Elliott Smith: Sports editor on the Australian Open finals, Auckland FC win and the Breakers out of playoff contention

The Australian Open finals saw the women's world number one beaten, and Italian Jannik Sinner take home the men's division prize. 

Auckland FC have secured yet another win, this time against Western Sydney. 

ZB sports editor Elliott Smith joins the show to discuss the major sports news over the weekend. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Elliot Smith. He's everywhere, He's everywhere all over the sport.
He's our news talk ZBI sport expert and man, there's
been some sport this weekend.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
Isn't it. Just yeah, this is the collision, all the
seasons sort of coming together, isn't it? And I suppose
you you still look at the Australian Open final. It
was a great time of the year. Two big finals
of course over the weekend. The women's on Saturday night,
won by Madison Keys, who's been a regular visitor actually
to Auckland through a number of seasons, beating the world
number one Sabalinka and a really really entertaining final two

(00:29):
sets to one. Last night's men's final bit more one
way traffic, to be honest. Jarick Center, the world number one,
beating Alexander Verev and in straight sets last night. Didn't
have it all his own way, but pretty straightforward her.
For Jarnicksoner, who is the world number one best player
in the hard courts at the moment, there is the
doping case sort of hanging over him, which is interesting

(00:50):
in a fascinating backdrop to his success in recent times.
The cream and the massuse and everything like that. The
Court of Arbitration for sport here having an appeal in
a couple of months time. But regardless, he is showing
what he's capable of. And Zverev had another cracket's winning
a major, probably the best player on tour at the

(01:12):
moment to have not won a Grand Slam tournament. But
a Nixon last night remain just too good.

Speaker 1 (01:17):
I just had I'm sorry, but that's a great title
for a book. The Cream and the missis the story
of Oh my lord, that's brilliant and some good news
for Auckland FC.

Speaker 2 (01:26):
It was great new It's been a busy week for them,
three matches in seven days and they've emerged from that
really hectic period at the top of the A League ladder.
So this is always going to be a bit of
an acid test for them, this new club. They've fallen
away a little bit now they've come back up again
in a hectic period over the last week. Two wins
including last night ninety fifth minutes, a fifth minute I've

(01:48):
at a time against Western Sydney Nadam moreno one of
the import players getting the goal one nil, they win,
take the three points back, so draw and two wins
over the last week moves them back to the top
of the A League and they just seem to manage
to find a way, which is the really exciting thing
about this team. They don't know when they're beat and
don't know when they're on the cusp of losing a game.

(02:08):
They risk it a point earlier in the week. So
back to the top of the LADD which is great
news for them.

Speaker 1 (02:13):
Remen yeah, it is going from the beautiful game to
the very tall, fast game. The Breakers, what's.

Speaker 2 (02:18):
Yeah it It's been a battling old season for the
Breakers and you can put the calculator away, remand the
mathematical hopes of their making the playoff are all but
over over. They lost last night ninety four seventy eight
to Adelaide. It's been a really poor season. They started
really strongly, had some personnel changes to their team board
and Tago Fall, who's a two point two seven meter import,

(02:41):
just hasn't quite clicked. And with that defeat last night,
out of the playoffs and they won't be playing any
for the basketball. We've got two more games at home,
but won't be making the playoffs.

Speaker 1 (02:50):
They've got some huge fans though, like literally big fans
a big following and they make that.

Speaker 2 (02:54):
And even with the fact that they're out of the playoffs,
we'll still get I think decent crowds for these last
two games back at home. I think one's Friday. One
might be wie Ungy Day potentially, but two games home.
They'll get a really good credit s backer in for
both of those games, regardless of them being out of
the pluffs. But we chance to look ahead and see
how they rebuild for their next campaign and what players
they bring, what players thrown on the scrap heap as

(03:17):
always happens at the end of the breaker season.

Speaker 1 (03:19):
Yeah, cheers, Elliott, Thank you so much, Elliott Smith from
News Talks AIRB Sport.

Speaker 2 (03:23):
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