QUICK SERVED: WOMEN'S FINAL REAXS & DJOKOVIC VS. ALCARAZ PREVIEW

Barbora Krejcikova is the 2024 Women's Wimbledon Champion after her 3-set match against Jasmine Paolini. Andy and Jon Wertheim spend some time going over their thoughts of the match before getting into their preview of the Men's Final: Carlos Alcaraz vs Novak Djokovic. Check in after tomorrow's match for our Quick Served with Andy's post-match thoughts/feelings!

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:06

All right, welcome to another Quick Served brought to you by our friends at Oslo Sleep Buds, john Wertheim, as he is all the time front and center in all the action. Jw, how did you see that match today between Krichikova and Paolini?

Speaker 2: 0:25

Women's final day Not the final that anyone anticipated, but there's probably a moral in here. These matches are always going to be exciting, they're always going to give out a Wimbledon trophy to the winner, they're always going to be high stakes and you know, I mean sort of the fallback a lot of times when you have less than seasoned major champions. So of course, Kujikova came here with one that was three years ago, but you know we always say who's going to handle the moment better, and I think there was some truth to that. For the first 25 minutes or so, a lightning quick first set, Barbara Kujikova looks like the player who won a major and Paulini looked like the player who, honestly, had never won a grass court match before this year and then quickly took a bathroom break, flipped the script and then it was howlini time and she came back wearing that smile of hers and she looked like the player who came in in form, who had some confidence that really seems to have uh, sort of crystallized and calcified as she wins more and more matches, six weeks removed from getting to the final at Roland Garros. She was a much that match against Iga. She was just beaten by a superior player Today. She really competed.

Speaker 2: 1:29

Second set she won 6-2. Crowd is into it. Crowd really fell in love with Jasmine Paolini. Three syllables and then in the third set, just a tight set, sort of who wanted it more. And Grudzikova got a break, stepped up to the line at 5-4, needed a few match points but closed the door. You look at the stat sheet. Nothing really jumps out at you. I mean this was a fun match of contrast. These players actually were born like three weeks apart, so it wasn't as though one was much more seasoned than the other. Uh, but in the end the player who won one major made that passage to a second major into the Hall of Fame Again. I mean this was sort of a straight. You know we'll be getting to Carlos Alcaraz against Novak Djokovic. This match did not have the level of dimensions that that matchup will, but final Barbara Krajicova into the Hall of Fame with her second major.

Speaker 1: 2:20

Yeah, no doubt Hall of Famer probably had a decent case when you combine singles accomplishments with the doubles accomplishments that she's had Even before this match. This is signed, sealed, delivered. Put her in, I get a vote. You don't even think twice. I'm guessing most other people with a vote probably feel the same way. So congrats to Barbara Krachikova over Jasmine Paolini.

Speaker 1: 2:45

From where I was sitting it felt like a nervy final right. It felt like the third set is Paolini. You were in the other matches right against Navarro, against Vekic it felt like she was just getting more stick on the ball, was dictating more rallies, was opening up the shoulders a little bit, and today it just felt like it was one-way traffic. It was on the racket of Krichikova, basically depended on if she was hitting her spots and was hot on her serve. Then she was dominating play. Her serve took a little bit of a break in the second set and Paolini was able to manufacture a set win. And then Krichikova steps on the line at five four. She made like seven or eight kind of bad on forced errors. Uh, that game. I mean she listen, we, we all get nervous. It was uh, very, very apparent. And Paolini misses second server turns when she knows, uh, her opponent is trying to serve out the match and is nervy. It just felt like someone was trying to get over the edge. But listen, I don't think either one played as well as they had the previous two rounds. I think they left their best stuff before this final. But listen, it's a race. It's a race to two sets, it's a race to the finish line. Kuchikova got over it Second time, when you have the resume where you've won that much in doubles, mixed doubles and oh, by the way, I've won on two different surfaces in singles as well Just really, really impressive stuff from Kuchikova.

Speaker 1: 4:21

I think a heart know a heartwarming story, with her paying tribute to her former coach, jana Novotna, who we saw famously fail at this event, you know up for one of the third and then triumph later in 1998. You know that it was just a nice story. It was nice of us to remember one of our former champions who is unfortunately no longer with us. Jasmine Paolini has a lot to be proud of and now it's going to be interesting to see looking forward. Is this going to be the golden time of her career? Gosh, you remember those six weeks where I made two Grand Slam finals, or is this going to be something that's sustainable In two years?

Speaker 1: 5:01

Are we still going to be talking about her as a top 10 player Ir sustainable In two years? Are we still going to be talking about her as a top 10 player, irrespective of where it goes from here? The joy with which she plays every single player who's 23 years old and doesn't know how far they can go? There are a lot of examples in women's tennis now that the best could be ahead of you, contrary to maybe the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, where you kind of knew where someone was going to be in women's tennis by the time they were 23 or 24 years old and sometimes they were retired by that age. You look at Jess Pagula, you look at Paolini, you look at there's so many examples of extending careers and your best results maybe being at 28, 29, 30 years old.

Speaker 1: 5:45

So I think these are great stories. Krichikova if we forget about her and the conversation again, then shame on us is basically where we're at with this. But credit to her. When she made her first serves, she won, she dominated, she was going to get enough. Looks at Paolini's serve, but she completely controlled the course of that third set with her serve.

Speaker 2: 6:10

Let me throw a few things at you. First of all, we said when we did our draw show our ill-fated draw show I think we both sort of said it, I don't remember which of us said this. We said that any of 30 players could win this event. Barbara Kujikova was cited 31. We sold ourselves short. Um, do you know also, uh, just random factoid. In her first round match she was an underdog. She was an underdog in her very first round match of women and pulls through that and goes on to uh to take the title.

Speaker 2: 6:42

But no, I, I think I I like your point about you. Know, they're both 28 years old and a lot can happen in a tennis career and it doesn't take much. This is one of the beauties of our sport it doesn't take much to change your fortunes. I have a great line.

Speaker 2: 6:56

I will quote someone, a Agassi, who I've had the good fortune of spending some time with today, and he said one of the things about tennis.

Speaker 2: 7:02

He said he once asked Carl Lewis how do you pass all these guys late in the race? And Carl Lewis said I don't pass anyone, I just do my thing and they fade. And I think there's a lot of wisdom to that in tennis and I think we saw that today that it wasn't necessarily a question of who's going to surpass whom, it's just sort of who's going to get to that baseline level and you only have to beat one other person and if they fade and their level drops off, you end up as Wimbledon champion. So, yeah, I mean, this was a weird tournament on the women's side and in the end, you know, I guess, look, in the end you got a player who reached the final of the previous major and the winner is somebody who already won a major. So, given all the combinations and permutations, it wasn't that weird. But yeah, this was a wide open field and number 31 ended up taking the title.

Speaker 1: 7:50

Yeah, we can't act surprised when we had a final that nobody predicted, when we said, you know, during the show, and everyone kind of agreed that this was wide open, that's what made it so hard, that's what made it impossible to predict you know which of 30, 35 people are going to be there. It's kind of impossible to pinpoint that, but it's proven. You can win majors on the women's side. I think this is the eighth straight different winner at Wimbledon on the women's side. So, listen, if you're 25, 30 in the world, it has to be kind of a fun place to be where you don't have to specialize in mental gymnastics to get to the point where you believe that you can win a major.

Speaker 1: 8:36

Von Drozeva last year, out of nowhere, wins a major 40 in the world. Kuchikova, seeded 31, this time wins a major. It's there for the taking outside of the French Open, which is not there for the taking. Iga's got that one wrapped up for a while. I think a lot of people are going to be playing for second for a very long time, but credit where credit is due. Listen, krichikova, you don't have to play your best and you can't play your best every single timeout for two weeks. Right, the timing matters, stepping up matchups matter. Maybe it's an uncomfortable matchup, getting through those types of things, to give yourself a shot, to give yourself a look at the basket. You got to win 14 sets on the women's side, krichikova able to do it, and credit to Paolini, rightfully making a ton of fans and listen.

Speaker 1: 9:27

This is the golden era for Italian tennis, right. Long history We've had tournaments in Rome, big personalities, but it seems like you know, so far this year we haven't had a Grand Slam finals weekend without an Italian in it. So very, very good times for Italy. I mean Sinner in Australia and then Paolini, the last two. We'll see if that continues in New York. But again, if we don't mention Barbara Krzykowa in big, big tournaments, no matter what she's ranked anymore, shame on us. Congratulations to her, well-deserved.

Speaker 1: 10:05

We will be right back with a preview of that men's final that everyone is ready for. I cannot wait for this one Locked loaded. Alcaraz Novak, we will be right back. A word about our Oslo sleep buds and we will see you on the other side. All right, you chuckers.

Speaker 1: 10:26

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Speaker 1: 11:31

We get to preview the heavyweight fight Novak and the Chuckster on the heels of their epic, one of the best Wimbledon finals of all time. It seems like Wimbledon, more so than maybe any other major, has the ability to just create these iconic matches in the biggest moment, right? You think of all the five setters with Rafa and Fed, novak and Fed. Then you come forward to last year's burn with Alcaraz and Novak. I just went back and watched some of the highlights from last year. A couple of things that are forgotten is that Alcaraz almost got run out of the building early. He fought back and this was on the heels of Novak. He got in this mode last year where he just wasn't losing tiebreakers. We talk about him bearing down, clamping down, not making errors and breakers. Alcaraz is on 5-0 in about 12 minutes in the final last year and you're going, uh-oh, is he over his skis on this surface with Novak Just hangs around as he does. He's so good at competing and breaking when he needs to and you know it's weird Like he seems mortal but then all of a sudden he turns into superhero mode and he ebbs and flows Imperfect. It goes in waves, wins. That second set breaker Completely flips the match. I mean we were. We were literally at 90 seconds away from this, looking like it was a route.

Speaker 1: 13:07

Chuckster comes back out, plays Novak in the fifth set. The fifth set was it was the, the. Basically, I think it was the introduction and I know he won the U S open the year before, but that was the introduction of like I. Maybe we're looking at another icon of tennis with the way that he was able to level up in that fifth set Watching it back opening up the shoulders. He's one of the only guys on earth that mid-rally can open up the shoulders and really wound Novak with pace. You do not see that very often, right? Even with Fed, even with Rafa. You feel like they have to work two, three, four shots to get control of the rally. To finish off, novak Alcaraz was just letting it fly on the forehand side. Last year I got to think he does more. What are you looking forward to most in this matchup, jw?

Speaker 2: 13:59

some of it is just the X's and O's when these guys play. Some of it is just. You know, both of them are well aware of what's at stake here. They know this is generational. Novak comes into this. We talked about 37 years old. I mean, you know he's Carlos Tocqueville is closer in age to Novak's kids than he is to Novak. I mean, I think we're not even talking. There are all these topics we're not even talking about. So first of all, we've got this. You know we have a 16-year age gap, which is just goofy. We're barely mentioning that. We have Novak potentially playing to win 25 majors, eclipsing Margaret Ford. We haven't even talked about that. You know this is Novak's first final of the season, so lost in all this talk is is that a pretty lousy that? Nevermind the knee surgery, he hasn't had great results for the first six months of the year. This would be his first title of the year. I mean, it's just.

Speaker 2: 14:45

There's so many angles to this. This is a rematch of last year, of course, and I don't know how much credence I mean, I don't you, you tell me. I mean, how much importance do you think it is same? Two guys, same court, same occasion, and last year, the kid, the kid won um, I I don't know how much of that is an imprint I. The one thing I do think about novak is that he's looked really good, but in no fault of his own he hasn't really had to like get his oil checked right. He hasn't really had the same kind of tests that alcaraz has had, and I wonder what happens when he doesn't get off to a 5-0 lead. But it's 5-0 and this kid's really good and he's hitting his crazy Alcaraz shots and the crowd's into it. He hasn't Novak really hasn't had that moment yet. But no, I mean, there are so many dimensions to this. Nevermind, this is their first meeting this year and I just I think they both know what's at stake. I think Novak obviously knows the history. He's talked about it.

Speaker 2: 15:40

Oh, one more thing, by the way. If he wins this match, he will tie Roger Federer and I think, could make a very credible case for being the best grass court player ever. If Val Graz wins this one, he just turned 21. This would be his fourth minute. He would move past Stan Bobrinka and Andy Murray at age 21 in a couple of months. I mean, it's just the good news for us as fans and as people who cover and love this sport is sort of we, we went either way. It's a great storyline, no matter what, but there are not, unlike the tennis itself. There are a lot of angles here. I just I, I think one of one of my sort of variable asterisks is Novak hasn't really been. I mean that he's been a test, but he hasn't really had that challenge the way Carlos has. What do you think?

Speaker 1: 16:24

Yeah, I would worry about that more if it wasn't Novak. Novak's not going to see like Alcaraz could go out and play great and brilliant and win this thing. But it's not going to be something that Novak hasn't seen before, right, it's not as if he doesn't have that mental Rolodex of memories how to go about things. One of the things that's going to be interesting is switching directions. Is is harder with pace of shot, right. So the knee has been tested, but in every match so far Novak has had the ability to hit it bigger than his opponent. Right To be set to let balls go. Interesting to see how much Alcaraz is going to play behind Novak, but going big. Right, the knee has been tested but it's been in motion, it's been in rhythm. Novak has been largely controlling the pacing of these matches. Musetti is flashy and can hit winners, but it's not because he's just bullying Novak around. He's like he's slicing, slicing, slicing, then pulling the trigger. It's not this constant kind of Rafa-like buildup of pace and spin and aggressive mentality. So it's going to be interesting to see how much credit Alcaraz gives that knee as far as poking and prodding and seeing where he's at. The biggest way to do that is to hit behind someone. I think the knee will be fine in motion one way or the other. I think this quick switch of directions is where we're going to get a tell. And also, alcaraz has the best drop shot of all time. So imagine you, you, you cover a ball out of the forehand side, you're moving back to the middle and then all of a sudden you're breaking and you have to switch directions and sprint one way, but you're also moving forward and backwards. So I'll be curious to see if Alcaraz gets away with more on the drop shot and if Novak is going to be conscious of that switch of directions. That's really the only kind of new thing that we haven't seen in this matchup is the stress test on that knee. It's been great so far. I've got to think every day that he plays more. The knee is going to be better right, I was more worried early on in the tournament about a slip, a fall, whether there's still some scar tissue. It will get better, even though he's kind of upped the load on it.

Speaker 1: 18:37

A couple of things that I would look for on Novak's side is the pattern that is a clear, clear, clear. Clear advantage for Novak in this one is him stepping in, sticking backhands to Carlos's backhand, Similar to when he used to play Roger. He basically would be on Roger's backhand side and say, hey, listen, if you're going to beat me, you're going to beat me with that shot today and I think he probably is going to employ a similar tactic. Watching back, I almost feel like he opened up the court too often against Carlos last year in that final, which is what he does so well. So it's going to be interesting because if you're Novak I've said it a million times and people are going to roll their eyes his superpower is switching directions.

Speaker 1: 19:20

Now, to kind of tame that superpower based on matchup, I think he needs to pin Carlos in that backhand corner as much as he can and make Carlos beat him with that backhand side. Carlos is backhand is world-class, but he also misses way more from that side. Carlos is going to use that slice more often than we've seen before. He doesn't want to get in that kind of flat backhand to backhand. It's easier to switch directions, I think, the more that they're running side to side and kind of hitting those flashy shots from the corners.

Speaker 1: 19:47

I think it favors carlos. I think he can hit that drop shot on the run. I think novak wants to keep the traffic in front of him, uh, as much as possible. Interesting also to see how much novak serves and volleys right if he, if he, yeah, because I think if Carlos is kind of controlling anything from the baseline, like he did in that fifth set last year, I think one way to keep Carlos kind of on edge, where he can't kind of dance and create that kind of magic from the corners, is to serve in volley a little bit, keep him on his toes with his returns. I think that that will be a tactic that Novak might employ a little bit.

Speaker 2: 20:27

I would also add that again, they've sort of arrived at the mountain At some level. This has been inevitable. In other ways it's contained a lot of surprises how they've gotten to this final. I almost called him Juan Carlos For my next know. I mean, there was one set, I think it was against.

Speaker 1: 20:43

Umber he got broken three times in one set.

Speaker 2: 20:53

I think he's dropped a set, at least one set, in four of the six matches he's had a couple of these lulls. Ultimately he's played himself through it, which you know you you know better than I do. That actually can fire you with more confidence. I like your comment about the drop shot because he goes to that as a weapon. That is not a bailout shot, that's not a shot.

Speaker 1: 21:15

It's the best drop shot in the history of tennis.

Speaker 2: 21:17

Oh, I like that.

Speaker 1: 21:18

It's the best drop shot in the history of tennis.

Speaker 2: 21:20

I've not heard that before and I don't take issue with that. I think, yeah, I sold, but but also we're talking like once a game. I mean I think you know there were. There were matches in different surface, obviously, but there were matches in paris where eight, nine in a set. I mean once a game. So this is not a trick shot that he can sort of whip out for variety, this is a real part of his arsenal. And yeah, you got, you got a 37 year old man with knees who you can pin deep in the court. Um, why, whose volleys are? You know, sometimes novak looks great at the net, other times less great, I think, which I think is where Novak sits, but yeah, I mean listen, and I hear people say well, why don't people look for the drop shot with Carlos One?

Speaker 1: 22:18

it's disguised right. When your racket is offset like this, it's like topspin. You can't read it. Most people when they drop shot they open their racket like this way he goes like this and the last second just cuts underneath it. But also when you can create as much speed as Carlos Alcaraz can from this position, if I see him wind up like this, I'm not charging forward. That is an impossibility of instinct. You cannot. If he is loaded you have to respect the bludgeoning that's coming your way right, you have to check back, you have to split step and then all of a sudden he kind of drops underneath it and you're, you're kind of stuck.

Speaker 1: 22:52

And also a lot of players can only hit, or like to hit, drop shots one way. You think of Novak. He has one of the best backhand drop shots, but he mostly hits it up the line right. So when he comes underneath it, you know when he hits a dropper, carlos will fire a drop shot anywhere. He will be running to the forehand corner, he'll drop it cross court. He will be running inside out. He'll drop it inside out or cross court, so you're not looking for just one drop shot. He has variety of drop shots, which is an insane thing to say wait, say more there because you're.

Speaker 2: 23:20

You're so right if you go back and watch replay. Sometimes he even does on no look. But to me it's less about the placement and the low neck, it's the disguise.

Speaker 1: 23:28

I mean you table, you have to set the table.

Speaker 2: 23:31

Exactly so. These guys who are great anticipators, they don't even go for it and sometimes he'll even look the other way. So I think part of it is the execution but part of it is the setup and that's something you know. I feel like that's also tell me. I'm crazy. That sounds like one of the few things that pro players I mean that amateur recreational players can incorporate into their game. I mean, no one's going to go out there. Not too many people have hit 120 mile an hour, second serves, but disguising a drop shot sounds like the kind of thing that a club level player could do. He does it so effectively and it's also really a joy to watch. But guys who are great anticipators I mean even Francis great speed. He wasn't even trying. I mean, he wouldn't even take two steps because he just was, was so caught and frozen it didn't pay well, it's just, it's this simple right.

Speaker 1: 24:16

Like, if he loads on the forehand side, you're not running forward, you're not giving him like court position, you just can't do it. You have to go into a mode of of kind of a defensive stance and he freezes you, he sets the table, like if his forehand wasn't as good as it is, his drop shot wouldn't be as good as it is. Right, I'm not saying he has more field than someone like a Fabrice Santoro, but Fabrice Santoro couldn't rip your head off with a forehand Right. So, like you, you could cheat forward because you weren't going to get like a brushback pitch right. You're not as worried about leaning into the batter's box If someone throws 88, as opposed to one, oh two, like it's just. It's just a different mentality, um, and so your, your changeup looks better when your, your standard fastball is a hundred miles an hour. The, the, the, the variance is is bigger, and so you have to set the table. Uh, the other thing, the, the, the club player, part of when to use a drop shot, yes, but also the thing that we don't pay enough attention to, we don't give enough credit to your feet to hit a good drop shot have to be in a perfect position. You can't be leaning, you can't be reaching, the ball can't get on you. Your feet have to be in perfect position to execute a drop shot. Even if you're on the run, if you're reaching, if you're off balance, you cannot hit a drop shot from those positions. It is a feel shot. Everything needs to be in place Now. You can slap a forehand winner from out of position and get lucky sometimes, but his footwork on top of his ability to knock your head off is what makes this shot. Change the game with it. Right now we see other players working on their drop shots. All of to knock your head off is what makes this shot. Uh, he's changed the game with it. Right now we see other players you know working on their drop shots All of a sudden.

Speaker 1: 25:56

It used to be a bail out shot. It used to be the kind of shot where, if I was playing someone and they were trying, too many of them like, oh, they don't think they can win points in a standard way, so they kind of have to do this flukish type thing not him, and I'm going to be very curious, you know, but if you're Novak, you're going to have way more success with him not being able to pull off that shot by keeping as much space as you can between the two of you, and he's as good as anyone that's ever played on keeping distance, like he was the only one that was able baseline after uh. He had wounded you a little bit already. Novak is a master of that. So that cat and mouse game with this, with the space between hashtag, the space between uh players, um, is going to be a big thing to watch and that's the constant chess match that I hope people pay attention to and don't fall into the thing of.

Speaker 1: 26:52

When you hear the commentary, it's just like this one good, this one bad. This player good, this player bad, he played bad. Listen, if they're missing shots, it's because someone has forced something strategically. They are too good to just miss balls randomly. I could go out and play Mike Hayden in tennis and I would never miss a ball, ever in my entire life, ever in my entire life, ever in my entire life because he can't do anything, because he sucks at tennis Right Like I do. It's a fact. These guys, these guys. The chess match is something that I cannot wait to see in real time the adjustments, how quickly they shift from stock game. Listen, I have this idea going in. How quickly they adjust, how quickly they press the panic button, how quickly they switch things up. Do they go back to something two hours later? This is why I am just obsessed with tennis. It's why I've I was a fan long before I was a player, and now I'm back to being a fan. Uh, these are two artists doing what they do. The canvas is center court at wimbledon.

Speaker 2: 27:51

I cannot wait for it quick question for both you guys what.

Speaker 1: 27:56

what is one thing each guy's gonna have to do to win? Alcaraz has to make first serves. Uh, john rightfully pointed out, uh, the ebbs and flows of his first serve. His service motion looks different this year. He's rounded out the bottom a little bit to create a little bit consistency. It used to be kind of like a jackknife straight up and down. What it's allowed him to do is get a little more action wide right. He's getting a little bit of that tail on it, but I think the service percentage has come down because he is learning kind of a new thing. I'm curious to see how it presents tomorrow.

Speaker 1: 28:27

If Carlos's first serve percentage is above 60%, I think he wins this match. I think he wins this match. I think it's 61, 62%. He's getting enough freebies against Novak and Novak's got like listen, he used to struggle with consistency on his serve. The way that he has brought his serve around into a spot server where I hit the corners 121, 122, open up the court, I run the second serve and sometimes 97 on the body, then I hit the bunny kick at 88 miles an hour. These are all things that are tactical and he is a master of keeping his opponents off balance now on the serve. So I think Novak has to drill and create depth and really stick the back end to back and basically make Carlos beat him with his back end side and think carlos's first serve percentage is the is the stat that we need to look for we.

Speaker 2: 29:18

We don't norm stats for quality of opponent, which I think is a big flaw, and uh, sort of data antennas, but uh, if you look at the service and novak serving better this tournament than uh, than carlos, um, I I think too. I mean, you cannot let Carlos tee off and have his way in the points. Novak needs to pin him back, and I also I mean just kind of big picture this, which is you know, you're way better at Exodus than I am, but I just think of this in terms of the storytelling, and Roger and Rafa are either gone or fading. Novak needs motivation. Here comes this kid. They play in the semifinals of Roland Garros 13 months ago and they play a great match for 90 minutes and then the kid hits the wall physically and he dehydrates and cramps and it's sort of a bit of a fizzle. Novak gets him again six weeks later.

Speaker 2: 30:05

What happens? Wimbledon final Novak gets out to this 5-0 lead and we're thinking, boy, this French Open match destroyed the kid. Is Carlos Alcaraz ever going to be able to get this scar tissue? And then what happens? The kid storms back, wins the Wimbledon final. Novak gets a little bit tight, misses a couple of balls. That one, that backhand volley that would have set up a match point gets a little bit tight. And then what happens? Novak comes back and beats him less than a month later in Cincinnati. And so they haven't played yet this year.

Speaker 2: 30:36

What's happened? Carlos has won a major, so added to his total he's got some buzz. He's a defending champion, novak again. This is the first final of any tournament he's made in 2024. So I think they both sort of like the ebb and flow of this new rivalry. It's crazy that it is to have a rivalry between two guys of 16 years and age gap and apart, and I think it's trite as it sounds how they handle these moments will loom large. I just don't think Novak's sort of been fishing in deep waters this year. Yes, he's Novak, his durability is singular. His fitness has never been an issue in the last decade. We get all that, but I just big difference between saying it and then getting deep in a tough match, which he really has had.

Speaker 2: 31:20

None of this tournament. So uh, anyway, it should be fun. Um, I don't know if it does it. Do we want to demean ourselves and pick in handy? I think you're right if, if carlos serves well, he gives himself an awful nice chance of winning. I think this ought to be a treat, no matter what, and uh, yeah, it's gonna be. It's you know what? Again, it's gonna be way different from the women's final. Uh, there you have these two unexpected players and big prize on the line. This is very different. This is the final that, uh, a lot of people predicted we got. It didn't necessarily come the way we thought we would get it, but uh, here we are. This is the. As you've no doubt see, this is the most expensive single did I hear this right for any sporting event, not not most expensive ticket in wimbledon history.

Speaker 1: 32:04

Entry point expensive single entry point in sports history for a ticket um, so we're, we're privileged to 10 5 right 10, right 10,500 or 10, yeah, 10, six is what I saw.

Speaker 2: 32:14

It's just crazy.

Speaker 1: 32:16

Um, also, you know, the, the, the stadium isn't the biggest venue in in in sports history. So, obviously, like we're, we're talking basically about supply, demand, um, and interest for this final. But, um, I think we're in for uh, just just a great thing. I cannot wait to watch people that are better and smarter than I ever was go through this motion. Serving is going to be massive Ebbs and flows. I'd be shocked if the first set was over in 14 minutes tomorrow, but who knows? I think Novak is trying to prove to himself that he might be the best ever on grass and we just don't talk about that enough. 37 major finals. If he wins, he wins 25 slams. Here's your homework for tomorrow, john wertheim. How many players in the hall of fame haven't won 25 tournaments? And he might win 25 majors?

Speaker 1: 33:12

The, the, the answer will be more than you think is, is my guess just blindly asking.

Speaker 2: 33:17

So so he's the same, the same number of major finals as he has years on the planet. That's pretty good. It's more majors than Carlos Alcaraz has years on the planet. He's, he's more majors than Carlos Alcaraz is years old. Um, this is his. I don't know if we ever confirmed this. I think it's his 75th major.

Speaker 2: 33:36

Yeah so he's basically going to win. Potentially he's trying to win one-third of his. I'll give you one more and then we'll stop with the stats. He won his 375th match in a major when he won his semifinal match, Dominic Thiem.

Speaker 1: 33:51

I knew you were going to say this. I was going to say the same thing. I knew it. Go ahead. Sorry, I don't want to interrupt. Tell us that's crazy.

Speaker 2: 33:57

He has like it's not even close. He has like 10% more wins at majors, right Then.

Speaker 1: 34:03

Dominic Thiem had won total matches. It's insane.

Speaker 1: 34:11

We had the conversation on this show and people are asking is Dominic Thiem, is he a borderline Hall of Famer? Is he a Hall of Famer? Novak has won more matches in majors so four tournaments a year than significantly more than Dominic Thiem has won matches total in his career. It's Looney Tunes. It's crazy. We are lucky to see it.

Speaker 1: 34:31

I cannot wait for this match tomorrow. I will be coming on as soon as I can post-match. I'll get in the studio. I'll try to be in five or ten minutes after it finishes. I will be watching. I will have my notes, a little bit similar to what we did after the Roland Garros final with the Chuckster and Zverev Chuckster and Zverev. Then we will do our recap show, our long one, which we will air. Who knows Mike? We'll tell him tomorrow, but we will do all of that tomorrow. We will be working. As soon as this is over, I will go Sola Bandito with a quick little recap post-match and then we will get for all of these stories that have come across JW's mind over the fortnight. We cannot wait to see it tomorrow. This is what fandom's all about the heavyweight title fight, alcaraz Djokovic. I can't wait to see it. I know you can't wait to see it, but we will see you back tomorrow, hopefully right here on quick served brought to you by Oslo sleep buds. Cheers, thanks.