February 20, 2025 • 40 mins
Jannik Sinner is free to return to the tour in time for Roland Garros after accepting a three-month period of ineligibility from WADA — experts Nicole Pratt and Sam Stosur react to the world No.1’s negotiated settlement and discuss the implications for tennis. Amanda Anisimova has climbed inside the world top 20 following her maiden WTA 1000 title in Doha, while runner-up Jelena Ostapenko has extended her dominance over Iga Swiatek to five wins from five meetings — analyst Simon Rea casts a spotlight over the match-up and the continued rise of Buenos Aires champion Joao Fonseca. Novak Djokovic has suffered a first-round loss to Matteo Berrettini who’s through to the quarterfinals of Doha along with top seed Carlos Alcaraz and Australia’s Alex de Minaur. And new Aussie women’s No.1 Kim Birrell joins the show as she prepares to lead the Billie Jean King Cup team in April’s qualifying round-robin in Brisbane.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Today everyone, and welcome to the tennis. The world reacts
to Ynick Sinner's negotiated settlement with WADA and this I'm
over and Fonseca rocket up the rankings with titles last
week and in Doha demon on track for another Alcaaz showdown.
That's all ahead on the tennis with me, John Hohoven Ours.
Simon Ray is back, our in house analyst to the stars.
(00:24):
Welcome Simon, Hey John, thanks for having me next year.
It's the Australian Billy Jean King Cup captain Sam.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Stosa, good morning. It must to be back.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
We've got the double as well. Your coach is here
with us too.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Welcome, thanks, thanks. Yeah, we did play doubles together but
we didn't do very well.
Speaker 4 (00:38):
No, don't bring that up really, we'll just leave it
there now.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Who organized that?
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Not sure, Olympic selection that's who organized it.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
That was probably before your time on the on the
team signon, probably could have sorted these two out a
little bit. It's it's going to be a big month
coming up for you too though you're in full planning
mode for the coming Billy Jean Kincup qualifier.
Speaker 5 (01:02):
Yeah, absolutely, we are obviously it's not too far away
now and it's been announce where we're playing, which is
really exciting in Brisbane, so all the girls have got
a few more tournaments to play before the final nominations
need to be in.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
But yeah, we always look forward to the first time
of the year.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Yeah, I love seeing it when you see the green
and gold on the news channels and the lead up
to March, you know it's just around the corner.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
Yeah. No, I'm really excited, and Sam and I are
both off to the US. I'm leaving actually tomorrow to
Austin and kim Berrell's there and storm Hunter. I also
think Maddy English is there as well, so yeah, but
then we'll catch up in Innian Wall, see the players
play there and check out their form and decide the
rest of the team.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Nice a big show today, and Simon's got some tantalizing
data on some very interesting players have made waves in
the past week or two. But we're going to start
with you, Sam, what's caught your eye in the past week.
Speaker 5 (01:52):
Well, I think obviously huge news in the tennis world,
but I guess sports world in general really with Janick
Sinner being able to negotiate this three month ban with WADA.
Obviously there's been lots of opinions flying around from numerous players,
So yeah, I think that's just been a fascinating story.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Well, you're welcome to have your personal inputs on this,
because everyone else is in the tennis world. We've heard
some great We've heard opinions from the likes of Novak
Djokovic and Nick Curios and even Carlos alcraz overnight in Doha.
But the facts first. It came through on I guess
Saturday evening Australian Time that Janik Sinner's legal team had
(02:28):
managed to negotiate with WADA a three month ban which
would see him return to the court by May four,
just in time for Rome, and he will not be
missing a single Grand Slam. So here's the statement from WAA.
WADA accepts the athlete's explanation for the cause of the
violation as outlined in the first instance decision. WIDA accepts
(02:51):
that mister Sinner did not intend to cheat, and that
his exposure to costobol did not provide any performance enhancing
benefit and took place without his knowledge as the result
negligence of members of his entourage. However, under the code
and by virtue of the Court of Arbitration for sport precedent,
an athlete bears responsibility for the entourages negligence. Based on
(03:11):
the unique set of facts of this case, a three
month suspension is deemed to be an appropriate outcome. So,
giving your personal opinions, where do you land with this?
Speaker 4 (03:21):
I think he's innocent in the sense of it. You know,
he inadvertently potentially had it through his team. What I
don't like about it is the timelines. I mean, if
we go back to the provisional suspension, He's still played
the French Open, he still played Wimbledon, he's still played
US Open, he's played the Ustralian Open, and conveniently he's
(03:43):
not going to miss another Slam because he's three months
is between now and just prior to roam his home
Masters Series event. I just really question the timelines of
all of.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
This because it appears a convenient outcome.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
First, it's too convenient in my opinion.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Sam, what was your reaction?
Speaker 5 (04:03):
My point of view used to be very black and white.
You get caught, you are done, no matter what. But
I have to say in this instance, where all those
things are the facts like It's been proven from many,
many doctors and people going through this.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
A player shouldn't be banned for this.
Speaker 5 (04:20):
In my opinion, you shouldn't be now one or two
years banned, which is normally what would happen.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
So I'm glad in the sense that that is the case.
Speaker 5 (04:28):
But I think now it needs to maybe open the
door that other players are going to have these opportunities
to say, oh, hang on a second, I've got a
reason for this.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Can I keep playing. I shouldn't miss all these tournaments.
Speaker 5 (04:39):
I shouldn't be penalized with points on prize money or
anything like that. So I think it's a really tricky situation,
all this anti doping stuff.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Where do you land Raiser?
Speaker 6 (04:50):
Yeah, personally, I tend to agree with what both Pretty
and Sam have described. I think the transparency of the
whole thing feels a bit off for me. So, you know,
you visionally suspended in April, the public Joe public doesn't
find out until August you're going to end up the athlete,
And I think we're all in the same boat there.
I think we all accept this was one of those
(05:12):
really unfortunate things that's happened. There's no deliberate intent to
cheat here. I think we're all in that boat. But
now three months just it does it feels a little
too convenient for me. You're able to negotiate. I guess
on that period of time. I just look at at
an individual athlete level, and I accept that all cases
are different. I just think other athletes from other Olympic sports,
(05:35):
through ultimately being proved judged in a similar way through
no fault or negligence, have served a lot longer than
three months, and I just wonder how they'd be feeling
about something like this. So that's probably where it sits
for me.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
So from the Junick Center perspective, a very favorable outcome.
Do you think that this is now the chance to
finally leave it in the past and the team moves on.
He can focus on coming back for his home tournament,
the Row Masters, and that's the last we'll hear of it.
Speaker 5 (06:03):
Oh, it has to be. I mean, there's nowhere else
to go with it now, is there. He's going to
serve his time and be back and then hopefully that
is the end of it. But hopefully this does also
now open the door for more clarity on the testing
process and the way it's going to happen maybe now
moving forward, if you can pay for the best lawyer
in the world to know the little ins and outs
of points along the way, great, But I don't think
(06:25):
if you're two hundred in the world you should be
at a real disadvantage in that area as well. So
hopefully it opens a door to some more clarity with
how the whole process works.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
And what about the way twice Australian Open champion pratty.
How do you think he'll be able to respond to this?
With cloud that's been over his head for the best
part of a year now in terms of as an athlete,
as quite a strong resolute mind, how will Janick Sinner
be able to move on from this?
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (06:55):
I just think it's incredible how he's dealt with it
with this hanging over his head. He's achieved the outcomes
he has with this lingering and being something that I'm
sure is in the back of his mind the entire time.
Look out because now it's done, it's gone, it'll be
you know, the case is closed and he can just
(07:17):
get on and play. But I think there's still going
to be a little bit of a media circus in
and around this when he returns. But I think that'll
be history in a couple of months, once we get
through sort of a French Open Wimbledon time, so I
can you know, I can probably expect even bigger things
from Annix Sinner.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Moving forward to finish.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
A statement in response to the out of court settlement.
This is from the itia. We acknowledge the announcement made
by Wider concerning the agreement reached. The original process was run,
according to Wider and the Tennis Antidoping Program, following a
thorough investigation. We were satisfied that the player had established
the source of the prohibited substance and that the breach
(07:57):
was unintentional. Today's outcome support this fining, so they appear
satisfied with it. Just some question marks, I think, the
optics of it from a public view, and of course
a lot of confused tennis players who have been just
interested onlookers or in fact themselves caught up in previous investigations.
There's a lot to play out, I think in terms
(08:19):
of the discussion to come from here. We're going to
leave it for there and move on to other stories
from the week. I'm going to head over to you,
Pratty what's caught your eye this week?
Speaker 4 (08:28):
Oh, I think Amanda Nisimova winning Doha. I think that
was huge. I mean, there's a long story here. You know,
she burst onto the scene as a fifteen sixteen year
old and just you know, went through the rankings very
very quickly, and in twenty twenty four she took a
break and she dropped down in the rankings to four
hundred in the world. So, yeah, to win Doha back inside,
(08:51):
well not back inside, so first time she's actually been
the top twenty in the world.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
She's only twenty three years of age.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
Yeah. I just thought that was incredible and a great
news story because I remember her last year she was
in the qualifying events and just scrapping and having to
work a way back. And she's done that. She's done
that without wild cards, she's done it without fanfare, and
I think it's terrific to have a player of her
class back in the mix.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
A unique player on tour, and great to see her
up to number eighteen in the world, jumping twenty three
spots this week.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
Yeah, I totally agree with Praddy.
Speaker 5 (09:30):
It's one of those real feel good stories where everyone
saw that potential in her as a young player, and
she was still doing very well, really found things quite hard, struggled,
did actually have the guts to step away and not
just continue on the through the rat race all the time,
and look what it's done for her. So yeah, couldn't
be happier for someone like her to have now find this,
(09:53):
found this behalf and obviously playing fantastic tennis. She's got
a big game and I think she absolutely deserves to
be inside the top twenty now.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
So the score in the final there against Jolana Ostapenco
six four sixty three. Ostapenko had a great campaign as well.
In the semi final, took down Iger Fiontech Simon, and
that's becoming a real headache for the world number two
across the course of their head to head.
Speaker 6 (10:17):
Yeah, well it's five to nothing now in Ostapenko's favor
against one of, if not the very best player on
the planet right now in eigishwon Tech. So one thing
I would say though, of the five matches, four have
been on a hard court and one's been on a
grass court, so none of them have been on Eager's
favored slower surface if you like, So, I think that
context is important before we get into the specifics because
(10:39):
in this matchup, Eager's second serve just gets smashed. Ostapenko
just gives her the treatment. So I had to look
at the numbers. First serve numbers were way down second serve.
The other night she won thirty six percent of her
second serve points. Eager, going back to the US Open match,
which was a three set match in twenty twenty three,
that was their previous encounter, she won thirty eight percent
of her second serve points. Also has problems on first
(11:01):
serve against Ostera Pinko's quality of returning to She won
just fifty seven percent of her points on first serve
back in the US Open twenty twenty three, So there
is there's no doubt there's something about this matchup in
terms of ball striking, weapons, court position, being starved of time.
Let me just summarize it that way. That's really challenging
for ego. But I do think surface plays into that.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
Yeah, I'm going to simplify it.
Speaker 4 (11:22):
I reckon, when some players play on tournament like play tournaments,
everyone's got their bunny. Yeah, now the person they always be,
And I reckon, that's that's her bunny.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
The eager bunny.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Yeah, Eager bunny for Aster Penko.
Speaker 4 (11:37):
So I don't know about you, Sam, did you have
any sort of players that you would call, Oh that's
my bunny.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
Oh yeah, you always got the better.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
You love playing your bunny.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Yeah please.
Speaker 5 (11:46):
I had a great record against Lee narren Zevonaeva.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Okay, pretty goodund Yeah, no.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
I'll take it. But no, I agree with both of you.
Speaker 5 (11:54):
There's a I actually remember watching that US Open match
in the airport when I was flying home and just thinking,
oh my gosh, Eager cannot find a way to win
points on her serve and she kept doing the same thing,
like just hitting it to Ostapenko's fourhand time and time again,
and it was driving me crazy because I was like,
come on, you got to do something different.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
But yeah, there's the matchup.
Speaker 5 (12:16):
Obviously doesn't work for Eager, And now the longer it goes,
Osterpenko gets more confident with that, and he gets less
confident with that. So let's see, Yeah, what happens the
next time they play, and if the surface does change it,
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
I think it's just the matchup as well. It might
play a part, but.
Speaker 5 (12:34):
Yeah, I just think there's something about playing Ostapenko that
she just hates.
Speaker 4 (12:37):
And expanding on you know matchups, right, is you fast forward?
And this is the other thing that caught my eye,
is you fast forward one or two days after Doha
and both Anisimova and Ostapenko lose in the first round.
So you know, it speaks to obviously different day, different opponent,
and it probably just speaks to the inexperience of both players.
(12:59):
Whilst a great week, it's like, we know the best
players in the world, they're able to back it up
the next week, the very next week, and go again
and go again. So you know there's certainly absolute world
class traits here, but they need the experience to be
able to back it up.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
What about as a coach putting your coach's caps on.
You've always got yours on, But how do you find
that circuit breaker for it when it's like this psychological
hurdle five zero staring you in the face. Is there
something you can do apart from like gameplay changing up something?
How do you instill confidence in a player that they
can actually beat this player on the other side.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Of the net.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
Yeah, well I think they should employ Simon Ray actually,
because I reckon he can come up with a few. No,
I'm serious, I actually think they need someone like that.
They need to really look at this player, break it
down and go, right, how am I going to find
in roads? You know with this particular player? Like, for example, yes,
we know that this second serve gets attacked, but you know,
(14:02):
break it down and go where is she serving the
second serve too? Does she need to risk more? Go
into a particular side and then watch for ostera Penko's pattern.
So she's a step quicker to the next ball. So
I think they really I'm not saying they don't respect her,
but i'd be suggesting, you know, do your homework and
because she can't go six in a row to astera Penco,
(14:26):
in my opinion, she's too good of a player. So yeah,
that's probably what I would do.
Speaker 6 (14:32):
Yeah, I think there's probably a couple of different ways
you could go with it. I'd be really curious, and
you wouldn't know this unless you're inside the camp when
the draw comes out and you're eyeballing. You know the
player that you're working with. I'd love to know what
Eager's response is when she sees that you know that draw,
if it's a first round matchup, and it's not going
to because they're both ranked too high. But when it's
established that, ah eager you've got Ostapenko tomorrow. I'd just
(14:53):
love to see the face because you know, I think
there is it is now reaching the point where there's
obviously something really troubling about this matchup. So can you
be brave? Can you be courageous? Can you kind of
put your hand up and go yep, okay, it's time
to take a fresh approach here or do you not
really want to know about it? And you may be
carrying away from the conversation. No, No, it'll turn around
(15:14):
for me today, and maybe it will turn a little
bit on a clay court, on a heavy clay court,
where conditions might be different. I probably have that view
a little bit. I think if you're in the IgA
camp and you're on a clay court, she's going to
have more options afforded to her than she does on
a faster court. But i'd just be and you won't know,
I'd just be really interested to see that that what
the face looks like. When the matchup tomorrow becomes apparent.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Well, we're going to keep an eye on that matchup.
Is that as the season progresses. Other winners last week
at Delray beach Mi and Mirkatzmanovich. He won the title there,
Ugo Umber at Marseilles on home turf, and in Buenas
Idris jal Fonseka defeating Francisco Sarundelo Simon in the final.
And that makes him the tenth youngest ATP titleist ever.
(15:59):
And we already saw his breakthrough at the end of
last season winning the ATP next Gen Finals and then
amazing start to the year here in Australia with a
title in Canberra and doing magical things on the court
in Melbourne. It goes from strength to strength.
Speaker 6 (16:14):
This young Brazilian, well, there's been an asterisk next to
this young man for some time and it's happened, I think,
even more quickly than some of us thought that it might.
And again, you know, without wanting to hone on the
one negative or the one challenging part. Again, there's another
young man that wins the title one week exits first
round the following week. So it feels like that we
(16:35):
could do a whole episode on that. It's one of
the toughest things to do in the sport. It feels
like claim a victory, and I think Pratty's what right.
It does differentiate those absolutely elite athletes in our sport
from everyone else in terms of going deep week after
week after week. But to answer your original question, John, well,
you know, talk about trends of the game, and we're
seeing it unfold right here with this young man. So
(16:56):
his second serve speed over the summer, and this was
a trend that web in the playing group. He averages
one hundred and seventy kilometers an hour on second serve.
That's right up there. It's a trend that we're starting
to see in both men's and women's tennis. Second serve
speed is definitely on the march. It's picking up and
he's he's ample evidence of that in the fonsaka game.
From the back of the court, he's almost without peer
(17:18):
in terms of the damage he can do on his forehand.
So he averaged over the summer, over the Australian summer
here on hard courts, one hundred and thirty five kilometers
an hour on the forehand side. The top one hundred
average is one hundred and twenty five, So he's got
ten k's an hour on you. Now what we normally
said when you pick up speed, Pratty and Sam will
speak to this. When you pick up speed, typically there's
a trade off in terms of spin, right you need
(17:39):
to get the ball faster from point out of point B.
You normally trade off and spin. He's got phenomenal spin
as well, so his spin on fourhand side is right
up there with the likes of Alcoraz and Cinner. So
he can hurt you both ways speed and spin, and
then you think, okay, I'll get a little bit of
respote on the backhand side. He's four or five k's
above average, above top hundred average on the backhand wing.
So weapons and firepower and speed on serve and shot making,
(18:02):
and you watch him play, he's prepared to make hers.
He's going to back his firepower and his ability to
hurt his opponent point after point after point for three
and four and five hours, knowing that he'll cough up
some mirrors, but believing that he wants to dictate terms
in these matches. So you speak about trends of the
game or the prototype, or I think we're seeing it
play out in front of us here and this young man.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
And we're seeing it play out in an eighteen year old.
What are the other players on the tour thinking when
they see someone of that age capable of doing such damage.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
Thinking, what have I got to do to catch up?
We'll keep going with them?
Speaker 5 (18:33):
No, seriously, like he obviously with everything that Simon's just said,
he's got the goods to beat some of the best
players in the world.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
Is it going to happen straight away?
Speaker 5 (18:43):
Who knows, because there's other things that play into all
these matchups and everything as well, obviously, but he is
going to be on the rise.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
I just think it's.
Speaker 5 (18:51):
Kind of funny that what was it last year he
was hitting with Sinner and said he was going to
go to college and he's like, no, no, you're too
good for that.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
You can go to the tour. Don't worry about college,
You're ready for the ATP.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
And obviously decisions were made and definitely the right decision
what he's done. So I think it's really exciting for tennis.
I love like that's what everyone was talking sort of
about our Koraz a couple of years ago when he
first burst onto the seat. So now we've got the
next person kind of yeah, following following through from our Karaz.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
The future is Joos. I think he's up in up
around sixty in the world now, so that phenomenal.
Speaker 4 (19:26):
That's where tennis is, I think just so exciting. Like
over the years, there's just someone you know, very very
special that comes through in you know, a three or
four year different birth cycle, right, and yeah, I can't
agree more this.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
This guy's good, real good.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Well, he's unfortunately out of the tournament this week, but
we'll recap some of the other stuff that's happening in
the world of tennis at the moment. In Doha, into
the quarter finals, Carlos alcraz the top seed. He'll play
at Lizzie Lahechka. Mateo Beratini upset Novak Djokovic in the
round of thirty two. What does that result over Novak
Djokovic have to say for both players.
Speaker 5 (20:05):
Well, obviously exciting for Berrettini. We know that he'd been
out with injuries and his wrist and everything else. So
he is a Grand Slam finalist, so we know he
can be one of the best players in the world.
So it's really nice for him to see him back
playing really, you know, good tennis and a little bit
more consistently now too.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
I feel the win over Novak.
Speaker 5 (20:26):
I think obviously it's huge.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
It's not a.
Speaker 5 (20:30):
Slam though, and it is his first match Badge. I
think from what early matches from Ao time with that
injury as well, so maybe even a little bit surprised
to see him back so soon. But I don't think
Novak's in a shop to a tournament, not prepared to
win it and be ready. So yeah, exciting for Berretini
(20:51):
and maybe yeah, it's a little kickstart for Novak again
to be really into these smaller events that he goes to.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
So Jack Draper his opponent in the quarterfinal, he's taken
down another two Aussies. I think he did the same
thing in Melbourne, took out Simon if you remember correctly March,
and here he's taken out Chris O'Connell and Alexi popperin
who's in a little bit of a form slump. Alexi
had such a bright run last year, didn't he in
the mid stages of last year with a couple of
top ten victories and a Master's one thousand title. Have
(21:22):
we seen the best of Alexi? What can we expect?
Do you think Pratty in twenty twenty five?
Speaker 4 (21:27):
Yeah, Listen, he's zero and five for a year. He
hasn't actually won a match, but he was saying that
he'd had some struggles physically and he was sort of
working through that, dealing with that, and you know, again,
it just speaks to when athletes start winning matches, tournaments,
winning Canada his biggest title yet, making sure that the
(21:53):
body is where it needs to be. So he's a
big guy, you know, massive frame that he sort of
probably needs to put a little bit more muscle in
and around it to build that resilience. And I'm going
to come back to, you know, the type of numbers
and speed and spins and the physicality required in the
(22:13):
men's game. If you're slightly off, you know you're going
to suffer. And I actually think maybe that's got a
little bit to do with why he hasn't been getting
across the line.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
He does have a huge.
Speaker 4 (22:23):
Serve and he's been able to get away with a
lot of free points. But everyone's getting better and they,
like I said, they keep doing their homework, and if
they're a step faster, his server is negated, and then
he's not as good as he should be, especially if
he's hampered from a physical perspective off the ground.
Speaker 6 (22:42):
Well, I think it's a great point, and it's a
conversation that I know these two are having all the
time with coaches and with players, and it becomes a
conversation around if you can't be at one hundred percent,
which is really what's required. And Okay, granted, perhaps that's
a very rare thing that you're purely hundred, but if
you're not ready to go, an athlete knows whether they're
(23:03):
ready to go, then is it the right thing to
try to get to the start line? And as tempting
as that is to fall into, I'll call it the
point chasing mindset and chasing ranking and chasing bonus and
whatever other considerations that come with that. I know they're
real and they're significant. I think it's so hard but
so important to sometimes do exactly as Praddy's describing their
(23:24):
step back, take a few weeks, hit the reset button,
and get ready to go at much closer to one
hundred percent. So I think it's a great point.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
She raises good luck to Alexi for the rest of
the season. On the other side of the draw, we
have quarterfinals, Augi Alissim, Versus Medvedev and Sam rube Lev
versus Demonor. It was a matchup we saw here in
Melbourne last year, Demonor right back in form. We saw
him go to all the way against Alcraz and just
fall short in the final last week. He could be
(23:54):
on track for another one this week against Alcraz in Doha.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
Yeah, wouldn't that be exciting?
Speaker 5 (23:59):
I think we've all been so thrilled to see what
Alex has been able to achieve in recent months and years,
and he keeps climbing the rankings little by little, step
by step, getting there week and week out, and talk
about consistency. Now he's found that consistency so he can
back up week after week and you know he's really
he's only losing to the top. Yeah, the best of
(24:21):
the best exactly. So I think the match up with
rub Lev's good for him. I think he's playing, like
I said, exceptional tennis, and I just feel like you
can see that confidence in himself and that ability to
back it up. And you know, he can be that
counterpuncher with that exceptional movement, but he can be aggressive
(24:42):
and he is taking it to these top guys and
I think if he wants to take say that next
step with beating those really top few bit more consistently.
He is going to have to be more aggressive and
back himself to do that. But look, I think he's
having exceptional run. So exciting for him.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
Good luck to Alex over the next four days of competition.
Now we've got to change tach here and have a
chat about this Billy Jean Kin tie coming up in April.
Bit of a change to the format and qualifying this year.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
Pratty, Yeah, another change.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
So tell us how it's going to work.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
I pause there because we've had that many changes I
can't keep up.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:19):
So it's now a round robin of three teams all
across the world. So we're playing against Columbia in Kazakhstan,
and so the winning team will go through the finals.
So yeah, it's going to be a different type of
in a way preparation for the tie having to play,
(25:40):
Like we'll play our match on Thursday, and then we'll
get to see both teams play on Friday, and then
we'll play on Saturday again. So at least I feel
like Sam, I think you probably agree with me here.
At least it'll be on our racket having to play
that last match on the last day, which is great.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 5 (26:00):
Obviously, now it's not just about beating one team, it's
about beating two and it's pretty cutthrow only one goes through, so.
Speaker 2 (26:08):
There's no guarantees.
Speaker 5 (26:10):
In Billy Jinkin Cup, with Davis Cup competition, you see
upsets fly around here, there and everywhere. So we've certainly
got to put our best foot forward and work as
a team because it is not just about one day now,
it is about backing it up. So you might have
a great result on the Thursday, but you've got to
do it again.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
That doesn't really mean anything.
Speaker 5 (26:28):
So yeah, it's a little bit different obviously, but we'll
see how it goes.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
And then the winner to advance to the finals in Shenzen,
where China and the reigning champion Italy will be waiting
later in the year. Well, Kim Berrell is your top
ranked player heading into this tie after her last eight
finish in Brisbane. Of course, the mixed doubles runner up
result here in Melbourne, another quarterfinal in Singapore, and most
recently an ITF title in Brisbane. Vic Rudnikov this week
(26:57):
caught up with Kim as she prepares to lead Team
Australia into the Billy jan King Cup qualifier next month.
Speaker 7 (27:04):
Where do we find you today and what have you
been up to post AO.
Speaker 8 (27:08):
Currently I'm at home, which has been so nice. I'm
just coming off the back of a whole week at
home and I hadn't had the chance to really spend
too many nights in my own bed since January. I
went straight to Singapore after Melbourne and then I came
home and I played in ITS and I ended up
staying up well. That was played in Brisbane, so yeah,
(27:31):
it's great to be home and do all the normal
things like cooking in my own kitchen and laundry. Yeah,
catch up with you know, friends and family.
Speaker 7 (27:41):
And this will also be your first time leading Australia
at the Billy Jean King Cup in Brisbane in April.
What is your responsibility as the number one Aussie woman.
Speaker 8 (27:53):
Yeah, it's just amazing and it's going to be really
cool to play a tie in Australia. I've represented Australia
DJK Cup a few times now and I just have
the best time every single time and it's such an
honor to represent Australia and to wear the green and gold.
But I haven't had the chance to play a tie,
(28:15):
be a part of a tie in Australia. I did
go to the one in Perth, but I wasn't a
named member of the team. So to be able to
do that in April, and then to have it in
Brizzy and you know what's basically my hometown will be
absolutely amazing. I can't wait. Yeah.
Speaker 7 (28:35):
And speaking of the girls, Australia's team is known for
its cohesion off the court. Tell us about how that
translates into like a team environment and how do you
bring that to the court.
Speaker 8 (28:46):
Yeah. Absolutely, I think it's really special that we're all
great mates off court and just we're all all the
girls are such good people and people I genuinely want
to be around all the time. It's not hard when
you know we get to be together as a team.
I think honestly, we probably wish we could do it
(29:07):
more often because we have such a great time when
we get the chance too. And it really was set
by example with Sam Casey Mole Pratty and you know,
you could just tell that they were all great friends too.
And then when I got the chance to play for
the first time when I was sixteen seventeen, I really
looked up to that, and so yeah, it's cool that
(29:30):
we've sort of been able to continue that. But it's
just so easy because everyone's so nice, and yeah, we
follow each other's results and send messages and yeah, I
feel really really privileged to be a part of it.
Speaker 7 (29:45):
You mentioned Pratty before, who was actually one of the
panelists on today's show. What's the best and maybe the
hardest thing about having Pratty in your corner?
Speaker 8 (29:55):
Ah, well, there's a lot of best things she's that's
an easy one. I don't know sure if I should
answer the hard hardest thing question, especially if she might
listen to this interview. But no, I've just been so
lucky to have Patty in my corner, and in particular
in the last twelve months, but throughout my whole career.
(30:17):
Basically she's been there, and she's such an advocate for
women's tennis, and she's done so much, not only while
she was playing but since she retired too, And yeah,
just so grateful for her for taking me under her wing.
(30:37):
And I had a little moment sort of after Wimbledon
last year where I asked her for a little bit
more help, and yeah, she has really really done that,
and you know, I think we make a great team
and I love being being able to share these experiences
(30:59):
with her and travel a little bit more with her,
and I've just learned so much. She's such a wealth
of information. I don't think many people know more about
the women's game than she does. So yeah, to have
someone like that in your corner who is pretty amazing.
Speaker 7 (31:18):
Well, Kim, thank you so much for chatting with me
today and I wish you all the best of luck
for Austin and beyond.
Speaker 8 (31:24):
Thank you, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Thanks so much, Australia's top ranked player, Kim Beryl. Some
lovely words there, Pratty. Your response to hearing that from
your charge?
Speaker 3 (31:34):
Oh it's nice, isn't it?
Speaker 6 (31:36):
No?
Speaker 4 (31:37):
I mean, yeah, listen equally, I love working with Kim,
so it's been it's been great for me to be
able to I think all the work that's been done
prior with her team, the people that she's had throughout
the years, you know, they're the people that have made
Kim who she is today. And I almost feel like
(31:59):
my role is just putting a little bit of the
icing on the cake, you know, since I sort of
stepped up in September, pretty much like we had that
chat at Wimbledon, which lots of tears and comfort, but
then to equally to be able to say no, no,
you're going to be fine, You're going to be good,
But then I had to put my money.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
Where my mouth was.
Speaker 4 (32:22):
So yeah, I think the biggest thing I think I've
been able to contribute to Kim is just her believing
in herself. You know, constantly on a daily basis, I say,
what you've Got's enough?
Speaker 2 (32:32):
It's enough.
Speaker 4 (32:33):
You know, Yeah, we'll keep working, but you've just got
to believe in yourself in those tough moments and back
yourself and to a credit, that's what you know, That's
what she's done. And again, part of my belief is
the game never stands still, so equally we are working
on a few things just to get that little bit
better each and every day, and she's happy to go
(32:55):
there with it, which makes you know, working with someone
incredibly coachable, really really enjoyable. So I'm on a plan
tomorrow so Austin to meet up with her, and yeah,
pretty happy I didn't hear what.
Speaker 3 (33:08):
Was the hardest thing. I'll make sure I'll ask her
over there in as.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
She's had quite the journey. It's been a tumultuous experience
for her at times, Sam, but great to see her
now ranked seventy six in the world. What does Kim
bring to this Australian team.
Speaker 5 (33:23):
Oh loads, you know, Pratty obviously spoke to the person
that she is and the type of player and being
coachable and you know Kim. What I love about Kim
is that she's one person who'll come up to actually
ask questions and she wants to know. She wants to
know what she can do to be better. How do
I do that? What should I do? What do you think?
And she's not afraid to do that, which I think
(33:44):
is fantastic and I think it's kind of a bit
rare as well to be so open about wanting that information.
She works hard and now she's getting the reward for
all those years of perseverance, through those injuries and what
she's been through. So yeah, to see her be now
keep using this word consistent. She's had that, you know,
(34:07):
now at her best ranking, and she had a great
summer and she backed it up with that win at
the seventy five and Brisbane, which I have to say,
going from playing on a full pat Rafter arena against
Emma Navarro and even the next match that she lost
to having that atmosphere and crowd to arguably maybe a
few people in the stands, you know, a few weeks later,
to still get through that and win the title. Amazing effort.
(34:29):
So yeah, I'm super pleased for her. I've known Kim
since she was like eight or nine years old, and
she's pretty much exactly the same person.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
Just did a bigger frame.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
First cab off the rank for Team Australia at Kim
Berrell and the rest of the team to be named
next month, is it pratty?
Speaker 8 (34:45):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (34:45):
Will Sam and I make a decision over a cocktail
in Indian Wells based on.
Speaker 6 (34:52):
The results there Mahito or something we have tough life from.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
Yeah, so yeah, that'll be our toughest decision.
Speaker 1 (35:02):
I think which cocktail did choose?
Speaker 8 (35:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (35:05):
I forget the team all right, It's time for Ace
of the Week, where we each share one personal highlight,
but preferably non tennis related, as hard as that can
be for some of us from week to week. Pretty
I'm going to start with you on this side of
the table, Like.
Speaker 4 (35:18):
I'm just a tennis tragic, but you also like Netflix. No,
I mean I really I do have to share, Like
today was the last session at Melbourne Park with Storm Hunter.
Speaker 3 (35:29):
Shit, I'm getting a motion.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
We like it.
Speaker 3 (35:31):
After ten months we're off.
Speaker 1 (35:33):
So yeah, how did you mark the occasion? He on that.
Speaker 4 (35:38):
I basically said to a storm I'm going to feed
you five four hands and I want you to hit
them as hard as you can. I don't care where
they go, but we're just going to remember this moment.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
That's beautiful and move on.
Speaker 1 (35:51):
And she nailed them, nailed them. God on you. Yeah.
Storm was great on the pod last week announcing her comeback.
All the best to her and your entire team. Thanks
for the upcoming American swing. Sam. What's your highlight of
the week.
Speaker 5 (36:06):
Oh, I think I said on the Christmas podcast, I've
wanted my views resolution was to be a little bit
more physically active this year, to do a bit more exercise,
and I.
Speaker 6 (36:18):
Ronic for one of the great, like someone that's always
been absolutely ripped like that is it's a.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
Bit pathetic really, but you know, I did draw a
line in the sand.
Speaker 5 (36:28):
I've joined pilates, I've been swimming a few times, like
since Ao because that was there's no way anything's going
to happen there, but you do enough steps around the grounds.
I've been a couple of bike rides, which is what
I wanted to do, so I've been true to my word.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
No, we're only mid feb. But you know, I'm proud
of myself.
Speaker 1 (36:46):
We're proud of you too. The whole tennis team is
part of is proud of you. The pilates classes must
be an interesting experience, going from the intensity of the
tennis court into one of the more serene environments in
terms of exercise.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
I've never gone to just a know it would almost
sound bat but like.
Speaker 5 (37:02):
A general public class where you just sign up online
and I had no idea who the instructor was, who
else was going to be in there. And it was
me and nine other women and just got on the
reformer and followed the instruction and I actually really enjoyed it.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
I had a great time.
Speaker 5 (37:17):
But yeah, I have to say it was a little
bit scared doing it because I've never done that before.
Speaker 1 (37:21):
I've been my wife was trying to encourage me to
get into it, but I haven't even had the guts
to do it yet.
Speaker 5 (37:27):
So well, you can come with me, I can bring
a friend, I can click bring a friend.
Speaker 1 (37:33):
Wonderful and back on the bike as well. That was
it a birthday gift or a Christmas present?
Speaker 5 (37:38):
There? No, it was a smashed the old bikes on
the roof rack president a replacement.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
You know, if you're going to replace it, you've got
to use it. Yeah, but never never been happier out
in the bike.
Speaker 1 (37:52):
Lovely good to be back on the bike and Razor.
What's your ace of the week, sir mine?
Speaker 6 (37:57):
Probably would be the last couple of weeks. Our elder
started school a couple of weeks back and maybe two
or three weeks back and a bit of a staged
approach into you know, they give them every Wednesday or
Wednesday Thursday, five or six days off for the first
few weeks. This week's his first full week. He was
a bit underweather essay, so he was off. But Charlie's
really enjoying it. He's loving school at fines Park there
(38:18):
and Geelong. But the prep teachers, you know, like that's
so impressive to take a classroom of twenty five year
olds and have some order and some structure and some
fun and some smiles and like we think it's tough
enough coaching one or two or three player, and it is.
There's some really tough moments in coaching. But to organize
young people and show the care and kind of balance,
(38:41):
you know, care, support, challenge, all of those things I
couldn't do that. I'm in awe of the teaching fraternity,
let me.
Speaker 1 (38:48):
Say, especially primary school age.
Speaker 6 (38:50):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (38:50):
It's like a sex parent job.
Speaker 2 (38:52):
Really, yeah, exactly for me.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
Yesterday marked twenty years since I arrived in this city.
Twenty years in Melbourne for me, this week awesome. And
I came up as a seventeen year old with very
little insight into Melbourne and the metropolitan culture, and I,
you know, signed up to UNI and I joined a college.
And last night I and a good mate who I
met on that first night at college went out caught
(39:17):
up shot some pool at the local billiard, you know,
local pool hall, and reminisced about times past, and yeah,
just reflecting back on twenty years in this great city
and all the all the opportunities and experiences I've had,
Like I knew you guys as athletes on a screen
growing up at that point, and then here we are
(39:38):
twenty years later and working with some fine people at
this great company. So it's been a journey, and I
guess in three weeks I'm signing off temporarily as I've
become a father. So the next chapter begins in March.
As you very theatrically close the page.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
So that wasn't trying to wrap you up. Sorry looking
for you.
Speaker 1 (39:59):
Thank you very much, Thanks to everyone who's played a
role in my two decades in this great city.
Speaker 6 (40:04):
Very exciting for you and your family on the next steps.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
Indeed, thank you very much for all being a part
of today's show. Pratty and Sam, you're both heading over
to Indian Wells, Is that right?
Speaker 2 (40:13):
Yeah, Praddy tomorrow, me a little bit later.
Speaker 1 (40:15):
And Simon, what's your plans over the next few weeks.
Speaker 6 (40:18):
I'm here for the next few weeks anyway, yep, in town, John,
So thanks for having me on.
Speaker 1 (40:22):
Great I think Levi from your team is also going
to be joining a little bit more frequently throughout the year.
Ye Breeze currently on leave. She'll be back in a
couple of weeks. You can join us again next week
though for more of the tennis. As we preview Indian Wells,
the start of the Sunshine Double as it were. Don't forget.
You can watch this episode and all other episodes of
the tennis on our YouTube channel, Australian Open TV. And
(40:44):
don't forget to subscribe and hit the bell below to
stay across all of the tennis news throughout the year.
Have a great week in tennis. Team, Thanks, thank you,
see you next week.
Today everyone, and welcome to the tennis. The world reacts
to Ynick Sinner's negotiated settlement with WADA and this I'm
over and Fonseca rocket up the rankings with titles last
week and in Doha demon on track for another Alcaaz showdown.
That's all ahead on the tennis with me, John Hohoven Ours.
Simon Ray is back, our in house analyst to the stars.
(00:24):
Welcome Simon, Hey John, thanks for having me next year.
It's the Australian Billy Jean King Cup captain Sam.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Stosa, good morning. It must to be back.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
We've got the double as well. Your coach is here
with us too.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Welcome, thanks, thanks. Yeah, we did play doubles together but
we didn't do very well.
Speaker 4 (00:38):
No, don't bring that up really, we'll just leave it
there now.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Who organized that?
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Not sure, Olympic selection that's who organized it.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
That was probably before your time on the on the
team signon, probably could have sorted these two out a
little bit. It's it's going to be a big month
coming up for you too though you're in full planning
mode for the coming Billy Jean Kincup qualifier.
Speaker 5 (01:02):
Yeah, absolutely, we are obviously it's not too far away
now and it's been announce where we're playing, which is
really exciting in Brisbane, so all the girls have got
a few more tournaments to play before the final nominations
need to be in.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
But yeah, we always look forward to the first time
of the year.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Yeah, I love seeing it when you see the green
and gold on the news channels and the lead up
to March, you know it's just around the corner.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
Yeah. No, I'm really excited, and Sam and I are
both off to the US. I'm leaving actually tomorrow to
Austin and kim Berrell's there and storm Hunter. I also
think Maddy English is there as well, so yeah, but
then we'll catch up in Innian Wall, see the players
play there and check out their form and decide the
rest of the team.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Nice a big show today, and Simon's got some tantalizing
data on some very interesting players have made waves in
the past week or two. But we're going to start
with you, Sam, what's caught your eye in the past week.
Speaker 5 (01:52):
Well, I think obviously huge news in the tennis world,
but I guess sports world in general really with Janick
Sinner being able to negotiate this three month ban with WADA.
Obviously there's been lots of opinions flying around from numerous players,
So yeah, I think that's just been a fascinating story.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Well, you're welcome to have your personal inputs on this,
because everyone else is in the tennis world. We've heard
some great We've heard opinions from the likes of Novak
Djokovic and Nick Curios and even Carlos alcraz overnight in Doha.
But the facts first. It came through on I guess
Saturday evening Australian Time that Janik Sinner's legal team had
(02:28):
managed to negotiate with WADA a three month ban which
would see him return to the court by May four,
just in time for Rome, and he will not be
missing a single Grand Slam. So here's the statement from WAA.
WADA accepts the athlete's explanation for the cause of the
violation as outlined in the first instance decision. WIDA accepts
(02:51):
that mister Sinner did not intend to cheat, and that
his exposure to costobol did not provide any performance enhancing
benefit and took place without his knowledge as the result
negligence of members of his entourage. However, under the code
and by virtue of the Court of Arbitration for sport precedent,
an athlete bears responsibility for the entourages negligence. Based on
(03:11):
the unique set of facts of this case, a three
month suspension is deemed to be an appropriate outcome. So,
giving your personal opinions, where do you land with this?
Speaker 4 (03:21):
I think he's innocent in the sense of it. You know,
he inadvertently potentially had it through his team. What I
don't like about it is the timelines. I mean, if
we go back to the provisional suspension, He's still played
the French Open, he still played Wimbledon, he's still played
US Open, he's played the Ustralian Open, and conveniently he's
(03:43):
not going to miss another Slam because he's three months
is between now and just prior to roam his home
Masters Series event. I just really question the timelines of
all of.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
This because it appears a convenient outcome.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
First, it's too convenient in my opinion.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Sam, what was your reaction?
Speaker 5 (04:03):
My point of view used to be very black and white.
You get caught, you are done, no matter what. But
I have to say in this instance, where all those
things are the facts like It's been proven from many,
many doctors and people going through this.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
A player shouldn't be banned for this.
Speaker 5 (04:20):
In my opinion, you shouldn't be now one or two
years banned, which is normally what would happen.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
So I'm glad in the sense that that is the case.
Speaker 5 (04:28):
But I think now it needs to maybe open the
door that other players are going to have these opportunities
to say, oh, hang on a second, I've got a
reason for this.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Can I keep playing. I shouldn't miss all these tournaments.
Speaker 5 (04:39):
I shouldn't be penalized with points on prize money or
anything like that. So I think it's a really tricky situation,
all this anti doping stuff.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Where do you land Raiser?
Speaker 6 (04:50):
Yeah, personally, I tend to agree with what both Pretty
and Sam have described. I think the transparency of the
whole thing feels a bit off for me. So, you know,
you visionally suspended in April, the public Joe public doesn't
find out until August you're going to end up the athlete,
And I think we're all in the same boat there.
I think we all accept this was one of those
(05:12):
really unfortunate things that's happened. There's no deliberate intent to
cheat here. I think we're all in that boat. But
now three months just it does it feels a little
too convenient for me. You're able to negotiate. I guess
on that period of time. I just look at at
an individual athlete level, and I accept that all cases
are different. I just think other athletes from other Olympic sports,
(05:35):
through ultimately being proved judged in a similar way through
no fault or negligence, have served a lot longer than
three months, and I just wonder how they'd be feeling
about something like this. So that's probably where it sits
for me.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
So from the Junick Center perspective, a very favorable outcome.
Do you think that this is now the chance to
finally leave it in the past and the team moves on.
He can focus on coming back for his home tournament,
the Row Masters, and that's the last we'll hear of it.
Speaker 5 (06:03):
Oh, it has to be. I mean, there's nowhere else
to go with it now, is there. He's going to
serve his time and be back and then hopefully that
is the end of it. But hopefully this does also
now open the door for more clarity on the testing
process and the way it's going to happen maybe now
moving forward, if you can pay for the best lawyer
in the world to know the little ins and outs
of points along the way, great, But I don't think
(06:25):
if you're two hundred in the world you should be
at a real disadvantage in that area as well. So
hopefully it opens a door to some more clarity with
how the whole process works.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
And what about the way twice Australian Open champion pratty.
How do you think he'll be able to respond to this?
With cloud that's been over his head for the best
part of a year now in terms of as an athlete,
as quite a strong resolute mind, how will Janick Sinner
be able to move on from this?
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (06:55):
I just think it's incredible how he's dealt with it
with this hanging over his head. He's achieved the outcomes
he has with this lingering and being something that I'm
sure is in the back of his mind the entire time.
Look out because now it's done, it's gone, it'll be
you know, the case is closed and he can just
(07:17):
get on and play. But I think there's still going
to be a little bit of a media circus in
and around this when he returns. But I think that'll
be history in a couple of months, once we get
through sort of a French Open Wimbledon time, so I
can you know, I can probably expect even bigger things
from Annix Sinner.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Moving forward to finish.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
A statement in response to the out of court settlement.
This is from the itia. We acknowledge the announcement made
by Wider concerning the agreement reached. The original process was run,
according to Wider and the Tennis Antidoping Program, following a
thorough investigation. We were satisfied that the player had established
the source of the prohibited substance and that the breach
(07:57):
was unintentional. Today's outcome support this fining, so they appear
satisfied with it. Just some question marks, I think, the
optics of it from a public view, and of course
a lot of confused tennis players who have been just
interested onlookers or in fact themselves caught up in previous investigations.
There's a lot to play out, I think in terms
(08:19):
of the discussion to come from here. We're going to
leave it for there and move on to other stories
from the week. I'm going to head over to you,
Pratty what's caught your eye this week?
Speaker 4 (08:28):
Oh, I think Amanda Nisimova winning Doha. I think that
was huge. I mean, there's a long story here. You know,
she burst onto the scene as a fifteen sixteen year
old and just you know, went through the rankings very
very quickly, and in twenty twenty four she took a
break and she dropped down in the rankings to four
hundred in the world. So, yeah, to win Doha back inside,
(08:51):
well not back inside, so first time she's actually been
the top twenty in the world.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
She's only twenty three years of age.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
Yeah. I just thought that was incredible and a great
news story because I remember her last year she was
in the qualifying events and just scrapping and having to
work a way back. And she's done that. She's done
that without wild cards, she's done it without fanfare, and
I think it's terrific to have a player of her
class back in the mix.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
A unique player on tour, and great to see her
up to number eighteen in the world, jumping twenty three
spots this week.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
Yeah, I totally agree with Praddy.
Speaker 5 (09:30):
It's one of those real feel good stories where everyone
saw that potential in her as a young player, and
she was still doing very well, really found things quite hard, struggled,
did actually have the guts to step away and not
just continue on the through the rat race all the time,
and look what it's done for her. So yeah, couldn't
be happier for someone like her to have now find this,
(09:53):
found this behalf and obviously playing fantastic tennis. She's got
a big game and I think she absolutely deserves to
be inside the top twenty now.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
So the score in the final there against Jolana Ostapenco
six four sixty three. Ostapenko had a great campaign as well.
In the semi final, took down Iger Fiontech Simon, and
that's becoming a real headache for the world number two
across the course of their head to head.
Speaker 6 (10:17):
Yeah, well it's five to nothing now in Ostapenko's favor
against one of, if not the very best player on
the planet right now in eigishwon Tech. So one thing
I would say though, of the five matches, four have
been on a hard court and one's been on a
grass court, so none of them have been on Eager's
favored slower surface if you like, So, I think that
context is important before we get into the specifics because
(10:39):
in this matchup, Eager's second serve just gets smashed. Ostapenko
just gives her the treatment. So I had to look
at the numbers. First serve numbers were way down second serve.
The other night she won thirty six percent of her
second serve points. Eager, going back to the US Open match,
which was a three set match in twenty twenty three,
that was their previous encounter, she won thirty eight percent
of her second serve points. Also has problems on first
(11:01):
serve against Ostera Pinko's quality of returning to She won
just fifty seven percent of her points on first serve
back in the US Open twenty twenty three, So there
is there's no doubt there's something about this matchup in
terms of ball striking, weapons, court position, being starved of time.
Let me just summarize it that way. That's really challenging
for ego. But I do think surface plays into that.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
Yeah, I'm going to simplify it.
Speaker 4 (11:22):
I reckon, when some players play on tournament like play tournaments,
everyone's got their bunny. Yeah, now the person they always be,
And I reckon, that's that's her bunny.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
The eager bunny.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Yeah, Eager bunny for Aster Penko.
Speaker 4 (11:37):
So I don't know about you, Sam, did you have
any sort of players that you would call, Oh that's
my bunny.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
Oh yeah, you always got the better.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
You love playing your bunny.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Yeah please.
Speaker 5 (11:46):
I had a great record against Lee narren Zevonaeva.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Okay, pretty goodund Yeah, no.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
I'll take it. But no, I agree with both of you.
Speaker 5 (11:54):
There's a I actually remember watching that US Open match
in the airport when I was flying home and just thinking,
oh my gosh, Eager cannot find a way to win
points on her serve and she kept doing the same thing,
like just hitting it to Ostapenko's fourhand time and time again,
and it was driving me crazy because I was like,
come on, you got to do something different.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
But yeah, there's the matchup.
Speaker 5 (12:16):
Obviously doesn't work for Eager, And now the longer it goes,
Osterpenko gets more confident with that, and he gets less
confident with that. So let's see, Yeah, what happens the
next time they play, and if the surface does change it,
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
I think it's just the matchup as well. It might
play a part, but.
Speaker 5 (12:34):
Yeah, I just think there's something about playing Ostapenko that
she just hates.
Speaker 4 (12:37):
And expanding on you know matchups, right, is you fast forward?
And this is the other thing that caught my eye,
is you fast forward one or two days after Doha
and both Anisimova and Ostapenko lose in the first round.
So you know, it speaks to obviously different day, different opponent,
and it probably just speaks to the inexperience of both players.
(12:59):
Whilst a great week, it's like, we know the best
players in the world, they're able to back it up
the next week, the very next week, and go again
and go again. So you know there's certainly absolute world
class traits here, but they need the experience to be
able to back it up.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
What about as a coach putting your coach's caps on.
You've always got yours on, But how do you find
that circuit breaker for it when it's like this psychological
hurdle five zero staring you in the face. Is there
something you can do apart from like gameplay changing up something?
How do you instill confidence in a player that they
can actually beat this player on the other side.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Of the net.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
Yeah, well I think they should employ Simon Ray actually,
because I reckon he can come up with a few. No,
I'm serious, I actually think they need someone like that.
They need to really look at this player, break it
down and go, right, how am I going to find
in roads? You know with this particular player? Like, for example, yes,
we know that this second serve gets attacked, but you know,
(14:02):
break it down and go where is she serving the
second serve too? Does she need to risk more? Go
into a particular side and then watch for ostera Penko's pattern.
So she's a step quicker to the next ball. So
I think they really I'm not saying they don't respect her,
but i'd be suggesting, you know, do your homework and
because she can't go six in a row to astera Penco,
(14:26):
in my opinion, she's too good of a player. So yeah,
that's probably what I would do.
Speaker 6 (14:32):
Yeah, I think there's probably a couple of different ways
you could go with it. I'd be really curious, and
you wouldn't know this unless you're inside the camp when
the draw comes out and you're eyeballing. You know the
player that you're working with. I'd love to know what
Eager's response is when she sees that you know that draw,
if it's a first round matchup, and it's not going
to because they're both ranked too high. But when it's
established that, ah eager you've got Ostapenko tomorrow. I'd just
(14:53):
love to see the face because you know, I think
there is it is now reaching the point where there's
obviously something really troubling about this matchup. So can you
be brave? Can you be courageous? Can you kind of
put your hand up and go yep, okay, it's time
to take a fresh approach here or do you not
really want to know about it? And you may be
carrying away from the conversation. No, No, it'll turn around
(15:14):
for me today, and maybe it will turn a little
bit on a clay court, on a heavy clay court,
where conditions might be different. I probably have that view
a little bit. I think if you're in the IgA
camp and you're on a clay court, she's going to
have more options afforded to her than she does on
a faster court. But i'd just be and you won't know,
I'd just be really interested to see that that what
the face looks like. When the matchup tomorrow becomes apparent.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Well, we're going to keep an eye on that matchup.
Is that as the season progresses. Other winners last week
at Delray beach Mi and Mirkatzmanovich. He won the title there,
Ugo Umber at Marseilles on home turf, and in Buenas
Idris jal Fonseka defeating Francisco Sarundelo Simon in the final.
And that makes him the tenth youngest ATP titleist ever.
(15:59):
And we already saw his breakthrough at the end of
last season winning the ATP next Gen Finals and then
amazing start to the year here in Australia with a
title in Canberra and doing magical things on the court
in Melbourne. It goes from strength to strength.
Speaker 6 (16:14):
This young Brazilian, well, there's been an asterisk next to
this young man for some time and it's happened, I think,
even more quickly than some of us thought that it might.
And again, you know, without wanting to hone on the
one negative or the one challenging part. Again, there's another
young man that wins the title one week exits first
round the following week. So it feels like that we
(16:35):
could do a whole episode on that. It's one of
the toughest things to do in the sport. It feels
like claim a victory, and I think Pratty's what right.
It does differentiate those absolutely elite athletes in our sport
from everyone else in terms of going deep week after
week after week. But to answer your original question, John, well,
you know, talk about trends of the game, and we're
seeing it unfold right here with this young man. So
(16:56):
his second serve speed over the summer, and this was
a trend that web in the playing group. He averages
one hundred and seventy kilometers an hour on second serve.
That's right up there. It's a trend that we're starting
to see in both men's and women's tennis. Second serve
speed is definitely on the march. It's picking up and
he's he's ample evidence of that in the fonsaka game.
From the back of the court, he's almost without peer
(17:18):
in terms of the damage he can do on his forehand.
So he averaged over the summer, over the Australian summer
here on hard courts, one hundred and thirty five kilometers
an hour on the forehand side. The top one hundred
average is one hundred and twenty five, So he's got
ten k's an hour on you. Now what we normally
said when you pick up speed, Pratty and Sam will
speak to this. When you pick up speed, typically there's
a trade off in terms of spin, right you need
(17:39):
to get the ball faster from point out of point B.
You normally trade off and spin. He's got phenomenal spin
as well, so his spin on fourhand side is right
up there with the likes of Alcoraz and Cinner. So
he can hurt you both ways speed and spin, and
then you think, okay, I'll get a little bit of
respote on the backhand side. He's four or five k's
above average, above top hundred average on the backhand wing.
So weapons and firepower and speed on serve and shot making,
(18:02):
and you watch him play, he's prepared to make hers.
He's going to back his firepower and his ability to
hurt his opponent point after point after point for three
and four and five hours, knowing that he'll cough up
some mirrors, but believing that he wants to dictate terms
in these matches. So you speak about trends of the
game or the prototype, or I think we're seeing it
play out in front of us here and this young man.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
And we're seeing it play out in an eighteen year old.
What are the other players on the tour thinking when
they see someone of that age capable of doing such damage.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
Thinking, what have I got to do to catch up?
We'll keep going with them?
Speaker 5 (18:33):
No, seriously, like he obviously with everything that Simon's just said,
he's got the goods to beat some of the best
players in the world.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
Is it going to happen straight away?
Speaker 5 (18:43):
Who knows, because there's other things that play into all
these matchups and everything as well, obviously, but he is
going to be on the rise.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
I just think it's.
Speaker 5 (18:51):
Kind of funny that what was it last year he
was hitting with Sinner and said he was going to
go to college and he's like, no, no, you're too
good for that.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
You can go to the tour. Don't worry about college,
You're ready for the ATP.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
And obviously decisions were made and definitely the right decision
what he's done. So I think it's really exciting for tennis.
I love like that's what everyone was talking sort of
about our Koraz a couple of years ago when he
first burst onto the seat. So now we've got the
next person kind of yeah, following following through from our Karaz.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
The future is Joos. I think he's up in up
around sixty in the world now, so that phenomenal.
Speaker 4 (19:26):
That's where tennis is, I think just so exciting. Like
over the years, there's just someone you know, very very
special that comes through in you know, a three or
four year different birth cycle, right, and yeah, I can't
agree more this.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
This guy's good, real good.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Well, he's unfortunately out of the tournament this week, but
we'll recap some of the other stuff that's happening in
the world of tennis at the moment. In Doha, into
the quarter finals, Carlos alcraz the top seed. He'll play
at Lizzie Lahechka. Mateo Beratini upset Novak Djokovic in the
round of thirty two. What does that result over Novak
Djokovic have to say for both players.
Speaker 5 (20:05):
Well, obviously exciting for Berrettini. We know that he'd been
out with injuries and his wrist and everything else. So
he is a Grand Slam finalist, so we know he
can be one of the best players in the world.
So it's really nice for him to see him back
playing really, you know, good tennis and a little bit
more consistently now too.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
I feel the win over Novak.
Speaker 5 (20:26):
I think obviously it's huge.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
It's not a.
Speaker 5 (20:30):
Slam though, and it is his first match Badge. I
think from what early matches from Ao time with that
injury as well, so maybe even a little bit surprised
to see him back so soon. But I don't think
Novak's in a shop to a tournament, not prepared to
win it and be ready. So yeah, exciting for Berretini
(20:51):
and maybe yeah, it's a little kickstart for Novak again
to be really into these smaller events that he goes to.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
So Jack Draper his opponent in the quarterfinal, he's taken
down another two Aussies. I think he did the same
thing in Melbourne, took out Simon if you remember correctly March,
and here he's taken out Chris O'Connell and Alexi popperin
who's in a little bit of a form slump. Alexi
had such a bright run last year, didn't he in
the mid stages of last year with a couple of
top ten victories and a Master's one thousand title. Have
(21:22):
we seen the best of Alexi? What can we expect?
Do you think Pratty in twenty twenty five?
Speaker 4 (21:27):
Yeah, Listen, he's zero and five for a year. He
hasn't actually won a match, but he was saying that
he'd had some struggles physically and he was sort of
working through that, dealing with that, and you know, again,
it just speaks to when athletes start winning matches, tournaments,
winning Canada his biggest title yet, making sure that the
(21:53):
body is where it needs to be. So he's a
big guy, you know, massive frame that he sort of
probably needs to put a little bit more muscle in
and around it to build that resilience. And I'm going
to come back to, you know, the type of numbers
and speed and spins and the physicality required in the
(22:13):
men's game. If you're slightly off, you know you're going
to suffer. And I actually think maybe that's got a
little bit to do with why he hasn't been getting
across the line.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
He does have a huge.
Speaker 4 (22:23):
Serve and he's been able to get away with a
lot of free points. But everyone's getting better and they,
like I said, they keep doing their homework, and if
they're a step faster, his server is negated, and then
he's not as good as he should be, especially if
he's hampered from a physical perspective off the ground.
Speaker 6 (22:42):
Well, I think it's a great point, and it's a
conversation that I know these two are having all the
time with coaches and with players, and it becomes a
conversation around if you can't be at one hundred percent,
which is really what's required. And Okay, granted, perhaps that's
a very rare thing that you're purely hundred, but if
you're not ready to go, an athlete knows whether they're
(23:03):
ready to go, then is it the right thing to
try to get to the start line? And as tempting
as that is to fall into, I'll call it the
point chasing mindset and chasing ranking and chasing bonus and
whatever other considerations that come with that. I know they're
real and they're significant. I think it's so hard but
so important to sometimes do exactly as Praddy's describing their
(23:24):
step back, take a few weeks, hit the reset button,
and get ready to go at much closer to one
hundred percent. So I think it's a great point.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
She raises good luck to Alexi for the rest of
the season. On the other side of the draw, we
have quarterfinals, Augi Alissim, Versus Medvedev and Sam rube Lev
versus Demonor. It was a matchup we saw here in
Melbourne last year, Demonor right back in form. We saw
him go to all the way against Alcraz and just
fall short in the final last week. He could be
(23:54):
on track for another one this week against Alcraz in Doha.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
Yeah, wouldn't that be exciting?
Speaker 5 (23:59):
I think we've all been so thrilled to see what
Alex has been able to achieve in recent months and years,
and he keeps climbing the rankings little by little, step
by step, getting there week and week out, and talk
about consistency. Now he's found that consistency so he can
back up week after week and you know he's really
he's only losing to the top. Yeah, the best of
(24:21):
the best exactly. So I think the match up with
rub Lev's good for him. I think he's playing, like
I said, exceptional tennis, and I just feel like you
can see that confidence in himself and that ability to
back it up. And you know, he can be that
counterpuncher with that exceptional movement, but he can be aggressive
(24:42):
and he is taking it to these top guys and
I think if he wants to take say that next
step with beating those really top few bit more consistently.
He is going to have to be more aggressive and
back himself to do that. But look, I think he's
having exceptional run. So exciting for him.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
Good luck to Alex over the next four days of competition.
Now we've got to change tach here and have a
chat about this Billy Jean Kin tie coming up in April.
Bit of a change to the format and qualifying this year.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
Pratty, Yeah, another change.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
So tell us how it's going to work.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
I pause there because we've had that many changes I
can't keep up.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:19):
So it's now a round robin of three teams all
across the world. So we're playing against Columbia in Kazakhstan,
and so the winning team will go through the finals.
So yeah, it's going to be a different type of
in a way preparation for the tie having to play,
(25:40):
Like we'll play our match on Thursday, and then we'll
get to see both teams play on Friday, and then
we'll play on Saturday again. So at least I feel
like Sam, I think you probably agree with me here.
At least it'll be on our racket having to play
that last match on the last day, which is great.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 5 (26:00):
Obviously, now it's not just about beating one team, it's
about beating two and it's pretty cutthrow only one goes through, so.
Speaker 2 (26:08):
There's no guarantees.
Speaker 5 (26:10):
In Billy Jinkin Cup, with Davis Cup competition, you see
upsets fly around here, there and everywhere. So we've certainly
got to put our best foot forward and work as
a team because it is not just about one day now,
it is about backing it up. So you might have
a great result on the Thursday, but you've got to
do it again.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
That doesn't really mean anything.
Speaker 5 (26:28):
So yeah, it's a little bit different obviously, but we'll
see how it goes.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
And then the winner to advance to the finals in Shenzen,
where China and the reigning champion Italy will be waiting
later in the year. Well, Kim Berrell is your top
ranked player heading into this tie after her last eight
finish in Brisbane. Of course, the mixed doubles runner up
result here in Melbourne, another quarterfinal in Singapore, and most
recently an ITF title in Brisbane. Vic Rudnikov this week
(26:57):
caught up with Kim as she prepares to lead Team
Australia into the Billy jan King Cup qualifier next month.
Speaker 7 (27:04):
Where do we find you today and what have you
been up to post AO.
Speaker 8 (27:08):
Currently I'm at home, which has been so nice. I'm
just coming off the back of a whole week at
home and I hadn't had the chance to really spend
too many nights in my own bed since January. I
went straight to Singapore after Melbourne and then I came
home and I played in ITS and I ended up
staying up well. That was played in Brisbane, so yeah,
(27:31):
it's great to be home and do all the normal
things like cooking in my own kitchen and laundry. Yeah,
catch up with you know, friends and family.
Speaker 7 (27:41):
And this will also be your first time leading Australia
at the Billy Jean King Cup in Brisbane in April.
What is your responsibility as the number one Aussie woman.
Speaker 8 (27:53):
Yeah, it's just amazing and it's going to be really
cool to play a tie in Australia. I've represented Australia
DJK Cup a few times now and I just have
the best time every single time and it's such an
honor to represent Australia and to wear the green and gold.
But I haven't had the chance to play a tie,
(28:15):
be a part of a tie in Australia. I did
go to the one in Perth, but I wasn't a
named member of the team. So to be able to
do that in April, and then to have it in
Brizzy and you know what's basically my hometown will be
absolutely amazing. I can't wait. Yeah.
Speaker 7 (28:35):
And speaking of the girls, Australia's team is known for
its cohesion off the court. Tell us about how that
translates into like a team environment and how do you
bring that to the court.
Speaker 8 (28:46):
Yeah. Absolutely, I think it's really special that we're all
great mates off court and just we're all all the
girls are such good people and people I genuinely want
to be around all the time. It's not hard when
you know we get to be together as a team.
I think honestly, we probably wish we could do it
(29:07):
more often because we have such a great time when
we get the chance too. And it really was set
by example with Sam Casey Mole Pratty and you know,
you could just tell that they were all great friends too.
And then when I got the chance to play for
the first time when I was sixteen seventeen, I really
looked up to that, and so yeah, it's cool that
(29:30):
we've sort of been able to continue that. But it's
just so easy because everyone's so nice, and yeah, we
follow each other's results and send messages and yeah, I
feel really really privileged to be a part of it.
Speaker 7 (29:45):
You mentioned Pratty before, who was actually one of the
panelists on today's show. What's the best and maybe the
hardest thing about having Pratty in your corner?
Speaker 8 (29:55):
Ah, well, there's a lot of best things she's that's
an easy one. I don't know sure if I should
answer the hard hardest thing question, especially if she might
listen to this interview. But no, I've just been so
lucky to have Patty in my corner, and in particular
in the last twelve months, but throughout my whole career.
(30:17):
Basically she's been there, and she's such an advocate for
women's tennis, and she's done so much, not only while
she was playing but since she retired too, And yeah,
just so grateful for her for taking me under her wing.
(30:37):
And I had a little moment sort of after Wimbledon
last year where I asked her for a little bit
more help, and yeah, she has really really done that,
and you know, I think we make a great team
and I love being being able to share these experiences
(30:59):
with her and travel a little bit more with her,
and I've just learned so much. She's such a wealth
of information. I don't think many people know more about
the women's game than she does. So yeah, to have
someone like that in your corner who is pretty amazing.
Speaker 7 (31:18):
Well, Kim, thank you so much for chatting with me
today and I wish you all the best of luck
for Austin and beyond.
Speaker 8 (31:24):
Thank you, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Thanks so much, Australia's top ranked player, Kim Beryl. Some
lovely words there, Pratty. Your response to hearing that from
your charge?
Speaker 3 (31:34):
Oh it's nice, isn't it?
Speaker 6 (31:36):
No?
Speaker 4 (31:37):
I mean, yeah, listen equally, I love working with Kim,
so it's been it's been great for me to be
able to I think all the work that's been done
prior with her team, the people that she's had throughout
the years, you know, they're the people that have made
Kim who she is today. And I almost feel like
(31:59):
my role is just putting a little bit of the
icing on the cake, you know, since I sort of
stepped up in September, pretty much like we had that
chat at Wimbledon, which lots of tears and comfort, but
then to equally to be able to say no, no,
you're going to be fine, You're going to be good,
But then I had to put my money.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
Where my mouth was.
Speaker 4 (32:22):
So yeah, I think the biggest thing I think I've
been able to contribute to Kim is just her believing
in herself. You know, constantly on a daily basis, I say,
what you've Got's enough?
Speaker 2 (32:32):
It's enough.
Speaker 4 (32:33):
You know, Yeah, we'll keep working, but you've just got
to believe in yourself in those tough moments and back
yourself and to a credit, that's what you know, That's
what she's done. And again, part of my belief is
the game never stands still, so equally we are working
on a few things just to get that little bit
better each and every day, and she's happy to go
(32:55):
there with it, which makes you know, working with someone
incredibly coachable, really really enjoyable. So I'm on a plan
tomorrow so Austin to meet up with her, and yeah,
pretty happy I didn't hear what.
Speaker 3 (33:08):
Was the hardest thing. I'll make sure I'll ask her
over there in as.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
She's had quite the journey. It's been a tumultuous experience
for her at times, Sam, but great to see her
now ranked seventy six in the world. What does Kim
bring to this Australian team.
Speaker 5 (33:23):
Oh loads, you know, Pratty obviously spoke to the person
that she is and the type of player and being
coachable and you know Kim. What I love about Kim
is that she's one person who'll come up to actually
ask questions and she wants to know. She wants to
know what she can do to be better. How do
I do that? What should I do? What do you think?
And she's not afraid to do that, which I think
(33:44):
is fantastic and I think it's kind of a bit
rare as well to be so open about wanting that information.
She works hard and now she's getting the reward for
all those years of perseverance, through those injuries and what
she's been through. So yeah, to see her be now
keep using this word consistent. She's had that, you know,
(34:07):
now at her best ranking, and she had a great
summer and she backed it up with that win at
the seventy five and Brisbane, which I have to say,
going from playing on a full pat Rafter arena against
Emma Navarro and even the next match that she lost
to having that atmosphere and crowd to arguably maybe a
few people in the stands, you know, a few weeks later,
to still get through that and win the title. Amazing effort.
(34:29):
So yeah, I'm super pleased for her. I've known Kim
since she was like eight or nine years old, and
she's pretty much exactly the same person.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
Just did a bigger frame.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
First cab off the rank for Team Australia at Kim
Berrell and the rest of the team to be named
next month, is it pratty?
Speaker 8 (34:45):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (34:45):
Will Sam and I make a decision over a cocktail
in Indian Wells based on.
Speaker 6 (34:52):
The results there Mahito or something we have tough life from.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
Yeah, so yeah, that'll be our toughest decision.
Speaker 1 (35:02):
I think which cocktail did choose?
Speaker 8 (35:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (35:05):
I forget the team all right, It's time for Ace
of the Week, where we each share one personal highlight,
but preferably non tennis related, as hard as that can
be for some of us from week to week. Pretty
I'm going to start with you on this side of
the table, Like.
Speaker 4 (35:18):
I'm just a tennis tragic, but you also like Netflix. No,
I mean I really I do have to share, Like
today was the last session at Melbourne Park with Storm Hunter.
Speaker 3 (35:29):
Shit, I'm getting a motion.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
We like it.
Speaker 3 (35:31):
After ten months we're off.
Speaker 1 (35:33):
So yeah, how did you mark the occasion? He on that.
Speaker 4 (35:38):
I basically said to a storm I'm going to feed
you five four hands and I want you to hit
them as hard as you can. I don't care where
they go, but we're just going to remember this moment.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
That's beautiful and move on.
Speaker 1 (35:51):
And she nailed them, nailed them. God on you. Yeah.
Storm was great on the pod last week announcing her comeback.
All the best to her and your entire team. Thanks
for the upcoming American swing. Sam. What's your highlight of
the week.
Speaker 5 (36:06):
Oh, I think I said on the Christmas podcast, I've
wanted my views resolution was to be a little bit
more physically active this year, to do a bit more exercise,
and I.
Speaker 6 (36:18):
Ronic for one of the great, like someone that's always
been absolutely ripped like that is it's a.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
Bit pathetic really, but you know, I did draw a
line in the sand.
Speaker 5 (36:28):
I've joined pilates, I've been swimming a few times, like
since Ao because that was there's no way anything's going
to happen there, but you do enough steps around the grounds.
I've been a couple of bike rides, which is what
I wanted to do, so I've been true to my word.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
No, we're only mid feb. But you know, I'm proud
of myself.
Speaker 1 (36:46):
We're proud of you too. The whole tennis team is
part of is proud of you. The pilates classes must
be an interesting experience, going from the intensity of the
tennis court into one of the more serene environments in
terms of exercise.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
I've never gone to just a know it would almost
sound bat but like.
Speaker 5 (37:02):
A general public class where you just sign up online
and I had no idea who the instructor was, who
else was going to be in there. And it was
me and nine other women and just got on the
reformer and followed the instruction and I actually really enjoyed it.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
I had a great time.
Speaker 5 (37:17):
But yeah, I have to say it was a little
bit scared doing it because I've never done that before.
Speaker 1 (37:21):
I've been my wife was trying to encourage me to
get into it, but I haven't even had the guts
to do it yet.
Speaker 5 (37:27):
So well, you can come with me, I can bring
a friend, I can click bring a friend.
Speaker 1 (37:33):
Wonderful and back on the bike as well. That was
it a birthday gift or a Christmas present?
Speaker 5 (37:38):
There? No, it was a smashed the old bikes on
the roof rack president a replacement.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
You know, if you're going to replace it, you've got
to use it. Yeah, but never never been happier out
in the bike.
Speaker 1 (37:52):
Lovely good to be back on the bike and Razor.
What's your ace of the week, sir mine?
Speaker 6 (37:57):
Probably would be the last couple of weeks. Our elder
started school a couple of weeks back and maybe two
or three weeks back and a bit of a staged
approach into you know, they give them every Wednesday or
Wednesday Thursday, five or six days off for the first
few weeks. This week's his first full week. He was
a bit underweather essay, so he was off. But Charlie's
really enjoying it. He's loving school at fines Park there
(38:18):
and Geelong. But the prep teachers, you know, like that's
so impressive to take a classroom of twenty five year
olds and have some order and some structure and some
fun and some smiles and like we think it's tough
enough coaching one or two or three player, and it is.
There's some really tough moments in coaching. But to organize
young people and show the care and kind of balance,
(38:41):
you know, care, support, challenge, all of those things I
couldn't do that. I'm in awe of the teaching fraternity,
let me.
Speaker 1 (38:48):
Say, especially primary school age.
Speaker 6 (38:50):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (38:50):
It's like a sex parent job.
Speaker 2 (38:52):
Really, yeah, exactly for me.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
Yesterday marked twenty years since I arrived in this city.
Twenty years in Melbourne for me, this week awesome. And
I came up as a seventeen year old with very
little insight into Melbourne and the metropolitan culture, and I,
you know, signed up to UNI and I joined a college.
And last night I and a good mate who I
met on that first night at college went out caught
(39:17):
up shot some pool at the local billiard, you know,
local pool hall, and reminisced about times past, and yeah,
just reflecting back on twenty years in this great city
and all the all the opportunities and experiences I've had,
Like I knew you guys as athletes on a screen
growing up at that point, and then here we are
(39:38):
twenty years later and working with some fine people at
this great company. So it's been a journey, and I
guess in three weeks I'm signing off temporarily as I've
become a father. So the next chapter begins in March.
As you very theatrically close the page.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
So that wasn't trying to wrap you up. Sorry looking
for you.
Speaker 1 (39:59):
Thank you very much, Thanks to everyone who's played a
role in my two decades in this great city.
Speaker 6 (40:04):
Very exciting for you and your family on the next steps.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
Indeed, thank you very much for all being a part
of today's show. Pratty and Sam, you're both heading over
to Indian Wells, Is that right?
Speaker 2 (40:13):
Yeah, Praddy tomorrow, me a little bit later.
Speaker 1 (40:15):
And Simon, what's your plans over the next few weeks.
Speaker 6 (40:18):
I'm here for the next few weeks anyway, yep, in town, John,
So thanks for having me on.
Speaker 1 (40:22):
Great I think Levi from your team is also going
to be joining a little bit more frequently throughout the year.
Ye Breeze currently on leave. She'll be back in a
couple of weeks. You can join us again next week
though for more of the tennis. As we preview Indian Wells,
the start of the Sunshine Double as it were. Don't forget.
You can watch this episode and all other episodes of
the tennis on our YouTube channel, Australian Open TV. And
(40:44):
don't forget to subscribe and hit the bell below to
stay across all of the tennis news throughout the year.
Have a great week in tennis. Team, Thanks, thank you,
see you next week.
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