French Open Day 11 - Sabalenka self-destructs in the wind

32:34There was a kind of saltiness to it that, oh, it's only happened because it's clay and that kind of thing. And maybe, but it's a perfectly legitimate way of playing and getting through this tournament. And she's caused so many players' problems with it. I think Sakiri is probably the only one who actually did get to grips with the game and got in a winning position. but then her own demons came in, Zachary, and we know how often she struggles from those sorts of positions. She must be kicking herself. But yeah, it's an absolutely wild semi-final. Schneider-Kvalinska. I mean, it would have been wild at the start of today.

33:17Yeah, one of those two is going to be a French Open finalist. We'll find out who tomorrow, just before we end part one. I just want to quickly go back to Sabalenka. Do each of you think she will solve this problem? She's 28 years old. She has four major titles. I know If doesn't exist, but she would have more without this problem. I don't know which ones exactly. I don't want to discredit anyone else's grand slams, but this has been a significant problem in her career at the sharp end of the slams. Do you think it will always, to some extent, hold her back a little from a Grand Slam tally that she could reach without it?

34:04Or do you think she will find a way to solve this? I think there might be a middle ground to that in as much as I think she will be accepting of the problem and try and really work on it. And I think she will improve it. Whether it will ever cost her huge matches again, I think is absolutely possible because I think it's difficult to completely take out of your game and your personality. But when I think of what she did with a serve when she had those terrible serve problems and she solved them and the fact that she did self-analyze a year ago when she said the things she said and she didn't do it today.

34:41I think she's sufficiently chastened by what happened on that court today that she's going to want to go back and watch it eventually. I think it'll be painful viewing for her. But I think she's got enough sort of self-awareness and realism to know that this wasn't just a bad day. This was her doing, really, I'm afraid. And she won't like that. And I think she will be big enough to want to go and improve it and will address it. Matt? I think it's pretty entrenched. I think it's pretty similar to that discussion about how something can be kind of your greatest strength and your greatest weakness.

35:23like I think I think it comes from the same place as her greatest strength which is the ability to dominate and the ability to play with such power and such ferocity it's it's what David talks about the line and I think it's always going to be there I think maybe she can get better at having fewer of these maybe but i'd be very surprised if we never saw this kind of thing again i mean this was exceptional in terms of the extent of it and just how drastic it was as we've discussed but sabalenka getting frustrated by conditions or not really being able to just calm down in some big matches personally i think we are going to keep seeing that and that's not to say she can't still achieve everything she wants to achieve right in terms of winning more majors and maybe winning even Roland Garrison Wimbledon I still think she could have this problem and achieve those things I don't think it's big enough to totally hold her back from all of that but I would say right now she's won one of the past six majors which you know considering her tour form considering how many finals she's been in in that run as well considering this opportunity is clearly the best player left in the draw you would have to say that in that period she's underperforming at these at these majors and i think she would say that you know we we see how gutted she is um and i i don't know i'm i'm not I'm not convinced that there's going to be like a wholesale change to how she is in these matches because I think it's pretty integral to her really.

37:23It does feel like we're going through a period at the top of the men's and women's games where Achilles' heels are being exposed, doesn't it? Sinner, obviously, the heat in his body. Alcaraz's injury, it looks like at the moment. Sabalenka, these mental meltdowns, Sviontek, this total loss of control in matches. It feels like, I don't know, it feels like we're just seeing the kryptonite of these great tennis players and champions. It feels like we're just seeing it in a very raw way at the moment. I mean, it's compelling narrative-wise. I mean, some sort of more compelling than others, like injuries, that's a bummer.

38:07and look I feel for Sabalenk with what happened today but sure as heck makes things interesting doesn't it these great dominant champions that have these these weaknesses that can cause them to lose from a set in 5-3 or two sets to love and 5-1 certainly keeps us on our toes doesn't it ok that is it for part one we are going to be back in part two to talk about Flavio Caballi and a shower anecdote. Welcome back to part two of today's tennis podcast on day 11 of this absolutely bonkers French Open. It is now 11.30pm. We're back at Tennis Podcast Towers and we've got the highly unusual situation of tennis already being done for the day before the clock has even struck midnight.

39:02Unfortunately, that's down to the bleakest of reasons, the Berrettini curse rearing its head once again and sending Matteo Arnaldi through to the semifinals where he will meet fellow Italian Flavio Caballi, who came from a set down to beat Felix Auger-Aliassime earlier in the day. David, talk us through this Kabbali-Oge Aliassim match, or rather two matches, because everything changed after the first set. Yeah, the first set was really tense. Both players, I felt, they were just trying to keep their feet underneath them and establish some ground. And I think Oge Aliassim did that the better of the two.

39:46And I'm not surprised about that because he's a very controlled player and personality. He's very level and balanced. And I think he just came out and sort of methodically went about his business. And Caballi is the opposite, really. He's electrifying when he's really on, but he can be pretty anxious at times as well. And that's sort of what was going on. He was sort of hanging on a bit. And then he lost that set. The wind was playing havoc too. You know, it was a run on from the match we'd seen with Sabalenka and Schneider a little earlier. It wasn't long afterwards. So the wind is still blowing around.

40:31End of the first set, Matt mentions that the roof is starting to come across. And I'm in the stadium. I hadn't even clocked that, to be honest. You'd seen that on the screen. And I looked up and sure enough, it's just sort of slowly creeping across as they start in the second set. and it wasn't raining you know it wasn't raining at all there was there was nothing in the area maybe a couple of drops but didn't didn't feel like there was a necessity at all wasn't going to affect play they were carrying on playing elsewhere I assumed therefore a massive one of those massive storms of yesterday is coming over and it didn't it didn't come at all in fact you All the other outside courts carried on playing in what ended up being bright sunshine all afternoon.

41:17There was no rain at all. So they put that roof on. I don't know why we've asked for this statement. We haven't had one. We were told we would get one to explain the roof policy and maybe even specifically about why these decisions were made, particularly in light of things that Sabalenka had said about her frustration of it not having been put on. So maybe it was a reaction to that. We just don't know. so suddenly you're in this situation where Ogiel Iassim breaks serve early on in the second set and is losing is winning a set in 3-1 and the roof's on and he's one of the best indoor players in the world so I'm thinking Kabaly is in real trouble here I don't I don't really see how he wins this match even though he was seen very agitated by the wind I thought okay well that might benefit him but it might benefit Ogiel Iassim more being indoors He loves the still conditions.

42:10He even talked about it the other day when I asked him about it. Immediately, though, Caballi broke back for 3-2 and just played that sort of turbo boost tennis that we've kind of hyped up this week of being what we think could be the difference in this match and maybe even might accelerate him all the way to the final and perhaps even the title. He was so fast around the ball, it's almost like he told his feet to move faster and just get around every ball, get it on the forehand if he possibly could and when he got it on the forehand don't give Oggeli a seam really a proper play on the ball he was unplayable for about the next four games just the crowd going bananas because I think probably a lot of people coming and got a ticket might not know too much about Flavio Caballi and then they're suddenly seeing kind of one of the best impersonations of Carlos Alcraz you could get in terms of speed around the court and power off off the forehand side.

43:05It really does take your breath away. And it jolted Felix. And he never really recovered. You know, the other sets were close. But Caballi, I don't know about you, I mean, Catherine, you arrived after that second set and sat with me to watch. Never really felt like Caballi was in any danger after that. He was in charge. No, I'm used to, including during this tournament, sort of fearing the worst from my guy, Flavio Caballi. Like, I have no doubts at all and never have, like, what he's capable of and what his ceiling is. I just have doubts about whether he will shit on his pants. Sorry, Dad. But I had this strange feeling of calm for him from the second set onwards in this match.

43:55It just, I mean, look, I've been wrong in this situation many times. throughout this tournament, including today. I had a sense of calm for Irina Sabalenka in the second match of the day. So I could have ended up being wrong, but I just felt like he's got this. I feel like he is growing into himself throughout this tournament. He's growing into being the favourite to reach the final. I don't feel like he's shying away from that or trying to, you know, he's doing the old one match at the time and it's only two matches, but it's a long way to go. But he told us in the post-match interview on court after the match, he said that he went to the bathroom after that first set.

44:45Can't resist a toilet mention in his on-court interviews. Went to the bathroom and had a word with himself in the mirror. And he said to himself, this is the chance of my life. and I asked him about this in the post-match press conference because I thought you're not just talking about the match there. You're talking about what this tournament looks like and represents to every man and woman, but, you know, every man left in it. And, you know, he gave the prudent answer about how no, I was talking about the match, but then he said, I know I'm close. He said two matches is a lot. it's a long way I'm not taking anything for granted but I thought that I know I'm close line was like just the right amount of I believe I can do this I like everything that I've seen and heard from Flavio Caballi I even think losing that first set could end up benefiting him feeling that pressure, turning things around I thought it was you know 10 out of 10 for Caballi today frankly Yeah, there was one moment for me in the third set where I was maybe a bit more worried than you two and he was already up a break.

46:02So it wasn't like a code red situation. But there was this point where Ogiali Asim hit this incredible little shot up the line. And to do so, he had to slide on the clay and he got clay all over the front of his shirt. But it was a shot that sort of seemed to just stun Caballi a little bit. And it also then led to Caballi making a load of errors in a row. He missed a forehand, he double-faulted, and he faced break-back points in that game at 4-3. And I just thought then that was the moment he needed to get through. And he held with some big forehands. And after that, I didn't really have any doubts about him at all.

46:49he didn't face a break point in the fourth set i mean talk about growth from just the other day against uh schwider when he was trying to close that one out you know and and and that thing you say catherine about him growing reminds me again i know i'm always banging on about it but i do think it is such an important caballi moment in his career the davis cup last year when at the opening press conference they're all sitting at the table the italian team and they're asked who's the leader in this team and caballi laughs and says well not me i'm the youngest even though everyone was sort of looking at him as the highest ranked player at the start of the week he didn't seem that comfortable in a kind of leadership role by the end of the week he had grown into it and okay berrettini was there with him and sort of had a had a leadership role but But Caballi took it on and took the weight on of trying to win that for Italy, almost just sensing his opportunity.

47:54And it seems like he's done a similar thing here, sensing that opportunity, not being afraid to talk about it, as you said, and really flourishing under these circumstances. And it's pretty amazing to see, actually. And the week after that, or shortly after that, he had an incredible Hulk tattoo. do this this guy learns and grows quickly then he lost to Jack Pennington Jones but you know we ride the roller coaster with with Flavio don't we and I know I keep doing this but seeing as you've already done it once in this discussion David the Alcaraz comparisons after that game that Matt's just described where he saved all those break points the finger to the ear and you know he talked on the court afterwards about how he's got a little gang of friends here with him in Paris kind of keeping him grounded and keeping some normality keeping up routine they do the same things every day they go to the same they go to the same restaurants you know it's all it's all you know obviously the game as well and how electric and explosive it is he's not Carlos Alcaraz but there are similarities there and he has spent a lot of time with him hasn't he yeah he has and i think on a young guy like flavio i think it rubs off a bit the the kind of joie de vivre about him as well i think all these things are quite useful for him because he's he's been a he's a slow burner compared to our cross you know he's not a phenomenon phenom like like he was he he he was a very talented footballer and i think he wasn't entirely sure what he's going to end up doing and all this sort of thing and then you could see how he'd got this kind of kid brother imposter syndrome we saw it in the match against nadal and he just couldn't play that time in barcelona when you know you can understand it it makes total sense really that the the abnormal one is an alcaraz um but he's really flourishing and coming into his own now i do i do agree with you about that davis cut that that that was huge and we've seen that many times before remember when djokovic and serbia won the day of his cup and then that's the season that kind of springboarded his following run of 40 odd match wins in a row and i think he's starting to believe yeah that this is doable for him i think it becomes very interesting now because whichever mateo he ended up getting i think was it is a different challenge arnaldi is somebody he was going to go side to side, toe to toe with him.

50:32And just, I think the rallies could be spectacular between those two because of their ability to run. You know, the crowds will be gasping. If it had been Berrettini, I think it would have been aura and emotional. It's his big brother. I think that that almost could, that could have been harder for him. If a fit Berrettini had been pushing his younger brother around and he's got to try to retaliate because he does view him as a brother in that way. So I think probably this is a better scenario and it can just be a tennis match. I mean, he mates with Arnaldi, but I don't think he'll have any issues putting that aside.

51:13I find it really exciting. I mean, I feel for Felix Ojele-Assim because he knows what a huge opportunity this would have been, like many of them have done, like Tiafa did the other day. And obviously Felix has been closer. I mean, they've both been to semis, but recently he's been close. And this was, you know, he was supposed to reach this final rankings-wise and kind of reputationally. All credit to Caballi, but I think this will really sort of sting for a bit. Yes, and he was very down in his press conference. You know, he's usually very measured, isn't he, Orjali Asim? And he was when he said this, but it was a lot more emotion really to him than you might normally get.

52:04And yeah, it sounds like he feels like he's at a bit of a crossroads, really. He said, I'm in a place right now in my career that's tough. I'm a little bit destroyed today. I usually handle losses pretty well. My whole career, I'll go back to training with optimism and positivity. But now I feel like I'm not the player I want to be. he says I tried to seize opportunities I wasn't up to it today my serve didn't have an impact the forehand didn't have an impact he found better solutions than me I'm 26 I'm becoming less patient with the years you know this is pretty it's existential stuff isn't it a bit like we heard from De Menor and I think people you know these players probably are feeling it more deeply at this tournament than ever before you know like sometimes if they take a hard loss they can explain it away and deep down they think well Sinu and Alcaraz I would have had to go go through both of them or Djokovic you know like this one you can't say that there's nowhere to hide and look we all thought Kabali would win today right it's not like it's not like a terrible loss for Felix Orsi Aliassime.

53:22But Felix should have thought that he would win today. Yes. And I think he did. And I think he did, yeah, based on how he's talking there. And they know that, okay, it's possible that this kind of slam will happen again. We talk about how precarious it is if you've just got a two. It only takes one injury and then a shock, which, you know, is not out of the question that it could happen again, but chances are it's not going to be many times and this has been a hell of an opportunity and, yeah, I think people are feeling it. And the young lads are coming. That's the other thing that this tournament has thrown up.

54:06Fonseca is getting better. There are others that are getting better. It's kind of like that slightly older generation of next guys, is Rude, Rublev, Orgelius, Seem, even Medvedev, I know he's a bit older, but they haven't been the ones to capitalise. And it's actually, you've got Kabali and Mensik who are here. And okay, Zverev's obviously in that older category and he might be the one to really capitalise and walk away with the trophy. But he's also a little bit separate just because of his consistency and how he has been closer to the top guys. But yeah, I think you're right. It does feel like there's a kind of shift happening and these younger guys, Hodor, Fonseca, Menshik, are on the tails of the likes of Felix.

55:00The knots you've tied yourself in to not say next gen. Tried so hard. And that was incredible. Well done. Matt, I promised the people a Flavio Caballi shower anecdote could you deliver the people a Flavio Caballi shower anecdote I mean definitely not as well as Flavio Caballi delivered it in his charming Italian accented English he was asked about superstitions wasn't he and the fact because he'd mentioned it on court and I first of all thought he was not really going to give an answer to this question because he said, oh, no, I don't really have any superstitions or not many. He said, I'm a little, I am a little, which made me think of, this might be the second time today I do some niche comedy quoting and no one goes with me.

55:58But there's that line from Michael Scott in the US office. He says, I'm not superstitious, but I am a little stitious.

56:08Thank you both for laughing this time. And then he mentions how he does like to go to the same shower in, you know, the locker room. And he said it's Rafa's shower. And he knows it's Rafa's shower because a few years ago he was in the shower and Nadal canocked, as he said. I love it so much. And told him to hurry up, basically, because Nadal wanted to get in the shower and he was waiting for him. And he said, he said, this has been my shower for 14 years. Can you imagine how much you'd shit on your pants that you're not wearing when Rafael Nadal knocks on and said, you're using my shower? I'd retire from tennis.

57:05It's a good superstition to have then, isn't it? because, you know, it works for Nadal. And, you know, this is going to be like Joe Conta's baking. If he wins the French Open, I just know the shower, using Nadal's shower, is going to lead a lot of the reporting. You can imagine the sun headlines, can't you? Nadal's shower carries Kabbali to Typhoon. Yeah.

57:34Just saying, everyone prepare yourselves. It was adorable. It was. It was. If I hadn't been a Caballi guy before Canocid, then I would have been won over in that moment. So Caballi through to a maiden Grand Slam semifinal where he will meet Matteo Arnaldi. Not much to talk about here in terms of tennis and competition because poor old Matteo Berrettini started to feel an issue with his left hip midway through the opening set. He had led three love with a double break, Berrettini, but it all started to fall apart quite quickly. Lost the first set, lost a marathon first set, 7-5, and ended up retiring 5-2 down in the second set, although the match looked over long before that.

58:25He was struggling, literally limping on Berrettini. his team in the box were very animated in telling him to stop. You can absolutely understand why Berrettini was reluctant to do that. He said it was worsening as he was playing. It was affecting his serve and his forehand. Says he's never had anything like this before. He's discovered a new injury. You would have thought he'd had kind of the full gamut by now. But no, this is something new and doesn't know how bad it is. He said, I'm just hoping the scan is clear and he must just, I mean, well, it's the curse, isn't it? But it's Groundhog Day for Matteo Berrettini.

59:10My heart breaks for him. Yeah, and it's obviously we don't know the reason it's happened and can establish definite cause and effect. But he's a big guy. He's a big guy who, when he pounds these courts, must be putting all sorts of stresses on his body parts, you know, and joints. And same for Jack Draper. We've seen it with him too. And it is terribly unlucky for Berrettini that he's had it happen so often at the big moments of his career. You know, he has managed some clear bills of health, got to a Wimbledon final. He's had a brilliant career. but it could have been so much more. And as he said, he made a real point to this in the press conference.

59:58It'd be okay if I lost, you know, in these matches. He could accept losing, but not being able to get to the finish line because of these things. It's just tough to take. Yeah. Yeah, it's just absolutely brutal. Hope he's okay on all fronts. Matteo Arnaldi, I mean, look, their mates, obviously, Arnaldi was not pleased to see what happened to Matteo Berrettini. He looked very distressed by it. But take the Berrettini of it all out of it. A short night at the office was what Matteo Arnaldi needs. He is still, with tonight's retirement, spent 19 hours and 32 minutes on court to reach this semifinal.

1:00:47and in the on-court interview afterwards, he said, I was a little bit more tired than usual. But then in his press conference, he said, oh, actually, I feel fine. He's a roadrunner, isn't he? Amazing watching him move about a court. Like I say, I'm really excited about watching him and Kabbali because they're such similar physiques and they rely on their legs so much. I think the crowds will just be jaws on the floor with what they're able to do in terms of getting to balls. They met in the second round of the French Open last year. A win for Caballi in four sets? Yes, like three sets that Caballi won weren't very tight and then a tight set that Arnaudi won.

1:01:37And I, you know, it's one of those where I do think Caballi's got more game he's got more firepower he's more explosive um i think he's got a serve that he can do more with you know i think that's going to be interesting for caballi over over the next well for his sake hopefully couple of rounds you know because he's he's now playing people with rock solid backhands whoever he faces out of arnoldi who he is playing and then either the Menshik or Zverev. And that kick serve that he's got going is going to look quite different, I think, coming back to him than it did against Orjali Asim today. You know, he just had an easy plan A to get points started, kicking the serve, which he does so well.

1:02:28I mean, there's one point where he literally put Orjali Asim in the flower beds at the side of the court. He stands so wide, doesn't he, to hit the serve. And Orjali Asim knows where it's going. And you sort of think, if you know where it's going, you should be able to deal with this, but it's so good. Like it's so well executed that, yeah, it must be humiliating. You're not far off watching him do that, standing out wide, and him kicking it as well to get even more angle to thinking, actually, that might even need to be an illegal shot because the guy cannot get it back. He can't, it's like impossible geometry.

1:03:14He can't get to the ball. I mean, obviously I'm exaggerating, but that's how it makes you feel. But Matt's right. I think particularly, I dare say the other players will have a decent play on that ball. But Zverev, for instance, he loves returning those. I mean, and Mensik. Really. I mean, you know, I'm fascinated. Zverev's taller, so he's got, you know, that advantage on the kick as well. but Menchik's backhand is, it's all very different to Felix Auger-Leassime, put it that way. Yeah. That was a regression today, wasn't it, on his backhand? Yeah, I thought so. Particularly given that I think his backhand often looks at its best indoors, where it's not just moving on him just before he hits it.

1:03:58He's got a bit of a flawed technique on it, really, and he needs it in the slot and indoors gives him that. But even when it was there today for him, he wasn't really able to make that many plays with it. But yeah, so I guess what I'm saying is that Arnaldi is going to make the rallies look different to what they did against Orjali Asim. And I think he doesn't quite have the backhand that Menn Schickles-Verev has. Well, he doesn't at all, but it's a good shot. It's a solid shot. And he's able to hit it down the line as well. You know, so it's going to be a test. It really is for Caballi. And he's also going in as the favourite in a Grand Sam semifinal, which he's never been in before.

1:04:47And that is pressure. I know we, you know, we're trusting him this tournament. We're believing in him. But I don't know, just until you see someone do something and handle it, there will just be something in the back of my mind thinking, is he actually going to keep it all together? I think he will. But it's by no means a given and Arnaud is a test. He was very pleased with himself the way he served it out today, wasn't he? And rightfully so. Absolutely. There were no shenanigans. He just went through that game. Yeah, statement stuff. Okay, that is it for part two. Join us in part three for a look ahead to tomorrow, Women's Semi-Finals Day.

1:05:28Welcome back to part three of today's tennis podcast. Looking ahead to tomorrow now. Oh, hang on. Muscataro of the Day. Do we want to bother? I think at this point we're... Has anyone had a positive experience with a French person today? No one bought us any beers. No. Anything else to report? I saw Stefan Uday play a match. He looked pretty good. Yes, you commented on how old he is. I know, but he looked happy afterwards. Trying to make up for that. Okay, so we got Alice and Pierre-Huguerbert, but Stefanoude did win in doubles today, lost in singles to his doubles partner, Martin de la Puente, but he won in doubles.

1:06:12So should we give it to Stefanoude? Yes, please. Okay. He's 55. It's a good effort. I'll say, yeah. Stefanoude, Musquitaire of the day. Tomorrow, it is women's semi-final day. It is also mixed doubles final day. suddenly one minute one minute you're in interminable round one and the next minute finals are happening this really is a salad spinner of a grand slam. Mixed doubles final tomorrow at midday on Chattier Sarah Irani and Andrea Vavasori, the conquerors of Edouard Roger Vasselin and Laura Siegmund today. They take on Gabby Dabrowski and Evan King. Then it is the women's single semifinals not before 3pm Marta Kosciuk taking on Mira Andrava and second up it is Deanna Schneider against Mayak Felinska I know predictions are a hospital pass I mean always but particularly this fortnight but I am going to ask for them anyway mixed doubles final included oh that's that's tricky that's that's Irani versus Dabrowski I've got, you know.

1:07:31I'll go Arani. I mean, I'm sort of into both of them. But I think Arani Vavasori, right? They're trying to defend their title, I believe. It was in this section last night that I said I could see no world where Ines Abelenka loses and then a little bit of wind and suddenly that world is very much here. So I'm going to try and be more deliberate and careful with my words tonight. I'm going to go Kostiuk I mean the other one I have absolutely no idea

1:08:12Schneider David I know it was mostly Sabalenka but I was impressed with Schneider today me too David yeah I'm going for the same I do feel particularly with Andreeva Kostya I think that could be an incredible match I think that's like the best match left in the singles tournament men and women for me I just think of all the matches I would have liked to have seen the draw that would have been right up there and I could make a really comfortable case for either one I think Andreeva's playing brilliantly but I also think Kostya's playing brilliantly and I feel that she has she will step it up when when she needs to and probably just take it but I think that the danger is that that goes the other way and she misses stuff when she's going for it but I'm going to trust that she will be successful I do think Schneider and Kvalinska are very similar because they're both left-handed.

1:09:23Schneider, I think, has more power. And I think she will probably roll on from what she found in her game against Sabalenka and probably dominate. And I think she's got enough margin in her game as well to not start missing. It will be interesting to see what roof decisions are made tomorrow because there's kind of a risk of rain all day. It's kind of on my weather app, which, albeit, is not entirely reliable. but it's kind of 40 % risk of rain. To be fair, neither are the weather apps that they're using. Right, exactly. Maybe we're using the same one. It's like 40 % risk of rain, like quite a lot throughout the day.

1:10:06So it might not rain at all. Could rain all day. It's giving roof to me. Eyes on roof and decisions and consistency of decisions. decisions. Also eyes on whether we ever receive a statement from the FFT that we requested how many hours ago? Several. We will keep you posted folks. Bashir, the cat with an expression a face for every occasion even has one for Irina Sabalenka being defeated in a situation which Matt could not conceive of a world for. That is how extraordinary Bashir is. Absolutely unreal. Thank you, Bashir. Hello to Bodhi, Maisie and Roger, our mascots. Hello to our top folks and executive producers, Greg, Chris and Jeff.

1:10:58Let's have some shout outs, Matt. We have Will Ford in Kent. Hello, Will. All right, Will. Like my nephew. Yes. I'm trying to think, have we had any other Will tennis players? Will Baum. shoes off for Will Bomb That's Marcus Willis Yeah but we all remember Will Bomb 10 year anniversary Matt looks just disgusted with that I was so not into shoes off for Will Bomb I loved it I wasn't into it either but I knew that the reference would elicit that face from you and I'm very pleased I did it I was so pleased when Federer thrashed him he'll always have that lob yeah that lob I do think you need to brace for some 10th anniversary wistful nostalgic will bomb content the people will love it some of the people he's in the doubles it's not bad is it getting himself into grandson draws on his ranking it was the shoes off thing it wasn't Marcus Marcus Willis had a problem with, to be clear.

1:12:14It was... Yeah. That was my favourite bit. You should love that as a football fan. Yeah. What's the matter with you? Yeah, but the sort of laddishness around it, I was less into. It was very, you know, Menace and Oasis concert last summer. Yeah, I wouldn't fit in at one of those. Well, anyway, we've been distracted. Our Will has written something lovely. Will says, I've been listening to the pod since 2016 and immediately realised I'd found my people. Having less time to watch tennis these days has meant you have become my North Star, guiding me through the drama of the calendar with which I'm so familiar.

1:12:54Oh, that's so lovely. Well, I wish we hadn't banged on about shoes off for Will Bomb for the last 10 minutes now. Well, if we're his people, then I reckon... Well, actually, no, we've all got different opinions, haven't we? But maybe he wasn't into... He started listening in 2016. Maybe Will Bomb is what got him into it. Yeah, I mean, it's very possible. I had to interview Will Bomb on Live at Wimbledon. I had to pretend I was into it. I think Catherine secretly was. Nope. I think part of it for me, God, what am I doing? Talking about Will Bomb at midnight during a Grand Slam. But I had tickets for Centre Court later in that tournament and I really wanted to see Federer.

1:13:38So I had no interest at all in like an upset. So I needed Federer to get through. It's basically, I think that's where it came from. And I didn't like the laddishness of it all. You can't have been very worried about an upset. No. No, I wasn't. Okay. I wanted no nonsense. Will, thank you very much for your lovely words and for getting us to take Matt down this beautiful memory lane. We also have Cara Cumberland from Washington, D.C. Hello, Cara. What a great name. Hi, Cara. Cara says, looking forward to someday getting to a slam so I can buy you all pre-recording beers. Yes, Cara. You're welcome any time, Cara.

1:14:26You're going to win. Do we have a name for our Muscataire sensation equivalents in New York? We don't, I think, do we? That's up for grabs. We're open to submissions and Cara is in prime position to win. But we don't know what title you'll be winning, Cara. We'll workshop it. And finally, we have Rajesh David from Maryland. Hello, Rajesh. Good surname, Rajesh. Home of Pamela Howard Shriver or birthplace of Pamela Howard Shriver. Indeed. And others, but most significantly, Pamela Howard-Shriver. Rajesh says, first saw pro tennis played on a Zambian grass court. Wow. Very cool. Gosh, that would have taken some maintenance.

1:15:21Okay, Rajesh, very cool indeed. Thank you ever so much all for being friends of the tennis podcast. Rajesh, Cara and Will. If you'd like to become a friend of the tennis podcast, the link is in our show notes. We are part of the Athletic Podcast Network. Thank you all for listening. We will be back tomorrow.