AO Day 6 Recap: Drive By Podcasting

00:00:10
Speaker 1: Welcome to the Renee Stubs Tennis Podcast.

00:00:13
Speaker 2: It has been an unbelievable few days of tennis. As we talked about day before, yesterday was probably one of the greatest days of Grand Slam tennis player that I've ever been involved with. I mean as a player, as a commentator, it was just incredible. But yesterday was a bit of a pooper scooper. Let's put it that way. It was not a great day of tennis.

00:00:33
Speaker 1: So if you had tickets yesterday, you got.

00:00:36
Speaker 2: An average day of tennis. The day before you got one of the greatest. So that's just the luck of the draw. But having said that, we still had a couple of pretty good matches. It was probably finished off with the best match of the day as far as just being competitive. And yes, you probably don't hear Petko's voice today because she went to the post office to pick up some clothes that she bought online and then they got delivered here, but wasn't here because she's at the tennis all day just like I am. And then they delivered it to the post office and then she had to go to the post office.

00:01:07
Speaker 1: But my little German, she's probably gotten lost.

00:01:09
Speaker 2: She was supposed to be back here for her car at ten forty five, which is in fourteen minutes, and she has I might have to send out a tracking dog to go find her. But in the meantime, you've got me, which is fine, I suspect, but she's much funnier than me. So hopefully she gets back in time before her car. But I'm going to go through a couple of things while she's not here, and she'll come bursting through the door any second now and be like.

00:01:33
Speaker 1: Oh, broody, broody, I'm so sarty. I got lost. I went the wrong way. I went to the city anyway.

00:01:39
Speaker 2: But in the meantime, Storm Hunter played against Barbara or Kujikova last night. They played after Midnight once again. Ah, and she's coming through the door. Here, she is here, she is just in time. I told everybody that you were lost in Melbourne and you didn't know where you were going.

00:01:58
Speaker 3: The line was through the fucking five one hundred people waiting to pick up, and you thought you were going there at ten o'clock when it opens, and you were going to be the first in line. I was the first in line, but after seven hundred people, I was the first in line.

00:02:14
Speaker 1: Guess what.

00:02:15
Speaker 2: Everybody else had the same idea. Oh my god, she's actually sweating.

00:02:20
Speaker 1: Is it hot outside? It's like humid. It's much warmer than it used to be.

00:02:24
Speaker 2: All right, good, well, listen, I was just starting the pod as thinking that you were going to come bursting through the.

00:02:30
Speaker 1: Door, as you did.

00:02:32
Speaker 2: But anyway, I was just saying that the match of the day, probably yesterday, as far as the matches we're concerned, were probably the last match of the day in Kujikova and storm Hunters, just as far as drama is concerned. On the women's side anyway, as I'm sitting here fanning you ready, but that was probably the best women's match, yes kay, although it just comes to show you that life always finds a way to balance itself. Well, yeah, because I said that yet two days ago was one of the greatest in tennis history, and yesterday it was a bit of a pooper, Scooper.

00:03:02
Speaker 1: Exactly, That was my Scooper is nice. Yeah, yeah, you're right.

00:03:06
Speaker 3: There was a Cocoa gov easy, Sablenka easy, who else easy?

00:03:12
Speaker 1: Almost everyone wasn't.

00:03:14
Speaker 2: It was a smacking She didn't lose a game in the third round of the tray and open. It gets a pretty good player in Serenco. But Serenko is a little weird sometimes. But that's a joke, and oh come on, you gotta win a game for fox sake.

00:03:26
Speaker 3: It was a very good performance. The problem with Sirenko is she just didn't have any weapons to take time away from Arena. So she was you can see that she's feeling good about herself and the only time only either and Sirenko that was the problem. She doesn't have the slicing and dicing that can jet her off. She plays really nice, she plays a nice tempo, she plays nice ground, she plays perfect, she plays exactly. So she was exactly playing and doesn't have a great serf. So Arena broke on every opportunity.

00:03:56
Speaker 2: Literally literally yeah yeah, anyway, so so Serenka. So no match for Sabalanca. Oh no, Steph Sitzapass looked really good against van Usher. I mean, Vanash is a good young payer, but he.

00:04:07
Speaker 1: Just got out matched.

00:04:08
Speaker 2: So it was good signs for Citipass because he's been struggling through the tournament.

00:04:11
Speaker 3: Especially after Kekyos named him the tournament favorite.

00:04:14
Speaker 1: I think he was joking. I think he was kind of saying that.

00:04:17
Speaker 3: In Jess, But I feel like he was so up Novak's ass for the past two weeks that he's gotten shit about it, and he's like, Okay, I have to pick somebody else just so people think.

00:04:26
Speaker 2: That I'm not you know that I'm not a Novak fan boy. I have to become Novak's manager. But yeah, anyway, but speaking of Novak, holy shit. He came out yesterday thankfully for me because I was second night match covering and commentating and you were waiting here at home to let me into the apartment, so we didn't want another super late night. But he was on fire yesterday, just super, super comfortable. He looked a little bit better, although I still don't know if he's one hundred percent, but.

00:04:52
Speaker 1: He looked really good last night.

00:04:54
Speaker 2: Well.

00:04:54
Speaker 3: With Novaka, sometimes wonder whether he because he's so confident in his abilities as he should, sometimes I wonder whether he honestly turned times his preparation to.

00:05:05
Speaker 1: Peak in the second week of Grand Slams.

00:05:09
Speaker 3: Yeah, like everyone else normally times their peak performance for Slams in general, and with him, it sometimes feel like, especially at the estourne Open, because he's the best player in the world, he always plays very far.

00:05:21
Speaker 1: He played Davis Cup, so he probably needed some rest.

00:05:23
Speaker 3: He started training later, so maybe he just you know, started tennis a little bit later, and just when it matters, he will start to peak and it's so much better that it doesn't even matter that he's not at one hundred percent in the first week.

00:05:35
Speaker 2: Yeah, and yeah, so we'll see. Anyway, he looked unbelievable yesterday. So remember when I said, oh, I think sinnecon win. Ooh, I think Novak's still the favorite. Yeah, so I'm oscillating back and forth. But yeah, Koudjikova got through in that really tough match. She was about an inch away from storm Hunter serving for the second set.

00:05:52
Speaker 1: She hit. Kudjikova hit at.

00:05:54
Speaker 2: Fifteen forty down at four all or five all on the second set, an unbelievable like half hop back end. Like we always talk about her. She has to time it and when she's timing in the ball, she's like so good. And when she started to walk up to this like floaty ball on the backhand me court side, I was like, oh my god, what is she doing?

00:06:14
Speaker 1: Like, first of all, either take it in the air.

00:06:16
Speaker 2: Yeah, or let it come down to a natural position around hip level.

00:06:21
Speaker 1: She decided to like take that half off.

00:06:24
Speaker 2: It was like, you literally made that the most difficult shot she could possibly hit. And I know she's great at that, but boy did she take a risk there. And she hit it on the sideline enough to the point that Storm was running for it and stopped running for it because she thought it was going out. And could she have gotten there and done something to it. I don't know, but she certainly would have made it back and she didn't. And it was thirty forty and then Storm hit still missed a return on the forehand off a good serve, but still that's where she got tight.

00:06:57
Speaker 1: And then everything turned around after that and she.

00:06:59
Speaker 2: Played much better, although it's got a bit shaky in the third as well. The crowd, God loved them, that stayed there till like twelve thirty one o'clock in the morning, really tried to get behind her.

00:07:07
Speaker 1: But it was a great match. Kujikova. We're not talking about it all.

00:07:11
Speaker 2: She's a former slam champion or a slam champion, and so you know, she goes up against mirror Andreva. Can we talk about that fucking comeback? That was probably the match of the day for sure.

00:07:22
Speaker 1: Diane Paris. She plays so beautiful.

00:07:25
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean she's like a newer version or not a newer version, but a version of.

00:07:32
Speaker 1: Suarez Navarro.

00:07:33
Speaker 3: Yeah, yes, yeah, yeah, with the one handed back, one back, not tall, heavy spin, not tall, great kick. I mean really she plays beautiful but also Andreva water fighter.

00:07:45
Speaker 2: Oh my god, I love If you haven't seen the tweet from Andy Murray where he literally throws the commentator under the bus whoever was doing the match, Basically, she needs to improve her attitude, you know, blah blah blah.

00:07:56
Speaker 1: This was at five to one, and then Andy.

00:07:58
Speaker 2: Basically says, well, I guess that attitude is also something of a perfectionist who actually refuses to lose.

00:08:05
Speaker 1: And so what.

00:08:06
Speaker 2: A sixteen years of age now plays against Krijiko art That is going to be a fun match, Yeah, because boy can she move around the court as well. And I'm just thinking to myself, sixteen, she's already gotten stronger in a year physically, She's going to get so much stronger in the next two or three years.

00:08:20
Speaker 1: Look at Coco.

00:08:21
Speaker 2: Coco to me, is so much stronger in her upper body than she was just at the US open. So her off season training. She I mean, I hugged her the first time I saw her, and I was like, oh, I said to her, oh my god, you are what have you been doing in the off season. She's so strong in the upper body and so much like Saberlenka.

00:08:40
Speaker 1: Who looks like, oh my god, like she is so strong.

00:08:43
Speaker 3: Anyway, well, Astreva, one thing I have to say, she finds amazing. She what a like really mental fortitude. But she did play again, I get the pace. Then she played against Antaba, and I expect her to pick it up again because I was calling a match, and I guess because you know, she.

00:09:03
Speaker 1: Knew against On she has to do something special.

00:09:06
Speaker 3: And then she played somebody that is not as highly ranked, that is not as well known around the tour yet, and she went back to the old putting the ball in and helping the other one misses.

00:09:15
Speaker 1: And then when she was down, she picked it up again.

00:09:17
Speaker 3: And that's why she did turn it around, because she's so so good that she's just better. She doesn't lose a game then when she hits a bit harder. But she had a little face in that first set and the third set where she was pushing the ball again, just the juwi I'm not gonna miss and they're gonna miss it.

00:09:31
Speaker 1: She played.

00:09:32
Speaker 2: It was playing against a very good player. But having said that, it was also very it's quite windy.

00:09:36
Speaker 3: It was windy, and this court three is always difficult to play. I mean, honestly, it was so fun. I was calling fifteen seventy three, which is on the other side of the and you could hear the audience going all the time, and it was so fun. French fans were amazing, So it was on both sides. Obviously the other crowd was rooting for the underdog a bit more for the sixteen year old. But then I think that's what you want to lead to now, the French path.

00:10:02
Speaker 2: I was about to say, speaking of French who didn't joke Mannerino, Oh my god, what an effort from him to take out Ben Shelton.

00:10:10
Speaker 1: Kind of bummed. I want to see Ben play against Novak.

00:10:12
Speaker 2: We know the history of those two the phone, hang up the phone kind of thing, and they've been kind of chippy chippy at each other over the last couple of months. But I mean, are you kidding me, Manorino? What is he thirty six years of age, the first time he's in the top thirty in the world. He's won three five setters, I believe in a row. I mean, how's the guy fucking walking? It's unbelievable. And he looked fresh as a daisy out there. Well maybe not, but there was one shot that he hit yesterday where he hit the backspin backcan volley that went over the net and before it bounced, he started turning around and to his people and just being.

00:10:49
Speaker 1: Like, you guys, did you see that? Do you see how good I am?

00:10:53
Speaker 2: I was unbelieva. It was such a great, fun, exciting match. The crowd was so for Ben. And then there was this hocket of French fans that have either transported them down he transported themselves down here from France, or are working down here. So there's a lot of people, a lot of us, you know, foreigners that come to Melbourne and to Australia during winter or just for a year or something, that work here, and I would suspect they probably live here.

00:11:17
Speaker 1: They got him through that match. It was so much fun.

00:11:20
Speaker 2: He goes up against Djokovic now and I think that.

00:11:23
Speaker 1: Is going to be a fun match. But he's got no chance of beating Novak.

00:11:28
Speaker 3: Well, and it's so fun to see them both coming to the net. They were passing shots. There were slicers, drop shirts, dices.

00:11:34
Speaker 1: It was just such a fun match. It was an anti Andrea Pekevich type of match. Yes, exactly exactly. Who never sliced or diced in hers? I definitely didn't. Definitely not dicing. I did a lot of dicing. I was very dicey from the court.

00:11:49
Speaker 2: So yeah, so that was really really good tennis from those guys.

00:11:53
Speaker 1: So there were some fun matches.

00:11:54
Speaker 2: Yes, So there wasn't such a pooper scoopa day. Janick Sinner, Oh my god, he looks so good. I mean, Bayez, I know is more of a clay quarder, but holy.

00:12:02
Speaker 1: Shit, he made him. He made him look like a junior. So he's playing so freakin' well. It's a joke, you know what I think?

00:12:08
Speaker 3: With Yannick, he's gotten stronger to talking about stronger, because he was always like hitting the ball and timing the ball incredibly well. But he just seems to be a bit like a little more muscle mass. He's still super lean and skinny. He's so good, but now he gets to more balls and now that precise timing, he gets up to the ball quicker, and he gets to the ball and so he doesn't miss anymore from when you get him on a stretch.

00:12:33
Speaker 1: It's crazy. I don't know how to I know he's skinny, but he's a great skier.

00:12:36
Speaker 2: And I'm telling you, growing up skiing ice ski and his legs are strong from that, and that helps him get down and.

00:12:43
Speaker 1: Get a low.

00:12:43
Speaker 2: Tim A Favor beat Hadaj Maya. She now goes up against Marta Kostchuk. Marta Kostchuk was out there crying and and and.

00:12:51
Speaker 1: All over the shop in her match.

00:12:53
Speaker 2: She got through that plays against tim A Fever, who's a qualifier. God or mighty, what an amazing and man Anissaimova again beats paul I know Paula Badoza hasn't been playing, but still Anissamova looks great. Now she goes up against Sabolenka. She has a four and one record against Sabolenka. So Sablenka goes into the match with so much pressure on her shoulders against the player that knows how to beat her.

00:13:17
Speaker 1: And I tell you, when anissam Ov's hitting the.

00:13:19
Speaker 2: Ball, well, look the fuck out well and is therea a better, pure, more pure hitter of the ball on the back end?

00:13:25
Speaker 1: Definitely not forehand sometimes, but still it's still pure. It's still very pure.

00:13:29
Speaker 3: But the thing is this is sometimes a bit challenging because Sabelenka has been so much better in the first three rounds.

00:13:35
Speaker 1: She's really cruel.

00:13:36
Speaker 3: She had a bit of challenge in the first set, and now she's going to meet somebody that can really take time away from her.

00:13:44
Speaker 1: And beat her, and that is going to be very interesting. And now I really have to go, My dear has to go.

00:13:49
Speaker 2: I will finish this up, rublev and as Petko runs to the bathroom to brush your teeth, hopefully not saying that she had bad breath. But listen and Amanda in overlooked awesome. Taylor Fritz also looked great. Yes, sir, I know he lost the first set.

00:14:04
Speaker 1: But he looked really really good.

00:14:06
Speaker 2: The only problem he had yesterday was the fact that he was running out of shoes. I mean, the dude just obliterates his shoes on the court from sliding, et cetera.

00:14:15
Speaker 1: But he looked really really good.

00:14:16
Speaker 2: He goes up against sits a pass now, so that'll be an interesting fourth round.

00:14:20
Speaker 1: Match up with those guys. As I said, Rublev looked great against.

00:14:23
Speaker 2: Quarter Korter had a chance to win that second set. Oh my god, he had a lob that went over his head that I'm sure he would he probably saw about eight thousand times in his sleep last night or lack of sleep, But he looked. Rublev looks awesome. And I tell you who else looks great. And I know he only played a qualifier, but Alex Dimornaur, oh my.

00:14:43
Speaker 1: God, he looks. He is looking so good.

00:14:46
Speaker 2: The top players that he's beaten over the last couple of months, or certainly over the last month, it is helping him so much.

00:14:52
Speaker 1: In these moments.

00:14:53
Speaker 2: I've been clear and calm and all the things that I love about a player in these moments, and he is hitting the ball unbelievable. He's top ten in the world now for a reason because he is literally one of the best players in the world. And I don't see whoever beats him is going to have to seriously play great tennis. So Alex looks awesome. Karen Hutchinov one in four sets. He's my outside a top the top ten player to do the best. And he has certainly helped me look decently good in my predictions because he is through. As I said, Mannarino Magdalena Frek one in three sets against another qualifier. There's so many little sections of the drawer that are so open on the women's side, but inevitably that's what happens almost every Grand Slam because women's tennis is so deep. And as I said, Marta Kostchuk beat Venisian who took out Sakari, and so Kostchuk is through as well. So anyway, guys, thanks again for joining us on day six recap. We can't wait for today another just amazing bunch of matches. We'll see how all those players can recover from their previous matches. Certainly, one person to worry about as far as can they recover.

00:16:03
Speaker 1: Of course, is mister Danil Medvedev.

00:16:06
Speaker 2: Wow, what is he going to do? I mean, how's he gonna I don't even know. How do you recover from that situation? I mean, he's so relaxed in general in some ways that he'll probably be fine, but still that takes it out of you finishing that late physically and emotionally and all that sort of stuff. But on the cards today he plays again against Felix Azier ali Asim nice to see felixman some matches and get some confidence back, so I'm.

00:16:30
Speaker 1: Happy about that.

00:16:31
Speaker 2: And my outside the top ten and the women's side doing really well is Kin wen Jing. She goes up against fellow Chinese player.

00:16:38
Speaker 1: Wang today and I just think Kin when is somebody to watch out for.

00:16:41
Speaker 2: I think she can be in the top ten, or she's pretty close to it now, but I think she's going to be a perennial top ten.

00:16:46
Speaker 1: Player because I really really like her and how she plays.

00:16:51
Speaker 2: So anyway, guys, tons of matches on today, look forward to bringing the recap to you tomorrow thanks to my little Andrea Petkovic who did her little back and forth to the post office but managed to get back here for you guys. And so for everybody listening, and even for the transportation people here at this drain and open, because we know there's some of you that listen to our podcast, we appreciate you volunteering and driving our butts to and from the tennis to our little abode here in Melbourne.

00:17:18
Speaker 1: So for everybody else, thanks for joining us today. And we're going to say jeuze jeeze jeeze bye,