online that
she wasn't able to play a leading tournament pre Wimby Collies.
(12:55):
And I was like, at one fifty in the world.
And I was like, oh, like that's quite interesting and
that English. Yeah, So I saw she put it online.
I was like, oh, like, that's quite interesting.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
And she's not like four hundred, No.
Speaker 5 (13:10):
She's definitely not four hundred. She's one fifty in the world.
And then I got asked to come on the pod
and this was one of the segments and I was
like that pretty much caught my eyes and I was like,
maybe let's do some research into it before I come on,
so I know at least like I'm not making something.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
I don't pay attention. I'm not making it hard facts.
Speaker 5 (13:29):
So you have pretty much Berlin a five hundred and
Nottingham at two fifty. They're the only two weeks of
grasscourt torments the week before winmy qualies. So the cut
for qualifying for Berlin was one fifty one and the
cut for Nottingham two fifty was one twenty one.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
The qualifying for the qualifying cut.
Speaker 5 (13:53):
Yeah, you had Oniburb playing qualities of Berlin at fifty
in the world, so it was a pretty field for both.
And then you only had so out of the two
four six like ten to twelve Aussie girls that are
playing Wimby Collige, you only had two that were able
to play the week before.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Oh my god.
Speaker 5 (14:15):
And that's not a choice either. That's because they couldn't
get in too anything. So you had Talia and pre
at one twenty six and one thirty three playing the
week before, and then you had all the girls, so
Dash at one thirty seven, Astro at one forty nine,
Desert one fifty five, Maddie at one fifty six, Lazette
at two o five, Emma sent at two o six,
(14:36):
Arena at two fourteen, and Taylor at two nineteen. Not
Able to play the week.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
Not a chance.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
So then I was like, not an option.
Speaker 5 (14:43):
No, it's not an option. So then I was like, Okay,
maybe there's like itfs to play because I've always played
an itf sometimes on a fast hard court. Sometimes Madrid
holds like it's like the running track, like it's quick.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
Hardky well, like a sleep probably low and five.
Speaker 5 (15:00):
Ye yeah, but it's actually called quick heart because it's
a running track and it just stays low. And I've
played a couple of times and I've really enjoyed playing
it before I go on to Gross because it suits
your game, suits my game.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
But but it has similarities, it has.
Speaker 5 (15:12):
Similarities, and when I go on Russ it ends up
being the grass court ends up being slower than what
I just played on. So and then I was like, okay,
maybe there's some ifs that the girls could have played.
But you only had a seventy five in France and
a seventy five in Zagreb, both on clay and then
I was like, oh, maybe there's something else, and then
there was only a thirty five in Spain on hard, so.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
There where have they gone?
Speaker 3 (15:38):
Yeah, this is probably just practicing, no not, but like
the tournaments they can't sol. Do you think this has
got to do with what they did with queens, like
adding the men the female tweens, Well, that would had any.
Speaker 5 (15:52):
Implication, I'm not sure, but that would have been replaced
of another tournament. Yeah, I don't know if it was
an original addition. So you take away a tornament before
like that doesn't really balance out. So I'm not sure
what has happened in that situation. But yeah, I know
most of the girls they haven't been able to play
the week before, Like it's a great opportunity to becoming
(16:13):
on grass, but you want to play.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Yeah, I mean it sounds pretty unfair. Yeah, but in
your what should be done?
Speaker 6 (16:20):
Then?
Speaker 1 (16:21):
If you had the power? Yeah, what would happen in
the week leading up to a slam to fix it?
Speaker 5 (16:27):
Well, I think this is where the discussion of the
girls who are on the WTA panel and council, this
is something that they should be thinking of and bringing
to light to the WTA to potentially talk about to
help increase tournaments. I know there's been an increase this
year of one two fives, so I know we have
one two fives majority weeks and that's been help to
(16:47):
a lot of the girls. But yeah, that's something that
potentially the girls on the panel can bring to light
and just be like, how are we meant to prepare
if we can't get into a tournament?
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Yeah, and when you've got like as you mentioned Ons,
who's sixty one at the moment ranked sixty one, it's
not sixty one itself having to play through qualities like
there's obviously three top heavy Yep, it's just pretty shocking.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
Yeah, yeah, what are your thoughts fits you? I'm guessing
that this isn't happening on the ATP side.
Speaker 4 (17:16):
Well, I know that there's an extra week between the
French and women are now compared to how they used
to be that they seem to have enough at the
ATB two level. They've got several in Europe in the
week's leading in I've got Queen's Club, I've got more
tournaments in England. There's a couple of challenges. Yeah, Tristian
Schoolkate just won one of them a great win, confident
(17:40):
it's going to qualifying, and that's probably what you're talking about.
He's had a chance to play, he's got matches under
his belt, he's got a higher chance of succeeding in
the qualities now because of that.
Speaker 5 (17:49):
He's still playing this week. He won his first round yesterday. Yeah,
I'm not sure where it.
Speaker 4 (17:54):
Was still maybe yeah.
Speaker 8 (17:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (17:56):
So they're all leading events and I don't know the
answer to this, And sometimes it goes to market value
of what the local tournament directors are doing. But there's
certainly an argument to say that it makes it harder
for kids if they don't get the opportunity to play
on that surface leading into the qualifying because the dreams
(18:17):
are all about qualifying for women, and aren't they. And
you go to the roehamp and you mentioned that before.
We've all been there a few times, and you know,
to succeed there and go on and play at the
Holy Grail is what everyone's really keen to do. So
I don't know the answer. It sounds like to me
there's more from what Jamie is saying, there's more opportunity
(18:37):
there to play on the grass on the men's side,
I don't know why that is.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
I think we should like crowd crowdfund, put a kickstarter up,
start our own a little one two five somewhere. Let's
do it.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
No, yes, maybe, yeah, who's the tournament director?
Speaker 3 (18:54):
Now I'm looking at you like a circus at the
front with a little Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
Well you know what court surface? Hardwood? Like a basketball court?
That oh dear, I just thought. But speaking of Wimby,
they also went ounced their wild cards over our time.
Tell you what, let's have a look at all the
countries they've included. All right, so we've got great Britain
and one check up, one check on the ladies side,
(19:25):
do you have a check that's good? Okay, bit patriotic,
good for them? No, I'm just having a crack fits.
Let me be mean, let me exactly no. But yeah, no,
I'm being nicer this week. Last week I was really.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
The check representative on the women's side. Is a two
time wimbled and champion. Yeah all right, I think yeah,
she certainly a woman and chairman. So she's she danced
the wolves after the after the wind, so you'd have
to include her. Surely.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
What do we think about Lois Bosson not being included
in this list or do you think that makes sense?
Speaker 1 (20:09):
So can you remind me she was the French player
who got into Rolling.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Garross as a lucky loser.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
Yeah, and she was ranked like something.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
She was a wild card and a lucky loser into
main draw and then she got to quarterfinals.
Speaker 4 (20:25):
Yeah. Yes, but it's it's win. When it's progative, they
can they can pick whoever they want. So she might
said Roland Garris have gone on too late for the
cut at Wimbledon, right, I think so before the points
come on for she'd be right next year. Yeah, us,
well they'll be ond for that.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
There you go.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
Yeah, tennis is tricky.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
Yeah, I mean we worked for tennis and I'm like,
how on so it's the one with the fuzzy face.
Speaker 4 (20:51):
Then you're like yeah, no, no, no, but it is
complicated and it's complicated, and you know the surface is
throwing a real twist.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
Yeah, especially now that there's a fifth surface in the
hard court of wood.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
You're making.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Yeah, that's gonna be great.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
Have you put a pattern on that?
Speaker 1 (21:09):
Have you? Why not? Yes?
Speaker 4 (21:11):
Pat Pending, I can talk about decades past that people
have played on wood before. It's no new thing.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
Okay, way way it started in France, was there with
Louis Whatever's Whatever's whatever number Louis.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
Was Louis the first maybe, yeah, we had that.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
It's one of our quiz questions.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
One week your quiz whatever.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
Okay, let's move on to you Xavier.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Thanks Brey, we caught your rye old mate. Novak, don't
you come for me listeners and viewers. I'm just he
was all about the French Olympics, right. It's like all
I need is a gold I just need a gold
medal and then I'm done and then I can just
focus on stuff, start to wind it up, become an
elder statesman of the game. But he's just dropped in
an interview on Serving TV. I thing it was as well,
(21:57):
was you know on social media. The only thing that
I have in my head which gives me motivation is
the Olympics of twenty twenty eight in La Dude. That's
what I have to say to that. Dude. Like, I'm
not saying you're not going to win and I want
you to play. You're the goats. You are absolutely the
greatest tennis player of all time. But I mean, what
are you doing thinking about twenty twenty eight. You've got
(22:17):
many slams and many aos to potentially win between now
and then Courier Jets twenty four time Majors champion.
Speaker 4 (22:25):
What what was? Do you know what the context was mentioned?
Was you're ignoring context?
Speaker 1 (22:30):
How I like to dive straight over?
Speaker 3 (22:32):
He saw the social clip. Yeah, the whole interview fits here.
I was a part of a bigger interview, Was it kidding?
Speaker 5 (22:41):
You know?
Speaker 4 (22:41):
I was thinking. I was thinking though a week or
so ago, about how many press conferences guys like that
and there's very few like that? How many they do?
They do? Fuck up loads of them. Insane number, insane number,
Like a lot of.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
The same answer, same answer s.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
And if you say one thing that's a little controversial,
said that it not.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
He couldn't a little prick in Melbourne like me going
oh jump on that pretty much.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
I think he just talks to the fact that he's
really proud to play for his.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
Country, which he does. He's very patriotic and he wants
to go play for his country.
Speaker 4 (23:20):
He did it Davis Cup level too.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Yeah, yeah, he spoke.
Speaker 3 (23:24):
He's spoken about that the year he played United Cup,
Like how just a privilege it is? To play for Serbia,
and I think that's probably what's driving it. I think
we spoke about it last week with the Savills Squared
with Daria and Luke. We might be wrong by saying
that he won't be there because he is an absolute
(23:47):
wizard of the game and every time I like, oh
it looks like he's nearing the end, he goes and
does something.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Wins a gold medal that PROOFSS or wrong.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
So look, I'm forty one this year. I won't be
playing the Olympics, but I feel he might be able
to do something far more athletic.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
And I might not be fit enough to even fly
to the Olympics, let alone play. So well, what do
you reckon based.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
On three years a long long while.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
Yeah, so in the tea leaves in the fitzy crystal ball.
Speaker 4 (24:16):
And exponentially, you know, as you get older, you know
the creeks and yeah, oh I do I can speak
for this, Jamie. They give it me too.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
No, you can't.
Speaker 5 (24:28):
Already Do you think that he might slow down in
terms of like the tournaments he's playing in between, so
kind of just go for the Slams to be able
to get to those elenic.
Speaker 4 (24:37):
Games that I think only he knows what he's thinking
and the fence. No, no, only I mean he may well,
he may well take, you know, and save himself. But
is he motivated to do that?
Speaker 1 (24:51):
He might sounds like it three years away. He's just
got a little bit better room left in the trophy cabinet.
Speaker 4 (24:56):
Three years of agold. There's no room left in the trophy.
He's got to miss. It's the size of an hangar.
His trophies size.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
My apartment, probably bigger, to be.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
Sure, that's just his slam trophies. Well, that's enough for
me and what caught your eye? Thank you very much
for playing along everybody. In a bit of other tennis news,
a new Queen of Queen's touch on. Maria obviously loves
grass yep.
Speaker 4 (25:20):
I mean in twenty two she made a semi final wimbit.
I mean that's no main feat, no huge so probably
not a household name, but someone who can really excel
on that surface. And she obviously feels comfortable there. And
you know, when you're an older player, you have more experience.
Speaker 1 (25:35):
You look at Jamie as an older player, you're.
Speaker 5 (25:40):
Youthful and I think in terms of like her game style,
it suits grass one hundred percent. I'm not sure if
everyone's watched videos, but she pretty much slices everything, so
she has a pretty good first serve, can hit her
spots incredibly well. I think throughout this week she served
quite well as well. So I think when you're up
against you know, when you're beating for top two twenty players,
(26:01):
serving on grass is huge, and I think her ability
to then go off the slice when she's wide or
on a neutral ball, it just makes people so uncomfortable.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
And on the grass, exactly on the grass, it's a
different ball game when you know there's a lot of
human backboards back there aren't there they were in tennis.
There's a lot of modern player, many modern players who
they dig that trench at the back and they hit
the same type of ball, but the ones with variety
can give you trouble on grass because the ball stays lower,
(26:31):
significantly lower if it's got a slice on it. You
have to adapt the angle of the racket face and
know how much you've got to spin the ball, and
it's not the same ball to hit than the one
that's sitting up high in the zone, so you know
it probably I would think causes a lot of the
opposition players to make more errors, you would think, And yeah,
(26:52):
so's she'd be an awkward player, I think to play
on that surface.
Speaker 5 (26:56):
Yeah, quite uncomfortable. And also it's also depending on how
the grass is playing. Two. I think every grasscourt can
be a little bit different different. So, yeah, her shots
and how that is affected with the grass.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
She'd be hoping it gets wet. Yeah, ball's really staying
low and yeah, digging in.
Speaker 3 (27:12):
And I have seen in her that it's been quite
slippery at Queen's like they've been slipping over on the
on the grass because obviously no one who probably played
on it much before they started playing, So it'll probably
be great conditions.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
Yeah when the.
Speaker 4 (27:27):
Yeah, yeah, definitely, you know that sort of I like
that sort of stuff because it brings a bit more variety.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
Yeah, you need some very sport.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
Yeah, and you see a different skill set.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
As well as its challenges those on the other side
of the net. When you do have this different skill
set coming in. Yeah, you know, the stalwarts on the
other side have to go Okay, time to rethink this
is not ended that day.
Speaker 5 (27:48):
Yeah, and what am I going to do differently to
be able to beat her?
Speaker 7 (27:51):
House?
Speaker 1 (27:51):
Am I going to overcome this? And she's had a
huge like she's shot up to forty three, ranked number
forty three, just shy of her career high ranking of
forty two. This could be per season.
Speaker 4 (28:01):
Queens Club is a big title, you know, I know
in the men's game, huge. Yeah, so she'd be confident.
But to win the Queen's Club, you.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
Know, very prestigious, isn't it. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:16):
We always used to teach Neil Fraser, you know, God
bless him and we would always refer to him as
Neil Fraser Queen's Club because he'd won the tournament. He
was a member, and it's a big deal to win
that tour.
Speaker 5 (28:30):
So if you win the tournament, you become a member.
Speaker 4 (28:32):
At Queen's I don't know for sure, but I know
Neil was a member and used to wear that badge
of honor. We used to tease him about it, but
he used to love.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
It because Wimbledon, if you win that, you become a
member of the All England to win the singles, yeah,
because there was that great clip of Roger rolling up
outside of Wimbledon and the security is like, sorry've got
to be a member. It's like I don't have my
card on me, but I have won the tournament several
times and security guards like, I don't know what to do.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
But I love this fact about Queens is that it's
the first women's event back at Queen's Club since nineteen
seventy three when Evon Goolagong now Evon Googlegong Cawley was
a finalist.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
It's great.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
Yeah, so it's been a while since women have played
there and I think it's really great to have the
men and women back together there.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
And I think it's pretty obvious, like, you know, it's
got us talking, it's got people talking, it's going to
be I think they're back.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
Yeah, it's always one that we watch the Queen's Tournament like,
it's just.
Speaker 4 (29:27):
I think one of the nuances of our sport is
that people have different styles and it's an important part
of the sport actually, and I love it when someone
comes in with a different style, you know, it brings interest,
you know, more players winning. I think that creates more stars,
more more interest. Yeah, definitely, I'm pumped for it.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
Yeah, what do we think we'll see from Aria Wimbledon?
Speaker 1 (29:53):
What do you think, Well, tennis side, I pick.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
Yeah, oh, you think tennis from tennis. Comedians salute, comedian
standing out you.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
Sit down, comedian a gig. Sorry, keep going, No, but
well you expect that.
Speaker 4 (30:13):
She could play well?
Speaker 6 (30:13):
Why not?
Speaker 4 (30:14):
Yeah, the court start again, courts will be green. There's
players practice on them leading in.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
Wait, so you give me crap for saying she'll play tennis,
but Fitzy to said grass is green, and we're just
going to let that go.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
He means like fresh, like they're not playing on whatever.
Speaker 4 (30:29):
You've got to know the lingo green, yeah, green when
it gets later into the tournament, when it when it
dies off a bit changes color. So why wouldn't she
play well if she can get enough rest now and
if the body is holding up and she's not, there's
no little niggles. She will give someone a shake.
Speaker 7 (30:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (30:49):
Good, you'll be watching Jamie yeah yeah, and especially out
for Maria, so it would be good.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
Yeah, on those green cours, on the green grass.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
And then the last thing we wanted to just cover
off is obviously Andy Roddick said something on these podcasts.
Speaker 1 (31:05):
The other tennis podcast.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
Yeah what did he say?
Speaker 1 (31:08):
I think I'll quote him actually, bray, Yeah, I think
tennis players are the best athletes in the world five
hours and forty something minutes on the biggest stage. You
compare this to other sports. An NBA game is forty
eight minutes played in air conditioning. We have teammates, halftime timeouts.
To say one thing doesn't mean you're throwing shade at
something else. So to cut it short Erotick thinks tennis
(31:28):
athletes are the best and hardest working athletes in the world.
We have two of them cross.
Speaker 5 (31:33):
Yeah, it makes it exced right. Yeah, I'll take that.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
Agree, disagreed, I agree, go agree.
Speaker 4 (31:39):
Well, you know, I'm a little loath to make too
many comments about some of those other sports. They're pretty tough,
some of them. There's not a lot of body contact
in tennis, by the way. No, I've seen some pretty
tough sports the world. Yeah, so I think they're all
To get to the pinnacle of any sport, you obviously
need to be pretty special athlete. But I liked the bis.
(32:03):
I like it from Andy, and who am I to
argue with Andy? I mean, five minutes is astounding and
to not have that level drop off at the French Open,
And there is an argument to say that when you
(32:23):
honest court in a gladiatorial situation. You've got you down
one end, you've got an opponent up the other. There's
nowhere to hide. You can't you can't run off and
substitute at any time you want.
Speaker 1 (32:37):
But even in that match, it's.
Speaker 4 (32:39):
A heck of a tough sport this but there was that.
Speaker 1 (32:41):
There was no extended toilet breaks, there was no physio calls.
Speaker 4 (32:44):
Don't you love that? By the way, Yeah it was, Jamie.
It's one of my pet hates, just the six to
one in the first set and they go off, stop.
Speaker 5 (32:52):
It sometimes, don't do it.
Speaker 1 (32:54):
Don't do it if the strategy works. But yeah, it
was just like, what's I know it's different in a
five set, but what's your longest match Jamie, that you've played.
Speaker 5 (33:03):
Well, I'm not one hundred percent sure, take a guess,
but I think this year's AO I had the longest
Colliges match. I think it was four hours.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
Whoa gee standing up for four hours sets?
Speaker 5 (33:15):
But yeah, well yeah she kind of played a little bit,
so it was I think it was thirty. I played
first on it cool, that's cool, that's amazing. Rest ten,
But yeah, I think that was my one of my
longest match. I'm kind of notorious. No I lost for
in the third. I'm notorious for playing long matches, so
(33:36):
I kind of know what this feels like. I can
pretty much back up playing two hours every day playing
three sets. I don't mind to grind. So yeah, I
think pretty much what he stated. I think in terms
of our sport and not just on court, I think
everything else.
Speaker 2 (33:52):
Around what we have traveled.
Speaker 5 (33:55):
The travel, the you know, when you don't have someone
doing everything for you, we have to do everything for
our when you're not at that level yet. I think, yeah,
our sport is one of the toughest, and yeah, I
pretty I think that showed it on that final.
Speaker 1 (34:09):
Well, it's interesting because it talks about NBA and NFL
and basketball and basketball, football, soccer. They're all team sports.
Like you've got people to kind of lift you up
when you're down, and you do that for your team. Tennis,
you know, outside of doubles, it isn't truly individual sport.
You know, only other yeah is swimming and it's global. No, sorry,
you're fine, but yeah, it's just amazing that you know
(34:31):
you are by yourself. You might have a team, you
might be with your mum or your dad, or you
could be literally on your own. That's got a way
on you.
Speaker 5 (34:37):
Yeah, definitely. And I think a lot of these other
team sports, someone tells you what to do to an extent,
whereas you're in the court and every shot, every decision
you make is based on what you feel and in
that split second you have to decide. So my coach
can tell me, but I don't have to listen. Where
I can listen, but in that moment, I have to
(34:57):
decide how I want to hit it, where I want
to hit, what I want to do with this ball,
how is it going to affect my next shot? And
I think that's the beauty of playing tennis and watching
it too, to be honest, and that's something that I
enjoy and why I kind of play.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
All right, So Jamie notorious falls calls for time outs
in tennis, No, just.
Speaker 5 (35:15):
Not at all, not at all all right.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
Well, from one pretty good podcast in Erotic to another
amazing podcast to sit Down. I think we got a
little clip this week. The team over on the sit
Down Top Woodbridge caught up with Jonus Bjorkman. I think
we've got a little clip, So have a little listen
to that and we'll be back in a second.
Speaker 9 (35:34):
When I started to play with you, I untucked my
shirt and started to kind of dance and live around
and become a completely different personality. And I probably would
say that you were the start of me becoming a
game show host.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
Ah yeah, thank you.
Speaker 6 (35:51):
My true personality out in the open. And I see
that advertising now on TV. I mean Woodbridge is eye everywhere.
You know, I go for a tram when I see
bowl and then you know, watching the TV lever Tennis
when I hear you commentate, and then all of a sudden,
like in between become the adverts of his tipping point.
Speaker 4 (36:09):
You know, that's big one.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
You know that I like that one.
Speaker 6 (36:13):
That's that's a perfect way of your your new style,
my new style where you've got style you always have,
you had style and swagger.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
It's been great having you on the show. Say, we
could talk for hours.
Speaker 9 (36:27):
There's just a little bit of a snippet of a
relationship that has been going on for some thirty years now.
Speaker 6 (36:35):
Yes, it's crazy when when the courts were green.
Speaker 1 (36:41):
Speaking of Todd Woodbridge for our Aussie listeners and viewers,
Oh Toddy Teddy himself, he's up for a LOGI which
is the Emmy of Australia. Yeah, because he's the busiest man,
not just in sport but in just broadcasting.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
In quizzes.
Speaker 1 (36:55):
Yeah, he's the quiz master, second only to you Brow.
I know you've got a quiz burning a hole in
your pocket. But he does Tipping Point on Shell nine,
a very great game show. He does commentary for the
AO wimbled and all sorts.
Speaker 3 (37:05):
Of the Olympics. We cannot forget the pit the Paralympics.
Speaker 4 (37:09):
He's like Chicken man, He's everywhere.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
Chicken everywhere, everywhere.
Speaker 1 (37:13):
Yeah. Absolutely, he's the new Weetty everywhere. So if you
can jump on tvweat logos dot com dot are you
and give him a vote most popular presenter. I think
he's the logo he's up for, Yes, popular, most Popular,
He's got my vote.
Speaker 2 (37:32):
He's up again Hamish Blake.
Speaker 1 (37:34):
I think Hamish you cooked mate?
Speaker 2 (37:37):
Yeah from Lego Master.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
Yeah exactly, build you out of that one lego boy. Anyway,
So we'll be back in a second quick ad break
and on the back of it, we've got a bit
of a quiz from Brie Ace the week from the
all of us, and then I'll keep rattling off until
Harper and cut me off. See you six, welcome back
a little bit more from us Brie. It looks like
(37:59):
here you've got another quiz.
Speaker 2 (38:01):
I do have a quiz.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
So today we are looking at a bit of a
quiz about grass court tennis.
Speaker 2 (38:08):
And the question won't be what color is grass?
Speaker 1 (38:12):
Okay?
Speaker 4 (38:12):
Great, because there's two colors in your many.
Speaker 1 (38:20):
Okay, you're not wrong. Let's talk about carpet court tennis.
That's the thing, isn't it? Or is that a carpet
as a surface carpet shop.
Speaker 4 (38:29):
I've never heard of carpet court tennis.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Oh my god.
Speaker 3 (38:32):
Okay, let's get on to question number one. Would you
like to press one?
Speaker 2 (38:37):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (38:38):
The first question is, so, which five countries host a
t P or w T A grass court tournaments?
Speaker 4 (38:47):
US yep, Germany, Yeah, Holland yep, England UK yep. And
what am I missing? There's one more cares.
Speaker 1 (39:00):
Spain of course?
Speaker 4 (39:02):
Of course?
Speaker 1 (39:04):
Do I still get anything?
Speaker 6 (39:06):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (39:08):
Well done?
Speaker 4 (39:09):
That was the twist.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
Yeah, that was the twist.
Speaker 3 (39:12):
Okay, two three three of all non Australians, who has
won the most Australian Open single titles on grass?
Speaker 1 (39:25):
Oh god? So we're going back to Coo young days
non Australians.
Speaker 4 (39:29):
Yeah, opens on grass?
Speaker 1 (39:33):
No not, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
Yeah, when Austrain Open was on grass.
Speaker 4 (39:39):
In men, you don't have it right or not.
Speaker 1 (39:41):
Never have it right. I was busy, and she said
because I was. When you're talking about your doubles partner,
I can remember.
Speaker 3 (39:52):
It was men or women and it was straight open
singles titles on grass.
Speaker 2 (39:56):
When we had it on.
Speaker 1 (39:57):
Grass, probably would shut it down. I think had two.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
Zero Martina won, eighty one, eighty three and.
Speaker 1 (40:03):
Eighty be able to tell you when yeah next.
Speaker 2 (40:07):
Okay three three.
Speaker 3 (40:09):
Todd wood Bridge won a record nine Wimbledon men's doubles tournaments.
How many did he win without Mark Woodford? FITZI, well
done those We put up three fingers JB. Yeah yeah,
(40:31):
two thousand and three, two thousand and four with your
nice yorkman.
Speaker 4 (40:36):
What a record.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
That was amazing.
Speaker 2 (40:39):
You have to win men's double.
Speaker 4 (40:41):
You have to win a lot of close clutch moments
to do that.
Speaker 2 (40:47):
He's a miracle man.
Speaker 3 (40:48):
That Okay number four who won a singles and doubles
title at the last ever austray And Open.
Speaker 2 (40:55):
Played on grass.
Speaker 4 (40:57):
You are singles and doubles.
Speaker 3 (40:59):
Yep on the last ever Astrain Open played on grass.
Speaker 1 (41:04):
Wow, so bay who won the last one?
Speaker 2 (41:06):
But they won singles and doubles?
Speaker 4 (41:09):
So really the last one really, well, it's got to
be Martine again.
Speaker 2 (41:14):
No, it's an a dude.
Speaker 4 (41:17):
Dude so Johann Creek one, who's the yok?
Speaker 1 (41:22):
Who's the who's the guy?
Speaker 4 (41:25):
The last one couple he didn't win the doubles. That
was singles and doubles. Singles and doubles at the Austrain Open.
Speaker 2 (41:31):
Title at the last ever Strain Open played on grass.
Speaker 4 (41:35):
I'm saying Stephan Edberg.
Speaker 1 (41:37):
And FITZI, oh my god, how I mean? You are
very good?
Speaker 2 (41:41):
In nineteen eighty seven Stephan Edburgh he.
Speaker 4 (41:44):
Won the doubles as well and doubles wow w with
Andrew Jeron.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
So and that's well before you and it should.
Speaker 5 (41:52):
Just be cut out of the Jamie I was yeah,
Buthroom breck ye was three years old?
Speaker 4 (41:59):
Different I was one?
Speaker 1 (42:03):
Maybe? All right, where are we up to.
Speaker 2 (42:07):
Closest to the pin?
Speaker 3 (42:08):
How many vertical grass strips run end to end on
the court's Wimbledon.
Speaker 4 (42:15):
The mowing strips? Yeah twenty No, I'm saying less. What
do you think?
Speaker 2 (42:20):
Jamie twelve twenty two.
Speaker 4 (42:23):
Hey, that's so annoying that he got that right.
Speaker 1 (42:28):
Even I'm annoyed. I was literally going up, down, up, down, down, updown.
Speaker 4 (42:34):
This is a guy that said carpet court tennis was
a services.
Speaker 2 (42:37):
I don't know. He doesn't know anything.
Speaker 1 (42:42):
Yet. The tipping point of this game is heading in
my favorite no fits.
Speaker 2 (42:46):
He definitely won.
Speaker 1 (42:47):
No, Jamie and I agree. My god, if you want
to be back.
Speaker 4 (42:52):
She's on this side of the table.
Speaker 9 (42:54):
Pal.
Speaker 1 (42:54):
Yeah, well days are numbered. No, that was good fun world.
I'm bra thank Harper. Thanks all right, Well enough mychanigans.
Thank you so much Jamie for joining.
Speaker 2 (43:05):
Thank you Jamie.
Speaker 1 (43:08):
Please, as always, such a pleasure to have you.
Speaker 4 (43:13):
Thank you, Thank you. Ja.
Speaker 1 (43:15):
Yeah, and bre you got a head off to your
divorce court or whatever you're doing.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
Yeah, I had.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
That's us for the day. Join us again next week
for more of the tennis and our Wimbledon preview episode,
including the second installment of our wildly successful Fantasy Draft.
A great week in tennis. We'll catch next week. Harps,
can you tell everyone what they need to do? See
you in a week, guys, Bye bye bye, Hey everyone.
Harps and Andy here just want to remind you that
you can watch every episode of the Tennis on our
(43:43):
YouTube channel, Australian Open TV.
Speaker 8 (43:45):
And we have an email as well podcast at tennis
dot com dot au. If you thought the show was
amazing or you thought it was terrible, we are keen
to hear from you. We'll read it, so feedback, comments,
whatever it is, Get in touch with us at our
email and we'll catch you on the next one.
Speaker 1 (44:01):
Catch you later, mm hm
Hello, and welcome to another week of the tennis. More
big news coming your way, jokers, Olympic dream Novak targeting
a gold medal defense at twenty twenty eight LA Games,
The Queen of Queen's Tachi Maria becomes the oldest WTA
five hundred champion in history. And move over Sitsi Dosa,
the starpairs vying for glory in the US Open Mixed doubles.
(00:25):
All that and more with me Zave muhlback live from
Tennis HQ and Melbourne and of course joining me as always.
Her initials might be bs, but she's not full of it.
It's brief Stewart.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
That's a good one, right right know someone else? God
who wrote it?
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Was it? Halfer?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
I'm coming for you.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
I spent my whole life people making that joke about
my initials.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Well, thanks for giving us new material in your corporate
Barbie attire.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Yeah, you've got a court date later or.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
I've got some meetings. I've got to look good.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
For Oh, fair enough for it. Well, it's thrilled to
have you here as always, and across the desk, our favorite
man about town is John Fitzgerald. Welcome Fitzie, thank.
Speaker 4 (00:58):
You jaf for why is it you bring a smile
on my face? I don't know, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
The check clear most people, it's good to be here
with that reaction.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
There's a fine line between smiling and grimacing.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Yeah, yeah, okay, I just thought you have got some
indigestion or something if you're to have you back? Fitsy,
thank you and making her podcast debut big Welcome to
Aussie pro Jamie Falls. Yeah, first ever. Jen Zeta on
the tennis thank you.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Happy to be here.
Speaker 5 (01:25):
Yeah, podcast, so happy to be here and thanks for
having me.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
Very good.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
How good was that?
Speaker 2 (01:30):
That was perfect?
Speaker 1 (01:31):
It was really good.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
You can come every week.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Yeah, over me. Time for Jamie. Well, we'll jump straight in.
People want to hear about what's caught your eye and
we're going to kick off first. Fitzy, what's happening in
the older ATP rankings.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
Well, I think the big mover of the week, or
the big thought process for me is the Americans. They're
pretty good and of course Ben Shelton has broken into
the top ten for the first time. So you know,
I don't think there's a ceiling on this lead.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
I was going to say, what is his ceiling. Yeah,
I got one.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
I don't think anyone knows. I think he's a bit
of a throwback for me. He's got a game that
looks a bit like it was played ten years ago
or fifteen years ago. But that can be a good thing.
He's got some talent and some strengths and weaknesses that
make him look like a more mature player. But I
(02:22):
don't know. I think on the on the clay, you
would imagine he would struggle a bit more. But on
the hard court it's obviously where he grew up, and
on the grass he can do serious damage. So I
think when you serve that well, no one wants to
play you. And those left handers, you know, it's an
unfair advantage here. When you're lefty and you serve that well,
(02:44):
it is a difficult thing to combat if you're just
a non talented right hander.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Jammy lefty power superpower.
Speaker 5 (02:51):
I actually quite like playing against lefties. Yeah, I've quite
a good record against lefty so for.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Me, Yeah, you're the lefty kryptonite.
Speaker 5 (03:00):
Yeah, kind of like when I get one in the droid.
It doesn't you like it?
Speaker 6 (03:03):
Okay?
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Good for you. When you play that, you play them
a lot less than right hand.
Speaker 5 (03:07):
Yeah, definitely a lot.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Well, yeah, there's less of them.
Speaker 5 (03:09):
Of them, but anytime I do get one.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
Okay, Yeah, Well I can tell you I wouldn't have
liked to play Ben Shelton with that serve and battling
away to hold your own serve and he can just
blow it past you quickly game after game. So look,
I don't know what his ceiling is. I think he's
going to probably have to keep his unforced errors down
and maybe he shot selection for me sometimes, you know,
(03:34):
needs to be improved. He gives away some points at
the wrong time and play some low percentage stuff when
probably should think about hy percent high percentage. But geez good,
and he's busting into the top ten. Taylor, Fritz, Tommy
Paul are already there. The Americans are looking pretty.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Strong and American renaissance, yeah, to a degree. So you
mentioned like ten years ago he would be the big
dog who is he for lack of a better word,
the reincarnation of who is He? Similar to from a
decade ago Ben Shelton.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
Well, you'd have to give me a couple of minutes
probably to think about the list that was back then.
But there were more players like him or had that
style back then. There's more players these days that are
so tight with their mistakes. They don't give away balls
as much as they should have. Ben still does a
little bit, but he's got flair on the other side
(04:26):
of that. So look, off the top of my head,
I'm not going to give you too many answers on
that question, but I think compared to the Americans twenty
years ago, you'd still have to stick with the three
that were in the top ten. Back then, there was agacy.
He did happen to win eight major titles.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
He did yea.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
Andy Roddick, James Blake his podcast could do.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
I love Roddick's podcast.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
They go Free shout out from the little podcast.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
It is going well. I saw Andre interviewed on that
last week and it was really interesting. To get inside
is to have a taste of what's inside of Andre's head.
He was well, what a player, Yeah, and what knowledge.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
It was a good interview, wasn't it. Ben Shelton his
dad tennis player, Brian.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Yes, yes, so he's vintage a little than a little
bit younger than me. My vintage is goodyer, but his
son has already gone past probably the level that he
was at. But Brian was good and he was a
right handed but had he also had a big serve,
difficult jumping kicking right handed serve Over to you.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
What's your eye catching eye catch?
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Well, you can't really go past the fact that the
US Open announced, Well we've talked about on the pod
the change in how they're doing mixed doubles, and this
week they announced who those mixed doubles will be and
the pairings as well, And you really can't go past
some of the big names in there.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
So you've got Curios with.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
You've got our Kras with Radikanu, which he's saying he
thinks he's been teamed up with the best woman on
the tour.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
So there's some really big names in there.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
But no doubles plays really.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Well, that's the thing. So it's the number ones head up.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
And then there is space in the draw for the
top mixed doubles players as well, it's my understanding, but
that's yet to be announced.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
That'll be more kind of like in a normal draw.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
What do you think, Jamie, from a player's perspective, the
whole new way of doing mixed doubles at a Slam
in opening week two.
Speaker 5 (06:37):
Yeah, yeah, I think it's tough to be honest, Like,
you can look at it one side, for your so
open to bring fans in, what a great opportunity to
watch some of the best players in the world to
play with each other. But on the other hand, you've
got the ones that are playing mixed doubles week in
week out, playing doubles that don't have that opportunity, so
it kind of gets taken away from them. And I
(06:59):
don't know if you would call this so much a
Grand Slam for mixed doubles. I don't know if you
would have just gone with an exhibition and then you
can still put the prize money towards that and then gone, okay,
we're doing it in an opening week here our players
that want to come, like come watch us play, and
then still have that opportunity for the mixed doubles and
doubles players to be able to have a Grand Slam
(07:20):
to their name. So yeah, it's it's a bit of
a tough one. And then like of course with the
format best of three up to four games, no i'd
scoring ten point match tiebreaker, Like it's a tough pill
to swallow. For the doubles players, I think, and for
the singles players that also play doubles a week in,
week out, so that don't have that opportunity to play.
But then yeah, on the other hand, to be able
(07:41):
to go watch all these top players, like, I think
that's pretty cool. And yeah, my sister was like, I'd
watch that. What a cool opportunity to be able to
watch that, And I'm like, yeah, like.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
That's as a fan that's pretty had.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Which is certainly what I think the event was had
in mind, going Okay, how can we get some earlier
eyeballs Opening week? And it makes complete sense, don't get
me wrong.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
And for our listeners out there who may not understand
what opening week is, that's what US Open and Rolling
Garross called qualifying week, and the US actually calls it
fan week.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Yeah, Wimbledon calls it qualifying.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
How Wimbledon off them?
Speaker 5 (08:19):
Yeah, well that's that Roehampton.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
It's a cricket pitch, Yeah exactly. Now you can't come
on side to us the real deal. Well, okay, hypotheticals
round the table. Who would be your dream mixed doubles partner?
Speaker 2 (08:33):
I think you'd.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
Probably I would probably have to go for a Roger
or Raffa. I think that would be pretty cool, just
an unreal experience.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Yeah, I put a tennis. If I could play with
it would be pretty cool.
Speaker 5 (08:43):
I don't know if that would be cool, But.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
I'm not sure we want to see that. Get your
mind out together.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
Are we talking about current players or any through the
history history?
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Could be Billy King could be.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
Well, my mixed doubles partner paid half of my house.
So I'm sticking with Liz Smiley.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Okay, but if.
Speaker 4 (09:05):
You look at global and if you look at the generations,
how could how could anyone go past Martina Naver at
all over as a call as a doubles player that
could win in any situation. I mean, I think she
won singles and doubles. It's something I don't want to
(09:25):
be quoted wrongly, but around eighty times might have been
seventy here first eighty might have been might have been
in the seventies. Can you imagine on the a TV
Tour level or Grand SAMs or that to win that
many singles and doubles the same week.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
Yeah, that's for the record books and beyond. I did
that once, hence half a house once once.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
Now Liz smile. I'm going to stick with my old friend.
But if I had to go some somewhere else and
say who would you win mostly with him? Be Martina?
Speaker 1 (09:55):
Yeah yeah, I'd watch that.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
Yeah. Well, you've got to get a yes from She's
got She's got a lot of people.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
Podcast at tennis dot com dot are you now rat?
Let us know?
Speaker 6 (10:06):
Ah?
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Do you know what?
Speaker 3 (10:07):
My head went straight to some of my favorite Ossiesson
and Storm.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
Why not.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
I've probably seen them play already to be honest, like
an nighted cup or something.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
But for me to play with it would be Demon.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
Yeah. Yeah, same height.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
I just like the way he plays and I probably
wouldn't have to do much because he's very zippy.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Yeah, just stand there. Yeah, that was my thing. I
would hands down Serena for me because then I can
just have a seat at the back of court with
a peanutolata and she'll take care of business living.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
And you get half the prize money.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Yeah you're trying to buy you Yeah, smart at least,
I don't know. But you guys took it seriously and
we were like, how can I do the least work
but still get that prize money?
Speaker 6 (10:56):
All right?
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Well, that's our picks for our partners. But let's have
a quick listen to one Carlos on who he wonder
have a week with.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
There's a lot of excitement in British Chinese because we've
seen you vented in the US Open mixed doubles with
Emma RADICANU who asked who did you ask Emma or
did she ask you to play?
Speaker 7 (11:13):
That thing came came up and I think it was
a really beautiful idea that the tournament gave gave to us,
and uh, yeah it was.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
I was excited.
Speaker 7 (11:24):
I'm excited about our playing mix mixed in the use
of and uh the yeah, at the beginning, if if,
I mean, I didn't know if she she wants you
to play doubles with me, but but yeah, she she
didn't think that that much. I'm just I'm just happy
to you to play to play with with her, have
(11:44):
a really good relationship. We know each other since that a
really long time, so it's gonna be it's gonna be fun.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Pretty cute. So it's like asking for prom it really,
will you play with me?
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Yeah? It's cute, Yeah, it's really cute. All right, Well,
maybe something with blossom all eyes on that.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
What would be their celeb match couple name thoughts al
Chorazrakanu need to think rata. Well, workshop that sent us
your ideas podcast Radical that'll work half of wins once again.
(12:24):
Now Jamie over to you. It's wearing the season de
Grass Wimbledon. Hit us up with your thoughts on Wimbledon
and lack of leading tournaments.
Speaker 5 (12:33):
Yeah, I think that's caught my eye this week is
the lack of leading tournaments on the women's side. I'm
not sure about like the men's side, but in terms
of the women's side pre Wimby Collies. So I was
scrolling on Instagram the other day and I clicked one
of the girl's stories and she put up online that
she wasn't able to play a leading tournament pre Wimby Collies.
(12:55):
And I was like, at one fifty in the world.
And I was like, oh, like that's quite interesting and
that English. Yeah, So I saw she put it online.
I was like, oh, like, that's quite interesting.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
And she's not like four hundred, No.
Speaker 5 (13:10):
She's definitely not four hundred. She's one fifty in the world.
And then I got asked to come on the pod
and this was one of the segments and I was
like that pretty much caught my eyes and I was like,
maybe let's do some research into it before I come on,
so I know at least like I'm not making something.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
I don't pay attention. I'm not making it hard facts.
Speaker 5 (13:29):
So you have pretty much Berlin a five hundred and
Nottingham at two fifty. They're the only two weeks of
grasscourt torments the week before winmy qualies. So the cut
for qualifying for Berlin was one fifty one and the
cut for Nottingham two fifty was one twenty one.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
The qualifying for the qualifying cut.
Speaker 5 (13:53):
Yeah, you had Oniburb playing qualities of Berlin at fifty
in the world, so it was a pretty field for both.
And then you only had so out of the two
four six like ten to twelve Aussie girls that are
playing Wimby Collige, you only had two that were able
to play the week before.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Oh my god.
Speaker 5 (14:15):
And that's not a choice either. That's because they couldn't
get in too anything. So you had Talia and pre
at one twenty six and one thirty three playing the
week before, and then you had all the girls, so
Dash at one thirty seven, Astro at one forty nine,
Desert one fifty five, Maddie at one fifty six, Lazette
at two o five, Emma sent at two o six,
(14:36):
Arena at two fourteen, and Taylor at two nineteen. Not
Able to play the week.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
Not a chance.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
So then I was like, not an option.
Speaker 5 (14:43):
No, it's not an option. So then I was like, Okay,
maybe there's like itfs to play because I've always played
an itf sometimes on a fast hard court. Sometimes Madrid
holds like it's like the running track, like it's quick.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
Hardky well, like a sleep probably low and five.
Speaker 5 (15:00):
Ye yeah, but it's actually called quick heart because it's
a running track and it just stays low. And I've
played a couple of times and I've really enjoyed playing
it before I go on to Gross because it suits
your game, suits my game.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
But but it has similarities, it has.
Speaker 5 (15:12):
Similarities, and when I go on Russ it ends up
being the grass court ends up being slower than what
I just played on. So and then I was like, okay,
maybe there's some ifs that the girls could have played.
But you only had a seventy five in France and
a seventy five in Zagreb, both on clay and then
I was like, oh, maybe there's something else, and then
there was only a thirty five in Spain on hard, so.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
There where have they gone?
Speaker 3 (15:38):
Yeah, this is probably just practicing, no not, but like
the tournaments they can't sol. Do you think this has
got to do with what they did with queens, like
adding the men the female tweens, Well, that would had any.
Speaker 5 (15:52):
Implication, I'm not sure, but that would have been replaced
of another tournament. Yeah, I don't know if it was
an original addition. So you take away a tornament before
like that doesn't really balance out. So I'm not sure
what has happened in that situation. But yeah, I know
most of the girls they haven't been able to play
the week before, Like it's a great opportunity to becoming
(16:13):
on grass, but you want to play.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Yeah, I mean it sounds pretty unfair. Yeah, but in
your what should be done?
Speaker 6 (16:20):
Then?
Speaker 1 (16:21):
If you had the power? Yeah, what would happen in
the week leading up to a slam to fix it?
Speaker 5 (16:27):
Well, I think this is where the discussion of the
girls who are on the WTA panel and council, this
is something that they should be thinking of and bringing
to light to the WTA to potentially talk about to
help increase tournaments. I know there's been an increase this
year of one two fives, so I know we have
one two fives majority weeks and that's been help to
(16:47):
a lot of the girls. But yeah, that's something that
potentially the girls on the panel can bring to light
and just be like, how are we meant to prepare
if we can't get into a tournament?
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Yeah, and when you've got like as you mentioned Ons,
who's sixty one at the moment ranked sixty one, it's
not sixty one itself having to play through qualities like
there's obviously three top heavy Yep, it's just pretty shocking.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
Yeah, yeah, what are your thoughts fits you? I'm guessing
that this isn't happening on the ATP side.
Speaker 4 (17:16):
Well, I know that there's an extra week between the
French and women are now compared to how they used
to be that they seem to have enough at the
ATB two level. They've got several in Europe in the
week's leading in I've got Queen's Club, I've got more
tournaments in England. There's a couple of challenges. Yeah, Tristian
Schoolkate just won one of them a great win, confident
(17:40):
it's going to qualifying, and that's probably what you're talking about.
He's had a chance to play, he's got matches under
his belt, he's got a higher chance of succeeding in
the qualities now because of that.
Speaker 5 (17:49):
He's still playing this week. He won his first round yesterday. Yeah,
I'm not sure where it.
Speaker 4 (17:54):
Was still maybe yeah.
Speaker 8 (17:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (17:56):
So they're all leading events and I don't know the
answer to this, And sometimes it goes to market value
of what the local tournament directors are doing. But there's
certainly an argument to say that it makes it harder
for kids if they don't get the opportunity to play
on that surface leading into the qualifying because the dreams
(18:17):
are all about qualifying for women, and aren't they. And
you go to the roehamp and you mentioned that before.
We've all been there a few times, and you know,
to succeed there and go on and play at the
Holy Grail is what everyone's really keen to do. So
I don't know the answer. It sounds like to me
there's more from what Jamie is saying, there's more opportunity
(18:37):
there to play on the grass on the men's side,
I don't know why that is.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
I think we should like crowd crowdfund, put a kickstarter up,
start our own a little one two five somewhere. Let's
do it.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
No, yes, maybe, yeah, who's the tournament director?
Speaker 3 (18:54):
Now I'm looking at you like a circus at the
front with a little Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
Well you know what court surface? Hardwood? Like a basketball court?
That oh dear, I just thought. But speaking of Wimby,
they also went ounced their wild cards over our time.
Tell you what, let's have a look at all the
countries they've included. All right, so we've got great Britain
and one check up, one check on the ladies side,
(19:25):
do you have a check that's good? Okay, bit patriotic,
good for them? No, I'm just having a crack fits.
Let me be mean, let me exactly no. But yeah, no,
I'm being nicer this week. Last week I was really.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
The check representative on the women's side. Is a two
time wimbled and champion. Yeah all right, I think yeah,
she certainly a woman and chairman. So she's she danced
the wolves after the after the wind, so you'd have
to include her. Surely.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
What do we think about Lois Bosson not being included
in this list or do you think that makes sense?
Speaker 1 (20:09):
So can you remind me she was the French player
who got into Rolling.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Garross as a lucky loser.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
Yeah, and she was ranked like something.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
She was a wild card and a lucky loser into
main draw and then she got to quarterfinals.
Speaker 4 (20:25):
Yeah. Yes, but it's it's win. When it's progative, they
can they can pick whoever they want. So she might
said Roland Garris have gone on too late for the
cut at Wimbledon, right, I think so before the points
come on for she'd be right next year. Yeah, us,
well they'll be ond for that.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
There you go.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
Yeah, tennis is tricky.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
Yeah, I mean we worked for tennis and I'm like,
how on so it's the one with the fuzzy face.
Speaker 4 (20:51):
Then you're like yeah, no, no, no, but it is
complicated and it's complicated, and you know the surface is
throwing a real twist.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
Yeah, especially now that there's a fifth surface in the
hard court of wood.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
You're making.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Yeah, that's gonna be great.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
Have you put a pattern on that?
Speaker 1 (21:09):
Have you? Why not? Yes?
Speaker 4 (21:11):
Pat Pending, I can talk about decades past that people
have played on wood before. It's no new thing.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
Okay, way way it started in France, was there with
Louis Whatever's Whatever's whatever number Louis.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
Was Louis the first maybe, yeah, we had that.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
It's one of our quiz questions.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
One week your quiz whatever.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
Okay, let's move on to you Xavier.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Thanks Brey, we caught your rye old mate. Novak, don't
you come for me listeners and viewers. I'm just he
was all about the French Olympics, right. It's like all
I need is a gold I just need a gold
medal and then I'm done and then I can just
focus on stuff, start to wind it up, become an
elder statesman of the game. But he's just dropped in
an interview on Serving TV. I thing it was as well,
(21:57):
was you know on social media. The only thing that
I have in my head which gives me motivation is
the Olympics of twenty twenty eight in La Dude. That's
what I have to say to that. Dude. Like, I'm
not saying you're not going to win and I want
you to play. You're the goats. You are absolutely the
greatest tennis player of all time. But I mean, what
are you doing thinking about twenty twenty eight. You've got
(22:17):
many slams and many aos to potentially win between now
and then Courier Jets twenty four time Majors champion.
Speaker 4 (22:25):
What what was? Do you know what the context was mentioned?
Was you're ignoring context?
Speaker 1 (22:30):
How I like to dive straight over?
Speaker 3 (22:32):
He saw the social clip. Yeah, the whole interview fits here.
I was a part of a bigger interview, Was it kidding?
Speaker 5 (22:41):
You know?
Speaker 4 (22:41):
I was thinking. I was thinking though a week or
so ago, about how many press conferences guys like that
and there's very few like that? How many they do?
They do? Fuck up loads of them. Insane number, insane number,
Like a lot of.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
The same answer, same answer s.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
And if you say one thing that's a little controversial,
said that it not.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
He couldn't a little prick in Melbourne like me going
oh jump on that pretty much.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
I think he just talks to the fact that he's
really proud to play for his.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
Country, which he does. He's very patriotic and he wants
to go play for his country.
Speaker 4 (23:20):
He did it Davis Cup level too.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Yeah, yeah, he spoke.
Speaker 3 (23:24):
He's spoken about that the year he played United Cup,
Like how just a privilege it is? To play for Serbia,
and I think that's probably what's driving it. I think
we spoke about it last week with the Savills Squared
with Daria and Luke. We might be wrong by saying
that he won't be there because he is an absolute
(23:47):
wizard of the game and every time I like, oh
it looks like he's nearing the end, he goes and
does something.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Wins a gold medal that PROOFSS or wrong.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
So look, I'm forty one this year. I won't be
playing the Olympics, but I feel he might be able
to do something far more athletic.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
And I might not be fit enough to even fly
to the Olympics, let alone play. So well, what do
you reckon based.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
On three years a long long while.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
Yeah, so in the tea leaves in the fitzy crystal ball.
Speaker 4 (24:16):
And exponentially, you know, as you get older, you know
the creeks and yeah, oh I do I can speak
for this, Jamie. They give it me too.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
No, you can't.
Speaker 5 (24:28):
Already Do you think that he might slow down in
terms of like the tournaments he's playing in between, so
kind of just go for the Slams to be able
to get to those elenic.
Speaker 4 (24:37):
Games that I think only he knows what he's thinking
and the fence. No, no, only I mean he may well,
he may well take, you know, and save himself. But
is he motivated to do that?
Speaker 1 (24:51):
He might sounds like it three years away. He's just
got a little bit better room left in the trophy cabinet.
Speaker 4 (24:56):
Three years of agold. There's no room left in the trophy.
He's got to miss. It's the size of an hangar.
His trophies size.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
My apartment, probably bigger, to be.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
Sure, that's just his slam trophies. Well, that's enough for
me and what caught your eye? Thank you very much
for playing along everybody. In a bit of other tennis news,
a new Queen of Queen's touch on. Maria obviously loves
grass yep.
Speaker 4 (25:20):
I mean in twenty two she made a semi final wimbit.
I mean that's no main feat, no huge so probably
not a household name, but someone who can really excel
on that surface. And she obviously feels comfortable there. And
you know, when you're an older player, you have more experience.
Speaker 1 (25:35):
You look at Jamie as an older player, you're.
Speaker 5 (25:40):
Youthful and I think in terms of like her game style,
it suits grass one hundred percent. I'm not sure if
everyone's watched videos, but she pretty much slices everything, so
she has a pretty good first serve, can hit her
spots incredibly well. I think throughout this week she served
quite well as well. So I think when you're up
against you know, when you're beating for top two twenty players,
(26:01):
serving on grass is huge, and I think her ability
to then go off the slice when she's wide or
on a neutral ball, it just makes people so uncomfortable.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
And on the grass, exactly on the grass, it's a
different ball game when you know there's a lot of
human backboards back there aren't there they were in tennis.
There's a lot of modern player, many modern players who
they dig that trench at the back and they hit
the same type of ball, but the ones with variety
can give you trouble on grass because the ball stays lower,
(26:31):
significantly lower if it's got a slice on it. You
have to adapt the angle of the racket face and
know how much you've got to spin the ball, and
it's not the same ball to hit than the one
that's sitting up high in the zone, so you know
it probably I would think causes a lot of the
opposition players to make more errors, you would think, And yeah,
(26:52):
so's she'd be an awkward player, I think to play
on that surface.
Speaker 5 (26:56):
Yeah, quite uncomfortable. And also it's also depending on how
the grass is playing. Two. I think every grasscourt can
be a little bit different different. So, yeah, her shots
and how that is affected with the grass.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
She'd be hoping it gets wet. Yeah, ball's really staying
low and yeah, digging in.
Speaker 3 (27:12):
And I have seen in her that it's been quite
slippery at Queen's like they've been slipping over on the
on the grass because obviously no one who probably played
on it much before they started playing, So it'll probably
be great conditions.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
Yeah when the.
Speaker 4 (27:27):
Yeah, yeah, definitely, you know that sort of I like
that sort of stuff because it brings a bit more variety.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
Yeah, you need some very sport.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
Yeah, and you see a different skill set.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
As well as its challenges those on the other side
of the net. When you do have this different skill
set coming in. Yeah, you know, the stalwarts on the
other side have to go Okay, time to rethink this
is not ended that day.
Speaker 5 (27:48):
Yeah, and what am I going to do differently to
be able to beat her?
Speaker 7 (27:51):
House?
Speaker 1 (27:51):
Am I going to overcome this? And she's had a
huge like she's shot up to forty three, ranked number
forty three, just shy of her career high ranking of
forty two. This could be per season.
Speaker 4 (28:01):
Queens Club is a big title, you know, I know
in the men's game, huge. Yeah, so she'd be confident.
But to win the Queen's Club, you.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
Know, very prestigious, isn't it. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:16):
We always used to teach Neil Fraser, you know, God
bless him and we would always refer to him as
Neil Fraser Queen's Club because he'd won the tournament. He
was a member, and it's a big deal to win
that tour.
Speaker 5 (28:30):
So if you win the tournament, you become a member.
Speaker 4 (28:32):
At Queen's I don't know for sure, but I know
Neil was a member and used to wear that badge
of honor. We used to tease him about it, but
he used to love.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
It because Wimbledon, if you win that, you become a
member of the All England to win the singles, yeah,
because there was that great clip of Roger rolling up
outside of Wimbledon and the security is like, sorry've got
to be a member. It's like I don't have my
card on me, but I have won the tournament several
times and security guards like, I don't know what to do.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
But I love this fact about Queens is that it's
the first women's event back at Queen's Club since nineteen
seventy three when Evon Goolagong now Evon Googlegong Cawley was
a finalist.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
It's great.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
Yeah, so it's been a while since women have played
there and I think it's really great to have the
men and women back together there.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
And I think it's pretty obvious, like, you know, it's
got us talking, it's got people talking, it's going to
be I think they're back.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
Yeah, it's always one that we watch the Queen's Tournament like,
it's just.
Speaker 4 (29:27):
I think one of the nuances of our sport is
that people have different styles and it's an important part
of the sport actually, and I love it when someone
comes in with a different style, you know, it brings interest,
you know, more players winning. I think that creates more stars,
more more interest. Yeah, definitely, I'm pumped for it.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
Yeah, what do we think we'll see from Aria Wimbledon?
Speaker 1 (29:53):
What do you think, Well, tennis side, I pick.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
Yeah, oh, you think tennis from tennis. Comedians salute, comedian
standing out you.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
Sit down, comedian a gig. Sorry, keep going, No, but
well you expect that.
Speaker 4 (30:13):
She could play well?
Speaker 6 (30:13):
Why not?
Speaker 4 (30:14):
Yeah, the court start again, courts will be green. There's
players practice on them leading in.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
Wait, so you give me crap for saying she'll play tennis,
but Fitzy to said grass is green, and we're just
going to let that go.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
He means like fresh, like they're not playing on whatever.
Speaker 4 (30:29):
You've got to know the lingo green, yeah, green when
it gets later into the tournament, when it when it
dies off a bit changes color. So why wouldn't she
play well if she can get enough rest now and
if the body is holding up and she's not, there's
no little niggles. She will give someone a shake.
Speaker 7 (30:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (30:49):
Good, you'll be watching Jamie yeah yeah, and especially out
for Maria, so it would be good.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
Yeah, on those green cours, on the green grass.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
And then the last thing we wanted to just cover
off is obviously Andy Roddick said something on these podcasts.
Speaker 1 (31:05):
The other tennis podcast.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
Yeah what did he say?
Speaker 1 (31:08):
I think I'll quote him actually, bray, Yeah, I think
tennis players are the best athletes in the world five
hours and forty something minutes on the biggest stage. You
compare this to other sports. An NBA game is forty
eight minutes played in air conditioning. We have teammates, halftime timeouts.
To say one thing doesn't mean you're throwing shade at
something else. So to cut it short Erotick thinks tennis
(31:28):
athletes are the best and hardest working athletes in the world.
We have two of them cross.
Speaker 5 (31:33):
Yeah, it makes it exced right. Yeah, I'll take that.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
Agree, disagreed, I agree, go agree.
Speaker 4 (31:39):
Well, you know, I'm a little loath to make too
many comments about some of those other sports. They're pretty tough,
some of them. There's not a lot of body contact
in tennis, by the way. No, I've seen some pretty
tough sports the world. Yeah, so I think they're all
To get to the pinnacle of any sport, you obviously
need to be pretty special athlete. But I liked the bis.
(32:03):
I like it from Andy, and who am I to
argue with Andy? I mean, five minutes is astounding and
to not have that level drop off at the French Open,
And there is an argument to say that when you
(32:23):
honest court in a gladiatorial situation. You've got you down
one end, you've got an opponent up the other. There's
nowhere to hide. You can't you can't run off and
substitute at any time you want.
Speaker 1 (32:37):
But even in that match, it's.
Speaker 4 (32:39):
A heck of a tough sport this but there was that.
Speaker 1 (32:41):
There was no extended toilet breaks, there was no physio calls.
Speaker 4 (32:44):
Don't you love that? By the way, Yeah it was, Jamie.
It's one of my pet hates, just the six to
one in the first set and they go off, stop.
Speaker 5 (32:52):
It sometimes, don't do it.
Speaker 1 (32:54):
Don't do it if the strategy works. But yeah, it
was just like, what's I know it's different in a
five set, but what's your longest match Jamie, that you've played.
Speaker 5 (33:03):
Well, I'm not one hundred percent sure, take a guess,
but I think this year's AO I had the longest
Colliges match. I think it was four hours.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
Whoa gee standing up for four hours sets?
Speaker 5 (33:15):
But yeah, well yeah she kind of played a little bit,
so it was I think it was thirty. I played
first on it cool, that's cool, that's amazing. Rest ten,
But yeah, I think that was my one of my
longest match. I'm kind of notorious. No I lost for
in the third. I'm notorious for playing long matches, so
(33:36):
I kind of know what this feels like. I can
pretty much back up playing two hours every day playing
three sets. I don't mind to grind. So yeah, I
think pretty much what he stated. I think in terms
of our sport and not just on court, I think
everything else.
Speaker 2 (33:52):
Around what we have traveled.
Speaker 5 (33:55):
The travel, the you know, when you don't have someone
doing everything for you, we have to do everything for
our when you're not at that level yet. I think, yeah,
our sport is one of the toughest, and yeah, I
pretty I think that showed it on that final.
Speaker 1 (34:09):
Well, it's interesting because it talks about NBA and NFL
and basketball and basketball, football, soccer. They're all team sports.
Like you've got people to kind of lift you up
when you're down, and you do that for your team. Tennis,
you know, outside of doubles, it isn't truly individual sport.
You know, only other yeah is swimming and it's global. No, sorry,
you're fine, but yeah, it's just amazing that you know
(34:31):
you are by yourself. You might have a team, you
might be with your mum or your dad, or you
could be literally on your own. That's got a way
on you.
Speaker 5 (34:37):
Yeah, definitely. And I think a lot of these other
team sports, someone tells you what to do to an extent,
whereas you're in the court and every shot, every decision
you make is based on what you feel and in
that split second you have to decide. So my coach
can tell me, but I don't have to listen. Where
I can listen, but in that moment, I have to
(34:57):
decide how I want to hit it, where I want
to hit, what I want to do with this ball,
how is it going to affect my next shot? And
I think that's the beauty of playing tennis and watching
it too, to be honest, and that's something that I
enjoy and why I kind of play.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
All right, So Jamie notorious falls calls for time outs
in tennis, No, just.
Speaker 5 (35:15):
Not at all, not at all all right.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
Well, from one pretty good podcast in Erotic to another
amazing podcast to sit Down. I think we got a
little clip this week. The team over on the sit
Down Top Woodbridge caught up with Jonus Bjorkman. I think
we've got a little clip, So have a little listen
to that and we'll be back in a second.
Speaker 9 (35:34):
When I started to play with you, I untucked my
shirt and started to kind of dance and live around
and become a completely different personality. And I probably would
say that you were the start of me becoming a
game show host.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
Ah yeah, thank you.
Speaker 6 (35:51):
My true personality out in the open. And I see
that advertising now on TV. I mean Woodbridge is eye everywhere.
You know, I go for a tram when I see
bowl and then you know, watching the TV lever Tennis
when I hear you commentate, and then all of a sudden,
like in between become the adverts of his tipping point.
Speaker 4 (36:09):
You know, that's big one.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
You know that I like that one.
Speaker 6 (36:13):
That's that's a perfect way of your your new style,
my new style where you've got style you always have,
you had style and swagger.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
It's been great having you on the show. Say, we
could talk for hours.
Speaker 9 (36:27):
There's just a little bit of a snippet of a
relationship that has been going on for some thirty years now.
Speaker 6 (36:35):
Yes, it's crazy when when the courts were green.
Speaker 1 (36:41):
Speaking of Todd Woodbridge for our Aussie listeners and viewers,
Oh Toddy Teddy himself, he's up for a LOGI which
is the Emmy of Australia. Yeah, because he's the busiest man,
not just in sport but in just broadcasting.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
In quizzes.
Speaker 1 (36:55):
Yeah, he's the quiz master, second only to you Brow.
I know you've got a quiz burning a hole in
your pocket. But he does Tipping Point on Shell nine,
a very great game show. He does commentary for the
AO wimbled and all sorts.
Speaker 3 (37:05):
Of the Olympics. We cannot forget the pit the Paralympics.
Speaker 4 (37:09):
He's like Chicken man, He's everywhere.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
Chicken everywhere, everywhere.
Speaker 1 (37:13):
Yeah. Absolutely, he's the new Weetty everywhere. So if you
can jump on tvweat logos dot com dot are you
and give him a vote most popular presenter. I think
he's the logo he's up for, Yes, popular, most Popular,
He's got my vote.
Speaker 2 (37:32):
He's up again Hamish Blake.
Speaker 1 (37:34):
I think Hamish you cooked mate?
Speaker 2 (37:37):
Yeah from Lego Master.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
Yeah exactly, build you out of that one lego boy. Anyway,
So we'll be back in a second quick ad break
and on the back of it, we've got a bit
of a quiz from Brie Ace the week from the
all of us, and then I'll keep rattling off until
Harper and cut me off. See you six, welcome back
a little bit more from us Brie. It looks like
(37:59):
here you've got another quiz.
Speaker 2 (38:01):
I do have a quiz.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
So today we are looking at a bit of a
quiz about grass court tennis.
Speaker 2 (38:08):
And the question won't be what color is grass?
Speaker 1 (38:12):
Okay?
Speaker 4 (38:12):
Great, because there's two colors in your many.
Speaker 1 (38:20):
Okay, you're not wrong. Let's talk about carpet court tennis.
That's the thing, isn't it? Or is that a carpet
as a surface carpet shop.
Speaker 4 (38:29):
I've never heard of carpet court tennis.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Oh my god.
Speaker 3 (38:32):
Okay, let's get on to question number one. Would you
like to press one?
Speaker 2 (38:37):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (38:38):
The first question is, so, which five countries host a
t P or w T A grass court tournaments?
Speaker 4 (38:47):
US yep, Germany, Yeah, Holland yep, England UK yep. And
what am I missing? There's one more cares.
Speaker 1 (39:00):
Spain of course?
Speaker 4 (39:02):
Of course?
Speaker 1 (39:04):
Do I still get anything?
Speaker 6 (39:06):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (39:08):
Well done?
Speaker 4 (39:09):
That was the twist.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
Yeah, that was the twist.
Speaker 3 (39:12):
Okay, two three three of all non Australians, who has
won the most Australian Open single titles on grass?
Speaker 1 (39:25):
Oh god? So we're going back to Coo young days
non Australians.
Speaker 4 (39:29):
Yeah, opens on grass?
Speaker 1 (39:33):
No not, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
Yeah, when Austrain Open was on grass.
Speaker 4 (39:39):
In men, you don't have it right or not.
Speaker 1 (39:41):
Never have it right. I was busy, and she said
because I was. When you're talking about your doubles partner,
I can remember.
Speaker 3 (39:52):
It was men or women and it was straight open
singles titles on grass.
Speaker 2 (39:56):
When we had it on.
Speaker 1 (39:57):
Grass, probably would shut it down. I think had two.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
Zero Martina won, eighty one, eighty three and.
Speaker 1 (40:03):
Eighty be able to tell you when yeah next.
Speaker 2 (40:07):
Okay three three.
Speaker 3 (40:09):
Todd wood Bridge won a record nine Wimbledon men's doubles tournaments.
How many did he win without Mark Woodford? FITZI, well
done those We put up three fingers JB. Yeah yeah,
(40:31):
two thousand and three, two thousand and four with your
nice yorkman.
Speaker 4 (40:36):
What a record.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
That was amazing.
Speaker 2 (40:39):
You have to win men's double.
Speaker 4 (40:41):
You have to win a lot of close clutch moments
to do that.
Speaker 2 (40:47):
He's a miracle man.
Speaker 3 (40:48):
That Okay number four who won a singles and doubles
title at the last ever austray And Open.
Speaker 2 (40:55):
Played on grass.
Speaker 4 (40:57):
You are singles and doubles.
Speaker 3 (40:59):
Yep on the last ever Astrain Open played on grass.
Speaker 1 (41:04):
Wow, so bay who won the last one?
Speaker 2 (41:06):
But they won singles and doubles?
Speaker 4 (41:09):
So really the last one really, well, it's got to
be Martine again.
Speaker 2 (41:14):
No, it's an a dude.
Speaker 4 (41:17):
Dude so Johann Creek one, who's the yok?
Speaker 1 (41:22):
Who's the who's the guy?
Speaker 4 (41:25):
The last one couple he didn't win the doubles. That
was singles and doubles. Singles and doubles at the Austrain Open.
Speaker 2 (41:31):
Title at the last ever Strain Open played on grass.
Speaker 4 (41:35):
I'm saying Stephan Edberg.
Speaker 1 (41:37):
And FITZI, oh my god, how I mean? You are
very good?
Speaker 2 (41:41):
In nineteen eighty seven Stephan Edburgh he.
Speaker 4 (41:44):
Won the doubles as well and doubles wow w with
Andrew Jeron.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
So and that's well before you and it should.
Speaker 5 (41:52):
Just be cut out of the Jamie I was yeah,
Buthroom breck ye was three years old?
Speaker 4 (41:59):
Different I was one?
Speaker 1 (42:03):
Maybe? All right, where are we up to.
Speaker 2 (42:07):
Closest to the pin?
Speaker 3 (42:08):
How many vertical grass strips run end to end on
the court's Wimbledon.
Speaker 4 (42:15):
The mowing strips? Yeah twenty No, I'm saying less. What
do you think?
Speaker 2 (42:20):
Jamie twelve twenty two.
Speaker 4 (42:23):
Hey, that's so annoying that he got that right.
Speaker 1 (42:28):
Even I'm annoyed. I was literally going up, down, up, down, down, updown.
Speaker 4 (42:34):
This is a guy that said carpet court tennis was
a services.
Speaker 2 (42:37):
I don't know. He doesn't know anything.
Speaker 1 (42:42):
Yet. The tipping point of this game is heading in
my favorite no fits.
Speaker 2 (42:46):
He definitely won.
Speaker 1 (42:47):
No, Jamie and I agree. My god, if you want
to be back.
Speaker 4 (42:52):
She's on this side of the table.
Speaker 9 (42:54):
Pal.
Speaker 1 (42:54):
Yeah, well days are numbered. No, that was good fun world.
I'm bra thank Harper. Thanks all right, Well enough mychanigans.
Thank you so much Jamie for joining.
Speaker 2 (43:05):
Thank you Jamie.
Speaker 1 (43:08):
Please, as always, such a pleasure to have you.
Speaker 4 (43:13):
Thank you, Thank you. Ja.
Speaker 1 (43:15):
Yeah, and bre you got a head off to your
divorce court or whatever you're doing.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
Yeah, I had.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
That's us for the day. Join us again next week
for more of the tennis and our Wimbledon preview episode,
including the second installment of our wildly successful Fantasy Draft.
A great week in tennis. We'll catch next week. Harps,
can you tell everyone what they need to do? See
you in a week, guys, Bye bye bye, Hey everyone.
Harps and Andy here just want to remind you that
you can watch every episode of the Tennis on our
(43:43):
YouTube channel, Australian Open TV.
Speaker 8 (43:45):
And we have an email as well podcast at tennis
dot com dot au. If you thought the show was
amazing or you thought it was terrible, we are keen
to hear from you. We'll read it, so feedback, comments,
whatever it is, Get in touch with us at our
email and we'll catch you on the next one.
Speaker 1 (44:01):
Catch you later, mm hm
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