Episode#:32 Bobby Schindler and Shaun J Boyce
1993 French Open Doubles Grand Slam Champion and ESPN Analyst Luke Jensen joins us LIVE from The Championships Wimbledon 2023.
IG: dual_hand_luke_jensen
Shaun Boyce USPTA: shaun@tennisforchildren.com
https://tennisforchildren.com/ πΎ
Bobby Schindler USPTA: schindlerb@comcast.nethttps://windermerecommunity.net/ πΎ
Geovanna Boyce: geovy@regeovinate.comhttps://regeovinate.com/ πͺπΌποΈ
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[MUSIC]
Speaker:Welcome to the Atlanta Tennis Podcast.
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Speaker:Hey, hey, this is Shaun with the Atlanta Tennis Podcast, powered by GoTennis!
Speaker:Check out our calendar of Metro Atlanta tennis events at Let'sGoTennis.com,
Speaker:where you can also find deals on equipment, apparel, and
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Speaker:So get yourself an Atlanta tennis monster's shirt before everyone else does.
Speaker:I've got mine and I wear it all the time.
Speaker:In this episode, we're sharing our live at the time,
Speaker:a conversation with Luke Jensen from the Championships Wimbledon, 2023.
Speaker:Have a listen and let us know what you think.
Speaker:[MUSIC]
Speaker:>> You got to get up and check the cameras.
Speaker:My May the Courts be with you shirt too close to the camera.
Speaker:>> No, it's perfect.
Speaker:>> An extra shirt plug there.
Speaker:[LAUGH]
Speaker:>> A close and personal.
Speaker:>> Yeah.
Speaker:>> Thanks for understanding that this gig is hard to do anything outside of what I do just because we have so
Speaker:many matches going on and off and interviews and it's a great gig.
Speaker:It's just there are two friends of mine that were at the tennis today and
Speaker:I couldn't even get out to say hello and it just gets crazy.
Speaker:>> Yeah, that's one of the things I want to hear about is what it's like to be you on during Wimbledon.
Speaker:Because the original plan was also for you to be coaching at the same time, right?
Speaker:>> Well, yeah, unfortunately at horrible coaching my player lost in the last round of
Speaker:quality to a player that she beat the week before like a drum.
Speaker:But that's what coaches do, they screw up, they get fired, they get scolded.
Speaker:You got to come up with better game plans, man, better game plans.
Speaker:>> Is that what it was?
Speaker:Was it a game plan, bro?
Speaker:You know it's, coach always has to take the hit game plan,
Speaker:always a game plan, problem.
Speaker:Players are never wrong, players win, coaches lose.
Speaker:It was just a, it was just a $100,000 miss, but outside of that, not worried.
Speaker:And that was to play a lucky loser to play another qualifier today.
Speaker:So not a big deal at all.
Speaker:>> All right, we got one thing.
Speaker:Yeah, that's, I saw the draw there.
Speaker:>> I saw the draw there too, I'm thinking, oh, that was a missed opportunity.
Speaker:>> It would have been unbelievable and then, yeah.
Speaker:>> And thinking last year, I'm sorry.
Speaker:>> Yeah, how does that work?
Speaker:So like I see is it, Darren K. Hill does a lot of that where he's commentating and
Speaker:coaching at the same time.
Speaker:>> Yeah, he balanced that.
Speaker:>> They're super cool with that.
Speaker:So remember when you stop playing, you lose a lot of access.
Speaker:So when you're playing, I started in 94 with ESPN.
Speaker:And I had a lot of access because I'm in a locker room with everybody.
Speaker:And it's Samperson, it's Chang and it's Courier, Agacy, everybody.
Speaker:And I'm flying, and Agacy's private jet and we're doing Davis Cup stuff.
Speaker:I mean, you can't get more locked in than a fellow player.
Speaker:And then once you retire, you can hang in there for a bit because
Speaker:you have access to all those guys because you played those guys.
Speaker:And then what happens is you get into that next phase where all the guys you played are not retired.
Speaker:And then you get into what I call the Roger Federer phase, which is he was our ball kid when we played.
Speaker:So you get access that way because he remembers you and everything.
Speaker:Well, everybody that remembered us when they were playing are now retired like Roger Federer.
Speaker:And then you got to go to the coaches who are now coaching those guys and
Speaker:girls that you played against and stuff like that.
Speaker:So you get certain access.
Speaker:But as soon as you start coaching, you're back in those players lounges,
Speaker:you're back on those practice courts in those locker rooms.
Speaker:You're in the know every single week.
Speaker:So they highly encouraged, like Pam Stryvers working with Vekitch,
Speaker:Vekitch beat Sloan Stevens today. K. Hills out there.
Speaker:So they honestly, they don't frown upon it at all.
Speaker:They make it work.
Speaker:So last year when we were in the main draw out, Wembleton,
Speaker:Coco would, you know, for the times that she had her practices.
Speaker:So a lot of depends on the schedule.
Speaker:And ESPN knows like listen, if your player wants to practice,
Speaker:we're going to work around that.
Speaker:So even though she was a lucky loser waiting to try to get in,
Speaker:the sweet spot for me is I work.
Speaker:I'll get there around eight o'clock in the morning and
Speaker:start doing all research, talking to coaches, talking to agents,
Speaker:talking to players.
Speaker:And you just watching everything you can to take in injuries.
Speaker:If someone's jacked up, any news notes, any nuggets that can't be found.
Speaker:By the normal ways of press conferences and things.
Speaker:And then you start going on the air.
Speaker:We have our first meeting at 9.59.30 and that's all hands on deck.
Speaker:That's Johnny Mac Chris effort.
Speaker:That's everybody is what we did yesterday.
Speaker:And what we can do to improve any stories,
Speaker:anything come up in our research over the last 24 hours.
Speaker:That sets us up for today.
Speaker:And that goes to about 10.
Speaker:And then we all break off to our assigned positions.
Speaker:And for me, it's in a studio.
Speaker:And with this guy, Sam Gore.
Speaker:And we've been working together for years now.
Speaker:And we just start cranking out these are the matches that you're going to see today.
Speaker:And talk about them and stuff.
Speaker:And then once that finishes,
Speaker:we start getting into bringing in Chris Everett, John McEnroe, Renee Stubbs,
Speaker:you know, and talk about topics.
Speaker:Who's playing today? What's up?
Speaker:A big one.
Speaker:We have so many Americans in it.
Speaker:We had 19 American women, 14 American men in the top in the main draw.
Speaker:And that's just singles.
Speaker:That wasn't even all the doubles players and stuff.
Speaker:So who's playing Ben Shelton was obviously a big hot topic.
Speaker:He went down today, unfortunately.
Speaker:But then we start hitting the matches and then talking about,
Speaker:especially during rain delays in everything.
Speaker:The hot topics, bringing in players for interviews, bringing in coaches.
Speaker:So we're pretty active.
Speaker:And then I just thought you and I were going to be able to kick off
Speaker:in that sweet spot when we're kind of done.
Speaker:But it didn't happen.
Speaker:We had so many storylines and stuff.
Speaker:And it's a glorious job.
Speaker:You'd love it.
Speaker:It's the coolest gig to do because you're at the best tournament in the world,
Speaker:the most historic tournament in the world.
Speaker:People want to talk about it.
Speaker:And it's super cool.
Speaker:Well, that's why I thought it'd be fun to bring it home a little bit,
Speaker:to bring it back to Atlanta, to kind of know what that looks like.
Speaker:Because we get to see you on ESPN in studio.
Speaker:But what that, we just get to see that 20 minutes,
Speaker:that's really cool, not all the preparation, not all everything that goes into that
Speaker:from the 8 AM and Joby looked at me.
Speaker:He's like, well, it's only 9 o'clock there.
Speaker:It's not that bad.
Speaker:I said, but I don't know what time he started.
Speaker:Like if he's a guy that is similar to how he grew up,
Speaker:he knows he's only as good as how much work he's putting into it.
Speaker:I'm guessing he's one of those first guys through the door.
Speaker:Yeah, it really is an awesome opportunity to work with awesome people.
Speaker:And it's, to be honest, like research,
Speaker:poor guy who's on the, in the room underneath me,
Speaker:because we get up super early.
Speaker:He doesn't get back to like one o'clock in the morning,
Speaker:and he does all the research.
Speaker:So until any Murray is done on center court and all the press conferences,
Speaker:he's got to compile all that stuff and we get a packet.
Speaker:Let's see if I can find it.
Speaker:So this is, this was just yesterday stuff that comes.
Speaker:I mean, it's just, it's loaded with every nugget,
Speaker:first serve percentage, schedule, possibility,
Speaker:singles doubles, mixed juniors,
Speaker:juniors qualifying started at Roe Hampton today.
Speaker:Lot of college coaches are over there recruiting the next superstar for their team.
Speaker:So it really is, they give you every opportunity to succeed.
Speaker:So my job specifically is to know my stuff,
Speaker:but how can I separate myself from everybody?
Speaker:And that's digging into notes that nobody else would kind of see or know.
Speaker:And it's beyond the notes to be perfectly honest.
Speaker:It's knowing the, having the relationships with the coaches.
Speaker:And that's been huge coaching, coaching, Coco Vanderey
Speaker:because I know last week's tournament and what happened in Berlin,
Speaker:what happened at Paris and watching at first hand
Speaker:from the practice courts on down.
Speaker:And then you have like the Chris U-Banks.
Speaker:He's playing tomorrow against Cam Noria court one.
Speaker:I mean, Chris didn't even know where to go for practice.
Speaker:He played qualities last year, but he never been,
Speaker:he'd never been at the big W.
Speaker:So he really didn't know and he needed like some help,
Speaker:like point, that's where practice is, that's where the locker room is.
Speaker:Total rookie.
Speaker:And because, you know, he played for my World Team tennis team in 2021.
Speaker:And I know him because George Attacuys from Atlanta,
Speaker:I'm an Atlanta guy.
Speaker:So that is a huge nugget for me that other people wouldn't know.
Speaker:So he's going to walk on the court tomorrow and I'm having edge up
Speaker:on all the other analysts and things like that.
Speaker:So that's what they want, ESPN wants, that access and that kind of intel.
Speaker:And that's right up my alley.
Speaker:I love finding a nugget that nobody else would have.
Speaker:And it encouraged it, which is great.
Speaker:Yeah, I would think so.
Speaker:And that's why the interesting question of how do you balance that?
Speaker:I can only guess ESPN would want the most up to date in the know people.
Speaker:To be part of that.
Speaker:That also means you're going to have another, you're going to be coaching, you know, coaching,
Speaker:you know, and get that.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And of course, you know, you got to be winning for your, you know, your player.
Speaker:And they got to be winning and staying relevant.
Speaker:I mean, it's, you look at, like Darren Kayle, he's, he's coaching center top 10 player,
Speaker:a possible, like a favorite to hear.
Speaker:Win here.
Speaker:That is massive because I mean, I'm coaching a qualifier.
Speaker:He's coaching a player's plan on center court, Wimbledon.
Speaker:I mean, when they start having matches,
Speaker:you can talk, you know, there's a little dip over here or the courts playing slower or we're,
Speaker:they were honestly out there hitting with Jokovic.
Speaker:And I think it was Friday or Saturday before the tournament started.
Speaker:That's a huge advantage.
Speaker:And to listen to what, you know, is going on at center, we're all, I mean, you have to,
Speaker:all of us in these meetings are listening to all that intel that we can bring to our matches
Speaker:and to our stuff.
Speaker:So it's, it's really is incredible to do it.
Speaker:This is my 39th Wimbledon.
Speaker:I started in '84 here as a junior player and then as a, you know, men's player and singles
Speaker:doubles and mixed and then as an announcer and legend, I played legends and I'm an alternate
Speaker:for the legends this year.
Speaker:So it really is unbelievable.
Speaker:How do they do that legends tournament?
Speaker:Is that, I'm interested?
Speaker:Do you actually have to qualify?
Speaker:I mean, do they, do they care how good you are or is it just your personal?
Speaker:Boy, how do you get into that?
Speaker:It would be pretty cool if they had like qualifying.
Speaker:And everything, because you would really see.
Speaker:So, yeah, no, it would be unbelievable.
Speaker:You'd see guys in shape like going, and so it's a really good paycheck and it's not as
Speaker:good, obviously, as the main draw or anything, but still a good paycheck for dinosaurs like
Speaker:us.
Speaker:But so they'll send out invitations.
Speaker:So it will be, you know, men's doubles and then you'll have mixed and they may pay,
Speaker:you, but you are actually invited.
Speaker:So in the years past when we were just off the tour of Murphy and I got invited in time.
Speaker:And then once you get 60, you're out.
Speaker:Now only, I mean, this is labor, this is the greatest of all time.
Speaker:Once you get 60, you're not invited anymore.
Speaker:They, you know, they go for the younger guys, but only the Abunt Sir Brahmi, only the great
Speaker:magician, Munn Sir Brahmi has been allowed to come back because he is the greatest show
Speaker:on earth as far as tennis and the fans want him.
Speaker:And so it's an, it's an exo, but it's, you're playing for money and it's kind of serious,
Speaker:but it's funny because in these old guy stuff, everybody, you say, listen, I've got a bad
Speaker:knee and I can't run for a drop shot.
Speaker:Okay, okay, we won't hit your drop shots or I won't go back for a lot.
Speaker:You know, you don't want to embarrass anybody, but everybody knows everybody's like, you know,
Speaker:injuries and stuff like that.
Speaker:And everybody gets injured, you know, you're not used to playing two out of three sets, three
Speaker:days in a row or four days in a row.
Speaker:And so it's a lot of fun to see your mates again, but Wimbledon invites you.
Speaker:And then because we're here for media, you'll say, hey, I'm here.
Speaker:I'm an old dog.
Speaker:I got a full thing of Advil on me.
Speaker:So if you do need an extra guy, I'm Advil Bup and I'm ready to win.
Speaker:I like that.
Speaker:That's a lot of fun because that's, yeah, she's here.
Speaker:I'm always the guy you can call me.
Speaker:And I'm very available.
Speaker:ESPN's got plenty of those guys.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:And you know, some, some of the guys, you know, they don't want to play, you know, they're
Speaker:too, like Johnny Mac, he covers ESPN.
Speaker:He's got BBC.
Speaker:He's got every tennis, you know, he doesn't do tennis channel, but he, I mean, he'll do, he
Speaker:does everything.
Speaker:So it's, he will get on the court from time to time, but I haven't seen him in this
Speaker:draw.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And that case, it's just a priority thing.
Speaker:There's too much, too much to do.
Speaker:Yeah, it's good.
Speaker:He clearly win everything because he's Johnny Mac.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:No, he is, he is Johnny Mac.
Speaker:The only one who Trump's in is Roger Federer who has his own day.
Speaker:And he's invited to the Royal Box by Princess Kate.
Speaker:So it's a cool gig to be, I got this actually out of Roger Federer's locker.
Speaker:He wasn't using it.
Speaker:It was easy to spot his locker because there's eight trophies on it.
Speaker:So, oh, that's Roger's.
Speaker:You know, look in.
Speaker:There's some shoes, some brackets.
Speaker:I just needed a sweater today.
Speaker:He's not going to miss it.
Speaker:I'll get it back tomorrow after I draw a clean it.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:Draw a clean it and then write sign it for him.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Outside of form.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:To a Fed, you know, just to let you know, I owe you one.
Speaker:I'll get you, you know, get you one for tea sometime.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:For the click.
Speaker:Exactly.
Speaker:I don't think about the eight trophies that makes me think of a visit to Serbia I had where
Speaker:I got to go to the restaurant that Novak owns or something.
Speaker:Oh, cool.
Speaker:So cool.
Speaker:Have you been there?
Speaker:No, no, I got to go.
Speaker:It's neat.
Speaker:You walk up and there's just this statue of him and the armor and it's, you know, I think
Speaker:dude's like six, three or something.
Speaker:But this statue is like six, eight.
Speaker:It just makes you feel small when you walk in.
Speaker:You've got a little sitting area with all the trophies everywhere.
Speaker:No way.
Speaker:That's where all the trophies are.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:That's a, yeah.
Speaker:That's a risk.
Speaker:You think about that, right?
Speaker:Got 23 of the big boys and then all the thousands, you know, and I just can't imagine
Speaker:all those.
Speaker:What number is that total titles, but I know like San Chris has a room in his house and
Speaker:then the best collection of all time.
Speaker:I just saw Andres, but putting stuffies, stuffies, 22, I think she has 22.
Speaker:And then Andres, I think he has seven or eight.
Speaker:That's pretty impressive.
Speaker:That's a trophy collection.
Speaker:I got my little one from when I won that chest tournament when I was nine.
Speaker:I got that one.
Speaker:Hey, that's, you know what?
Speaker:Dr. Spock right there, baby.
Speaker:I got a trophy for you.
Speaker:That's right.
Speaker:Less time dusting.
Speaker:But yeah, the, the, the Serbia trip, it's worth it to see the, to see that room.
Speaker:And that was, I went with that 2017.
Speaker:So there's got to be a few more in it.
Speaker:I don't know.
Speaker:I don't know what he does.
Speaker:So is it the same place that his parents owned or is this his own place?
Speaker:No, this is his place.
Speaker:Wow.
Speaker:So the, the story, if I remember right, is they sold their restaurant to find the antennas,
Speaker:right?
Speaker:I don't know that detail, but the, he's a, he's a special dude.
Speaker:And it's unfortunate that he is very polarizing people.
Speaker:I, today people come up.
Speaker:I'm just, he's just not my cup of tea.
Speaker:And, but I just think he's in the shadow of Titans of, it doesn't matter how many he wins,
Speaker:he will never be fetter and he'll never be in a dial.
Speaker:And you know what?
Speaker:That's okay.
Speaker:You know, serena's got her own, you know, base, but I just respect him so much.
Speaker:He has committed so much to his nutrition.
Speaker:His flexibility is training.
Speaker:He goes on vacation after winning 23 in France and he still works out.
Speaker:He's still, that's just his jam, man.
Speaker:He's just knows he's got to keep the body limber and got to keep it going.
Speaker:He doesn't have to be playing tennis every day, but he definitely needs to be working out
Speaker:every day.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Now, that's, what's the, from a Novak point of view, that was going to be the thing that
Speaker:I thought about, which is, okay, is he the greatest of all time.
Speaker:Everybody has that conversation and that's a fun thing going on right now because the
Speaker:numbers say it's Novak, but it isn't just numbers.
Speaker:It's also that love, that appreciation.
Speaker:And he's, like you said, he is a little polarizing because there is, he's made a few mistakes
Speaker:and he's, I'm saying some people would hit people with ball, you know, tennis balls and
Speaker:tennis balls.
Speaker:Dude, this is things happened in his career that have, he never had that almost crisp, clean
Speaker:career that, that, that, that, that, that, that, Roger, we're really able to pull it off.
Speaker:He had to fight.
Speaker:Remember, he didn't win his first major until he was 21 and then there was like a huge, like,
Speaker:upswing, had to sort through some things physically.
Speaker:He had trouble at default matches and things like that because it was brilliant.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And that, he was the first guy that I remembered and I'd never heard this word, but
Speaker:before, but the gluten deal, I was like, what, what is gluten?
Speaker:And he was the first guy that, that I had ever heard before braiding all these guys and
Speaker:that he locked in on all that nutritional, that science, that blood work and things.
Speaker:But I just think you got the, you got the popular vote and that's always going to be Roger
Speaker:followed by Rafa.
Speaker:And that's great to be the popular vote.
Speaker:But the reality is you get the goat by the electoral college.
Speaker:That's like winning the numbers.
Speaker:That's just how you win across the board on all the majors and then you start digging deep
Speaker:into head to head matchups and the thought, I mean, just he will break outside of, I mean,
Speaker:he's got a chance at the Australian to be perfectly honest.
Speaker:He's got, I think 10 there.
Speaker:He's got a chance to break Rafa's 14 at one major.
Speaker:I mean, it's an outside shot, but, yeah, I mean, but he left a lot on the table in the sense
Speaker:where he's missed two US opens because of COVID.
Speaker:You wouldn't take the vaccine.
Speaker:And he was funny.
Speaker:He's kind of proven right, which is kind of interesting because, you know, it's such hype
Speaker:around that and, you know, a lot of us had a guy to do it if I wanted to work for ESPN.
Speaker:But he didn't.
Speaker:He stood by his, you know, his principles and everything and then he hit the one, that one
Speaker:year and 20 when he hit the lines person that he was opening the throat.
Speaker:He was undefeated that season.
Speaker:He was going to win that year.
Speaker:So that's three Australia last year where, you know, it kind of that COVID thing.
Speaker:So that's four.
Speaker:You know, he's going to win at least two of those.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So that puts them at 25.
Speaker:I mean, the dudes, the dudes of beast, Bob Rink has already said, I'm not eating the
Speaker:guy.
Speaker:He said, Bob Rink has just said, listen, I'm not, this is Stan.
Speaker:Bob Rink was one three major titles, one of the best backends that's not the best back
Speaker:in in the history of the game who can hit through players.
Speaker:He's saying, listen, I want to be competitive, but I'm not winning here.
Speaker:I'm not winning.
Speaker:I'm not beating the guy.
Speaker:That's insane.
Speaker:He's, he's right.
Speaker:I mean, you look at the head to head.
Speaker:It's 26 Novak.
Speaker:So I mean, I understand, but to come out and just say it, is it a, is it a disguise?
Speaker:Is it a false flag deal where you just like, yeah, I'm getting this head that I'm not
Speaker:even going to try and then go red line and go for winner?
Speaker:Well, you just admitted it at some point, but as a tennis coach, as a coaching type, as
Speaker:I am, and you can understand this as well, where you want your player to really believe.
Speaker:You have to actually believe that this is going to be the greatest upset of all time.
Speaker:If that's what it needs to be.
Speaker:But I think what stands pointing out is, I'm going to have to hope he breaks his ankle.
Speaker:Because I just, I think it's reverse psychology to be honest.
Speaker:I mean, stand by breaking nose if he plays his best tennis.
Speaker:He can be done.
Speaker:So why, why go out and say, yeah, you know, I've got to shout the wind.
Speaker:You know, if you saw the last dance with Michael Jordan, he, he manufactured reasons to
Speaker:get mad at opponents that get motivated.
Speaker:The last thing Novak needs is a guy like Stan going, you know what?
Speaker:I could take a shot.
Speaker:I mean, you know, I feel pretty good and pretty confident.
Speaker:I think he's going reverse psychology saying that I have no shot.
Speaker:I don't even know if I'll even walk on the court.
Speaker:I'll be in the, I'll probably get his autograph asking for his jersey, you know, just suck
Speaker:up to that guy.
Speaker:Sneak out the first set by the time Novak kind of figures it out with his head.
Speaker:Maybe a break in a second.
Speaker:Get up to sets the love.
Speaker:And then it's a, then it's a chance.
Speaker:You're telling me there's a chance.
Speaker:I got a chance.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:That's so, uh, yeah.
Speaker:No, I don't think so.
Speaker:No chance.
Speaker:I'm with a break out of this one because I also, I've met Serbians.
Speaker:And then obviously not all Serbians.
Speaker:You have to point that out, right?
Speaker:I've met Serbians.
Speaker:These guys are strictly brutal.
Speaker:They do not care if you know you're going to lose.
Speaker:If you think you're going to win, they don't care.
Speaker:You're going down.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It's a bond lendel.
Speaker:It's the a bond lendel type.
Speaker:I don't care.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I think the face with a tennis ball to win as much because you're better.
Speaker:Give me your face.
Speaker:Come here.
Speaker:It's just business.
Speaker:It's just nothing personal, you know, give me your face and I'm going to wipe it off the
Speaker:planet.
Speaker:This is a million bucks.
Speaker:And if I can't do it, I'm going to do it some other way.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:That's right.
Speaker:That's right.
Speaker:I love it.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:So I don't, I know you got a, you got a lot of research to do, but I really appreciate
Speaker:the time.
Speaker:Do you have, and you're a little more keyed in maybe on the women's side because you have
Speaker:some of that access, but do you have picks?
Speaker:Do you have picks for this year?
Speaker:Can I ask for it?
Speaker:I'll tell you.
Speaker:Thank you.
Speaker:It's hard to pick.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:favorites.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It's, it's to me, Joe Kovic in the rest of the field.
Speaker:It's really, do you pick Joe Kovic or the field?
Speaker:Alka Razz.
Speaker:If you watch the movie Maverick and early on in that movie, he crashes his test plane or
Speaker:something like that.
Speaker:And the admiral is telling him that, you know, your, your kind is done.
Speaker:We're going to drones, unmanned aircraft.
Speaker:And he goes to the admiral.
Speaker:You're probably right, but not today, not now.
Speaker:And it was at the French open in the semis and it was like one of the matches, everybody on
Speaker:the planet who follows tennis had to watch is Alka Razz, where you take that step.
Speaker:You're going to beat, you know, there's no Nadal.
Speaker:And he beat Joe Kovic.
Speaker:And Joe Kovic was like Maverick, like, you are the future.
Speaker:You're, you're right, but not today.
Speaker:Not yet, not yet.
Speaker:And I just get, listen, you got, you got admire Alka Razz.
Speaker:The dude loves the sport.
Speaker:He loves the train, plays with a smile on his face.
Speaker:Guys, incredible.
Speaker:But he won Queens.
Speaker:Really good effort.
Speaker:Anytime you win Queens, it's a sign of the future that you're going to win.
Speaker:And you're ready for a grass court run at Wimbledon.
Speaker:He looked great in his opening round.
Speaker:Guys are beast, but not yet.
Speaker:Yeah, got it.
Speaker:It's Joe Kovic plus the field I'm taking, Joe Kovic.
Speaker:It's like, how do you bet against Tom Brady in the Super Bowl?
Speaker:I'm sorry, one game, you know, I don't think so.
Speaker:So I'm going with Joe Kovic there.
Speaker:I'm not going to risk it.
Speaker:And then on the women's side, it's interesting.
Speaker:I think that's what I think, Joe Kovic, I think, is really good.
Speaker:I think that's what I think.
Speaker:I think that's what I think, Joe Kovic is the best.
Speaker:I think that's what I think.
Speaker:I think that's what I think, Joe Kovic is the best.
Speaker:I think that's what I think, Joe Kovic is the best.
Speaker:I think that's what I think, Joe Kovic is the best.
Speaker:I think that's what I think, Joe Kovic is the best.
Speaker:I think that's what I think, Joe Kovic is the best.
Speaker:I think that's what I think, Joe Kovic is the best.
Speaker:I think that's what I think, Joe Kovic is the best.
Speaker:I think that's what I think, Joe Kovic is the best.
Speaker:I think that's what I think, Joe Kovic is the best.
Speaker:I think that's what I think, Joe Kovic is the best.
Speaker:I think that's what I think, Joe Kovic is the best.
Speaker:I think that's what I think, Joe Kovic is the best.
Speaker:I think that's what I think, Joe Kovic is the best.
Speaker:I think that's what I think, Joe Kovic is the best.
Speaker:And defending champion, Rob Aquina, she won today.
Speaker:And I like her poise.
Speaker:We lost her last year, first round, Coco Vanderwey.
Speaker:We had opportunities, but she was a cool customer that can hit big on both wings.
Speaker:And serve big first and second serve.
Speaker:And serve big first and second serve.
Speaker:And I just have a feeling that it's a lot like this tournament.
Speaker:I don't know why, but she lost in the semis of the French.
Speaker:And I just think she has, she's matured where the serve is not going to be a problem on that second where she has double fault issues.
Speaker:But she has a big smile on her face.
Speaker:She wasn't allowed to play last year.
Speaker:Remember the Russians and the Belarusians were not allowed to play.
Speaker:And she, all the Russians and the Belarusians that have played so far had interviews have been very gracious in the way that the crowd has embraced them.
Speaker:Good.
Speaker:And I thought it was, it was a weird take because it was nothing personal against those players.
Speaker:It was just this weird global event that happened that they were caught in like the, you know, the wake of this tragic global war.
Speaker:The global, I'm sorry, this conflict that turned into a global situation of whose side you're on and they just got caught up in it.
Speaker:The fans never, they love me that they love Savileca.
Speaker:And, but they came out and said, hey, I really wasn't sure how is going to be received out here.
Speaker:And when the crowd right from the start, they walked on the court, you're a champion.
Speaker:We love the way you play.
Speaker:And they smiled in a relaxed sub-alankah.
Speaker:She's really good.
Speaker:And when she gets on a roll with that serve and the plus ones and stuff, she's a rough customer.
Speaker:Well, the Russians are allowed to play as long as they were born in Kazakhstan, right?
Speaker:Well, that was last year. That was that true.
Speaker:True. And, you know, I mean, they Kazakhstan sponsored a lot of those guys.
Speaker:So they, they, all that oil money up there in that country.
Speaker:You know, Russia is not going to give you money.
Speaker:We will just wear our flag and represent us and things like that.
Speaker:So how about, talk about ironic, how they block all the Russians and Belarusians and a girl who lives in Russia played and, you know, play, you know, all that stuff.
Speaker:And stuff.
Speaker:Ends up winning it.
Speaker:I just weird karma, huh?
Speaker:Weird karma.
Speaker:It's like Sarah Poe is from Florida, right?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Oh, absolutely.
Speaker:Absolutely.
Speaker:Well, next time we do this, I want to talk about that full western grip because as you mentioned, you know,
Speaker:you know, weakness on grass, which I would expect it to be.
Speaker:Except I'm going to say Fritz last year and Baratini the year before.
Speaker:I mean, we've got some players out there, even who's the big Russian guy.
Speaker:I call him Karen McSephanoff.
Speaker:No, it's it.
Speaker:A rouble.
Speaker:I'm thinking hatching off or.
Speaker:Okay, he's another big guy.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, we got these guys that are six, five, six, six that have that full western grip that somehow can play on grass.
Speaker:And I just they'd never have to hit a volley.
Speaker:You know, you watch some of these guys come forward and they look like me, the net is just.
Speaker:Yeah, not good.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker:But we'll have to look at five deep into that next time.
Speaker:We'll get into the technique for sure.
Speaker:I mean, remember the first week of this term is the only, you know, surface that is a living breathing thing.
Speaker:So it changes from day to day.
Speaker:The conditions have a lot to do with how it plays.
Speaker:If it's a little rainy overcast, do we.
Speaker:I mean, it just changes and then that second week when that grass kind of gets worn out, especially on the baseline.
Speaker:And the grass is firm.
Speaker:It all sets up.
Speaker:And then it's just got to fight through that first week.
Speaker:And then it's game on and that's why things fight tech.
Speaker:She can just somehow get to that second week, around a 16 quarters.
Speaker:It'll be a different player and then she can move better and things.
Speaker:Tiafou has a weird funky forehand, but real quick.
Speaker:Yeah, but he short backswing.
Speaker:You have a short backswing with that you can get away with it early on, but.
Speaker:Taylor Fritz lost today.
Speaker:And he was up two sets to love and he lost the Emer from Sweden that.
Speaker:And that's a devastating blow.
Speaker:He got to the quarters last year, should have beaten the Dow.
Speaker:And this was supposed to be maybe a run for this tournament.
Speaker:So it's a setback for the American side here.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And Tiafou is still in.
Speaker:I didn't see who.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Tiafou won today.
Speaker:Ben Shelton lost today.
Speaker:Tommy Stockholm, Paul.
Speaker:He won today.
Speaker:I'm going down there's so many Americans.
Speaker:It's great.
Speaker:And you just go down that list.
Speaker:Bashed in court.
Speaker:He lost.
Speaker:He lost the other day.
Speaker:I'm almost sure he lost the other day.
Speaker:I like that kid.
Speaker:I keep telling my son.
Speaker:You got to be six foot forward lefty with a two handed backhand.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:He said, but if you look at the court, you look at these guys.
Speaker:Six five.
Speaker:You know, Tiafou was side.
Speaker:Tiafou being that that extra case.
Speaker:But there's six five.
Speaker:They got that big serve.
Speaker:They can serve into the second week.
Speaker:And then wait for the Western forehand to be able to play on the
Speaker:group on the clay courts of Wimbledon in the second week, right?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:That's why I wouldn't go as far as clay, but that, but the things you want
Speaker:footing and you need time and you need a bounce.
Speaker:And that's a board one five straight finals in a six.
Speaker:Just because he got through that first week was able to just
Speaker:figure it out and then the ball start coming up to him.
Speaker:And that Western grip is, which isn't really a true Western.
Speaker:It was more like a Roger Federer kind of hybrid, probably.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Semmy West.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:Semmy.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So, uh, yeah.
Speaker:It's, uh, Daniel Collins lost today.
Speaker:Alicia Parks Atlanta kid.
Speaker:Uh, she, she lost today.
Speaker:She, I thought she won the first set in the last, but we just got a man.
Speaker:Cannon.
Speaker:Cannon one today.
Speaker:And, uh, she, she has a matchup was.
Speaker:It's the Lena who was coming through the draw after having a child in October.
Speaker:So, a lot of good storylines for us, huh?
Speaker:Really good.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And I don't, uh, I don't usually pick the Americans on the clay or the grass, but, uh,
Speaker:good to see.
Speaker:Well, they're, they're coming.
Speaker:Oh, just, just for the time.
Speaker:No, if you can see this strawberries, Wimbledon strawberries.
Speaker:Oh, nice.
Speaker:It's good. Yeah.
Speaker:There you go.
Speaker:Ready to, ready to go to town on those things.
Speaker:Enjoy it.
Speaker:I appreciate it.
Speaker:I'll see if I can get in touch with you next week.
Speaker:We'll try to do it again.
Speaker:Whatever you need.
Speaker:Well, there you have it.
Speaker:We want to thank rejoveneit.com for use of the studio.
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Speaker:See you next time.