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Jonathan and James return to discuss a wild opening week of the 2016 Australian Open. The first few rounds featured upsets galore, a match-fixing scandal and a slew of entertaining matches. We also report the findings of our (very scientific) Twitter polls asking our listeners to tell us who their least favorite tennis commentators are. As always, we look forward to yourfeedback, and give us a review on iTunes if you like what you hear!
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The 2016 Australian Open began under the cloud of a BBC/Buzzfeed report alleging match-fixing in tennis. The chaos surrounding the story was matched on court by a slew of upsets, particularly in the women's draw. By the completion of the second round, only 14 of the 32 seeded women remained in the draw. The men's seeds experienced a less turbulent time of it in Melbourne, with only seven failing to advance to the third round. Week one will also be remembered for the final match of Lleyton Hewitt's career. The long-time Aussie stalwart lost to David Ferrer in the second round, in his 20th appearance at the Australian Open.
WTA UPSETS
Check out who's left in the WOMEN'S DRAW
SPOTLIGHT
Zhang Shuai The Chinese player, ranked as high as #30 in 2014, scored one of the biggest upsets of the first week when she dismissed #2 seed Simona Halep in straight sets. Compounding the loss for Halep was the fact that Zhang had failed to advance past the first round of a Slam in each of her previous 14 attempts, and lost in qualifying at Slams a further 13 times. Yet, the world #133 summoned her best tennis, and finds herself in the fourth round, where she will play Madison Keys on Monday. Naomi Osaka In just her third attempt at qualifying for a Grand Slam main draw, Osaka made it all the way to the third round before losing to a resurgent Victoria Azarenka. She will leave Melbourne with yet another career high ranking, having announced herself as a player to watch for the 2016 season and beyond. Osaka beat Donna Vekic in the first round and then #18 seed Elina Svitolina in straight sets two days later. OTHER STANDOUTS
PRESS
After an eventful opening week to the 2016 tennis season, chock full of big-name stars, week two was a much more low key affair. The biggest name in action this week was WTA #2, Simona Halep, still dealing with lingering Achilles/leg problems. On the men's side, David Ferrer at #8 was the top ranked player on the circuit. Nonetheless, there was plenty on offer to delight tennis fans: a resurgent Svetlana Kuznetsova, an improved Bouchard, Fast 4 Tennis, a Troicki defence, and 32 qualifiers who battled their way into the main draw of the Australian Open. While we're on the topic, be sure to check out my preview of The Happy Slam!
ATP Week 2 Winners
Spotlight Once dubbed "Baby Fed" for the uncanny similarities to Roger Federer in style of play, Grigor Dimitrov now finds himself struggling to stay afloat inside the ATP top 30. From a career high of #8 in August 2014, Dimitrov now resides at #28 after a disastrous 2015 season, when he advanced to the final eight only six times. However, his quarterfinal showing in Brisbane and run to the finals in Sydney promise to spark a comeback of sorts for the beleaguered Bulgarian. Both losses -- to Federer in Brisbane, and Troicki in Sydney -- were in three sets. Along the way, he scored wins against: Troicki (Brisbane), Simon, Cuevas, Dolgopolov, and Muller. While his name won't be mentioned as a favourite in Melbourne, Dimitrov is at least able to carry some momentum into the rest of the season as he begins the climb back to the ATP top 10. Other Standouts
Other events this week: Kooyong Classic, Fast4 Tennis, Australian Open Qualifying
Don't miss the Season 2 opener from The Body Serve! As usual, Jonathan and James are serving up the laughs, the shade, and all the info you need to know about the 2016 Australian Open.
In a world where Roberta Vinci can defeat Serena Williams in the semifinals of the U.S. Open to halt a Calendar Slam bid, I've learned my lesson about making predictions. Accordingly, this 2016 Australian Open preview will not try to name the winners, but rather assess the state of the top 8 seeds' chances on both the ATP and WTA tours.
Men's Seeds 1. Novak Djokovic The world #1 and defending champion had a season for the ages in 2015. He reached the final of every tournament he entered, save for his season opening effort in Doha, and came within one match of potentially winning the Calendar Slam. But for Stan Wawrinka, I'm hard pressed to think of another player who could possibly derail him given all that we've seen the past 12 months. Perhaps a massive server like Karlovic, who beat him in Doha last year, or Kevin Anderson, who stretched Djokovic to five sets at Wimbledon? 1st Round: Hyeon Chung In his quarter: Kei Nishikori In his half: Roger Federer 2. Andy Murray You will likely hear a fair bit about a "Murray Baby Watch" in Melbourne over the course of the fortnight. Murray has said he will withdraw should he get the call during the tournament that his wife has gone into labour. Grand Slams are difficult enough without having such an enormous life change swirling overhead. That said, perhaps the lack of expectation will spur Murray into a spell of the carefree and aggressive tennis that he will need to summon for a title run. 1st Round: Alexander Zverev In his quarter: David Ferrer In his half: Stan Wawrinka/Rafael Nadal 3. Roger Federer Federer is one of two players (Wawrinka) who could realistically pose a threat to Djokovic in Melbourne. However, his uneven performance in his Brisbane final loss to Raonic clouds his readiness for a deep run. Reports from Brisbane also suggested that Federer was dealing with an illness during the tournament. If so, making the final at all was a notable achievement. If close to 100%, Federer is a safe bet to make the 39th Slam semifinal of his career. 1st Round: Nikoloz Basilashvili In his quarter: Tomas Berdych In his half: Novak Djokovic Watch: A visibly displeased Federer drops his racquet during Brisbane final defeat to Milos Raonic. CLICK FOR FULL MEN'S DRAW PDF
Welcome to the first installment of "This Week in Tennis," a weekly series recapping the goings-on in the world of tennis. The first week of the 2016 season delivered it all: familiar champions, new faces, retirements, withdrawals, drama, marquee match-ups, and young guns on the come-up. If this week is any indication of what's to come in 2016, we're in for quite a ride.
ATP Week 1 winners:
Spotlight: Tennis fans were treated to the 47th edition of Djokovic vs. Nadal right off the bat in Doha. Those hoping for a reversal of fortune for Rafael Nadal were made to suffer through yet another convincing win by Djokovic; he has now won 11 consecutive sets versus Nadal spanning their last five matches, and 9 of 10 matches overall since Nadal beat him to win the 2013 U.S. Open. The 6-1 6-2 scoreline in a mere 73 minutes -- with Djokovic winning two-thirds of the total points -- underscores just how good the world number one has been over the last 12 months. For Nadal, a final to start his 2016 campaign is something he can continue to build on as he looks to ensure a more successful season this year than last. Incredibly, Djokovic actually increases his lead at #1 as his Doha title comes after losing in the quarterfinals to Ivo Karlovic last year. Spanning the last calendar year, Djokovic has not lost before reaching the final of any tournament he's entered. Other Standouts:
Early Exits:
Jonathan & James return to put the finishing touches on Season 1 of The Body Serve Tennis Podcast. They present their 2015 ATP year in review and give their thoughts on Serena Williams winning the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year award.
LISTEN: The Body Serve tennis podcast returns to recap all the happenings in women's tennis from 2015! In episode 30, Jonathan and James review the major stories that captivated tennis fans during the past 12 months.
The Body Serve Tennis Podcast celebrates Venus Williams' return to the WTA top 10 after a near 5 year absence. The 35-year-old won the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai to ensure she'll finish the 2015 season ranked #7 in the world. James and I also unveil our list of tennis divas, in which we discuss what it means to be a diva, and tell you who some of your favourite tennis players would be.
The Body Serve Tennis Podcast is back with two brand new episodes as both the WTA & ATP near the end of the tennis season. Both episodes are timestamped below for your listening pleasure.
Got feedback? We'd love to hear from you on Twitter or shoot us a review on iTunes/share the podcast with your friends! 
Photo credit: Jonathan Newman, Montreal/2015
The Body Serve tennis podcast is hosted by Jonathan Newman and James Rogers.
Listen to both episodes below: 
File photo: Jonathan Newman/Cincinnati 2015
THE BODY SERVE Tennis Podcast: Jonathan & James are back to preview the 2015 U.S. Open and Serena Williams' quest to complete the calendar Grand Slam.
File photo: Jonathan Newman/Montreal 2015
Jonathan & James hit the road to Montreal, Toronto and Cincinnati this August. Below are the three episodes of The Body Serve documenting their travels. Tune in to hear who they met, which players they saw & all the unique tennis experiences not captured on television.
File photo: Jonathan Newman/Montreal 2015
1. Queens of their domains: 18 #1s and 21 Grand Slams
2. They are two of the most GIFable people on the planet
3. Often imitated, never duplicated.
4. Both give hilariously Diva HSN appearances
5. Well versed in the art of throwing shade
6. Known to have alter egos: Bianca & Taquanda
7. Both love small dogs.
8. Know how to stage a grand comeback.
9. Brett Ratner is a mutual friend.
10. Mariah and Serena once wore the same Roberto Cavalli dress, in different colours and to separate events.
Photo taken by Jonathan Newman/Rogers Cup 2014
Andy Murray has announced himself to the world as a feminist. More than a year after hiring Amélie Mauresmo as coach, Murray still feels the need to defend her against what he terms “prejudice,” but what others may, more specifically, deem sexism. When he parted ways with Ivan Lendl last spring, the tennis world awaited the news of who would replace the “super coach.” Selecting Mauresmo was unconventional; few male tennis players – let alone one of the best in the world – had gone the route of hiring a woman coach before.
The responses to the Murresmo pairing have varied from rapturous support to ridicule. But, Murray has been steadfast in his support for the former world #1, doubling down in recent times: he spoke candidly at the Australian Open in support of Mauresmo, then followed up with an interview with Red Bulletin Magazine and a self-penned piece for L’Equipe in recent weeks. His insistence on giving their partnership every chance to succeed is intentional, as is his repeated public and unsolicited support of Mauresmo. Murray’s feminism may appear insignificant, but within a male-dominated sporting culture and society writ large, it matters greatly. It’s not just that he hired a female coach; he is trying, in his own stubborn way, to elevate the discourse surrounding women in sport. Feminism Given a Bad Name Feminism is a political doctrine and a social movement that refers to the belief in the “social, political, and economic equality of the sexes,” as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie so succinctly put it. Simply, feminists are people who see injustice done to women and aim to do something about it. This can apply to sexual violence, objectification, equal pay, abortion, slut-shaming, representation, and much more. But without an academic understanding of feminism, most people learn about it by taking cues here and there in their daily lives. While feminism has recently become more openly discussed on the internet and in popular culture (see: Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, tumblr), our culture still suffers from a lack of understanding of the goals of feminism. Young people are generally not taught about feminism in schools, and so girls become women unable to situate themselves in relation to feminism as a continuing political movement. How many times have you heard someone say, “I am not a feminist,” even though you know that person to hold feminist ideals? This is the destructive legacy of misogyny and sexism; all that is left is the still metastasizing cultural conception of the bra-burning, anti-man, lesbian feminist. If you are not that, then how can you be a feminist? This excerpt from Julie Zeilinger’s “A Little F’d Up: Why Feminism is Not a Dirty Word” goes a long way toward explaining how the definition of feminism gets muddied. The movement to cast feminism as “anti-man” is a very deliberate, and effective, tool in blunting its power, sabotaging the advancement of women’s issues, and molding it into preserving the patriarchy. One of the most damaging myths of the movement is that men cannot be feminists. If girls get conflicting messages during adolescence as to what feminism is and whether they should identify as such, then the signals are far less murky for boys. Most young men arrive at adulthood certain that feminism is something reserved for women. Espousing feminist ideals is at complete odds with maintaining the necessary levels of masculinity to survive adolescence for most boys. The truth is feminism occurs on many levels. The woman who takes to the streets agitating for equal pay is a feminist in the same way the man who addresses casual misogyny at work is. Sport and Feminism As difficult as it is for feminist ideas to break through society’s consciousness, sport is a subsector even more impenetrable. Before children are even born, parents outfit them in all things pink and blue dependent on the baby’s sex. Children are streamlined into activities thought to be better suited to boys or girls. To be sure, women have made great strides in recent decades toward breaking this practice and showing that girls belong in organized sports. But, as a society, we are still failing our girls when it comes to how we value their athletic contributions, and the discourse surrounding female athletes. Young boys and girls learn from very young ages where they stand in the sporting spectrum. We teach our kids that sports is the domain of boys, so much so that a 5-year-old boy knows how to taunt his little league friends by saying things like “you throw like a girl.” Then there is the shame cast upon the boy who has been outperformed by a girl, never mind that in their formative years, girls tend to develop physically at an earlier age. Even at such young ages, the sad truth is boys are aware that society values them more than girls. Moreover, boys are mindful that their own worth is a site of contestation when their athletic prowess is challenged by a girl. What makes life so difficult for women in sport is that their athletic achievement is always judged in relation to men. Society doesn’t know how to judge female athletic performance on its own merits without using men as a measuring stick. This is patriarchy at work; by using physical strength as the standard, society ensures that women will always be considered less than equal. Moreover, women are stifled by the perception that their bodies are delicate and must be protected from overexertion. Yet, they are considered inferior athletes if they can’t run as fast, throw as hard, or exhibit the same strength as men. It’s a lose-lose scenario. Because these lines have been drawn, there is precious little space for feminist thinking in sports. Tack on the financial disparity in revenue between men and women’s sport and it gets even more difficult to cut through the densely formed narratives arguing against the worth of women’s sport. Serena Williams could never beat Roger Federer, so clearly women’s tennis is inferior to men’s tennis. Extrapolate this further and we see why some asked, “Mauresmo doesn’t know what it is like to play men’s tennis, so what could she possibly bring to Murray’s game to help him?” Women are meant to be docile, sexy, and the object of the male gaze; there is no room for them in elite sport, let alone coaching a man. But for Murray, it was as simple as “she listened to how I was feeling.” Why Andy Murray’s Feminism Matters Socialization is often the most useful point of analysis to understand why people are the way they are. Jamaican sprinters are clearly naturally gifted. But, they aren’t biologically predisposed to running faster more so than people from other countries. There are underlying factors: poverty, lack of opportunity, cultural history, among others, that all play a part in producing a succession of gifted sprinters. Murray himself is a product of his environment. He values the input of women in his career because he grew up with his mother as a prominent guiding influence in his formative years. In hiring Mauresmo, Murray put into action a decades-long set of values that he picked up through his socialization in sport. He is not restricted in the ways most men are in making the decision to hire a female coach; he learnt from a very early age, from seeing and doing, that even he can learn a great deal from Mauresmo. Great as he is already -- winner of 2 major tournaments, runner-up at another 6, and ranked as high as #2 in the world -- Andy Murray believes a woman can help him get better at his sport. Predictably, Murray’s decision elicited responses ranging from praise to ridicule. He was lauded by those who thought his decision bold, going against the grain of sporting culture, unconcerned with what anybody thought about him. There were those who dismissed Mauresmo as a token hire, unqualified for such a high-profile post, who couldn’t possibly have anything to bring to the table. There were the sexist comments, questioning how she’d be able to integrate into the team when she can’t even enter the locker room. Murray even dealt with resistance within his own camp. Shortly after hiring Mauresmo, he and long-time member of his coaching team, Dani Vallverdu, parted ways. The circumstances surrounding their separation were murky until Murray clarified the situation in Red Bulletin Magazine. When talking about his lack of immediate success when Mauresmo came on board, he said: “During that year I’d spent a total of two and a half weeks training with her. It clearly wasn’t her fault. Rather than doubt her, I started to wonder why no one was taking responsibility for their role in it. So I decided to move on.” Rather than take the easy way out and lay blame at Mauresmo’s feet, Murray opted instead to cast aside those who were uncommitted to his course of action, showing that her hiring was not tokenism. Mauresmo is a former world #1 and two-time Grand Slam champion. She was a highly successful player in her own right, and one who also had coaching experience on her résumé ( briefly coaching Michaël Llodra, Marion Bartoli, and serving as French Fed Cup captain starting in 2013). Mauresmo’s hiring was groundbreaking, but what is even more important is how committed Murray has been to elevating the public discourse surrounding women in sport. Anybody could have made that hire, but very few would have been willing to be as unflinching in his support as Murray has. Murray now has a pulpit and he is not afraid to use it for his new-found feminism. He credits his mother, and having her as a coach in his junior days, for giving him this perspective. In his interview, he acknowledges the damaging effects of machismo in sports. For Murray, being able to express his feelings is something of utmost importance to the success of his overall game. This is incongruent with how boys are socialized to suppress emotion, even more so in sport. In Murray’s interview with Red Bulletin Magazine, he is asked plainly, “Do you regard yourself as a feminist?” “[Long pause]. Good question. I don’t know. I’m pro everyone being equal and if that’s being a feminist then you could say so, yes. It really opened my eyes when I started working with Amelie. Inequality is something I started to see and become passionate about. It’s opened my mind.” Murrays hits the same note in his op-ed in L’Equipe: “Have I become a feminist? Well, if being a feminist is about fighting so that a woman is treated like a man then yes, I suppose I have.” Murray’s circuitous answer to a straightforward question highlights what was previously discussed: most people are not able to pin down what exactly feminism is. His hesitancy to self-identify as “feminist” without some sort of qualifier also speaks to just how polarizing a word and movement it still is. It might help explain why, even though much of what Murray says and does is aligned with feminist thinking, he is still careful to embrace it fully. This is not to chastise Murray for not identifying the way I think he should. It is more an observation as to how misunderstood and divisive the word is. Still, Murray’s willingness to speak is what sets him apart from everybody else on the ATP. While the likes of Gilles Simon and Janko Tipsarevic are concerned with women not deserving equal pay in tennis, Murray spends his time promoting up-and-coming female talent on Twitter, and singing the praises of his coach. It’s more than a matter of creating good optics, it’s being willing to stay the course and be a constant voice for progress when his colleagues either do the opposite or remain silent. The ATP tour has done very little to address issues of sexism when they arise, turning a blind eye whenever its charges step out of line. Murray is the only player who has gone out of his way to disrupt the sexist discourse in tennis. This may seem like a small, insignificant thing; I assure you, it is not. In fact, that Murray is willing to take a stand, however small it may seem, is a massive victory for those interested in creating more access for girls and women in sport. Murray’s feminism, no matter how underdeveloped it may seem, becomes elevated in the sporting landscape where there is too often very little space for women. He is a man at the top of his sport who uplifts women rather than partake in casual sexism and misogyny. It would be easier to maintain the status quo and just be one of the boys. Instead, he takes principled stands and agitates for better representation for women. His feminism, even if rudimentary, towers over what’s on offer from other prominent male athletes. We could use more men like Andy Murray. For more on this issue, listen to our discussion on The Body Serve Tennis Podcast!  Photo credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images Serena Williams continues to dominate the WTA tour, even as she approaches her 34th birthday. Twenty years into a staggering professional tennis career, Williams’ resume keeps getting more impressive with each passing year. In celebration of her 20th Grand Slam title, this list takes a closer look at Serena’s career with each number representing a milestone or significant occurrence in her pilgrimage to tennis history.
1: Williams has now spent 244 weeks as the top ranked player on the WTA (fourth all-time) and 121 consecutive weeks at #1 (active – third all-time). 2: Serena’s tennis prowess extends to mixed doubles where she won two titles partnering Max Mirnyi in 1998. In fact, she made four consecutive mixed doubles finals from ’98 French Open through ’99 Australian Open. 3: With Saturday’s win over Lucie Safarova in the Roland Garros final, Williams now owns three French crowns and can claim to have won a career grand slam as many times. The number also represents the few times she’s made it to the semifinals of a Slam without advancing to the final (24/27). 4: Both Williams sisters own four Olympic gold medals: one each in singles, and three in doubles. 5: To date, Serena has won five Venus Rosewater Dishes at Wimbledon and a matching number of Tour Championship titles. 6: Williams has six wins each at the U.S. and Australian Opens, the most by any player at either event (she shares first with Chris Evert at U.S. Open). 7: Serena has lost only seven WTA finals in the last decade (42-7). Seven also denotes the number of times Williams has won a match 6-0 6-0 in her career. 8: Number of times she’s played her sister in a Grand Slam final (6-2). 9: Years since Chris Evert wrote her (in)famous open letter to Serena urging her to focus more on tennis. Almost 24 at the time, Serena has since added 13 Slams to surpass Evert as the top American titlist. 10: Total number of finals made by Williams at the Miami Masters, winning eight. 11: The number of years in between winning French Open titles (2002-2013). It was also at age 11 that Serena was asked, “if you were a tennis player, who would you want to be like?” Her response: “I like other people to be like me.” 12: Total number of clay court titles won by Williams in her career, the most of any active player. Her 12 hard court Slam titles are also the most in tennis history. 13: Venus and Serena have partnered to win 13 Grand Slam doubles titles, never losing in a final. The number also represents the grand sum of losses by the sisters in Slam doubles events (115-13). 14: Having once vowed to never return to Indian Wells, Serena changed her mind and played the event in 2015 for the first time in 14 years. 15: The number of years between her first and most recent U.S. Open titles (1999-2014), an all-time record. 16: Consecutive wins over Maria Sharapova, dating back to 2004. After losing back-to-back matches that year, including the Wimbledon final, Williams has not lost to Sharapova in almost 11 years. Sixteen is also the total of #1 players Williams has beaten in her career. 17: How old Williams was when she won her first Slam title at the 1999 U.S. Open, and the number of WTA finals lost by Williams over her career (67-17). 18: Record-tying number for Williams, who joined Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova as winner of 18 Slam titles with her 2014 U.S. Open triumph. 19: (93-19): Number of total career losses when combining Williams’ record against 10 multiple Slam winners: Sharapova, Li, Kuznetsova, Azarenka, Clijsters, Kvitova, Mauresmo, Pierce, Davenport, and Seles. Her record against the trio of Hingis, Capriati and Henin is a lesser, but still impressive, 39-30. 20: Williams owns a 20-4 record in Grand Slam finals. Moreover, she’s won 20 of a total 59 Slam singles events entered – a clip of better than one out of three. This season also marks the 20th anniversary of Serena’s first professional tennis match. For more post-French Open analysis, check out our podcast at The Body Serve.
Are you prepared for the 2015 French Open?
The Body Serve tennis podcast has you covered with complete draw analyses and players to look out for at the tennis season's second Grand Slam. The Body Serve is a new tennis podcast - casual, semi-respectable conversations about the ATP & WTA Hosted by Jonathan Newman & James Rogers Available on iTunes
In #SeeWhatHadHappenedWas, we:
- Introduce a new segment, in which you'll hear our expertise on a salacious happening in the tennis world, past and present (starting with Andy Murray's dressing-down of Lukas Rosol) - Indulge our nostalgia by recounting what sparked our interest in tennis. - Talk about our favorite players from yesteryear. - Discuss why tennis inspires such a devoted following. The Body Serve is a new tennis podcast - casual, semi-respectable conversations about the ATP & WTA Hosted by Jonathan Newman & James Rogers Available on iTunes
It's episode 9, and we're looking at:
- The perceived weakness of the WTA vs. one player's historic dominance. - Sexist double standards as they apply to dominance and parity. - Simona Halep's continued ascent and the question of rivalry with Serena. - Djokovic's bad behavior and the "boys will be boys" ethos. - Our new game: #NameTheTennisPlayer The Body Serve is a new tennis podcast - casual, semi-respectable conversations about the ATP & WTA Hosted by Jonathan Newman & James Rogers Available on iTunes
We're back for episode 7:
- What makes an effective tennis commentator? - The assorted errors, gaffes, and malapropisms of the ESPN set (or: The McEnroe Effect). - Tennis' complex web of conflicts of interest. - Our takedown of Justin Gimelstob, the Teflon Commentator. - How has Gimelstob managed to keep his job(s)? - Failure of leadership, and the organizational chaos that keeps tennis directionless. 
In Episode 5 of The Body Serve, we discuss Serena Williams' decision to return to Indian Wells:
- The 2001 IW final and the Williams' ensuing boycott - How race and racism have shaped the Williams' careers - Serena's legacy and her evolving politics - Does the U.S. celebrate its black athletes like it does white athletes? Are there strings attached? - How do blackness, patriotism, and racial politics intersect? The Body Serve is a new tennis podcast - casual, semi-respectable conversations about the ATP & WTA Hosted by Jonathan Newman & James Rogers Available on iTunes Rafael Nadal's straight-set loss to Tomas Berdych dominated headlines on Day 9. Nadal waxed philosophical in his presser, refusing to engage in hypotheticals while crediting his opponent's strong and steady play. Bucking the cliche, though, he didn't take the bait when asked if Berdych can go all the way, noting the excellent form of other top players. Nadal's vanquisher allowed himself one day to enjoy the victory while coach Dani Vallverdu scouts his next match. Simona Halep put in a bleak performance against a surging Makarova, and seemed eager to move onto the next tournament.
Andy Murray, the youngster killer of this Aussie Open, silenced Nick Kyrgios and the Aussie crowd. In press, he chats about Kyrgios' on-court behavior, and downplays the drama of playing against former coach Dani Vallverdu. (Longtime friend and assistant coach Vallverdu left Murray's team on not-so-great terms, allegedly due to tension regarding Andy's hiring of Amelie Mauresmo.) Maria Sharapova destroyed the hopes of another young gun, routing Eugenie Bouchard. She shared some quips from her father and ex-coach, Yuri, who clearly knows that the straightforward approach works for his daughter. Q. We will never know, but do you think if you had won that third set it could have changed everything, or were you still feeling that Tomas had a little bit the upper hand? RAFAEL NADAL: "If" doesn't exist in sport. That's the real thing. If, if, if - never comes. The thing is, you have to do it. I didn't have the chance to play the fourth; I lost the third, so that's it. That's sport. I lost the third. He's happier than me in the locker room. I am not very happy because I didn't competed the way I wanted to competed the first two sets and that's something that I don't like. But I tried my best again in the third. I was closer. I had some chances with the 4-All, some breakpoints. The tiebreak I was there fighting even that the situation was tough. But he played aggressive. The tiebreak, he served well. Two sets to love advantage makes the opponent play with more calm than if he is one set to love or one set all. That's a big difference. Q. Speak a little bit about Berdych today. Do you think he has what it takes to go all the way in this tournament? RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know if he can go all the way to win this. There's so many good players there that are playing very well. Andy is playing so well. We'll see. It's true that Tomas is playing well. Just happy to see the way that the tournament develops. The best players are there fighting for the tournament. Tomas is a very regular player that he deserves to be there. He have been in the top positions of the rankings for a long, long time, being very regular, being very professional on what he's doing. So he deserve that. And now let's see what's going on, no? For me, I feel that he resisted well in the third. But before was too easy for me to analyze the way he played. He played well, obvious. But my feeling was that I help him a lot in the beginning, no? Is easier to play well when you are up in the score, one break up, two breaks up from beginning of every set, no? That's a big deal, big difference. Q. When you were out there really taking it to Rafa, what were you saying to yourself? Must have felt great. TOMAS BERDYCH: Oh, it feels great. I mean, really the good thing is, as I said, the plan that we put together was the right one. Everything was working. I was able to execute it really well. But still, I mean, until the last point you can't think about anything else. You have to really keep going till the last one. When it's done, it's done. It's great. But I might be thinking about it and enjoying the time probably till tomorrow morning. When I woke up, I need to get myself ready for another one. As I said, I mean, there is a still long way to go in this tournament and I need to be ready for it. Q. Are you watching the match tonight or do you prefer to enjoy your win doing something else? TOMAS BERDYCH: No, actually, I'm going to keep Dani watching that match. I think that's the job for him. I don't have to spend really all the time to looking at that. But, yeah, I mean, I'm going to see something definitely. I mean, I'm interesting in that. I want to see something from it. But, as I said, you know, today I have the only time I can enjoy the victory. Since I wake up tomorrow morning just all the focus goes for the next opponent and my next match. Q. Probably not your best today. Did it feel bad before the match? SIMONA HALEP: I practiced very well in the morning, but maybe I was a little bit too stressed before I started the match. Wasn't my good day. I had a bad day. But she played well and everything was in for her. So she deserves this winning. I'm really sad a little bit now that I could not play my tennis, my game, but that's tennis and I have to look forward to the next tournament. Q. Do you think you put pressure on yourself being the favorite in this match? SIMONA HALEP: Not really pressure. I cannot say pressure. Just I was a little bit stressed. I don't know why. I had experience from last year to play quarterfinals, so it doesn't mean that I felt pressure. Just I didn't feel the game, the ball. Was a very bad day for me. Q. We were all 19 once. What do you make of his on-court demeanor, showboating, that kind of stuff? ANDY MURRAY: I actually think he's quite respectful on the court in many ways. He does applaud good shots. He does say, Good shot, good serve. Yeah, he gets frustrated with himself and sometimes says things he shouldn't, but everyone, I would think, has done that in some way when they're 19. It just happens that when he's doing it he's playing in front of a large audience and it gets picked up on. I've spent a little bit of time with him and I think he's a good person. I don't think he's a bad guy. He's nice. He's always been polite and respectful. Yeah, maybe he does the odd thing on the court that might annoy some people, but I don't think he does anything with bad intent. He's only going to continue to mature and improve in that respect as he gets older. He just needs to be allowed to grow up. Like everyone makes mistakes when they're that age. Q. What will it be like having Dani in the opposite box in the semifinal for the first time? ANDY MURRAY: I don't know. When I finished working with Miles MacLagan he started working with Baghdatis. I played against Baghdatis a few times. I played him at the Olympics. I played him in Tokyo with Miles there. Yeah, with Miles there I didn't really have an issue with it. But, again, I don't know, maybe I'll find it weird on the day. But, yeah, it's just something that you deal with as a player. My goal isn't to beat Dani; my goal is to beat Berdych. So I don't think about that in the next days. Q. What did he say to you? MARIA SHARAPOVA: In a nice version, it was like, This is unacceptable (smiling). He's like, It is much easier just having a normal home life. You should try it. I don't know why you're suffering out there for nothing. Make it easier for yourself. Q. He feels like you're suffering for nothing? MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, he told me that I was working much harder than I had to. If I was maybe a little bit smarter, did a few things maybe a little bit differently, maybe it could have been easier. Day 8 was a big one for American women, with two Williams sisters and a Madison advancing to the quarterfinals. While Venus' fans are ecstatic, she seems to be keeping a level head, noting that she's "been here before." Serena had to rely on a little on-court coaching, albeit from a boisterous fan who told her to use more spin. (She followed the advice, and it worked.) She also remarked that she loves the crowd's appreciation for her in Australia, something she doesn't get everywhere she goes. Novak Djokovic seemed a bit confused about a serve-and-volley question; a reporter said that his opponent used the tactic successfully against Djokovic, although Muller's straight-set loss seemed to indicate otherwise. Breakout star Madison Keys reminds us that she's still a teenager with talk of emojis. And finally, just when you think all possible questions about The Sleeve have been asked and answered, a reporter asks the same ones, again.
Q. Because of the opponent, because of the occasion, does it feel like the biggest win for you in a while? VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. I mean, I guess from the outside looking in, I guess it could look like that. But for me I'm just really focused and poised right now. I feel like I've been here before, so it's not like I'm jumping up and down for joy, Oh, shoot, what is this? I've never done this. Yes, I've done this. This is what I'm always going into each tournament thinking I want to do, even when I fall short. It's definitely not the first time. I guess that's how I feel. Q. Do you feel your performances affect people and are an inspiration? VENUS WILLIAMS: Definitely. I think all of us touch lives in ways that we never dreamed of growing up as kids. You just want to be No. 1 in the world, you want to win a major. You never think about the people you inspire from your efforts and your attitude. Yes, that's been my experience in my life and most professional players I think it's their experience as well. Q. When that person in the stands called out, Use some spin, did you follow up on that? SERENA WILLIAMS: I did. I was like, you're right. I'm trying to do that anyway, but I wasn't doing it. So my fan coach was like, Use some spin, Serena. I was like, Okay, okay. It's been like really great. I hear my name throughout the whole stadium like 360. I don't get that everywhere. It feels good. Q. Why do you think there's such an in and out in terms of getting that? SERENA WILLIAMS: I think when you win often, sometimes people want other people to win. They forget that you want to keep winning, too. And that's okay. You know, I'm used to it. Q. It is nice that you're taken for your results? SERENA WILLIAMS: I get that every year in Australia. That's one of the reasons this is my favorite place to come. I really love it so much. Q. What is serve and volley's future in your opinion? Because he did it tonight successfully. NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Him? Q. Yes. NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I go to the net to shake hands (smiling). Q. What is the future of the tactic? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: That's a good question. It really depends how the technology is going to advance, what are we going to do with the balls as well. Are they going to become faster or slower? My subjective feeling for the Australian Open, I talked to many players, the last two years the courts or the balls, something out of these two elements have speeded up the game here in Australia. It plays faster. It allows the servers to have more free points, come to the net. On a cold night like tonight, the ball didn't bounce very much. He tried to chip and come in. He played smart. Made me uncomfortable in some moments on the court. That's what serve-and-volley players do. You don't get to see that many serve-and-volley players these days. The future, it's hard to say if it's going to go back to what it was 20, 30 years ago. I highly doubt that. Depending on technology and certain changes, if the game becomes a bit faster, the players will adjust to it. Q. How big a milestone does a first slam quarterfinal feel to you? MADISON KEYS: It feels really good. My mom texted me before the tournament. She said, It's your last Grand Slam as a teenager, and sent me a bunch of grandma faces. I'm like, Thanks for reminding me, Mom. Thank you. Love you. It's huge. But it's my last slam as a teenager. I'm doing so well and hopefully I can keep it up. Q. What would be the emoji that describes your general sense right now? MADISON KEYS: You know, the one that she's in a salsa dress dancing. That would be me right now. Q. How long have you been wearing a sleeve? MILOS RAONIC: Since Miami of last year. Q. Is that precautionary? MILOS RAONIC: First it was for medical purposes. I had a rash and I couldn't have my arm in the sun, so I had to play with long sleeves. I wasn't really too fond of that, with the warmth in Miami. I went on with that. I've liked the feeling ever since. It's compression. Never feels like it gets too hot. But on a day like today that's cool, it feels like it's nice and warm. The final rounds of the 2015 Australian Open are taking shape with several of the sport's biggest names still alive in the tournament. See what some of the the major players had to say about their play yesterday.
Q. You think they would take requests? (Genie's Army) EUGENIE BOUCHARD: I was thinking about it, because I really want them to start singing some Taylor Swift. Hopefully they will see this and maybe work on it. That would be really cool. Maybe I'll ask them to do that. I'll be really motivated if they do that. Like if I'm down, start singing Taylor Swift and I'll be motivated. Q. What do you remember most about the match with Sharapova in Paris? EUGENIE BOUCHARD: I kind of just remember a grind. I didn't feel like I was playing great tennis the whole time. Sometimes here and there. But that's what it's about: trying to win and trying to always play better, get through it, even if you're not playing your best. I felt like I was close with her. She probably wasn't -- we were both maybe a bit off. You're never really playing amazing. Maybe 10% of the year. So I remember that, and I remember I had chances and stuff. I just remember a tough match. I was pretty disappointed after, so that's motivating. Q. She's compared to you quite often for various reasons. Can you see the similarities and can you remember what it was like when you were coming through the same way? MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, I think we all want to go through our own paths and we all want to -- when I was coming up, I was compared to Kournikova for many years in my career and still occasionally name always comes up in interviews and articles. That's just part of it, part of the game, part of the business. It's understandable. It is what it is. As I have said, I believe I was still a teenager, I don't want to be the next anyone. I want to be the first Maria Sharapova. And that's how I've been throughout my whole career. And we all want to create our own path and go through our own career. And we're all destined for some sort of thing. We work extremely hard at a sport, and that's what we want to be known for. Q. Do you see any of yourself in Genie? MARIA SHARAPOVA: I personally don't know Genie very well. As a tennis player she's a big competitor. She's an aggressive player as well that likes to take the ball early and dictate points. From that perspective, yeah, definitely. Q. Until the game that you broke him in the first set, you had only won one point on his serve. Was it a matter of you figuring out the serve, or did his level of serving drop? RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know if you saw that, but I changed completely the position on the return. I was returning very close to the baseline. Is easier to start more aggressive and make the transition aggressive to defensive than defensive to aggressive. So is something that I talk before the match, and we decided to go close to the baseline in the beginning. Then if was not working, try to play more points. I had that feeling that I need to make him feel that he needs to play a winner to win the point, no? Because before my feeling was he was winning too many points only with the serve. So I tried to change that at the end of the first set. I was able to have some good returns. One very good one, but then the other ones, just put the ball inside the court and then try to let him think a little bit more than what he was doing until that moment. That's what changed the dynamic of the games on the return. Very favorable way for me. Q. What is the meaning of what you're writing on the lens of the camera? RAFAEL NADAL: Doesn't matter. Is stupid thing. With my friends, that's it. Q. What kind of help has it been with a new coach, a fresh pair of eyes from Dani taking on Rafa this time? TOMAS BERDYCH: Let's see. It's going to be easier to judge after the match. So far, as I said in the past, we didn't spend that much time together. But the good thing is that I'm able to, you know, execute the things that he's telling me what to do, how to set up for the matches. So far it works pretty well. I think it's definitely the advantage which I was surely looking for. Q. You had that famous volley with the two sets lead against him a couple years ago here. You don't remember that? TOMAS BERDYCH: To Rafa? Q. Yes. You had a volley for two sets to love. TOMAS BERDYCH: Okay. Q. You came very close then maybe to beating him. Does that give you confidence that you can play him that tough on a big stage here? TOMAS BERDYCH: No, it has nothing to do with that. Definitely not. As I said, every slam is different. Every opponent, even if is the same one, then the match is different. So, no. It's going to start from 0-0. That's how it is. No comparing with the past. Just trying to be in this time and looking forward to it. Q. Did you feel like you were a bit jinxed at the end? GRIGOR DIMITROV: Jinxed or not, when you play a match like that, you don't actually think about anything. I'm not going to hide my disappointment. I'm pissed. Q. In terms of sustained quality, might that be as good as you've played since the back surgery? ANDY MURRAY: It's very difficult for me to say right now. But in terms of how my body felt, if it was the best I played, my body allowed me to play that way for the whole duration of the match. I didn't feel tired. I felt fresh. My back felt good. I wasn't feeling stiff at all. I don't normally say stuff like this, but for me the compression garments that I'm wearing just now are genuinely exceptional. In these condition over the last couple years I struggled a little bit, and I felt absolutely fine this evening. Whether or not, you know, it was the best match I played is definitely -- for a match that went three and a half hours, physically I felt way better than the last year or so. Q. How does this compare to Wimbledon? NICK KYRGIOS: I think this one, it feels a bit better, honestly. There was a lot of expectation coming into this tournament. I was obviously out for a couple weeks before Sydney. I wasn't expecting, you know, anything, especially not quarterfinals. And, yeah, it's just massive, especially to do it in front of your home crowd. Hisense is an unbelievable court. I'd never played on it before. It's definitely my favorite court now. Q. Talk about Hisense. What is the dynamic? How does that help you? NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, the court itself is actually quite small. The back, from the baseline, actually isn't a long way back. I really enjoyed that. It's actually a pretty small court, and then it just extends wide with the crowd. It was really cool. Even when I got out there with the warmup, I thought it was a really, really good court. |
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