Miami Open Day 5 Recap

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Welcome to the mini-break, your day from podcast for the big storylines, results, and

controversy.

From the world to the Saturn, the country to the first, day five of the Miami Open just about

wrapped up, beginning this podcast recording at 7.15 pm Pacific time.

Why?

Is that a relevant fact for all of you tennis fans?

Well, still out on court in Miami right now, Sasha Svera of a set and a break on American

Martin Dom.

I have American friends in Nakashima up, but on serve, five four in a deciding set against

Marin Chilich, all due respect to each of those matches, short of Martin Dom flipping

the script on Svera of overcoming the number three seed, don't think either of those matches

are going to qualify for top headlines to emerge from day number five, because there

were a plethora of fascinating results emerging over the last, I'm going to say 28 hours in

Miami.

I say 28, because there were a few upsets last night that I missed an upset vibe by the

way that carried over into men's singles action here on day number five.

You look at who we've lost over these last 25 hours, 28 hours, whatever frame you want

to work with, Alex Dimitore, Ben Shelton, Andre Rubelev, Flavio Cappoli, learner TN,

some heavy hitters knocked out early in Miami Open action.

That's where I want to start today's podcast, of course, I do want to break down and as expected

day for the women, it was a straightforward day on stadium court for the first time, had

the immense opportunity for our friends at Tennis Channel to be on the call for some fantastic

matches.

I mean, it started with again, Jessica Pagula overcoming a clearly ill Francesca Jones,

of course, after that, Yannick Sinner needed just about an hour to dispatch Dimitore, Zoom

and then things got really fun to watch Ray Sakamoto battle as he did with Daniel Medvedev,

Medvedev, ultimately a three set win Medvedev, unbroken on the day and yet again, just further

confirmation of my belief in the upside of Ray Sakamoto to watching his level those first

80 minutes couldn't sustain it for two plus hours, but it's still just 19 years old and

there's a lot to like about the 19 year olds games.

I certainly want to talk about that again, as for the as expected women, you know, players,

we've got Andriva versus Emboco, that's going to be a fantastic match at Pagula advances

on the Semova advances, Benchitch advances, we got a lot to hit, want to run you through

the headlines from day number five, get you all set for day number six, I've got the

most fantastic slate of matches I get to broadcast tomorrow on the tennis channel, I

thank you again for the immense trust being placed in me by the team there, Mike Hastin,

my producer in particular, I'm going to be on the call of tomorrow for the first three

matches on stadium court once again, that's Pagula versus Fernandes, Opelka versus Fritz,

and then I get Carlos Elker as once again as he takes on Sebi Korda, yeah, that's going

to be freaking awesome, can follow all of the action on the tennis channel app, a thank

you sincerely to each of you listeners who have taken the time to reach out and express

support, means a lot to me, appreciated that much more, all of you who have tagged

tennis channel and your posts complimenting my work, I am sure positive feedback always

helps and I always appreciate the constructive feedback as well, so again, thank you for

your support, I don't get the opportunity to do this without all of you, it's something

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Laurel Springs School to learn more about why they continue to rank amongst the top private

online schooling option in the country, visit LaurelSprings.com today, Laurel Springs

a proud partner of the mini break podcast feed, all right, let's break down, day five

or more broadly these last 28 hours because I want to start with all those men's upsets

and again, these are men now eliminated prior to round number four for some of them prior

to round number three, Alex Diminauer, knocked out by Stefano C.C. Paz, Ben Shelton, knocked

out by Alex Shevchenko, you had Andre Rublev, suffering a second consecutive opening match

exit, obviously, Rublev knocked out in his first match at Indian Wells today, Rublev

of course, knocked out in another just battle of a three set match, of course, with big

servant lefty Alejandro Tabillo at Camdori, knocked out by young American Alex Mikkelsen,

you had Luciano Darderi, of course, knocked out yesterday as well, the individual Kena

knocked out today by Quintan Halis, or the Render Kinesh knocked out by the always dangerous

his fellow Frenchman Terrell's Atman, upsets, upsets, upsets, all over the men's singles

draw, look there were some top seats who looked very good, we'll talk about them for a second.

Alex Diminauer's continued struggles during this sunshine swing, they require perhaps

a Harvard public policy study, I just don't understand how a man this good on the hard

courts again, you look for Dimin in his career to date, obviously, what he's done in particular

at the hard court majors over these last three seasons, you look for Dimin who of course

has reached quarter finals in Australia, each of the last two years quarter finals in

New York, each of the last two events, he's never made a quarter final in the sunshine

swing, and it's more often he loses before the round of 16 than he reaches the round

of 16 during this portion of the counter, it just does not make sense again, he has lost

first round in each of the three main draws, no that's not true, that's the doubles,

excuse me, he has lost, yeah, prior to, he's never made a quarter, he has made a bunch

of fourth rounds, keeps knocking on the door, but to have never made a quarter at either

of these events, his final Canada, his quartered Shanghai, his quartered Paris, he's never

quartered since he, that's a little surprising, certainly, but I mean again it's really hard

to do well in both Canada and since he has had pronounced success in Canada over his career,

I mean again it's not as though it's a, you know, you Indian Wells intuitively makes more

sense because it is a particularly slow hardcore, or at least historically has been, I mean

last night, Stefano Citi Paz just took a two up and a match that featured just one break

of serve, Citi Paz, six three, seven six, by the way it's about as well as I've seen

Stefano Citi Paz hit his serve in forehand, probably in three years, Stefano's 71% first

serve percentage, he won 97.5% of his first serve points, face just two break points against

a guy who's number three in break percentage, again it's Sinner Alcarez, him they're over

the 30% threshold these last 52 weeks, he couldn't break Citi Paz, and again no one needed a

victory like this more than Stefano Citi Paz, you look for Stefano Citi Paz prior to this win

over demon, his last two or level victory over a top ten opponent, he beat Fritz at United Cup

this year, but his last victory over a top ten opponent in a two or level event Monte Carlo

finals when he beat Casper Rude all the way back April 2024, two years ago, that's not an

insignificant time period, I was going to make a joke I'm not going to, shout out to me,

maturity, that event by the way he beat Zverov, Sinner, Casper Rude, boy how things have changed

since that 2024 Monte Carlo title run, maybe it's the perfect elixir for the 27 year,

particularly given what's on the horizon, right, and God I was joking around with my older

brother younger brother cousin Brad today in a group chat and they were texting me some

woodliners to utilize during the course of the broadcast, you know again they, it's March

Madness, you get to listen to the best, I think Nicholas Grusken sent me I need a catch line

and from there it was just kind of off and running, when they're on the hard courts my brother

Eric who is the is unintentionally hilarious, I don't want to give him credit and say he

is funny, I mean he is funny, but when he's not trying to be funny and he's hilarious, he

is hilarious, and he was doing like a Bill Rafferty and probably he was doing all the impressions

he goes for a hard court of any goes gravel up, and I love gravel up, it's just so far,

gravel up, or you know again off the line, a touch of paint, and I think I'm going to use

both of those, I used gravel up today, that's so funny, for Seatsipas to gravel up is my way

of saying prior to the start of back on the dirt, back on the clay and get this sort of confidence

boost, obviously he's got another massive one tomorrow as he's going to take on a rising very

much back inform Arthur Fees, the best version of Stefano Seatsipas dominated anyone with that

serve, that forehand combination, as we've seen a countless Australian opens, he can

do it on the gravel as well, he graveled up, took a two demon, and that's ultimately where again

you talk about the upside four demon, why isn't he won two in the world, it's because the ability

to manufacture the pace you need against the world's very best when they're at their best,

I mean he was broken once, they would serve for serve, just again it was just a little bit easier,

more three points, first Stefano Seatsipas, I mean again, Seatsipas as well as I've seen him serve

in so long, it's a massive victory, fourth Stefano Seatsipas, Seatsipas through to around three

date with Arthur Fees, that's the most significant upset given, again it had been two full years,

since we'd seen Seatsipas even approach that sort of level, I'll do respect to the United

Cup win over Fritz, Fritz was not healthy in that match, obviously did not have a good

labor cup more broadly, not to take anything away from Stef, but this one hits a little different,

it's a massive disappointment, he even goes one in two in the Sunshine Swing, now that

hasn't mattered the last two years as he's worked his way to the two or finals, but that was,

you know again, in 2024 in the Sunshine Swing, only one Acapoco he went a combined four in two,

the next season, 2025 last year, again, Sunshine Swing, he went a combined four in two again,

this was a particularly downspot, I mean again, you look for 2026, he has the Rotterdam title,

two lean upon and coming out of this Sunshine Swing, as of right now you look at the points

raised, demons sitting in sixth, now they're the next three guys behind him, or I guess

Sheldon's not three of the next four guys behind him, still alive, and obviously there's still a lot

of points up for grabs in Miami, I mean he's going to be top eight coming out of the first third

we'd love to have pad those stats, right, and give himself a little breathing room going into a

clay court season, we're certainly compared to some of his peers, his competitors, a comparative

disadvantage, but I want to focus on CTPOS because it's the first time in a long time he just took

the racket out of an elite opponent's hands, which is what he is at his best, it was nice to see

that version of Stefano CTPOS is still within him, a massive victory, it's the most significant

upset today, CTPOS, Nax out Demon, straight set win, unbroken in a three and six victory,

after that, which of the upsets is most notable, I'm tempted to say Camille Mychak,

knocking out Learner TN in three sets, Learner, I think my friend Rob Warner on the call, I think he

said it was something like 52 or 42 on force there, or something ghastly could not find his back-hand

wing. Again, it's a credit to Camille who Camille's back-hand, when you give him some heavy

top spin to work with, flatten things out, and certainly for, again, Learner the Lefty to play

into that back-hand corner, that's the preferred side, the preferred wing, redirects and flattens

out that backhand line so well, but Learner was out of sorts, and again, just so many uncharacteristic

early rally errors, Learner is just so frequently a guy who works his way into matches, right,

and has a counter to whatever you want to throw at him, has an ability to take away the thing you

want to do most. It was a surprisingly pedestrian, surprisingly pedestrian is how I will describe it,

Sunshine Swing, for a Learner TN who I think all of us were prepared to see pop, obviously you

look for a Learner in his exit, of course, from Indy and Welles, it's not as though, you know,

again, it's not as though the floor fell out from underneath him, and let's keep in mind,

Learner TN is still 20 years old, he made quarterfinals at Indy and Welles, Beats Ben, Beats

Division, what am I saying? Hand up, that was just bad analyzing, he was fine, he made his quarter

in the Sunshine Swing, he had a bad Miami, it happens. If you're selling Learner's TN stock

DM me, because I will buy it all up from you right now, and again, all the young, I almost

called him a teenager, I think he is 20 now, but again, all these young ascending stars, whether

it's Learner, Sakamoto, Fonseca, Hodar, I mean, again, Arthur Fees is still, what, 21 years old,

there's no way Arthur Fees is yet 22, or older than 22, no, he's still 21 years old as well,

Menchick, I can't believe I didn't say the Defending Miami Champions name.

We got a nice crew, are any of them going to pop the way Sinner and Alcharez pop? Well,

you're talking about two, once in a generation talents who happened to overwhelm,

a lion, excuse me, chronologically with one another. I'm feeling really good about the state of

the men's gaming after this Learner TN, about the state of the prospects, and I imagine many of you

are as well. By the way, Ben Shelton, still just 23 years old, doesn't turn 24 till October,

and certainly by his standards, a down Sunshine Swing, sick in his Indian Wells, and thus just never

was at his best, even as he was, scrapping his way against Learner, but he did not play particularly

well tonight, in what was ultimately a three-set loss to Alex Schaeffchenko, more than anything,

it was the return. He returned, particularly poorly here tonight, so many free points on serve

for Schaeffchenko, and what was a 6-7, 7-6, 6-3 win. You know, again, I don't think either of these

men faced a break point all match long. That's insanity. No, that can't be right, because obviously,

Schaeffchenko got the break over Ben Shelton, so I was like, that's not right, I'm like this,

hold on, I apologize, my stats were certainly incorrect. I was like, let me re-evaluate this,

yeah, you look for Ben again, his numbers on return tonight were just, they were very poor,

very, very poor. You look for Ben 17 Aces, that's wonderful. He was 0 for 5 on break points,

0 for 5. Can't have that, Schaeffchenko winning 64% of his second serve points,

44 unforced errors for Ben tonight to Schaeffchenko's 24. To me, that's the biggest number,

although Ben did hit 46 winners against those 47 unforced errors. 15 of 20 moving forward,

I thought he should have done that even more in those return games, although it's a credit to

Schaeffchenko, who was playing pop, pop on every slice return, Ben threw back at him.

Like again, I don't know how wealthy Ben was during this sunshine swing. I'm not, again,

I'm not down on Ben, like as he had the greatest, well his win over Casper is just sitting there,

like obviously he hasn't done much since that win over Casper at the Australian opening.

I don't want to say he got blitzed by center, but obviously still has a ways to go in challenging

Elk Res center, the two peers who will ultimately define what Ben Shelton's resume ceiling looks like.

He wasn't a great night tonight for Ben. Schaeffchenko, the biggest win for him,

probably of his career. You look for an Alex Schaeffchenko 80-40. He's been kind of flirting

with that in and out of his groundhogging his way in and out of the top 100.

Lost first round last week to Ethan Quinn in Phoenix, three sets. That's how lost that stage,

extraordinarily well. Now gets the wins three sets over Arnaldi Shelton, respectively,

to reach the round of 32. You look for Schaeffchenko in earning this result, what rankings wise,

back up to 76 in the world. Now you're talking main draws, hopefully for these masters of

Anticarlo, Madrid, Rome, certainly a high seed and qualifying at a minimum for the world,

number 76. It's a massive victory, a massive moment for Schaeffchenko. It disappoints

certainly for Shelton. Still waiting for him to have that massive sunshine swing.

When Ben makes a final in the sunshine swing, it will be a moment. There will be a full house

in attendance for that championship match. Not this season, Schaeffchenko gets the better of him.

It's heartbreak for Rubelev. I mean, the perfect opponent again in Alejandro Tobio to exploit

still the one speed, like the robotics the wrong word, but the one-dimensional, that's the word,

one-dimensional nature of Andre Rubelev's attacking tennis to be ultimately 6-7-6-2-6-4. He knocks

off Rubelev. I mean, again, you look for Tobio. He didn't face a single break point. Not one,

and that's that's accurate. You just can't have that. I know it's the perfect lefty serve,

that slider-wide or the slider-t on the two side into the Rubelev back-handed and Tobio kept

it and it over and over again, except for when you wanted to play serve-wide, just to have the plus

one of the easy attackingling into Rubelev's backhand, try to get forward there. All the patterns

were perfectly picked and well executed for Alejandro Tobio on serve. You look for Andre Rubelev

right now. The break percentage is actually okay this season. I actually think he is pretty good

this season heading into this sunshine swing. He just had a horrible sunshine swing. First run

loss three sets to Diallo. First run loss three sets to Tobio to face that sort of quality of

server in each of those opening round matches. That sucks because you're just not going to be able

to find a lot of rhythm as you're trying to work your way into the event. Again, the 28-year-old

made five consecutive two or finals. Accordingly, we're more accustomed to seeing him with a single

digit seed next to his name at these sorts of events. I mean, I still think he's one of the

20 best players in the world, but it's certainly closer to 20 than 10. And I know he had semi-finals

Doha, semi-finals Dubai, good wins over CT Ponce, Umbair, Rinder Kinesh during that stretch.

Lost the third round to Sarandolovo, Australian Open. Again, they have three straight losses to

Greek sport Diallo to be a respectively. All the similar types of first strike tennis,

and they just outdo him in that in the style he thrives within. It's tough. It's tough for the

28-year-old. Again, still a very good player. I don't know if that two or final window is open any

longer. I mean, again, looking at the other upsets, like Mikkelsen over Nori is only so shocking

given the scoreline of the match that Mikkelsen was able to advance in straight sets relatively come,

oh, excuse me, not in straight sets in three sets, two and a half hours, 75, 67, 64. That scoreline

was particularly notable. Again, the Mikkelsen serves getting better and better. He's getting faster.

Every time I see him play to be able to go two and a half hours with Cam Nori. I just don't

think that's something he would have been capable of doing one year ago at this time. He has so many

different tricks, different counters. His backhand was perfect to deal with the Nori cross-core

forehand, but God knows inside out forehand or down the line forehand, Mikkelsen sent more than a

few forehands on the run long, but to have the legs, to have the lungs to big win for Alex Mikkelsen

as the 21-year-old back up to 37 in the world. He's lingered in that top 40 and he still ain't even

22 years old. You know my fascination with Alex Mikkelsen if you're a longtime listener of this

show, so certainly again, that was another good victory. I mean, again, like Kaboli, tough loss.

What are your expectations for Flavio Kaboli truly? Like, round of 16 for me is a good tournament for

him in an event like this. Yeah, he got knocked out a little bit earlier than that, of course, but

you know, again, I can't say I'm particularly shocked in the fact that Kaboli gets knocked out by

very much informed Rafa Colonyone and Colonyone wins over Dimitrava and Kaboli to start this tournament.

He's a top 50 player in the world. What was the other upset you had? Dardari knocked out, oh my

guy. Shout out Martin Landelusa. Massive. Six, three, six, seven, six, four. Qualified his way into the

main draw. Now in the round of 32, you look for Landelusa in earning this result back up to 136

in the live rank. It's had a budget challenger point. It's come off of his resume, so I needed a big

one like this up 15 spots this week with the result. I mean, those are all the upsets that I mentioned

David Rich Fokina. Not sure I mentioned David Rich Fokina. I mean, I know I mentioned that he lost,

but David Rich Fokina, of course, knocked out earlier today by Quintal Halis serves forehand.

That's what Halis does. Rinder Kinesh, of course, upset as well. Rinder Kinesh knocked out in this event

was that last night. I think that was last night for Rinder Kinesh. Nevertheless, knocked out again.

Look again to see him Vashero seated. It's still a new phenomenon, so I can't say I'm particularly

stunned. I suppose by the result, Rinder Kinesh knocked out. Who beats you? Arthur Rinder Kinesh. I

apologize to the listeners. Terence Altman, I mentioned it earlier with the lefty with the upset

victory 6 and 3. Now that I can see the match in my head, it was very much a surf fest.

Again, upsets were the lead. I wanted to spend some time with that because you had Shvian

tech knocked out on the women's side. I led with that yesterday. Men decided to take their turn

on the upset merry go round here today again. Demon Shelton, Kuboli, Rubelev, David Rich Fokina,

Rinder Kinesh, Darderi, Nori, all seeing their sunshine swings come to a close in upset defeats.

You did have some top seeds. Look at the part, Zverev, as of this recording. Already off court,

a straight set win over the lefty Martin Dom. Again, Zverev quietly semi-finals Australian open,

semi-finals in Indian Wells. I know he wasn't particularly competitive in either of those semi-finals,

but in the forever question, who's the fourth best player in the world? Zverev, the guy who at

least is doing it with the most significant modicrum of consistency. How about Francis Diapho?

6 and 1 over Arthur Kuzzo. I know, again, Francis unfortunately knocked out relatively convincingly,

certainly the scoreline in Indian Wells, his 3 and 4 lost 2's, Zverev, but it's a really good

first win over the always tricky Kuzzo. Next up, Fortiapho, he gets to play the defending champ,

Jakob Menshik. That's going to be a phone on Menshik. Pushed to 3 sets today, ultimately through

over Tennessee, former Tennessee All-American, former NCAA doubles champion, the qualifier, Adam

Walton. Um, Umbair, straight sets over Diallo. That was notable to me. Mutei, Felix,

Sinner, 3 and 3. You learned nothing new in that one other than, yeah, he still plays world

number one. Tennis at Chavari over Zizu Berks. That was unexpected. 6 and 6 good win for

at Chavari. My guy, he's going to the top 100. Let's welcome Rafa Hodar. And I don't know

the next time Rafa Hodar is going to fall out of the top 100. Might legitimately be the 20-40s.

The 19 year old turned to the round of 32. His biggest result at a two or level event to date

up to number 86 in the world. He cruised through Lucky Loser Alex Vukicch 1 and 2 today. His

serve his forehand against the guy with a serving of forehand to himself. They were the biggest

weapons on the court. Already the backhand gets better every time I see it physically. He's just

more accustomed to the speed. He's moving better. You all know my thoughts on Rafa. I think it's

a legitimate question. Is Rafa the guy you would want to be most in the challenge to Alkaraz and

Sinner moving forward? I'm ready to go there. I've seen it in person. I've seen him at his best. I

can project what that looks like. And again, that class him, Fonseca, Ray Sakamoto, who

went unbroken through what? 76 and three all or two all in that second. I think it was two all

with Daniel Medvedev. A guy fresh off in India and Wells final. Fresh off of the victory over Alkaraz.

Sakamoto was going shot for shot with him. The depth of Ray Sakamoto and his ability to so easily

absorb, redirect the line that forehand wing when he wants to turn into it. He can't swing

his hardest because if he swings his hardest, that ball is just going to sail on him right now.

He's still learning the control part, but man, the swing is so easy. It's an in-rhythm.

The back swings are condensed. I just don't think he knows his own strength yet, like you watch him.

Fonseca, he's already got the legs. The legs are the prerequisite strong. He's going to add at

least 10 pounds to his upper body. And when he does that, again, the strength behind those swings

and the ease of technique, the serve. It's going to get even bigger and bigger that he needed five

or six set points, whatever it was. And he was up six four in the tie break. After Medvedev,

Medvedev gets things back to four five. We're back on the serve after he was down a mini-break right

out of the jump. Four five Medvedev double-fault. Set point, two set points on four Sakamoto.

First one Medvedev, good serve, fights it off. Second one, double-fault from Sakamoto for six

saw. He then saw three more set points come and go. Before ultimately, he is able to close out

that first set in a tie break. And again, he ran on a steam, did not have the legs. The forehand

really started to spray on him accordingly and set number three. And Medvedev went unbroken

the entirety of the match. Two horribly time double-faults in the tie break. Why he lost that first set

tie break. Medvedev was crisp. He's playing the forehand line high and heavy and just in the spot

that you just like, there's no counter to it. And yet, for 80 minutes, Sakamoto dictated on his

terms against the guy who, you know, is now what, like 34 and 9 since the end of the U.S.

open on hard courts. He's not peak Medvedev, but he's as close to it as he's been since the 2024

Australian open. The guy is serving lights out once again. Sakamoto is on the level. Alex

blocks, obviously, inside the top 100. He's had a career high 88 right now. Prismich is back to

playing Goodball. We just saw Lon Delusa. I talked about him earlier and you could still argue,

maybe Nikolai Budokov-Kiar actually has the highest upside of the bunch given the weapons,

the physicality, the athleticism he presents. I know Sakamoto lost. And again, it's a credit to Medvedev

as close to being back as he has been over the last two and a half seasons. Talk about a resurrection

in this sunshine swing, desperately needed. And he was the most significant man going into it. He

has been the most significant man you feel like going into every hard court event these last five

months, just given the volatility after six years of sustained excellence. And yet, I just,

I walk away even more impressed with Ray Sakamoto and what he's going to be moving forward and

talking to his agent Carter Lynn, my guy. He's a bubbly personality. Like he's a blossoming star.

You saw the celebration after he earned his first two or level victory, 76 and the third

over Kavasavitch match one. I'm a believer. Big believer on the 19-year-old's game who's sitting

at 163 after the exit. Again, he showed me something significant today. And yet still, it's Medvedev

through two round number three. By the way, tie break to decide Nakashima-chillich. That's really fun.

By the way, the last teenager standings Rafa Houdar as Kwame got knocked out two and five by

Lakhetshka, Fonseca of course knocked out four and four by Alkaraz. You had Darwin Blanche

knocked out two and three by Arthur Fees. Teenagers had their moment early in the action. A lot of

them still not quite ready for that final leap in the way. Obviously, in Andripa, in Emboko,

Ayyobitch we already see. I'm not trying to compare their success to different tours,

two different game styles, different things required. And yet, it's rare we get to talk about

teenagers at a 1000 level event in the context of the men's tour. I talk about them frequently

college round certainly. We see many of them emerge at the challenger levels we saw with Houdar and

plenty of these other guys last summer. But they did it at the 1000 in the early rounds and now we

have to take note of them for the rest of this season who's going to be that next ascending star,

that pops. A lot of good nominees on the men's side. A lot of great men's matches on the horizon as

well. I'll talk about them a little bit more later as we get set for around three action on the

men's side to get underway tomorrow. Of course, on the women's side, the lead story for me on day

number five. And I think we're going to spend less time talking about the women than the men today,

my apologies. But it's just it was a very as expected day on the women's side. I mean, then the

most complimentary way, the best players, they looked like the best players through just about every

match we saw unfold today. You know, again, where to begin. Obviously for me, I started with Jessica

Pagula, who played her round one match today. Pagula, of course, facing off of Francesca Jones,

who's such a great story. And I grew up with this guy Andy Ying, the nicest guy in the world,

who was a very very similar, very similar. He was born with the same condition that Francesca Jones

has where two thumbs, but three fingers on both hands. And what's one of my favorite guys to get

to play doubles with because he gunned it, you know, exactly who he was. Shout out Andy Ying,

but accordingly, again, Francesca Jones, similarly, born with that same condition. I apologize.

I'm blanking on the name of it at this particular moment. I'll look it up as I'm speaking. But just

to be able to be a top 100 player in the world, the requirement of what you have to do, the skills

you have to have. And again, to be born with EEC, that's what it is. I'm not going to even try and

pronounce it correctly because my lovely physician of a mother will, I am certain, correct me

accordingly, but yeah, a thumb and three fingers on each hand, seven toes as a result of a rare

genetic condition. Top 100 in the world, it hasn't mattered. And she's had to go through a bunch

of different surgeries accordingly just to try and stay healthy and a bunch of different injuries,

not related to her genetic condition. And back to the top 100 in the world, when she's playing

the forehand well, you see how she's able to accelerate too. With the backhand slice, she throws

as a real changeup at opponents. And she was dealing with an inhaler respiratory thing today.

She had to get an inhaler out in between sets. And unfortunately, I was forced to pull the

red cord. Now, just because it was cruising, every return was blitzed at Francesca Jones's feet.

But Francesca Jones is the sort of story I should not have overlooked as long as I had. As she,

of course, made her top 100 debut, that was a moment for us to celebrate. I mean, what a remarkable

story for the 25-year-old Francesca Jones. And yet, again, was just not healthy. And thus,

accordingly, in her first match against the top 10 opponent, not able to acquaint herself the way

I'm sure she would have liked to in getting knocked out by Pagula. Again, I happened to call

that match. That's why I wanted to lead with it. But a bunch of other seeds looking the part

on the day you look across the board, certainly on the women's side. Again, how about Eva Yovic?

Dominant, two in one, 76 minutes, blitzing. Paula, but those are probably her best victory and her

best performance since the Australian open. Yeah, Junction, when, again, her sound

victory in her return, three and two over Sloan Stevens, who she should be three and two.

But she does. Madi Kizow and three over. Rusa Benchich, three and three over Schneider. I thought

she played particularly well today and certainly looked like that. Week one version of herself

again. And he's a Mova four and two. And Riva has been so much better in bouncing back after

what was obviously a tough indeed. Well, she knocks out Bojkova in straight sets in Boko.

And Boko is one of the eight best players in the world. Mova straight sets, Iala, three and six.

Cocoa got the slowest of starts, but then three, six, six, love, six, one. Alicia Parchis wasn't

able to sustain it. And I do continue to say Goff is getting better. How about Alex? Iala,

three and six over Magdalena, continues to find Miami magic. And then the two names I want to

bring up, which were technically are two upsets of the day on the women's side. But it's just not

an upset for Serrana Kristaya to knock out Alicia Mertens, Kristaya, ultimately advancing two round

number four of the event with the round of 16, excuse me, with a 6362 victory over Mertens.

She just keeps doing it. I talked about it yesterday, so I won't repeat it to, I won't repeat it

accordingly today. But you look right now in the WTA tour, there are four players, 35 and over

inside the top 100 of the live rankings. Only one of them is inside the top 50 and the top 40

and the top 30. 35 year old Serrana Kristaya is eight ranking spots away from a new career high.

She has nothing to defend until July, all the clay court events, which by the way, she's getting

into stoop guard, she's getting into Madrid, she's getting into Rome, obviously she'll be seated

at Roland Garros. She has zero points to defend. I don't even, I don't think she has Wimbledon

points to defend either. Serrana Kristaya is going to reach a new career high in her announced

final season of her career. How many players have reached their career high in their last year on

the job? That's my trivia question. I ask of all the many break podcasts listeners. It's probably

never happened before. Maybe someone's retired at number one, but they reached it earlier in their

career. She's going to reach a new career high and I just don't know how you hang up the sticks when

that's happening. She's better, better at burdens than everything. And she's playing lights out

out right now. And by the way, the highlighter colored warm-up kit that wakes you up every time you

see it, you're like, oh my god, what's that? That's what you wear when the mic is as hot as it is

right now for Serrana Kristaya. That was a blitzing. And then you know who else the mic is extraordinarily

hot for right now? How about Talia Gibson? The Australian has just found it here in this sunshine

swing. 21-year-old up to a new career high 63 in the rankings as Gibson knocks out Naomi Osaka Gibson

ultimately 7564 winner again for a Gibson coming off of, of course, a quarter-final appearance at

Indian Wells from qualifying had to play qualifying again this week. She hasn't dropped the set.

1-0 over Abu Dhabi Champ Balak yesterday. 5-4 over Osaka today. Why can't she be Eva Yobich?

I mean, she's the older of the two in tomorrow's Round of 32 battle. I mean, again, it's a lot of

tennis by the way in a really short time span for Talia Gibson. Does she have the day off tomorrow?

She actually probably does have the day off tomorrow. I mean, check that schedule real quick because

that would make a massive difference for someone who'd be playing her fifth match. Talia Gibson does

indeed have the day off tomorrow. Oh, no, she does not. She's on the schedule. Round of 32 second on

on court one. That's brutal. It's a fifth match and probably as many days and welcome to professional

tennis. They are professional athletes, but she also had to do similar at Indian Wells coming from

qualifying. It's brutal. And yet again, she has remade the schedule for the remainder of her season

with her success over the course of the month of March when we do stock up, stock down. No one's stock

has perhaps arisen faster than Talia Gibson's here. Maybe even more dramatically than Talia Gibson's

during this sunshine. So there's just real pace for the righty off both wings. And again,

she's beaten Tossin, Alexandra Ova, Paulini, Baylick, and Osaka. And Andy and Lee just casually.

Those are all top 50 or better wins. Fuck, man. That's really good. That's the story. Maybe the most

the unsung story, but maybe the most fun story of this sunshine swing thus far for Osaka.

I mean, look, made around of 16 Indian Wells to lose this match as she did in the fashion that she

did, broken once in each set. And you look for her. She had just four breakpoint chances. Oh,

for four on them. Missed so many seconds. Her returns. You felt like in pivotal moments.

That was a tough one. There's no doubt about it. I don't know. I just feel like it's all bonus for

Naomi Osaka that she's healthy and enjoying being back out on tour. We already, she's already

accumulated enough success. We know she's getting into the hall of fame. Hopefully again, as long as she

sustains that happiness, that's what's the key to unlocking her best tennis. And seemed all right

throughout the course of that loss, even if her tennis wasn't at its best in this particular match.

I mean, still, again, sets up such a fun round three, round four for the women moving forward in

Miami. And that's where I want to end today's podcast by previewing our day six matches because

we've got some battles on our hand. Maddy keys, junction when collision course. Signed me up for that.

Hayley Baptiste who just has been one of the forty thirty five best players in the world to

start this season. She gets a crack at a player who's been top five in the world this season in

Alina Svitalina. I think that's going to be a battle. Just how about the seed on seed matches,

again, Chinwen vs. Keys, Paulini Asta Panko, Rabakina, Kostyaak, Alexander of a Christian,

Pagula Fernandez. And then oh, by the way, Atalia Gibson who's been playing like she should have a

seed next to her name over the course of March. She's going to take on Eva Yovic. I like them all.

I like every single one of them. What's the one you can't miss? Marta Kostyaak, can she get things

going? Once again, obviously, was magical week one of the season. You knock out the Indian

Wells finalist, the Australian Open Champion, Alina Rabakina. I'll do a full ten minutes on

Marta Kostyaak and why again, the stock up, stock down. Maybe the face of the, or the face of the

makeup break all stars this season. She can earn her way back to make territory with a big victory

there. So that's the one I'd watch more closely. Lava Fernandez is desperate for a big win at

one of these caliber events. Yeah, I know she had the city open last year. She had post-US open

success, but can she do it in one thousand? Can she do it at a slam? Get a signature victory

over Jessica Pagula, who I will continue to say is playing the very best tennis of her career.

According to my friend, Jeff Chesiver, sixth in Aces, so far in this 2026 season.

Kostya Krabakina one, Fernandez Pagula two, Chinwen, Madison Keys three. That's an awesome day

six. Jampacked in O, by the way, you got to read a sublankah on the calendar as well, of course,

on the men's side tomorrow. That a bunch of good ones, of course. Mostly round three matches,

in fact, just about all of our round three matches on the board tomorrow for the men. I mean,

pick your poison. How about groom versus former best man? You've got Taylor Fritz taking on

Ryleo Palka. Rylee's been exceptional. Again, the six and six over Draper. He's just playing the

best tennis of his career. Start this 2026 season. More than anything, it's just so nice to have him

healthy again, because there's more than just seven foot serve bot in his game. For what it's worth,

though, Fritz six and one in the career had to head Lachachka versus Ethan Quinn, given how well

EQ has played. That's something you clear your morning for. Their first on 11 a.m. on grandstand.

I mean, again, obviously for me to have the chance to... I like to think I am the conductor of

the sebi-corda believers, the sebi-corda truthers of what his best tennis can be, and he gets

to shot his algrass tomorrow. Algrass foreign one in that head to head, but if sebi serves well,

he's got the size. He's got the technique, the foundational pieces to his game, to absolutely push

the world number one. Hodara Atchavary in Tommy Paul versus Colin Yone, sneaky in. Then chick

versus Tiafo, that's a must watch for me. That's absolutely must watch. Can Francis go grab a

signature victory? The level's been close enough for him to do, so I know he beat Kuboli at

Indian Wells, but I want to see this victory. Knock out the defending champ here in Miami. Give

yourself a shot at a deep run into week number two to kind of be that feather in the cap of what

has been I think a much better first third to this 2026 season. All of that one day of action,

of course, you can follow each and every moment of that day over on the tennis channel app again

tomorrow. I'm on stadium court the day session. First three matches starts out Pagula versus Fernandez

after that. Of course, Fritz is going to take on Opelka. After that, Algrass taking on Sebastian

Corda, as always, appreciate all of you who have extended your support. Also, of course,

appreciate the support we get from each and every day from our super producer Daniel West,

who makes everything across our crack-crackers platforms possible. Thank you to him. Thank

you, of course, as well as support we get from our friends at the Lowell Spring School,

or more, but why they can keep the rank of the season private out of my school cap to kind of

visit those. Today, the thing that four of us are fantastic and super producer Daniel West

up in front of the Lowell Spring School, from all these other crack-crackers, and the belief

podcast that we're having is out of the rescue. That's the break.

Thank you all. Thanks, everyone.