Aus Open Day 5 - What led to Osaka aggro?

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1:16Matt Roberts: Well hello and welcome to the Tennis Podcast on day five of the Australian Open recording at around about 11.30pm in the media centre's Creator Lounge just like the young relevant content creators that we are. And yet today feels like it was all about the millennials, the remnants of the golden generation, the players trying to hold on for dear life to the sport they love and who they are when they get to play it and taste victory. And nobody epitomises that more than 40-year-old Stan Warrinka, who has completely stolen the show at Melbourne Park today. Two weeks ago, it was rumoured that he would be denied a wild card to play the Australian Open one last time.

2:08Matt Roberts: And now here he is into the third round of the tournament he won back in 2014 after a four-hour and 33-minute win over a 21-year-old in the twilight on the Keir Arena, a one-man demolition job on my wildcards and nonsense agenda. And I'm prepared to be magnanimous about it.

2:34Catherine Whitaker: And thank you, Nick Kyrgios, for giving up your spot.

2:40Matt Roberts: It's been a special day, hasn't it?

2:43David Law: Yeah, it has. And he not only had a moment where he got to feel the love of the crowd again, but to come out victorious over the distance in proper trademark Stan Verenka style was as much as he could ask for and hope for I think. I think when he set up a third round clash with Taylor Fritz which I would expect that's probably where it'll end for him but to be able to go toe-to-toe like that those are the sort of matches I think when you look back on his career There'll be some matches where the spectacular shot-making will stand out, like the Novak Djokovic final at Roland Garros and the matches he played against Djokovic here.

3:31David Law: But I think also his incredible, it came up in the press conference, his incredible five-set record over the years. You know, he was one of those players that actually got better when he played at Grand Slams than on the regular run-of-the-mill tour because he played better over the distance. And he got that today. He got the chance to sink his teeth into another match. He said he was struggling, really, at the end, physically. I mean, he admitted it. He said I was cramping, really, at the end. But he also said, you know, five-set tennis used to stop me getting stressed out because I knew that I had long enough to grow into a match.

4:11David Law: And the beauty of this contest today was that it showed kind of the player that he's become, this economical player who's learned how to cut off the corners and deflect the ball cross-court rather than whipping everything because he can't get to it to get round it anymore in quite the way he used to. he's not putting stress on his body in the way that he might have done 15 years ago but there were still a few snapshots of the backhand down the line on the run and stuff like that and finger to the temple and yeah it was it was everything I hoped Stan Wawrinka would get at the Australian Open this year regardless of what happens now.

4:52Matt Roberts: This was Arthur Jaya's first ever five set match and it was stanwell rinker playing well by by taking this match into a fifth set he became the man that has played more five set matches than anybody else in grand slam history

5:12Catherine Whitaker: right yeah it was perfect wasn't it uh you had those two extremes yeah this was stanwell rinker's 49th fifth set match at the Grand Slam overtaking Federer's record in fact it's an open era record I suspect Novak Djokovic might have his eyes on that record he's only a couple behind but for now it is stands and yeah it was really really special I mean the whole match was an absolute scene you know there was as you said Zeya with both of his knees taped he also puked in a bin at one point there was a man inexplicably dressed as willy wonka in the crowd like there were broken shoes going on like it was it was just it was like you said it stole the show like everyone just suddenly was gravitating towards kia arena that's where the noise was coming from it was just

6:04Matt Roberts: the place to be the the players were so locked in that the umpire had to announce change events in the deciding set tie break.

6:14Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, at 9-3. Yeah. Yeah, amazing. And even that, Wawrinka didn't hear. It took him a moment to realise that he had to change ends. And yeah, I mean, David mentioned it. There was a moment in this, a signature Stan Wawrinka shot the backhand up the line to win the fourth set, take it into a fifth. It was perfect. You couldn't have scripted it any better than that. That's the single moment I will remember from this match the most, I think. But it is absolutely remarkable. I've got a list here of the other 40-year-olds to have won a fifth set at a Grand Slam. And it is Pancho Gonzalez, Frank Sedgman, Neil Fraser and Ken Rosewall.

7:02Catherine Whitaker: That's the 60s and 70s. Tennis is in a completely different era in terms of physicality now. and Stan Wawrinka has managed to win a fifth set after four and a half hours against a guy half his age. It's a phenomenal feat what he's pulled off there and the double pointing to his head at the end. It adds to his legend, this match, I think.

7:30Matt Roberts: And he's going up against Taylor Fritz next and for Taylor Fritz, and this is something I asked him about in the press conference a couple of hours ago, So for Taylor Fritz, this has got to have echoes of what he encountered facing Gael Monfils here last year.

7:46David Law: Yeah, that's a great point. And Monfils won that match. My expectation is that he will maybe have learnt something from that experience, Fritz. And I think it's almost like he's facing Monfils after he's had that match.

8:07Catherine Whitaker: and now he's playing Woverinka, having had the match. He's now getting the remains.

8:12Matt Roberts: I think that's a good point. Although these might be the remains of Taylor Fritz.

8:17David Law: I was going to ask you, what did you think he looked like? Because it was straight sets, wasn't it? But I didn't see him.

8:21Matt Roberts: It was straight sets. Look, the performance today, this was the match he needed. He needed an efficient win. I think he was annoyed that he didn't serve out the match quite as efficiently as he could. But basically, overall, this was the match that he needed. but he always gives a straight answer in press, Taylor Fritz. Like he might be too honest but we're very grateful for it and he was asked a straight up question about how his knee's feeling and he basically said I'm pain free and that's brilliant and I'm loving it but it's because I'm on really great painkillers. He said I'm on anti-inflammatories and he's like so I know that's, I mean he literally said masking the pain.

9:08Matt Roberts: so it's just a question of how sustainable that is I guess like and you know your tolerance builds up doesn't it um and it might be sustainable for the two weeks of this tournament but that doesn't sound like a sort of very long-term sustainable situation and and I said just as a quick follow-up to that question can you to the question about Stan Wrenker and sort of echoes of the the Monfils match last year I said can you imagine playing tennis at 40 and he said no I can barely imagine playing in four years and he meant it that wasn't a joke I mean not not to say that he won't be playing in four years but the look in his eye I could I could imagine that he's not you know it's it's further grist to the middle of the general picture of men's tennis I think that we're we're talking about more and more.

10:00David Law: Merely as a physical feat, I find it astonishing what Wawrinka has achieved here to get himself in this shape. Do you remember a few years ago, I think it was the same year that Murray gave his I might be having to retire press conference, which he obviously managed to delay by about five years. But I remember that year, Wawrinka coming back, well, might have been the one after that, and his knees had just had a surgery and he was in a terrible state and it really didn't look like he'd got a future in the game. And that's five or six years ago. And here he is, aged 40. I mean, he's got himself absolutely ripped somehow in the off-season.

10:38David Law: And it doesn't appear to ball be for show because he's still got enough in the tack to go four and a half hours. I mean, quite amazing. I mean, my mind did go to his contest with Stefanos Tsitsipas at the French Open because Tsitsipas was playing at the same time against Thomas Mahatch. And I really thought, crikey, if somebody had told me when they were playing that match that the guy who's 28 or whatever Tsitsipas is now would be looking more like the 40-year-old than the 40-year-old.

11:14Matt Roberts: that Stan Wawrinka would be looking the more vibrant the more full of life the one with more appetite the one with more ideas like it wasn't terrible from Sit to Pass today he was competitive against Thomas Mahatch but there was something quite sad about this match from a Sit to Pass perspective

11:38Catherine Whitaker: yeah there was I don't really know where to start with this match actually look I think it was bookended by a couple of injuries for sit to pass he had a left foot problem early on he had a right leg problem early in the fourth set and he I think he was affected by those particularly in the moment when they happened I actually thought he did some good things today like I do think he's hitting his forehand with a bit more intent behind it again and that that is still a real weapon you know like be a lot of players on the ATP tour who would want the Sitsipas forehand still, like it can do damage, but he insists on that return position.

12:20Catherine Whitaker: I mean, he made Mahatch look like a brilliant server today. Sitsipas is standing up on the baseline, trying to rip returns, because unlike Wawrinka, he's never developed a real nice chip return. And he ends up making a lot of errors off it and not pressuring the Mahatch serve. And it just feels like madness, like the same thing happening over and over again. And there was also a lot of racket throws and there was his dad trying to insert himself as always. Like all of that was a bit of a bleak picture out on the MZ arena.

12:59Matt Roberts: onto the court on Apostolos with a shoe at one point for Stefanos and then was sort of sent back to the players' box. But it was, just go away. Like, it's not about you. Yeah.

13:14David Law: Yeah, I mean, he got the coaching warning. He was shouting across to Sitzabas literally the width of the court. Coaching now legal. Yeah. And he still manages to get a warning because he's doing it wrong. I actually just checked that with James Cuthong, who's in the chair. You know, the kind of what is the threshold? And he said that they have to be up there with them. They have to be near to them. They can't just be yelling it across the court. And that's what he does. He cannot stop himself inserting himself into matches, even when his own team are trying to get him to stop. I find it very sad, really.

13:53Matt Roberts: and that's a what it was a first round defeat here last year for sit to pass second round this year there's no signs of progress at all are there i mean he was so he was talking himself up at the united cup and i'll i look back on some quotes from just less than two weeks ago and they they look so silly now it's yeah it's a tough Sitsipas scene but for Matt Roberts it's a Mahatch versus Mazzetti scene I'll be there

14:28Catherine Whitaker: yeah Mahatch's third one handed backhand in a row after Dimitrov and Sitsipas and you know if he does get through Mazzetti potentially Wawrinko waiting in the round after

14:42David Law: That's basically the Tours one-handers. Yeah, literally.

14:46Catherine Whitaker: I thought Mazzetti was better today than he had been in his first round. He's got so much more game than Sonnego, who he beat today in straight sets, and a very clear game plan, like everyone's got, really, against Sonnego. If you can find the backhand with enough regularity, you will get on top of the points against him.

15:08David Law: I imagine that's quite easy to do when you've got Mazzetti's backhand. yeah and also but also Mazzetti's forehand like he can hit it inside out yeah and like the

15:18Catherine Whitaker: the key for him is to go after that forehand and get it into play as much as possible but then he's also got the other options in his game that he can use to defend and he was he was driving Sonico nuts by just constantly just pulling the ball back on the baseline like my if I close my eyes and think of this match I see Sonico having to deal with a bounce smash on the baseline as Mazzetti's got another one back and just holding your breath, not really knowing where that bounce smash is going to go. He lost his way a bit at the start of the third set. Mazzetti dropped the intensity, but twice Sonnago was up a break.

15:52Catherine Whitaker: Twice he got broken straight back in that third set. And I think for Mazzetti, I remember him playing Sonnago at the end of last season in Paris indoors when he was on his nightmare tour and he let that match just slip and get away from him. And I just think today there was the focus. There was just getting the job done. I think he's obviously benefiting from having the off-season. How does he look physically? He looks fine.

16:20David Law: Because he was unwell, wasn't he? He got an injury of some kind at the start of the year.

16:23Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, he looked... In the first match, I thought he looked like he was a bit cautious to begin with. He'd obviously retired from the exhibition in the week before the Australian Open started. I think he was feeling something. But honestly, today, I thought he was looking absolutely fine. I'm not concerned from a physical perspective. If anyone's going to retire in that match, Mazzetti-Mahatch, I would suspect it's not Mazzetti.

16:53Matt Roberts: In my opinion, Matt Roberts. OK, that's a couple of youngsters dealt with. Shall we go back to the oldies? How about Novak Djokovic, the ultimate oldie? Yeah. 38 years of age he's doing exactly what he needs to do David which is not waste any energy in these

17:13David Law: early rounds I watched uh quite a lot of this match against Francisco Maestrelli of Italy who's who hits a big ball and actually I think grew into the match I mean he found himself sort of a set in a breakdown after very little time but started to find his way into it Djokovic he was playing day session for this one and I think it was probably calculated I suspect he's been campaigning for it so that he can then play uh his next match which is third round on Saturday in the night session when it's due to be a sort of 39 degree hot day which he wouldn't want to play in the afternoon today it was beautiful for him sort of low 20s if that and and when I got here was after that match had finished and Matt was wearing his hoodie and shivering in that.

18:01David Law: So it was... The hood up. Yeah, I mean, he was clearly pretty nippy today and it certainly was when I got here. But I think that was perfect for Djokovic. Listening to the commentators after the first set, John Fitzgerald was saying that Djokovic is playing well, but nowhere near as well as he was the other night when I was so taken with his performance. the clean ball striking was sensational that night but I still think it was pretty good today from because I watched the next set and a half of this and and again a little bit like Wawrinka his understanding of the court and how to just not get embroiled in a physical contest was was there for all to see and I think you're actually absolutely right Catherine because I suspect when he then goes back into the night sessions his timing will return more the 10 titles will come into play and he hasn't expended too much energy.

18:59Matt Roberts: OK, well, the conditions might not be a problem for him on Saturday, David, but the opponent might be... Who's that? It's Bertic van der Zanschel. Oh, he's in form. It's the marvel. He is in form. I mean, maybe that's the problem. Bertic's at his best when nobody sees him coming. Yeah. But he is playing well. Straight sets today against Jerry Shang.

19:22David Law: And it is exactly the sort of match where he comes alive, isn't it? Absolutely. Historically.

19:27Matt Roberts: Don't know how he is with, I mean, look, it's a far better situation than playing day session. If the forecast does pan out for Saturday, there's no doubt a massive advantage to the night session. But it's still going to be hot. Like, it doesn't cool down that much at night. You just don't get the burning sun.

19:46David Law: Could be very sweaty, I imagine.

19:48Matt Roberts: Could be very sweaty. I don't know, have we seen Bertic in those kind of conditions?

19:54Catherine Whitaker: You're the Bertic expert amongst us.

19:58Matt Roberts: I personally haven't watched Bertic in those kind of conditions, but I back him. Not necessarily to win. I don't know. Of course he's not going to win. I don't know.

20:09David Law: Catherine's still got a newsletter prediction to come for that day. So, you know.

20:13Matt Roberts: I will be tempted, and I do need to be going for Hail Marys at this point. I am 0 for 5.

20:19Catherine Whitaker: And I do think it's not insignificant that Djokovic is looking physically fine so far. Like, I know we focused a lot on his physical issues against Alcaraz and Sinner later in the tournaments. And obviously that's still a question to be answered if and when we get there. But I do think, like, through a lot of the early rounds at slams last year, he was having problems even then. and it was therefore accumulating and building up. I remember in the US Open, every match it seemed like there was something. I remember the TN one in that second set, the Nori one. There were just a lot of moments where you thought, Joghavrius doesn't look right here physically.

21:00Catherine Whitaker: He'll probably get through because he's good enough, but here he is looking sharp and fine physically. So everything so far is going as he would have liked. except for the draw the nightmare draw that is

21:20Matt Roberts: Bertuc van der Danskorp staying with the oldies Marin Cilic folks he's taken out Denis Shapovalov 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 making it 15 games dropped across 6 sets so far this tournament

21:36David Law: he's so difficult to read Marin Cilic because if you think back to Wimbledon last year when he knocked out Jack Draper and the level he was playing at that time I mean he looked back you know and and then as the year went on I mean he didn't get anything close to that sort of performance I mean he's had had his own knee surgeries hasn't he over the last couple of years but so far through through a couple of rounds here I mean what was it two six love sets against Daniel Altmaier and and now this I mean I saw only only a couple of games of it really and I kept across the score and and there was a graphic that popped up and showed Denis Shapovalov had hit about 40-odd unforced errors in a couple of sets.

22:19David Law: And it just told the story, really, on paper at least, of one guy who's got his game under control and one who hasn't.

22:27Catherine Whitaker: And I do think there is something about that generation. I've talked about this before, but Cilic, Wawrinka, Monfils, the level that they had to get to to compete at the top. you know Cilic and Wawrinka winning slams in the big four era like it's there it's in them it's kind of like they've just got to somehow tap into it and access it but I just I just don't think you obviously you lose a physical edge I just don't think you lose that that level and that know-how and it's pretty pretty awesome to see them finding it um and yeah Cilic Chilich's just yeah he's just been on a mission hasn't he he's just been dismissive like playing the sort of you know and that was when he was at his best that was the kind of thing he would do he would overwhelm you with his game.

23:18Matt Roberts: Will he beat Kasper Roode in the next round?

23:24Catherine Whitaker: I'm gonna say no but it's not a great draw for Roode is it? Like a dangerous Chilich but you know David mentioned the Draper one like that's the other thing how many how many times can you keep doing this when you are that age like I do think inconsistency creeps in in a way that it doesn't when you're a bit

23:47Matt Roberts: younger and also I think struggles with the heat Gaël Monfils said of his match a couple of days ago that I mean it wasn't even air temperature wise it wasn't even a super hot day but he was in the the heat the heat of the day with the sun beating down on the Kia arena and he said it really took him by surprise but he felt himself struggling with it and it my understanding is that that does increase as you as you get older and I don't know whether that will be day session or night session on Saturday but it's going to be tough on Saturday.

24:19David Law: And you could imagine Ruud is going to make it physical and the fact that I mean he's he's in well he's two sets love up and five three up against Jamo Munar who's you know a physical player to have to get past. Rude looks in good nick actually so far as well I mean Cilic is going to have to play big tennis I think he can't just be consistent whereas probably against Shapovalov you can afford to be that he's going to have to bring the heat

24:48Matt Roberts: We should probably once again talk about Yannick Sinner but I don't have much to say 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 against James Duckworth meaning once again that Alex de Minoar is the last Australian man standing in the draw I mean obviously Yannick Sinner is just far and away a better player than than James Duckworth and than Ugo Gaston and certainly than injured Ugo Gaston like there isn't a whole lot to say about these tennis matches.

25:22David Law: No Duckworth did a good job in the second instead he got it to sort of four games all and and and was making it that's what you want really you want some of these sets to see see these guys under pressure at the very least and you're just not getting that with Yannick Sinner I mean you get it sometimes with Alcraz we had it yesterday where he's playing Hanfman and having to dig himself out a little bit but Sinner's not like that that's why that's why it's so fascinating when Tristan Schoolkate managed to produce what he did a year ago and how obviously Dimitrov getting up two sets of love against at Wimbledon they are such outliers and I mean I don't I don't you'll tell me what the draw's like for Sinner but I mean when's the first test going to come for Yannick Sinner?

26:07David Law: Well it depends how highly you

26:09Matt Roberts: rate Elliot Spitsiri.

26:12David Law: I mean on paper it sounds like a good draw and I know that I don't want to damn this guy with with that it's it's more I'm talking about Sinner's level here because Spitsiri has got himself two wins at a Grand Slam. It's fantastic. I think the next biggest obstacle for Sinner

26:29Catherine Whitaker: is that we assume he's going to be in the day on the Rod Laver Arena when it's really hot on Saturday.

26:37David Law: He doesn't love that.

26:38Catherine Whitaker: No, and we've seen it here last year against Holger Una. Like, that match was kind of on the... I'm pretty sure that was like the one hot day of the tournament that we had, and Sinner happened to be playing, and he was, you know, he was shaking. it was in a bad way he was really helped out that day by the fact that the net broke if you remember and they ended up having a really long break and he got in the air con and look he played well he turned it around but we know he struggles in those conditions look maybe he even tries to wangle himself a night session on on the second court you know like to try and get out of the heat I don't know um but I would suspect him to be in the day because I'm almost certain that Djokovic is not going to be in the day on on Leiva so that's a factor like obviously I don't I must say I don't know enough about Spitziri to know whether he is going to enjoy those conditions or or not but like I've got that in the back of my mind for Sinnoh in the next round but I suspect that the level gap will be will be such that even if he's a bit compromised he'll

27:39Matt Roberts: still have too much and he'll he'll find his way through yeah look he's he's 24 spitziri he uh is from connecticut and he's a college guy went to the university of texas and they did this huge generalization here but they do tend to be pretty hardened to all sorts of conditions you know they breed them tough in in u.s college so we'll see i know who i'm picking but we'll see uh Ben Shelton took out Dane Sweeney, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. He now plays Valentin Vachero. And maybe that'll be the match where we find out how good Valentin Vachero actually is.

28:23David Law: I'm looking forward to it because Vachero, having won that title in Shanghai, he was one of the fascinations coming into this year, wasn't he? Is he more than that? Was that a flash in the pan? I still think that that is to be discovered. it but the fact that he's come to a grand slam and immediately reached the third round which which is what he's supposed to do on his ranking I think's a really good sign you know because this is not somebody who has grand slam tournament pedigree I watched him a fair bit today against Rinky Hitchikata and I realized that he's supposed to win that and he did drop one set but he was playing big tennis he's standing and delivering on that baseline and I'm really looking forward to watching him against Shelton, who I think has started this tournament maybe looking better than I've seen him start any other Grand Slam tournaments.

29:16David Law: And I realise it's early days and he's beaten people that he's supposed to beat and are not in the same sort of ranking zone as he is. But my word, Shelton, is striking the ball with authority. There's a crispness to it, as well as the kind of the brute blunt force that he has as well he looks fresh he looks I mean he was forced to have a lot of time off I thought at the US Open we were talking a lot about him coming into that tournament because he'd won in Canada and you got the feeling that he was he was starting to really look like he was maybe not necessarily closing the gap on the top two but certainly moving his way ahead of a lot of the others in the pack and then he got that injury um now he's fresh because he's had all he's always enforced months off and he looks it he looks so healthy right now his face looks fresh and and he's just busting to get out there i even watched his video blog today which showed his off-season and he's got this range of old cars, you know, he's really into his cars and I just, I don't know, I like what I'm seeing, I love what I'm seeing on the court and I want to see if Vashro causes him any problems or not.

30:44Matt Roberts: Jakub Mensik has equaled his best Grand Slam performances, first time into a third round outside of the US Open. He beat the talented young Spaniard, who I saw compared to Rafael Nadal this week. Jodar? What's Jodar's first name?

31:03Catherine Whitaker: I think it might be Rafael.

31:07Matt Roberts: Oh, no. What about the pressure?

31:09Catherine Whitaker: It is, yeah.

31:10Matt Roberts: Rafael, well, just call him Rafa. Let's just call him Rafa.

31:14David Law: The new Rafa.

31:15Matt Roberts: Yeah. Oh, he's cursed, isn't he? He's the new Dimitrov. Menchik will play Ethan Quinn in the third round who took out Hubert Hercatch in straight sets. Didn't see that coming. Maybe we should have done though because of Hercatch's Grand Slam record. He is still the same guy that fails to deliver at slams.

31:37Catherine Whitaker: Right. This kind of result is in keeping with Hercatch's career. It's just that on recent form he looked so impressive that you felt like maybe he could put a bit more of a run together at this slam. But that is Greek Spore and Hercac that Quinn has taken out in straight sets, back to back. And what I do know about Quinn, he works with Brad Stein. He has got a hell of a forehand. I've seen him play Alcaraz and the forehand is a real weapon. And like, I think he's, I think he's coming, Ethan Quinn. I know, I know, I think I'm right in saying that Matt Futterman is quite a fan of his game as well.

32:25Catherine Whitaker: I'm sure he'll be correcting me if I've got that wrong, but I think so. And yeah, I think maybe it was just a bit of a sort of sleeper name in the draw there, Quinn. But he's obviously playing really well at a slam for the first time. And yeah, two big wins. And now he gets a guy, like you say, Mensik, who also hasn't got a great slam record. So Mensik's got something to prove there, I think, in that one.

32:50Matt Roberts: Yeah. And look, for him, much as everything we just said about E.T. Quinn, massive opportunity.

32:56Catherine Whitaker: Yeah. And like considering how strong this draw is, you know, there have been so few upsets through it. Like some of these third rounds are between, you know, established names. and Mensik, okay, Quinn is in form, he's dangerous, but it is an opportunity for Mensik to get through here.

33:16Matt Roberts: So few upsets. It's crazy. Like it's setting up an incredible second week. There has been one in the women's draw tonight and we will talk about that in part two. But before that, you know, folks, it's a word from our wonderful sponsors of the tennis podcast throughout the Australian Open, Steve Fergal's International Tennis Tours, the premium hospitality and experience provider and an official provider of ticket and travel packages for Roland Garros 2026. They offer fans a trusted way to experience what is truly one of the sport's most special, iconic, magical, beautiful, chic tournaments in Paris in the springtime.

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37:44Matt Roberts: So welcome back to part two of tonight's tennis podcast, where we do have a fairly big upset to talk about in the form of Belinda Bencic going out to Nicola Bartonkova. But before that, I feel like we should go to the aggro. Because there's been some fairly sizable aggro tonight. This one snuck up on me. Look, Sarana Kastea has a bit of a history, But Naomi Osaka, as she was telling us in the press conference an hour or so ago, absolutely does not have a history. She said she's never had a no-look handshake before. She's never had cross words with anybody at the net. She was really startled by what happened at the end of her match with Serana Castella, which was Castella having some words with her.

38:34Matt Roberts: As I say, no look handshake. It wasn't particularly audible what exactly Kosteja said to Osaka. I think Osaka queried like what was the handshake about? And Kosteja seemed to say something about fair play and not knowing what fair play is. And then in the on-court interview with Chanda Rubin, Naomi Osaka, who won this match, by the way, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, was asked, what did it take to win? And Osaka replied, a lot of come-ons, apparently. And look, Kistea came into press first and kind of gaslit everybody about what had happened and said it was nothing. I didn't...

39:27Matt Roberts: Having just lost, by the way. Kokonakis and Kyrgios are out. Yeah, Kistea said, what are you talking about? Why are you asking me about this? No big deal. I barely said anything. Naomi Osaka was clearly still in a bit of shock about what had happened. She described it as being casually disrespected on the court. she said she regretted kind of rising to it in her on-court interview in the way she did although I think there was nothing wrong at all with with what she said but she said that's just not not me and you know if I had my time again I would not do that in fact I thought she was incredibly generous Osaka and made allowances for heat of the moment and emotions running high because Castella's playing in her final Australian Open, her final year on tour, which that was something Castella was keen to talk about.

40:24Matt Roberts: She wanted to bring the narrative back to her incredible contributions to tennis over the last 15 years. It was pretty graceless from Serana Castella, I think.

40:36Catherine Whitaker: yeah i mean the gripe seemed to be that asaka was sort of pumping herself up uh too much and uh saying saying come on like she does do that thing asaka if an opponent misses a serve for example she will just sort of maybe like sort of slap herself on the thigh and give a bit of a fist pumped to herself and say maybe come on and i think maybe a couple of times that was audible um which you know i could i could maybe see why you were a little bit put out by that as as a server if that's happening between your first and second serve but she just totally overstepped the mark and yeah it was it was pretty graceless and i think asaka was um quite upset by it actually even in that on-court interview she seemed quite upset um i don't you know i think anyone would be if they were sort of spoken to like that and i don't think asaka particularly you know she's not someone who wants conflict she's not someone who seeks that out she tends to very much retreat from that um and yeah castella sort of confronted her in that way probably wasn't wasn't nice for her um yeah and also just like the two players history like who am i going to give the benefit bit of the doubt to obviously it's Naomi Osaka not Sarana Kastaya make children innocent again her words um so yeah like fantastic surge by the way from Osaka to win this one in the third set she went off have we been sleeping on Naomi Osaka I don't know I I would stand by the concerns that I'd had a little bit about her form coming in she was not convincing in the opening round And she was in trouble here today.

42:33Catherine Whitaker: Like it went one set all and third set was close. She went off court for medical timeout as well at the start of that third set.

42:41Matt Roberts: And she said in press that she said, I'm sure you can guess what the injury was on the basis of my medical history.

42:50Catherine Whitaker: Right. Well, she had a big sort of ab problem last year. It seemed to be a bit higher up the body, but it was stretching out the neck. but they did go off court for the medical timeout. Yeah, maybe that's a small concern as well. But there was good tennis in that third set. She really decided to take over the match suddenly in a way that she sort of hadn't been. And Kostea is a good player, so that is a good win. And I think her draw in the next round has opened up.

43:20Matt Roberts: No spoilers, Matt, because it's part three content. Right, it's a big section for part three.

43:24Catherine Whitaker: But then it's potentially Igor Sviontek, I think, isn't it, in the fourth round. And so, you know, it's tough to look beyond that at the moment. But I suppose what I'm saying is that I thought maybe she wouldn't even reach that fourth round coming in here. But now I feel I feel like she will. And has she has she got that bright lights, tennis, that big stage in her still? I think I think possibly. So, yeah, it's it's it's exciting.

43:55Matt Roberts: So no upset for Castella on the second court, which is, you know, this was a match we were circling as potentially tricky. Castella's got previous. She gets up for those kind of matches and she's a good player. The upset was unfolding on the ANZ Arena and it was 19-year-old Czech, Nikola Bartankova, taking out the 10th seed, Belinda Bencic, 6-3, love 6, 6 -4. And this feels a bigger upset than the 10th seed losing. This was Belinda Bencic, the form player of 2026, that's played pretty much the best tennis I've seen in 2026. Maybe Irina Sabalenka aside. And, well, you watch a lot more of this than I did.

44:48Matt Roberts: how much was this about Bencic maybe continuing her form of peaking maybe at the wrong times, peaking too early for majors? And how much is this Nikola Bartonkova is going to win the Australian Open?

45:03David Law: Yeah, we watched the closing stages, Matt and I, together here while we were waiting for you to come back from the Naomi Osaka press conference. and first of all I do feel like a comment on the Benchich side of things is right in as much as I do think she is a player who too often has come in in great form to Grand Slams and kind of not being able to replicate it or maybe there's a peaking thing that goes on for other players and she doesn't go with them she needs to find another injection to withstand that and she didn't today but I leave the match remembering Barton Kovac. She is the sort of player that having watched half a dozen games is somebody I'm going to be recommending other people go and watch half a dozen games and any chance they can get because you don't get many players like her.

46:00David Law: There's a little bit of Karina Mookova about her, the way she moves, the way she hits a backhand slice, really gets down low and digs into it. has an explosive forehand, has just great timing on the baseline. She refuses to back off from the baseline. It was really interesting watching a player who takes it as early as Bencic just kind of playing PlayStation Tennis against somebody else who's doing the same thing to her and who actually had a greater weight of shot when she really opened her shoulders. That's two matches in a row where she's lost a six-love set in the second set against Kasikina and now Bencic and she's beaten them both in the end.

46:39David Law: Two high-caliber players. And she's only 19. I mean, I didn't know about her coming into this tournament, but my word, I'm going to remember her.

46:50Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, I want to know if she's on Hannah's future Wimbledon champion list.

46:54Matt Roberts: Oh, don't curse her. Where is Eula Niemeyer?

47:01Matt Roberts: Yeah, I mean...

47:02Catherine Whitaker: I just think Hannah's going to like her. Like Hannah likes Mukova. I think she's going to like that slice and like the injection of pay. She was whipping up the crowd in the in the latter stages as well. Some of the shot making down the line was a joke, quite frankly, because Benchik got it got it back level in the third. Like that was the thing you thought, OK, maybe you've had maybe you've had your fun and Benchik is going to take over. But she just did not let down at all. It was it was a real moment. and yeah very very exciting because honestly like there's a lot of young Czechs very often and I feel like a lot of them have been on my radar and I'd watched them but I had not really come across Barton Kover

47:48Matt Roberts: she I mean she'd never even played Grand Slam qualifying before this is her first Grand Slam qualifying she's qualified she's made the third round she plays Elisa Mertens in that third round you know very good player fascinated to see that yeah yeah mertens is like

48:08Catherine Whitaker: you know she's a test isn't she she's like the sort of gatekeeper yeah and how much how much

48:14David Law: has barton kovar got left in the tank is the other question exactly all new and there's also

48:19Matt Roberts: valantova still in the draw an 18 year old 18 year old czech like it's the the czech radio guys sit behind us in our working room. Busiest people in the world. My God. Yeah. Get those guys a beer. They are working hard. Valantova's got Rabakina next who beat Gucceva tonight in the Rod Laverina death slot. Madison Keys, a winner in the first match of the day, 6-1, 7-5 against Ashlyn Kruger. Kruger served for the second set twice, But Madison Keys, Matt says, is playing like it's 2025. Are we sleeping on Madison Keys?

49:03Catherine Whitaker: Well, I very specifically said that about the first three points of this match that I watched, which was the three points that she won in a row to start the comeback from 5-2 down, like suddenly just ripping winners. You know, I'd heard that suddenly her game had gone off. It was a bit of a messy second set, but a really nice end to this match for Madison Keys, having played a blistering first set as well. It was a much more comfortable match-up for her than the first round. She wants to be playing a fellow big hitter rather than a moon baller, a slice and dice. You know, I think she's settled into this one much more easily today.

49:42Matt Roberts: So Laura Siegmund's out of the draw. More on that in part three. And she's got Karolina Pliskova next, who's also partying like it's... Yeah.

49:53Catherine Whitaker: Yeah.

49:54Matt Roberts: You know, the Cilic, the Cilic-Rivrinka era.

49:57Catherine Whitaker: Right. It is a bit of that classes permanent thing with her as well. Like she's come back with so little tennis and yet I thought she was really good today against Janice Chen. Ending, ending that bit of fun. Like it is a game that ages well.

50:15Matt Roberts: Karina Pliskova ending fun since 2010.

50:18Catherine Whitaker: it is a game that ages well right big serve she never moved a lot anyway you can't like she sort of just stands still in the middle of the court and tease off and she was doing that again today chen can still get a bit rushed i think moving to her backhand corner and trying to get around it and uh yeah piskova was was also the steadier of the two i would say uh so But yeah, like kind of wild that she's doing this. Again, I did not fly over to Melbourne thinking, oh, Caroline Episcoppa is going to be in the third round. It's just the way tennis works, isn't it? You can have expectations for something and then it can just all suddenly look so different.

51:02Matt Roberts: Jessica Bagula is into round three and he dropped two games today against her doubles partner, McCartney Kessler.

51:09Catherine Whitaker: Who was injured.

51:10Matt Roberts: Yeah, medical timeout after the first set wasn't much of a spectacle, really. That was on the John Kane Arena, same court that we saw Iga Svjontek on 6-2, 6-3 for her against Marie Bushkova. And she's got Anna Kalinskaya next, who hits a really nice ball. And I always underestimate Kalinskaya, but I expect Svjontek to be fine. She's playing well. Look, she was break down in the second set, but I didn't see any jeopardy for Shontek here, really.

51:45Catherine Whitaker: No, no. I thought she was pretty comfortable in this one, moving really well. Like, sometimes her feet can seem stuck, and they didn't today. I thought she was counter-punching quite well, defending well, attacking when she needed to. there was a bizarre scene of potential, well, potential hindrance was what was being checked, I think, by the video review. Because Svjantek hit a shot that bounced on Buzkova's side and came back over the net with quite vicious spin on it. And Buzkova leant over the net in a very dramatic way to try and return the ball, but sort of claimed, I think, that Svjantek was in her way and stopped her hitting it.

52:30Catherine Whitaker: I mean, there was just a massive infraction by Buskova anyway, being that far over the net. I've got no idea really why they needed to do the video review.

52:39Matt Roberts: It was very comical watching the umpire watch it in super slow motion. Yeah. As if that level of detail was required for those obvious infractions.

52:50David Law: Very cinematic, the version that we saw.

52:53Catherine Whitaker: Yes, it was quite challenges, actually, with them both up at the net there. and yeah.

52:59David Law: Don't give me any spoilers for Challenges. I've still haven't watched that yet. Well, that's on you, David.

53:03Matt Roberts: The ending's the worst bit, David.

53:05David Law: Okay.

53:07Matt Roberts: Yeah, that is on you. All right, I'll get there eventually. I'm not sure you will, though. What else have we had today? Linda Nozkova. She beat Taylor Preston, ending Preston's hopes of sensation of the day. But it turns out she didn't have a hope anyway because, well, more of that in part three. Noskova's got Wang Jin Yu next. She took out Yelena Ostapenko. Ah, I know who we haven't covered. It's Amanda Anisimova.

53:37Catherine Whitaker: Very unlike us to be 50 minutes into the pod.

53:41Matt Roberts: You were worried about Amanda Anisimova today, briefly.

53:45Catherine Whitaker: The middle portion of the second set became an ordeal. She was cruising, really. I mean, much better quality match, I would say, compared to her first round. End of the first set, start of the second set, she was in form. She was playing really well, I thought, Anissa Mova. But then, you know, Siniarkova, she likes a scrap. She does. And she won consecutive games, one with seven deuces and one with eight deuces. Like, it was these mini battles. and Sinyarov came out on top of them and I think that stressed Anissimova out and suddenly she was staring down the prospect of a potential third set but I noticed actually at 4-1 in that second set Anissimova who was very stressed she looked on the verge of tears the way that the match was just starting to slip away from her and she'd lost a bit of composure in her game she went over to her box and had a word with Shadi her physiotherapist and started to laugh.

54:55Catherine Whitaker: And it was just like a pressure relief. It was just suddenly like, okay, that's happened, but it's for all, you've been playing well, you can still win this match here. And she just relaxed a bit suddenly and ended up winning that game and winning the match. And yeah, I thought that was quite notable in this one. the influence that you can now have speaking to your team. And I do think some players, look, every players are different, but when I've played tennis and been stressed, I can't imagine wanting a load of information. And sometimes I think just having a little conversation and being able to relax a little bit is going to be more helpful.

55:42Catherine Whitaker: You want to have a chat about the traitors. It's going to relax you.

55:45Matt Roberts: Yeah.

55:46Catherine Whitaker: Maybe that's what they were talking about.

55:47Matt Roberts: Yeah, let's talk about Rachel and Stephen.

55:51Catherine Whitaker: But, I don't know, it was a really positive moment, I thought, that.

55:55Matt Roberts: She, I mean, I've been reading about her today, actually, Shadi. Like, we talked about it a lot at Wimbledon, didn't we? But just how positive an impact and what a just transformative influence she is on Amanda Rennes-Move. she's what was missing. Yeah. You know, there's so much more I could say, but there's not time. You know, obviously her being a female, you know, she has a male coach, Vleesauers, Rick Vleesauers, is it? You know, there are men in that team, but Shardy feels like the heart and soul of that team. She feels like the chief of staff in that team. She sets the tone. She manages Amanda Anisimova's body.

56:46Matt Roberts: And to see sort of that female energy be the dominant energy is, I mean, it's so vanishingly rare in women's tennis. And it's such a powerful thing when you witness it. It can make me quite emotional, actually. It's great to see. She's got Peyton Stearns next as Amanda Anisimova. Feel OK about that?

57:13Catherine Whitaker: I do, yes.

57:16Matt Roberts: Right, that's it for part two. Join us in part three for Sensation of Today and Yesterday. And of course, a look ahead to tomorrow's order of play. AI is only as powerful as the platform it's built into. That's why it's no surprise that more than 85 % of the 14500 use the ServiceNow AI platform. While other platforms duct tape tools together, ServiceNow seamlessly unifies people, data, workflows and AI connecting every corner of your business. And with AI agents working together autonomously, anyone in any department can focus on the work that matters most. Learn how ServiceNow puts AI to work for people at ServiceNow.com.

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58:35Matt Roberts: Welcome back to part three of today's Day 5 Australian Open tennis podcast. And it's a bumper sensation of the day. First of all, very quick adjudication on yesterday. It's Talia Gibson, isn't it, for her three match points against Diana Schneider because Priscilla Hon ended up getting crushed by Ivo Jovic.

58:55Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, we actually only needed to do about five more minutes of recording to get the result in for that one.

59:01Matt Roberts: Congratulations, Talia Gibson, for winning Sensation of Yesterday. Unfortunately, your heroic effort against Diana Schneider has been utterly overshadowed by events of today. Because Madison Inglis, folks, the world number 168, has taken out the marvel, the troll that is Laura Siegmund. 6-4, 6-7, 7-6 in three hours and 20 minutes. All of which I commentated on. I don't know how Madison Inglis withstood the Siegmund show today. She must have special meditative powers. People know what they're getting into. Players know what they're getting when they walk onto court against Laura Siegmund. She's been out there doing this stuff for 20 years.

1:00:00Matt Roberts: But I think a lot of players walk out thinking, I know this is going to be tough. I know I need to not lose my head. And, you know, everyone's got a plan until they get punched in the face, right? And Laura Siegmund is a punch in the face in terms of wind up on a tennis court. Look, I think it's the fault of the officials for not penalising her more because as soon as she got a time violation warning in this match from Alison Hughes, she stopped taking quite so much time. What's she doing, Catherine? Who knew that enforcing rules works?

1:00:39David Law: I mean, the first three games took 23 minutes.

1:00:42Matt Roberts: Yeah. I mean, I think the most egregious, she takes an awful long time on her own serve and it's kind of, she's working around the rules because a lot of that time is spent in the ready position. So the shot clock has been stopped. Technically, she started her motion, but she's then taking another what feels like 45 seconds and it's probably actually only about five seconds. But it's a wind-up. It's pushing the rules, but that is one of the least egregious offences, I think. It's not playing to the server's pace. The rule is you play to the server's pace and she's frequently holding up the server.

1:01:24David Law: Walking off after a towel, putting her hand up.

1:01:27Matt Roberts: Turning around, going to the back of the court, just simply not being ready and having her back to the server. Now, at one point in commentary, I said, you should just serve. She's not ready, that's on her. And then very ironically, later in the match, Siegmund did that to Madison Inglis and had the audacity to argue with Alison Hughes when she was told to retake the serve now this was very shortly after she'd been given the time violation and her argument was well you told me to play more quickly so I served quickly and it's her fault she wasn't ready and I feel like she was trying to snooker me for what I'd said earlier in the match because yes that is what you should you know the rules are that you play to the server's pace But you, of all people, having the audacity to fall back on that rule in your own defence is outrageous.

1:02:27Matt Roberts: She is outrageous. She's pretty despicable, to be honest. Anyway, she did have to retake the serve and she won the point. So, you know, look, she is incredible. She's an inspiration in so many ways. She's 37. You don't have any doubts about her physically. I feel like she could have gone another two hours out there. She's making so much of her game. Like there's never been a greater maximiser than Nora Siegman. She's having some of her best results in her late 30s. It's all inspiring, but she's also an absolute troll. And she must be stopped. She was.

1:03:06Catherine Whitaker: Enter Madison Inglis. And yeah, like you kind of love it. because I came back to the media centre. I thought there was part of me that thought I was going to be coming back and you were going to be like a different person. I thought we might be in a situation. I thought you've done three hours of commentary. You're going to be mad. You're going to be derailed. And yet you're kind of buzzing. Yeah. The faff is the problem. Absolutely. The slowness. The slowness. But you do like the show and the troll a bit.

1:03:45Matt Roberts: It is funny. The funny of it.

1:03:47Catherine Whitaker: You lean into that.

1:03:48Matt Roberts: As I've stated on a previous podcast this week, I am fun. I like fun. Nothing says being fun more than having to point out that you like fun. Yeah, she's funny. It is funny.

1:04:00David Law: It was funny when Madison Inglis was laughing about it in the first set.

1:04:04Matt Roberts: She had the most incredible attitude to it. But there's a part of me that was like, you should be getting pissed off at this. Like, why aren't you getting pissed off? That is the human reaction to this behaviour.

1:04:15David Law: I realised in the press conference why she wasn't. Because she's just the most delightful person.

1:04:22Matt Roberts: You can be a delight and still get annoyed at Laura Siegmund. She is a delightful person. She is.

1:04:31David Law: Played bloody well as well, didn't she?

1:04:34Matt Roberts: Siegmund served for the match in the deciding set. Will Inglis serve for the match in the second set? And when she didn't get that and lost it on the tyre break, I thought, oh, this could be over. And she was down a break at the early stages of the decider and it felt even more over at that point. And yeah, she's got quite a temperament, Madison Inglis. She's lacking weapons. I think Naomi Osaka is going to be very tough for her in the next round. I suspect that's where the dream run comes to an end. But she had her moment there. And boy, did she earn it. Yeah, 7-6 in the third. Absolute scenes out there.

1:05:22Matt Roberts: And Jason Kubler, her fiancé, Kubler, he was there at the start of the match. She had to leave to warm up for his doubles. because he and Mark Polmans have just taken out Kyrgios and Kokonakis. Thank you for your service. And so he did presumably the warm-up and then he came back and was there to watch most of the deciding set even though he had a match to come. So that was, it was scenes and it's an absolute slam dunk for sensation of the day given the fact that Matt was trawling back through last year's podcast to see how we dealt with the sensation of the day segment when there were no winning candidates and was reminded that we once gave it to an

1:06:05David Law: Australian that bought me a beer on a day on one of the days considering that was the territory we

1:06:13Matt Roberts: were we were in for a while very well played Maddie Inglis and we are open to being in that

1:06:20Catherine Whitaker: situation again next week when absolutely there was when all the sensations are out and we're looking for candidates.

1:06:27Matt Roberts: Look, if somebody, if an Australian man had presented me with a beer at the three-hour mark of this match, he'd have won Australian of the day over Madison Inglis. That is for sure. Tomorrow's order of play. It's round three. We're into round three.

1:06:43Catherine Whitaker: This is where the matches start really diminishing. Yes. You suddenly realise that there's not that many singles matches on the order of play.

1:06:52Matt Roberts: Yeah, and mixed doubles. You start getting sensation mixed doubles, pairings. Suddenly Lizette Cabrera is on the schedule. Right, starts on Rod Laver Arena with Irina Sabalenka against Anastasia Potapova. Second on day session, Carlos Alcaraz taking on Corentin Moutet. The night session starts with Francis Tiafoe against Alex Domenor. reset Tiafoe. He says this reset is different. This new leaf he's turned over, this new team he's working with, he says it's different. The Athletic reported that he was out there. He stayed on the second court last night over his victory over Francisco Comissania to hit some extra balls.

1:07:43Matt Roberts: Who knows? He's taking on the home hero, Alex de Menor, tomorrow night. And then in the death slot after that match, it's Elena Gabriela Rusa and Mira Andrava. On the second court tomorrow, we start. This is the schedule that Neil and Pat Roberts have to look forward to tomorrow. They've avoided the Norrie Zverev. Well, the Norrie bomb.

1:08:09Catherine Whitaker: David broke this news to them. On the street. It was so fun. And like maybe my favourite moment of the day was the WhatsApp popping up and it was just David taking a selfie with my parents on the street in Melbourne. It made my heart full. We had a lovely chat.

1:08:25Matt Roberts: And they looked gleeful because they'd just been informed they hadn't travelled across the world to see Cam Norrie.

1:08:31David Law: Yeah.

1:08:32Matt Roberts: They're going to see Daniel Medvedev against Fabian Marajan.

1:08:36Catherine Whitaker: Very intrigued by that one.

1:08:38Matt Roberts: And they're going to see Coco Goff against Hailey Baptiste.

1:08:41Catherine Whitaker: And that one.

1:08:42Matt Roberts: I mean, that's a great line-up. It's a great line-up. Yeah, you're going to have a great day. Night session on second court is Svitolina Schneider and then Bublik Echeverri, John Kane Arena and Boko Towson, followed by Tommy Paul, Alejandro Davidovich Vakina. Twilight session, not before 5pm, is Jovic Paolini. And then, look, if your parents want to stick around.

1:09:05Catherine Whitaker: I was just thinking that, you know. If they've had a really good day, they could queue on the John Kane Arena.

1:09:09Matt Roberts: Yeah, and catch a bit of Nori Zverev.

1:09:11Catherine Whitaker: there is zero percent chance they're doing that

1:09:15Matt Roberts: Kia Arena tomorrow Lernotien against Nuno Borges Zeynep Sonmez against Yulia Putinsaver Mukovelinette and Sarundolo Rublev lots and lots of doubles out elsewhere some fun doubles Sinyakov Townsend in action on court number six the bar court fun I mean all sorts of sensations we do have we have enough candidates here that I think we can find at least one. And if anybody wants to present us with beers, that will also deepen the pool of candidates and that will be most welcome. That's all for tomorrow when we'll be back. Of course, mascot Gus today has her tongue hanging out. She looks breathless with the drama she's seen.

1:10:07Matt Roberts: And Gus, I find that very relatable. So thank you you always you always sense the moment uh hello to bode hello to maizey hello to roger hello to our top folks and executive producers greg chris and jeff and hello to our shout outs whoever they may be matt hello to fee simpson hello fee from brisbane oh perfect well close it perfect.

1:10:34Catherine Whitaker: Fee says, long time listener and proud friend of the pod. I lived a lifetime dream of visiting Wimbledon for my 50th in 2025 and it exceeded my wildest dreams of how awesome it was. Oh, that's nice to hear. Good on you, Fee. Oh, like Fiona Farrow. Very good. Very good. Unfortunately, I just think of the pandemic when you say Fiona Farrow.

1:11:01Matt Roberts: She was a middling French woman having a good run in a pandemic, wasn't she?

1:11:04David Law: She was the first one to win a tournament, wasn't she? After the pandemic. Yeah, on clay. Or I'd say afterwards, when tennis returned.

1:11:11Matt Roberts: Yeah. I thought she was quite good for a while. Maybe she is and was. Fiona. Fee. Sorry. This isn't a shout out to Fiona Farrow. This is Fee. And hello.

1:11:26Catherine Whitaker: We've also got James Nathan.

1:11:28Matt Roberts: Hello, James. Right, James.

1:11:30Catherine Whitaker: Who says, like Geary Nathan.

1:11:31Matt Roberts: very good James and like James Duckworth yes who I often call Jack Duckworth which is a reference that about 5 % of our audience will understand but those that do will really enjoy it I'll definitely get a text from my mum about it

1:11:47David Law: my mum will be punching the air at that

1:11:50Catherine Whitaker: James is from Auckland but living in Hong Kong and actually this is a little bit sad I'm afraid this was obviously written before this Australian Open. And James says, my favourite shot of an active player is the Dimitrov backhand slice. I hope Grigor doesn't get injured at a major in 2026. Yeah, that's too late.

1:12:17David Law: But, you know, there's three more majors still to come.

1:12:20Matt Roberts: James, people bounce back.

1:12:22David Law: Yes.

1:12:23Matt Roberts: Look at Marin Cilic. Look at Karolina Pliskova.

1:12:27David Law: And you just never know.

1:12:28Matt Roberts: Look at Stan Wawrinka. Yeah. You never know. Thank you, James.

1:12:33Catherine Whitaker: And finally, we have Caroline Dove from Arizona.

1:12:38Matt Roberts: Hello, Caroline.

1:12:39Catherine Whitaker: Hi, Caroline. Caroline says not a hotbed of tennis, but the high school and college have tennis teams and lots and lots of dogs love chasing tennis balls.

1:12:54Matt Roberts: I feel like I know the name of the tennis team in Arizona but actually I realise what I'm thinking of is a reference from the movie Speed it's the big hinge moment in Speed isn't it where he calls her a wildcat and it's the Arizona Wildcats but this is a fictional movie so maybe the Arizona Wildcats don't exist

1:13:18David Law: what are you looking to mean for?

1:13:19Matt Roberts: but I bet you Caroline knows that reference but how old is Caroline?

1:13:24Catherine Whitaker: Who can say?

1:13:26David Law: Have you seen Speed, Matt? No. That was the bomb in the 90s, that was.

1:13:33Matt Roberts: Yeah, it's a good movie.

1:13:34David Law: Sandra Bullock, a runaway bus that he had to keep at a certain speed before it blew up. It's brilliant.

1:13:43Matt Roberts: Yeah. That does sound like something I would enjoy, actually. It's a proper thrill ride. Yeah, it's great. I think I might have just given away the plot twist.

1:13:53Catherine Whitaker: And I've given away the rest. Don't worry, it's quarter to one in the morning. The chance of me remembering that bit of the pod.

1:14:01Matt Roberts: Caroline, thank you very much. Like Caroline Dollarhyde.

1:14:04Catherine Whitaker: Exactly.

1:14:05Matt Roberts: Didn't we have Caroline? I mentioned her the other night. And a new Caroline?

1:14:09David Law: I'm happy to go Garcia.

1:14:11Matt Roberts: There we go. There we go. Caroline, thank you very much. Caroline, James and Fee, we thank you for being friends with the Tennis Podcast. Plus, if you'd like to become a friend, the link, of course, is in our show notes. We are part of the Athletic Podcast Network. It's been a fun day. We're going to come back and do it all again tomorrow. We'll speak to you then.

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