Australian Open semi-finalist Ben Shelton has taken the Grand Slam's on-court interviewers to task for being 'disrespectful' to players.
Shelton initially laughed off some divisive comments from former Davis Cup player John Fitzgerald, who interviewed him after his first semi-final at Melbourne Park - but later told reporters he was 'shocked' by how players were treated by broadcasters.
Tennis commentator Craig Gabriel says some of the comments that took place after the fact may have been better left unsaid.
"With things being a little bit touchy on how things are spoken of these days - you've got to be a little bit careful."
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
So the after match interviews at the Australian Open have
been awkward and this has come out and become news
because the Australian Open semi finalist Ben Shelton came out
and mouthed off about it at a press conference last
night and he is not happy with the performance of
those court side interviewers.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
I've been a little bit shocked this week with how
players have been treated by the broadcasters. And I don't
think that the guy who mocked Novak, I don't think
that was just a single event.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
And he also came out and said some of the
questions interviewers have asked him and the other players have
been disrespectful.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Today on the court. Hey Ben, how does it feel that,
no matter who you play in your next match, no
one's going to be cheering for you. I just don't
think a comment that's respectful from a guy I've never
met before in my life.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
And this, of course, as he mentioned, comes only a
few days after Novak Jokovic's big old stoush with Channel
nine's Tony Jones. So Craig Gabriel is how correspondent at
the Australian Open and joins us now Helly.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Craig he Andrew good to be with you.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
What's wrong with these people?
Speaker 3 (01:09):
I think you know what it is. They're missing the
aussy sense of humor. They're losing in a translation, they're
not quite getting it. I think things are getting a
bit casual in the time to be here, and they
try to be a bit funny and amusing it lighthearted
for the fans over here, and a lot of the
players and some of the well, certainly the foreign ones
(01:30):
are not quite getting it. But then again, in most
cases with Americans, you've got to hit them over with
a sledgehammer over the head before they'll understand a joke.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Now, hold on, are you blaming the players or because personally,
I think the interviewers have got the wrong end of
the stick. They should know this, they should be pros.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Look in all seriousness about it, I think some of
them have gone a little bit far. What I'm not
getting are the length of the questions they are going forever.
Whereas it on stage, you'd want to get the question
then quick, smart, so it gives the player the opportunity
to respond in a longer, better fashion. But certainly there
(02:12):
are some instances where things have probably gone a little
bit too far, a little bit too familiar. I would
say it's probably a good word with some of the
questions to players, and I understand some of the responses.
Some of these players are pretty young and they're not
quite getting it okay.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
So the guys who do the interviews, are they employed
by Channel nine or are they employed by the Aussie Open?
So who's putting them in front of these people?
Speaker 3 (02:42):
It's a combination. And the on court interviews are essentially
part of the general broadcast the world feed aspect, so
Channel nine picks up that they've got the commentators, So
those commentators are coming down and doing most of the interviews.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
So whose side is the Australian public on I embarrassed
by the interviewers or are they? Are they amused by
the player's reactions?
Speaker 3 (03:10):
You know, not much as far as I'm aware, has
really been said by the Australian public. A lot of
this really came up. Came up on two occasions, one
with the Tony Jones issue with Novak Djokovic and his fans,
and the second one is Ben Shelton actually making a
statement of that statement you just played during his post
(03:32):
match one of his post match media conferences right at
the very end. So those have been essentially the two
main aspects that have brought this to light. But you know,
I think some of the things that have been said
probably would have been better not said. And with things
that being I guess a little bit touchy on how
(03:54):
things are spoken of these days. I think you've got
to be a little bit careful. But some of it
is rather find I mean make some of the stuff
that Jim Courier does with players, and he had a
wonderfully change with you sinner yesterday on court and there
was a lot laughing about it. So, hey, Jim is brilliant.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
So I was going to say, Craig, I watch a
lot of tennis. I am sleep deprived at the moment.
I'm watching the Australian Open. I watched the US Open.
I can tell you Jim Courier is great. He's got
the manor, he's got the authority. He's been there, he's
done it, and he has just the most wonderful style.
Just get him to do all of the interviews from
quarterfinals on.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Maybe that's what will happen. I think Elena Dockach has
had also a very good rapport with a lot of
the players, the female players in particular, So you know
there's another one. So I think Todd Woodbridge is very
good as well. So you know there are a few
of them, and then there are some Johnny Matt John
mckins misses the mark on a lot of occasions as well. Well.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Thank you so much, Gabriel, and get back to work
because he works very long. Now it's this man, great Gabriel.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
Now for more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live
to news Talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
So the after match interviews at the Australian Open have
been awkward and this has come out and become news
because the Australian Open semi finalist Ben Shelton came out
and mouthed off about it at a press conference last
night and he is not happy with the performance of
those court side interviewers.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
I've been a little bit shocked this week with how
players have been treated by the broadcasters. And I don't
think that the guy who mocked Novak, I don't think
that was just a single event.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
And he also came out and said some of the
questions interviewers have asked him and the other players have
been disrespectful.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Today on the court. Hey Ben, how does it feel that,
no matter who you play in your next match, no
one's going to be cheering for you. I just don't
think a comment that's respectful from a guy I've never
met before in my life.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
And this, of course, as he mentioned, comes only a
few days after Novak Jokovic's big old stoush with Channel
nine's Tony Jones. So Craig Gabriel is how correspondent at
the Australian Open and joins us now Helly.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Craig he Andrew good to be with you.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
What's wrong with these people?
Speaker 3 (01:09):
I think you know what it is. They're missing the
aussy sense of humor. They're losing in a translation, they're
not quite getting it. I think things are getting a
bit casual in the time to be here, and they
try to be a bit funny and amusing it lighthearted
for the fans over here, and a lot of the
players and some of the well, certainly the foreign ones
(01:30):
are not quite getting it. But then again, in most
cases with Americans, you've got to hit them over with
a sledgehammer over the head before they'll understand a joke.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Now, hold on, are you blaming the players or because personally,
I think the interviewers have got the wrong end of
the stick. They should know this, they should be pros.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Look in all seriousness about it, I think some of
them have gone a little bit far. What I'm not
getting are the length of the questions they are going forever.
Whereas it on stage, you'd want to get the question
then quick, smart, so it gives the player the opportunity
to respond in a longer, better fashion. But certainly there
(02:12):
are some instances where things have probably gone a little
bit too far, a little bit too familiar. I would
say it's probably a good word with some of the
questions to players, and I understand some of the responses.
Some of these players are pretty young and they're not
quite getting it okay.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
So the guys who do the interviews, are they employed
by Channel nine or are they employed by the Aussie Open?
So who's putting them in front of these people?
Speaker 3 (02:42):
It's a combination. And the on court interviews are essentially
part of the general broadcast the world feed aspect, so
Channel nine picks up that they've got the commentators, So
those commentators are coming down and doing most of the interviews.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
So whose side is the Australian public on I embarrassed
by the interviewers or are they? Are they amused by
the player's reactions?
Speaker 3 (03:10):
You know, not much as far as I'm aware, has
really been said by the Australian public. A lot of
this really came up. Came up on two occasions, one
with the Tony Jones issue with Novak Djokovic and his fans,
and the second one is Ben Shelton actually making a
statement of that statement you just played during his post
(03:32):
match one of his post match media conferences right at
the very end. So those have been essentially the two
main aspects that have brought this to light. But you know,
I think some of the things that have been said
probably would have been better not said. And with things
that being I guess a little bit touchy on how
(03:54):
things are spoken of these days. I think you've got
to be a little bit careful. But some of it
is rather find I mean make some of the stuff
that Jim Courier does with players, and he had a
wonderfully change with you sinner yesterday on court and there
was a lot laughing about it. So, hey, Jim is brilliant.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
So I was going to say, Craig, I watch a
lot of tennis. I am sleep deprived at the moment.
I'm watching the Australian Open. I watched the US Open.
I can tell you Jim Courier is great. He's got
the manor, he's got the authority. He's been there, he's
done it, and he has just the most wonderful style.
Just get him to do all of the interviews from
quarterfinals on.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Maybe that's what will happen. I think Elena Dockach has
had also a very good rapport with a lot of
the players, the female players in particular, So you know
there's another one. So I think Todd Woodbridge is very
good as well. So you know there are a few
of them, and then there are some Johnny Matt John
mckins misses the mark on a lot of occasions as well. Well.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Thank you so much, Gabriel, and get back to work
because he works very long. Now it's this man, great Gabriel.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
Now for more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live
to news Talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.