Live from Wimbledon Day 6 - Can Iga Swiatek win this title?

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1:17Matt Roberts: Hello and welcome to the Tennis Podcast live from Wimbledon on day six of the championships. No Taylor Fritz on today's schedule. So here we are in glorious daylight, a beautiful summer's night in SW19, a day with relatively few upsets, not no upsets because it's Wimbledon 2025, but not as many as we've become accustomed to. We'll be talking about all of it over the next hour or so here at Wimbledon on the Tennis Podcast with me, Catherine Rittiger, David Law on the right, Matt Roberts in the middle looking nervous about Amanda Onisimova's big match on Court 1 tomorrow.

1:56Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, yeah. I promised on last night's pod to head over to Court 1 today for my debut this tournament. Didn't actually end up making it, but I definitely 100 % will be there tomorrow. And yeah, got some big match nerves.

2:12Matt Roberts: I'm nervous for Matt, David.

2:15David Law: Yeah, it's big time tomorrow, isn't it? It's the Jarry and Isom over double. I mean, you may as well just take your tent after the show. Just go and get ready. I mean, that's all that matters in your world for the next 24 hours.

2:31Matt Roberts: Big day for Matt tomorrow. We'll look ahead to that later in the show. We'll talk about everything over the course of the next hour. But I do feel like we should start with Igor Shvantec. because today, I think, has been a huge day for Igor Shvantec for two reasons. Her own match and result and performance and for results elsewhere that we'll come on to. But let's start with Shvantec herself and her statement victory. 6-2, 6-3 over Danielle Collins, a match that puts egg on the face of people like us that were bigging up what this contest could be. I felt like this was Igor Shvantec with a point to prove today, David.

3:13Matt Roberts: David and she proved it.

3:16David Law: Yes, excellent from start to finish today. And yeah, I asked if I could do this match as a commentary because I thought on the schedule it was the one out of all of them that had the potential to be really good in what I thought might be a quiet day. And I think that that was proved quite right. But actually this was almost the quietest of the last because it was so uneventful, because Collins just couldn't make any impressions on the match. I mean, I don't think she had a good day, and she was losing her footing quite early on, but a couple of times she slammed that backhand down the throat of Svantec in the way that she would have hoped to.

3:57David Law: Svantec just kind of did a little pirouette around the ball and just got back in the rally. There's a really good piece written by Matt Futterman in The Athletic about these two players and particularly about Iger Svantec overnight which talked about how just because she hasn't had good results on grass in recent years doesn't mean she can't play on it but it's it's been about trying to refine her approach rather than just think that she can't do it and and it and it drew attention to something that I've been seeing for years now that when she gets under pressure against a particularly a big hitter she tries to take them on at their own game and she just has no margin at all and she she lost to eliza corney three years ago when she was on her incredible run she lost last year to put in saver in a very similar way just hitting long hitting long hitting long this piece was about how winfors has tried to get her to rein that in and use some of the things that she was doing when she was wimbledon junior champion and i saw it today i saw it she was she wasn't trying to just hit the living daylights out of everything she was waiting for the chance she was using margins and and angles and and it was just a master class really it was her at her best it was it was almost like watching her on a on her most familiar and comfortable surfaces like clay and uh yeah that that was a statement performance but i think the biggest statement was made to herself that she's good enough on this surface to to go all the way really I think I think if she's in a showdown with a Sabalenka that might be a a different matter but there's no reason why she can't

5:39Matt Roberts: do you think she took particular pleasure in putting in that kind of performance against Danielle Collins today slamming the door shut in her face there did seem to be quite a lot of

5:49Catherine Whitaker: glee about her she was buzzing she was absolutely buzzing and I think yeah part of it could well be Daniel Collins related I tend to think that that aggro is more the other way like for some reason I think Daniel Collins really has it in Frigga Svantec and I don't think Svantec likes it but I don't think she's constantly making a point of it in the way that Daniel Collins does and has

6:16Matt Roberts: I can't believe it's not upsetting for Svantec I'm sure it has been

6:19Catherine Whitaker: but I think I think mostly it was about how well she played today and And I agree with David. Look, I'm not going to say today was the first time I ever thought Igor Fiontek could win Wimbledon, because I'm sure in the past I probably have thought, well, she's so good. She's so dominant on other surfaces and at other tournaments. I'm sure there have been times in the past where I've thought and probably said on this podcast, Igor Fiontek will figure out Wimbledon one day. I've certainly had doubts about that over the last year or so. But today was a real day where I thought, well, I mean, she could win this Wimbledon.

6:57Catherine Whitaker: I mean, given the way that the draw is heading and given the way she's playing, I was really impressed today. I thought, I'm always talking about it, but she served outstandingly well. A high percentage, and in particular, incredibly effective behind her first serve. Her pace on the first serve was really high as well. And, you know, she did that thing, got an early break in the second set, and then just served it out. just confidently served it out like didn't need the extra break um she was constantly threatening the danielle collins serve herself with her own returns and like she just had this incredible balance of going after the ball when she needed to but actually being incredibly patient moving collins from side to side locking down her game it was a great performance really really good and yeah like she always said that when she won junior Roland Garros one of the reasons sorry when she won Julia Wimbledon I'm sorry was that she hadn't won Roland Garros and she was so determined to win that year's Roland Garros that she sort of was in a headspace of right okay now it has to be Wimbledon because she was desperate to win a junior slam but wasn't Katie McNally involved in some some aspect of this very possibly i think maybe they maybe they met in one of the matches i think so anyway yeah um but either way like i was just thinking about it in terms of like now she's a pro like there is this weird thing of we've always felt like the transition from ronand gauss to wimbledon was going to be tough for igas viontech but we've always she's come in in the last few years having won Roland Garros so you're always like well she's confident she's playing well can she carry it on this time she lost at Roland Garros and we kind of went the other way we were like well her form's not been good she's not playing that well therefore Wimbledon's going to be tough but actually it kind of feels like losing at Roland Garros being in this totally different mindset more under the radar a bit a bit down in the rankings having had some reps on the grass in bad homburg it just feels like there's a bit of momentum gathering behind her right now and yeah i've definitely been guilty in the past of just kind of assuming that her game doesn't work as well on the grass and look it's not going to be her best surface but if she serves like that and if she can move like that and she's got that mindset and that patience there's of course the game can work on grass because she's she's one of the best players in the world and she can make it work.

9:44Catherine Whitaker: And today I thought she was awesome.

9:46Matt Roberts: Emily Marsden is validating me in the live chat. She says Katie McNally beat her in the Roland Garros Junior semifinals. Then they won the Roland Garros Junior doubles title together. And then Igor Shontek came in here and won the Wimbledon Junior singles title. She said in her on-court interview after the match, Shontek, she said many things in that interview. She said, this is the first time that the ball is listening to me on grass. And she didn't mean the match. She meant in general. She meant in her practice sessions generally that she's been having on grass. Lovely quiz. Yeah. And it makes sense, doesn't it?

10:26Matt Roberts: Like, it doesn't feel like she's fighting against something out there this year. And it feels like the first time that's the case. She's going with it. I mean, she sees it as the grass is going with me. but from the outside it looks like Shontek's going with the grass.

10:43Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, yeah, exactly. And I've been thinking today, I was talking with our colleague Itamar who's here about something that actually Rafa Nadar said on Andy Roddick's podcast, which was that after clay, grass was actually the surface that he thought suited his game the most when he was fit and when he was healthy. and like you said I would much rather have played Novak Djokovic on grass than on a hard court and I was kind of thinking about that in the context of Igor Svantec I was kind of like well you know she obviously looks up to Rafa Nadal so much and her game is not the same as Rafa Nadal's but there are elements you know that if she can get her serve working she's got the foot speed to be able to get the forehand into play she doesn't have a slice kind of like like nadal did but i just i just i had like an epiphany today i was i was kind of like grass can work for igas fionta i thought she was so so good in this match in a way that i've never seen her like that on on center court before you know like even even when she's like battled through you know she had that she had that great match with ben shicks didn't she a few years ago but it wasn't it wasn't she wasn't playing with this conviction against an opponent who yes she normally beats but is normally a really really dangerous opponent for her and yeah I just like the way suddenly this tournament's looking for Svantec.

12:10Matt Roberts: A come to eager moment just just came up with that is that anything could be we need to talk about pasta with strawberries it's become a thing

12:23Catherine Whitaker: big time quickly big time

12:25Matt Roberts: it's the new Frankie the cat

12:29Catherine Whitaker: oh that's harsh there's plenty to talk about you went in her

12:33Matt Roberts: you went in her press conference

12:34Catherine Whitaker: I saw that she was asked about it a lot

12:36Matt Roberts: big time and she's done Instagram posts about it she's leaning in

12:41Catherine Whitaker: I don't think she realised that it was going to be such a controversy when she just put it out there in the Encore interview with Annemarie Croft

12:49Matt Roberts: I've done some digging. It is a traditional Polish dish called, this is pasta with strawberries and it really is as described. This is not like a strawberry garnish or you know like sometimes you have a raspberry vinaigrette on a savoury salad that only has a slight tang. This is a bowl of pasta with pretty much exclusively strawberries in it and sometimes there's icing sugar. Sounds

13:16David Law: quite nice.

13:18Matt Roberts: it's called and bear with me here macaron struiskavkami i've written that out phonetically clearly this is from the website polonist uh quote this is a simple unsophisticated recipe it won't win any awards and it won't shock your taste buds into submission but to but to the whole generations of poles a plate of plain pasta topped with fresh strawberry source brings back nostalgic memories and look i'm sure if i was brought up in a culture where this was a comforting dish there's every chance i would enjoy it um i like to think of myself as an adventurous eater but as somebody that has grown up somewhere where pasta with strawberries

14:02Catherine Whitaker: isn't so much of a thing it does sound absolutely horrendous and and the next the next evolution of The story is all the journalists going and all the Italian players press conferences and asking them what they think.

14:13Matt Roberts: Everyone's upset that Paolini's out. Flavio Caballi is going to get asked about this.

14:18Catherine Whitaker: Caballi, Sina, Sonago, pasta questions are coming at you in your next press conference.

14:23Matt Roberts: Well, if they don't approve of chicken in pasta.

14:25Catherine Whitaker: Which Paolini does not.

14:26Matt Roberts: I would be surprised if they're into this.

14:30Catherine Whitaker: I quite like the sound of it.

14:32Matt Roberts: At a Champions Tour event in Chengdu, I witnessed...

14:35Catherine Whitaker: I love it when Chengdu Champions Tour events come up.

14:37Matt Roberts: John McEnroe be served a pizza with strawberries on it. And he sent it back.

14:44David Law: He sends a lot of things back.

14:48Matt Roberts: But there you go. I'm telling you, as long as she keeps winning, this pasta with strawberries thing is going to keep going.

14:55Catherine Whitaker: And there was a point in there that she was cracking, she was kind of cracking jokes in that Encore interview. There was a lightness to her. I think they kind of knew that they had a lot of time for the on-court interview so Annabelle Croft kind of asked a lot of questions but Shruntek just spoke so freely and openly she just seemed in a great mood probably because of just how well she played but I just thought maybe we can read too much into these things but it just seemed like a good sign to me that she seemed so relaxed

15:29Matt Roberts: She was the same in press very happy to talk about the pasta with strawberries She was thrilled, thrilled when it came up and everyone just ran with it. And then the Insta posts have come. If you're sick of it now, folks, buckle up. And look, it was already a great day for Svantec, provided she was able to win today because shortly before she took to centre court for her match with Danielle Collins, Elena Rabatkinner departed from her section of the draw. She went down 7-6-6-3 in a rain-interrupted match on court two to Clara Towson. Your gal, David. It's finally happening. She'd never won a grass court match before this Wimbledon.

16:15David Law: You just have to persevere sometimes. And I have. And so she. But that's a great win, isn't it? It's a great win. And to win the first set on a tie break, you know, I don't quite know how to think about this. because I'm very pleased for Clara Towson, but Elena Rabakina is the most perfectly equipped player on this surface in that draw. And she's not come up drums there. And I just, I don't think that should be happening. As well as Clara Towson's clearly played, it shouldn't be happening that Elena Rabakina is out in the first week. I'm really, I'm not shocked because this has been a theme. She has not played well for a long time.

17:01Matt Roberts: But it's shocking that it's not shocking, isn't it?

17:03David Law: Yeah, it shouldn't be happening. She should be doing way better than this.

17:08Matt Roberts: What's going wrong, Matt? You watched pretty much every ball of this, I think?

17:13Catherine Whitaker: I did, yeah. Look, it was a slightly strange match because of the delay at 4-all in the first set. There were actually two delays, but that was the longest one at 4-all in the first set. And actually, I felt Robackina was quite lucky to be at 4-all. I thought Towson was the better player, the one with getting more chances. And I thought the break was good for Rabatkinner because I did think Towson was the better player. But in that first set, she was really not clinical, Rabatkinner. She had a couple of set points. There was quite a fluky save from Towson on one of them and a great save on the other.

17:52Catherine Whitaker: And then it went to a tie break. And again, Rabatkinner just thought there was a point, a big point, where she just should have put the ball away. And had she put it away, she would have had three set points consecutively. Some moments of just horrible misses from Rebecca. You know, open court, she would just miss the ball. And if anyone's seen the match point of this, that's exactly what happened then as well, short forehand and just sort of ballooned it long. And that was kind of the story of the match from a Rebecca perspective. She was, you know, her body language was pretty negative. during the second rain delay where they didn't actually go off court.

18:28Catherine Whitaker: They just sort of sat there while it sort of showered and cleared. She didn't go over to her coaching team once. You know, they're literally staying there on the court. She's got an opportunity to go and talk to her team and she didn't. Whereas Towson did go over and like just the contrast in vibes there was really, really stark. And yeah, like as you said, it's been quite a long time now since Rabakina has had a big win at a slam. She's become much more vulnerable in these early stages of slams. And for someone whose game makes so much sense, especially on grass, it's a tough scene. But I do want to say I was very impressed with Towson.

19:11I couldn't believe it when you said

19:14Catherine Whitaker: never won a match on grass before this tournament because it actually seemed like... I kind of had a Towson epiphany as well. I didn't know she could slice

19:27Matt Roberts: Oh Matt don't worry she didn't either

19:31Catherine Whitaker: Right So where did that come from then Because it was an incredibly Effective shot for her today Drop shot, slice, like touch She was making Rebecca Look completely one dimensional And it looked like she had a few Layers to her game Which I was surprised about

19:49Matt Roberts: It sounds like a bit of an emergency addition to her game, not some big master plan that she's been working on for a long time with a view to targeting success on grass. She talked about it in her press conference as if it was a very Rabachner-specific tactic, potentially inspired by her defeat to Tatiana Maria at Queen's. And yeah, she was really chuffed with how she was hitting that shot today she said my slice was working really good today I was hitting all the spots I wanted it's not often that it works like that that's what I thought okay this is validating yeah yeah yeah and and to be honest that was kind of the theme of the Towson press conference I was expecting her to be riding high and like she was chuffed with this win but in terms of bigging up the potential of Towson-Fjontek, which I could really get into.

20:51Clara Towson rather poured cold water a

20:54Matt Roberts: little bit on that with her quote. She was asked to look ahead to that match and she said, look, if I play like I did today, it'll be a tight match, but it's not often I play as good as I did today.

21:05David Law: She's just honest, Catherine, you know, she doesn't, you know, straight shooter yeah

21:14Matt Roberts: yeah you've you've got to do better yeah psyching out talk than that haven't you

21:23Catherine Whitaker: I'd have thought so yeah look the thing about Towson is watching her today I've always thought of her as just a big hitter you know and actually she just had a lot of control all about her today like she she's not a big hitter who like totally smothers you she kind of gives herself time she does have a bit of shape on her shots it's not a it's not a totally flat hit it's a timing based power yeah really she's not throwing her body into the ball she's not your

21:56David Law: strength i've been to so many press conferences today where a player has set up a big match against a top player and has talked in almost sort of self-help speak about how how they're excited and they're going to do this and that and the other and yet you've kind of looking at them thinking you've got no chance and yet Towson's doing the opposite and I kind of feel like she might actually be dangerous you know she's not saying a lot but actually that's her way and she may come out and just connect and if she connects she's I mean dangerous I she may well but I

22:38Catherine Whitaker: definitely think that Svantec rather plays Towson than Rabakina as you said I think that's huge for

22:46Matt Roberts: Svantec isn't it Rabakina going out I think so I was I was looking at that as a real roadblock in the draw to be quite honest given given what we've seen Rabakina do in the past against

22:58Catherine Whitaker: you know even just a month ago she was leading that match at Roland Garros comfortably I know she turned it around but on the clay obviously now I'm a grass court Ego Shefiontech convert but on the clay like it made more sense that Shefiontech was able to turn that around had that been on grass I think that would have been a real challenge for her and I just think with Towson yes she does have have power but she doesn't have complete smothering power like like Rebecca Canota, her best does. And also if Shvantec plays like she did today, she can just, I think she can absorb the Towson power and move her, move her side to side and be patient in rallies.

23:39Catherine Whitaker: If she serves well herself, that will give her a foundation. Yeah, as you said, it's a two-pronged reason why that was a good day for Igor Shvantec today. And that maybe Towson can defy her own quotes and play like that again, and in which case she would be dangerous. But I don't know. I think I'm backing Svante there.

24:05Matt Roberts: I'm backing Svante. I also think she's giving me confidence at the moment, Svante, that she's not going to panic. If she does get manhandled for a few games by the power of Towson and get rocked back on her heels a bit, I don't get the impression at the moment that she's going to panic.

24:22David Law: That's, I think, the most important thing to her longevity in this draw, you know, because that's what she's been doing in recent Wimbledons, panicking.

24:32Matt Roberts: I mean, recent events, really, this year.

24:35David Law: And I think that that is what Wimphoset has been trying to recondition in her game, is to just get her to stop doing that. Stop worrying. Trust your movement. Trust your racket skills. Be prepared to just neutralise.

24:51Catherine Whitaker: And we were talking about this in Australia. That was the style of play she brought to the Australian Open. She wasn't necessarily hitting out all the time. She was using some variety. She was soaking up pace. She was being a counter puncture at times. But she was also dismissing opponents too. It was a great blend and balance that she had in Australia. And as this season's gone on, she's moved away from it. But yeah, today was the first time I really felt like it was back. Actually, no, the turnaround against McNally was another one. I said it, patience. That's what got her through that match.

25:28Catherine Whitaker: And it was a key attribute today as well.

25:32Matt Roberts: Cameraman Matthew is just distracted by him tenderly placing a waterproof jacket over all the equipment. Could you tenderly place a waterproof jacket over us? Please, because it is starting to rain.

25:43David Law: I've got an emergency umbrella here and there is another one in my bag as well, Matthew. if you need it for the equipment.

25:49Matt Roberts: We're monitoring the situation.

25:51Catherine Whitaker: It's fine, there's no rain in the forecast. A quote from merely half an hour ago.

25:56Matt Roberts: It's just a few spits and spots. At that point, Matt, we were very committed to this position. It was all about just making the best of an unchangeable situation, which we shall continue to do. Absolutely. Right, let's head to court one, and the opening match there, Mira Andreva dissecting Hayley Baptiste, 6-1, 6-3. It definitely took Baptiste, I thought, a while to settle in that environment. The roof was on for this match. It was all new and overwhelming, and she was overhitting a lot in the opening set. There was a moment at 4-2 in the second set, Andréva serving, where it felt like if Baptiste could have just got one of the break points in that game, then everything could have changed.

26:41Matt Roberts: And in that one game alone, Baptiste won over everybody inside court one. And she left, you know, this was a 6-1, 6-3 match. And that is kind of reflected of how one-sided it was. I thought Andreva was awesome. And yet Baptiste left the court to a rousing ovation. Like, people will remember Hayley Baptiste from today.

27:03David Law: Yeah, because there was that pocket where they played well at the same time. And it made you think, just imagine if Baptiste had played her best today. And I'd like to see it again. I'd like to see that match up again. That's what I left thinking, because the first set was a disappointment. Very one-sided on the scoreboard. There were little flickers for Baptiste, but she was missing a lot. And Andreeva was playing beautifully. She just sort of had an answer to everything. But in the second set, when Baptiste rallied, there were a couple of points where they'd have like a 10-12 shot rally, and every shot in the rally was different.

27:40David Law: Slices, whipped forehands, drive-back hands, volleys. and I think there were two of those in two points, and both of them ended with Andreva passing shots. There was nothing more that Baptiste could do. She was throwing everything she got, and Andreva's passing shots are so good. She just dissects you. She stays with you, gets in position, and then you... And the thing is, the first one she did with a backhand, and I thought, OK, well, that's where you've gone wrong, Hayley, because you've done everything else right, but you don't get her the backhand. next point she went to the forehand and she got skewered with that one cross-courts as well it was a beautiful performance from Andreeva I thought and a suggestion to me that she's not done yet and she's still got that big serve as well knocking those in nearly 120 miles an hour

28:30Matt Roberts: the serve is huge with the roof on today, the crack that serve, the noise that it makes it's a huge weapon She looks, everything apart from the forehand looks so right on grass. I don't think Hayley Baptiste was able, just because she didn't have a range today, to go hard into that forehand and ask the question of it. I do think there are going to be players, potentially Igor Shontek in a semi-final, that can ask bigger questions of that technique on the forehand. And I would like to see her ask those questions, because I don't really know how big an issue it is on this surface because today I thought she looked a dream and I was kind of nailing her on for the semifinals really.

29:17Matt Roberts: And she did actually talk about that in press. She said she felt like today she found the right balance between slicing the forehand and hitting over it with topspin. But she did say something telling. She said, I found the right balance between slicing and hitting the forehand when I had the time. She does need time to hit through the forehand. So there's a very obvious play against her if somebody is able to technically execute.

29:45Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, which I think is why, with that probably one big exception, Sabalenka's had a lot of success against Andreeva. She can rush that side.

29:56Matt Roberts: It'll be Emma Navarro next for Mira Andreeva. She beat the defending champion, knocked her out. Barbora Krejcikova 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. Look, there's a Navarro story in this match. She was very impressive from midway through the second set. There were some fascinating exchanges between her and her coach, Peter Ayers, but I do feel like we should deal with the Krejcikova of all this first because there were some incredibly distressing scenes out there on court one in the deciding set when Krajcikova started to fail physically. I at first thought it was the back that was troubling her because she kept on being bent double and using her knees as a brace.

30:44Matt Roberts: And we know she's had this chronic back issue, but it turned out she was feeling physically very, very ill. She became dizzy. She described in some quotes afterwards, she didn't come to a press conference because she wasn't well enough, but she did provide some quotes. She said it was basically like she powered down. It sounded like it happened quite suddenly. And it was quite dramatic. She was so upset. She was in tears at the back of the court, shaking. You know, that is not how you want your Wimbledon title defence to end. And look, I think we should remember here that Barbora Krochika has barely played a match for a year.

31:27Matt Roberts: She was the bookies favourite in her opening round match to lose. Alexandra Ayala was favourite to beat her. The fact that she won two matches here and made it competitive against Emma Navarro is good news for Barbora Krejcikova, given where she's been recently. Do you remember watching her in her match at the French Open? I found that quite harrowing, actually, how unathletic, uncompetitive she looked. I thought there's no way she's going to be able to mount any kind of Wimbledon title defence. She looked like herself at this tournament, and I think that's uplifting, even if it ended on an incredibly upsetting note, and it was upsetting.

32:14Catherine Whitaker: It was brutal. It was really upsetting to watch her, yeah, kind of sobbing. the back of the court midway through that final set or certainly towards the end of that final set she got an amazing ovation and reception from the court one crowd after that but yeah it was absolutely brutal because you could tell that the tennis was when it was there it was it was so good and it was troubling Navarro so much. Like, her forehand is such an incredible shot. The angle that she can create on it, the disguise, the precision with it. And it was doing so much damage in this match. And she could, in that final set, she could break Navarro, but she couldn't hold serve.

33:05Catherine Whitaker: You know, they kept being an incredible amount of breaks in that final set. And Craig Chico was just clearly struggling so much. She was sort of getting the serve in and then immediately having to go after the ball and play a lot more aggressively than she would usually do because of how she was feeling. Yeah, it's just such a brutal way for a title defence to end, really, considering that had she been fitter and healthier, I think the tennis is good enough to, well, honestly, to beat anyone in the draw, considering that she won the title last year and we've seen what she's done against so many of the best players in the world at times in her career.

33:49Catherine Whitaker: She's got so used to having to come back from these enforced breaks and it is remarkable the level that she can pick up in so few matches. I did feel like her movement had even improved from the first round. I thought she was really tentative. I felt like in the first set today it was much more the Kray Chicover that won this tournament last year minus the serve which was such a big factor for her last year yeah, really, honestly a really tough seat I've, with most of the upsets this tournament or big moments this tournament it's kind of a shame to lose so many seeded players in one sense but I don't know I've just found myself having a lot of fun this tournament.

34:37Catherine Whitaker: I had very little fun watching this because it was just kind of harrowing to see Krejcikova go through it like that.

34:46Matt Roberts: Yeah, Navarro was a class act throughout. There was a fascinating exchange between her and her coach, Peter Ayres, after the second set, Krejcikova went off court. She went over to her coaching box, as you're allowed to do, and he just I really like him I really like the way he talks, the way he addresses her the dynamic just seems so healthy and he said be good to yourself, he said this isn't easy, it's a challenge be good to yourself just go one point to the next give it all you've got and you'll be fine and like I want him to come and give me affirmations in my daily life the way he said that was just so reassuring but also empowering it didn't feel like she was seeking reassurance as a sort of crutch that she needed a man to come along and say you're going to be fine don't worry don't worry it just just felt really healthy and encouraging but also like you've got this you're you like you're enough you've got this and i loved it and uh i'm full of respect for emma navarro and it will be her that takes on mira andreva in the next round i think it's a good

36:06David Law: match that's a nice match it's a stylish match isn't it yeah i think uh could could could be long

36:13Matt Roberts: um could be a lot of good rallies the other fourth round matches set up on the women's side today, Belinda Bencic sneaking through the draw, 10-7 in the match tie-break today against Elisabetta Cotciaretto

36:33Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, this was a match where there were so many women's matches first on today that I couldn't watch them all I went with the Rabatkin and Towson match to focus on but I caught the match tie-break here and And it seemed like two players trying to do quite similar things. Bengtich always wants to take the ball early. That's her thing. And Kocciareta, this tournament, has really made it her thing. That was what we said was so impressive against Pugula in the first round. And they were both trying to do it in the tie break. It was good. But Bengtich just did it better. You know, came up with some big shots when she needed them.

37:18Catherine Whitaker: and Koccivetta was up a break in that third set. She turned it around after the rain delay. I think that did help her. She had the momentum. She was up a break in the third. It sounded like Benkšić was maybe getting in her own way a little bit but once she kind of calmed down and started playing her game, she just had enough to get through. I don't think she's playing her best, Benkšić. I don't think she's in the sort of form that she was in right at the start of the year when she came back so impressively. but actually fourth round here on on grass I think that's a good run for Benjic absolutely yeah I think this has been a really really good tournament

37:57Matt Roberts: she's got Alexandre next who's finally doing it at slams

38:04David Law: yeah and it is interesting isn't it because she and Sam Sonova who have such huge games that do well at tour events but haven't done well at grand slams they're still there and Alexandre in particular, you know, she's got to take one of these chances. I mean, she should be believing that she can take Belinda Bencic out. And yet, I still think Bencic is probably the favourite in my mind. Even though she hasn't played that much tennis and she's had injuries, I just love the way she steps up and redirects pace. I'm fascinated, fascinated to see what happens in that.

38:44Matt Roberts: Yeah, Alexandrovic beat Sonmez today, straight sets, and Samsonova dismissed Doria Kazekina 2-3. And she now plays Jessica Boutas-Monaro, who took out Diana Estremska. She's sort of a Wimbledon specialist, Boutas-Monaro.

38:58David Law: She beat Vondrusova, the defending champion, a year ago. And yeah, I would think of her as a clay court player, probably because of her surname. and yet there's a clear ability from her. I mean, I think she's a good player anyway, but she really likes this surface.

39:18Catherine Whitaker: I think one of the most interesting things at the moment is that there are a lot of players who play well on both clay and grass. Like, there are absolutely still players who come alive in the grass court season, you know, when they might start slamming down serves or whatever, or with just a slice and all that kind of thing. And there are, he's not even in the draw and he's going to catch a stray. There are your Kasparud types who, you know, love the clay. It wasn't me. And don't really give the grass a chance. But, you know, when I talk about like Flavio Caballi, for example, I would not have thought that he necessarily would.

39:58Matt Roberts: He's busy being the ATP social media admin.

40:01Catherine Whitaker: Yeah. And yet he's talking about the way that he returns the ball being really, really, like, suiting the grass. And I think, you know, I've mentioned that Nadal quote. We saw Sviantec today. Alcaraz, we see it every year. Look at the way Sinner's just transferring. Like, I think it's a really fascinating part of the sport right now where you do get people who, for them, it seems like two different sports on grass and clay. But actually, there's a lot of players who the grass and clay are their best surfaces above hard courts. you know they're kind of natural surface specialists and i think booths monero is kind of

40:39Matt Roberts: proving to be one and craig shikova is one yeah gosh it's fascinating it's like it's like the extremes of the political spectrum like once you get to extreme fascism and extreme communism like they it's all kind of the same did that work did it work better than

40:58Catherine Whitaker: a come to ego moment wasn't where i thought you would be going where did you think because you said yes to start with like yeah you've got this i just wasn't expecting you to say fascism and communism when i brought up when i brought up clay and grass you know what i mean like i do know what you mean once it gets so extreme it's the same right david is not convinced that's the problem is what you're saying yeah anyway uh okay

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43:39Matt Roberts: On to the men's draw. Let's start, shall we, with, well, I'm leaving Flavio Caballi to the end because I just don't understand him. I do not understand that guy.

43:50Catherine Whitaker: David's our Kabbali guy.

43:51David Law: He's in my team and I kept faith with him when he was going through a 0-8 run at the start of the year getting me zero points. And now it's coming up trumps.

44:00Matt Roberts: That's your Kabbali analysis, folks. Let's start with Novak Djokovic, shall we? Probably more reliable territory. 6-3, 6-love, 6-4 over Mir Mir Ketsmanovic today. His 100th match win at Wimbledon. Look, he was awesome. He was absolutely awesome. I do feel like playing Ketsmanovic is like having a practice with a hitting partner for him. I don't know how much to read into this specific match. I was already convinced he was in great form. I just don't know if today means anything, really. It felt a bit exhibition-y, really.

44:37David Law: I think both things can be true. He is in great form. It is a dream draw. and we learnt nothing really about how Novak Djokovic is going to fare when he gets into the tougher matches and particularly if he gets through to the semi-finales against Yannick Sinner. The only thing we learnt is that he's one step closer to it, really. And that he seems fully fit and he seems in good spirits and he can play a diving volley or see an end of a however many stroke rally where there's been lobs and goodness knows what else.

45:11Matt Roberts: He wasn't doing that 12 months ago, was he?

45:13David Law: No. I mean, look, he's talked about that knee injury a year ago. He was so compromised. He did incredibly well to reach that final a year ago, but he was having to manage his movement. And look, he's still 38, and I think he's a little more careful than he used to be, which is sensible. But he flung himself at that ball, and he managed to put side spin on the ball to bend it around Ketsmanovic with his backhand volley. That is astonishing. And, yeah, he rightfully got a standing ovation. And I'm quite happy to just remember that match for that point. Yeah, I had a friend on centre court today,

46:00Catherine Whitaker: and, like, that's all we're talking about. Like, that one point is enough for them to go home feeling totally satisfied. and it was a completely straightforward, unremarkable Novak Djokovic match in many ways, his 100th win at Wimbledon, wasn't it? But that point was just ridiculous. Even before the diving volley, his net coverage had been astonishing, his reflex volleys and then the touch on the lob to get it over Ketsmanovic, and then he came up with the diving volley winner. and then of course like because he's Novak Djokovic it wasn't just a highlight real moment in a match it helped lead to the break of serve and actually it broke Ketsmanovic I think because it had been quite close up until that point and then you know he won the second set six love and immediately went up a break in the third like it just turned the whole momentum of the match it was an incredible moment and yeah kind of one that people like us who've seen Novak Djokovic play before okay we've not seen that necessarily before but we're used to him doing remarkable stuff but I don't know for people who don't get to see Novak Djokovic all that often they've gone away with that point and that's that was pretty special I mean it was absolutely it was absolutely astonishing.

47:19Matt Roberts: He's got Alex de Manor next who ended the run of August Holmgren today in straight sets this is obviously the match that we were supposed to get 12 months ago and Alex de Menor had to to withdraw ahead of time with that ankle injury um that was his first grand slam quarter final wasn't it or his first Wimbledon quarter final it was a huge moment for him and he wasn't able to to participate David you went to Alex de Menor's press conference today how convinced are you that

47:51David Law: he can take on this challenge well I I find it I find it intriguing that element of it and I asked him to reflect on that moment because I won't I won't forget the look in his eye that day when he's just beaten Artifis and he basically injured himself on the penultimate point of the match and he tried to convince the on-court interviewer that he would be fine but the look in his eye was I'm not fine I'm actually in massive trouble here and oh no I've just got to the quarterfinals and what have I done to myself and he pulled out the next day had to withdraw from the match against Novak Djokovic and he he said you know it is it is really tough to think about it because because I was I was in great form and I was feeling so confident and I think I was more dangerous then than I am now in terms of form but he said there's almost like there's two versions of me now there's that version from back then and there's the version that I've kind of had to I guess kind of develop in the last few months because he's talked about this burnout that he's experienced and this very strange feeling for him that he's never had before of a sort of lack of energy and motivation um and he says he said in the previous round I just I'm just trying to take it day by day and get little wins you know not just the bit the wins on the match day but just little incremental moments where I feel like I've achieved something.

49:21David Law: And in this instance, I think he said, I'm proud of myself because I'm here, because I've got to this point. And he was talking about, he was asked, when did you know you'd got Djokovic? And he said, honestly, I truly don't look at the draw. In my ideal situation, I would win today and have a team member of mine come up and tell me who's next. But a couple of days ago, I did get it put to me in a press conference.

49:53Catherine Whitaker: It wasn't you, was it then? It wasn't me, thankfully.

49:56David Law: So he knew that that was on the line. And he said, look, I'm excited. Nobody needs to tell anybody how good Novak Djokovic is and all he's done in the sport, but this is a chance for me to go out and have the match that I couldn't have a year ago. and I'm excited by the challenge. And I told you earlier, it's not that I don't believe him. I believe that he's convinced himself of that because what else are you going to do? Are you going to go and throw the kitchen sink at the guy and try and win? And something may happen. But it's hard to believe that he would win. I mean, he has played him three times before and he has won one of them at the United Cup.

50:38David Law: But the one that sticks in my mind is the one they played in Australia when Djokovic played with a point to prove that night. And as Alex Dimonor said himself tonight, he said he was just far too good for me. But, you know, it's sport. And he knows that. And he knows that what happened to him could happen to anybody. And he's not banking on that. He said it. It was quite interesting. He said, I don't want to just... I don't want to have just my opponents get injured or just end up with an easy draw. I want to play everybody. I don't want to beat everybody. So, fair enough. He seems a lovely bloke, Alex Diminor.

51:12David Law: I really enjoyed having him there. But it's difficult to see how he hurts Djokovic.

51:19Matt Roberts: I know he's had a decent draw, but it's pretty amazing that he's got to this stage given what he's going through. I can imagine this is incredibly discombobulating for Alex Diminor to be feeling this way about tennis and about life on tour. He's always seemed to be somebody that's just got on with it. You know, he's got a fiancé that's on tour as well. That all seems very healthy. It's all been on the up and up. He always seemed pumped, seems pumped. He always gives his 100%. Like, I was not expecting to hear Alex de Menor start talking about burnout and feeling flat and seeing him look so flat.

52:02Matt Roberts: Just shows you how good a player it is, I think, that he finds himself in this position in spite of that.

52:09Catherine Whitaker: yeah and it kind of makes me this discussion we've just had makes me kind of even sadder that we didn't see this match last year because I actually think if there was one sort of moment with circumstances for that match to be really really intriguing I think it would have been last year because Djokovic wasn't himself you know like he was still great like he still got to the final he still beat what was it Mazzetti in the semi-finals kind of a similar caliber player to De Menor I think he probably would have had enough but I do think De Menor was kind of in the form of his life and like with with confidence going out there believing that his game could like hurt players I don't get that sense now I think as David's explained like he's just in a different headspace I think he's I think he's kind of proud of how he's performing but he doesn't he doesn't feel dangerous to me Alex Dimenor in a way that I think he actually did a little bit maybe for the first time last year I remember I remember that United Cup match he served incredibly well it was one of those matches where where Djokovic he either didn't have a break point or maybe only had a break point right at the very very end and normally you would expect him you know to be getting into Alex Dimenor's uh service game so it was a serve bot that much I think he won

53:33Matt Roberts: and didn't he win 100 % of points on his first serve? It was crazy. That was the case for most of the match, and something like that anyway. So no, honestly, I'm not that hyped about this match,

53:46Catherine Whitaker: whereas I think I probably would have been last year. But by the way, just a very quick segue on the sort of thing about finding out who your draw is and all that kind of thing. Taylor Fritz, did you see this, gave a funny answer the other day, because he was still playing Eastbourne.

54:02Matt Roberts: Such main character energy, this tournament. He just, he's not even played today. I know, I know.

54:09Catherine Whitaker: He was playing Eastbourne when the Wimbledon draw came out. And so he was like, well, obviously I didn't look at the Wimbledon draw because I'm playing Eastbourne. I'm in that tournament. Then he said that he got a text from his coach saying that he'd booked a practice with Riley Apelka when he got to Wimbledon. And he was like, well, that was a giveaway. It was like who I'm going to be playing in the draw. it could only be like one of three people if you're if you're booking me to practice with a pelker presumably it's like obviously well probably not him because you probably wouldn't practice with your opponent but it's like obviously a big server and he was like so i immediately went to it's nicholas jerry or it's yeah i thought that was really funny he does give a good quote

54:54Matt Roberts: doesn't he yeah taylor fritz uh right let's find something we can get pumped about i've got a feeling David is going to get irrationally pumped about this Grigel Dimitrov has set up a fourth round match with Yannick Sinner who is absolutely demolishing the opposition 1-3-1 over Pedro Martinez today Dimitrov to be fair won in straight sets himself 3-4-6 over Sebastian Ofner hit an incredible running backhand down the line winner which is everywhere on social media if you want to see it. I showed Matt earlier. It is a treat.

55:33Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, it got my approval.

55:35Matt Roberts: I've got an awful feeling David is going to get all our hopes up about Grigor against the Demolisher.

55:44Catherine Whitaker: Can I just give my Yannick Sinner stat before David builds up this match? Yannick Sinner's dropped 17 games so far, which is the Open Era record for the fewest drops en route to round 16 at Wimbledon by players who played three rounds rather than having a walkover.

56:06Matt Roberts: That feels like the perfect sort of scene setter for David to convince us that Grigor Dimitrov's going to be the man.

56:13David Law: How many of those were against Grigor Dimitrov? Look, the final words of Grigor Dimitrov's press conference were, I'm into the second week of Wimbledon. It's time to get excited. too right Grigor too right I mean listen it was it was a really interesting press comments um again interview room two small intimate room maybe 12 of us there and Grigor and he's such an affable bloke he's he's a lovely fella and um but up but I I started it off by bringing the mood down and talking about his injuries and I said well first of all how close to 100 % fit are you and he said look I don't want to put a percentage on it but I but I am pain free and I I feel good you know and I said my second question is are you able to go into matches without thinking about your physicality because he's retired so many times in the last year his body has just given way I mean it's not like quitting his body has just stopped working mid-match so many times and including all the Grand Slams and he said look it is a fair question and it is it is something it's a fine line he said because I am aware of it I can't not be and I kind of need to be in order to take the best precautions but I also can't go into a match not going for it and so I think he has to build himself up to it he has to try to get over it and I think he feels quite excited by the fact that he's at the moment making serene progress in this draw as for Sinem and look he's very clear the guy's world number one and he's world number one for a reason and he's been beaten by him three out of four times the three most recent of them, I think four most recent of them, sorry, out of five.

58:20David Law: But they haven't played on grass. And I definitely think if there is one surface he wants to try his luck on against Sinner, it's grass. Because that's the one that will react a little differently to his slice. He's going to go for it. I have no doubt about that. He's going to go for it. and the question is can he can he can he a stay with him in sets to keep it close and can he can he maybe rattle him a bit can he rattle him a bit because sin has not been in any sort of contest at all so far so what happens when he is i'm asking you david can he rattle him a bit you just never know just never know

59:12Matt Roberts: for anyone playing tennis podcast bingo you're welcome I mean

59:17David Law: I'll be there

59:18Catherine Whitaker: I'm going to put it in the newsletter your prediction in two days time

59:24Matt Roberts: right do it I can put off Flavio Caboli no longer he demolished Jakub Mensik today 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 plays Marin Cilic now who got the better of Jammer Mouna in four sets on court 18 behind us here, 6-4 in the fourth where on earth has this come from from Flavio Caballi?

59:49David Law: We've been building towards it the last few weeks he's kept running into Zverev and I've kept thinking he was ready to take Zverev I still think he's capable of it at a big tournament but he just didn't show up at the start of the matches. By the time he did, it was too late. But it does seem to work for him, this surface. I mean, I watched a few of them, and he was already setting a break up by the time I joined it, but Menzik's cracking a serve down, getting a mid-court backhand, slicing and coming in like you're supposed to do in the old days. He's just so quick, Caballi, to get around the ball and pass him.

1:00:28David Law: And honestly, he was awesome really today. I don't know whether that's enough to... I don't think that's enough to worry Cilic in the form Cilic is in. Cilic knows how to play on the surface. Mensik doesn't. It's really that simple. I think it's going to be interesting because, as I said,

1:00:47Catherine Whitaker: Caballi puts it in terms of his return. He says, I'm one of the best returners on tour. And on grass, if you can get that return in, like neutralize some big serves or just like take advantage and get ahead in points kind of rewards you in that sense um and obviously Cilic has got a great serve like if I don't know because I haven't like seen enough of it myself but if if those words of Caballi are to be believed and if they're true like that would be that would be an interesting element of that matchup that would be in Caballi's favour in terms of like trying to take away a Cilic weapon there um but yeah I mean to break to break Mensik as many times as he did like certainly suggests to me that that he's right in terms of that return but I just I think the point David made is a good one like Cilic is a veteran on this surface and just has so much experience in a way that Mensik doesn't and you just would probably back him to be able to figure it out.

1:01:53Matt Roberts: I mean, Caballi lost to Jacob Fearnley in Eastbourne.

1:01:56Catherine Whitaker: But then he also beat Fonseca in Halle, right?

1:02:02David Law: And also, we've learned that the last three weeks... No, nothing means anything. Caballi's not that reliable. I mean, as I said, the first six weeks of the year, he couldn't win a single tennis match. but I think the difference with Mensik and Cilic is Cilic has got far more behind the serve yes he's got a big serve but Mensik is a serve with, you know, okay he can hit the ball hard

1:02:30Matt Roberts: he's got a good backhand doesn't he? the forehand

1:02:32David Law: I feel like Cilic is just game the baseline shots are far more suited to this particular surface he knows how to hit them yeah

1:02:42Matt Roberts: last fourth round match set up today a repeat of the Australian Open quarterfinal between Ben Shelton and Lorenzo Sonego. Shelton manhandling Martin Vucevic, 6-3, 7-6, 6-2 on court one. Really put a show on for court one. He loves court one, loves playing out there, but he's got a real drive to go far enough to get on centre court. That's a real goal for him. And my goodness me, does he show up in slams? He is a different guy in Grand Slam events. He was great today. So he'll play Sonogo, who had a rather different route through to the fourth round. 10-3 in the final set tie-break against Brandon Nakashima, David.

1:03:28David Law: Yeah, over five hours. It's the court right next door to our media centre. So I spent the first tie-break sort of stood in the gangway, using my height to look over 40 heads basically and watch that. Great atmosphere on that little enclosed court there. And then I watched the other sets from our broadcast roof here looking down on top of it and right at the end there watched the final set tie-break. And again, brilliant atmosphere, pockets of American fans, a big swath of Italian fans singing songs. and then Sonnigot's just great when you need a moment and he just, getting to that tie break he just comes alive, you know and his celebration was epic at the end just sort of standing there in the middle of the court just turning around, just lapping up the support in this prolonged moment of celebration and, you know, a guy like him he's not going to win this tournament but he's going to have loads of moments in his career like that and it is quite funny because you've got one of the better backhands on the tour in Nakashima and one of the worst in Sonigo and yet he's got this great forehand and he's just so lopsided in that way but he found a way it was good

1:04:52Matt Roberts: The Italian media I mean are they okay?

1:04:58Catherine Whitaker: Overworked aren't they?

1:04:59Matt Roberts: It's absolutely ridiculous like yes of course Sin is there and Paulini loses early and maybe they were thinking that's a shame but at least a slightly easier life. Elisabetta Cotciaretto pops up and says hi. Lorenzo Sonigo, Flavio Caballi. There is no peace for Italy.

1:05:19Catherine Whitaker: And it's getting worse. Yeah. Or better, really. I mean, you know, they're getting stronger. Good problems. I think this is the first time there's been three Italian men into the last 16 at Wimbledon. and you know and when when when Mazzetti loses in the first round he would have thought that would be almost almost impossible and no Sonico and and Kabali backs in her up as you say

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1:06:58Matt Roberts: Right, let's look at tomorrow's order of plays, starting on centre court at 1.30 with Sonny Kartel against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

1:07:09David Law: Looking forward to that.

1:07:10Matt Roberts: Me too. I hope the nerves are OK for Sonny Kartel. I think I back her once she's settled to handle that. She just seems like that sort of character, but it's a big deal.

1:07:22David Law: Different game against her as well. I mean, she started slowly against Ian Parry a couple of days ago, seemed nervous, but Parry is not Pavlyuchenkova.

1:07:32Catherine Whitaker: And I remember in her press conference after beating Ostapenko, Kartel said, I don't often do that well against the big hitters. And I actually kind of was shocked by that because I thought like she maybe has some tools to handle them. She certainly did against Ostapenko. But Pavlyuchenkova is a big hitter, big flat hitter of the ball. I think there's...

1:07:55David Law: And not a sprayer.

1:07:56Catherine Whitaker: Not a sprayer like Ostapenko in that match. You know, I mean, she can be sometimes Pavlyuchenkova, but she hasn't been in this tournament. And I think there's definitely a world where I think Pavlyuchenkova just hits her off the court. But I think Kartel's maybe underrating there her own elements. There'll be the crowd, Element, Pavlichenkova. Kind of feels like there's maybe a limit on her this tournament. I don't know. She did well against Osaka, but that was a big win, a big moment.

1:08:30David Law: And a different type of ball as well. Very different. That's just a straight up and down hitting contest. Cartel with that exaggerated spin, she can move you, can't she?

1:08:39Catherine Whitaker: It's a really intriguing match. I actually have no real sense of how that's going to go.

1:08:45Matt Roberts: Huge opportunity for both of them, isn't it? Irina Sabalenka against Elisa Mertens, second on the centre to Murray. I do have a sense of how that's going to go. Yes, me too. And finally, Carlos Alcaraz against Andro Rublev. Same applies. I mean, obviously Rublev will get a set.

1:09:01Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, although Andy Murray has intervened.

1:09:04Matt Roberts: Carlos Alcaraz needs to stop using his off days to play golf with Andy Murray. Go away, Andy Murray. Stop it.

1:09:13Catherine Whitaker: Because last time they played on the Sunday, just before the first match of the tournament, which was Fanini Gate, exactly. So all our evidence suggests that that's bad for Al Graz.

1:09:27Matt Roberts: Yeah. Well, we'll see. I mean, it'll obviously drop a set because Al Graz. Yeah. Right. Court one tomorrow opens with Taylor Fritz against Jordan Thompson.

1:09:43Yep

1:09:46David Law: Fridge should be alright there shouldn't he

1:09:48Matt Roberts: He should be Will he bleed? Probably These are the important How many sets do we think?

1:09:53Catherine Whitaker: 5, 5 and 4 so far

1:09:55Matt Roberts: I think this is the straight sets It needs to be 3 Jordan Thompson must be a bit crooked

1:10:02Catherine Whitaker: Play doubles today as well Yeah

1:10:05Matt Roberts: We didn't think he was fit coming in and now he's got here winning marathon matches

1:10:11Catherine Whitaker: you've got a good grass court game I could see a couple of close sets

1:10:15Matt Roberts: but I yeah I think it's time for Taylor Fritz to win in three without bleeding on the court yeah I think it's time second on tomorrow Nicholas Jarry against Cameron Norrie Norrie with the court one assignment yeah

1:10:28Catherine Whitaker: like he would have asked for and wanted so they've obviously given you know they've sort of split up the Brits haven't they and put Cartel first on centre and then Norrie second on one I think it's good scheduling tomorrow

1:10:41Matt Roberts: Yeah, agreed. Is Jarry going to win? I think he is. And that would be his first Grand Slam quarterfinal?

1:10:49Catherine Whitaker: Yeah.

1:10:50Matt Roberts: You've already done the nose strip. Like, what more can you do to my...

1:10:54Catherine Whitaker: That's the only thing I'm doing. To be clear.

1:11:01Matt Roberts: Okay.

1:11:02David Law: Are you going to do it again, though?

1:11:05Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, from now on, if he wins, I'll keep doing it.

1:11:07Matt Roberts: What will you do if Amanda Anisimova reaches the Wimbledon quarterfinals? She's last on court one tomorrow against Lyndon Nozkova.

1:11:15David Law: You can hardly go and get her back end, can't you?

1:11:19Catherine Whitaker: I've been trying. You could dye your hair. I've been trying for 29 years.

1:11:23Matt Roberts: She's done that this year. I could.

1:11:25Catherine Whitaker: I could go blonde.

1:11:26Matt Roberts: Yeah.

1:11:27Catherine Whitaker: If Amanda Anisimova wins Wimbledon, I'll go blonde. How about that?

1:11:32David Law: Please happen. oh my god

1:11:36Matt Roberts: I'm so invested I was already invested and now I'm obsessed

1:11:42Catherine Whitaker: tomorrow what I will do is keep my head there's more to come if she wins

1:11:48Matt Roberts: we open on court two tomorrow bit of a soft launch this for day seven Karen Hashanov against Kamil Mejershack no one's going blonde for that are they

1:12:00Catherine Whitaker: Hashanov's played back-to-back five setters, I think. So actually, I think there's a sneaky chance for my chap there, who's been kind of cruising. I think he could take advantage of that, you know.

1:12:12Matt Roberts: Solana Sierra gets to face the Laura Siegmund hoo-ha. Second on court two tomorrow. Go with God, Solana. And the rest is... My goodness me. The rest is doubles and juniors. Wow. We've reached that stage. It's happened. And this is, of course, tomorrow is what used to be Manic Monday, which was too manic. So now they split it over two days, which I do do think is an improvement. OK, we'll be back tomorrow. Of course, at the end of it all, Matt might be wearing a nose strip. Yeah, there's only one way to find out. Do join us. We'll be here not before 930. We have a mascot for today's show. that mascot is Jeff.

1:13:01Matt Roberts: Excellent animal name. Jeff is owned by Christine Oltoff. Jeff, his full name is Thomas Jefferson Jr. because his mum went to the University of Virginia. Don't understand that reference. Do we know what connections

1:13:16Catherine Whitaker: the University of Virginia?

1:13:18Matt Roberts: Apologies, Christine, for not understanding that, but I shall proceed nonetheless. Christine also has a cat named William Howard Taft Jr. who was one of the first presidents of the USA. I won't remind people that I once used to be able to name all the presidents of the USA in sequence with their dates.

1:13:40Catherine Whitaker: Oh God, I didn't know you could do that.

1:13:42Matt Roberts: No, yes you did, because the last time I revealed that you said, I'm glad I know you now.

1:13:46Catherine Whitaker: I thought that was knowing all the state capitals.

1:13:48Matt Roberts: Well, I knew that as well. I had a real Americana phase.

1:13:51David Law: So you won't remind us of that, as you say.

1:13:55Matt Roberts: Well, I just have, haven't I? Yes.

1:13:57Catherine Whitaker: William H.

1:13:58Matt Roberts: Taft is what I knew him as. Anyway, right. I've derailed. I've derailed Jeff's mascotdom.

1:14:08David Law: Sorry, Jeff.

1:14:10Matt Roberts: Right. Jeff has no known connection to Ohio. He's a cream miniature long-haired dachshund. Oh, my goodness me, a sausage. He just turned one and is in full-blown toddler mode. I've experienced that with Neville, Billy Jean's best friend. he visits his grandparents several days a week because his mum is in medical school. Wow. You have got your hands full, Christine. Jeff loves to play tug of war, chase tennis balls and attend tennis matches to cheer on his Fifi. That's what he calls his grandmother. This is a lot of great detail. He loves going for walks and tolerates being dressed up. I know that vibe.

1:14:50Matt Roberts: Jeff's latest trick is getting on the dining room table by first climbing on a chair and then hopping onto the table. He's not always a good boy, but he's always the best boy. Love that. Do you want to see? Jeff is absolutely beautiful. It's great. A proper blonde. That's the colour you're going to be a week on Saturday. We'll do it live on air, shall we?

1:15:18Catherine Whitaker: He's got Diana Schneider's bandana. Yeah. She wasn't wearing it the other day.

1:15:23Matt Roberts: No, and she lost. There we go. Right, thank you, Geoff. That was all just wonderful. Thank you to our mascots, of course, Phoebe, Maisie and Roger. Hello to our top folks and executive producers, Greg, Chris and Geoff. Matt, let's have some shout-outs.

1:15:41Catherine Whitaker: We have Jennifer Amadeo from Wilton, Connecticut.

1:15:46Matt Roberts: Hello, Jennifer.

1:15:47David Law: Hi, Jennifer. My Capriati, who I've been reading about in Hard Courts from the 1990 season by John Feinstein.

1:15:56Catherine Whitaker: saw that in your car the other day

1:15:58David Law: yeah I've still got about 20 pages to go looking forward to that

1:16:02Matt Roberts: like Jennifer Brady yep

1:16:06Catherine Whitaker: Jennifer says I got my husband to listen to the pod he listens to a bazillion podcast but this is one of a very few where we overlap thanks to you we can have very intense discussions over tennis

1:16:18David Law: love it well done Jennifer for getting your husband into it

1:16:22Matt Roberts: no one loves intense discussions over tennis more than us so that's great thank you Jennifer

1:16:28Catherine Whitaker: we've also got Lawrence in Melbourne Australia hi Lawrence hello Lawrence Lawrence says my friend Will and I attended the live show in Melbourne and he's also a friend of the pod

1:16:40Matt Roberts: love that thank you Lawrence

1:16:41David Law: that's brilliant like Lawrence Frankapan former agent of Yannick Sinner

1:16:47Matt Roberts: I thought you were going to wasn't there Tealman

1:16:50David Law: there was a and that's the correct spelling

1:16:53Matt Roberts: I believe yeah Lawrence Tealman

1:16:55David Law: who reached the Queen's final in 1998.

1:16:59Matt Roberts: You went francopan ahead of Teelman.

1:17:01David Law: Only because I forgot Teelman. Sorry, Lawrence Teelman.

1:17:07Matt Roberts: Lawrence, thank you very much.

1:17:09Catherine Whitaker: And finally, we've got James Meredith.

1:17:12Matt Roberts: Oh, hello, James. Hi, James. We know James. Like Meredith Schofield.

1:17:19David Law: The name I use for McCartney-Kessler when I forget McCartney-Kessler's real name.

1:17:25Matt Roberts: And James, like James Keothavon.

1:17:28David Law: Yes. Most excellent umpire.

1:17:31Matt Roberts: Excellent umpire and very high profile. James Blake is coming up a lot in the chat as well.

1:17:36Catherine Whitaker: James says, a 90s anecdote that David in particular will hopefully enjoy. The first Grand Slam I attended was the 1999 US Open. While I was in New York with my family, I remember visiting a shop that was one of not many places back then that sold British newspapers. I wanted to try and keep up to date with the football results from back home. As I was perusing a copy of the Times, who should politely tap me on the shoulder and ask if I was going to buy it? It was the last copy in the shop. And if not, would it be OK if he did? Jeremy Bates.

1:18:16David Law: I was not expecting that.

1:18:19Matt Roberts: Quintessentially English anecdotes. yep james that is incredible thank you james lawrence and jennifer jennifer i was going meredith my mind was still with meredith jennifer james lawrence thank you all ever so much thank you for being friends of the tennis podcast if you'd like to become a friend of the pod the link is in our show notes as is the link to subscribe to our newsletter which is excellent matt does his very best work in there uh thank you to wimbledon for letting us sit here and do this show it is a great honour and it's incredibly special for us to be able to do this and to be able to finish before 11pm.

1:18:58David Law: Yeah, big.

1:18:58Matt Roberts: What a treat. And thank you to The Athletic. We are proudly part of The Athletic Podcast Network. Folks, we will be back tomorrow, not before 9.30pm. Do subscribe to the channel on YouTube and then you can find out exactly when we are going live, but guaranteed not to be before 9.30pm. If matches go late, it could be later, but fingers crossed for a 9.30 tomorrow. But, you know, Taylor Fritz, there's just no knowing. Thanks for listening. Thanks for watching. We'll see you and speak to you tomorrow.

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