In short
Day 4 Australian Open tennis coverage, focusing on men’s results and matchups (Alcaraz vs Yannick Hanfmann; Medvedev vs “Mute” Zhang; Norrie vs Emilio Nava; Zverev’s path), plus women’s shocks and Emma Raducanu’s loss to Anastasia Potapova, and a “sensation of the day” debate.
Guests (podcast hosts)
The episode is hosted by three regular commentators: Matt Roberts, David (surname not stated in transcript), and a third co-host (referred to as “Matt” and “David” throughout; no other full name given). They provide match commentary and analysis.
Key claims
- Alcaraz’s authority is lower than at New York; Hanfmann made him work but Alcaraz responded when needed.
- Medvedev’s win over Quentin Alice shows “progress” after earlier struggles; he’s still searching for form and must navigate early Grand Slam stages.
- Zverev is playing assertive “big man’s tennis” and looks on track.
- Raducanu’s forehand change under Francisco Roig (lengthening/loopier swing) is “catastrophic,” suggesting identity/coach alignment issues.
- “Sensation of the day” is deferred because Priscilla Hon and Talia Gibson are still in play.
Notable examples
- Norrie’s rain-delay comeback: won a deciding tie-break after being down in the mini-break.
- Medvedev vs Alice: Alice led early with set-point chances; Medvedev turned it around after a key break-back game.
- Raducanu lost to Potapova 7-6, 6-2; hosts discuss Roig’s coaching approach and Raducanu’s dejected press-conference comments.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOSetting the Scene in Melbourne
0:10 to 1:00
Discussion about the conditions and atmosphere at the Australian Open.
“Well, hello and welcome to the Tennis Podcast coming to you on day four of the Australian Open from what I'm now going to call our regular haunt, the Creator Lounge.”
Ongoing Matches and Suspensions
1:00 to 2:10
Update on matches currently in progress and their suspensions due to rain.
“trying to keep the crowd there while they wait for the resumption of Paolini against Freck, which has been called off, I think, for the second time due to rain.”
Recap of Alcaraz vs. Hanfman Match
2:10 to 4:10
Analysis of the match between Alcaraz and Hanfman, discussing their performances.
Alcaraz's Performance and Press Conference
4:10 to 6:40
Insights into Alcaraz's feelings about his performance and comments made in the press conference.
“And what I liked about Alcaraz is that he did respond and step up when he needed to, not to let it drag into a potential fourth set or anything like that.”
Medvedev's Struggles and Recovery
6:40 to 10:10
Discussion on Medvedev's match, including his initial struggles and eventual success.
“And I'm interested to see how he gets on on a big stage against him.”
Looking Ahead to Future Matches
10:10 to 12:00
Preview of upcoming matches and potential challenges for various players.
“He only just about won 7-6 and he had to save a set point in the tiebreak as well.”
Analyzing Norrie's Performance and Fan Interaction
14:00 to 28:01
Explore Cameron Norrie's match performance and the vibrant crowd atmosphere.
“6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 and Cameron Norrie came through Emilio Nava in four sets.”
Discussion on Upcoming Matches
28:01 to 28:15
Analyzing the unpredictability of the upcoming tennis matches.
“shot makers, good movers, great athletes, both a little bit flaky as well at times.”
Match Insights: Sabalenka vs. Potapova
29:40 to 31:06
Discussion on Sabalenka's performance and her upcoming match against Potapova.
“Priscilla Hon doesn't seem much bothered about winning sensation of the day.”
Raducanu's Struggles and Coaching Dynamics
31:07 to 35:06
Exploring Emma Raducanu's performance issues and her relationship with coach Francisco Roig.
“Certainly that was the seeded third round matchup that we circled when the draw came out.”
Show all 23 chapters
Identity Crisis in Raducanu's Game
35:07 to 38:30
Analyzing the identity crisis faced by Raducanu as she navigates her playing style.
“as a kind of stopgap measure en route to something better that they're working on.”
Upcoming Matches and Expectations
38:31 to 39:36
Previewing future matches involving Sabalenka and potential opponents.
“and basically hating the way she's been playing tennis recently.”
Match Results and Reactions
39:37 to 42:00
Discussing recent match outcomes and reactions from players.
“Well, two days from now, when Matt's parents are here.”
Match Insights: Putin's Sava and Zenip Sonmez
42:00 to 43:23
Discussion about recent matches including Putin's Sava's performance and the emotional scenes from the stands.
“I've not seen Towson this tournament, I'll be honest.”
Coco Gauff's Dominant Performance
43:23 to 45:18
Analysis of Coco Gauff's impressive match and her strategic play against Danilovic.
“for for the sport, really, in the early stages of a Grand Slam.”
Mira Andreva's Steady Rise
45:18 to 46:41
Examination of Mira Andreva's performance and her ability to handle crowd pressure.
“In part three of today's show, Mira Andreva, love and four for her against Maria Zachary, continuing to look like she's playing tennis on a slightly different plane to everybody else.”
Andreva vs. Zachary: A Tactical Breakdown
46:41 to 49:22
Deep dive into the match dynamics between Andreva and Zachary, focusing on Andreva's tactical approaches.
“So game style-wise, whereas Boisson was always messing Andreeva up and giving her no pace and giving her a moon ball and suddenly giving her loads of pace.”
Mukova's Thrilling Match and Hindrance Drama
49:22 to 52:18
Review of Mukova's match against Parks including key moments and hindrance drama.
“I went out for the deciding set of this one on a very cold and very windy 1573 arena.”
Post-Match Reflections and Tomorrow's Matchups
52:18 to 56:00
Reflections on players' performances and a look ahead at upcoming matches in the tournament.
“But she was good today, but Mukovo was better.”
Day 4 Match Previews
56:00 to 57:20
Overview of the matches scheduled for Day 4 of the Australian Open.
“Okay, Rod Laver Arena starts with Jessica Bagula against McCartney Kessler.”
Player Insights and Predictions
57:20 to 59:00
Discussion on players' performances and predictions for upcoming matches.
“He was on Channel 9 build-up this morning and I quite like Dane Sweeney.”
Upcoming Matches and Expectations
59:00 to 1:02:10
Detailed breakdown of upcoming matches and the expectations around them.
“And then we have a big sensation situation finally on Kia.”
Listener Interactions and Shout-Outs
1:02:10 to 1:05:10
Engaging with listeners through shout-outs and their comments.
“he's got Elliot Spitseri I'm calling that a good draw Spitseri he's the chap who beats Fonseca yeah Yeah, so he's had a good Australian Open so far.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:10Well, hello and welcome to the Tennis Podcast coming to you on day four of the Australian Open from what I'm now going to call our regular haunt, the Creator Lounge. Comfy seats, good lumber support Good Wi-Fi And crucially, it is indoors Because it is bloody cold and wet tonight in Melbourne And further evidence of Matt being sensible He's the only one of us that has a waterproof jacket I do take my Wimbledon merch everywhere As my friends and family will know You thought that through, didn't you? Yeah, I'm very envious I'm wearing shorts It's not appropriately dressed. Matches are still ongoing in various different forms.
0:56Jasmine Paolini is in a state of suspendu. The noise you can hear is bangers being played into the Kia Arena, trying to keep the crowd there while they wait for the resumption of Paolini against Freck, which has been called off, I think, for the second time due to rain. And it's now moving to the John Kane Arena to finish off under a roof. close the roofs. Absolutely. Thank goodness for the roofs. It's what we always say. Thank goodness for the roofs. And there's still a whole Priscilla Hon to come on the Rod Laver Arena. She's just walked out onto the Rod Laver Arena. Priscilla Hon and Eva Jovic.
1:34And frankly, if we were truly diligent tennis podcasters, we'd be waiting for the result of that match because, spoiler alert for part three, sensation of the day is a bit of a tough scene today. there's a lot on the line for priscilla hon here uh but look we'll give you out of date score updates as the match progresses it's on the big screen how many how many games does she need to win in honore oh she's she needs to win this to we've we well again spoiler alert for part three we've got someone that came as close to winning without winning as you can get that was a long time ago but i just about remember it yeah so we've got a someone that we can hand it to an extremist which i think is very sensational it's very sensational it is but let's face it if priscilla hon wins she's got it agreed yeah no pressure priscilla right let's let's take ourselves back to a time when the sun was shining the balls were popping it was it was actually a beautiful day until this happened wasn't it it was you know sort of 25 degrees sunny bit of breeze absolutely lovely perfect conditions for carlos alcaraz and it turns out yannick hamfman for a set and a bit
2:48Matt Roberts:i mean the set of his life in in the first against alcaraz playing pretty well yeah in the words of alcaraz afterwards he was hitting bombs at me and and i think that that is is accurate i think probably it simplifies the approach for a guy like Anfman who's a big strapping guy who's got power you've just got to go for everything really and and see if you can inflict damage and maybe
3:17David Law:maybe just discomfort Alcraz a bit and I think he did and I don't think Alcraz is at his convincing best yet I think he's searching I think he's playing fine and look it was straight sets he there were lots of good things I think his base level is decent but he doesn't have that authority at the moment that he had in New York that's what sets it apart in fact I've never seen that authority here in in Australia to this point I mean look I've never seen the New York level anywhere so it's it's a high bar you're measuring him against and he may just be working his way into the tournament and it was fine like I say there was a lot of good stuff in there but Hanfman did make him a little uncomfortable out there yeah I thought Hanfman was brilliant
4:02Catherine Whitaker:I've seen him play well against Djokovic before you know really trying to impose his his big game he's a tall guy he's a he's a strapping guy and he can he you know he's really got some firepower and he used it he was targeting the Alcaraz forehand and I think Alcaraz was maybe getting involved in maybe a few too many of those forehand to forehand exchanges early on but But Hanferman was executing his game plan brilliantly. And what I liked about Alcaraz is that he did respond and step up when he needed to, not to let it drag into a potential fourth set or anything like that. So, yeah, it was a really good match.
4:40This was the longest three-set match that Alcaraz has ever played at a Grand Slam. You know, like, that tells you that, yes, OK, it was straight sets. He was pushed today. He was made to work hard.
4:51Catherine Whitaker:I really wanted to give Hanfman credit there because we say so often, Alcraz and Sinner are so far ahead of everyone else that sometimes these matches can just sort of drift on and go by. And we don't really have a huge reason to necessarily really get your teeth into it. But I was gripped in this first set because Hanfman was playing that well. And yeah, full credit to him. Alcaraz was asked in his first question in the press conference to assess his own performance today and he said well when I left the court I didn't think I'd played particularly well but then my team told me I played really well so I'm gonna believe them and I just it's such a weird thing with Alcaraz press conferences at the moment with Alcaraz anything at the moment because I my overall impression was that he was pretty subdued in press today but yeah i mean i do think today the flatness in the press was most likely due to the train crash that there's been in spain and he was asked a lot about that in the spanish conference and so he would have anticipated that coming i expect so i think he wrote on the camera tribute um as well and i mean there's i mean there's three days of national mourning in spain at the moment I think 40 people have died and I suspect you know he's obviously I suspect down about that and also aware that um questions would be coming and yeah I think you know it's one of the reminders isn't it the bubble of a grand slam and yet the outside world can can get in and I'm sure he would have been feeling that today yeah that's a very important point um he has Mute next is that going to be horrible for Mute?
6:36It's a tricky one to really get a sense of because you don't really know what sort of state Mute is going to turn up in I mean he's not looked fully fit at times in this tournament he went a set down today against Michael Zhang but then he came back and he played some good stuff and he kind of wore his opponent down in the end an opponent who's just not used to this kind of tennis really at this stage he plays uh college tennis really is is what he plays most of the time jang he's going to be in david's fantasy team before you know it um but but mute is look he's what he is doing is he's continually stepping up in the last year and a bit now this isn't just this comedy character that that he always used to be he's now a proper player still it's a very different thing playing against Alcras, isn't it?
7:29And I'm interested to see how he gets on on a big stage against him. I assume they'll put that on a low-varina, or if not, they'll put it on the second court. Either one, big stage, crowds getting introduced to Mute for the very first time. In theory, I think he's going to love that, but then I still have that match against Djokovic in my mind when he just was so flat and not really there, and I think too respectful. But in this, if Alcraz comes out playing well, he may just crush him. He may just be able to physically impose himself in that way with his game as well. But equally, he might make it fun and might make it a little...
8:11You can end up getting Alcraz into one of those matches where you're seeing who's got the better trick shots, like Damir Jumher does whenever he plays against him. I worry from a Mute perspective that he needs to feel like he's the trickshot guy on the court and not the number two trickshot guy. Do you remember when Barami and Leconte used to play on the Champions Tour? And it just didn't work. I don't think that'll stop Mute trying to be number one in that particular type of manner. It'll be interesting. Because I think he's going to have to do that. I don't think... His best game is unsettling opponents whether it's through attitude or more specifically with a variety of game that you don't see every day.
9:03And I think if they've got any sense, his team, they'll be letting him know that Al Karaz sometimes gets embroiled in these matches where you get a bit self-indulgent and you end up having too much fun. And that can take his mind off the ball. Daniel Mabrev on the John Kane Arena today had a bit of a scenic route against definitively agricultural Quentin Alice. How much trouble was he in, David? I thought he was in quite a bit, actually. When you look at the scoreline on paper, it's 6-7 and then three straight sets. But it was actually a different feel for the first hour and a half to that because Alice actually played a very similar match to what we saw from Hansmann.
9:49Every time the ball was there to be hit, he absolutely clubbed it. and he was really going after balls, I think really trying to finish rallies. If he had a ball there to hit, he wasn't trying to wear Medvedev down, he was trying to finish rallies. And he was doing it with a lot of success. He had several set point chances in that first set. He was by far the better player in a set. He only just about won 7-6 and he had to save a set point in the tiebreak as well. But Medvedev had that on his own serve. He had a, I think it was 7-6 or something like that, and serving, and he lost the next three points.
10:25You know, it was, and when he sat down, I did think, oh, this is interesting, because this is exactly what happens when Medvedev has played against Benjamin Bonsi in the last, well, however long it seems to be, whenever he plays him. And sure enough, they came out in the second set, and Medvedev was broken again. And so he's a breakdown. At one point he was 7-6, 2-1 and 40 love down. And he broke from there. And that was the turning point of the whole match. Elise had, I think, a little bit of a concentration let down in that 40 love game. Because he really should have found a way to get... He was on top.
11:06He was in total charge. Mevidev was complaining to Thomas Johansson, who was saying, you know, Send your rackets off to get them strung a bit tighter then. Because the ball was going all over the place at that point. Trampling in off the strings, long, all sorts of things. But it seemed to get him back in the room, Evadev. And then he imposed himself. But the game that I'd spoken to Hansen about of getting to the net, he was doing it, but he was fluffing volleys left, right and centre. But he got himself back. The difference is he got himself back on kilter. There were no dramas in the end. You know, he won the next three sets.
11:45And I think that that has to be viewed as real progress. Yeah, I agree. I think it's impossible to say, but I just feel like 2025 Medvedev, certainly through to the US Open, finds a way to lose this match
12:00Catherine Whitaker:rather than finding a way to win it. You know, like he didn't have his best game. And last year that was leading into melting down and losing the plot, quite frankly, in a lot of matches. And today it went the other way. Like he, as David said, that critical game where he got the break back, he ended up hitting a brilliant backhand passing shot in that game to clinch the break back. Fantastic moment. And from there he was just, he was locked in and it suddenly felt like, oh, Medvedev in terms of you just knew that Elise was going to have to keep up a good level for a long time in order to beat him.
12:37Catherine Whitaker:and that was always one of the challenges of playing Medford Evon and that disappeared a bit last year. He lost his age in a lot of these matches but he had it today. It wasn't like his top level, as David said. He is still searching for that and in fact, in his on-court interview afterwards, he said, I was playing better in Brisbane. He said he was preferring the speed of the courts there. He felt like he's still missing something on his shots here compared to Brisbane. He's less able, I think, to do the damage that he wants to do. But he also said that he's had that feeling before and you can build into a tournament and find it through a tournament.
13:19So, frankly, for Medvedev, I know that, like, we've all just put him through to the quarterfinals or semifinals or final. But actually, like, for him, he needs to get used to navigating these early stages of Grand Slams again. I know he's so experienced at doing that, but not recently. So anything that he's capable of doing in these first few rounds is a positive for him.
13:43Catherine Whitaker:And he's got another tricky one, actually, in the third round, hasn't he, against Marajan.
13:49David Law:Yeah, who's playing well. That's now Rindy Kness and Majacek. He's beaten in straight sets today. And it's interesting. He's a flat ball hitter. very powerful and good touch as well although i did look up there their head to head he hasn't actually won a set against medvedev so far so and that's five five sets they've played against one another so you know medvedev may well lean on that alexander zverev set up another third round meeting with the last brit standing cameron norrie today uh zverev we've just watched over on the John Kane Arena get the better of Alexander Muller. 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 and Cameron Norrie came through Emilio Nava in four sets.
14:40He had to come back and play what three or four points after a rain delay in the four set tie break.
14:46Catherine Whitaker:Yes it was a very poorly timed rain delay all around the grounds obviously but you know particularly for Cameron Norrie in that four set tie break trying to close it out he just got the mini break and he was he was four three up came back and he was serving and actually very impressively hit two two big serves to get himself to to two match points never saved the first two and then nori nori won the final one when never made an error and honestly the scenes out there on court seven i think it was which is very near the bar there's a sort of walkway where people gather I mean it was like a football match it was just chants were going back and forth between one side of the court and the other there were a couple of Nava guys but there was about a hundred Norrie guys that little corner of the ground is where the wild stuff happens it is I think and even more so because everyone had had a chance to go and get a drink during this rain delay.
15:52It was heightened. It was like, oh, you've spent three hours watching a Cameron Norrie match. Have a break, go and get a beer. We'll all come back in half an hour. And Anki Othavon came onto the court at the end to do the interview with Cameron Norrie for TNT, which was basically just a sing-along with the crowd. Were you singing along, Matt? I was not singing. I was observing. I was enjoying. No, it was great. And honestly, this was a really good match, like really high level and just classic Cameron Norrie.
16:22Catherine Whitaker:Like he loves those sorts of outside courts, getting his teeth into a match, real intensity to it. And actually the crowd, unfortunately, during the rain delay, obviously thinned massively. You know, it was packed out there for the three hours that preceded it. People loving it. And yeah, just a really fun time actually. And yeah, Norrie obviously now plays Vero, as you say. And unfortunately for Norrie, that match against Zverev won't be in conditions anything like that, will they? That match will be probably on one of the main two courts, maybe on John Kane, and that all plays into Zverev's hands, I think.
17:01Matt Roberts:John Kane, maybe he could get a bit of rowdy British support, Cam Norey. But Zverev's just had an outing on John Kane this evening. And OK, he dropped the second set. But Muller's a good player and Zverev played well to beat him.
17:16David Law:Yeah, I think he is in good form, Zverev. After that terrible first set he played against Diallo, he's now played, well, five out of the next six sets very well. and I mean the one that he lost against Muller was really Muller playing out of his skin I mean he he is a heck of a ball striker and but it took him a set and three love down before I think he got the rust out of his system after going five sets with Alexi Popper in the other night and then he just got his teeth into it he started to play better from the baseline he actually won five games in a row in that second set Muller and that was that made it interesting really and it was a a bit of a test to see, well, what does Zverev do now?
17:59David Law:Because he's had that situation where he's bullying an opponent who stood up to him like that, levelled up at once at all. But Zverev didn't take any backward steps. He actually was very assertive. He was playing big man's tennis out there. You know, sometimes that's the criticism I've certainly had from him, that he shrinks in those situations at times. Well, he wasn't today. I mean, the expected quarterfinal is him and Medvedev on paper from here. He's playing better than Medvedev so far over the course of these two matches. Typically, when Medvedev plays him, he kind of scrambles him. So, obviously, a fair way to go there.
18:42David Law:There's Norrie still to get through for Zverev, who had a very tough match against him two or three years ago here. potentially well it's it's either going to be Rublev or Sarundolo after that and both of those players are can be tough as well but I think I think Zverev's playing well yeah Sarundolo was great today wasn't he absolutely crushed Demir Jumho he plays Rublev next but yeah Zverev does seem to I mean he does peak at the right times yes I mean David watched that more closely than I did
19:15Catherine Whitaker:but I was struck by the same thing, you know, like hitting through the ball in a way that you don't always see and not letting the match come to him, but taking it on. And if he's doing all of those things, and if he gets his serve, you know, fully firing, like he's, you know, that's the sort of tennis that people look at and think that could win a Grand Slam. But he just so rarely brings it in the latter stages of the Grand Slams. But yeah, he's right where he wants to be right now. and Medvedev, yeah, he's got a build. It's up to him to find the form and Lerner Tien is still lurking in his section as well.
19:51Catherine Whitaker:Like both of them have got players who've beaten them before and been threats to them in their sections. It's quite delicious actually, that, isn't it? And actually like that's the theme of this tournament so far. So few upsets. We have barely had any, you know, like we've got so many of the top seeds still here. like in both the women's and the men's and therefore what you want is for the big matchups to happen. You don't really want to sort of lose a couple in the next couple of rounds because otherwise you haven't really got the fun of the early upsets but we want the payoff now of the big matches and the matches that we know are intriguing and Medvedev-TN is jumping out to me ever since the draw was made that was possible and I thought right I want to see it and TN's looking really good as well.
20:37Four sets for him today against Alexander Shevchenko But in the three sets that he won He only lost three games
20:44Catherine Whitaker:Yeah, and I must say The latter half of this match was Massively compromised Because Shevchenko could Could barely move There's been quite a lot of that To be quite honest There has been a lot of that See previous discussions about Scheduling and the calendar And five sets You know, it's all wrapped up in that And the lack of the long off-season but I did like what I saw from Tien in the bits where it was more of a match. I think he probably should have won the second set. He sort of lost his way a little bit there but got over it well. He's got Borges next who ended the dreams of a potential sensation of the day.
21:27More on that later. So we've got a Nuno Borges and a Fabian Marijan standing in the way of Medvedev Tien in the fourth round.
21:37Matt Roberts:Alex de Menor weathered a little bit of a storm tonight against Hamad Majedovic it certainly felt like a storm when he lost the first set on the tie break but I was a bit alarmed, David at how quickly and violently Majedovic faded in this match he seemed to go reverse one point slam he seemed to go from winning that first set to just not being a threat at all in the space of a few games
22:05David Law:Yeah, and I think that that is the story of his career so far as a pro, because he burst on the scene winning those next-gen finals. He beat Art of Fiesel on the way there. He really looked the business, and it has taken time for him to even get to where he is right now. I remember speaking to him for tennis podcast meets at Roland Garros last year, and he was accepting that. He said, I am not where I thought I would be right now. I thought I'd be further along than this. And he was building. He was trying to work it all out. And actually, the day after I spoke to him, he retired during a match due to injury.
22:44David Law:There's been a lot of that. He's often struggled in conditions if it's hot. He's a big guy. He's carrying a lot of sort of muscle around with him. You know, I don't think it's the easiest thing in the world sometimes. I think he's had injuries, but he's explosive. He's like a boxer with a punch. he's one of those sort of guys a sort of knockout artist type player and that's what he brought to Rodleiv Arena and I think he got the locals worried because if there's one thing Dimon doesn't have it's that he doesn't have he's he's kind of absolutely maxing out his game and he has put some power and assertiveness into it but if you if you connect you can bully him still and that's what Majedovic did he also marries that with a very nice drop shot which the difference is though he massively overplays it and he particularly overplays it when he's starting to bail out and get tired and get ground down and and I think some of the ones he threw in in the latter three sets of that match were just ridiculous I mean they're not going to come off and um there were there were proper bailouts and and and Dimonor showed what a what a pro he is what a great mover he is and eventually he just outlasted him.
24:01Catherine Whitaker:Yeah, it felt like one of those where, okay, he lost the first set to Menor but it had gone 7-6 and he's thinking, I can do that five more times. Can you? And he emphatically couldn't. He couldn't do that one more time. Right, yeah. I was impressed by how composed Menor stayed there because there was a slightly eerie feeling on Rod Laver when he just wasn't getting into any of Mujedovic's service games. They didn't have any spark to go off, you know, because he was just rolling through the Mujedovic in that first set. But I felt like, from a Dimonor perspective, he always had that under control, really, I think, given the five-set format.
24:43Looking like it's going to be Francis Tiafoe for Dimonor in round three. Although when I wrote that into the agenda, Tiafoe's two sets to Lavar, and it looks like he's about to go two sets to one with Francisco Comissania. So we'll keep you posted. Still likely to be Tiafoe. He's got a good head-to-head against Tiafoe, Dumanor. It sort of sounds tricky on paper, but I think I would really back Dumanor there personally. I do think a potential worry for him though is Alexander Bublik who would be his fourth round opponent another comfortable muss and fuss free straight sets victory for Bublik David
25:25David Law:you know both of those two potential opponents are matches I'd like to see on Rod Laverina against Dimonor I think if you're going to see the best of Tiafoe if you're going to see the best of Bublik it's gonna be in front of a big crowd um but but you're right i mean that this wasn't a big crowd this was him against martin fucivich not a big name somebody's expected to to beat who when public was asked about him in the little gathering i attended a few nights ago was very respectful about fucivich as somebody who's played for years and years but he was clearly unworried by him in as much as if there's a business-likeness to him as far as Bublik's ever going to go.
Read the full transcript
26:09David Law:He's never going to admit to that, but he knows how to turn up now most of the time. And when he does, he's got the beating of people like that. And I think in the past he might have lost to them because he didn't turn up. So he's an interesting little sort of wild card that's just been thrown into the Australian Open in a way. Yeah, big time. it's such a very next for Bublik you'd expect him to to come through that on the basis of form I would yeah Tommy Paul has set up a meeting with Alejandro Davidovich Fikina fun third round meeting this one and Alejandro Davidovich Fikina delivered value for money today I think beating Riley Apelka in five sets during the course of which he cursed USA douchebags okay what set that off I wonder there were chants of USA USA okay and he said it in Spanish yeah I did see the umpire come out of his chair and go up to some spectators in the front row and have a word and then came back to his chair this was on the request of Davidovic Fikina I think and then the umpire said over the microphone please be fair to both players to the crowd.
27:29There was a lot of that chest, BT, USA stuff, which, you know, I'm sure is harmless but isn't for everyone. I can vouch for that. Okay. That's fun though, isn't it? Paul against Davidovic Vakina. Very fun. That's very Matt Roberts coded. Repeat of a year ago
27:48David Law:but when Davidovic Vakina was out on his last legs he just played two five setters and he lost one, one and one. Yeah. But like in theory if they're both fit, which I think they are, shot makers, good movers, great athletes, both a little bit flaky as well at times. Like there'll be chances coming and going, I think. Like, I think that'll be a really good watch.
28:12Matt Roberts:Yeah, same. Okay, that's it for part one. Join us in part two when we'll talk about the women's draw in the matches that we've seen today. But first, of course, an important word from our sponsors of this episode, and every episode of the tennis podcast throughout the Australian Open, it is, of course, Steve Fergal's International Tennis Tours, the premium hospitality and experience provider. And, of course, Steve Fergal's International Tennis Tours is also an official provider of ticket and travel packages for David Roland Garros, 2026. Steve Fergal's offered tennis fans a trusted way to experience one of the sport's most iconic tournaments in Paris.
28:57Matt Roberts:And tennis podcast listeners can save 10 % on those Roland Garros packages featuring official tickets, access to premium hospitality options if that's the way that you want to do it. There's so many different ways to do a Grand Slam and Steve Urgels can cater to any one of those and they can do it in a secure and official way and with 10 % off. So if you fancy a trip to Paris in the springtime, who wouldn't? Go to tours4tennis.com forward slash podcast. That is tours, the number four, tennis.com forward slash podcast and save 10 % with the code Paris10. Welcome back to part two of today's tennis podcast where Jasmine Paolini has resumed with Magdalena Freck on an entirely different court.
29:48She's over on the John Kane Arena.
29:50Matt Roberts:Priscilla Hon doesn't seem much bothered about winning sensation of the day. She is down 4-1 to Eva Jovic. More as we have it. Should we talk about Irina Sabalenka? Or maybe there's not much to say about Irina Sabalenka. Is this a kind of situation like we had with Yannick Sinner yesterday? Similarly, yeah. Sabalenka was Sabalenka. She's so good that we don't learn much about her from these kind of matches. is all due respect to her opponent today, they were playing different sports.
30:23David Law:There are a lot of parallels, I think, to draw between Sabalenka and Sinner generally over the last couple of years. They don't lose matches here in Australia, do they? And not very often. And they actually look more of a threat here than anywhere and they're both great everywhere. But yeah, she is just taking care of business and steps up, deals out her game, and it feels so reliable. You know, you might beat her, but you absolutely have to beat her. And in these early rounds, yeah, she doesn't look in trouble at all. It's Anastasia Potopova for her next, the world number 54 from Russia. A lot of people might have expecting that to be Emma Raducanu.
31:09Certainly that was the seeded third round matchup that we circled when the draw came out. Well, I'm afraid no chance of that. Potapova beat Raducanu today, 7-6, 6-2 in a... Look, I can't dress this up. I commentated this match. It was pretty horrible. Like, I don't think Sabalenka will be quaking in her boots about Potapova on the basis of this match, quite frankly, because Emma Raducanu was a shadow of herself, honestly. it was a really dispiriting performance. It was poor quality in the first set. And then by midway through the second set, I think Raducanu had pretty much given up on things.
31:56And I went to a press conference afterwards and she was, you know, very, very dejected, exactly as I was expecting. And I was very interested in what she might say about her setup, about her coaching situation, because there's clearly unsettlement there. She's got Francisco Roig. Obviously, she's been working with him for, what, about seven months now, which for Emma Adekanu and the approach that we know she has to coaches is a fairly long stint. And when I was in Perth and Team GB were there, I was hearing pretty positive things about the way their partnership was going. I observed them in the player lounge quite a few times and he seemed to be sort of gelling with the team and with Tim Henman really well and it seemed like a decent vibe to me but there was just that one moment in the match that Raducanu played against Maria Sakharie where Roig had been telling her that there was the Roig-Henman double act wasn't there during that match the coaching double act where they were sort of inputting lots of information.
33:07Tim was mostly vibe based Roy was telling her to put shape on the ball and that there was one point at the start of the second set where she seemed to say I don't want to hear anything more about putting shape on the ball just pipe down and let me do my thing and she started just swinging and hitting freely and she played a great set now she went she ended up losing that match she faded physically in the third set but it made me think well that's not a good sign for whatever you're working on with your coach that you've played your best tennis when you've explicitly ignored what he's had to tell you but then the vibe seemed to be good everybody's sort of saying oh you know things are positive from the camp but then then you watch this performance Matt and you see the radicani forehand which she told us about before the tournament what she's been trying to do and and not to do with that forehand and it was a catastrophe today like whatever they've been trying to do it's so patently not the right thing to do lengthening that swing making it loopier Every expert that I've spoken to says in 2026, you don't lengthen swings.
34:27You shorten swings if you possibly can. And I mean, she looked like she didn't have a forehand today. It was disastrous. Like, it's rare you see such a tangible change in a player as a result of working with a particular coach. and for it to be so catastrophic. Like, I don't think there's any way to dress it up. And I think Emma Raducanu sees it that way too on the basis of what she said in the press conference afterwards. Yeah, what you sometimes see is players using a different technique as a kind of stopgap measure en route to something better that they're working on. and there's a plan and there's a recognition that, OK, I'm going to have to take a step back now in order to take some steps forward.
35:25That is pretty common. But that's not what this is. This is, OK, I know that their preparation over the off-season has been extremely cut back and hampered by the fact that she wasn't able to hit for quite a long time, all of that, and she spoke well about that and provided important context and perspective of why it's not a disaster. but what it does strike me as is extremely careless to have allowed this to happen to the forehand which has never been her best shot but is now noticeably worse than what it was and to come into a grand slam tournament with that kind of preparation just doesn't just doesn't feel right plus the way she's talking about her identity as a player and saying that she wants to get back to hitting the ball big and taking it on and rather than playing with variety now i happen to think that she shouldn't be abandoning the variety altogether i think she's maybe playing with the wrong type of variety she's mostly playing with shape you know and different pace on the ball i think she could really use her slice more and use that kind of variety and and mix the game up in other ways.
36:43I don't think Emerita Karno should abandon variety, because quite frankly, I think she's going to realise that there are players who hit the ball an awful lot harder than her, even if she's going for it more, and that is not going to have the success that it had a few years ago at the US Open when she played the best tennis she's ever played, and in those conditions it just really worked. She was taking the ball early. I just don't think she's going to be able to necessarily do that again. So I think she does need to keep the variety in her game, not abandon it completely. But clearly there's a bit of a crisis of identity of what she is as a tennis player and seems to be some disagreement with the coach there.
37:23It's not sounding good. I'm not talking about personal relationships. I've got absolutely no reason to feel like a personal relationship is broken down. But they don't seem to be on the same page necessarily. and that's that's a bit of a worry I would have thought honestly I would be shocked if we don't get an announcement about Francisco Roig soon and on the basis of what I've seen and heard like I'm kind of hoping for that like it's clearly it's clearly not right for the the kind of tennis player that Emma Raducani wants to be and tennis is about expressing it's such a human sport I think it's about expressing your identity on the court and I think that's why one of the reasons why there's so much struggle for for players that have success so young before they know what their identity is as a as a person I mean I think what it takes to be a professional tennis player kind of prevents you from figuring out who you are as a person but that's a whole that's a whole other thing but she talked about wanting to get back to the way she used to play and basically hating the way she's been playing tennis recently.
38:42And it's very tangibly the input of Francisco Roig, I think, who wants her to play kind of a more clay court game. And it makes sense that that would be the kind of tennis that he wants to see. But it's clearly not right for Amarada Karnou. And it's just a bit bizarre to me that this has been one of her longer coaching relationships. She's given this one more time than some of the others. yeah it was very it was dispiriting today um and i yeah i i hope i hope to see her in a better place in all regards soon and yeah i would i would watch this space for what you might have to watch very hard i'm sure you'll hear about it everywhere but i would expect uh an announcement from that camp um winner of that round three match incidentally between sabalenka and potopova plays the winner of Mboko against Towson.
39:40Oh, hello. When's that on? Well, two days from now, when Matt's parents are here. Yes. They are anxious about what they might see. What tickets have they got? Day session, second call. Lovely, lovely pair of tickets. They'll have a great time. Don't feel sorry for them. Matt's dad thinks he might have a Cameron Norrie curse. he could say not come halfway around the world to see Gary Nurem
40:13but yeah they might see Mboko Towson which would be incredible it would who do you think Sabalenka would rather wins that that's a good question
40:24David Law:because I don't recall her playing Mboko maybe they have but I don't remember that much and the unknown of Mboko and the potential of Mboko has the potential to make her a little bit anxious. I don't think San Blanco goes into any match feeling anxious initially because she just expects to dominate. But I think in terms of when you get out there and see somebody move in the way Mboku can and counterattacking with her backhand in particular and being forceful with the forehand, that is a match I would love to see. At the same time, she has a history against Towson and it's not all good. you know that Towson has got to her in the past with her own power I think she'd probably prefer Towson though because she'd probably prefer to just stand and duke it out interesting I was going to say I think she'd prefer Mboko really interesting why is that because that the power
41:20Catherine Whitaker:issue yeah I do think Towson is one of the few who whose power does worry her a bit I think I think she'd beat both of them to be quite honest I don't actually think she'd be that bothered but Just thinking about the matchup. Come on, hype it up, Matt. Just thinking about the matchup.
41:37Matt Roberts:Towson's a bit more Anisimovary. Yeah, and a bit more keys last year in the final. Okay, she's not as good as those players. I don't know. I just think Mboko's such a work in progress still. And there's more weaknesses maybe that I think Saberlanker could exploit. But, yeah, it's a very good third round match, that one. Who do you think she will play against? Who do you think will win that? I've not seen Towson this tournament, I'll be honest. I don't actually have any sense of what form she's in whatsoever. 7-5 in the third against Kudematova today. It's a real marathon. Right. Matt, the Giacomo fun has ended.
42:22Matt Roberts:Didn't watch a ball. Wasn't that fun to me? I turned that on and they were shaking hands. I know. It was such a disappointment. It was 6-1, 6-2 or something like that. Before I'd even really registered that it was happening, it was over. Yeah, I saw one screenshot for this match, and Giacomo was bent double over the hoardings at the side.
42:41Catherine Whitaker:Yeah. It didn't look fun. So, well played Julia Putin's saver. She now plays Zenip Sonmez, who backed up her round one win.
42:50Matt Roberts:She's through to round three for the first time. It's her second, third round at a slam. so she'd already become the first Turkish player to reach round three of a slam but she's done it again and that's brilliant.
43:04David Law:And the scenes Catherine I turned it on for the scenes at the end and honestly it makes you just feel good to see the number of fans, the number of flags the outpouring of emotion and how much it means to her too you know this is a great news story for for the sport, really, in the early stages of a Grand Slam. Yeah, I don't think Yulia Putin's saviour is going to enjoy those scenes all that much. That could get a bit tasty, couldn't it? I think. I hope so. You know, her against the fans. It could be fun, that. Yes, how do you say, vamos a la playa in Turkish?
43:46Matt Roberts:Coco Goff today, 2-2 against Olga Danilovic. Matt, you said she was awesome. She was, yes. I don't know whether it's a new segment, but we talked yesterday about most convincing player and gave that to Ben Shelton. And I'd probably have a tie with this one today between Goff and Andreeva. I thought both of them were brilliant. And Goff against Danilovic just gave her nothing. She was miserly Coco Goff. Like just no errors. Just said to Olga Danilovic, come on then, try and hit through me and my movement. And also I'm going to move you around. It was just a complete performance from Goff. Like we so often, I think naturally we focus a lot on the Coco Goff serve, but I was thinking today about the Coco Goff return.
44:32And like, yes, you can get into the Coco Goff service games often, but you're also very often on the back foot on your own serve. And she's just applying pressure constantly. And I think it must just be such a nightmare to play. and these are her favourite conditions, aren't they? Day sessions, sun beating down. Yeah, I thought she was excellent today. Hayley Baptiste next for Coco Goff.
44:59Matt Roberts:Alina Svitolina was very comfortable today. She set up a meeting with Diana Schneider in the third round, which will be awkward because Schneider, of course, a Russian player, played in the Gazprom event at the end of last year. We'll tell you more about how Schneider booked her place in round three. In part three of today's show, Mira Andreva, love and four for her against Maria Zachary, continuing to look like she's playing tennis on a slightly different plane to everybody else. And of course, winning this first set, six love makes it back to back six love sets because that's how she ended the match against Donna Vekic.
45:41Matt Roberts:And I feel like there were two wins in this for Mira Andreva. there was the fact that she sort of net played brilliantly like she's obviously in fantastic form and feeling confident but also the fact that she did have a a period of peril in the second set when the crowd really got on her back the the enormous greek community here in melbourne And Zachary was having a terrible time. She was in peak underdog mode. And Andreeva gave the Greek fans something to get their teeth into. And they ran with it. And they were really going for it. And Andreeva was in an extremely miniature version of the situation she was in in Paris with Lois Boisson.
46:30Obviously, nothing quite like that. Maybe nothing will ever be quite like that again. but and I asked her and Drava about this in the press conference afterwards like did you specifically make a concerted effort to deal with it differently today to learn from moments like that from from last year and it was it was a resounding yes she talked about techniques I didn't get a chance to ask her specific techniques maybe maybe in a future press conference but like I think coming through a situation like that and proving that she's learned from what she went through in Paris last year is sort of just as big a win as how well she's played.
47:19Yeah, I would agree with that. look it was definitely not at all like Paris because A she was playing well she was playing really well today so in control of her game she was also playing someone who I think fed into her game style you know Zachary likes to put pace on the ball and Andreia can just manoeuvre that around my lasting image of that first set will be Andreeva standing still, basically, in the middle of the court and just constructing points and moving Ria Sakuri all over the place. She just had the ball on a string. So game style-wise, whereas Boisson was always messing Andreeva up and giving her no pace and giving her a moon ball and suddenly giving her loads of pace.
48:10It was just a nightmare. And the crowd was nowhere near as bad as Roland Garros. But what I thought was interesting is that 6-love is such an interesting scoreline. Like, we've heard Taylor Fritz talk about this sometimes winning a set six love can actually work to your disadvantage because it does get the crowd more on side with the person who's lost it it does maybe let the person who's lost it swing away a little bit and it especially if that person is Maria Zachary right who loves being down in the score she suddenly starts playing better and she did so situationally Andreva did have quite a lot to deal with here in terms of her temperament because Zachary did start playing better.
48:54The crowd did start getting much more on her side and against Andreva. So there was a lot going on and she dealt with it all brilliantly. There was not a moment where I thought she was going to lose her way. She was doing little things like after winning the first point of a game saying, come on, you know, just like just like putting it out there that she was present and in that game and ready to win it. just applying little bits of pressure that way I thought was a very mature performance very controlled obviously she hit her backhand like a dream the forehand's got a little bit more punch on it I think increasingly she's serving a lot bigger than she was this time last year big weapon that serve like it's all coming together for Andre but this was a great performance and she said didn't she in the press conference that she knew in the warm up today day she was like i knew i was so good in the warm-up and i think she meant not just warm-up on court earlier earlier in the day she was like i've never never played that well in a warm-up yeah which i love that she's a gift she's got um elena gabriella russa next who again
50:04Matt Roberts:spoiled spoiled some sensation hopes uh carolina mukova bit of a thriller against alicia parks 6-4 in the third. This was Suspondue at 4-2. Juice in the third set. There was a hindrance drama for Mukova. There was. I went out for the deciding set of this one on a very cold and very windy 1573 arena. And look, my expectations of parks in those conditions are low. Right? I think of her as someone much preferring indoor conditions where everything is controlled and she can hit the ball flat and hard. And actually, I thought she had started in this match playing really well and kept on playing really well.
50:50It was a good quality match, this one. But yes, Mukova got an early break in that third set and then serving at 2-1, Mukova hit what she thought was a winner mid-rally and celebrated it mid-rally, only for Parks to get it back. Mukova did a whole, come on, mid-rally. And the umpire, Fair Play, called it straight away and called it correctly. It was a very clear hindrance, and Mukova knew it. She didn't object at all. She realized what she'd done in the moment, but it did add some real drama, because suddenly it's like, well, you've got to come through this game now, because if you end up losing the game because you've celebrated mid-rally, that could be a real momentum swinger, you know, how these things work.
51:39And embarrassing. And embarrassing. But honestly, like, as good as Parks was, she hit so many balls in the net. Like, she hits no margin for error, and it's a flat hit, and against the mook of a slice, which stays so low, She didn't seem to be compensating for that quite enough. I don't want to be harsh on parts, because I think she's really played well this tournament, dealing with Ayala, pushing Mukovo. I think this has actually been a big step forward for her, because her results have not really matched up with that sort of talent level that I think she does possess. But she was good today, but Mukovo was better.
52:21And great still to have Mukovo in the tournament and looking as sharp as she is.
52:29Matt Roberts:Jasmine Paolini is at match point against Magdalena Freck. Looks like she's going to make it through to round three. She awaits the winner of Priscilla Hon and Eva Jovic. More on that in part three. Welcome back to part three of today's tennis podcast, where we have a sensation of the day dilemma on our hands. can I first go through with you what my proposals are for people that aren't in the running by all means let's write a few off Ayla Tomlianovic lost in straight sets to Elena Gabriela Rusa not in the running yep sorry Ayla Storm Hunter the lovely Storm Hunter I'm afraid lost in straight sets to Hayley Baptiste not in the running no doesn't sound how many games did she here?
53:15Not enough. Not enough. Okay. No. Gone. Storm Hunter gone. Afraid so. Tomo. The Australian Open is just too woke for Tomo. He lost in four sets to Nuno Borges. Out of the running. Won a set. I'm afraid in... Clubhouse leader. No. Gone. No. Gone. Have a nice flight home. So what we're left with folks is Priscilla Hon who is fighting back fighting unfortunately fighting back oh she has just lost her break and posing a real problem for us she's lost the first set 6-1 to Eva Jovic it is 2-1 Hon
54:02Matt Roberts:in the second set as we come to you so we've got that and we've got Talia Gibson having three match points against Diana Schneider oh I think yeah Talia Gibson definitely I was watching that earlier She was good. She was, but she did lose, and Priscilla Hon might still win. So our options are to give it to Talia Gibson and be prepared to eat humble pie and issue an apology to Priscilla Hon tomorrow. Defer Sensation of the Day till tomorrow and do two awards tomorrow. Two Sensation of the Day! Or just to give it to Priscilla Hon for being on the Rod Laver Arena. No, we're not doing that. Okay, so which of the other two options would we like?
54:44I'd like to defer. I want to give two tomorrow because, you know, we've got to give Priscilla the chance here. Matt? That means we need two sensations to win tomorrow. No, no, because today's will be, the first one from tomorrow will either be Talia Gibson or Priscilla Hon. Okay. So you are prepared to hand out sensation of the day for Gibson. Yeah. A day late. She's currently got it. It's like predictions points if they're aimed off. Okay. yeah I can do that yeah I would say I would say at the time of recording she's got it Talia Gibson yeah it what a heartbreak I mean she might need it but I would love for Han to come back and grab it tomorrow yeah okay we need to defer don't we yeah we definitely do you're right okay tune in tomorrow folks they already know that's so true
55:40Matt Roberts:okay I'm going to go through the order of play for tomorrow. And what I'm also going to do is over the course of this order of play, you're going to guess which match I'm commentating on tomorrow from my facial expressions, okay?
55:54Catherine Whitaker:This is a fun game. I'm game, yeah. I got the schedule through just before we started recording and I thought, I know. Okay, Rod Laver Arena starts with Jessica Bagula
56:04Matt Roberts:against McCartney Kessler. Yeah, you're not doing that match. Second on the Rod Laver Arena tomorrow and in the day session, which is interesting because we know Djokovic gets what he asks for here. Suspect that means he wants night session on Saturday when it's due to be incredibly hot. Yeah, that makes sense. Yeah, so he's got Francesco Maestrelli, the Italian qualifier in the day session tomorrow. Night session on Leiva is James Duckworth against Yannick Sinner. Go with God, James. and second up we have Elena Rabachina against Bavara Gracheva over on the second court we start with an all Italian affair between Lorenzo Mazzetti and Lorenzo Sonnego second up Katarina Siniarkova against Amanda Anisimo are you feeling confident about that Matt?
56:55Catherine Whitaker:I am yes
56:56Matt Roberts:yeah as you should be night session Naomi Osaka against Sarana Castella and finally Jaume Munar and Kasper Rude didn't they play last year?
57:08Catherine Whitaker:They did. First round, I believe. And wasn't it fun? Yes, we all went out to Rod Laver Arena and then it decidedly got unfun. But before then, it had been great. We went in just in the wrong moment. But in hindsight, it was a sign of the new Munar. Yeah, it was.
57:25Matt Roberts:John Kane are in the tomorrow. Ashlyn Kruger against Madison Key. Second up is Dane Sweeney. He was on Channel 9 build-up this morning and I quite like Dane Sweeney. he speaks really well he's a nice chap isn't he I think he's going to lose sorry TJ who spent a lot of time bigging up his chances Ben Shelton I mean probably isn't he because Shelton always does the business at these slabs but he was talking about how that first round prize money is already going to change his life and hopefully his career good on him night session on John Kane is Marie Buskova taking on Igor Svontek And finally, Vic Capriva against Taylor Fritz.
58:08Matt Roberts:Kia Arena tomorrow. Rinki Hidjakarta against Valentin Vashiro. Very David Coded. I nearly went for that in the predictions, and then I backed out. For Rinki? Yes. Well, I got burned by predicting Vashiro to lose. I don't think there's enough sample size either way with Vashiro. He's lost in the doubles. He was playing with Rindiknes, which was fun, But only very briefly, they got a tough draw and they lost today. Nozkova against Taylor Preston on the Kia Arena tomorrow. So a contender there for sensation of the day is going to be tough against Nozkova, though. I think she's an underrated threat.
58:48Matt Roberts:We have Arthur Gea. What did we decide on? Gea. Gea. Thank you for your service. Arthur Gea aiming to end the Stamron Rinka fun. That is third on Kia tomorrow. And then we have a big sensation situation finally on Kia. We have some doubles. It's Kyrgios and Hocanakis against Kubla and Polmans. That is four Australian wildcards all on the same court. Is there a point that we end up giving doubles teams sensation of the day when there's no singles left? Yeah, that point's probably coming quite soon because we've ruled Alex de Menor ineligible. so yeah too good for the sensation of the day 1573 arena tomorrow you've got Paolo Bedosa you've got Hubert Hercatch against Ethan Quinn we've got Elisa Mertens against Mojuka Uchijima and we have Denis Shapovalov against Marin Cilic I nearly went for this in the predictions as well but then I didn't know who to go for ANZ arena tomorrow oh I know what you're commentating on starts with Karen Hashinov against Nishesh Basavaredi a nice little appetiser I've never seen you as excited about Karen Hasha.
59:59Oh, you're not talking about him. No, that's the appetizer. Before, Madison Inglis, the potential sensation against Laura Siegmund. So that's what you come and say to me. That's the one, isn't it? It's the one. And that's what I've gone for in the predictions. Who have you predicted? Find out in the newsletter. I think you'll have fun. Do you? It'll be a vibe. It'll be a vibe. It'll be perfect. And really, vibe is what I want above all else. There will be lots of moments where you're annoyed. Yep. As will thousands of other people be. And you'll get all the flashbacks to the Siegmund commentaries you were doing last year when you did about five in a month.
1:00:45But I think it'll be quite fun, that one. Siegmund's Catherine's guilty pleasure, really.
1:00:52Matt Roberts:she's so complicated for me though because there's so much that I like but it's all cancelled out by the FAF
1:01:03Matt Roberts:Mahachigan Sitsipas is third on A &E tomorrow that's going to be fun and Barton Kovar who took out Daria Kazekina last night after we finished recording she's a good player Barton Kovar but that's a tough pill to swallow for Kazakina here playing a home slam for the first time but Barton Kovic against Belinda Bencic, that could be a late one on ANZ tomorrow, you've got Baez against Darderi Ostopenko is on court 6 tomorrow the bar court, someone's having fun with that, Janice Chen against Karolina Pliskova David, court 7 and that's where you'll also find Bertic, Bertic van de Zandtrup against Jerry Shang He'll have his orange clad fans with him I might go in disguise he's a hit but I won't because it'll clash with Laura Segment Frivirtova against Valantova last on court seven that is all happening tomorrow Peyton Stearns against Marcinko Anakalinskaya Wuyi Bing he's in your fantasy team Matt isn't he
1:02:08Catherine Whitaker:he sure is he's got Elliot Spitseri I'm calling that a good draw Spitseri he's the chap who beats Fonseca yeah Yeah, so he's had a good Australian Open so far.
1:02:23Matt Roberts:Okay, that is all tomorrow. I'm sure you'll be with me, whatever time of the night it is for you, to watch Laura Siegmund against Madison Inglis. I'm talking to the listener there, not to you. I absolutely don't expect you to put yourself through Inglis against Siegmund. I'll be there. Thank you, David. I'll be watching an issabove. Wish you luck. Do you know who will be with me? Gus. Always with us. Always staring into my soul. Bodhi, my mascot, will be with me. Unless Bodhi... Do you know what, Bodhi? If you don't fancy Laura Segment, I give you a pass. Dogs are loyal, though, aren't they? They are.
1:03:04They are.
1:03:06Matt Roberts:Maisie, Roger, hello to you. Hello to our executive producers and all-around top folks, Greg, Chris and Geoff. Matt, should we have some shout-outs? We have Tristan Amy from Pennsylvania Hello Tristan Hi Tristan We know Tristan Tristan says surprisingly there are two I'm aware of Both are spelled the same as myself Tristan Shawhatte naturally And Tristan Boyer Yes Who I saw in the one point slam qualifiers How did he get on? He I think came through the two qualifying rounds that I saw but then lost out in the further qualifying session the following morning. He certainly didn't make the final, did he?
1:03:53No. But I learned what he looked like, which is, you know, could be handy at some point in the future. But thank you, Tristan, for allowing us to think about Tristan Shulhate and to say that name. What a treat. We've also got Marianne Brooks. Hello, Marianne. Hi, Marianne. from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Makes me think of the film Splash, Cape Cod. Yeah. And Marianne says, thanks to your heartfelt tennis relived on Bud Collins, I learned of tennis player Marianne, same church, different pew, Marianne says, Marianne Eisel, who was defeated by 16-year-old Chris Evert at the 1971 US Open. Well, that's wonderful.
1:04:41Oh. Thank you, Marianne. And I'm very grateful for that because I was mentally struggling to think of a Marianne. So that's wonderful. Thank you. And finally, we have Pamela Hood. Hello, Pamela. Hi, Pamela. From near Glasgow. Right. And Pamela says, I came to Shoreditch for the live show last year and loved every minute. What a legend.
1:05:05Matt Roberts:like Pamela Howard Shriver who came to visit us in the media workroom earlier and made our days and no I've driven myself down a cul-de-sac there Hood like the traitors I can't stop thinking about the traitors we'll be watching it soon there was a doubles player from Argentina called Mariana Hood so there you go I've almost gotten a Marianne and I've got a hood He's pulled it out of the bag. That is huge. Do you want to Google it to make sure it's real? Unbelievable. I'm pretty sure it is. Matt, if you could Google long enough for Eva Jovic to get over the finish line, she's now a break up in the second set, then we could just get sensation of the day out of the way.
1:05:52But no. It's looking good for Gibson. It is looking good for Gibson. But it would be a hollow victory. It would. I would love to give it to a winner. Yeah, well. They need to pull their finger out then, don't they?
1:06:06Matt Roberts:does look like Francis Tiafoe is going to win after dropping that third set as well so I feel like nothing we've said is going to go horribly out of date and we are safe to get this show off the road our Australian Open Day 4 tennis podcast will be back with Day 5 tomorrow we are part of the Athletic Podcast Network thank you for listening we'll speak to you tomorrow
From the publisher
Part one - Men’s results. We discuss Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev withstanding good performances from Yannick Hanfmann and Quentin Halys, Alex de Minaur weathering a bit of a storm on Laver, Alexander Zverev finding his best form, and the distinct lack of upsets so far.
Part two (29:38) - Women’s Results. We cover a dispiriting performance from Emma Raducanu and concerns over the direction of her game, as well as convincing wins for Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva.
Part three (52:41) - A Sensation of the Day dilemma and a look ahead to Day 5.
The Tennis Podcast throughout the Australian Open is sponsored by Steve Furgal’s International Tennis Tours - the Premium Hospitality and Experience Provider! For 10% off the best official ticket packages for Roland Garros, go to Tours4Tennis.com/Podcast, select your tickets and use the discount code Tennis10 at checkout.
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