Live from Wimbledon Day 8 - Fery fires into the quarters 

28:39David Law:He was granite-jawed about it on that match point. He looked... And we haven't seen that look for a while because he's had so much to think about with the body, the knee problems, and he just isn't going through that. I mean, finally, this team of his has just stood up to him and stopped him playing all these events. And I realise that's maybe a bit unfair of me because I don't know the medical guidance they're getting and he's getting and so forth. But it just seems common sense to me that you rest up ahead of the biggest events and produce your very best then. And if it hurts at the end of the tournament, that's all right.

29:18David Law:You don't want it hurting in the third round because of working on it, you know, sort of usage. I don't really think from what I heard from Alexander Bublik in his press conference that he really came in believing that he would beat Taylor Fritz he'd never beaten him on grass before he said I hate how low he keeps the ball it really makes it difficult for him as a tall man to deal with it and yeah it did feel a bit foregone conclusion this match

29:46Catherine Whitaker:yeah I think the biggest compliment I would pay Taylor Fritz is that Bublik had a little bit of the look in his eye that he has when he plays Sinner yeah I can't I can't beat this guy this felt over and early doors and I have to say I do think the energy that he put into the Tiafoe match the other day took more out of him than I'd maybe had had realized and he did seem flat today and when he didn't get that first set you know which did go to a tie break when he didn't get that I really did then think that Fritz would win in straights and yeah that's what happened and yeah really good really good performance from Fritz he said The last time I felt this good about my body,

30:23Matt Roberts:or the last time I felt good full stop about my body was Tokyo last year, he said. That was the last time he wasn't thinking about knee pain. And it's wild that it was only Paris that he was saying, I hope my knee feels better on grass, but I don't know. He said it could feel worse on grass because of the sort of lateral movement and the having to keep low. He really didn't know which way it was going to go coming into this grass court season. and he just seems so, he seems lighter, doesn't he?

30:54David Law:Yeah, yeah, he's right where he needs to be. When you've got that aching feeling of tendinitis in your knee, you've also got this nagging doubt in your mind all the time, I think, when you see these players. When they're thinking about something that hurts, and I realise they get niggles, but that particularly, he was always fighting with himself to get through rounds. Now he looks like he's enjoying being out there again. And I enjoyed his analysis of how he feels much more comfortable returning serve on a grass court.

31:29Catherine Whitaker:You know, most people feel the opposite, but actually he thinks that the way he returns, it benefits the grass with his short backswing on the forehand in particular and the chip there. He can't really do that on other surfaces, but he's got that in his locker. And yeah, I think that could be helpful if he faces Zverev as well, which we expect him to. and yeah like the body of work that Fritz has put together on this surface in the last couple of years I would I'd feel pretty confident that I feel like he's the fourth best grass court player in the world right now on the men's side you know behind Sinerao Krasnjokovic there's no one who's been more consistent no I would say I would say like maybe on his day Mazzetti could beat him but Fritz has Fritz has got the consistency I don't think Mazzetti quite has yet on this surface and Yeah, I think he's really, really good on grass.

32:17I think it might actually be his best surface. It's where he can kind of slightly separate from the rest of the chasing pack. There's fewer other people that are as comfortable.

32:27Catherine Whitaker:Yeah, maybe that's it. Yeah, and as you say, the return of serve, Zverev's not there yet, but it looks like this is going to be a straight sets victory over Yirula Hedrigal, although on serve in the third set, two sets to love the lead for Zverev.

32:44Matt Roberts:And the serve has been a problem for everybody so far. So if Fritz can get a handle on that, that's the kryptonite.

32:54David Law:Yeah, going to be interesting to see whether being held over Zverev is... I mean, that's a disadvantage, isn't it? Because now he has to play tomorrow, and it may not be very long, but you've got to go through the whole process, and then you'd have to come back the next day. whereas Fritz can do whatever he needs to do and wants to do tomorrow.

33:11Matt Roberts:Which could be anything. We know his interests are varied. Will he find a sort of battle reenactment to go to? Who can say? If you're in the Wimbledon area, look out for Taylor Fritz. He could be doing anything tomorrow. On to the women's draw now and the wins that we've had today and the matches that have been set up today. So we have wins for Marta Kostyuk, Jasmine Paulini, Linda Nozkova and Elisa Mertens, which means we have quarterfinals between Kostiuk and Paulini and Nozkova and Mertens. Shall we start with Kostiuk, where the day started over on court number two? She apparently did a little mistake and had problems with her stomach in the first set, did Marta Kostiuk.

33:56Wow, I thought that was a Kabbali quote that found its way to the wrong part of the agenda. I did too. a rival for the face of IBS in tennis. She wasn't any more specific and nobody needed her to be. Flavio does that unsolicited.

34:11Matt Roberts:She said she didn't love the heat out there today. There's no shade and no shelter on court number two. And it was also very windy on court two, which it obviously wasn't on the show courts today because they're so sheltered. But this was just kind of more of the same from Kostiuk. Like the kind of match that she might have lost had she not been brimming with this new confidence that she's got.

34:34David Law:And isn't her trajectory quite similar to Flavio Caballi? I know she didn't reach the final of the French Open, she reached the semi, she won Madrid, and you've gone from sort of thinking, well, here's a player with potential and electric ceiling level, but who doesn't really feel that serious as a player. Not that she's not trying hard, but she used to, she freely admits you know she would kind of beat herself because of of how emotional she would get and now she's just channeling all of this and she's become this great pro who just turns up a lot you know and her because her level is so high and her movement is is pretty much peerless it's her and golf really i think jessica bagula is also a great mover in a slightly different way more of an anticipator but in terms of covering the court she she's so good at it that she's dangerous on any surface and i think she's just figured out grass and like to to play against kruger that that is a dangerous player because she's so different as a as a physical site you know she's so tall and um it's a different sort of challenge and to come through that now to be able to get on the show courts it's again it's kind of house's money her and caballi are in a similar position now they become really dangerous i think yeah i think that's a great comparison actually yeah i hadn't really thought of it but i like it and i didn't think it was her cleanest performance today i don't think she was at her absolute best but it was windy yeah i think that's exactly it like to your point like or certainly been in a three set scrap yeah it would have got it would have got messy yeah and she stopped it getting there

36:21Catherine Whitaker:you know she was a breakdown in the second set and had a she was getting pretty frustrated actually but then just locked in broke back and I think even when Kruger was serving with new balls she managed to break and yeah she did really well to get over the line in in two even without necessarily her her best stuff so yeah I was impressed and in that quarterfinal in two days time she will face jasmine paulini back just like matt into a grand slam quarterfinal she got the better of alexandra ayala today best match of the day on the women's side 6-4 4-6 6-3 such a tussle on the center court kind of a textbook cliche you don't want either of them to lose uh and every time you sort of thought of one of them winning you thought oh that'd be such a great story and and instantly felt guilty about it, meaning the other one not continuing their story.

37:16But how hard of heart does one have to be not to be thrilled to see Jasmine Paolini

37:24Matt Roberts:experiencing good times on a tennis court again? Because now that she is experiencing good times, she's sort of piece by piece revealing how bad and how rough it has been and how much she's doubted herself. and I think maybe had sort of some imposter syndrome about, you know, people perceiving that, oh, maybe that was an aberration, those couple of successful years you had. Maybe this is a reversion to the mean, and I feel like she's really sticking it to those people with this run. And it strikes me from what she had to say afterwards that the best thing that happened to her in this tournament was losing the first set of it, Six Love, to Robin Montgomery.

38:11Matt Roberts:It was like she hit rock bottom. Yeah, she said it can't get worse than that. What an extraordinary story. To think that that's how it started and here she is. This is where I can do a newsletter teaser. That's what tomorrow's stat is all about as David gets dive-bombed. Do you want to zoom in on Matt while he's doing the newsletter teaser so David can deal with the bug situation that's developing over there? tight zoom on mat matthew as quick as you like the stat is players to have got to this stage of a grand slam after losing the first set of it six love oh yeah it's a bit like that's in the same genre as the players that win a slam saving match point sort of in the first round or along the way and yeah look she was forced to find her game in that match against montgomery she knew it was a tough draw Montgomery having just won a title on the grass and she's got better and better as this tournament has gone on and you know I kind of expected this match to be a bit vibesier because they're such there's two such vibes players but as you said it was almost a bit like they cancelled each other out and the crowd didn't really know who to go with fully but in that first set it was like 2024 paolini was back the forehand i forgot how much i'd missed that forehand you know it's such a good shot when she lines it up and because you know because she's pretty diminutive she hits it at kind of net height and it stays at that height and just goes at an arrow through the court and yeah matt futterman was sat next to me and was like oh i I saw that forehand 150 times in 2024, and I've not seen it like once this year.

39:57Like, it was different the way she was hitting the ball. Such conviction and took over the match, really. But then, kind of as the match went on, I did feel like 2026, Paolini entered the building a little bit and got pretty tight and had her own struggles with the Iala serve. You know, there was a lot of times when Iala was serving with that slow second serve

40:20Catherine Whitaker:and Paolini would miss it in the net and get pretty down on herself. And, you know, for someone who presumably faces Saru Rani's serve on quite a regular occasion in practice, I kind of expected Paolini to be a little bit better at dealing with the Iala serve.

40:35David Law:I don't want Favassori to serve to me in practice. I want you. Yeah. Because you're the one who's got the similar serve. She does need to improve that serve, Iala, doesn't she? Yeah. And look, this match did become a bit of a struggle for them both.

40:49Catherine Whitaker:I felt but it was still compelling you didn't know which way it was going to go and just Paolini had a little bit more I did think there was a bit of a hangover for Iala she had extra strapping on her arm today that wasn't there the other day she was a little bit slow out to the corners at times and did feel like everything had maybe caught up with her a little bit she didn't it wasn't she wasn't in the zone like she was against Fiontech she was having to work for it and did really well to make a match of this. But in the end, Paolini just had enough. And yeah, what an exciting quarterfinal that is.

41:22Catherine Whitaker:Kostiuk-Paolini, like two of the players who've had breakouts in the last couple of years now meeting at this stage of a slam. David, I know you had picked Iala, not confidently, and I did put you very much on the spot, but from the players in this half of the draw, you had picked Iala to be the one to go to the final. this isn't recriminations don't worry do you think she'll do that in the future uh yeah i do

41:48David Law:yeah i do i listen i i kind of feel like you seeing her with the i know she had the big strapping on her leg the other day and the strap in here and she didn't look as comfortable out there you know i thought she actually did really well to make a good match this against a player who was playing well for the most part there was a euphoria about her the other day against Fionnick I felt like I don't think anybody's going to stop her that day I think we'll get a lot of that in the future as long as she's fit as long as she can stay fit I realize that the serve might need some work and maybe some people are going to start figuring out some ways to play her but I still feel like this game works on grass future Wimbledon champion

42:33yeah why not look if if Eula Niemeyer can have the tag I definitely I think I think Alexi Arla can win Wimbledon one day I think she will win Wimbledon one day what do you think I don't want to annoy all our lovely new Filipino fans I'm far less confident about that but what I would say is that because of the serve yes because of the serve but then on the flip side you could say well she's this good and she's got an area of her game with massive gains to be made sure I but I don't think she's ever going to be a great server I could be wrong you know but I I always think that's going to be a limitation to some degree The thing is, though, the grass court season on the women's side, no one has grabbed it.

43:32No one has gone out there and dominated this tournament. No one has even really made it their own in terms of reaching finals regularly.

43:39Catherine Whitaker:Jabir did for a little bit. She felt like a real contender coming in a few years in a row. And Sabalenka's reached semis here consistently. But, you know, 10 different winners in the last 10 years. And you wouldn't have thought Vondrosheva. You wouldn't have thought Paulini would reach a final. You know, like this surface is there to be got at a little bit on the women's side, unless something dramatic changes. And I don't see that over the next few years. So I think there will be opportunities for players to have runs. It's just that, you know, she's in that conversation, but I think so many people are in that conversation.

44:12Catherine Whitaker:She doesn't like fully stand out to me above some others. But it's been an amazing run here. And there was sort of no one I would love to see women more than they are. and it would be amazing. I'm just, I can't predict it at this stage. I can. David's face was saying, it's really boring having a voice of reason. No. Bring back Charlie. It's a good job we've got one. Okay, let's talk about Lyndon Nojkova. It does feel like a year where there's going to be... Now that might be a future Wimbledon champion. It does feel like this has got, not random but slightly unexpected Czech champion written all over Czech energy yeah every other year no Vondroshva and Krojcikova were back to back yeah is she who you

45:04David Law:think is going to win it now Noskeva I think she'll get to the final I actually think the winner's going to come out of the other half

45:16Matt Roberts:that's a tough scene for your gal Elise Mertens Pagula's been my gal the whole way It's tough for your Merton's agenda pushing, which we'll come on to in a moment. Let's cover Nozkova. So 6-4-7-6 over Madison Keys today into her second major quarterfinal Nozkova. Her first was Australia 2024. So it's been two and a half years. That, of course, was the one where she beat Shviontek. It was the real, whoa, who's this Nozkova gal? But yeah, it's been a bit of a weight since then. And yet she's still very young. and very good. Yeah, well, I think Madison Keyes did a great breakdown in her press conference.

45:56She said she's really good. She got a great serve. She comes forward well. She's good at the net. She has good hands.

46:02Catherine Whitaker:It's one of those combinations where she's constantly dictating and trying to take time away from you. She also has the variety, a little bit of everything, especially on this surface. You know, and like for Madison Keyes to be saying that, and she felt the force of that game today. This was one of those matches with not much between them. I think it was often going to be the way, two big hitters on a grass court and Keyes kind of let the first set go. She was 41 up on serve and got broken to lose the opening set and then she also double-folded a couple of times in the second set tie break and didn't play those big moments well.

46:39But Noshkova, she said last year, was when it really clicked for her on the grass and I was watching that match against Anisimova last year

46:48Catherine Whitaker:and Noskova very nearly won it last year against Anisimova who obviously went on to the final. She was not far off level-wise last year and I think she's improved with the title in Berlin. She comes here with a lot of confidence and frankly her game works on other surfaces too. She's had a nice season and made progress but on this one with her first serve which is one of the most potent on the women's tour, two flat ground strokes forehand and backhand and hands she's got similar hands i always think to and she can she can hold the baseline and and hit a slice or that dexterity dexterity pick the ball up low like she's good at that and yeah she's a she's a handful i think now we come into the territory of like she's the highest seed left in this half and suddenly there's a big opportunity and she's playing at a stage of a slam she's only played out once before and if she does that she's in a semi-final and that's definitely on centre court and all of that pressure I don't know yet whether whether she's going to handle all of that but I do think game-wise she's she's ready she's never played Elisa Mertens before that's who the quarterfinal opponent will be for Mertens it's her fourth this was her fourth fourth round match here at Wimbledon it's her first time breaking through to the quarterfinal and she said that she was thinking maybe this is my last chance

48:12Matt Roberts:which you know she's she's over 30 isn't she but she's you know she's not she's not in Dimitrov territory but she has been around a while we did she is a player that we kind of think we know Elise Mertens we rate her we know she's good but we also know exactly what her ceiling is so for somebody like that to say hang on a second I'm going to break through that ceiling obviously Matt you never doubted that her fourth Grand Slam quarter final overall but six years since her last one. This is your Elise Mertens moment. Off you go. She's good, Elise Mertens. I know. And like, I think she won this today off the back of both of these players' previous rounds.

48:59You know, because Buzkova had beaten Samsonova in an absolute epic, a great match, but she needed three and a bit hours to do it. Mertens had a tougher draw, Rabatkinner and got over the line more quickly and had more in the tank today and you know the way she held on against Rabatkinner in that second set the other day I think ended up helping her

49:22Catherine Whitaker:today she didn't let that one drag out she got it done in straight sets and Buskova looked pretty pretty gassed I thought today quite early and didn't have that much in the tank but Mertens took advantage and yeah look she has a lot of the things I like about WCA players a great backhand She gets involved in a lot of good matches. She's the person who saves a load of match points and still comes back to win. She plays cat and mouse points as well. And I'm not saying she's, you know, like my number one watch, but I just like Elise Mertens and don't want her catching strays. That's all I'm saying.

50:03When has she caught strays on the tennis podcast Live from Wimbledon? maybe not from live from wimbledon but i would say on uh there's there's definitely some strays been caught in podcast pass and whatsapp chats what's what is what is said in the whatsapp chat stays in the whatsapp chat i wouldn't i would never i would never i would never air those takes i'd say that's a rubicon we don't want to cross absolutely okay uh the women's i'm not

50:33Matt Roberts:going to do this with the men's because it's so much less fun because I know what everyone's going to say. The women's draw. Naomi Osaka, Karolina Mukova, Jessica Pagula, Coco Goff, Marta Kostiuk, Jasmine Paolini, Linda Nozkova, Elise Mertens. Who are your two finalists and who's going to win?

50:53I'm going to stick with Pagula as the finalist and champion.

51:03Catherine Whitaker:and then I'll go Noskova.

51:07Matt Roberts:Pagula Noskova with Pagula to win?

51:10Catherine Whitaker:Yeah, a reverse of what happened in Berlin.

51:14Matt Roberts:David?

51:16David Law:I think the winner of the top half, the finalist from the top half, is going to come from the Osaka-Mukova match. Too vague, I need a name. I'm just getting there. Okay. This is dramatic effect. Showing his workings. It's Akes. I'm not quite sure. I have been back and forth over Osaka and Mukova a lot in my head. That's the problem. Because I really can see the scenario of both of them doing it.

51:45Catherine Whitaker:It was interesting what you said last night about how there's a world where Mukova carves her up. And that was happening in the final they played last week. I know Osaka had the foot injury. But those first three games, before the injury became clear, Mukova has an ability to keep the ball low and get it out of the Osaka strike zone.

52:05David Law:I sort of feel like if she played her best tennis at the rest of this tournament, she would win it. Mukova? Yeah, because I don't even think we've seen the best, just on grass at least. Do we have a bit of a fang question mark over Mukova? Yes, I do. I do a little bit. Well, the way she didn't serve it out against Krachigova yesterday was a concern, I felt, and then she did serve it out. so she kind of needed two goes at it. Don't know whether you get two goes every time. I'm going to go Mukovo. Against? Against. It's either Paolini or Noshkovo. David, you have listed 50 % of the players left in the draw.

52:46I know, but I'm getting there, aren't I? Yeah, but you're covering bases. So not Kostiuk. I thought you might go Kostiuk.

52:52David Law:No, I don't think so. I think Paulini's compact game is going to win that one. And in the end, I'm going to go for Paulini against Mukova and Mukova to win the title. Fun. These are great imaginary tournaments in our heads. Yeah, I mean, I've come up with so many like this. None of them have been right. But that doesn't matter.

53:21Catherine Whitaker:There's a lot of good scenarios from here. We're in a great place. It's the first time since 2007 that the quarterfinal lineup at Wimbledon for the women has all been seeds. There's a lot of the big names missing there, but I think that just shows the strength in depth. We've still got a lot of interesting players. I don't know. My one thing about Mukova is that I feel like sometimes in really big matches, I don't know what her like go-to play is her one weapon you know when the pressure's on I think it's a little bit harder to construct all those points that she does so brilliantly like maybe she can do it but that would be kind of my question I think what we saw from Osaka like the clear weapon of the big serve and being able to play front foot tennis I just feel like Mukava's hands can can get some of those returns back yes um and she can read the serve i do feel like she's been

54:20David Law:developing more of a forehand right personally yeah oh it's great who are your picks katherine i'm just distracted by someone that's saying in the chat it's only fair that every czech wta player gets to win the title at least once it's like jury service marie buskova 2029 i've picked a saga to beat mukova tomorrow

54:46Matt Roberts:so and i do as much as you've both been very persuasive

54:51Catherine Whitaker:eccleshare doesn't miss very much that's true we didn't factor that in

54:57Matt Roberts:he was right about england last night

55:01David Law:we will we have got receipts for his takes on goth so we're going to bring them to the table if he doesn't get it right i mean there's absolutely no reason not to be sticking with my original pick at the start of the tournament which was jessica bagula because she's she's played every bit as well as i thought she was going to based on that pick so i really should stick with bagula to win the title but but you are allowed to yes you know use the use the tennis you've seen.

55:27Matt Roberts:Yeah. But it's not the tennis I've seen. It's the fact that Eccleshire didn't miss.

55:33David Law:Isn't it fun though to have this many players where you really could feel like you could make a strong case for? I love that. There's a lot of players in the mix. Is every player in the mix? Elise Mertens isn't it? She's not. Tell him he's wrong. No, he's not wrong. I mean, I think she's great and she's playing really well but I'd be really surprised if she won the bloody title. Is she the only player not in the mix? Is that what the Elise Mertens guy is saying? Yeah. And we still have the best part of the show to come, folks, because before we look ahead to tomorrow's order of play, we have to talk about an event that happened today that I so wanted to lead the show with.

56:18But I couldn't editorially contort ourselves to make it valid to lead the show with this. but we're going to end the show with this. Well, we'll end with the order of play and saying hello to Phoebe. But in terms of the editorial meat of the show, I give you Laura Siegmund against Yelena Ostapenko on the mixed doubles court. And when I say there was aggro here, I mean, we need a new word for what this was. I don't think we currently have it in our vernacular because what happened was, I mean, so we've got, we've got Yelena Ostapenko partnered with Marcelo Arevalo. We've got Laura Siegmund partnered with Edouard Roger Vasselin.

57:03Matt Roberts:Siegmund has already lost once today in the women's doubles. So she's aiming to not lose twice in two days. It is, so Ostapenko and Arevalo have won the first set 6-4 and it is a tie break in the second set. Laura Siegmund is serving. It's 7-0. she gets given a time violation which I wasn't there but I'm going to assume but you know it was legitimate I'm going to assume that was absolutely legitimate she should be getting a time violation on every point obviously but she gets one at 7-all in the second set tie break she's doctor first serve so she must have already got one at some point again let's assume that that was entirely legitimate she then double faulted and then they went on to lose the match she immediately marched to the umpire's chair and started complaining that Ostapenko who she referred to as this one

58:01hasn't got any time violations for all of her aborted ball tosses she said and the one time I go over the time and this one you give nothing I'm sure it was just the one time laura i'm sure um and then there is so there's no handshake like and not as not one of those sort of um deft sort of balletic no handshakes where you just sort of don't do it but let's not make a big thing of it this is a very demonstrative performative absolutely no handshake happening here situation or so penko is obviously just doing great faces at all of this she ends up than having it out with Edouard Roger Vasselin on the court at length.

58:51Court in the middle. Well, Marcelo Arovaro is in the background just blowing his nose, saying absolutely nothing. Ostopenko and Roger Vasselin going at it. Don't know where Laura Siegmund is while this is happening. But Ostopenko is saying that Siegmund is always taking too long in singles and everybody knows it. Facts. Now, this is tough because I'm sure Ostopenko was being so annoying. But she is right. She does take too long in singles and everybody does know it. Truth. And as much as I would love the rule to be, I don't, I think aborted bald horses should be included in the time. Absolutely.

59:36Matt Roberts:Currently they're not and that isn't a violation of the rules. So I stand with Yelena on this. Big. That is what Laura Siegman does to me. Does anybody feel different? Nope. I think she was right. I stand with Elaine Rostepenko and her new sponsors, TK Maxx.

1:00:01From Tesco to TK Maxx. Yeah, very opportunist. Do you think the TK Maxx people were watching our show the other night, breaking the news that Tesco had dropped her and spied an opportunity?

1:00:12David Law:We'll get in there. I hope so. Tomorrow's order of play, folks. Stay nine of Wimbledon, starting on centre court with women's quarterfinals, excuse me, between Jessica Bagula and Coco Gough.

1:00:27Matt Roberts:That is followed by the resumption of Yurila Hetschka and Alexander Zverev. They are at three all in the third set. Zverev leading by two sets to love. Then it is Felix Auger-Aliassime against Novak Djokovic. David, you've gone for Auger-Aliassime in the predictions. Is that because you actually think that's what's going to happen? Or because of the value that you might get if that comes off?

1:00:51David Law:No, I don't really do the value thing. You actually think Felix is beating Djokovic tomorrow? I could see it, yeah. I could see it. I sort of feel like he's reliable, Felix. He's going to come out and play tough, play well. It just comes down to has Djokovic got it or not? And he hasn't had it on grass that much. Not Australian Open levels. I think if Djokovic plays really quite well, he will win. But I just feel like Félix Ogi Aliasim is just... There were a couple of question marks the other day, amidst the nonsense of Davidovich Fikina. But until he started to get a bit wound up by him, I thought he'd turned the match in his favour.

1:01:43David Law:have won it more straightforwardly than he did and generally I think his game is in really good nick at the moment Number one court tomorrow is where you find Yannick Sinner, the world number one on number one court for his quarterfinal against Jan-Leonard Struffy to you and I had that rebrand a couple of years ago didn't he and now much like Matthew they're trying to gaslight us into believing he's always been Struffy Matthew's gone by the way Matthew has gone I assume we're still on it is going to be hot tomorrow it is it's hot

1:02:22Matt Roberts:it's not going to be sunny apparently according to my quite unreliable weather app but it is going to be hot and stuffy it was today it's not quite where we were in Paris and I do think the sun is a factor it doesn't look according to the forecast to be bad enough to be a potential surrender low situation but I certainly think it's bad enough that he's not going to enjoy it.

1:02:46Catherine Whitaker:And he is in the first on escape slot.

1:02:49Matt Roberts:Yeah, exactly.

1:02:50Catherine Whitaker:So if it does get to him, he's going to have to find a way through it in a way that he couldn't. I mean, to me, that is the most interesting element of that match. Yeah. You know, Struff, he's obviously done incredibly well to get here, but he's played a lot of tennis as well. I think the only match that wasn't straight sets was the Medford F1. and he's not known as a great closer of sets and that kind of stuff. I just, I think Sin is fine in that matchup even with the way he's been playing.

1:03:24David Law:Stylistically, I think it helps him because he's going to have a target at the net a lot of the time and he's going to pass him a lot of the time.

1:03:31Catherine Whitaker:Yeah, it's just a weather.

1:03:32Matt Roberts:If it's just a tennis match, I think we all know what we think of that but it does make it interesting and the stress element as well. The fact that you know Yannick Sinner knows. And I think part of it is the anticipation of the conditions that he knows are tough. And feeling so exposed out there. Knowing that everybody knows his biggest vulnerability. And that everybody is waiting to see. Will it happen again? Will it happen again? Yeah. Fascinating. That is followed on number one court by Naomi Osaka against Karolina Mukova. and I think we've established what you two think is happening there.

1:04:11Matt Roberts:Both going Mook over there? I think I'm actually going Osaka. Okay. I think, well, I have gone Osaka. So there we go. Just scrolling to see if I can find Elaine Rosterpenko on the schedule. She did, they did win that match today. So I presume they're here somewhere, but no, Laura Siegman. She is out of both the singles, the mixed and the women's doubles. so have a safe flight home Laura okay hello to Phoebe Priyanka's been in the chat tonight hello Priyanka hello Phoebe the picture I'm looking at of Phoebe is her on the back of the sofa which is exactly the position that Billie Jean likes to be in she likes particularly when humans are on the sofa she likes to sort of be a scarf around the back of your neck so it's very lovely to see Phoebe in that sun-soaked position hello Priyanka thank you for your Phoebe content it brings a great smile to my face and I know Vicky's face as well when she's well dishing out Phoebe content like sweets every day hello to our mascots Bodie, Maisie and Roger, hello to our top folks and executive producers Greg, Chris and Jeff, Matt's back so shout outs are back two shout outs tonight, the first for Brittany from Southern California Hi Brittany.

1:05:34Hello Brittany.

1:05:35Catherine Whitaker:And Brittany says, sorry Vicky says that she's picked this shout out for today to cheer Brittany up because all she said in her little information was living for Serena's return. Oh. So let's try and cheer Brittany up. Matthew's back and we know that because he's chuckling. She did return and she did play quite well Brittany I thought. and there could be more to come. I think so. There could be more to come. Brittany.

1:06:13I don't have any. Matex. No, that's Bethany. It's a nice try. It was a good try. I feel like there is one.

1:06:26Do you? Maybe the live chow will have one. I'm yeah I'm talk amongst yourselves I'm just looking at the live chat I don't think there is one you know okay Brittany we failed you but fingers crossed for you for for more Serena Williams comeback material on home soil in the US this summer and finally we have Katie Davis

1:06:51Matt Roberts:who would also like to shout out her mum Susie oh hello Katie and hello Susie Katie says my mum Susie's a huge tennis fan, tennis podcast fan and all-around excellent person. Aww, how lovely. We're both incredibly excited to be going to Wimbledon together on our favourite day, the second Monday.

1:07:14Catherine Whitaker:So they were here today. And Katie said, I can't wait to spend the day with her watching our favourite sport. That's wonderful. That's really, really lovely. I hope you had a great day. Katie like Katie Swan and Susie like Suzanne Longlin lovely

1:07:33Matt Roberts:and I do need to read out another contribution from actually the same person DVD Smith 2002 who I read out earlier who says Brittany like how Ali Ashbedonay felt for a few years absolutely superb contribution to the live chat

1:08:00we're done we can't we can't top that yeah britney katie susie uh thank you very much for being friends of the tennis podcast katie and susie i hope you had a wonderful day today at wimbledon we will be back tomorrow we are part of the athletic podcast network thank you for joining us tonight however you joined us thank you and particularly to to dvd smith for those incredible contributions do check us out on YouTube live from Wimbledon if you haven't already and you too can join in the live chat with Pamela Howard-Driver who was in there tonight hello Pam champion of the last eight night club quiz yes tonight Pamela Howard-Driver the first Wimbledon trophy

1:08:40Matt Roberts:has been dished out and I'm on the radio with Pam tomorrow yes BBC Radio David and Pam Gough Pagula yeah dream combo folks join us when I said that's my dream mixed doubles team Pam quipped yeah no lobs over our heads incredible okay thank you all for being with us tonight for listening for viewing we are part of the Athletic Podcast Network and we will be back tomorrow