French Open Day 7 - Gauff falls, so who’s in the title Mix now?

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1:29Matt Roberts: Hello and welcome to the Tennis Podcast. It is day seven of the French Open. We three are back at Tennis Podcast Towers and Paris Saint-Germain have just won the Champions League. So if you can hear the distant sounds of honking and fireworks, that is what is going on. Pray for us trying to get to sleep later this evening. We are coming to you at 10.15 here in part one of the show And at this very moment, with just two matches still to be completed across the men's and women's order of play today, there have been only three straight sets matches. Get this. There have been more deciding set tie breaks than there have been straight sets matches today.

2:17David Law promised a humdinger and the French Open delivered. I got a prediction right.

2:26David Law: I mean, it is three of the most astonishing days in a row. And really, after Sinner goes out and all that went on there, and then Djokovic and Fonseca and all we had yesterday, the drama we've had in matches, okay, maybe not all with the household names of those two, but people just laying their dreams on the line and their bodies on the line. and just pushing the limits. It's just been extraordinary today. And it is like matches are contagious after a while. We saw it at the Dud Slam, the crappy slam in Australia when everything was rubbish, back to back. And here it's the opposite. Yeah, it's mayhem.

3:10It's absolute mayhem. Today's been the day where the women's draw were like, oh, we can do upsets too. And the men's draw has thought, well, you know, let's move on to everyone playing for five hours or pushing six hours. I mean, it's just been so much to keep up with. I've been so overwhelmed and overstimulated in the past few hours. We've had so many screens on the go. We had five at one point. Yeah, I mean, just wild. Yeah, I feel absolutely at breaking point. If the weather wasn't scheduled to break tonight, I would be going home, except the Eurostar probably wouldn't be air conditioned. so actually I'd just cry in a corner.

3:53David Law: And it'd probably take five hours more than the scheduled two because that's just how we roll at the moment. Yes, exactly. Yes, my favourite message from someone on the barge was that they started a match in Tuscany and got home to their sofa in England and it was still going hot. Yeah, that pretty much sums up today, doesn't it?

4:12Matt Roberts: Absolutely wild. We should probably start with the defeat of the defending women's champion Coco Gauff at the third round stage to 28th seed, the Madrid finalist Anastasia Potapova. 4-6, 7-6, 6-4. Looked like this one was headed for a deciding set tie break. It was four all in the third. Potapova breaks and serves it out. And look, this is a match that as soon as the draw came out in the orangery, Matt had it circled as a danger point for Coco Gauff, a possible upset. And yet it still feels like a shock to me, Matt. I don't know about you.

4:51Catherine Whitaker: Yes, I thought it was a danger match, absolutely. But I also thought Goff would win it and come through it because she so often does. You know, she hadn't lost to anyone here at the French Open other than Iguer Sviante since 2021. You know, it's an incredible record against the rest of the field here. She's so hard to put away. And that even played out in this match, you know, because Potapova goes up an early break and doesn't end up winning the first set. She takes a big lead in the second set and needs a tie break to win it, does Potapova. And then Goff goes up a break in the third. And honestly, I kind of thought that Goff was going to win it from that point, to be honest.

5:37Catherine Whitaker: She was playing pretty well, I thought. Like, not, like, incredibly well. She wasn't really on the attack all that much, Gough, but she was in her lockdown mode. She was extending rallies and just about getting the better of this match. So it was kind of looking how I thought it would look, really, like a tough match, but one that I expected Gough to come through. And then, my goodness, Potapova in that final set was pretty breathtaking at times. I couldn't believe my eyes, some of the stuff she was pulling off. I mean, she's so much better than I thought she was. I mean, maybe she's so much better than she's ever been.

6:18Right. Like she was not doing this.

6:21David Law: I don't think your assessment of her was incorrect a year ago. I don't think she's better than you thought she was. It's just that she's improved out of sight because I thought she was pretty ordinary really a year ago. You know, if she was in the draw against a decent name, you would not expect much of a fight. She's not a sweet ball striker, is she? It doesn't make a lovely sound coming off the racket. She's not one of those. But she's, I mean, on today's evidence, she's a bit of a Coco Gauff. Well, that was the thing. That was what impressed me.

6:54Catherine Whitaker: The hanging in these long rallies going toe to toe, rallies that weren't just back and forth hitting. They had a lot of movement involved and angles and coming to the net, being lobbed, having to retreat, restarting the point. She was doing all of that, which, as you said, is very Coco Gauff. But then she had a sting as well at the end of those long rallies. She had the power. And, you know, I have always thought of her as a power player. She's a big hitter. You know, she's got these long swiping tape backs of the racket. and yes so dangerous today at the at the end of this match like that combination of going toe to toe and then being able to pull the trigger was absolutely remarkable and the mental resilience as well to you know win that second set tie break having having had the lead and let it slip um goff i thought played a really poor second set tie break i must say and then the resilience from Potapova in the third when she was a breakdown you know like everything came together for her today and as much as I thought she was a dangerous player coming into it based on what we'd seen from her clay court season so far if I if I'd known she could do this if I'd known she was going to play like that I would have probably predicted the upset because I thought she even showed us more today than she had even even in this clay court season that she'd already had The quotes from Coco Gough after the match were interesting.

8:25I mean, it sounds like she's, you know, she's not absolutely distraught and having an existential crisis about her game. You know, this was not one of those disaster performances where the double fault count goes viral or some of the shanked forehands. There was one on match point, unfortunately. But generally speaking, this was a perfectly normal defeat to an excellent player who just showed up big time on the day. But she seems very frustrated with how much the defeat felt similar to the defeat she suffered in the Rome final and in Madrid as well. And I think what she's getting at is on the big points, she's kind of retreating and becoming defensive.

9:09There are periods of the match, PSG fans having their say in the Coco Gauff result there. I don't think that's going to stop all night. So I think we probably need to press on through the fireworks, folks. Congratulations, Paris Saint-Germain. Yeah, I think she's very frustrated with that. And it feels like something that should be within her control. But we know that it's not, right? It's a confidence thing and it comes from something very, very deep inside tennis players, whether they are able to do the hard things and the brave things when it matters most.

9:48David Law: Yeah, it's about being clutch really in the biggest tournaments and the biggest moments. And she sounds frustrated. That's the main thing that comes out of that press conference. She just kept using the word, I didn't capitalise. When I had these chances, I was in the scoreboard. I was in the point and I didn't capitalise. And actually that's what Potapova did. It is, like you say, so difficult to put Koko Goff away in these positions. For her not to force that tie break is huge credit to Potapova, to my mind. She's frustrated with her serve, isn't she? But in a slightly different way than she has been sort of, you know, a year ago.

10:29But pretty much throughout her career up until this point, she was like, well, I'm not double faulting much anymore. I'm making the serve. But she said, but I'm not holding.

10:40Matt Roberts: Who cares how many serves I make in the court if the result is still the same? That's quite a revealing line from her.

10:47Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, and we've been tracking that, haven't we? We've talked about how she has lost it as a weapon, the ability to fire down the big serve, get her out of trouble, or even set up those points in a way that she then wants to be able to play them a bit more aggressively on her terms. She's having to dig in in the rallies and she's so good at it. But, you know, the serve is attackable, I would say. You know, players are able to get on top of it and Potipova certainly did that at times. And yeah, if you're constantly having to battle in your service games as well, that's mentally so draining and exhausting.

11:24Catherine Whitaker: And I'm not even talking necessarily within the context of a match because Goff is able to cope with that better than most. But over the course of this whole season, it feels like Goff is having to sort of battle a lot. And I think that can take its toll eventually as well. And obviously grass next, where sort of expectations are lowest for Coco Goff. Maybe that'll help. It's a totally free hit for her on grass, isn't it? And she has a bit more time to prepare for it, maybe have a bit of time off compared to last year, where not only she went to the very end of this tournament, but she had that massive media tour afterwards, didn't she?

12:01Everybody was talking about what Sabalenka said about her in the press conference afterwards. It became this huge cut-through story, obviously, particularly in the US. So maybe she'll just have a bit of a Shriver reset now for Coco Gauff, and I'll look forward to seeing her on the grass. But it's a blow to have her out of this tournament, isn't it? I was so impressed with Potapova today. I'm looking forward to seeing her tennis again. But it's just a shame for Coco Gauff to be gone, isn't it?

12:28David Law: She moves the needle, to use that phrase, in America. And globally, you know, she's just worried about our numbers. She's a huge star. I mean, it was noticeable if you looked at, for instance, how many people took in our show over the final weekend on YouTube. There were more for Coco Gauff than there were for the, arguably the greatest match we've ever seen. They're both very high, but Gough really is one of those players. And what interests me is that she can be sometimes inconsistent at Grand Slam. She can have some early losses, and you wonder whether there's a real problem there. And invariably, she comes back and produces at another one, because she's just such an incredible competitor.

13:18Because, David, she's never as high as you think, and she's never as low as you think. I think it sums it up perfectly, that. Anastasia Potopova then through to the second week here for the first time. She faces Anna Kalinskaya in round one. Kalinskaya battling through a, you'll be shocked to hear, a strange match against Camilla Osorio, 6-3, love 6, 6-2. She had treatment and assessment for what looked like heat stroke in the middle of that second 6-love set, Kalinskaya. It looked over, quite frankly. She was having a pulse in her, her blood pressure taken. Sorry to sound like a broken record, but it has been outrageously hot today.

13:59The hottest day yet. The city's just been retaining all the heat. It is going to break later. This is the last you'll have to hear us talk about this heat wave, but it has been suffocating today. So how Kalinskaya found a way through from that point on, I don't know, but props to her and it's Potipova, Kalinskaya, in round four in a couple of days' time. So Goff losing was the third match on Philippe Chattier day session today. And it made it back-to-back upsets on there because second on was Amanda Anisimova losing out to Deanne Parry. 6-3, 4-6, 7-6. One of the deciding set tie breaks that we're going to talk about today.

14:42Matt, I'm sorry to have to make you relive this, but you did obviously watch it all live from the press box. the inferno in every possible way. I hated this match. It was giving me Tatiana Maria flashbacks from Queen's last year. I felt such a fool while I was watching it. I was like, why was I so confident in Amanda Renes-Movi? You've seen what Slice does to her. Yeah, and I suppose that was Slice on grass. So there was part of me that thought, you know, be more effective on that surface.

15:19Catherine Whitaker: But, oh, she did not have a good time, Amanda Nisimova, facing Diane Parry. I mean, at the start of the match, there was part of me that thought she might, Nisimova, just breeze through this. She won 11 points in a row quite early on at the start of the match and went up a break. And it was that classic thing of like, oh, well, it is on her racket. You know, like she's got the more powerful game, the heavier way to shot, all of that. but Parry made things awkward very quickly with it's the slice with Parry but it's also the very different forehand the forehand is quite heavily top spun so you're getting this different ball and this lack of rhythm and it it throws you off and Anissimova is a ball striker and wants the ball in the slot and she didn't really get it all that much and very quickly everything we've talked about with anissa mova in terms of the temperature being a bit lowered for her and a bit calmer and her seeming quite relaxed that all disappeared within minutes really of this match starting and suddenly it was stress again and not having a good time and sort of getting in her own way with that and battling that constantly um have to talk about sneeze gate been waiting for this

16:41Matt hasn't quite been the same person since this happened. So in the first set, Anissa Mova misses a serve.

16:50Catherine Whitaker: She's serving at 3-4. And then she throws the ball up for her second serve. And someone in the crowd very loudly fake sneezes. I know it was a fake sneeze. Just to be devil's advocate here, yeah, how can you prove in a court of law that it was a fake sneeze? I know in my heart that it was a fake sneeze. Okay. Because no one sneezes. Achoo!

17:19If you sneeze like that, normally, let us know. And, like, I get, you know, hay fever, allergies. I'm very often watching a tennis match, very conscious that I am going to sneeze, and I'm sitting quite near the court here, and you can stifle the sneeze. It's not nice, it's not pleasant, but you can make a weird noise that's quiet and stop yourself dramatically sneezing if you want to. It's OK, Matt. Everybody listening understands the concept of stifling a sneeze. It's not just you doing that. Well, this idiot should either didn't stifle their sneeze. But as I said, who sneezes at you? it was and like just as the just as the ball was thrown up and of course Anisimova then double faulted and got broken and lost the set do you think the whole course of the match resulted at that point I want to say that it was the defining moment but I think actually Anisimova was arguably already a bit off the rails and this maybe sped things up

18:32Catherine Whitaker: and didn't help, but there was so much of this match that played out besides Sneezegate.

18:38Matt Roberts: I was pretty impressed in that deciding set, given how terrible a time she was clearly having. I was impressed by how she managed to, through force of will, keep the train just about on the track. She was a breakdown in that deciding set, got the break back, took it into the tie break. and there was such tenacity there and she gets to three all in the tie break. She'd been a mini break down early on. She gets a mini break back. She's three all in the tie break. She top edges a second serve to double fault and then she checked out. I found that bizarre having fought the way she had up until that point.

19:25Matt Roberts: There isn't often a finish line in tennis. You see the annex in a discussion. like you can't wind down the clock but when you're into a deciding set tie break you know there's there's a finish line there not check out as in stop trying but the game was gone like it was a raft of like that was a disaster it was back fence stuff from that point onwards it was as though the

19:48David Law: whole match she was sort of trying to put her thumb in a leak and she was managing it for all this time and then she couldn't anymore and i mean look that is the best i've seen diane parry play i should say and i do think her utilization of the slice was very clever she overdid it compared to what she normally does and it really worked um anissa moe has also spoken in her press currents about feeling under the weather today you know i don't get the sense that this is excuse megan i think it's just she's just being honest she she she said the wrist was okay but i just didn't i've been dealing with something physical today and i think that that's like ill health feeling a bit sick or whatever and it's hot as we've we've gone over and the crowd i mean it is a lot blisters she said blisters on her hand i i tend to agree with you i would come out of it feeling overall upside that she kept that close because it could have tail spun away very quickly once it wasn't going away um and you know she's she's still a bit rusty that that much is clear i think just generally having not played that much.

20:55David Law: So I'd be going into the grass feeling quite optimistic.

20:58Matt Roberts: Maybe she could have done with Julia Grapper not retiring. You know, maybe she could have done with a bit more tennis ahead of this. But yeah, grass is big for her, isn't it? Don't want to ramp up the pressure.

21:09Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, I mean, because obviously now comes the part of the season where she's defending so many points. You know, had a good run at Queen's, obviously, before the aforementioned Tatiana Maria match. And then, you know, she's got two slam finals that she's defending. So the pressure is going to be back on. I thought she never really got the balance right on return today. I actually thought Parry served incredibly well, better than I've seen her serve in a long time. A lot of aces from Parry. But Anissa Mover, it was feast or famine on return. Sometimes it was brilliant and she was stepping in and really dominating on it, but she missed too many returns, I would say.

21:51Catherine Whitaker: But, yeah, look, I wasn't expecting, you know, a really deep run here. I think it felt like an opportunity because of the way the draw opened up. And you would have to say it was. What even is an opportunity at the 2026 French Open anymore? The goalposts have moved, folks.

22:14Matt Roberts: And on that subject, Deanne Parry in the fourth round for a place in the quarterfinals. of this Roland Garros will face Maja Kwalinska. That is the same person that I was calling Maja Kwalinska a couple of days ago. I've had some instruction from a Polish listener. I'm doing my best here, folks. Kwalinska is my current best effort. She beat Maria Sakary today, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2. This is a player that truly has come from nowhere. I had not heard of her. But I dimly, when Matt reminded me that she was a contemporary of Igor Shontex and they had played in juniors together, I did that dimly rang a bell.

22:58Matt Roberts: But honestly, she wasn't on my radar at all. She's come through qualifying here. She's beaten two good players already. Today, she's beaten Maria Sakharin in the heat of the day. And Sakharin has been capitalising on her athleticism up until this point and, you know, making hay while the sun's been shining. and Kvenlinska lost the first set of this 6-1. It was all getting away from her very quickly indeed. And she could have gone on to lose this one-sidedly and it would still have been the best week of her life in tennis terms by some distance. But goodness me, talk about tenacity. She stuck in there and now here she is in the second week of a slam.

23:41Matt Roberts: She didn't have a hotel booked, obviously. She was asked in the post-match interview, are you ready to book the hotel for the second week? She said, well, I hope that there are free places or that I have enough money because I know I earned a lot of money here, but it's not coming yet. So pray for me. I hope just like my appeal for the Shark Ninja people to get in touch, which they have, by the way. I hope that Maya Kvilinska's appeal to the Hoteliers of Paris is just as successful as my come and get me plea to the Shark Ninja people was a couple of days ago, which was, P.S., very successful. Thank you, Shark Ninja.

24:22Yeah, Hoteliers of Paris, if you're listening, give Maya Kvilinska a free room with air conditioning.

24:30David Law: Or at least make one available to her. She is good for it. She's got plenty of cash coming her way. Give her an IOU. Yeah.

24:38Matt Roberts: Heck of a story, isn't it? She will win at least 285 ,000 euros for reaching the last 16. And look, Diane Perry will be the favourite in that fourth round match. But what a shot for those two at a grand slam quarter final.

24:52David Law: Just by the way, on prize money, when players finish a tournament, I'm not exactly sure how it works now, but back in my day, in the late 90s, when I was a... Still your day, David. ...communications manager, They'd finish the tournament and then they'd go into a little room where somebody would just... I actually saw people just hand over cash for prize money. Wads of cash. I don't think it works like that anymore. They did back then. Caspar Reid would love that, wouldn't he? He's not into paying taxes.

25:27Right, let's... Catherine's fighting a real battle against the sort of general public sentiment that a lot of people want Kasparu to win this French Open. Look, I'd be pleased for him, but let's not put him in the same bracket as Matteo Berrettini. He has not had opportunity heartbreakingly denied him.

25:45David Law: I mean, he played Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in his big chances. That's how tennis draws work. He wasn't cruelly struck down by injury prior to any of those finals. He had his chance. He wasn't good enough. Not enough oomph. Berrettini wasn't struck down by injury ahead of Novak Djokovic in the final.

26:02Matt Roberts: No. And that's fine. I don't feel injustice for him not winning that Wimbledon. I feel injustice for him the following one when he had won Queen's and he got COVID on the eve of it. And for all the other many sequences of injuries he's had since. Kasper Rude's had a parasite.

26:20David Law: Yes. He was beating Alexander's Verve here two years ago and he had a parasite. I will be pleased for Kasper Rude if he wins this French Open. I'm not anti that. It's just these two things are not the same. I didn't say they were the same People are saying it And it's riling me up

26:42Naomi Osaka This feels a long time ago now Doesn't it What a match this was To open the day on Longland

26:48Matt Roberts: She beat Eva Jovic 7-6 6-7 6-4 One of the biggest wins I think Since she came back Not because of Eva Jovic's Ranking Although You know She's a high ranked Player She's somebody that's suddenly in a new bracket very, very quickly. I realised that watching the start of this match, and Matt, you agreed with me, that I really felt strongly that Jovic was the favourite for her. I thought Jovic was winning this. I thought that Osaka would blast the ball and over the course of three sets, Jovic would bring her retrieval and athleticism and tenacity. I feel like I'm saying that a lot tonight, but maybe that's the story of the day.

27:27Matt Roberts: I thought she'd be able to bring that to bear over the course of the battle. And I think this was a huge one for Osaka to win.

27:36David Law: And we were watching this together, Catherine, and it was a brilliant tennis match. This was, I think, maybe my match of the day because of the quality of it, how close it was all the way through, neither player letting down. And our conclusion ahead of the sort of second set tie break was that if Osaka doesn't win this in two, we think it's Jovic's match. We thought that she would be the stronger on the surface, maybe the stronger physically. And huge credit to Naomi Osaka for proving that wrong and coming through, because I don't think Jovic dipped, really. I don't think she played poorly in that third set.

28:20David Law: I think Osaka stuck with it and eventually just wrenched it from her. I just thought both players, this was one of those matches is where you've got two players playing well at the same time for most of it. So it was a treat. And the crowd absolutely lapped it up. I think Jovic is getting better year on year. She has the odd dip within month to month. But you can see her work ethic is undeniable, really. She's not going to leave any stone uncovered as she tries to maximise her career. And I think she really will be a factor at many grand slams for the future. but this is the best tennis I've seen Naomi Osaka play.

28:59David Law: I was trying to work out, is this better than what I saw from her last summer? And I think it is, even as well as she played in the US Open. Maybe the level of opponent, I mean, was it Goff she beat in New York? And then she beat Karolina Mukova and then she nearly beaten her some over. But I just feel like in terms of her movement, Her movement looks spot on at the moment on the surface. And obviously it's not her favourite one. So first time in the last 16, I think she's playing fantastically well.

29:31Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, there was a brilliant point in that third set. She was serving 3-all, 15-30. She was in trouble. And speaking of that movement, David, she chased down a drop shot from Jovic, won this point up at the net, then fired an ace. And I thought it was a massive hold for Osaka deep in that third set. And, you know, I think for me, it's you can say this is her best ever French Open result. And I think Osaka is looking for wins like that. Right. Like the validation of why she's still playing, you know, and I think it feels different to last summer for me because that was hard courts. And I think if Osaka's anywhere near her best, she's a title contender on hard courts.

30:23Catherine Whitaker: I still think on the clay, there feels like there's more of a ceiling to what she can achieve. So to get like your best ever result at a slam, I think it's just massive for her self-confidence. Something new. Something going forward. Exactly. It's sort of invigorating, really. But the thing is, yeah, it's a massive if. but if she can beat Irina Sabalenka. That is the biggest of ifs. It's the biggest of ifs that there is, right? But it doesn't feel impossible to me. The way that Osaka took a set off her just recently in Madrid, played really well that match, a lot better than when she played her on hard courts earlier in the season.

31:08Catherine Whitaker: Sabalenka went off the boil in the second set today. That kind of thing could happen. it's it's just one of those where it feels like there's this massive obstacle but then if you can get through it there's suddenly that side of the draw is Sabalenka's to lose really and if you can be the one to take Sabalenka out you open that up so as much as I say there's this ceiling on what I think Osaka can achieve on clay it it also feels like she's potentially one massive result from busting the thing wide open and going really deep here. I'm not predicting her to beat Sabalenka, but the way Azarka's playing and the way she's responding to big moments, I feel like there's a shot there.

31:56Catherine Whitaker: And a few months ago when she played Sabalenka on hardcourt, I didn't really think she had a chance.

32:02David Law: I think she's got a real chance in this one. Yeah, what have we got? 48 hours until that match. I'm going to give it 24 before I decide, in my view, what's going to happen. But I think she is... I don't think Sabalenka is playing her very best just yet. Matt, tell us about that second set drop-off from Sabalenka today against Daria Kazekina, because I didn't have the chance to watch any of this. I saw that she took the first set, six love, and I thought, yeah, that makes sense to me. This is a horrible match-up for Daria Kazekina, Kazakina, who I've seen be blasted off the court quite a few times in the past by Sabalenka.

32:44What happened in that second set and how worried are you about it from a Sabalenka point of view?

32:51Catherine Whitaker: I mean, I only had one eye on it because I was on Chatrier, but it was wayward, like really wayward. Error strewn, you know, of course it kept being on her racket because that matchup is just going to be. But I never really thought she would lose. I thought she'd get it together. It didn't because that's what she does. We do see Sabalenka play sets like that. I do remember also the Australian Open where she didn't look all that brilliant through the first three rounds. And then actually I think it was, was it Mboko she played first, wasn't it? In the fourth round, like she's got here, Osaka, and she clicked into a different gear.

33:35Catherine Whitaker: And Sabalenka can do that. You know, she's got a level that she can reach and hasn't shown so far this tournament that I think would be too much for Osaka. And I still think that'll be the case. You know, I still think, you know, Sapolenka is she's going to know about the Coco Gauff result and she's going to know what a what a opportunity this is to get to another French Open final with the way that this draw has opened up. Not that she would see Gough as a person who could totally stop her. I think she would still back herself. But I just have a lot of faith in Sabalenka in slam. She doesn't lose early.

34:17Weird slam this one though, isn't it? It's weird. Yeah, it is. The funny slam. Tell that to the people that have played six hours today, David. It's funny for me watching. Yeah, look, I mean, I was really impressed with Osaka today. I do think Sabalenka will have to be off for Osaka to have a really good chance there. I just think she's got that toolkit that Osaka doesn't have that she can resort to if she's losing out in the hitting contest.

34:47David Law: And the tiebreak backdrop. Yeah, but it is the weird slam. So who knows?

34:54Catherine Whitaker: I'm trying to think of how the weather change is going to affect these things going forward as well. And roof, potentially. Potentially. Which I think wouldn't be the worst thing for Osaka. Absolutely not. Osaka Shontek here, where she had match point, peak Shontek on clay, was under a roof. Yeah. Or under the roof. You know, and I generally have thought of these quicker conditions as potentially good for Sabalenka on clay. But I think they're also quite good for Osaka. I think if it is not under the roof, and it's just, it's not going to be really cold and wet, I don't think. It's just, it might be some showers and nowhere near as hot as it has been.

35:35Catherine Whitaker: More normal French Open conditions, I would say. I hope so. I still think, I still think that probably is better for Sabalenka with even more power and ability to get through the court. But yeah, look, the thing is, what's going to be interesting as well is... Oh, I know what you're going to say. They're going to have to either schedule that in the day or put one of the men's matches from that half of the draw on at night, which I think they'll probably do. But trying to justify putting one of those men's matches on ahead of Sabalenka-Osaka when you're calling it match of the day, it feels like the biggest test they've had yet.

36:24But I almost at this point will be annoyed if they put that at night because...

36:30Catherine Whitaker: Because they've had plenty of opportunities to put better women's matches on. Yeah, it would almost prove that it is a qualitative decision in their minds up until this point. And they would feel that this is the only women's match so far in the tournament that justified being picked over a men's.

36:48David Law: And I think the last one that they had was Sabalenka, Sloane Stephens. Three years ago. I still would be surprised because I do think they just have a policy that they're, you know, a secret policy or maybe an unspoken one of not having women's matches anymore.

37:05Catherine Whitaker: Certainly one that they've developed in the last couple of years. Yeah, I think so as well. But you're right. That is going to be a moment when the schedule drops tomorrow when something potentially quite funny is being billed as match of the day. Will it be funnier than Felix against Nakashima? Who can say? Although that is turning into its own fun battle. More on that to come. Madison Keyes beat Victoria Mboko, another thriller. Not quite a deciding set tie break, but close. 6-3, 5-7, 7-5. Had looked like it was going to be straight sets for Keyes, this one. Incredible surge from Mboko in the second half of the second set to not only break back, but break again and take it.

37:47And at that point, well, I'm backing Mboko big time. did briefly doze off during the third set. It's been a day, folks. David, Matt, that's why we're a team of three. Absolutely. Tell me and the listeners what happened.

38:02David Law: Well, one point that Matt made in the third set, or maybe right at the end of the match, is that Mboko's been asked about Serena Williams and playing doubles with her recently. That's a lot on the plate, isn't it, to be thinking about. She was a little non-committal about that at the time. But in terms of this match, she did do well to turn it around. And then you just have to wonder, is it going to be the Keys purple patch or the Keys dip that is going to be the deciding moment of the match? And is Mboko going to be able to ride these moments out? And actually, right at the end, it was Mboko who dropped her serve.

38:41David Law: That was what gave Keys the match. And I think... Mboka plays between serves so fast. I love it. I mean, it is great to see, but it felt as though she was not giving herself time to even settle her own heartbeat down. And she was double faulting galore. She was just not accurate, not looking poised in quite the way she normally does. And I know that that is a feature of a game. And I too love it. Obviously, bang, bang, bang, getting on with the next point. It's great. But I don't know. Did you think she was rushing a little bit? Yeah, definitely. It felt like it was to me. I think the thing for me was that once Keyes gets her teeth into a match

39:28Catherine Whitaker: and, you know, okay, she didn't take her chances in that second set, but she didn't drop off in terms of ball striking and intensity. She's striking the ball well, isn't she? And it's so hard to get her out of that zone. Like sometimes she just won't have it. She won't have the ball striking. She'll be all over the place. and, you know, she can lose quite heavily. But once she's in a match like that and playing like that, it's a game that, well, as we saw at the Australian Open last year, can take anyone out, really. And it just felt like she was able to bring enough of that to this one. And, yeah, like, you know, I've said the top half is kind of Sabalanka's to lose, but, you know, Key's there with that power.

40:14Catherine Whitaker: and... Kind of snuck through up until this point, hasn't she? Yeah, you know, and the pressure off in terms of having already won one of these slams now. She's dangerous, Keith. I hadn't thought of her at all because obviously, you know, she hasn't had the best 12 months, you know, relative to winning a slam at the start of last season. But she also was injured in the last match she played before coming in here. There was a doubt about whether she would even take to the court for her first round match. I kind of just put her out of my mind. Same thing as I did with Deanne Parry when I saw her limp onto court for her first round against Angelina Kalinina.

40:50She lost that set six love, Deanne Parry. What's going on? Madison Keyes will face Deanna Schneider, the Russian player in the round of 16. She beat Oleksandr Olenikova, the Ukrainian today, who called out Deanna Schneider ahead of this match for having played in the Gazprom tournament in Russia. at the end of last year and also brought receipts of some of the posts that Deanna Schneider has been liking on social media recently to her post-match press conference after her last win, did Olinikova. So there was a real, I mean, well, huge tension around this match. There was extra security at the match.

41:37Olinikova had led 4-1 in the first set, was driving Schneider a little bit wild, but it felt like once Schneider got a grip on that incredibly unique game of Olenekova's, she kind of raced, she ended up racing away with it in that second set. Yeah, I mean, it was awkward. It was uncomfortable. It was tense. Kind of everything that you would have expected it to be, quite frankly. So it'll be Schneider against Keyes in the round of 16 for a place in the quarterfinals. OK, lots to cover in part two. We'll see you on the other side.

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44:29Welcome back to part two of today's tennis podcast. Which fifth set tie break should we start with? I would like to suggest that we start with Matteo Berrettini. The curse may be over, at least lifted temporarily. He beat Francisco Comissania 7-5, 5-7, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 15-13 in the deciding set tie break in five hours and 13 minutes. It was briefly the longest match of the tournament. It held that record for about 45 minutes before it was superseded by a match that we will be talking about in a few minutes time. He saved two match points here, Matteo Berrettini. He thumped his chest afterwards. He was all sorts of emotional.

45:22He is a player that makes you feel. He's certainly a player that makes me feel things, Matteo Berrettini. I feel so sorry for the career that he's ended up having. I don't necessarily think he's been denied a trophy cabinet full of Grand Slam titles. It's not that. I just think he hasn't had the chance to find out. You know, it's been... So far. So far. So far, David. He's one of the only Grand Slam finalists left in. Now, look, this was a wild old ride, wasn't it? The two of them were so tense in that tiebreak. These arms were as tight as they come. I think it was the fourth match point for Berrettini that he ended up taking it on.

46:09There was a very ropey backhand on one of the match points. sort of flashbacks to the iconic ropey backhand on his match point against Andy Murray at the Australian Open that time. But he won and he's into the second week of a major for the first time since Wimbledon 2023. You'd have to be hard of heart

46:31Matt Roberts: not to feel warm and fuzzy about that, I think.

46:34David Law: And I think one of the wonderful things about it is how unlikely it feels because he is perhaps the most surprising story of the lot to me because he's had no form at all. I saw him lose in the first round in Rome. He did beat Daniel Medvedev, 6-0, 6-0. Yes, I know he did, but I think most people would have beaten him. I mean, I saw him lose in the first round of Rome or his first match and that was pretty sad, actually, seeing him just unable to perform in front of his own fans. I just thought, okay, look, I hope he gets on the grass or I hope he gets feeling good and healthy. I didn't expect him to win probably even a match here.

47:18David Law: Here he is in the fourth round. And with this field the way it is and his experience, as you say, Catherine, as somebody who's actually been at the sharp end of Grand Slam tournaments, it's a really exciting moment for him. And this was just a glorious mess of a finish to a match. on court Simone Machia, where it's all nice and intimate and closed in, and Comissani is a fun watch. He's a real shot maker, a bit mercurial, a bit of a maverick, I think. I think he's somebody that Berrettini, over the course of his career, would have beaten probably pretty handily, I think, most of the time. In this situation, deep in a fifth set tie break, this was nip and tuck and just dramatic, and the crowd just loved it.

48:05it's such an interesting case berrettini because through the course of like a season

48:16Catherine Whitaker: as you've talked about katherine like he gets so many injuries and gets taken out of so many tournaments that you know he doesn't feel that sort of tour durable and yet in the course of a match his record in the long matches is staggeringly good you know of of his longest matches of his career really the only one that he's ended up losing was that Andy Murray one if you look at the rest of his sort of five six longest matches he comes out on top he has this this quality of sort of lasting the course in these long matches only guy to beat Carlos Alcaraz in a fifth set. Right. It's like the, it's in a way, it's like the anti-Berrettini stat because he, you know, it's like.

49:04He should be Thomas Mahatch. Right. He's the opposite of Sinner.

49:09Catherine Whitaker: You know, like Sinner is not winning these long matches, but my God, is he like tour durable and able to string tournaments and wins together in a way that Berrettini has never been able to do, really. Yeah, it was very, very special. And I remember last year, He got taken out of this portion of the season. And he talked about how his only real goal was Davis Cup. You know, it felt like he'd become a player who needed a long term target to get himself fit for and make a priority. And he did that last season, helping to carry Italy to that special Davis Cup at home for the first time. and yet here he is suddenly as we've talked about he's the only person in the top half of the draw who's been to a grand slam final before you know on on paper he's if gone experience he's the guy we could be looking at and he's he's also been slightly helped out by the fact that the guy he's playing next is obviously not yannick sinner as we all expected it is the guy who beat yannick sinner.

50:16It's the better Sorundolo. And he's just spent six hours on court. Bertini's fresher. Five hours and 58 minutes. Juan Manuel Sorundolo beat Martin Landaluthe. 6-4, 6-7, 7-6, 6-7, 7-6, 10-8 in the deciding set tie break. This gazumped Bertini comasagna to not only the longest match of this tournament, but the third longest Roland Garros match of all time. I've just seen some quotes from Sarindolo in his on-court interview after the match where he said, mentally, my battery ran out. I want to go to sleep. I can't take it anymore. I don't know what to tell you. Relatable. Which is the story of today, I think, really.

51:06This was... What was this? Find me some words, David. Oh, I mean, just gruelling. Grulling. dramatic

51:17David Law: he's amazing this guy Lander Luther to be of this age and able to play three back to back five set matches like this and hang in there he has sent a message to the locker room early in his career that you don't mess with me you can't bully me about the place, I'm going to be able to stand up to this, the grueling nature of the sport huge credit as well to Sir Rundle because he's just had this incredible name that he's beaten, albeit in some pretty remarkable circumstances, not all down to tennis. And he's backed it up. He's come out. He's backed it up. He had a five-set match as well there as well.

52:02David Law: I mean, you can't say enough about the physical and mental feats that these players are achieving by being able to do this in this heat. I do think it's fair what you've said previously, Catherine, that you've got to be careful about celebrating these things as the main thing. But it's impossible not to be in awe of what they're doing. It's just a question of should they be having to do it? And I don't know entirely where I stand because I've loved today. I've loved the last three days. But it's also is this just a blueprint we want all the time? I think it's possible for both, right? Like I've enjoyed it all in the moment just as much.

52:45I absolutely think this shouldn't be happening and we shouldn't be celebrating the concept of human beings being forced to play tennis for six hours in conditions like today. I don't think tennis matches should be six hours long. I think we've all lost our minds. but I think we're allowed to enjoy it in the moment for its weirdness and, well, for everything, for the human feats that we're seeing before our eyes, these men that are being put in this position and are out there battling. It is absolutely, it's unreal. It's absolutely unreal. And, yeah, Berrettini against Surundolo. So, I mean, I would say it'll be sort of who will have more pieces of themselves left, but I don't know if that will be the story of this next match.

53:39I kind of back both of them to be, I mean, maybe not fresh, but, like, I don't think there'll be anyone that's, either of them, that's a shell of themselves out there. I don't know. Maybe I don't know quite enough about my mum, my mum, Sir Undolo, yet, but I back Berrettini to be in decent shape, which is weird in itself, isn't it? The biggest upset of the tournament, yeah. Yeah, exactly. OK, can I tell you, there was only one, and look, there is still one other match that could add itself to this list. Tiafoe and Farrier currently still going, and Farrier is two sets to love up. But currently, today, there was only one men's match that was completed in straight sets.

54:25and that was a win by Flavio Caballi. Do you know who is absolutely categorically not shitting the bed with this massive opportunity? And that is Flavio Caballi. So far. Well, look, there was a big opportunity for him to do it today, David. It was his first win on the centre court of a major. He said he woke up nervous, which is no great surprise. You know, he's a very, he's an emotional character, isn't he? He's sensitive. He's somebody that feels his feelings. I think he's a lot like Carlos Alcaraz in that way. He was reminded by Marion Bartley in his post-match interview that Lerner Tien had destroyed him in the match they'd played at the end of last year on hard courts.

55:10And he said, thank you for reminding me about that. But look, clay courts are completely different for me and also quite different for Lerner Tien too. But Flavio Caballi was awesome today. He was awesome for two sets. And I was still waiting for the moment that he blinked and thought, oh, my God, I'm two sets love up. It's all going too well. There's this huge opportunity. I could reach a Grand Slam final here. And it just never came. He just kept on being awesome. 6-2, 6-2, 6-3. Being a Caballi guy really does keep me on my toes.

55:47Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, he was great. I thought his intensity from the start was just in stark contrast to TN. TN was really poor in this match. That would be my only caveat that I think Caballi was allowed to play well. I think TN had obviously had his gruelling match the previous round, saving a couple of match points, coming back, winning in five. He also played last week as well. Like it just seemed that he had nothing left really. And Kabbali did mention that. And TM was, you know, low for serve percentage, host of errors, bad decision making. And yeah, it was a bit of a no show really. It was a real disappointment because I was really excited about how the rallies might look in this one.

56:36Catherine Whitaker: But Kabbali sensed that, jumped on it. That, you know, the fact that TM was like that might even have, you know, there's a world where that throws Kabbali off. Right. but he didn't allow that at all. He was so good at attacking hard down the line early in rallies. I think unsettling TN in that way and doing that thing of shrinking the core with his movement, you know, like standing up on the baseline and moving so well that he wasn't really budging from it. And TN wasn't finding ways through him. So he was great. I was really impressed. And I think top level wise, I think he's the favourite to come through the top half of the draw.

57:22Catherine Whitaker: I think to the final, to the final. Yeah. I think he's got the best tennis in him on clay of anyone in that half. And I actually think he's going to do it. Do you really? I do. Yeah. My God. Yeah, I do. Look at Caballi guy over there. He lost to Jack Pennington Jones earlier, just like two months ago. High ceiling guy, low floor guy. Yes, I know. And he gets in these ruts. He does.

57:50Matt Roberts: And then he gets out of them. But he also gets in whatever the opposite of a rut is, a purple patch. Yeah. That is his vibe, isn't it? And if he's in one at the best possible time, well.

58:03Catherine Whitaker: And contrary to a lot of other players in this half of the draw, he hasn't had to extend himself so far. I think he's got the long match, I think, in him to still fall back on. He hasn't dropped a set all tournament. No, he's completely fresh.

58:19Matt Roberts: In a tournament where everyone is dropping all the sets, Flavio Capoli has so far dropped none.

58:26Catherine Whitaker: And look, I think, look, I know that we have joked and there's evidence to back it up of Kabbali not performing sometimes and just flopping. But the Davis Cup, I'll go back to the Davis Cup. That was a that was a tournament was a lot of pressure on him and he delivered. I know he had partisan support in a way that he's he's not going to have here that galvanized him. I do like him here. He did accidentally reveal that he'd be supporting Arsenal in the Champions League final, then tried to row it back. He's mates with Calafiore. They used to play together and he sort of mentioned that, started to get booed and then he said, I just won a good match, which is adorable.

59:11Matt Roberts: But I do think they like him here. I could see him sort of, you know, galvanising some French support for sure. I mean, it depends who he plays, obviously, in this final that he's apparently reaching. What a wild slam. I've just predicted Caballi to reach the final on the first weekend. Well, the good news is we know that Flavio Caballi T-shirts exist because we've seen Flavio Caballi in one. What's on it? His face. No way, really? Yeah. That's amazing. He was in the gym in Rome, maybe Madrid. Yeah, it was one of those. And imagine how obnoxious that would be on some tennis players But somehow on Flavio Caballi it's not Oh he's extremely likeable

59:57David Law: And he also has an Incredible Hulk tattoo on his leg He does Which anything Incredible Hulk is fine by me Can I tell you who he plays in the fourth round for a place in the quarterfinals? Yes please Zachary Schweider Okay He beat the bad Sarundolo today Francisco the higher ranked of the two but not for long

1:00:21Matt Roberts: 6-3 6-4 4-6 6-3 for Schweider today we'll come on to him in a moment because I'm a Cabali guy but I'm also a Schweider guy more on more on that in a moment but just on Sorungelo we've been talking about these players you know eyes bulging out of their sockets at this big opportunity I will never know cause and effect for Sorungelo's performance today but it was a pretty rough Sarundolo performance. His attitude was bad out there. I think he told his coach Pablo Cuevas to leave halfway through the match. He was ragged. I mean, Sarundolo is and has always been a low floor, high ceiling guy, right?

1:01:04Matt Roberts: Like we have seen him not show up for matches where we've been expecting quite a lot from him. So maybe this isn't a huge shock, but it is a huge missed opportunity.

1:01:13David Law: Yeah, I think it is a shock. And I think he's another one that might just leave this tournament thinking, oh, come on. It doesn't get better than this in terms of an opportunity. Somebody's going to grasp this thing. Matt says it's going to be Flavio Caballi into the final. Now, that could very easily have been Francisco Sarundolo, if you'd have asked me yesterday, because he's a really good player. He's really good on clay and so many big names and people that I would expect to beat him and not here. And there's a lot of people in that position. So, yeah, I put him, I put Ben Shelton. There are others and it's so intriguing.

1:01:59David Law: It makes the thing so fascinating.

1:02:02Matt Roberts: Let me tell you about Zachary Schweider, the man that beat him. He is just outside, just inside the world's top 100. He has a career high ranking of 82. He's just a few places below that right now. He's 23 years old, American of Czech descent from La Jolla in California near San Diego. I've surfed there. Found out it was quite sharky afterwards. Probably wouldn't surf there again, but I was blissfully naive at the time. I didn't know you were a surfer even. Oh, I think calling myself a surfer would be a stretch, David. I have surfed on occasion. Did you stand up? A bit, yeah. Better than I did.

1:02:43Yeah. It was a very long board, which helps, I think. I need a long board.

1:02:51Matt Roberts: He went through the US college system, so that perhaps why he's a bit of a later bloomer. But also he lost his father in October of last year, who had been totally instrumental in his tennis career. He was a teaching pro at the local tennis club where he first started playing tennis. He said he used to batter a balloon around with his dad in the living room when he was, he's got a memory of that or a picture of that from when he was two years old. He cut, his dad had been ill for a while and he cut his season short at the end of last year. His dad had said, I want you to keep playing. But when it was nearing the end, he cut his season short to go and be with his father in his final days and with his family in the aftermath.

1:03:35Matt Roberts: and he made his return in Australia this year and qualified for that slam, which was quite a big deal for him. He had only ever won two Grand Slam main draw matches before this tournament. Both of those were at the US Open. And today would have been his dad's birthday or was his dad's birthday. And he achieved this absolutely unreal thing today. And he posted after his win in the previous round this very funny Instagram post about, can you believe I'm in the third round of the French Open? Now he's in the blue in fourth round of the French Open and who knows what's happening from here. The world number 86.

1:04:18Gotta love it. Yeah, he first came on my radar last year at the US Open when he took a set off Djokovic, the first set.

1:04:30Catherine Whitaker: And yeah, obviously really sad what he's been through since then uh but he's he's also caught my eye on tiktok in the past he's very self-deprecating he's he's always sort of playing down his own status and he's very much like that instagram post of you know can you believe i'm in the third round isn't this cool um with his with his massive croissant and his and his beret um yeah really really likeable presence on tour i think and And this match was, it was, it told you a lot, I think, about Surundalo because it was only when he went two sets down that he actually freed up and started playing, you know.

1:05:16Catherine Whitaker: And then when he got it back level and taken it to the fifth set, that was when he got tight again. And Svajda really took advantage of that, served really well through the match. and he said that he was cramping a bit in his legs in third and fourth set, Schweider, but just tried to hide that and get through it and manage it. And for a guy who's not been in many of these situations at all, that's a heck of an effort. Yeah, really incredible story. So pleased to him. So, yeah, Schweider against Gaboli, who, by the way, is now confirmed to be the only straight sets winner on the men's side today because Francis Tiafoe has just taken a set against Jaime Faria.

1:06:01So, Caballi against Schweider for a place in the quarterfinals. We will also have Alejandro Tabilo taking on the winner of Felix Orgele-Asim and Brandon Nakashima, who were just headed into a third set tiebreak. They're locked at a set apiece at the moment in the night session match on Chaturé. Tabilo getting the better of Moisa Kwame, the 17-year-old. The dream run comes to an end. 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6, 11-9 in that fourth set tie break. He got the scenes going again, didn't he, Anong Nen? He made you feel like it was possible.

1:06:38David Law: Yeah, because he is such a big stage player. He engages with the fans as well as anybody around. And it's a great watch. And he gets all of them thinking it's possible. And then that makes him more energised. And it's just this wonderful two-way relationship. I think he has so much going for him. I think his athleticism is as dramatic as anyone in the world already at the age of 17. But he is inconsistent. He is erratic. You don't know sometimes when he's just going to go on a really quiet run of losing games. And that's what happened. When the first set, he lost the next two. He's a breakdown.

1:07:19David Law: It looks all over. And then the comeback starts. If he had taken that into a fifth, it would have been interesting because the place was just bouncing. And this is when the Champions League final is going on with his team, Paris Saint-Germain. He was warming up for this match in a PSG shirt. I did think, crikey, scheduling him third on when you know it's going to clash with the match he wants is a bit harsh. But he made a show of his own. Nobody was leaving. Nobody was leaving to watch the football in that stadium. And he is one of the players that I will remember this tournament for.

1:07:53Catherine Whitaker: yeah match point down Kwame was unreal wasn't he saved he saved four of them there was an ace on one of them he was absorbing Tabilo's blows and turning it back on him even before that he'd won a point at 5-6 in that fourth set where he volleyed back a Tabilo smash and it was just unbelievable some of the hand skills he had up at the net his athleticism and yeah like he got going quickly today having played having played a long match before i was impressed by that and then as david described rising again in that fourth set having having faded a bit through the middle was incredible and it to me it feels like pretty perfect for kwame on this french open debut to have had those moments to have had the hype but to have got to the third round and it to have not got crazy and out of hand it feels like he I hope anyway he's going to be able to get on with his career after this in a way that if he'd gone much further yeah you'd worry about about that already so so I hope I hope that's the case he's he already had his own whole section at the top of the France TV home page you know there's the match replays There's live matches.

1:09:14There's Moise Kwame. The revelation. Yeah. Which, you know, I'm sure got a lot of hits and like I totally understand. All fine. But like it did make it was like, oh, you know, this is a lot for a 17 year old. Let's just let's all give him some time whilst also being very, very excited about him. So to Bilo to face either Felix Orgelia Seam or Brandon Nakashima, Francis Tiafoe and Jaime Farrier are still doing battle out there. The winner of that to face Matteo Arnaldi, who beat Rafael Colignan in, you guessed it, folks, a fifth set tiebreak. 6-4, 6-7, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6, 10-4 in the fifth set tiebreak in a mere four hours and 58 minutes.

1:10:04Where has Matteo Arnaldi come from? He has been nowhere for about two years. I used to be quite excited about Matteo Arnaldi. He was a player I really liked to watch, and then he totally disappeared.

1:10:18David Law: He was back. We've had this with a few players in this draw. Think back yesterday to Jill Teichman and the chat about her. Matteo Berrettini, obviously, all of his injuries are very well documented. Matteo Arnaldi, he's not a huge guy, is he? He doesn't hit the ball a million miles an hour, but he's very quick. He's got a brilliant ability to turn your game back on you. He's got a great record against Art of Feast. He absorbs his game and just diffuses it. But yes, he has. He's gone very quiet. I'm not really sure of the injury status that he's had. But yeah, sometimes this happens. People break out and then the tour has a good way of kind of getting its own back on you a little bit.

1:11:05David Law: You might feel as though you've come along and you're just making it all look easy, but it's not as easy as it looks. Yeah, it's a great way of putting it.

1:11:13Catherine Whitaker: Crazy how Sinner's gone, Paolini on the women's side's gone. Still got three Italian men in that wide open top half, Arnaldi, Berrettini and Caballi. You know, it's very possible that those Italian journalists are still going to be here right till the weekend with several players to cover. None of the ones that did anything in the lead up, you know, even Darderi. He lost to Comissania in the previous round, didn't he? Yeah, Mazzetti didn't even start this tournament. Like, there's so many.

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1:13:15Matt Roberts: Welcome back to part three of today's tennis podcast. A quick awarding of Musketeer of the Day, please. There is only one contender. You're left with no choice but to give it to a woman. Matt, I feel, is still going to... I'm desperately looking at the doubles results. I'm afraid, Matt, it has to go to Deanne Parry. It does. It does. She earned it. Did that taste bitter in your mouth? No. Eight, it goes to Deanne Parry and the man that did the fake sneeze. Oh, that guy. Right, the mix, folks. Now, this comes with the caveat that there are two men's third round matches yet to be completed. So I will be naming both of the players in both of those matches, even though by the time you're listening to this podcast, two of them will have lost.

1:14:08Matt Roberts: But we are where we are, folks. So I am going to start with the men's draw. I'm going to read out the remaining names and you're going to tell me whether or not they are in the mix. And just to remind people, our definition of the mix is not being surprised if they won the title. So the test here is would you be surprised from this point onwards if they were lifting the trophy come Sunday? OK, are we ready? Yeah. Juan Manuel Sorundelo. It's a no from me. No. Matteo Berrettini. Yes. No. Jaime Farrier. No. Francis Tiafoe? Yes. No. He's two sets to one down to Jaime Farrier. I've got a list and I don't care what the scores are.

1:15:01Matteo Arnaldi? No. Felix Auger-Aliassime? Yes. Yes. Have you seen the score, Matt? He's two sets to one up. Okay. He's not in my mix, Felix. I would be shocked. How many have you got in the mix in the top half? I haven't counted. But Felix isn't one of them. No. It's more than one, but Felix isn't one of them.

1:15:30Matt Roberts: Yeah, I would still be surprised. Okay. I'd be surprised if it were Felix. Remember, this is winning the title, not just to get through to the final. Yeah. Brandon Nakashima. No. Alejandro Tabilo. No. Flavio Caballi. Yes. Zachary Schweider. No.

1:15:53Always the biggest shock of the day there. Okay, bottom half, Jakub Mensik. Yes. No. Jakub Mensik is in your mix to win this title. Have you seen who else is in the tournament?

1:16:06Matt Roberts: But this is the tougher half on paper, whatever that means anymore, but it is.

1:16:11David Law: Yeah, I mean, basically you're asking me, can Jakub Mensik beat people like Ruud, Rublev, Fonseca, Hodder and Zverev? Yes, you can.

1:16:20Matt Roberts: Okay. Andre Rublev.

1:16:22David Law: Yes.

1:16:26No. Kasper Rude. Yes. Joel Fonseca. Yes. Yes. Rafael Hodder. Yes. Pablo Karenja Busta. No. Jesper de Jong. No. Alexander Zverev. Yes. Okay. So you're mostly aligned No we're not David's got about three more in I would say Mensik, Tiafoe Rublev There was one more in the top half Berrettini I've got four more in my mix My mix is ten So Berrettini not in yours Matt

1:17:07Catherine Whitaker: I would be surprised if Berrettini Can win seven Best of five set matches in a row And he's just played one that's lasted five hours. And, you know, I think Zverev is still, you know, he's still in this draw. And I think, I suppose the question I'm asking is, can they beat Zverev? That's a big question here. And I think Berrettini after six matches, I just would be surprised.

1:17:39Matt Roberts: Okay, let's do the...

1:17:40Catherine Whitaker: I think Mix to get to the final is different.

1:17:43Matt Roberts: Yes, absolutely. I think Berrettini's in that.

1:17:46Catherine Whitaker: but going all the way and winning the title.

1:17:48David Law: Surely if you get to the final, you can win the final.

1:17:51Matt Roberts: It's not can you, it's would you be surprised if they... Yeah. All of these can. I mean, they've proven they can do kind of anything. So if Berrettini reached the final, would he not be in the mix? Well, it might depend who he plays. I would have said Kasparud wasn't in the mix for the men's final in 2022, like before the match. Yeah. It's like almost none of these were in the mix when we started the tournament. It's a sort of movable thing. But right here, right now, I'd be surprised.

1:18:25David Law: Who's in yours?

1:18:27Matt Roberts: I think, do we have to go through the whole drawer again? I just want to know. From the top half in terms of winning it, not the final, I think my mix is quite a lot smaller than yours. Even though this has been wild, I do really favour that bottom half. I think from the top half, I would have Kabali. That might be it. But from the bottom half, I would have Ruud, Zverev, possibly Rublev. Fonseca? I would have Fonseca.

1:19:04Catherine Whitaker: Chodar?

1:19:06Matt Roberts: I would be surprised at Chodar. Physically. But you wouldn't be surprised at Rublev. I wasn't sure on Rublev. Rublev was borderline. I'd be more surprised at Hodder than Rublev. I'd love Hodder to be in it, but I think there's a wall there. We'll see. The women's draw, folks, no risk of anybody you say is in the mix being out of the tournament by the time people are listening to this pod, at least. Okay, Irina Zabalenka. Sure, yes. 100%. Naomi Osaka.

1:19:55It got a lot harder very quickly, didn't it?

1:19:57David Law: I'm going to say yes. I've just changed my mind. I've just added her as a last-minute entrant. She's not in mind.

1:20:04Catherine Whitaker: You know, I've tried to make the case for her against Zabalenka earlier, but I would still be surprised if she beats Sambalenka. So I would say no. Madison Keyes. No. No. Diana Schneider. No.

1:20:18Matt Roberts: No. Anastasia Potopova. This is interesting. No. No. Maybe not. Anna Kalinskaya. No. Maya Kvalinska. No. No. Diane Parry. No. Lina Switalina. Yes. Belinda Bencic. No. Marta Kostiuk. Yes.

1:20:39She might be out of the tournament by the time people are listening. This match is first on tomorrow.

1:20:43Catherine Whitaker: Kostiuk's hard for me, but I will. Thing is, not much has changed, really, with Kostiuk.

1:20:54Catherine Whitaker: She's not in mind. I think I'd still be surprised at this stage.

1:20:57Matt Roberts: I would still be surprised. Svantec. Yes. Andrava. Yes. Yes. Teichman. No. Castella. No. Wong. No. Okay. So much alignment. Asaka and Kostrick are the points of difference here. I think the difference with the women's draw is that the mix has shrunk.

1:21:27Catherine Whitaker: Yeah. Whereas on the men's side, it's grown.

1:21:31David Law: I've never known it like this, go this way around. I mean, I've got five in the women's, actually six with Asaka now, and I've got ten in the men.

1:21:39Matt Roberts: Crazy times. Tomorrow's order of play. Chattere opens with Marta Kostiuk against Igor Svantec. Then it's Alina Svitolina against Belinda Bencic. Then, once those women's matches are out of the way, it is Jesper de Jong against Alexander Zverev. And finally, in the night session, Kasper Rude taking on Joel Fonseca. What percentage chance do you give Fonseca there?

1:22:04Catherine Whitaker: Pretty tight, I think.

1:22:06Matt Roberts: In terms of like sort of close to 50-50? 40-60 to me

1:22:10Catherine Whitaker: Yeah I think something like 40-60 sounds about right to me Okay Longland tomorrow Kastaya and Wong opens things up Hodal-Karenia Buster second on And Drava Teichman and her support group third on And then Mensik against Rublev is the final match of the day And that is all your singles matches Simone Mathieu doubles only It all very much shrinks down to two courts from tomorrow onwards If you had to pick tomorrow's big upset, because there will surely be one, what match are you picking? I was talking to a Spanish journalist earlier who thinks that Crenia Busta is going to beat Jodar. So that's one to circle, potentially.

1:22:56Catherine Whitaker: Not sure I'm picking that. Well, I do think Kostchuk and Svantec really would be the one that I would look at.

1:23:03David Law: and I would still make Svantec favourite, but bear in mind when I did that writing out of the draw from the third round onwards, I actually crossed out Kostiuk and put in Svantec, having initially done it the other way around. Because to me, I think there's a really good case for thinking Kostiuk could pull that upset, but then I end up coming down on the view that if you get Svantec this far, I'd expect it to be getting better as the rounds are going on. fascinating.

1:23:35Catherine Whitaker: I also think it's not impossible that Bengtich beat Svitolina. I think the way this tournament's going wouldn't be totally wild if we ended up with Kostya Bengtich rather than Svantec Svitolina. I'm not predicting that, but neither of them are slam dunks in favour for Svantec and Svitolina. Those are very, very tough matches first up tomorrow. Gosh, I need a reset before we start again with the next round. We have lovely Bashir, who has provided more relatable content overnight. Bashir has needed an extra nap in order to process all the upsets and excitement. Same, Bashir, same. He did get very excited again during the Kwame match, but then a bit sad after his loss and Coco's.

1:24:31And he really does look sad. This cat gives incredible face. I've never seen anything quite like it. What an expressionful cat. What a poser. Amazing. Thank you, Bashir. And thank you, Elise. Hello to our mascots. Hello, Bodhi. Hello, Maisie. Hello, Roger. I could do with a prediction coming off tomorrow for you, Bodhi. And I will do my best. Hello to our top folks and executive producers, Greg, Chris and Jeff. Matt will take some shout outs tonight. We have Hazel Thomas from Fort Worth, Texas. Hi, Hazel. Hello, Hazel. Hazel has been to Wimbledon a couple of times in 2000 and 2016. Lucky Hazel remembers seeing Lindsay Davenport beat Monica Selesh in 2000.

1:25:22And Andy Murray. That wasn't 2016. And Andy Murray beat Nick Kyrgios in 2016. Good times. Tennis Hazels, that's tough. Hazel Whiteman. Oh, excellent. Well done, Max. From the Whiteman Cup, which used to be, what was it, Britain against America? Yeah. Yes. Played at the Royal Albert Hall, wasn't it, for a while? Amazing. Thank you, Hazel. We also have Samantha Martin. Hello, Samantha. Like Samantha Sharon Murray. Yes. Who we... Samantha Stoza. Who we brought up the other day. we were chatting about former British tennis players. I think former is correct, but I don't know for sure. I think she might still be going.

1:26:08Oh, OK. Sorry. We'll double check that. What do we know about Samantha? Samantha says heading to first French Open this year. So not sure whether Samantha's already been or has it to come. Oh.

1:26:22Catherine Whitaker: But that's exciting. And also has a dog named Ashoka. Oh, fun. What kind of dog? You don't know that, do you know? Correct. Let us know, Samantha, and do say hi if you see us at Roland Garros. Thank you for being a friend of the pod. And finally, we have Michael Toth from Putney. Hello, Michael. Hi, Michael. Still never seen you in the Green Man. Lives on the Upper Richmond Road. Well, we know the Upper Richmond Road. Sure do. Regulars. And Michael has a career golden fan slam. That means he's done the Olympics. He's done better than us. I was going to say. I attended the women's semifinal at the Atlanta Olympics, 1996, where I used to live.

1:27:10Wow.

1:27:11Catherine Whitaker: I'd bought tickets for the semifinals, specifically hoping to see Steffi Graf, my favourite player at the time, because I figured she would at least make it that far, but she ended up not playing. Still, we had a anxious, anxious Vicario defeating Jana Novotna and an incredibly impressive Lindsay Davenport. steamrolling through Mary Jo Fernandez and then going on to win gold. Big set of shout outs for Lindsay Davenport tonight, isn't it? Yeah. Wow. Michael, Hazel and Samantha, thank you ever so much for being friends of the Tennis Podcast. If you'd like to become a friend, the link is in our show notes.

1:27:47We are part of the Athletic Podcast Network. We're going to have a reset and bounce back tomorrow. The weather's going to be cooler. The honking will hopefully have stopped. thank you for listening we'll speak to you then

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