WTA Miami Open Draw Preview: Tjen vs Putintseva in R1 | Eala to face winner of Siegemund & Marcinko | Can Sabalenka do the Sunshine Double? Is the top half heavier than the bottom half?

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We are back once again. It's been three live streams for me today with the two finals in Indian

Wells. I'll figure out different finals of different levels of excitement, I would suggest.

The women's final, I've seen a lot of people gushing about this on Twitter and I didn't feel

as though it was that high quality, Brenner, but you may well side with Christian's court,

for example, I think Vance as well, both of them were effusive in their praise of the final that

we've just seen in Indian Wells, and it is obviously going to be related very much to Miami,

and so I will then lead us into the draw there. But what do you think? Was it the best women's

1,000 final, the second best one of the decade? I think Vance described it as, and Vance was

Christian's court put out a tweet which was something along the lines of he said like the number

of winners to unforced errors that were back and achieved, and also she won 70% of her second

serves, and his take was like, that shows you just how good this final was, but watching it,

I found Sablenka's movement seemed to be limited in the first couple of sets partly, I think,

because of the heat, and I think it affected both players at times in those early stages,

and it wasn't until the Kushendo, which will all remember in years to come, and that will be

how the match went. I actually do think both players were playing a really good level,

maybe Sablenka being a bit tight-serving out helps bring the drama, and then I think even there

was a bit of tightness maybe from a back ender at five all, but the way Sablenka saved that

championship point. But you know, you come back to my point, am I wrong? Am I right? Am I a bit

right? Am I a bit wrong? The run that final? Yeah, I'd say a bit wrong, a bit right. I think the

last 30 minutes definitely encapsulate the drama-esque, like, why it belongs in that conversation,

but in a sense, I don't think you're wrong, because the first we'll call it hour 45,

and who knows, that could have been straight sets for Rebok and it too. She was up a set in a bite,

exactly. So I think that's where, if you put the match together, post set one, and even

post one-o, and then that seconds out for Rebok and it does have its exciting moments, and it's

worthy of that conversation, just because of that drama. Like you said, first, it's Sablenka failing

to serve it out, right? It's also Sablenka's first Indian Wells title, and it's a rematch of

the Australian Open Final, so I think going off-reasoncy and kind of understanding where we're dealing

with the top of the woman's game on, you know, the fifth biggest stage, as some would say, on tour.

So I think it's like definitely fair to put it in that conversation because the players,

the heightened circumstances, and then just the last 30 minutes, right? Really, really good tennis,

I think, for both sides. We're back on as now going to be world number two, but of course,

it doesn't impact the Miami draw. It'll be impacting draws later on in a few weeks from now,

assuming she holds on to that number two status. So Ega, for now, at least keeps that number two seed

status and therefore the bottom of the draw. I was just having a quick look to see who

we're back and I could potentially, but I've got Anley as a possible first match for Sablenka,

of course, they won't be in action. I wouldn't have thought until Friday or Saturday, probably,

in Miami. So that's sort of, because obviously they need a bit of a break. I haven't played

today. I'm just seeking, oh, it's, is we're back and are in the same half of the draw potentially.

I think she is. Yeah, she is in the same half of the draw as Sablenka. So they actually,

they can't meet in the final in Miami, but it could be in the semifinals. In fact, some might say

probably in the semifinals, but all right, let's get into the Miami draw and see how this is all

impacted. The top sort of section is as follows. We've got Sablenka in a group along with Anley,

McNally and Wong. I think that's nice for Arena. I mean, when you're number one in the world and

you're playing as well as she is and has done for 15 months solid now, where she just basically turns

up at a big tournament and either wins it or comes very, very close to winning it. I can't remember,

maybe Rome last year, but I can't remember many big titles at 1,000 level or above,

and Middle East series a year ago aside, where she hasn't just turned up and either won the thing,

or very, very close to winning it in the last, yeah, 15 months. Seriously, you're spot on there.

I think it's important to note, John, as you did say, they might not be playing till, what,

you know, Friday, Saturday, in the final, but the weather, the forecast looks terrible in Miami.

Oh, and it has been today. We're not actually putting it that way. Yeah, all qualifiers got

halted today because of the rain. So they're going to be a little bit behind schedule.

Right. But anyway, back to that little quarter, or we'll even put it into a smaller subsection.

You have some big hitters, right? You've got keys waiting there, potential,

around a 16 match. Oh, you got a seven-linker keys, about a 16. Yeah, you got

Wang there as well, big hitter, good on the slaker courts,

Kuwen Zhang. We'll see, still adjusting to being back on tour. But yeah, I mean, it's like

at least some people to watch out for. I mean, seven-linker, you with, I'm optimistic,

assuming everything's okay. Health is fine. And, and weather doesn't disrupt too much and

travel all the rest of it. I think she's making that round of 16. And of course, she didn't drop a

set in Indian Wells until today's final. And I would imagine she'll get to the round of 16 without

dropping a set. Who is the one we're going to have come, because I'm assuming you're going to have

her in your last 16. Who do you think is the one? Because I think I know who I've got as my

most likely to make the round of 16 from this group of players. Just in that top subsection,

to play her. Yeah. I think it should be Keys. Oh, really? Okay. I've got, I've got Kim Wang Zhang.

Okay. Yeah. How come? Is there something that convinced me? Yeah. There's, it's because

Madison Keys for me has been not really played, playing amazingly well by, you know,

where her level is at, the ceiling that she reached in Australia and the unbeaten run that she had

for, I don't know how many matches it was through the early part of last year until Indian Wells.

I know she skipped the Middle East, so it wasn't a super lengthy unbeaten run, but it was a decent run

that she had before she lost the semi-final last year to her. I haven't really, she won a set,

I think of Vega 6 Love in Madrid. So there was little sparks there, but I mean, it was this time

last year, really, where Madison Keys losing to Alexialo, of course, when her season kind of,

yeah, was, I don't think we saw anything again from her that came anything close to Australia or

even anything close to what I believe is her natural place that was obviously deservedly in the top 10.

I mean, I remember going into the WTA finals with Madison Keys last year going, she's the

probably biggest outsider and it proved that way. I think she was struggling maybe a bit physically

in that tournament as well to be fair to her. She's slipped now to obviously outside the top 10.

Kinwen Zheng, on the other hand, I think is still easing her way back on the tour after a lengthy

spell out injured. And I think this is a nice time for her to have a decent-ish run. She's still

obviously seated and I think she beats Brady or Stevens again. Brady is someone who's obviously

been off the tour for a long time. Stevens, I can't remember the last time she had a good run at any

tournament, probably 18 months or so or more. So that should be a win for her. And then she comes

up against presumably Madison Keys, but Wu Sich is getting some wins. So who knows, Wu Sich in

the second round, she could beat Madison. And so let's go with Kinwen Zheng. I would like to see

their head-to-head actually because that could well make me embarrassed or change my mind.

We're already talking about it, but there's a lot of, you know, repeat sections.

Okay, three. No, no, wait, wait, wait, so I go. Like Indian Wells.

And Wu Sich, Zheng, was the first round match, well, second round, around the 64 Indian Wells.

So we'll see who is going to play that, that round of 32 match there.

Yeah, yeah, presumably the winner would take on that. So have a like a.

So it's one, uh, one to know for Madison, so nothing to write home about or anything to dismiss

the chances of Kinwen winning, uh, that encounter. I'll quickly, I'll quickly say why I like he's

a little bit of bias. I just got to watch her, you know, from 20 feet away,

her mouth's cartel and everything look like, look fine to me. I think it was frustrating to play

cartel on that, on that night. I'm slower conditions. These balls, man, they got so chewed up.

Is it going to be the same balls in Miami? I don't know. Don't know, but I know Mer is coming

on the show tomorrow. We're going to do A to B weekly together. And I, and he is keen to talk about

tennis balls and he's been talking to me about this for a few weeks. He keeps sending me pictures.

So I'm interested to know what he's, what he wants to get off his chest. Interesting. Okay.

It might, it might impact my, I mean, I would imagine because they've changed balls. They used to use,

I'm going to say they use pen, didn't they? And in any, in any wasn't, he's gone by and they've just

changed to Dunlop. Yeah. And I think it's a Dunlop image that Mer set me today. And he's also

sent the same similar image in the past. And he's keen to talk about them. So I think it's about

the way they deteriorate. Right. It's ridiculous and even fun enough Craig Shapiro. I'm not sure if

you're familiar with him. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He actually was practicing with Gil Gross just for fun

before that I and Phoenix. And he was kind of showing a close up. And he's like, you know,

even like a four or five level 45 minutes of good hitting and these balls are getting really big.

But anyway, I took a lot of positives from the Madison Keys match despite the loss. I thought

the conditions were kind of perfect for Cartel air defensive style.

Produces a lot of revolutions. Kind of got outside the keys strikes down. I think the courts are

a little bit better. And in Miami for keys. And yeah, she just looked like she was, you know, kind

of finding herself. And the ball striking is still like really, really impressive. Obviously,

you think of her as such a big hitter. So just to see it live in person, I was, I was pretty,

I was pretty wowed by it. So yeah, we could have a couple good matchups there early on in the

top section. What about just coming back to these Ram one. So I just want to have one

Ram one of the of all of these. I think the Brady Stevens one with obviously Brady making an

Australian open final a few years ago and Sloan Stevens being a US open winner. Of course,

a lot of the qualifiers have a long way from being placed. So we'll have to wait for those matches

to be established. So we actually only got from these first two sections. We've got Brady Stevens

and Rousseau Rutsich. Do either of those two. I mean, the Brady Stevens one has the Romantics and

the, you know, hoping that maybe Sloan can have one last big run in her career perhaps and who knows

that could be in Miami. Jen Brady, you know, would love to get back to her level, but it's a long time

to be off the tour. I'm going to see what their head to head is, but I don't even know how relevant

that is. I'd be more interested to know their health and also their motivation as well. I think both

of those factors, particularly I think for Sloan, I think Brady's probably definitely motivated

and she wouldn't be on the tour, given all the injuries she's had as she wasn't. But yeah,

what are your thoughts on that match? Yeah, I'd say it come a little bit more on like the

critical side if I were to kind of analyze it from that aspect. You do have to kind of celebrate,

you know, two impressive American players both getting wild cards to see a event for a reason.

But I would say I'd agree with you. I'd say Brady a little bit more motivated.

I would it's hard to say like who's going to win this, but I would I would lean Brady taking this.

And yeah, just like a motivation perspective, Sloan Steven should kind of they should feel in

similar spots like really not many things going well for her and like the tennis side of things.

And you know, she did push herself to make this return and try and play good tennis again.

But I don't know, it's just like low margin tennis for me a bit. And I think that kind of

chalks it up to just like getting wins is a lot more difficult in that sense.

Yeah, it is. They've actually never played each other before. Really?

Yeah, yeah, never played at least on the on the big tour on the main tour. They haven't obviously

Sloan a former World No. 3 Gen Brady game to No. 13 in the world. Actually, honestly,

wasn't even sure on Gen's age just because of her spending so much time off the tour.

Sometimes you assume that it means that someone's a little bit further down their career,

but she's still 30 years old. So if she had a year of good health, who knows what results she could

have achieved? She lost, I see in the opening round two, Rootsage. So they who knows they might end

up playing against each other again soon, ish, but they don't both have to win a couple of matches.

I think that would be a big ask for Rootsage to be Roosa and then Keys and plus Gen Brady to

be Sloan Stevens of Kinwen Zhang. So I do think Keys Zhang is the most likely matchup we'll get in

that third round. But yeah, 30 years old, Gen, the early bin on. I mean, she got the Australian

Open in 2020, I think, was it? Well, 2021, one of those two years, Australian Open Final,

I'm going to check it right now. So I don't get that wrong. Those two years often blend into one.

It was 2021, I think she made the final, actually, losing two, who she lose two in that final.

Nomiya Saka, yeah, Gen Brady, Nomiya Saka, 2021, straight sets. She'll be more covering the

Samis Pagula in the quarter. So it was a pretty good round, obviously, three set wins as well. But

it's been, I don't know, I don't know how many matches she's played since then. Honestly,

in five years, because I do think her injury started to strike a not long after that.

Right. She spells out injured. I also know, not that it means too much, but back into the

motivation category, like Gen for Brady being on this podcast, the players box. I heard her talk a

little bit about her injuries and it's something to come back. Obviously, you can hear the motivation

in her voice, but just being friendly, present with other top American players. I think that pushes

you a little bit more. And she's obviously dedicated herself to making it come back.

Yeah, I also won positive as well regarding the podcast and a few other bits and pieces.

She doesn't seem to have been too perturbed or maybe privately she's been down about it, but certainly

publicly seems to be all right, seems to be in a good spot for someone who was obviously in the

peak of her moments and the best moment of her career. And then soon the rug was pulled from under

her. But yeah, I'm actually going to go for a Brady win. I think the motivation thing, I think

Sloan is maybe in a similar way where Madison Kees is all bit that Sloan's first grand slam,

which of course came against Madison Kees at the US Open was the best part of 10 years ago,

where Madison obviously finally got over the line last year in Australia. But I think both of them

are just both in a pretty good spot. They'll keep playing. They'll keep hitting. They may,

Sloan may yet have one more big run in as I suggested. And I think Madison for sure may well end

up winning a 1000 title before she's done. But I also feel that both of ticks are all the tennis

boxes that they need to and probably felt pressure to when they first started out. And in a way,

it can be a, it can be a, you know, an arena, Sabel Enka situation where it propels you to even

bigger and better things. Or it can be a sort of a Dominic team scenario where it's like thank goodness

I've done that. Maybe I can still enjoy the last years of my career, but at least I've got that

one slam or bit that I think teams sort of latter years was also born out of frustration because I

think he was desperate to keep going, but confidence and risked injuries, et cetera, wasn't

sort of able to deliver. Anyway, let's move on because we've done a lot already and we've only

a sort of a few percentages way through the draw. So let's scroll down. Yeah, well breaking news

out of out of the Brystander in our comments. Ginny Wang has withdrawn and so is Emma Navarro. So

Okay, good to know because we'll be getting to them, especially Emma anyway shortly. I mean,

I wonder what Emma's situation is because she lost her first round in the last week.

Maybe she's been carrying an injury of sorts. Who knows? And maybe she needs some time off.

But if she was carrying that injury, I'm surprised she played the 125 last week. So

maybe she's just like, you know what, I need a reset. And if that means having a few weeks off the

tour or longer. Yeah, maybe get back to the practice court. Something like that. Yeah.

Don't worry. Right. Back to the draw anyway. Where are we? I think I've lost it.

Oh, here we go. So down to the next section, which is Svitilina's mini section,

at least to begin with. Svitilina, of course, had a good one last week into the semi-finals

in Indian Wells. Baptiste, some son of her. I think there's some, there's some, yeah,

there's some banana skins here. Baptiste, obviously, the only person to take a set off of a back

on it before the final, bizarrely enough in a way, because I think it was number back on his first

match. Samson of it, you know, on any given day can be probably most tennis players on the planet

with the exception of maybe three or four. So I don't like this section much for Svitilina,

even if I do think that she's playing really good solid tennis at the moment.

Yeah, I think it's very clustered with high level ball striking.

And as you mentioned, I mean, Baptiste is there, but

Ostapenko right below there. Ashton Crue, like, yeah, this is a, this is a top little section here.

Do I lean like, do I lean anyone? No, I wouldn't be surprised if Ostapenko does something though.

I know you're only showing that little top top. Yeah, I can look at the next section.

Yeah. I mean, she was close, Ostapenko, to be very close, exactly, to be in

Pagula, wasn't she? She was up a set in a break, and not just a set in a break. It wasn't quite

like, so we're back in a set in the break today was one love in the second set, and then she got

broken back and meeting, in fact, Reena broke again in one four games in a row. So it didn't quite

feel like it, and whereas Ostapenko was four three, so two holds, and she wins the match.

But the sooner she got broken, wheels coming off is a bit of an exaggeration, especially

considering I've seen the wheels come off, Ostapenko a lot of times in the past, and actually,

it was just great tennis from Pagula. Yeah, I think Ostapenko in this section here, although

yes, Ostapenko. I mean, obviously, she lost to Iyala in three close sets in her, in the Iyala's

opening match, which would have been the second and in the new wells, but Iyala seems to be out,

just about just frustrate your Ostapenko for long enough to draw the errors. Yes, Ostapenko against

Ostapenko, well, that would be lights out, and a lot of fun, potentially, has the potential for

being the match of the tournament. But yeah, it's not a, if you're going to be in a section

with the top eight seed, Paulini is probably the one you're choosing right now. Totally,

totally, it's still, I don't know if I like lack confidence, it's just, it's one of those game styles

where it really puts a lot of pressure on Paulini to, you know, just continue to make balls,

make the opponent work for it. I'm just like yields a lot of consistency. I didn't really enjoy

it. I'll do this little footnote, or I did really enjoy watching Iranian, Paulini. I watched

their doubles match where they came back, they were down, a set in four love, I think it was,

or maybe a set in three love. That was a really fun dynamic. Obviously, they ended up losing, but

they don't come back and winning that match, which is epic. So it was fun to watch Paulini play

a little doubles, and like just the wrist taking kind of confidence in those baseline battles,

though, it definitely comes out. But yeah, I think you're right about having a top eight seed

in your section. You wanted to be Paulini. Yeah, you would. Just coming back to this draw here,

I want to go back up a thing for just a moment, that teased okay. So we'd probably be looking at

Sviterlina, but as I said, that teased some sort of a, but I probably just because I'm not sure

I'll end up, and I think I like what you say about Osterpenko. I can have an

Osterpenko emotion from this section, and therefore, we'll have Osterpenko against

Viterlina, at least for me. Are you going to go Osterpenko's Viterlina?

Yeah, I like it. I like it. And I'll quickly add, it would be quite a fun, if we got to

tell our towns in Osterpenko match up. Yeah, yeah, because of the drama that occurred at the

Osterpenko. Yeah, of course, yeah, that could happen. Of course, we don't know who the

qualifiers will be just yet. And I also think that I say Sviterlina, not because she's not playing

well, but you can't just always win tennis matches and always emerge from your section. Although,

I think she's very consistent. And therefore, I would just lean that way. I do think

Baptiste and Sam Sonneva may have something to say about it, maybe even Sam Sonneva in particular,

but we'll see. Okay, let's scroll down, and we've got Rebecca and her section, as I say,

top half of the draw. So her and Orena Savilenka are on course to meet in the semi-finals,

rather than the final. She's going to be propelled, I think, to world number two tomorrow

Rebecca and her, but it hasn't come in time to help her move up the seedings yet. So she's

seeded three. Chen put and save a Chen. I don't think it's in a great spot at the moment.

I remember seeing a YouTube short from Eddie from tennis Asia TV, where he said,

always sleeping on Janice Chen. I think she'd won a couple of matches that particularly,

but I remember seeing she's about to play Anisimovah. And I thought she's going to get easily beaten by

Janice Movah. And that's exactly what happened. So I just thought it was the wrong time for Eddie

to release that video or bad luck in a way, because actually since then, I'm not even sure

she's won a match. And she's also had some not great losses. The one to Camila Osorio in

Merida was quite uncomfortable because she was up a double break in the first set, but she didn't

like the wind. And it wasn't helping her slice at all. It wasn't helping her big forehand either.

And Osorio was just smile, smile, smile all the way. And she wins a load of games in a row in the

first set. Chen's up a break in the second. And it doesn't work out well. I think I saw Chen's

first match in Indian Wales. Yeah, Christian. Third set, tie great. Yeah, I remember that. Yeah.

A couple of weeks ago almost now. And I just felt that mentally, I thought Chen was going to maybe

just not quite make it from having won the first set and having chances in sets two and three,

but yeah, I'm not in a not in a good spot right now, Janice. I don't think I think that's a fair

analysis, John. I think, you know, it's still it's still a game that's a work in progress. I think

giving kind of like the slice just like how I think there's a lot of work to be done. Listen,

she's a great fun player to watch. And maybe that slice in in their future will become a weapon.

But right now it's not a weapon exactly. It's more hopefully this slice will give me a nice

forehand. Right. It's just kind of like unsettling to your opponent to see it so often, especially on

the woman's tour. Not hit it. The players just don't hit it as much on the men's tour. I also say

like still an adjustment period, John. Like you said, you're just you're analyzing the form at the

moment and kind of the situation, but kind of going back maybe in that 16 month range where

some crazy record right from the ITF level all the way to the main tour. Her record was like

120 and 18 or something. You know, so I think they're still like an adjustment period of

adapting to just a higher level of tennis on a more consistent basis and going up against, you know,

bigger weapons. Yeah. And there's that that Christian result. I was just referring to. So it's

a couple of losses in a row. Obviously, a audio and Christian. And yeah, I think people maybe

thought she was going to win both of those matches, but didn't turn out that way.

Coming back to Miami and her first round draw here, she's going to come up against Putin Saver.

And I think that's a tough one for Janice. Yeah. That's a lot of variety getting thrown at you.

Definitely different heights, different spins, but I guess in her, if we're looking at a positive

Miami, just a little quicker, lower bounce surface, so I might get a little bit more use out of

the slice. Mm-hmm. I don't think they've played each other before. I'm going to have a look on

the WT website, but Putin Saver's well. Her form seems to remember her getting a few wins,

including a great one over the Zane of Somers in Australia. And she was someone last year who I

think her form was scratchy. So I think she's turned a corner of sorts. Yeah, they haven't played

before. Chen and Putin Saver. But yeah, Putin Saver's formed. Just having a quick look at that.

I feel as though she has, as I say, turned a mini corner, haven't had a rough spells last year. Yeah,

she lost a cloud of Towson in Indian Wells. There's no shame in that and haven't beaten.

That's a tough draw, by the way, her getting Badosa in the round of 1-28 and then playing Towson

in the next round. And the Towson was, I remember this one. Yeah, the first set tie break,

11-9 and then she just about faded away in that second set. And the wind was really difficult.

I think she struggled more than, I think both players struggled with it, but she struggled just

that little bit more than Clara did in that second set. But it is a match that could easily have

gone through and could easily have gone Putin Saver's way. And yeah, I'm feeling better about her

form now. And especially that Australian open run, I think, was important for her. Getting to the

fourth round there will be a no-one-one loss to Yovic there. But the winds over Sonnez and

Jacques Monde and had a mind before that, I think, have put her year on a decent footing.

And also she had some good winds as well in Adelaide before that, where she had to come through

qualifying, be galfy as well, before losing to Nevada, which hasn't aged well as a loss,

I don't think, but yeah, got winds in Brisbane too. So she's got, I think, pretty sure she's

got a positive wind loss record for the year. And I think she beats Chen because of all the reasons

I've just laid it out. Yeah, no, I think that's a fair analysis. Yeah, not much more to say on that.

I don't know where if we looked at this subsection, like, we're currently evaluating it, but potential

Costa Urbana rematch. Yeah, definitely. We are. I'm interested in subsections, definitely. Yeah,

Costa Urbana, I think it happens. I think it happens, don't you? Yeah. Was this Costa

Urbana first tournament back? Or did she play since when? Since, um, she didn't play any

new wells? No, Joe, she didn't play any wealth. She didn't play, I'm saying with Indian wells her

first tournament. Okay, since Australia, yeah, yeah. So she missed the Middle East section. That's

not too long a time out. And she had at least a couple of matches. And she lost two, we're back in

a four and four. Yeah, but it was very competitive. I think she might have led by a break or

breaking back. And that second, we never tell her to answer in the first round as well. Right,

so, um, yeah, she'd get that again. And once again, this is Costa Urbana, I highly respect

on the WCA tour. And I put her in my top 10 year end rankings. Obviously, the injury doesn't

help me much. But just a player who's always going to compete and push those, you know, we'll call

it the top four top five players on tour and give them a run for their money. Just very, very

competitive, super athletic player. And she has a weaponry and fitness to compete against the best.

The back kind of of pretty much sort of last year and maybe even the year before, I would have said,

you know, what, after an excellent start of the year winning this tournament doing well here,

she might just have a dip, you know, and that dip might come against Costa. And she'll still be

pretty happy with herself and, you know, obviously head back to Europe for the clases and etc.

I just think that she's just a little bit more consistent or a lot more consistent than, I mean,

her run from October last year when she was winning all those matches in a row to get herself to

the WCA finals and then wins every match there. I think I looked at her, Pagula and Savillenca

their form over the last sort of six, seven, eight months and drawing a line in the sand, not always

at the same tournament. I think Savillenca's was, I drew the line at Cincinnati, whereas with

Pagula, I looked at all the semifinals that she was making and Rebecca and I started post US Open.

But basically both players playing 30 or 40 matches and it was clear that Savillenca, despite the

fact that Pagula kept getting to semis and even finals, it was clear that Savillenca and Rebecca

and his form was even better because I think they were winning like 28 out 31 matches or 27 out 30.

This is going into the final I think today. Or maybe the semifinals, but they had an incredible

line and that one is still kind of continued and I just feel a bit more confident in the back

and his sustainability, I guess, right now and ability to keep going. Yeah, no, it's been impressive.

Even this tournament, like, yeah, maybe not on paper, close matches in terms of score line,

but a lot of these matches, even back to the Coastyuck match, very, very tight, you know,

small margins, but she's just, she's just finding a way to get it done. Even that Pagula match,

it felt like she was kind of playing catch up that whole second set, obviously a breadstick in the

first, but just fighting tooth and nail, got the break back, you get to the breaker and just

plays the point so solid and there's not much drop off in her game and that's the thing.

When you're so, let's say like when you're not willing to show a lot of emotion, like,

your level just doesn't like very much and it's just so difficult to play against.

So yeah, I'm with you. Well, this is a very interesting section. So this is obviously,

potentially, we're back in as opponent if we are going for Rebecca to emerge for win over

Coastyuck. I'll talk to you about that in a second, but this is a fascinating section given

the depth of talent. I would say you've got Osaka, Baylek and Yovic, three players that are

sort of all knocking on the door of WTA 1000 semi-finals, I think, for different reasons. Yovic's

potential is off the charts and you know, I think she's had a little wobble. I thought her

loss to Osorio was a bit like some of these Janis Chen losses. I spoke about Yovic put herself

in positions to win and maybe her inexperience having not been through tough mental challenges,

at least at the top end of tennis as yet. And I think Osorio put her in positions that she didn't

feel comfortable with and I did think as it went into that third set, I thought Yovic would lose.

I think she went down an early break. It was a double break. She gets one of those breaks back,

but eventually Osorio gets over the line, but the way she lost that was a bit uncomfortable

in terms of the fact that I think she may even have had a match point and that came in when

she certainly had chances to win that match. When you have chances to win the match and you don't

end up winning it or you end up going through that third set and you're going through some

not comfortable emotions. And I think we might see a hangover from that going into this tournament.

So actually the interesting ones are Baylek and Osaka for me. Baylek is actually on a winning

run and yet she didn't play Indian Wells, but Baylek's winning run is, I don't know, six, seven

matches I think because she withdrew, you see, from her match in Dubai, exactly. Yeah, walk over,

I guess. Exactly. So she wins her quarter, she won two qualifiers, I think. Yeah, two qualifiers,

three, four, five, six, seven matches in Abu Dhabi and then eight being some as well, which is a

really good win by the way in the opening round of 64 in Dubai before giving Benchich the walk over.

So the problem with her is where we are in terms of her health and reps on the court, but

yeah, I mean, she's in the conversation for play with, you know, who's going to be bursting onto

the sort of top 10 scene soon. Yeah, yeah, and you got Badosa there too, who for me, a little

bit tough to evaluate because I haven't watched her and obviously she should have a good run in Austin,

the one, two, five, K, you know, Austin, that was last year in Dresque in that semi-final.

But yeah, once again, just very, you know, it's packed and Osaka, you know, playing better

tennis as we saw. So good conditions as well for Osaka, if you'll. Yeah, I'm going to go with Osaka.

I am too. I think Baylek might well win her first match, but Osaka and just because it's

her first tournament back, Baylek is not a huge amount of time out in Japan, but it's obviously

back in North America, you know, she's in North America, not was in Indian Wells and Osaka's

forms pretty good. She got a couple of wins in Australia, although I think I did see in those

performances a little bit of sluggishness actually from Naomi, but I think that was then explained when

she pulls out the tournament hurt, but she did well quite well in Indian Wells. I did expect her to

lose to Arena, and that did turn out that way, but it was competitive. So, you know, in Arena's

best play in the world. So, yeah, I'm going to have Naomi Osaka to play Ryubikina in this section.

I like that. Yeah, fine, Mantra. Yeah. All right, let's scroll down.

Alex on the Dolver is in this section, but her form, I know she got to a final, but I think

that was a nice extra. I know she had a Yala, but Yala, I think, was really struggling physically

by the time she came up against Alex on the Dolver in that match, but she got to a final,

once she not long ago in the Middle East in maybe Abu Dhabi. Yeah, it was.

Abu Dhabi. Yeah. Yeah. So, but that only included three wins, because obviously she got,

yeah, just had three wins there from around a 16, I think, I don't know, 32 match, but

when I asked a panco in streets and, and last one yet. Yeah, yeah, right.

And to be honest with you before that, I went into the Australian Open, and I went,

Somers is probably beating her. I looked at Somers as pre-Australian Open results. I looked at

Somers in qualifying, and I looked at Alex on the Dolver's performances, and also just felt that

there might have been an edge loss. She just broke into the top 10, and she aged 31 at the back

end of last year. It's sort of a huge achievement, and sometimes it's difficult to keep going.

Maybe to some extent, we've seen that with Emma Navarro, and we see it for different reasons,

with Madison Kees in it, with a different landmark, with winning a slam. But it's difficult

to keep that going. And I also think that there was just a window for her to get in that top 10,

and she took it. Great. Well done. Is she somebody that I expect to win grand slams? No. Is she

somebody to win WT 1000s? Maybe, but not sure. So I just think that was a great moment for her

to make the top 10, and I don't know if we're going to see her back in the top 10 anytime soon.

So I'm not sure about her right now. Who else we've got in here? Katal, injury dependent,

Sterns. Yeah. She won a tournament, and she recently in...

Austin. Yeah, in Austin, just before the Indian Wells, but maybe not too bad a draw there.

I never had a corner. Did you see that corner's match with Anasimovah?

I went to the second set. It was over in 20 minutes, right?

Yeah. So you've seen those two play twice now in consecutive years. I was having deja vu, John.

I don't think I reached out to you, because also, you did reach out to you, because guess who played

as well? Revoccan and Baptiste. Okay. They played a year ago in Miami, so I was like, oh my god.

The Vatican one you saw a year ago was in Miami, right? Yeah. Anasimovah was a little bit

hobbled, let's say. I think your ankle was hurting her. Oh, really? Okay. Yeah, she took an MTL,

I remember, like, mid-September. That was also a really good spell for the Vatican last year,

because I thought it was going to stay on the clay, because the Vatican I don't think

is ever going to be doing great things on clay, but she got wins that she should maybe win,

losses that she should lose, like Coco, I think, maybe in Rome, I think. Coco or Ego, I think,

people in Rome. Yeah, but that was fine. You just get some wins. You're not ever going to win

the French Open, I don't think so. So that's fine, and it was a good spell for her that win over

Anasimovah in Miami, but you know, we had obviously a change of coach again, and she said that

this is going to make her play better. Well, we'll see. Of course, you don't just look at one

tournament, but unfortunately, Emma Raducan is philosophy with coaches, is to just look at one

tournament, and I think that's a problem. Yeah, yeah, it's been a roller coaster. You just don't know,

it's coming next at the moment. It's not a bad section for her, giving the form of Alexander

Lover cartels injury issue. Yeah, I was going to mention, if you do scroll down just that final

sub-staction in the top half of the draw, it's looking great if you're just looking at it.

Yeah, yeah. I'm just thinking about it as Emma Raducan, if that.

It always has me thinking, and I got to watch, I don't know if I watched the full third set,

but Sinyakava versus Leila Fernandez, three and a half hours, final set break, or

and I at least thought that Fernandez is going to pull it out, but Sinyakava goes up

like big in a tie break, and there was really no looking back. Then two days later, she comes out

and beats Mary and Drava. So, definitely, I was not expecting that, but yeah, as I mentioned,

if you're just for Google, I probably have. Yeah, this is nice this section. Yeah, you get to

to breathe for a little bit. Regardless, if you do play Venus Williams, great, or you're playing

Fran Jones. Great word on Fran Jones, Venus Williams. What are your thoughts?

Well, I was actually, I was mentioning to Fergus, I haven't watched much of Fran Jones.

No, I'm in either. Oh, I still have some some education.

It's just a day in the first round in Indian Wells. She also played that Austin tournament,

where she lost to Peyton Sterns, interesting in three sets, bearing in mind what happened to Peyton.

Where are we at with Venus Williams right now? I mean, yeah, I saw her in Austin, and she will go

like, she'll have five or six service games in a row that are just just unplayable, and that

may well take her to a set. She had that incredible win over Peyton Sterns on herself,

then she Venus last year, which I think caught many of us, certainly me by surprise anyway.

And she can just blow someone away for an hour, and that's sometimes enough to win sets and maybe

even matches. And it might take a victory over Fran Jones. Fran's body sometimes is not always the

most, what's the word solid, actually, but I don't know. Yeah, George spoke down on of this year in

New Zealand, for example, we're giving Wong the walkover. She also gave a walkover to

Klimit Shuova, probably saying that name wrong in Australia in the first round.

So yeah, not great form, but I think I saw Fran last year, actually, in Werdash on clay.

Okay. I think I saw her there, and I think she lost a tight three set, but yeah, I mean,

like a lot of British players on clay, that's not I think, but this is so random this match.

But like I say, if Venus just turns up for an hour, that's it. And that almost anyone on the

tall, and she has an amazing hour, and it was almost enough to to be paint stones in some way,

certainly over that, I'll say that first set. I was at paint stones or no, Tom Yanovich,

so she played. Not sure. Yeah, so yeah, paint stones last year was enough to be paint stones there.

Although I think paint stones are a bad day at the office that day, but

yeah, well, funny enough, you mentioned that because I was really questioning this return of Venus Williams,

and I don't remember what her first match back was, but I did do a watch along for it.

If you did, and I was like, yeah, I was like, all right, fine, the return is justified.

By the way, she gets a plus one, she puts it away. The movement isn't really there,

but it doesn't have to be mega. As I say, you only need to really play well for an hour, and you

may well be a lot of opponents, especially when you play as well as she can. If she's just

unbreakable, and then she's also hitting big other times, as she was at times against Tom Yanovich,

I think she was up on a break on Tom Yanovich in the first set. She just couldn't quite sustain it.

I'll go fan Jones, but it's really just picking out a toss in a coin.

It's a good section for Amperguda though, I think. Exactly. I think that's the main takeaway.

Who might be eyeing the title, I mean, obviously on the title, but with serious ambitions,

and maybe quite confidently. Fernandez played well in Miami last year.

Did she play Yalla? I don't know. No, she didn't. She never played. They've never played,

actually. They don't really know each other that well, which is quite funny because I spoke to Alex

in Portugal at the beginning of the clases in last year. I was like, have you heard about these

comparisons with Laila Fernandez? She said, well, I haven't really heard that before, but I don't

dislike it. Laila is a great player. Obviously, we've met a little bit on the tour, but not much.

Because sometimes I'd mention a player to Alex, and she'd be like, yeah, I know really well.

You know, players like who's the American she played doubles with in Portugal last year,

who she'd be in Miami, funnily enough, but not one of her memorable wins in Miami.

Yalla in Miami last year, obviously. Yeah, she played doubles a few weeks later in

she beat Volleynets, yeah. That's how she played doubles. And so this plays that she knows really

well, and Solmez is a well-documented friendship as well, but Laila's not somewhere she knows

especially well, but yeah, they didn't play in Miami a year ago, no, but I don't remember that,

because I think the internet would explode with those two Fernandez in Miami last year.

I'm going to have a quick look. She went out to Kruger. Round two. Round two, yeah, beat one

or five, yeah, one or five. Coming back to this draw anyway, I'll have, I might go for Laila though.

I might go for Laila getting to play Pagula, and then Pagula beats her.

Yeah, that's how I see it, and maybe a... So Pagula Vado corner? That's what I'm going to go for.

Okay, I'm going to go with Alexandra, a little flat form, last hardcore tournament.

Yeah, all right, cool. I've got Vadocana, you've got Alex driver.

Great. All right, scroll down.

Anna Simoffa, I thought she'd lose to Embocco, she did, and my reasoning was that I just think that

she's having a bit of a wobble at the moment. I think the Pagula thing is bothering her a bit,

or at least the two matches. I actually thought she'd beat Pagula in Australia,

and Murt Tunga said, no, this is not a good match up, and I think Pagula had won their previous

matches, and I was probably going a little bit more just by my casual eye test with Anna Simoffa

playing so well in Australia until that match. And then it was a bit of a reality check, maybe,

in terms of where Anna Simoffa's really at. I think she's obviously still comfortably a top 10

player and may well be in Grand Slam finals again, not far, not far down the road. But this is just

a little wobble for me, and I sort of confirmed more so against Embocco as well, and that Embocco is

just too solid for her. Yep, that's fair. I kind of have that that bias looming over my head,

watching her destroy Radikonu, just like insane ball striking. I think she's fine, and yeah,

I'm in the kind of in the same position, but it's like, right, yeah, she'll definitely be in the

conversation, find yourself deep into slams. Not much worry here. As I mentioned, I don't know if

players circle this tournament, being the last hardcore tournament, you know, I think they do.

I mean, that's what was a white on the clay, but if you're, yeah, if you're Radikonu,

if you're to some extent, we're back in it, although, who knows, she's obviously one loan

before, but let me not go back in it, but yeah, definitely. If you're a player who's great on the

clay, or great on the hard courts and, you know, learn a TN on the men's side, certainly,

springs to mind, you probably do circle Miami and go, you know what, it's going to be maybe Ben

Shelton and maybe Amanda Anderson Mover, maybe Radikonu to some extent, yeah. I mean, at least if

you've got the grass to come and I think Anderson Mover will cause, and by the way, Anderson Mover,

I think is a French open junior finals, I think, but yeah, I think you're right. I think plays,

maybe a bit further down the peck and order in particular, if you have 30, 40, 50 in the world,

but this is your better surface, you are circling it has been the last hardcore tournament really for a while.

Right, right. So yeah, hopefully looking at that, could have a good ball striking matchup

with Tom Lonevich. Yeah, it's a good-ish section, but when you've seen it six, you should have

a good-ish section. And now I think about it. Well, Booksess won a title recently,

Lisa's shown some form, Tom Lonevich too. Well, yeah, Lisa was, Lisa was her and did she end up

pulling out or did she play last week? She lost, either early, yeah, lost early or didn't end up

playing. She had the knee injury. So yeah, we'll see anyway, like she should be fine. I'm kind of

excited. I slash, I hope we get maybe like a Diana Schneider and a Simova matchup in that

round of 16, but also Benchich is there as well. So we'll see, I'm not really giving books

of that much of a go just because it's a little slicker of a surface. But who knows,

form can take you, rhythm can take you. Can do, but now I'm going to find a Simova from this

section and yeah, the next section. Benchich, I guess it's made of a boring prediction, but

yeah, Benchich for me. Yeah, once again Schneider would kind of be one of those hard court players,

you know, want to take advantage of the quicker surface while she can. But yeah, Benchich also

plain great, plain great. I'll go find a Simova Benchich. What about you? I'll go and a Simova

Schneider because I'm tired of it. Nice, I like it. All right, let's move down.

Sorry, we're going through a bit slower than I thought. I thought we'd be raising through this,

but it's my fault, probably. Okay, now into the next section. Oh, Noscava.

It's her section was the high seed here, but Merton's, Sackery can blow hot and cold,

Castella can definitely blow hot and cold. So it's an interesting section fairly,

nicely balanced, I would say, actually. I'd agree. I'd agree with that comment. Yeah,

Castella, like you mentioned, just like red hot to, well, just paint good tennis. Yeah, kind of in

those weaker dries, 215 clues that she would need to hang with. Yeah. So I must have Alex,

a yellow couple weeks later, and I'm actually surprised because I thought that she would just have

a, I think the crowd might have got to her that day, you know, there was some players that,

that sort of don't mind all that stuff going on in the crowd, like I think overgolf in

particular, doesn't mind, but Castella is someone that's probably a little bit more prickly

than, now, than, kind of co-so. Yeah, but Noscava again, it's a bit of a boring pick for me,

but I think her level is, I think she's a top 10 player. I mean, she's 14 seed at the moment,

so she's so close to it, but she's such a good tennis player, such a good ball striker,

such a good returner, but plays with some good margin as well. It's certainly some of the

bothered Alex a lot in their match recently, unlike their match in, did you see the Le Petit's

stuff from Noscava and Alex Yala, which Alex Yala won six, seven years ago? Did you see it?

No, I might have seen, like, you know, this, you know, this Le Petit's tournament, the sort of

the junior thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think it's probably a YouTube heaven as well in terms of

coming down there and and and did, you know, did some stuff. I think it would be, it would get great

traction for many years to come. Anyway, I'll go for Noscava in this section, but I tell you what

Merton's is arguably the most solid player on the tour in terms of consistency. She beats

players that she should beat and loses to those that she shouldn't, although she will often push

them. Zachary, yeah, she's she's someone who we can't sleep on because of that run she had recently

in the Middle East, including being Eagle, although Eagle avenged that didn't she in. I actually

was a little disappointed that Marie couldn't push Eagle a bit more in Indian Wells. I didn't

expect her to win, but I thought who knows, cup of tight sets, but it was much, I think she went up

an early break on Eagle and that was the end of it really. Yeah, but that she could certainly emerge

from this section, but I'm probably going to go Noscava. I'm going to have a quick look at Noscava

against Sakoi head to head, but I'm yeah, no, I'm I'm in the same boat. It feels kind of boring,

but I did see Noscava lose here fairly early last year. So maybe we've been a redemption

once again, like very very good. Just slick your surface, like even though Indian Wells is slower and

gave her a bit more time, like very good on the quicker surfaces as well. So yeah,

one each one each of the head to head between Noscava and Sakoi, so not a huge amount to talk about,

they're both on the hard, but yeah, one each, but yeah, I'll go for Noscava to emerge from this one,

and then if we scroll, are you going to go Noscava as well? Yep. And then if we scroll down,

ooh, Coco Gough. Is she fit? Do we know? Or we assume so? I would surprise to see that, like,

because we didn't really got an update, have we? No, no, we haven't. I think because of

how long ago it was, it was obviously seven, eight days ago now, that she withdrew or retired against

Iyala, that I think we'd have probably got an update if it was bad. Right, but she got an MRI, so like,

okay, you know, you know it's in 20, like less than 24 hours, kind of like what you're dealing with.

Right, yeah, exactly, yeah. Doesn't look John. That's a good sign, it's a good sign. Yeah,

let's imagine she's certainly playing anyway. And Coach Areto is someone that she lost to

in the Middle East, in what was maybe the low point of her year, or depending on how bad this

injury is, maybe the Iyala injury or the match with the Iyala where she got injured might be.

But I then saw her beat Merton's in a really tough match, and I thought, that's it Coco,

I think you've turned a corner here. And although she eventually went out to fit a leader in

exceptionally tight, but also a classic match, there was a lot of positives to come from that

tournament in the end. And yeah, the double false is still there and they may they may never go.

I don't know, but yeah, I think what I think we were right. I mean, Coco's not one of these

blasers that wants to get things done on the hard courts, because she's very adept on McClay.

Yeah, you're right. So definitely just monitor how she feels. So I'll have her as well. I'll assume

she's fit. Yeah, I assume she's fit. And I'm going to have her against Noscover.

Boeing picks, I know, apologies for that, but I do go ambitious sometimes. Midaventraver.

Not in a great spot right now. No, not in a great spot. The good news has like little to nothing

to defend here. I remember she went out to. I know it could be. So not a bad section. Busker. Yeah,

it's not bad. Is it this little section here anyway? Right. So it's definitely not too bad.

So yeah, I don't know, but definitely like a. I'm sure it's not helpful that she played the

the doubles with and Coco and kind of got that. Oh, okay. There you go. Yeah, I thought that

helped her kind of like just de-stress, you know, like kind of remove herself, but there's

there's a little cloud over her head, especially when you're that young and have that spotlight on you.

Top 10 player already, already a master's champion. It's it's it'll be interesting kind of a

monitor that first that first singles match back. Yeah, I think it's a nice little section. Oh,

I think I can see how emerging. The next section, um, Callin's Sky is interesting.

Unbuckle really. Oh, unbuckle against Midda. I feel like that that Midda had a match point

against him in the Middle East and then book a one light. Oh, I can't remember it as well, but

yes, it feels like they played each other. It was a down match point and Midda didn't win that

and it was another rough, rough loss for Midda. And I feel like she's had a lot of rough losses

over the last since that was on match in the French open. Yeah, you know, she wanted to do

well and then she didn't do well in one year ago, but it didn't matter. She was on the

quest of a wave. She she was obviously winning matches in Australia before losing to Saboleco, I

think. And then she wins a 1000 in the Middle East and then she wins in your wells and it's like

great. Is she going to win a slam this year? We're way ahead of her trajectory. She's top 10,

and then everything was great really until and even the French open draw was opening up a bit.

Certainly that's not a bad, but I think it was quite a final maybe against Bosson. So

you you expect her to win that and I think she had chances in the first set but was not

quite solid enough and then it's not it's kind of unraveled a bit since.

Yeah, definitely just an interesting situation, such a talented young player.

So I've got her getting to play in Bocco anyway. Yeah, I like it too.

All right, Mukava. Again, she didn't really lay a glove on her. I think she lost

10 games and I think she got to two all and then it was actually playing a lot. I think I even

said over the first four games that it was actually looking all right for Carolina, but then

and I said at least she's got two games here because I think she won two games against the EGA

the year before. And I was like well at least she's got that landmark and then she didn't get

beyond it. Actually, I think I'm going to go for Towson in this section.

Yeah, I like it too. I'm a player who will enjoy these conditions. I'm trying to remember what

she did last year. I do remember like watching her quite a bit, but I'd have to look into it.

Good spot for her. Good spot for her. It could be a good good battle between Mukava and Towson.

Yeah, I think it'd be great. That's the first matchup for Mukava. It might be a little difficult,

no matter who wins it. Asoria or Sinyakava?

Oh, definitely. Yeah, Sinyakas fit as well. She's got a few questions over.

This is Towson a year ago, by the way. Big grab and then lost to Badosa. But then Badosa

withdrew, didn't she? Later on in the tournament because she was due to play Ayala.

Yes, back injury. Yeah.

So coming back to this draw anyway, I'll go with Towson to come up against somebody else.

Let me have a quick move. Somebody else with the draw again. So I'm going to go back to the draw.

If someone's, who's in the next section? So I've got to leave a few windows. I've got so many

windows right now. Who's in the next section that's so the big is?

The number two seed you got to be on tech and number three.

I want to see her first time. Oh, I guess last week, but I'll see y'all.

Yes, so that is intriguing.

I think I'm losing you a bit on the Wi-Fi here, John.

Oh, okay. Can you, can you hear me? Yeah, yeah.

All right, I'm just going to close a few windows and stuff because I think it might help.

But how are y'all going to set off ego on clay? I have no idea, but it happened.

Somehow in a match I didn't see in Madrid, but yeah, that was wild. So Segment, by the way,

I would love to see Segment against Yala. Definitely would be interesting.

Marathon match written all over it. How come? What I can say to you about that?

Did you have a curiosity? A few things. I think Segment against almost anyone is semi fun or

can be very fun, but I think the the slicing and dicing from from Laura could be interesting,

but the one thing in particular I'm looking forward to is to see how Laura deals with the crowd

because I remember she wasn't, she didn't enjoy the Coco fandom at the US Open a couple of years

ago in a match that was super tight and Laura could easily have won it. I'm trying to think that

might be in the year that Coco won the title in 2023. Okay. So I'm very intrigued to see how that

pans out. I like it. I like it. And she's a listen, Laura is whatever is always a fun watch.

But yeah, it could be she's obviously at the other end of her career at this point,

you know, in terms of being in the twilight of her career, Alex is at that stage. She will run

down that top clock and force the issues and getting in and arguing with the umpire over being told

to speed up, et cetera, et cetera. And yeah, I think it'll be interesting to see how Alex deals

with that as well. I also think that the Alex we've often see her come up against huge ball strikers

like Yastraemska, who end up just not being and that's a fun match up as well because eventually

Alex frustrates them. And by the way, Alex let's not forget has our own weapons as well, especially

on the turn. And that's a fun thing. What isn't fun is when Alex plays a Noska or a Goff

in the form that Goff was in in the Middle East in particular where they had that margin

where and they've also got big second serves that Alex can't really deal with. That's less of a

fun thing. And the other thing that sometimes it's less fun is when Eyalah is just struggling

physically by the quarterfans because she's put herself in such an awkward situation in the previous

two matches. Whereas at least here, we know that she's not going to be pretty fresh. So yeah,

I'm looking forward to that potential match up. And I think Alex comes through. I fancy probably

even more so against Marcinco. And I think we're going to get Eyalah Siontech. I think I hope as

well in some ways. I think we will too. Yeah, I hope. Yeah. Yeah. But then I'm having Siontech

to exact her invention on Miami last year and progress. I am as well. I find Eyalah match is

really difficult to predict. And I don't I'm not just saying that in terms of someone who I know

gains a lot of traction, etc. But I gave him I had her to lose to Castella, right? For example,

and Castella obviously didn't be here. I was sure that she'd lose to Coco and that's what worked out.

But I also had Coco to beat you in Indian Wells and was pretty confident about that position. Now

there was obviously the physical side of things, but don't forget Coco was already losing that

first thing. Don't forget it was the left arm of Coco's not her eating arms. So and it wasn't

really affecting her in those eight games, at least to the casual observer. I think it was six

two that first sets and not that. And it was a kind of a surprise even though she had some

attention to it. So and Eyalah was playing great and was worthy of winning that first set.

But I then thought that she had a great chance. I think I was going to be really tough for her.

I didn't expect it to get blown off the court like she was by an Oscar. So yeah, I find it really

tough, but I think I would confidently predict eager to win and if Eyalah got the win great and

you get things wrong. But yeah, and that would make Eagah against Towson. So now I'm just going to

quickly race through the last sort of few matches. Now you're going to have Towson against Siontech as

well. Yeah, I like it. All right, Sabelinka Zheng for me, Sabelinka Kees for you. Do you have Sabelinka

winning that one? I do. Yeah, me too. And then we'll have Ostapenko's Fiddleina. I'm going to go

with Ostapenko. We both got that one, I think. Yeah, yeah. Once again, why not? Sabelinka Ostapenko,

bring it on, please. They obviously played in the Stuttgart final last year, which was one by

Ostapenko. She was in the real rich vein of form at the time. Yeah. But yeah, and then we've got

rebe, rebeckiner or soccer. I'm going to go with rebeckiner. It's a little boring, I know, but

we'll go with rebeckiner. And you too? Yeah, there's lines she's feeling good, like health wise.

I think I've got Raducarno and you've got Alexander Lova coming up against Pagula. Are we both

going Pagula? Yeah. Okay. And then you've got Bench, I've got Benchich, you've got Schneider

against Anisimovar. I'm going to go Anisimovar. I am as well. Okay, interesting.

We've both got Noscava Coco, just want to have a quick look at their head to head. Noscava.

Interesting, yeah. Coco, Coco, because that could influence me. I feel like they played

each other sometime last year in Asia, but I could be wrong. I know Noscava got to a final,

Coco's won both of them. And we're just going to go on Coco being fit. Oh, they didn't play

in Asia last year. I think they both had good runs in various tournaments, but never met each other.

Noscava obviously played Pagula, I think in W2, 1000 last year. I think Pagula won that one, I'm not

sure. But anyway, yeah, and the last one was in Cincinnati. It was four and 0 in Goff's favor,

but that was during that. Oh, and Indian Wells in 2023 as well. But that one in Cincinnati was when

Goff was just winning everything, including the US Open in the end. But I think I want to go with

Coco. She's fit. Yeah, Yalgo Coco. Yeah, I think I want to go Coco, but I'm going to go Noscava.

All right, health question mark. I'll go Coco, you go Noscava. At least we've got some change there.

I'll go from Boca with a meta. Okay, I'll go mirror over in Boca.

Oh, redemption. Yeah. Okay. You've got meta. I've got sorry, Boca, you've got meta.

And then I'll go for what? Tell you what, it's Fiontech Towson. I don't know.

It's Fiontech Towson head to head. What's going on there?

Um, let's have a quick look. Have you got any thoughts on Fiontech Towson?

Yeah, I guess you guys are trying to extend the rallies, play as much defense as possible,

frustrated Towson, get her head in a negative place. And that can happen, yeah.

Yeah, just one margins. Two on. Yeah, two on two eager. Yeah. When did Towson get that?

Because I felt that when you were in Montreal last year. Okay.

Was that a bad spell for you? It's always a, she'd won Wimbledon. That was her first time

back, I guess, after Wimbledon. Yeah. And she was on the quest of a wave, the wave that

to me suggested she could win the US Open Eagle, but didn't work out, of course.

Um, in Miami, I'll go eager, but honestly, it's, I wouldn't be surprised if Towson won that,

if that happens. But I will go eager. Are you going to go eager as well? I am. I'm going to go

here. All right. So that means Savilenka was to Penko. I'll go Savilenka. Are you going to go Savilenka?

Yeah. Okay. And then we've got, oh, this is really interesting. We're back in a Pagula.

I'll go back in a, because she keeps winning against Pagula at the moment. But she obviously won

anything. Well, isn't she against Pagula as well as the story? Yeah. But like I said, Pagula was

pushing her. It was close. Very just like a flat hitting contest from the baseline. Someone's,

you know, trying to go on top of the rally first. Should be a close one. I'll give, I'll give

Pagula go on, on US soil. Do you know what I might go with Pagula as well? I've, one of those two,

I think, is winning the title. I'll go back in a, all right. Um, and then we've got, I think we've

both got at us in Mover. Uh, I've got Koko. You've got Noscava. I'm going to go with Koko.

Uh, to end up playing against, um, I'll go Koko and Boko, and Boko to be eager. And I'll go

in a Mover. Yeah. Oh, completely different. Yeah. All right. So, and I say Mover versus eager for you.

And I've got, um, Koko and Boko. I'll go with Rebecca and her to beat Savillenka.

And I'll go over Pagula. Yeah, Savillenka over Pagula. So I've got my back in my final. You've got

Savillenka in your final. I'll go with, what's the ambocal Koko? Head to head. Are they played?

Have they played? I don't know if they have. Go off head to head. Um,

um, so we've got Koko, go off against ambocal. I don't think they have.

I mean, obviously, um, Boko's burst from the scene in the last 12 months. Oh, they have twice.

One one is the head to head. Um, a Boko, one of the most recent one in Canada on route to

the title last year, one and four. And go off one of the first one on the claim room. Yeah,

well, that makes sense. But, um, yeah, I'll go with, um, a, with back in a ambocal final.

And by the way, they've brought up some classics in, in, in the last 12 months or so. Your final

will be Savillenka against either Anderson Mova or Ega. Yeah, I'm gonna go, uh, Anderson Mova,

Savillenka. Did I, did I read? Yeah, Anderson Mova beats Ega, yeah. Yep. All right.

So you've got Savillenka and Anderson Mova. And I'll go with Rebecca to get some revenge on

ambocal because I think, uh, they certainly, she certainly lost one of the two. Um,

I think they played each other twice and they were back in an ambocal. Um,

and there was a really tight one that went the way of, oh, it's two, two actually,

there was a super tight, there was a couple of super tight ones that went ambocal's way. Yeah,

in Qatar, this year, ambocal once, once win six four in the third. In Tokyo last year,

when Rebecca was just mega motivated to get those wins to, to get to, um, the WTA finals,

she wins in straight sets. Yeah. And in, in, in, in, in Canada, there was a super tight one that

went ambocal's way seven six in the third. And in what, they've played each other four times in

seven months, all on a hard court. And the, the spoils are shared. And I'm going to go with

the back and a to win this one. Oh, okay. So I'm going to go back and title.

Uh, gosh, it.

To our one, why, like, why not sunshine double greeners have like a 2026.

Okay. So Savillenka, you've got beaten Pagula, right? Is that white in the semis?

That is correct. Yeah. Honestly, I think, I think that top half is just a little stronger than

the bottom half, just because of the cocoa injury, because of the aniseum of an eager form,

that a sort of heavy hit is there in that bottom half. Whereas the top half, I think, has got

maybe the three favorites for the title. And the three players that I said at the top of the show,

the form players of the, the, the tall in terms of the back and the Savillenka and Pagula.

If they were in different sections, so they're in different halves of the draw, I think they'd make

the final. So I think if Savillenka's in the different half, if the back and is in the bottom half,

or if Pagula is in the bottom, I think maybe Pagula beats eager. And I think she'd be telling us

some of as well. So I think that would, that's a tough top half, really, in a way, that means Pagula

for me goes out in the quarters. Um, but she could easily win the title. Anyway, I'll go over back and

win the title, um, over in Boko in the final and you've got Savillenka doing the sunshine double.

So thank you very much for that. I said we'd be 20 minutes. It was an hour and 20 in the end.

You know, you know, you know how these things go, John. We, you know, we go on to our, our sidequest.

So thanks so much for having me. Good fun for me and enjoy your Sunday evening.

Bruno will speak to each other soon. Cheers, John. Thanks so much. Bye-bye.

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