Cincinnati - Gauff, Fils hit form a perfect time

0:00This episode is sponsored by ZocDoc. Have you been putting off a doctor's appointment or need a dentist and you don't know where to start? We've definitely been there and that's why we use ZocDoc. Actually over the holidays Michael had a dental emergency and seemingly every office was closed but we hopped onto ZocDoc, found an in-network dentist, had great reviews, saw real-time appointments available which was key, it was on New Year's Day, and booked an appointment in just minutes. It took so much of the stress out of the already stressful situation. ZocDoc makes it easy to search and compare over 250 ,000 local in-network providers across more than 200 specialties.

0:43So you can find the right doctor or dentist and book instantly. Taking care of your health just got easier. Download the ZocDoc app today and book that appointment on your to-do list. That's Z-O-C-D-O-C. ZocDoc.

1:00Matt Roberts: 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.

1:44Matt Roberts: Hello and welcome to the Tennis Podcast. Our first of what we have just worked out is 22 daily shows from today through until Monday, September the 14th if you include the bonus episode that's going out tomorrow for Friends of the Tennis Podcast. This isn't official data but we do think that's a record and we are very excited and a little bit anxious about the 22 days ahead. Today's show is live. Hello to everybody joining us on YouTube from your various time zones. I am already in New York where it is midday, That is why my background is blurred, because the suitcase is not unpacked, folks. It is just semi-strewn across the hotel room.

2:31Matt Roberts: David is in sunny Solly Hull and Matt is in London, where it is 5pm and he has squeezed us into his pre-football schedule. And if you're with us on YouTube, you'll see that he's letting us know about that. Thank you for gracing us, Matt, with your presence. Thank you for accommodating me on Derby Day. Yeah, new manager, new players, Chelsea. It's all too much at once. So this is a very nice distraction. More than that for the next 75 minutes or so. You say thank you for accommodating you, but on a previous show you did say it was 5pm or Matt not being on it. So, which is it? My ultimatum. We had a little pre-show cameo from Neil Roberts, which was excellent.

3:26Matt Roberts: Expecting him to be pumped on the eve of the new season. No, absolutely not. How are you feeling about tonight? Not good, he said. So there we go. David, I'm not even going to ask how you're doing because I already know. And that means that without further ado, Let's get into it and talk about Cincinnati and start with the ATP title, which was won by Art of Feast. He beat Francis Tiafoe, 6 '3", 1 '6", 6 'love", in the first ATP Masters 1000 final between two black players. Feast is the youngest ever French player to win a title of this size. And he is now number five in El Race. And that, David, is with having only played one Grand Slam tournament this year.

4:19Matt Roberts: In the words of Arta himself, it's a hell of a job and we're not done yet. I have tingles when I hear him say that in my mind. It is a very, I mean, this is just, this is good news for tennis, isn't it? come on, how hard of heart does one have to be not to be pumped about Art of Feast doing this?

4:45David Law: Yeah. Funny, when you said, talking about let's go to me because I'll be pumped, I thought we were going to talk about West Bromwich Albion's start this season, but apparently not. But yeah, Art of Feast, that's also good. No, I'm only kidding. It's amazing. It's absolutely amazing what he's achieved this year. I think given the injury he's come back from, I think it's the sort of achievement that gives you hope for some of the others that are really struggling. I mean, I'm obviously most worried about Jack Draper, but this was such a bad injury, and he made an incredible comeback anyway, and then he missed the French Open.

5:26David Law: And there really was a sort of concern that, oh, crikey, actually, this injury maybe can take only so much, and then it comes on again. And listen, that may be the case. we're only going to find out in the test of time as to whether his body can cope with what he's asking from his on a daily basis and a weekly basis, monthly. But right now, he is playing the best tennis I've ever seen him play because he's making it look very repeatable. I watched every match that he had this last week and he just sort of got progressively better, higher floor on a daily basis. You know, it's not all spectacular.

6:12David Law: When I first saw him probably three and a half, four years ago and fell for him, absolutely won over by his presence, his tennis, his character, his everything about him. It was him going for broke. It was him shouting. It was him emoting. It was all the stuff that I find so exhilarating about him. And it was kind of the closest thing I'd seen to Alcaraz. And we were obviously well in the throes of getting to know Alcaraz at that time. Now he wins. He does what you have to do. He wins a lot of matches without ever having to employ that level, that level of emotion, that level of intensity. He's got a big serve.

6:58David Law: He's got powerful ground strokes both sides. his backhand is solid as a rock and he's so fit and imposing and strong that he's usually able to just kind of put people away now and and that's what he did on the route to this final um and then in the final itself we actually had to see both versions of him because the first set i mean and this was a feature of of the the two or three matches leading into this this final first set he was hitting as clean as a whistle. And honestly, Tiafoe had no answers. They went toe-to-toe for seven minutes and it was three love. Just every shot he was hitting was good.

7:42David Law: And he won that first set comfortably. Then he just completely disappeared from view mentally. And also Tiafoe changed his game. I mean, I was watching that first set and thinking, Tiafoe has to change his game. He can't go toe-to-toe in this manner. and win this match if Feast is playing like this. And I thought he would do it by mixing up his game and sort of employing drop shots and that sort of off-play shots, but he didn't. He actually stepped up to the baseline and just kept half-volleying the ball back and taking Feast's time away and kind of got exhilarated that way. And it was 6-1 second set, and Tiafa was really good.

8:19David Law: Feast was terrible, terrible in that second set. And I think that's still something that we need to factor into any assessments of him, is he can have a terrible period. He leaves the court, and then we saw the artifice that I fell for those three or four years ago, i.e. I'm going for it. And every point was punctuated with a come on. Every shot was punctuated with a big grunt over and above his normal grunt. And he just went for it, and he got himself exhilarated, and he just destroyed Tiafoe. I mean, Tiafoe was not fully fit, I don't think. and he certainly wasn't serving well. He had a medical timeout at the end of the second set.

8:59David Law: But this was just a reminder of the turbo boost that Feast has at his disposal that you can't keep putting in all the time. You've got to win without it. But when you need it, you want to know it's there. And he pulled it out. He pressed the button to win himself this title. And I find that really exciting. And it's a wonderful, wonderful victory.

9:25Matt Roberts: Yeah, in terms of the going off court and coming back with the turbo boosters on, he said, in a quote that is extraordinarily not from Flavio Caballi, he said, I look at myself in the mirror and said, man, even if you have to lose, you're not going to get worse than this. I mean, it's just good stuff, isn't it? It's really good stuff. David texted the group after the first two sets of this final and said this has been a really faff-free final. Like it was the anti-Fritz Nakashima, wasn't it? And I was like, yeah, I could do with a bit more faff, actually. It was a bit of a blow to the Catherine hates all kinds of faffs campaign.

10:09Matt Roberts: Got a T-shirt now, Catherine. What are we going to do with all of those? Oh, you're setting me up for a promo, David. I've got it right here. Hang on a second. Oh, good work. Now available from the TTP shop. There you go. This doesn't work for people who aren't watching, but I am holding it up, and you're just going to have to trust us that it is a thing of beauty.

10:28David Law: Even if you want a bit more faff, you still want to wear that T-shirt, don't you?

10:33Matt Roberts: Yes, David. Great, great promo. We'll pop the link in the show notes, folks. He makes a... I mean, of course, David makes, Matt, the kind of fundamental point about Art of Feast there, doesn't he? Like, the ceiling has never been in question. David saw that the first time he watched him play, however many years ago. What potential Art of Feast reaches is going to be dependent on his floor, right? It's going to be dependent on the average level of tennis that he is able to bring week in, week out. And that is where he seems to, fitness permitting, have made the considerable strides. Yes, I think so as well.

11:20I mean, we've seen real consistency for him, haven't we, through the season. You know, his record at the Masters 1000 events is excellent, which is why he's as high as he is in the race, despite not playing the majors. And I think there's just this really curious question around his major record, because you might look at it and think, oh, he's a guy who's just never really done it at the majors and hasn't shown up. But actually, I think the story is a bit more complicated than that with Feast. He's actually played very few majors where he's been physically ready and developed as a tennis player.

11:56He's just missed so many or had to pull out of them during them, you know. So he's a bit of an unknown heading into the US Open in terms of the can he bring it at a major. I have every reason to sort of believe that he can. And I think the reason this is so exciting is the context of men's tennis at the moment. You know, like I remember when Sinner was banned and Mensik won a Masters 1000 and Draper won a Masters 1000. And they were amazing performances. But there was this feeling in the back of my mind thinking, yeah, but Sinner is going to be back in a while. And he's probably just going to beat them all.

12:37And he kind of did. And then we've seen Ben Shelton win Masters 1000 titles when, you know, Alcaraz and Sinner have not been in the field. But then he's not been quite able to bring it. The thing is, Alcaraz is an unknown quantity and Sinner is not at the US Open. So it's a hell of a time to be coming into this kind of form. And I feel like for me, it's that reason that makes this extra exciting in the short term for Feast, because the opportunity is now. Sinner and Alcaraz might be back next year at full pelt. And I still think their ceiling is higher than Feast's. And probably their floor is better.

13:19They are such complete tennis players, both of them. And Feast is amazing, but I'm just not sure he's quite at that level. But he might be able to pinch one or two off them in the future, but also he might be able to win the next slam we're heading into because the picture is different. So it's very exciting. And I wrote down secure when I was watching Feast this week. That's what it felt to me. I know he had the second set drop in the final, but otherwise against Caballi and against Tiafoe in his last two matches, he was excellent.

13:59Matt Roberts: Are you, David, like Matt, are you basically saying that, Matt? Like he should be thinking I can win the US Open right now. Like that's not too much pressure to put on himself. Are you thinking that, David? I think he is thinking that. I mean, that quote, the I'm not done yet, does. I don't think you say that if you're like. Worried about the additional pressure that winning like everybody knows what winning Cincinnati means, doesn't it? It's kind of automatic. You're in the mix with some exceptions, but everyone knows like what kind of conversations that puts you into. and if he was trying to take pressure off and at least externally alleviate that, you don't say something like that, I don't think.

14:48Matt Roberts: Like, that suggests to me that he wants people and he himself is thinking, yeah, okay, US Open. As you say, Matt, the time is now. Is that how you're feeling, David? Is he in the mix for you now?

15:03David Law: Yeah, it's interesting, isn't it? Because I think a few days ago, I suggested that maybe there isn't a mix. the US Open. But there is also an all-encompassing mix, or there's a pretty big mix, you know, because it's that kind of thing, really. I absolutely think, under the circumstances, I think he is in it. I wouldn't be surprised if he won the US Open, and I don't think he would be. I think he is speaking as bullishly as he is because he has real faith in himself. I think there have been two times this year, apart from the injuries, where he has just got a bit of a shock to the system, and that is when he played Al Kraus and Sinner.

15:39David Law: And he was like, oh, my God. What is this?

15:43Matt Roberts: I mean, obviously not the same, but I do think he also got a bit of a shock to the system when he played Hodda in Montreal.

15:49David Law: Yeah, I think that's true. In Montreal. That's true. But I also feel like he feels that is reachable and that he's beaten him in Barcelona. Yeah. On clay, though. Yes. And by the way, I take Matt's point and agree with it about the ceiling. I do think it's different on clay I would back Feast on clay to end up having a ceiling that is commensurate with those other guys I think his game just works so well on that surface I think it's amazing that he's doing this on hard court the way he is but absolutely I think he's a contender for this title but he could also lose early I don't think that that is I don't think he's not done this before he hasn't had a deep run at a grand slam yet his body could absolutely break down he his kind of the the expectations we don't know how he's going to handle those external and self-imposed expectations yet of going into a major thinking yeah i i i'm it i'm going to be i'm going to deliver now i'm going to go through this draw and i'm going to be a contender at the end what happens if he plays somebody who's playing really well and he doesn't play very well and he gets anxious you know these are and and then suddenly the big hopes, but I was supposed to go deep at this one because I've just won Cincinnati and, you know, Sinner's not here and Al Kraz is an unknown.

17:12David Law: You know, it's very easy to sort of get ahead of yourself and that's where Goran Ivanishvich, I think, comes into his own as somebody who is not going to put that pressure on and just keep things simple. I don't think he's going to be in New York, but he's got a very experienced coach with Ivan Shinkas, but Goran's there all the time, you know, in the conversations. Maybe that'll change, but I believe the idea was that he wouldn't do the US swing and then he would come back in the autumn. So we'll see. But I just feel like, also I think you can overcomplicate it by having everybody there all the time.

17:50David Law: You know, sometimes, I mean, I think maybe the parents would be advised to just sort of let them get on with it like they did this week. You know, Ivan Shinkas and the two support team members were there and it was a nice compact little team and it was all very uncomplicated. And, you know, and listen, I know they love him to bits and just desperately want to do it all together. But, you know, this is his show and I think if he can keep it simple and just keep his head in now, he's actually right there to have a run. Obviously, the draw is a big factor. There are players out there that could cause problems, I think.

18:31David Law: you know, and...

18:32Matt Roberts: We're all worried about unseeded Karen Hashanov, aren't we?

18:36David Law: Well, I mean, yes, obviously, he's a physical beast of a player, but I don't think his game would terrify Feast. I think it's the kind of game that he would sort of stand up to and say, fine, we'll go toe to toe and I've got the bigger shots. I think there are certain players that could take rhythm away or, you know, if he, I mean, I know it's down the road, but if he played Bublik, you know, I'm not sure what he would make of that. There's one or two like that. But look, he's been so lacking in Grand Slam opportunities for the last, what, two years? He's barely played a Grand Slam. He's played two Grand Slam matches all year.

19:16David Law: And here he is, fifth in the race. So he needs to have... And now he's got no points to defend until the end of the Australian Open.

19:26Matt Roberts: I wonder if he's leading the... Because, you know, for bonus pool purposes, the ATP have like Masters 1000 specific rankings. He must be leading those, or at least second to Yannick Sinner. Well, maybe second to Sinner. Sinner won five in a row. Yeah, Sinner won all the stuff. He must be second to Sinner. But yeah, surely he must be second, I would have thought. To be five for the year, having played two Grand Slam matches, unbelievable. Not that I think he's thinking in terms of the bonus pool. I think perhaps only Caspar Rood is thinking in terms of the bonus pool. But there you go. I personally am, I'm really, I was so, I mean, as Hannah said, the quote about not done yet, it gave me chills as well.

20:14Matt Roberts: But I also, I was so pleased to see that and hear it from him because I know he does come off as a really confident guy. and I think he is in he's got just the right amount of swagger confidence humility like it's all just the perfect formula for me but I also know that from from people that sort of really knew him at the time and worked with him I know that when he first came on tour after having been a really great junior and somebody you know he's from a Grand Slam nation somebody that France, French tennis was marking out as a, as a great hope. I know that when he first hit the tour, he had a bit of a crisis of confidence.

20:57If you go back and watch his, the ATP did like a

21:02Matt Roberts: little documentary piece about him, which I think is on their, on their YouTube when he was first coming through. And he said, I had a bit of a shock to the system when I first became a senior, a pro tennis player because I, you know, in the juniors, you're the big thing. And he was like, I came on tour and I realised how good everyone is and I was like, oh, maybe I'm not that special. And it was a very, like, endearing, relatable quote, but I do think there was quite a lot behind it and he did really question whether he had, you know, the elite goods. So I am really pleased to hear him talking in those terms and just really feeling himself and riding the waves, and I'm very excited about it.

21:53Matt Roberts: How do we feel about Francis Tiafoe going into the US Open, Matt, off the back of this final run in Cincinnati? I feel good about him, actually. I think he had a great week. the match that impressed me most was probably the Mazzetti match. I think that was actually quite encouraging for both. I mean, first of all, it was just a joy to watch. I mean, the rallies that those two were producing were an absolute treat and made me realise what a great net player Tiafoe is. You know, like he was really rushing Mazzetti in that match and trying to get forward and play at the net and he's got good hands.

22:32and he was, you know, and what he did to Fisa in that second set was kind of what he was doing to Mazzetti a lot. He was trying to stand in the court and play aggressively. And it's a good run for him. Personally, I have him just outside the sort of, I suppose, mix. I think I would still be a little bit surprised if he won the US Open just because there just always seems to be something with Tiafoe that maybe just gets in the way. I do think his hit was bothering him in this one. I think sometimes he might just let a set go and you can't really afford to do that in a big match. I think occasionally he just gets in his own way a little bit and I have to think that might still be there.

23:22Plus, I also think there are better players in the draw. you know as great as tiafo is and the talent that he is you saw what feast can do and tiafo just hasn't really got that level in him i don't think um but you know powered on by the american crowd that can go two ways as well you know we've we've seen him really thrive under that under that spotlight we've seen him have it as a bit of a pressure but i think he's going to handle it well i i think he can definitely you know obviously draw dependent i i'd I do expect to see him in the second week and as a real factor in, let's say, the quarters.

24:03And then it's kind of like, OK, can he work his way from there against a group of players that, OK, there's an unknown over Alcaraz and Sinner's not there, but there's just a few more people that I put above him in the pecking order. But I've been impressed.

24:22Matt Roberts: I watched quite a lot of the Muzzetti match that he played in the quarterfinals I mean fantastic match I was very impressed with Tiafoe and that one David and Muzzetti to be fair

24:35David Law: it was a beautiful match to watch it really was the antidote to Fritz Nakashima coming straight after that which honestly good players, admirable players oh my god if I need something to help me get off to sleep I just pop that on and even just listen to it. It's just, they just don't work as a contest for fun. And then you got Tiafoe and Mazzetti on and the variety and the personality and the sort of the buy-in of the crowd was great. And I see Mazzetti playing well, but Tiafoe is, I definitely think Tiafoe is being less indulgent on the tennis court right now. He's bringing the heat a lot more.

25:18David Law: He's, and which I think you've got to do. You can't just sort of feather the ball about and win a Grand Slam title. You've got to fight firewood fire. I worry physically for him after that hip issue I saw in Cincinnati. Just a note on what he was doing to the Mazzetti slice, though, which is a nice-looking slice. He was making mincemeat out of it. He was doing what Nadal and Agassi do to slices. He made it look like such style of... Bang.

25:51Matt Roberts: He made it look like such style over substance, didn't it? Like, oh, you've got your really beautiful, elegant little Federer slice, have you? Well, that's lame. Yeah.

26:04David Law: No, I'd share Matt's view that now, I was high on him at Wimbledon, and I still think he can elevate his level because of the US Open, and I think his floor is higher than it's been for a good couple of years because I think he's put the work in. Mark Kovacs and the team he's got there. Yeah, I think everything's there that you need. It's just, I do agree with the ceiling points and it'll kind of depend who else is left. There are certain people I think I'd back him against, you know, that might beat other people. But then if he's not fully fit, then that's a worry. Hopefully he just had a lot of matches and needs a bit of a few days to get ready.

26:45David Law: but you know the tournament will be better for him doing well in it.

26:49Matt Roberts: I know you're on a tight time frame Matt but can we spare a few minutes to talk about Caballi and his M &Ms or Caballi generally? Yeah look he is one of the people I don't really know where to place in my US Open power rankings I suppose. I think I probably have him below Feast but maybe slightly above Tiafoe just because of his run to the French Open final and the way that he dealt with that opportunity. I was really impressed by that. And I do think he's found his spark again, having lost it for a little bit there over the summer. He was really bad against Feast and his attitude was poor. He was wallowing in self-pity the entire match.

27:37You know, sarcastic thumbs up at his dad. I think he was probably fatigued.

27:43Matt Roberts: I was so not expecting that after, not only the performance in the previous round, but like how he was talking himself up. Yeah, but I do think maybe that was a ploy to convince himself that he was fresh when he wasn't. I mean, we'd seen him needing the M &Ms mid-match and he'd gone this scenic route in all of his matches. Fell for it, Matt. Me too. I was so hyped for Fisca Bali and it wasn't much for contest. It wasn't.

28:12David Law: I would put Tiafoe personally for the US Open ahead of Kabbali. I think Kabbali and Kostiuk... US Open factor. Yeah, and I think Kostiuk and Kabbali are hanging on at the moment after long, successful years. Yeah, look, I could see that.

28:30Matt Roberts: Yeah, I do... I agree with both of you, really, but I do think experience is like massive for, I mean, it's obviously massive for all tennis players, but like particularly for Caballi, like having been in a Grand Slam final before, he's a like sensitive need to adjust to things guy, I think. And like if it got, if he found himself deep in the draw, I think the fact that he's been there and done it in a Grand Slam final and been competitive in it, I think could then come into play. But I could also see him, you know, doing something silly and very much not going deep. That's cabali life, isn't it?

29:16Matt Roberts: That's what we all sign up for. In the doubles, Orlando Luth and Rafael Matos won the doubles title. They beat Hugo Nis and Edouard Roger Vasselin. They also won Canada, so they've done the double. First duo to do the Canada and Cincinnati double in the same year since 2017. So fantastic achievement and well done to them. That is it for part one. We'll be back in part two to talk about Coco Gough and the women.

29:46David Law: Hello, folks. David here. Today's show is brought to you by Vanguard. To all the financial advisors listening, let's talk bonds for a minute. Capturing value in fixed income isn't easy. Bond markets are massive, murky. And let's be real, lots of firms throw a couple of flashy funds your way and call it a day. But not Vanguard. The line-up includes over 80 bond funds. They're actively managed by a 200-person global squad of sector specialists, analysts and traders. Lots of firms love to highlight their star portfolio managers, like it's all about that one brilliant mind making the magic happen, but Vanguard's philosophy is a little bit different.

30:30David Law: They believe the best active strategies shouldn't be locked away with one person. They should be shared across the team. That way, every client benefits from the collective brainpower, not just one individual's take. So if you're looking to give your clients consistent results year in, year out, go see the record for yourself at vanguard.com forward slash audio. That's vanguard.com forward slash audio. All investing is subject to risk. Vanguard Marketing Corporation distributor.

31:27Inventing the future of women's tennis. Accenture, the official business and technology consulting partner of the WTA. Learn more at Accenture.com slash WTA.

31:39David Law: Back to school is busy enough. The last thing you need is shopping that makes it harder. Whether you're moving into a dorm, your first apartment, or just getting organized for the semester, Wayfair makes it easy to get everything you need in one place. Furniture, bedding, storage, decor, study essentials, all at prices you'll love with fast shipping before move-in day. Get everything you need for back-to-school season. Shop Wayfair.com today. Wayfair, every style, every home.

32:11Matt Roberts: Welcome back to part two of today's tennis podcast, turning our attention to the women's tournament in Cincinnati, which was won by Coco Goff. She beat Jessica Bagula 6-2, 6-4 in the final to win her first title for 2026 and her fourth career 1000 title, her 12th title overall. In the words of Art of Feast, David, in his press conference where there was obviously a screen showing the women's final that caught his eye, Coco Goth was playing unbelievable.

32:44David Law: Yeah, she was. And all the way through, pretty much. You know, the run to the title, beating Marta Kosciuk, beating Baelic, you know, who's obviously beaten a couple of really good players. And then, you know, winning the final as well. And just looking to use the word Matt used earlier about Fee's secure. She looks as though she's just got her game nicely under control. You know, there were a few forehand misses that didn't look great. She'd sometimes have a run of bad points. But for the vast majority of it, it was rock solid from the baseline. It was understanding what she was going to do when she was pinned in the forehand corner.

33:25David Law: The movement was just a joke. And she was really going to the net and being decisive. I saw her put down a 124 mile an hour serve down the middle, you know, that just looked as though it was so easily produced, that power. and yeah I'm delighted because she's she's given me the double in predictions if you discount my early Fritz one and my sort of pivot to feats I got them both right but I mean I didn't actually expect to when I was saying that it was because I really didn't have that much faith in some of the others I hadn't really seen a lot of Coco Gauff at that time but I feel more bullish about her now because and i realize you know doesn't necessarily follow that you go on and produce this at the us open but i'd be surprised if she didn't play well now in the us open and i think in the absence of a sabalenka at top form and that's what it looks like we've got right here i i think i'd i'd probably make her the favorite of the us open right now her svantech obviously you'd have to put in that too i think given how well she's playing And there's just a big mix of people generally for various reasons, but really impressed.

34:40Matt Roberts: I'm really glad you said that. I went out for, I really chewed over this this morning. I went out and got a bagel and a coffee and thought about who I think objectively, not my prediction for the US Open, but who I think objectively is the favourite for it. And I do think it's Coco Gauff. I think looking back on her two Grand Sam titles, it came off the back of form. Like she does tend to do this when she's hitting her structure. She tends to time her form pretty well to win a title before and then peak at the subsequent slam. I just feel like, and I know, I think I was saying this in Paris as well, so make of that what you will, but it just has the feel of a Coco Gough Grand Slam win to me and significant additional factor being Irina Sabalenka's form because if Sabalenka were in form, kind of regardless of what Coco Gough were doing, I would put her as the favourite.

35:46But I think it's Gough.

35:49Matt Roberts: I don't know. What do you think? She's really convincing at the moment, I think. I think this project that she embarked on a year ago and that we all potentially misjudged because of how quickly the Gavin Macmillan project worked with Irina Sabalenka, I think that project is now coming to fruition with Coco Gauff. Me too. I think it's a real credit to, obviously Gavin McMillan seems to really know what he's talking about and what he's doing because clearly it's now working but also credit to Goff for sticking with it you know there were some there were some dark times in in the last year or so where you thought oh goodness we're not really seeing much improvement here at all and and yet she's sticking with it um that being said it has also in the last few months really felt like she's been building to this you know she had my she had the run in miami she had the run in rome she had the run at wimbledon but all of those runs were defined by very lengthy three set matches and grinding and having to come through and leaning on a lot of excellent qualities that she has but it was never to it was never to use that word secure well in the last two tournaments we talked about even in canada okay she lost a thing she there to rabatkinah but she was killing people through that tournament in a way that was unusual not dropping many games at all and very similar here she dropped a set to samsonova and once she got over that and got through that hurdle she then didn't lose a set for the rest of the tournament that's different that has changed and there's there's more confidence in her game and i would also put her as the favorite i'm i'm wary a little bit because i know the us open is a lot for coco goff and she has a lot of response you know there's a lot of pressure and attention on her there there's that whole thing of she wants to play in the day and espn want her to play at night you know there's there's kind of that tension but what i will say is she's won the title before as you said Catherine that came off the back of winning Cincinnati and the last two years she's gone into that tournament battling her game you know in 2024 there was bad vibes between her and Brad Gilbert in the box that coaching partnership had had run its course it had been successful but she was about to split with him just after and it was bad vibes last year she was practicing serves in the rain, in the build-up to the tournament.

38:30Matt Roberts: Last year, she came into the pre-tournament press conference saying this Grand Slam is a free hit. I've decided... Gavin McMillan has become available. I'm basically going to sacrifice the US Open to take this opportunity and invest long-term in my game. I'm seeing this tournament as a free hit. Yeah. So it's so different and so nice now that Goff gets a home slam with her game in a really good place and she can come in with form. I mean, I say she's the favourite. To me, it's very marginal because there is a... Between her and... Honestly, like, quite a lot of players. Pagula? I definitely think Pagula.

39:16I would still put Sabalenka in there. But honestly... Anisimova? Maybe. Maybe we'll get to that. I think it's too soon for Anissa Mova. I think she's still working on her game. I can't see her winning the US Open this year. But we're in a place in women's tennis now where the top 10 in the race this year have all won a Grand Slam title or a Masters 1000. Like the parity there between them is amazing. Like there's so many good players who at one point or another this season have been in pretty much peak form. And I think it's kind of goth's turn now to be in that form. But there's just so many people you can't write off.

40:02Like what if Andreva suddenly clicks again and finds her form? And then you've even got people outside of the top 10 in that race, like Asaka and Iala, who won a title not that long ago. And what if Rabakina's injury turns out not to be as bad

40:18Matt Roberts: as we're all kind of assuming it is. Yeah. I honestly think this is the biggest pool of players going into a slam on both sides that I can remember that I could make a genuine case for to be able to win it. Certainly in recent years. I'm sure there have been more open slams in the past, but there are different types of open. You know, the women's is open because there's so many who've convinced us this season. the men's is open because of Sinner not being there and the uncertainty of Alcaraz Healthy players have convinced us this season Right, but it's two fascinating draws. Yeah, it is it's really yeah, I'm really, really maybe it's because I'm here and I'm in New York and I'm sort of in the zone but like I'm really, really pumped for this slam Pagula I'll come to you in a moment though, I just need to just need to check in on Matt's level of confidence vibe about his big Pergoula prediction.

41:23Matt Roberts: I mean, overall, this is a win, right? Final run. That should be a confidence booster. Yeah, look, she beat Igor Shiontek, who's been the form player. She's playing really well. Should we talk about that match a little bit? Should we talk about that match a little bit? Really well. Yeah, wild match. I mean, mostly from Igor Shiontek's side. I felt like Pagula's level was pretty good throughout. Shviontek was up and down. Who wants to describe, should we go to our resident commentator to describe the Io Shviontek set point? I can't remember it. It was Pagula's set point that Shviontek lost with, I mean, a put away at the net that, I mean, I thought as long as she made contact with the ball, that would go over the net.

42:11She was that much on top of the net. And yet she did make contact with the ball and still managed to miss it. She hit it backwards. It was absolutely wild. She was hating the wind, wasn't she? She was. And she was really struggling with her servant. But that's what I think if Shontek is a...

42:28Matt Roberts: I mean, obviously there's the Cancun and all the associated Cancun memes. But I think Shontek is a brilliant wind player. Yeah, I think it was the serve where it was really causing her problems, you know, and that shot is still, you know, such a work in progress. And she got broken a lot. And Pagoula's a great returner, the way she crowds the baseline and puts it deep and immediately puts you under pressure with her return. And I thought for a moment in that match, we were seeing a little bit of a regression for Svantec in terms of the serve. She had a bit of a back and forth with her team in Polish.

43:11But actually, from that point onwards, I thought she then recovered really well in this match and didn't let it become like a match from earlier on in the season. And she fought well. And between them, they played a lot of very good tennis. I thought the point of the tournament was probably won by Pagula in that third set as she was scrambling across the baseline and then came up with this amazing running forehand down the line and let out a big roar. And it was an incredible shot from Pagula to get the set back level. She'd been down a break. And I thought she played really well. And she managed to beat Anissa Mova as well again, as she always does, of course.

43:51So I do think Pagula is in a good place heading into the US Open. And honestly, the obstacle for Pagula at the US Open the last two years has been Sabalenka beating her in the final and the semifinal. And Sabalenka is not that force right now. So, as I said, I think Goff is more convincing, I think, because she's been there and done it at majors. and I do trust her to elevate more at majors in a way that she did when they played at Wimbledon. But I do think Pagula's got a heck of a shot.

44:27Matt Roberts: The Shriantech serve, David, it's being described on the chat by a couple of people actually as a liability. Is the serve itself varying in its weakness or is it more dependent on the extent to which the opponent is able to exploit it or expose it. Like, what is going on with the Shantech serve right now?

44:53David Law: I do think that is a factor. I really feel the wind was a factor. I actually think the serve generally is kind of trending in the right direction. I'm not too worried about the serve versus where I have been in the past. And I think she's defending the serve so incredibly well. She did just win Canada. you know she's had a good run at this tournament i i don't i don't feel like like that in the way that i have in the past um i feel there's a there's a confidence about to generally go on that i was going to say that i i felt like she was in this match partly because of the wind i'm sure trying to take a little bit of pace off it and maybe i felt like she was sacrificing speed for precision it's just that with the wind she was then losing a bit of that precision and it was going straight into the pagula strike zone and she was particularly able to take advantage of it but i do i do agree with david in terms of like the general trend i think has been good i still don't like the motion the motion just makes me wince a little bit sort of making it work isn't she but Yes.

46:03David Law: And, you know, it may never really look super smooth, whereas even though Goff has clangers on her serve, it still produces this incredible result. I love it when David says clangers. And by the way, just, you know, you're asking about Pagula earlier on, aren't we a bit worried about her physical fitness right now, given the way she was looking in the last couple of matches? Yeah, and then... But then she... But then she was okay. I'm not sure she was 100 % in her next ones. I mean, I just feel like she was teeing off in the last couple of matches, I felt, which I really liked, by the way. I love it when she goes for it.

46:44David Law: And she was moving well. I'm just, I'm not, I don't see her playing this mixed doubles, the amount she's been playing recently. I would have thought that might have been worthwhile giving a miss to me personally.

46:58Matt Roberts: So mixed-double specialist Taylor Fritz once again back waiting by the phone. He can sort himself out. That would be quite funny, wouldn't it? It would be so funny. And unfortunately, Diana Schneider has been snapped up by also newly on the shelf Caspar Rood. So, yeah, okay. Okay. Yeah, I mean, Matt, do you share the same physical concerns about Pagula? It's definitely in the back of my mind, at least. I mean, she pulled up in that match against Anissimova and her coach was kind of saying to her, you might want to think about retiring here. Yeah, they didn't tell her what to do, but it was, yeah, that was the vibe.

47:48The thing is then, you know, and she said afterwards, it did start feeling a lot better. I was kind of expecting maybe Anissimov to hit her with the learner TN. You're lying, as he did to Francis Tiafoe, you know, in a kind of jokey net exchange. But, you know, I'm sure there was something going on there for Pagula, and she definitely didn't seem close to her best in the final. My read was kind of exhaustion, I suppose, and just fatigue from a lot of matches. She also had the Castello one that got dragged deep into a third set. She just played a lot of tennis this week and it is a quick turnaround.

48:29But it is there in the back of my mind because there was an issue and I did think for a while in that Inissimova match she was really rolling in the serve and not going for it. It seemed to be a sort of hip or abdomen area. Yeah, so it is there in the back of my mind.

48:43Matt Roberts: That sounds bad on paper from an Inissimova perspective. like, okay, so you lost to an injured Jessica Bagula. But I, having watched that match, and obviously the good performances prior to that match, I thought this was real net positive from Anisimova. As you say, like the US Open might be coming a bit too soon if there were another tournament and then the US Open. Maybe she'd be in the mix, but I do generally feel pretty good about Anisimova and the trajectory we're on. Yeah, definitely. Yeah, you do too. Yeah, look, she had one poor game in the first set and Pagula broke. And otherwise it was a very nip and tuck set.

49:28And Anissa Mova was actually serving pretty well in it. She hit an absolute purple patch in the second set and managed to win it. And then went off the ball at the start of the third and lost 13 points in a row and went down a double break and gave herself so much work to do and gradually got it back and took it to a final set tie break. It was really thrilling. But I always trusted Pagula more in those big moments to be a bit more secure and a bit less stressed and not make the unforced error that Anisimov ultimately kind of did in the very final stage of that tie break. But it's a heck of an improvement in a few months from where she was at Wimbledon, where she had absolutely no forehand to speak of.

50:12It's still the wing that is breaking down occasionally. I'm not sure it's as good as it was last year, for example, but it's getting there. I do think she can have a good win at the US Open and a little bit of a run and maybe knock someone out, but trying to string it together when your game's not in the most secure place against this deep field, it feels a tall order, but good signs generally.

50:42Matt Roberts: Quick word, David, on Sara Balik. Obviously, she had the huge Sabalenka win, but boy, did she back it up with a deciding set tie-break win over Madison Keys while we were recording an emergency podcast inconveniently.

51:00David Law: She's a great watch. She's fun. She's really fun. I mean, she's so sort of small, short, and she's left-handed and full of speed, and she really throws everything she's got into the ball, into her shots, and she hurts people, you know. And I don't know. I mean, she's still, she's very young, you know, so maybe this is really the start of something. And I just, I really enjoyed watching her. She's one I will remember the tournament for, I think. She's been in a lot of draws that I've seen, but I've not taken a lot of notice in many of them. And suddenly she sort of made everybody take notice. And so I hope it's, and it's nice to see another lefty.

51:45David Law: I enjoyed that.

51:47Matt Roberts: David, how good is Sarah Bailick? Yeah, she's great. She's so small. Incredible.

51:53David Law: I mean, it's difficult for me not to sort of notice that from my vantage point. And just, I can't quite get over it sometimes.

52:05Matt Roberts: The doubles in Cincinnati was run by Linda Nozkova and Marie Buskova. Yeah, we can't go by without some Czech success on the tennis court. The only set they dropped was against Gabby Dabrowski and Barbora Krejcikova. Just a quick question to wrap on Cincinnati. What do we think of the trophies, the jugs, the vases, the sort of ornate pottery of it all? do we like that it's a bit different or it's it it's giving more sort of home depot than you know iconic great trophy for a week of great sport i i do quite like the i like it when tournaments have distinctive trophies that are a bit different i just yeah but it's not my favorite one of those yeah exactly yeah i mean it is objectively quite ugly but i do like the principle of them having their own vibe i don't know what do you think david i just didn't really

53:13David Law: notice them they just sort of bit meh to me just sort of blended into the background i wasn't wasn't that interested i mean sometimes you know like a trophy just smacks you around the chops you know and you're like whoa look at that this one i was just like fine crack on lift it

53:34Matt Roberts: Okay, on that note, that's it for part two. We'll be back in part three to talk about a few other bits and bobs pertaining to the hurtling towards us at speed US Open. 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.

54:23Hi, this is Debbie Millman from the Design Matters podcast. and today's episode is sponsored by Lexus. Design isn't just about function. It is about feeling. At Lexus, every detail is intentionally designed. Master artisans don't just focus on what you can see. They obsess over what you can feel, the way the door closes, the precise click of a switch, the acoustic feedback of every control. Because a car that doesn't make you feel something is a car that stops short of amazing. Experience amazing at your Lexus dealer.

55:05Matt Roberts: Welcome back to part three of today's tennis podcast. The big US, well, we've had a few bits of big US Open news, but probably the biggest on the news front is the announcement of the remaining wildcards and the headline, or maybe sort of a couple of headlines is no singles wildcard for Serena Williams. Maybe not a surprise, given that she hadn't played any singles over the course of this hardcourt swing. But also no singles wildcard for former champion Stan Wawrinka, who we know is retiring at the end of this year. Ben Rothenberg reports that Wawrinka did indeed request one and didn't receive one.

55:48Matt Roberts: Patrick Kipson and Darwin Blanche, the young American players, players, very young, in Darwin Blanche's case, they received the final men's wildcard spots. And Brinka does seem to have then decided not to enter qualifying. So I know the optics of Guillaume Morfise and receiving a wildcard and Stan Brinka, a former champion, not are tough. I mean, the whole thing stinks to me, but just specifically on that point, the USTA didn't have any say over the Guillemot-Fiez wildcard. They have a reciprocal arrangement with the FFT, which is allowed. These reciprocal arrangements happen. So one American in each of the men's and women's draw receives a wildcard into the French Open and one French player receives a wildcard into each main draw of the US Open.

56:44So the FFT decided to give their wild card on the men's side to Gael Monfils.

56:52Matt Roberts: So let's assume that had it been up to the USTA, they would also not have given one to Gael Monfils. What do we think about the fact that they didn't give one to Stan Werenke, David?

57:04David Law: I think it was crap. I think it was terrible. What a terrible decision. The guy won the trophy 10 years ago. It's the 10th anniversary of it. and he's finishing this year, he's a guaranteed kind of good time. You know, crowds would have loved seeing him. Just a bad, bad decision.

57:28Matt Roberts: What would you say to the counter-argument of there are no guidelines for wild cards? It's entirely up to the tournament, and they have a policy of giving the wild cards to American players, and that is, should your beef be with the game and not the player, i.e. the game being, they're not being guidelines for wild cards and they're not being some sort of requirement or provision for past champions requesting wild cards?

58:02David Law: I don't know. I mean, I'm trying to work out whether one past champion deserves it more than another, et cetera, et cetera. I just, to me, this was no lose. Yes, you might have denied one player a place in a draw, but we had this with Dan Evans, and he's nowhere near the sort of achievement level. I mean, he did a lot for British tennis, but at Wimbledon, he's certainly not done as much in the draw. But I just feel like, and I don't think you're necessarily helping the players that you think you're helping with all these wild cards in your own country. just let them get in the qualifying and scrap it out and if they come through then they're going to be flying and they're also going to have earned something they're going to be tougher as a result of it and instead you could have had a now you know you get one of them there's there's going to be people who lose first round and you could have had a stand over inca show on a grandstand or something like that.

58:59David Law: And I just, I do really feel like he deserves a chance to sort of sign off in the final Grand Slam of the year. Everybody else has given him one, haven't they? I don't know whether Wimbledon did. I can't remember now. Maybe they didn't. Yeah, he played a good match. Didn't he play Barrettini?

59:16Matt Roberts: Wimbledon gave him one, yeah. I actually thought Wimbledon might not.

59:19David Law: Just a terrible, terrible decision.

59:20Matt Roberts: And Wimbledon did. Yeah. Oh, yeah, I mean, I'm playing devil's advocate with my questions. I think the whole thing absolutely reeks. But I also think this is a, I mean, I still think even within the current context, the USDA, like it's just a total own goal for them not to give him one. But as you say, like mutually beneficial. But then they obviously have a different definition of what's beneficial. And like, yeah, my bigger issue is with wild cards and the totally sort of nebulous nature of them and what they're for. Does anybody have an actual definition of what a wild card should be for? Like, it's just open to everybody's interpretation.

1:00:07Matt Roberts: Like, you can...

1:00:08David Law: I mean, I don't feel like I need one in quite that way. I mean, I can understand the argument for it. To me, this is just common sense. But then saying he doesn't...

1:00:19Matt Roberts: Yeah, of course, there are total... Of course, David, but if you don't have a policy for something and it's down to people's feel, you can kind of justify everything.

1:00:31David Law: No, look, I'm all right with that. I just think... If you don't think he's worthy of one... Of course, yeah.

1:00:42Matt Roberts: Right, but there will be test cases, won't there? I mean, I don't... I really... Sam Wawrinka is a past champion and that's a slam dunk, I think, a past champion. But like Gamalphys, I don't think Gamalphys should have one. But some people would think he's a slam dunk.

1:01:00David Law: Yeah, listen, I'd agree with you. Most of them, I just don't think it matters either way. Fine, you want to give him one, give him one. But there's one or two that are absolute outliers that you just look stupid not giving one to him and he's won. The rest of them, I don't mind. I can have my opinion, you can have yours, But it doesn't matter, really, who gets them. This feels like it actually matters.

1:01:26Matt Roberts: But when it's 150 grand, it's a guaranteed 150 grand? Like, that matters to a lot of people.

1:01:34David Law: Yeah, I'm just not that bothered about it, on the whole. I think wild cards serve a fairly useful purpose of getting people like Stan in, you know? Yeah, to me, he's the whole... Like, this is the whole reason why we have wildcards for this scenario. Like, Stan Wawrinka, former champion, trying to say goodbye. He's been competitive this year. He's a draw. People will want to see him. Like, if you're going to have wildcards, this is, like, as obvious as it gets to give Stan Wawrinka one. I can't get my hand on it at all. Look, I agree.

1:02:10Matt Roberts: I agree. But that's obvious to us as punters that just want to watch good vibes-y tennis, that that's a slam dunk. Other people would have different definitions of what the point of wild cards are. Craig Tiley had a beer on court with Stan Wawrinka at the Australian Open this year. I know, I know. I thought he was a Stan Wawrinka guy. I do wonder if actually the Craig Tiley of it all has hurt Stan Wawrinka because he feels, well, I've already given him a wild card and a goodbye opportunity. I've already given him that. He doesn't need it from me again.

1:02:49David Law: Well, maybe he's not allowed to overrule an existing system at the moment. Maybe he has to put in a new system and he hasn't got his feet under. Well, that's assuming there's a system.

1:03:02Matt Roberts: That's assuming there's a system. I would be shocked if there was a system. And if there is, I'd love it to be made public.

1:03:12David Law: Yeah, it doesn't sound like it really, I suppose. It doesn't sound like it. Nonsense.

1:03:20Matt Roberts: I know what my next T-shirt is going to be, put it that way. In the mixed doubles, the draw has been done. It's bad news for the Serena and Alcaraz pairing who have been confirmed worst kept secret in tennis. They are playing mixed doubles together. they'll be playing their first round match not before 2pm on Tuesday. That is tomorrow. We're going to see Carlos Alcaraz and Serena Williams on a tennis court tomorrow. And Matt, you're going to be, will you be in the sky? Yes, I'll be about half an hour away from landing. So if they could just drag it out longer than half an hour, I might be able to get some sort of stream up, I suppose.

1:04:04Matt Roberts: You can get in trouble for watching it in the queue for passport control. Yes, exactly. Whether they can drag it out or not, I have my doubts because I don't think the draw has been very kind to them at all. They face a pair of qualifiers, which obviously in a normal draw, you might consider a good thing. But in a draw like this, which means they're going to guarantee to be playing two mixed-double specialists that have come through qualifying, I think this is a bit of a disaster for Alcaraz and Serena. But we will see, folks. As we've hinted, Taylor Fritz is currently re-paired with Jessica Pegula.

1:04:46Matt Roberts: Watch this space for news on Taylor Fritz's mixed doubles future, though there's a potential for them to face Irani and Vavasori in the second round, which I would really, really enjoy. Iga Svantec has withdrawn, which I totally understand from her perspective, but is a real bummer for the tournament, I think, obviously because she's a big name and because her and Rude were real vibe last year. Like they were one of the real high spots of the tournament last year. So that's a vibe, but not a problem for Kasper Rude because he has mopped up Diana Schneider, who was partnerless after Daniel Medvedev decided to enter Winston-Salem.

1:05:25Matt Roberts: And the qualifying for the mixed doubles is taking place today. I think as we speak, it is happening. So, yeah, we'll know by the end of today who Carlos Alcaraz and Serena Williams will be playing tomorrow. Is that on the telly or is that just sort of a local experience, I wonder? I think it might be on the internet. Don't know. I'll do some digging, David. I'll switch on my telly and find out for you I feel like last didn't no there wasn't a qualifying last year so there's no we've got no prior data to know who can say qualifying is already underway top seed in the men's is Arthur Gere Moise Kwame is playing Nishesh Basavareddy Coleman Wong is playing Elmer Moller Grigor Dimitrov in qualifying against Lorenzo Justino Bernard Tomic against Lloyd Harris.

1:06:25Matt Roberts: And Kay Nishikori, former finalist, he faces Sebastian Ofner in the first round of qualifying. In the women's, the top seed is Polina Kudomitova. She faces Linda Fruvitova. Christina Lutova, the Memphis champion, she's in the qualifying draw. She's seeded 16th. Also in qualies is Jung Chin Wen, the reigning Olympic champion, Bianca Andreescu, the former champion, Fran Jones, Robin Montgomery, Emerson Jones, the young Aussie, Harmony Tan, Harriet Dart, and Joanna Garland, who we will all be following with great interest. As hinted, there is an ATP 250 taking place in Winston-Salem this week. No Carlos Alcaraz for them, but they have got Daniel Medvedev, Arthur Ferry, Thomas Mahatch, who, when did he last win a tennis match?

1:07:20Matt Roberts: Stefanos Sitsapas, Ignacio Boussey, Bortik, Van de Zanskulp and Luciano Darderi. Not a bad field for Winston-Salem. And the WTA have a 500 event in Monterey this week with Ekaterina Alexandrova as the top seed. They also have Clara Towson, Donna Vekic, Maja Chvelinska, Anastasia Potopova, Elisa Mertens and Lily Tagger. In terms of our plans, our US Open relived episode is up tomorrow for Friends of the Tennis Podcast talking about the 1996 draw. And I know that sounds niche, but folks, it is one of the most fun shows we've ever done. If you want to hear Matt Roberts doing a Michael Shtick impersonation, then I have just the show for you.

1:08:10Matt Roberts: The link to become a friend of the Tennis Podcast is in the show notes. I, as established, am already out here in New York having a great time, getting incredibly pumped for the US Open. Matt travels tomorrow. David travels Wednesday. And our next show will be Wednesday night in New York after the culmination of the mixed doubles tournament, after the names have been put on the bloody roll of honour, David. and a reminder that on Thursday we will not only have our draw, post-draw tennis podcast as usual, but we will also be doing a live show on Thursday at the US Open on the Plaza Stage. You know where all the fountains are in front of the Arthur Ashe Stadium, the big sort of central focal point of the US Open.

1:09:03Matt Roberts: Well, during Fan Week, which is free entry for everybody, they have a big stage up there and we will be on it doing a live show that is free for anybody that wants to come and watch at 1pm on Thursday. Get there at 12 and you'll be able to see the doubleheader of Chicago, the Broadway cast of Chicago and the tennis podcast, which is pretty good entertainment, I would say for a free ticket. So yeah, please do come if you can. We would love to see some friendly faces in the crowd and yeah, it's going to be good. Matt Roberts talking about a draw. What is not to like, folks? I'm very excited. I really am.

1:09:45Matt Roberts: I'm daunted by what's ahead of us. 22 podcasts in a row, plus a road trip to Newport in the middle of it all and a Grand Slam tournament. But, yeah, I don't know about you, but I'm extremely pumped. Definitely. Yeah. For the benefits of the tape and the fact that we are primarily an audio medium. Matt and David were nodding enthusiastically there. Folks, I would like to introduce you to Bug, our mascot for today's show. I'm a bit distracted by the picture of Bug. What a face. Bug is a senior Border Terrier born on the 2nd of June 2014. He's very sweet and adventurous. I'll say, look at this picture.

1:10:34Matt Roberts: And he'll do anything for some dehydrated sweet potato. What a middle class dog. We moved from Australia to British Columbia, Canada for a few years and naturally we had to fly him over too. There he experienced the great outdoors to its fullest extent. He saw snow for the first time. He scaled mountains. He lazed upon alpine lakes afloat on a paddle board. He cruised around the city in a backpack, played fetch in endless green fields amongst many other activities. has Bug lived a more exciting life than I have? That is the slightly worrying question that is floating through my mind. Nowadays, he lives a quieter life, having survived a cancer battle and a surgical complication that has left him with permanent nerve damage in his leg and for which he wears a custom 3D printed brace.

1:11:28Matt Roberts: He is now retired from fetch but enjoys a daily sniff... Sniffery? Sniffary? Sniffary. I see what you've done there this is Lan and Thomas talking incidentally Bug's owners a sniffari I see what you've done there Lan and Thomas and he diligently goes to hydrotherapy to maintain the strength in his legs with our time with Bug drawing to an end we've endeavoured to spoil him as much as possible including having him to sleep in our bed he used to sleep under the stairs in his crate kind of like Harry Potter every night he puts on his PJs and snuggles up between us as our little spoon. He is the most precious boy and has brought so much joy and meaning to our lives.

1:12:11Matt Roberts: This photo is from summer 2024 on Sarile Ridge in Kananaskis, our favourite place in Canada. And I hope I haven't butchered that pronunciation. That is a one-of-a-kind pet mascot photo. What a life, Lan and Thomas, that you have given Bug. like just incredible from for all his stages of life that is absolute 10 out of 10 dog ownership what a lucky boy he is to to have had you um and for you to have had him I do love a border terrier Andy Murray's a border terrier guy isn't he or he was until he's until he switched allegiances to a springer spaniel, cocker spaniel, some kind of spaniel. Anyway, thank you, Landon Thomas, for making Bug, today's mascot.

1:13:06Matt Roberts: I love him. I really do. Hello to our mascots, Bodie, Maisie and Roger. Hello to our top folks and executive producers, Greg, Chris and Jeff. The agenda says no shout outs needed. Matt rushing off.

1:13:24Matt Roberts: Keep it professional, Matt. I could shout out, you know, Fesor Palacios, Gonzalo Garcia, all our new players, Josh King. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Can I get a score prediction from you then, if we're not going to get shout outs? Oh, 3-1 Fulham. Yes, David. Let's go with that. Yeah, 3-1 Fulham. It's not what Neil was saying earlier. Let's put it that way. But I'm feeling good. I'm going to be positive. and I'll see you tomorrow, Matt. You will. Looking forward to it. What a thing to say. Yeah, I will see you tomorrow, David. I will see you Wednesday. A reminder that that Friends of the Tennis Podcast episode, Tennis Relived, about the redraw and all of the calamitous and dramatic fallout, that'll be up tomorrow for Friends of the Tennis Podcast.

1:14:18Matt Roberts: We will be back on Wednesday with our post-mixed double show and we'll be back every day for the next 22. We're part of the Athletic Podcast Network. Thank you for listening and for watching and we'll speak to you soon.

1:14:52Thank you.

1:15:24Thank you.

1:15:52David Law: before it happens with easy to manage preventative maintenance and work orders that can be created and assigned in seconds. No binders, no Excel, no scramble. Companies on MaintainX have cut unplanned downtime by over 30%. Try it free at maintainx.com. Think of a toilet as just an everyday object. Your entire perspective shifts the moment you experience a Kohler smart toilet. Design changes everything, transforming a basic routine into something extraordinary. With standout aesthetics and intuitive controls, these are functional works of art. Stunning design that never sacrifices performance. Enjoy customizable features for elevated comfort and convenience.

1:16:34It's more than a fixture. It's a cleaner routine and a more refined space. Experience the difference of Kohler Smart Toilets. Find more at Kohler.com.