QUICK SERVED: WIMBLEDON DAY 12 - SEMI-FINALS REACTION & WOMEN'S FINALS PREVIEW

The 2024 Wimbledon Semi-Finals have come and gone and Andy Roddick jumps on with a Quick Served to give us his thoughts on Jasmine Paolini vs Barbora Krejcikova, Daniil Medvedev's outburst on the chair umpire, Novak's incredible Wimbledon journey after knee surgery, and more.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hey everyone, welcome to another edition of Served, brought to you by Oslo Sleep Buds, of which we are all just massive fans and super well rested. Look at my eyeballs. Look how rested they are. They haven't looked that great since I was a baby. I'm so rested, I feel so rested. Also, I have some thoughts on the matches today. Obviously, carlos Alcaraz making final over Daniil Medvedev. Alcaraz, he just has so many options and he has so many ways to make adjustments. Ferreiro can shout to him do all of these things, and he's capable of doing all of these things. There are many times where it's like, hey, I know what to do against Roger, I just don't have the physical ability to actually do it consistently. Carlos Alcaraz I caused everyone to be real pissed off a year ago and I said he's the most complete player at his age that we've ever seen. Guess what. He's the most complete player at his age that we've ever seen. Guess what he's the most complete player at his age that we've ever seen.

Speaker 1: 1:09

Now that doesn't mean that Rafa wasn't great. He's the most dominant on one surface that I've ever seen, but across all types of surfaces, doing the French Open win, wimbledon final at this young of an age. The French Open win, wimbledon final at this young of an age. And we forget that he didn't play great from the end of the US Open last year through Indian Wells this year Didn't win a tournament, from Wimbledon last year through Indian Wells. This year did not win a tennis tournament. All that to say. He just was able to problem solve. He can chip when he needs to Never gotten any trouble against Medvedev. Medvedev is one of my favorite players. I can't express the amount of respect that I have for what he has gotten from his career. I see chatter where it's like they like to do this thing. Where is he already the best guy who's won a slam and not won two? Yes, I think I'm the other name in that conversation and the answer is yes. He is phenomenal, beaten top five players in slams, been number one himself, won 20 tournaments. 20 different tournaments On his weaker surfaces is now figured out a way. I love Daniil Medvedev Simply, when Carlos Alcaraz is in full flight, he just has more options and can execute on a more powerful scale than Daniil Medvedev. Daniil Medvedev deserves so much respect, doesn't have the power out of your shoes that Alcaraz has, doesn't have that explosive movement that Alcaraz has, doesn't have the ability to switch ball flights like Alcaraz has and still just gives these guys hell all the time. But Alcaraz, he's a generational talent and it's weird because that term is kind of getting watered down a bit, because we're on the heels of how many generational talents can we have? You know, it feels like we just got through three of them. Now we have another one, um, but he's just. He's my favorite player to watch. Uh, I couldn't have more respect for what Daniel Medvedev puts out there time after time. And there's, there's two things I feel strongly about from this match. Uh, three things. Alcaraz is gonna be an all-time great in this game and again we forget that before the big three it was like an it's. It was an insane thing to say someone was going to win 10 slams, like that's more than agassi, mackinrow, lendl, edward be the icons of our sport, basically anyone short of Pete and Borg in the modern era. And then you go back to Laver, emerson, et cetera, et cetera, but for 30 or 40 years of reality, it just was just an insane thing to say someone's going to win double digit slams. Now the big three have completely reset the deck, but Alcaraz is going to be that guy. He's going to be you know, I would put you know, you can't control injuries, you can't control life if something major happens, but he's going to be ahead of, like the V landers and the McEnroes and the Agassiz and the Connors, and I mean it's just crazy. And it's 20, it's going to be 21. Like it's, it's, it's, it's a joke. So that's number one, that's the biggest one, that's the, the.

Speaker 1: 4:29

The takeaway is just more adjectives and flattering superlatives for Carlos Alcaraz, and he does it with a smile on his face. It's just what a gift to the game in this, in this kind of big three uh vacuum, of which Novak Djokovic is still extremely alive, my goodness. But I want to spend two seconds on medvedev. One is funny and one uh. I kind of got pissed when I read something today, um, on twitter. I'm gonna try to bring it up. I'm not gonna call anyone out by name, but it's just so stupid, like one. Let's go with the light-hearted one. First is medvedev. So when medvedev and I'm gonna, I'm gonna go bleep, bleep, bleep because I don't know, it's just, it feels like gratuitous after what I did the other day on our uh arna when I got on the italian one. I cussed a lot on that one.

Speaker 2: 5:12

So now I'm gonna just try to course correct.

Speaker 1: 5:13

So when, when, when you lose, when, basically when you're and I got into it with umpires. I said a lot of things I regret to umpires, not my proudest moments. I still think it's really funny when people fight and argue with umpires. I like it. The medvedev of things, the way he can stir it up, I'm here for it, I like it. It feels genuine to me. Honey Badger, don't give a, it doesn't care, and I'm always here for it, and also in the same room, right? So nuance context. This is this is we're going to attempt it again.

Speaker 1: 5:47

When you say F you, f, you, f, you, you, piece of shit to the umpire, when you say, you can say what the F? But as soon as you say F you, you're gone, you're defaulted. Now I don't care, like I'd like to see it. I rarely turn the channel when someone's throwing a tantrum, and none of you do either. You can complain about it on Twitter, but you never change the channel, ever. There's a reason why Kyrgios is a star and he's never won a Grand Slam semifinal. He's entertaining. He's never been top 10, yet he's still taking pictures with Russell Westbrook when he comes to Wimbledon. Still taking pictures with Russell Westbrook when he comes to Wimbledon, right, like he's still relevant because he's a star. You can't say F-U, f-u, f-u, piece of shit, 10 feet from the umpire and not get defaulted by the rules. Now, I'm happy he didn't. I get the context, but this is why tennis, when we go through the rules and there's a lack of understanding whether it's legal coaching, whether it's this, when you leave it up to judgment and that judgment changes based on the moment, it's kind of a of shit, gone, gone. Now they get called out of Wimbledon. Tournament. Referee comes out and goes oh man, oh, but ratings, this is Alcaraz. He's probably pulling a huge number.

Speaker 1: 7:20

Novak's knee isn't ready to go yet. He's got to warm it up. I don't know. Let's let him play. I don't care. You guys don't want to default. Let's let him play. F, you, f, you, f, you, piece of shit. No one can ever get defaulted again for saying something to the umpire, unless they're talking about like their children, or saying something just terribly, you know, racist, sexist, whatever, like. You basically can't just cuss to an umpire at them and get defaulted ever again. We've set precedent today. This is going to be so entertaining. I can't wait. I hope curious comes back. Now this is going to be amazing.

Speaker 2: 7:54

Is that like the most egregious uh, no foul, no default thing you can think of in like recent memory, Like that just seems so straightforward.

Speaker 1: 8:01

Right, I mean when we're docking. It's like serena williams points in the us open final for coaching and for when she didn't even cuss at the umpire against you. Remember that, like when she didn't even cuss at the umpire, she just said you're ridiculous. Or and she got points and f you, f you, f you, you, piece of shit does gets a warning. It's over. This is going to be amazing television. Your kids might have to wear earmuffs watching Breakfast at Wimbledon now, because you literally can't say anything worse than F-U-F-U-F-U you, piece of shit, and not get defaulted. So that's over. That's fun. That precedent's gone. That rule no longer exists apparently. So great, it's going to be great. We're going to gonna have a lot of the fight club is open also. So that's that. That was like. I'm like, okay, well then, we're just, we're just, we're just cherry picking results from bad behavior. Then like, if it, if it, if a lot of people are gonna lose money in ratings, then it's fine. If, like no one's watching and a tree falls in the forest, like yeah, you're gone, anyways. So apparently we can say anything now.

Speaker 1: 9:07

Great, I love Medvedev, couldn't respect him more. Okay, when you're a tennis analyst, like you call yourself a accent to express. Like, whatever it is. You basically tell people that you know a lot about tennis and then you say something stupid like this. People that you know a lot about tennis and then you say something stupid like this Daniil Medvedev needs to decide if he is comfortable and content to cash major semifinal paychecks or if he wants to be remembered as a true legend of the game. A very good career, but not a great one if he can't bring home a second major title, got it. So listen, I know people are going to say you're mad because he's talking to you too. Great, understood, no problem, great, great also. Shut the fuck up. I'm saving my one for that. I won't call it out by name, but if you think that a player simply goes out there and it's just because, like you, if you think daniel mevidev loses matches because he's just comfortable and he gives a shit about the paycheck, you're so stupid. You're so dumb Like the guy's.

Speaker 1: 10:09

The guy's been number one in the world. He's the top 1% of the top 1% on earth. You're on Twitter, you're. You're a. You're a self-described analyst Like. Why the hell should anyone like? Why should anyone listen to you? You have zero credentials. You don't understand what he's doing. You don't understand his brilliance. You don't understand his genius. You don't understand that he's overachieved, based on natural gifts. He can't hit top spin on a back hand. He's not the fastest guy that's ever lived. He's a brilliant mover. Those are different. He's not the fastest guy that's ever lived. He's a brilliant mover. Those are different. He would lose to three-quarters of the tour in a 100-yard dash.

Speaker 1: 10:50

Serve is great I mean, serve is good, not the best and yet he's number one in the world. He's won 20 tournaments, 20 different tournaments, has beaten five. Stop. How many Grand Slam finals Shut up? Oh, he needs to decide. If he wants to be great, he is doing what he can to be great and he is giving it hell. If he's not great, then pretty much no one can be great. You have like. You have like five or six people at any given moment that you consider great. You're an idiot. Just shut up saying stupid shit like that on twitter. Just shut up, moron, all right right.

Speaker 1: 11:24

I'm going to be in a better mood now. Okay, got that out of my system. This was supposed to be a shorter show, but then I got on one. Here we are Quick serve brought to you by Oslo Sleep Buds. Apparently, I need to take a nap before these shows to just get a little bit happier. But he needs to decide if he wants to be a champion. Oh really, the guy who's been number one in the world and won the US Open. He needs to just make it. Oh, it's probably just he's not giving it that. Good old try, you idiot. He beat the number one player in the world two days ago. Shut up, you literally live in your mother's basement. Shut up Whatever.

Speaker 1: 11:55

Oh, my God oh my God, get out of here.

Speaker 2: 12:05

Yeah, maybe go take a nap, sleep buds. God it's so annoying.

Speaker 1: 12:06

They have patented noise tech, noise canceling technology. You know, we need this. That's not the haters, correct? We need oslo sleep, but this guy needs noise canceling technology. That's what he needs. He needs some sleep buds yeah, he's. He's the worst kind of babbling brooke and and a nice one, well done, and maybe a long hard look in the mirror. He needs to decide if he wants to be shut up. You twitter guy idiot. All right, sorry and uh, anyways, I digress. That one pissed me off, though. That's just so stupid.

Speaker 2: 12:30

Um, let's take a little break, we'll be right back all right, we'll be.

Speaker 1: 12:32

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Speaker 1: 13:07

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Speaker 1: 13:51

A little vintage Cola, just kind of I needed to reset level after I was mad. A Twitter guy Listen, I don't know how to express enough respect for what Novak has done. Being in one having surgery a month ago, okay, in the same episode I said all of these reasons why I didn't think him making an extended run at Wimbledon made sense. I was wrong. Also, if anyone had surgery four weeks ago, I would feel pretty comfortable betting against them being effective four weeks later and in a grand slam final. Right after I said that on that show the part that gets forgotten often, especially with a certain fan base I said bet against the greats at your own peril. He is not like us, he is different. I wouldn't have been able to do it. I barely could do it on good legs. Make a final of Wimbledon in the best of times. I ended up in the Hall of Fame.

Speaker 1: 15:02

What he is doing is absurd and like weirdly predictable at the same time. Like when he starts going after the crowd and Runa and just you know, kind of kicking the hornet's nest. You know he's in full flight. This is as focused as dialed as he's been this entire year. Now we can talk about wimbledon and we can give credit and pretend, like we all expected this. Let's make this year real quickly. Okay, for what he's actually done this year, better than most of us on a good year semis australia, lucky to win a set against center. He ran him out of the building the first two sets, he snuck one out, but it was a pretty straightforward win for center after center had won two out of three at the end of last year. Okay, great level set goes to indian wells. Loses to a guy ranked 130 in the world, right, no visible injuries. Didn't look like he had that angsty chip thing that makes his engine go.

Speaker 1: 16:07

Clay Court's season was like okay, he didn't look great, made semis in Monte Carlo, but the fitness didn't look like it was there, breathing heavily, you could see it, it was dramatic. The fitness didn't look like it was there heavily, you could see it, it was dramatic. The fitness didn't look like it was there. The drive looked absent and not absent compared to us Chuckers. Absent for what we expect from Novak because of his greatness, roland Garros. We finally get there as like is he going to turn around the week before Roland Garros enters a tournament like a panic wildcard, which that's for us, that's for the mortals, that's what we do. It's not what he does. Doesn't win that tournament, goes to Roland Garros, gets through some five setters but is like compromised physically. It doesn't look like perfect. Pulls out after coming back winning a huge, huge five setterter, pulls out Surgery the next day. That's not good. You've already been like less than your physical peak. It looks like you're trying to find I don't know motivation. It doesn't look like you're in shape. So when you're looking at a knee injury, what's certain is that you're not going to be able to put in the hard yards needed for your fitness to be good when it's already not been great this year compared to your own shadow, not compared to the rest of us, compared to your own fitness shadow.

Speaker 1: 17:35

And what the hell does he do? Shows up knee brace one day at Wimbledon. He hits some balls. The next day he plays a practice set, gets through, looks ordinary, loses a set to some guy second round and then comes out against Runa, gets chippy, creates this like thing where people are saying Runa and all he hears is boo, makes it a thing, and you're like, oh God, here he goes. This is it. He's found that thing. He's confident enough to find that thing. Straight set win in the semis of Wimbledon. He's in his 10th Wimbledon final. He's in his 37th major final. Mike hayden, if he somehow pulls this off, is this novak djokovic's jordan flu game?

Speaker 2: 18:30

jordan flu game. Wow, uh, like that's iconic.

Speaker 1: 18:33

Right, we all remember that hits the shot. You know, we know he was not feeling great carrying him off the, you know pipping carrying him off the court. Iconic forever. It's insane. Iconic forever. Is this the flu game?

Speaker 2: 18:46

I mean, I think that's a great comparison, because I can't think of anything else. It's, it's. I'm in awe of this man's talent as, as, but then now I'm even more in awe of his determination and his focus.

Speaker 1: 18:58

I'm simultaneously stunned and also going. Of course, though, but of course, right, and I don't know how those live in the same area, but that's where I'm at. I mean 10 Wimbledon finals and, by the way, if he wins this tournament, he's tied with Roger Federer for the all-time lead for Wimbledon singles titles on the men's side. He's like okay, is he the greatest grass quarter ever? And does he still have two more Wimbledons to play after this? I don't know. I don't know. It's absurd, it's just crazy. His 37th major final that's like making every final for nine years in a row, hashtag math plus one. Like. Imagine that, imagine that. Imagine that one of my, like proudest career accomplishments it sounds like the dumbest thing that's ever been said is being top 10 for close to 10 years. This guy literally made a great like. If you added up his grand slam finals and if he did them consecutively, he would have done it for 10 years. I mean, is this, it's this rank him is?

Speaker 2: 20:08

one of the most successful male athletes. Period right, I mean as male, female anything, a period, anything, stop like over, great like I mean yes, period.

Speaker 1: 20:14

Anything. Stop Like over. Great Like I mean, yes, it's the most impressive feat of any sportsman. Your teammates can't bail you out. You can't Like. Peyton Manning is a partner of mine in a business. The second Super Bowl he won. He had very little to do with Like his team won that Super Bowl. Now he lost a bunch where he was fantastic and his team wasn't great. Many playoff games, but no one can bail you out. No one can bail you out. He can't be effective on a bad knee and add value on a bad knee. Hit an open shot on a bad knee. He has to play defense offense. He can't take plays off.

Speaker 1: 20:55

And now he's got a chance of vengeance against Alcaraz right, and he's in the Wimbledon final.

Speaker 1: 20:59

It Now. He's a chance of vengeance against Alcaraz, right, and he's in the Wimbledon final. It's insane, so it's just absurd. Bet against the greats at your own peril. Apparently, I'm a moron for thinking four weeks is a short timeline to make a Wimbledon final. Post-knee surgery. Happy to lay on that sword, no problem, I'll tell you when I think I'm right. I will never have any problem telling you when I'm wrong. The math adds up. No, that timeline is short and he still has fitness. It's been compromised. He hasn't been at his physical peak. He's got to somehow make up that ground and recover from knee surgery. The logic is there, the logic was always there, and we're watching greatness. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know what to tell you. I don't know how you get over it, like. Like if you sprain your ankle on a on a on a curb because you've had too many drinks, like that's in your head for like a week when you're walking around now imagine winning now matching, having surgery and and getting to a wimbledon final and it's not just uh, you know, I don't know no, it's insane

Speaker 1: 22:06

yeah, it's, it's, it's incredible. Um, I don't know how to make it real um, and then, sure enough, he goes right back to it and starts, starts. I know the violin is for his daughter, but he booze start and he walked towards the booze with a violin and started smiling and playing it slower, like. This guy is just, I mean, I don't know. He knows where he's comfortable, he knows what he needs, he knows what he needs and he will find it. He will find it, he will create it, he will do it. It's there right now. Um, we'll do a full men's preview show where we talk about X's and O's tomorrow, but credit where credit's due. Alcaraz is going to be an all-time great. Medvedev is just a winner and Twitter can suck it. Uh, novak is just maybe the greatest athlete of all time. Like's, he's, he's getting there. I, I mean, it's just it's. Yeah, I don't, I don't, I don't understand it. He's not like us, he's different, he's different, but like, it's just props, props, simply props a respect, respect, respect, respect I'm very excited for this matchup.

Speaker 1: 23:13

You don't always have to agree with everything that everyone does all the time for respect to be the overriding feeling or emotion towards someone.

Speaker 2: 23:26

While we're on this, we had a question from a listener he had sent in. He said you know why are seeds one and three in the same draw? In a major tournament, it seems incorrect favoring the two seed over a one seed, Djokovic benefiting from this right now at Wilmington as a question.

Speaker 1: 23:43

And so okay. So the way a draw works, the only two seeds that are guaranteed one at top, two at bottom right Simple, three and four. It's literally random and that's what makes it fair. You flip a coin, they put it into a little, spits it out one top, one bottom, that's it. It's the way it's been since the beginning of time. Otherwise you would risk like I remember in the late 80s the women's side of the game was very predictable. You don't want the same matchups or the potential for the same matchups all the time because that would suck. Fairest way to go about it Maybe the four seed sometimes is better on grass than the three seed. There are many, many years where the three seed would be a better draw Like this is just the simplest thinking. And then you go seeds five through eight. They just randomly get put in Nine through 16, 17 through 32. Fairest way you could possibly do it. There's a lot of like Casper Rude being a top 10 seed at Wimbledon. Just because he's ranked higher doesn't mean it's unfair to someone. That's the draw you want at Wimbledon. So sometimes it's fair. You ever heard of the term luck of the draw. That's it. Fairest way you could do it.

Speaker 1: 24:53

And also all those blowhards who are saying, well, novak had such an easy draw. There's literally never been a person in the history of our game who has gone through more brutal draws, more all-time greats at their peak for more successes. Leave that shit to the side. You just don't like. Leave that shit to the side. You just don't like him. That's it. You just don't like him.

Speaker 1: 25:17

Oh well, you know, I had knee surgery and I was fine. Yeah, you like you're. You're like recovery, you're, you're like. You're like your mecca. Post-surgery is like walking around your neighborhood. Stop, you just don't like him, and that's fine. You don't have to like everyone, but shut it with this easy draw. No like. The guy's literally gone through the best generation of all time for the most success that anyone's ever seen in our game. Leave it alone. It's been the same forever. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean that the system is broken. It might be. It might mean your opinions are broken. Uh, all right, uh. Critique of uh and and and paolini. Let's, let's get into this quickly, uh, before we head out how'd you say her name?

Speaker 2: 25:55

how did she?

Speaker 1: 25:56

I said paolini I know you did I know, but everyone's like shut up, get over it you did any paolini, whatever, you're fine. You know my stance on that. We talked about this. Never once in my life have I had like a French broadcast say Roddick. They go Roddick Like we're the only people that have to correct. I'm the only person on earth that has to correct anything.

Speaker 2: 26:31

I'm just saying I'm proud of you. I'm just saying I'm proud of you. I was just saying I was proud of you.

Speaker 1: 26:34

Thank you, I accept that, but also give it a rest, twitter guy. So here's how I see this Krichikova-Paolini match. Krichikova is unreal, probably the most forgotten woman in tennis Outside of injuries the last five years. When she's dialed, she's going to end up winning. I think she had won like six matches this year coming into this tournament. Now she has the potential to win seven in the same tournament for her second Grand Slam, which the first one also came out of nowhere. Listen, she's not scared of the big stage. I'll tell you that that matters zero. She's someone that elevates the bigger the circumstances Beating Ostapenko Rabak in a back-to-back Absurd, absurd. Now this is different. It's a little bit different.

Speaker 1: 27:26

The one thing we have to watch Kruchykov is a streaky server. If she serves great, she's probably going to win this match. She doesn't serve great, and if she goes in peaks and valleys, paolini is just so solid right now. And the other thing is she's had great wins back-to-back, but also similar ball flights that she's been playing against Ostapenko hard through the court. You're not getting pulled with angles. You're not getting pulled into the net. You're not getting pulled off to the side of the court. Traffic is running through the middle. Kruchikova doesn't mind that. As evidence. She's a great doubles player. Traffic comes through you in doubles. Right, she's won, I think, seven, eight million grand slams in doubles. She's won Wimbledon twice and doubles. So this court is familiar to her, but the matchup matters. Paolini will present something different that she hasn't had to deal with, at least at an elite level this tournament. Right, she may have played someone who's like a, you know, a not as great version of Paolini, somewhere along the way, um, but Paolini is. Paolini is gonna, is Paolini is gonna mix it up. Um, the other thing that is going to mix it up, the other thing that is going to be very interesting, is Krichikova returned as well as someone can in her match against Rabakina. But there is a difference in the type of serve you're returning.

Speaker 1: 28:44

Some people don't like when speed comes right. They don't like pace. That bothers them as a returner, right, krachikova does not mind pace. Right, if you hit it flat through the zone. I liked returning massive servers that were went straight through and I could just firm it up because I couldn't create speed on my backhand side. Right, krachikova is amazing at accepting pace, redirecting pace and using pace to create pace.

Speaker 1: 29:10

Paolini is throwing in serves. I promise you I'm not doing this on purpose, god, just get it together. Paolini is throwing in serves at 66 miles an hour, of which Kruchikova is going to have to actually create her own pace. We saw Vekic. She loved that. She wanted to step in she's old school on that front foot and was just sending second serve returns. Kruchikova doesn't like her. Swings are great when the pace is provided. When she has to create her own, I think Paolini is going to have some time.

Speaker 1: 29:38

You know, I don't think it's as easy as Kruchikova's return great in her last two matches. Therefore, she's going to return great against Paolini. That might happen because she's an elite returner, but it's just, it's not as simple as that going. Oh, she returned Robocco to serve Great. So pale Paulini serve isn't as good dialed, it's just not that simple. You know I had more problems with, you know, fed serving one 22 to the corners with the threat of a 96 mile an hour. Uh, change up Agassi. I couldn't figure out where the heck he was serving and it mixed it up. I like someone who's predictably served bombs, because if I could square it up, I was strong enough to at least. You know, I didn't want to have to create my own pace on a backhand return ever.

Speaker 1: 30:21

I suspect Kruchykova is probably the same way. So when she gets into those rallies she's also Paolini is going to, you know, hit little chips. She's going to hit some angles. Her forehand is going to not be predictable, rabakina. If you push her to her forehand side she's rarely going to go line right. She distributes it, cross court, she's great at it, but it is a little bit more predictable. So I'm curious how Paolini goes about it right, like how quickly and often she goes to the off pace stuff against Krichikova, because Krichikova has proven that if you go through the middle of the court she's happy accepting that, offering Uh, so that'll be interesting. And then Krichikova serve. Is she going to serve a high percentage of first serves? Great first serve, but she can go through patches where you know it, it it kind of goes through dips. I think Paulini is going to be solid throughout the match. I think she's playing great tennis. I don't think either one is going to lay an egg based on the situation Now there are different feels that first time you're walking out for a Wimbledon final, it's a different walk than any of the other ones.

Speaker 1: 31:24

A semi in Australia, a final at US Open. Those are great. There's something extremely humbling and intimidating about the lack of noise when you're walking down that hall towards the biggest match of your career, curious to see how it goes. I think it's a pick-em. I guess 51%, paolini, just based on the last month. I think confidence translates and I think she has it in bunches. Mike, I didn't even realize this, but, paolini, give me the stat that you were talking about with career prize money and how this just proves how momentum and confidence works once you get it. If you could sell it you'd be a gazillionaire.

Speaker 2: 32:06

Yeah, I mean she's right now. Career year to date is 5.5 million in prize money. 2.8 of that has come this year, Right.

Speaker 1: 32:16

And then she's she's on the verge of out earning herself in like a three month span.

Speaker 2: 32:20

Yeah, and then if she wins tomorrow, if she wins this final, she gets a $2.7 million payout have a million dollar payout, and so she will.

Speaker 1: 32:31

in addition to so, she will have matched her career earnings and surpassed them in like three months in three months. Yeah, props.

Speaker 2: 32:35

That's why we love it.

Speaker 1: 32:37

It's the original reality show. It's unscripted. That's why you get these stories. That's why we love it.

Speaker 2: 32:41

She was ranked. She was ranked outside the top 200 in 2016. You know, I mean, she just broke into the top one. Every year, she just climbed, climbed, climbed, fought, fought, fought.

Speaker 1: 32:52

It's impressive props, props and kuchigawa, listen, she didn't get the credit that, uh, you know roland garros. If you win roland garros and you win wimbledon, like, oh, those are so different and you have to be so skilled, um, so would be an amazing story. Obviously, uh, her coach um for the younger parts of her career and I won't spend much time on this I do think it matters. I don't want to grandstand on this topic because it involves relationships and pain. Jana Novotna was a great player. Almost won Wimbledon in 1994. Was up 4-1 in the third Famous scene of her crying on the Duchess's shoulder afterwards. I remember watching this when I'm 12 years old. She was one of the ones and I'm getting goosebumps because I think of her and Ivanić, of those of us who tried real hard, and those are two of them that eventually got there at this tournament. Ivanić in 2001,.

Speaker 1: 33:48

Novotna ended up winning in 1998. Was critique of his coach um for a long time and she passed away, uh, four or five years ago. So, um, that can work. Where I can work, one of two ways. Right, you, you have the ghost of someone you love looking over you. Maybe that provides a sense of calm. Um, she got emotional the other day when asked about it, uh, on court. So hopefully she has the tool to at least compartmentalize. But props to her, and I know that has to mean a lot to her personally, as I know that it was the most important tournament to her mentor, her coach, her friend Jana Novotna. So we are thinking of you, jana. You're one of the greats. We'll see if your people can deliver this tomorrow. I know you'll be watching from above. Kujikova Paolini Breakfast at Wimbledon. This has been served by Oslo Sleep Buds. Thanks for listening. We'll be back with the full men's final preview X's and O's tomorrow. Cheers.