Live from Wimbledon - Day 6

At the end of a busy day at Wimbledon, Catherine, David and Matt react to Iga Swiatek's loss to Yulia Putintseva, Elena Rybakina's flawless performance, Ons Jabeur's return to Centre Court which ended in defeat, late night wins for Novak Djokovic and Holger Rune, the setting up of Jannik Sinner vs Ben Shelton, and Emma Raducanu's withdrawal from the mixed doubles.

[@RhiwatchingTennis]

It’s not up to Emma Raducanu to facilitate Andy Murray’s goodbye. Why go out to play an exhibition style late at night when you’ve got the most important singles match of your year the next day? She shouldn’t have said yes admittedly but they weren’t going to win and it feels like with the scheduling she’s been put in a position where she couldn’t win either way. Let’s not pile on Emma for this.

[@craigmills3583]

I’m disappointed in Judy for doing that. I get it but I agree with what Catherine said. I’ve always respected Judy and I think of her as a smart and decent person but it was immature to make that post about Serena. Heat of the moment I’m guessing. Overall I agree with David on the situation. He’s had his send off and it was amazing and befitting of his brilliant career. Good luck to Emma in the rest of the tournament

[@rogerstroud3953]

He put her in an invidious position and befuddled and confused her. Late in the evening being tired, euphoric after her victory and away from her team was not the time for her to make a logical decision. Disagree entirely with Catherine.

[@Ruby-dk3tw]

I'm sorry that this young Gen Z kid is getting stick when she was entrapped by adults who should've known much better and appreciated how delicate her comeback was, and not complicated matters for her in this way. I know who I think should be showing some contrition.. those who have given so much and taken so much

[@buzzingtalk999]

Andy had already had a good send off with his brother on Centre Court. He cannot expect to take up the show court for a second time with a doubles match when he can hardly move ..and the courts are needed for singles. Massive supporter of Andy but I think he is being a bit self indulgent here. It was also a very last minute request to Raducanu with 10pm text night before draw ...hardly enough time for proper consideration. And am sure she would not have signed up for night time mixed doubles match ...when does that ever happen. So to call it poor I think is unfair ....it was a last minute request by Andy ..and he has had his farewell doubles already. The mixed doubles would have been a farce of a match. He needs to accept he is very injured and that his career is over and he has had a very nice farewell. He pulled out of lots of things in his 20s.

[@hoojamaflicks]

totally agree with this take. I was going to say something very similar but this is spot on. also I would say that I love the tennis podcast, and I love Catherine Matt and David, they almost feel like my tennis friends, but catherine it's a shame after saying you didn't want to pour oil on the emma haters fire that you did in the end do just that. albeit i'm certain that wasn't your intention.

[@kittmarie8285]

I don't know what or if anything Andy responded. His mom is likely the one being indulgent.

[@sugarfreegum123]

Totally agree. How special is it to share your last match on centre court with your brother? It was a great ending to an amazing career. Emma is finally finding form, she needs to concentrate on being her absolute best for singles. Really hope she recovers ok!

[@davidbrims5825]

Perhaps when you think about it, it was appropriate that Andy Murray’s last ever match was with his brother, a bittersweet moment. We’ll never see his like again, feeling wistful…

[@rochymatt]

Yes but a little encore or epilogue would've been fun. I wished he'd chosen a noted doubles player who wasn't still in the the singles draw/would've committed.

[@tinymackerel]

Absolutely love the pod but damn is this harsh on Swiatek! If it were to happen that she would never win Wimbledon, she would be far from being the first major player that was never really able to master a surface. And yet, if I had to bet money on it, I would say that she eventually does. She is 23 and so far does not seem to be particularly injury prone. She has time. Also, if there was a year when she would try to make that push to find her grass court game it would obviously never be this one, not when there is a chance for an olympic medal just after wimbledon on her surface, on a court where she by now feels completely at home. You get 4 chances at a slam in a year and a chance at an olympic medal every 4 years. Finally, I find your british bias relatable and quite funny and I understand the history of Wimbledon, its prestige and the fact that it is now the only slam played on the sport's original surface. This is surely very meaningful for many players. For others probably not as much. I am pretty sure that for Swiatek "peak tennis" means Roland Garros.

[@olisal8566]

I think the fact that the Murrays have reacted this way publicly makes me sad. They know what sort of pressure Emma is under from the public - they could have spared her from the onslaught she would have received by not commenting about the outcome. There are a handful of other UK WTA players that he could have asked instead of feeding the flames.

[@243david7]

Indeed

[@krob2327]

Egos all round. Can’t say anybody comes out well. But it’s a good look into just how selfish pro athletes and their families are. It’s not a cuddly world

[@luporileonardo]

Andy Murray, againnnnnnnnnn...please stop this agony that has been ongoing for months. Andy Murray needed to stop playing years ago,. We had to look at him playing horrible tennis for over 2 years to this point. Yet, we are still talking about his "last cigarette" after he had a farewell ceremony. At this point, it has become a Jason Friday 13th scenario. He keeps on coming back after he is gone. Leave Emma in peace. Emma has an ongoing career, and she doesn't have to risk jeopardizing her chances to honor Andy, whose career truly ended in 2019. Andy Murray's goodbye is as long as Elton John's farewell tour.

[@243david7]

Didn't someone mention a 'wasp at a barbecue'? 🐝🥩

[@DackRambo]

I love Matt's dimples

[@mckayuk]

I was hugely dissapointed hearing that Emma had pulled out of her Wimbledon mixed doubles with Sir Andy Murray which would have been his last at Wimbledon but one shouldnt forget that Sir Andy only asked Emma at the last minute to play mixed doubles because he and his brother were unceremoniously knocked out in R1 of the Mens doubles. You guys know as do I that Emma stated during a Covid interview that playing a mixed doubles with Andy one of her hopes and despite any reservations she said she felt honoured and happily accepted at equally short notice. The scheduling of their mixed doubles R1 match was awful, although I am certain Emma would have played so long as it didnt jeopardize her own 4th Round singles match today as the only British Tennis player left standing, male or female which is reminiscent of 2021. Of course Andy would be devastated but his mother being astonished is lacking in empathy knowing that 9 Months ago Emma underwent surgery on both wrists and an ankle and acknowledge the decision made by Emma was not an easy one and simply a shame, a shame for Emma, for Andy, for Tennis and fans of both camps as this was a dream pairing that so many one day hoped to see and thought they were, but sadly not.

[@Lukesmithbrfc]

Judy Murray has always struck me as that type of person though. I'm sad because the Emma haters are always looking for a reason to have a kick at Emma and this has given them it.

[@moonusfaceous]

Totally agree. The stars alas, did not align on this occasion.

[@moonusfaceous]

@@Lukesmithbrfc It does make me wonder if Judy has a NPD and because Andy has retired, the British focus will be on Emma. Narcs love to control and manipulative the narrative. Let's hope this all blows over and Emma can rise above this.

[@lordthorpe2642]

@@moonusfaceous TBH I think firing 9 coaches between the ages of 19 and 22 is an NPD move.

[@moonusfaceous]

@@lordthorpe2642 It wouldn't surprise me if Emma has NPD. To succeed in such a cut throat sports world, one could say is a prerequisite. There are of course, many different types and levels. I do think in this instance, JM should have taken a back seat in this.

[@adamxvimiller]

I am absolutely loving the end of day live shows, it's perfect.

[@243david7]

Mafia boss Don Raducani, who regularly disposes of her consiglieri has to break the news to wise guy Murroni, that he's now surplus to requirements. 'Sorry kid she says, nothing personal, it's just business' 🙂.......... Now let's let Emma get on with what she was doing before someone dropped oil on the floor right in front of her, she was providing fun and great entertainment to so many tennis fans worldwide.

[@marko21220]

I am positive that Iga will win Wimbledon, David. She didn't say this at the press conference, but her forehand grip does not go well with playing on grass. Literally. And I bet she didn't want to change anything b/c the Olympic games are around the corner.

[@user-dr5eh6xz2d]

You and everyone else, I made huge money today. Had 8 to 12 to 1, the spread and overs. Everyone can dream, good luck

[@huwparry5383]

I agree with all the points on Emma Raducanu's withdrawal, but as others have said it's worth also highlighting how Emma was asked to take part in the first place. A text at 9-10pm was not appropriate. It should have at the very least been a phonecall in the morning, if not an inperson discussion with both teams in attendance. There is blame on all sides.

[@marko21220]

Catherine, you are being so harsh on the 23 year old Iga Swiatek. She was multiple match points down in Madrid and won the title. She won in Rome, and then in Roland Garros. As a tennis player myself, the mental part in matches at that level counts for 80%. That's why we are seeing so many one time GS champions. They burn out mentally even thinking of climbing another ladder. And I think that's where Iga is now... Look at Aryna, Rybakina, Coco, Ons, Jessie, Maria.... They work so incredibly hard to cultivate their talent, but still, the payoff does not always come in the form of an ultimate WTA or GS trophy. When it does, it is even harder to sustain the pace. Also, Iga has been bullied lately on social media, and we do not know how and if that affects her. One expects respect and admiration for being one of the very best. Instead, she is being shaded even by John McEnroe for not wearing makeup during a match! For various reasons, Serena, Steffi, and Martina Navratilova all dealt with similar struggles. We all know what happened to Monica Seles. I just hope Iga stays true to herself b/c she is a true and valuable talent.

[@enzoneable]

Well said about Iga. She disrespected Wimbledon. She first said she was well prepared and rested (after winning 1st round), then after losing she said she had no energy..

[@dorotaswierczek5104]

Really ?Your coclusion is so primitive. So it would be better if she pretended to be injured and gave up the match like others ? She is too honest and polite !

[@enzoneable]

@dorotaswierczek5104 not sure what are you talking about. Pretend injury? She disrespected Wimbledon in post match interview, and her opponent by taking a long break and not giving her credit for winning. She is a great player but can be a bit selfish.

[@SnatchBuckler]

This lady is over-analyzing Iga. Good Lord!!!!!!

[@mostynf]

The thing is Murray didn’t need a “star name” partner, he was the star - it was all about his curtain call at Wimbledon and a last wave to the crowds and a chance to take the cheers and applause one last time. He couldn’t partnered the 10th ranked British player, it didn’t really matter who it was. Anyway, it didn’t happen and in some ways his final match being with his brother is quite a nice thing anyway.

[@mostynf]

Could’ve partnered, I mean.

[@westonmeyer3110]

The thing about Rybakina looking that good on the grass and her opponents feeling hopeless; Vondrousova felt that exact same way against Rybakina …on clay in Rome(despite Vondrousova considering herself more of a clay court specialist)and Sabalenka felt that way at Brisbane on a fast hard court. It is no longer strange to see Rybakina destroying even the best opponents with ease and even her worst most disappointing losses are extremely close compared to what they used to be. Rybakina can play this way on every surface but she just doesn’t know how to do it consistently yet. If it weren’t for Rybakina losing her form and all of her points constantly from illness she would be the clear front runner just from her improvements on returns, on volleys, on her movement and her drop shots alone and she still has so much more room to grow. As much as you all think Iga should win Wimbledon and everything else I think a Rybakina that continues to improve should win Roland Garros quite a few times even against Iga. Rybakina should have beaten Paolini in Roland Garros despite 50 UE and despite losing form from missing Rome, she was serving for a 5-4 lead in the 3rd with momentum, and if she wins that match she definitely beats Andreeva and all of the sudden Rybakina is playing Iga in the final when Rybakina is unbeaten by Iga on clay. This year was actually Rybakina’s best year on clay and she is basically matching her best year on hard courts already, she is STILL getting better despite constant set backs. Once the set backs start to go away she is going to start dominating the WTA and Iga won’t have a prayer of winning Wimbledon or the Australian Open. Rybakina may be older than Iga but she is not as weathered as a normal 25 year old, she is going to catch Iga.

[@tennissir1986]

No.

[@martyna2371]

Seriously, could Wimbledon official channel post Swiatek's press conference?

[@Wolstenholmie]

Dead at Matt's pronunciation of Bendigo 😂 I wouldn't expect anyone outside of Australia to know how to pronounce it but I had never heard it said that way before

[@marko21220]

I wouldn't say I liked that Ons played on the Centre Court today with Svitolina. They should have had her there earlier in the week. Ons has earned the utmost respect for playing in the Wimbledon finals year after year and giving her the Centre Court for the first time today, while playing against Svitolina, was a cruel act. No kidding.

[@fairx]

I have created a petition to shame Wimbledon into consulting you prior to all scheduling tasks.

[@radpopl]

Iga doesn't want to adapt to grass surfaces -- Iga wants her clay court tactics to work at grass. For now it doesn't work, or works partially -- he has 40 winners, but also 40 unforced errors. We'll see what it will be like in the future. If she can do this, it will be something special. Of course, it is true that his focus is not on Wimbledon and it will never mean as much as Rolland Garross or even Madrid and Rome. But it's the calendar's fault.

[@jkscout]

Emma Raducanu making women's tennis look real good with that stunt.

[@MaritimeWolf]

So, Judy Murray's twitter post was mocking the original tweet she was replying to, hence her repetition of the word 'astonishing'. I didn't see it as a criticism of Raducanu, though it was of course a silly thing to tweet all the same in the circumstances. Raducanu was obviously extremely naive to agree to play in the mixed given her list of recent health issues, but when she signed up for that, knowing at the time that Andy had recently had back sugery and in all likelihood it was going to be his last match at Wimbledon, i think a lot of negative publicity was inevitable. She must surely have recognised this and while wrist stiffness is a legit issue for her - she's had sugeries on her wrists after all - it just won't fly with a lot of people who won't recognise it as anything other than an excuse. It's a pretty sad situation all round really and i fear it will derail her week at Wimbledon as she appears to be somebody who is very much reliant upon momentum and heavily feeds off the support of the crowd. I wonder whether some of the online uproar will adversely affect her confidence and damage that momentum. A smarter way to handle this would have been if Andy announced the decision. I am sure he would be very disappointed, but i am also sure he would have completely understood it. Although i of course don't know what went on behind the scenes, i think this could have been handled a lot better.

[@243david7]

Good comment but lets put the weight of responsibility on the adults here please. Someone used the term 'entrapment', nothing premeditated of course, just not thought through by Andy. His mothers view is immaterial, she knows he's not a child

[@tennissir1986]

I think the Raducanu/Muarry thing comes down to how the initial agreement went down - and how she handled it with him in declining it.

[@Iga_wa]

Oh wow that was harsh on Iga. Harsher than commenting Marketa’s loss this Wimbledon …

[@shwedagonpaya]

Andy could have partnered Sonay Kartal instead; she beat Emma in the juniors.

[@j.s3300]

😂

[@MikeCameron-jh6si]

It's unfair to compare Andy Murray pulling out of a Davis Cup tie against Argentina. John Lloyd chose Murray, whoever was number 2 in the UK and one doubles player and made winning and losing the tie all about Andy playing and winning him 3 matches

[@andrewash9318]

Love the comparison of Swiatek to Casper Ruud! Brilliant! And the implied comparison to Katie Boulter, refusing to change up her tactics mid-match. True, 38 unforced is not the same as 75, but it is in the same ballpark. More should be said about the vulnerability of her forehand. Not every player can challenge her that way, but a number of them can, and when they do, the outcome is open, even on clay. She had the good fortune at the French this year that she didn't have to play any of them.

[@richardernsberger5692]

Iga is just not the same player at Wimbledon as she is on clay and hard courts. Her confidence level seems very fragile. Even in her first two straight-set wins, she was not entirely convincing. She was maybe--maybe--75 percent her normal level. She struggled with service returns and just made more unforced errors than she usually does. Then today, when she started missing early in the 2nd set, she seemed to lose her composure. I think the pressure of being the top seed at a tourney where she's never done well doesn't help. Grass or no grass, she should just play to her ability. Either that or skip the tournament for a year or two. That's what Agassi did--didn't play at Wimbledon for 3 years, I think, when he was young--then played at 23 and won it. Iga is too good for this kind of debacle.

[@RickeGnool]

”This might be British bias but… It’s Wimbledon”. How is that anything but bias?

[@Comma_jamaal]

She has won 22 titles in her short career but has never won a grass tournament. 125,250,500 etc. why was she the favorite. And trust me, I love me some Iga! Except when she’s playing OSTEPANKO. I watch every alonna match. I was hoping Iga would win 🥇 so that she’d end up playing OSTEPANKO! OSTEPANKO is the best

[@katherine1898]

Stop trolling and gossiping about Emma

[@eyeofthetiger6002]

Wimbledon is the only tournament where Iga's the underdog despite being ranked no.1!😅

[@ianthomson3718]

Wondering to what extent the Penko effect played in the result today. She woulda been Iga's next opponent

[@peterjansen9358]

Raducanu has probably made a mistake in withdrawing from the mixed doubles with Murray. It must be a relief to each of the vitriolic sad sacks on social media that they never have never made a mistake.

[@miketomlin6040]

It depends on what Emma and Andy initially agreed, did she agree to play irrespective to how she did in the singles, or not?

[@kittmarie8285]

re Emma pulling out of doubles with Andy It's not a particularly good look, but I haven't seen or read any details. Did she contact him personally? I think if the situation was reversed with the woman of the same status of Andy, and the guy pulling out, there wouldn't be such a fuss. I'm just spitballing here.

[@lm3513]

To put it in Tiafo's terminology, did Iga lose to a clown?

[@adamlarsson3828]

i honestly don’t think that this has anything to do with ‘priorities’. the technical /physical comes ^first, if you are a player. i think that Iga cares, she just doesn’t have the self-belief that comes from winning on this surface. she struggles to make the adaptations- the takeback has to start *a *lot *earlier on grass (- early preparation bring essential), you have to load quickly to offset irregular bounces. most importantly the bounce is a lot lower, so the contact point is nearly always lower, compared to playing on other surfaces …. that means the grip ^has to change. there is no way around this. i am not a pro but i change from western to semiwestern, playing on grass - if i didn’t the ball would be flying off the strings because the racquet face would be too closed on contact …. you just can’t hit like that on balls that bounce below waist height. there are lot of features [that people that don’t really play] are not seeing here. i think that Iga can do it but it will require a lot more work and belief in herself that she can do it.

[@ercoman8410]

Matt please do not call it “X” ever again

[@Mysicalgreenunicorn03]

I think you guys interpreted Iga’s presser wrong

[@miketomlin6040]

Did Serena play warm up grass tournaments? From memory no, or not often.

[@user-dr5eh6xz2d]

Iga not that good, that's ok I'm ok if iga keeps losing.

[@ism7588]

Yes, but only in 1998 and 2011 in singles if I’m not mistaken. She didn’t play a grass warm up in between those years or after in singles.

[@colinmathie2710]

I just cant help thinking that she pulled out of the match so she could watch the England game, mean spirited of me, probably, but it just seemed to convenient.

[@katherine1898]

Andy could have partnered with Katie Boulter... British no.1 .....

[@whywhowhatwhere]

After seeing Katie Boulter play probably the worst match of the tournament I don’t think that would have been a good idea either.Shouldve went old school and went with Watson.

[@katherine1898]

Yep Watson ...or get Serena to play as LTA making such a big dig ....

[@paulstuart551]

They seem almost as bored discussing as I feel watching.

[@chingwong8622]

Just get over it and I don’t think it really a big deal for Andy Murray. Please don’t criticize Emma and it’s not fair to her.

[@marko21220]

It is an absolutely shameful act for Emma Raducanu to pull out of mixed doubles with Andy -- but should we be really surprised by it? Knock, knock -- who's there? Coach Richardson. Her wrist story is just a convenient truth... She is staying in the tournament, isn't she? But I am also disappointed in Andy that he had not seen that side of her. It is very sad and truly disappointing to see Andy not playing mixed doubles at his last Wimbledon.

[@Lisamakes]

Emma’s an adult, and she made her own decision. That decision affected someone else in a way that cannot be rectified. You can want people “not to pile on Emma”, but sometimes it’s valid to say what she did wasn’t cool. I’m in that column. Not cool.

[@lordthorpe2642]

@@Lisamakes Agreed. What's amazing to me is the comments trying to paint her as "innocent", "Gen Z" etc. That family has fired about 9 coaches in her adult career. They're ruthless. You're not talking some starry eyed kid.

[@krob2327]

@@lordthorpe2642her family have so many enemies in tennis due to their behaviour. The Murray’s aren’t even on that list. This is minor. Andrew Richardson is their most potent adversary after they refused him a bonus after the us open. So much more to come out about Ian get dad

[@lordthorpe2642]

Murray knew (or should have known) what he was getting into with that family.

[@lordthorpe2642]

@@Ruby-dk3tw Be serious. The Radacanu family has fired 9 coaches! He knew this. He went ahead.

[@lordthorpe2642]

@@Ruby-dk3tw Go away with your "hatchling", whatever do you mean?, nonsense. If the Raducanu family had fired 9 main "Contractors" building their house you'd still find some excuse.

[@kacpergreczynski1320]

Okay probably a bit harsh about Iga. Who are you to be judging her and how she chooses to prepare for next year? You are in no position to question What she is doing as she knows what works for her the best. I mean to say that tennis isn’t Iga’s priority is just being utterly stupid

[@kacpergreczynski1320]

Specifically the girl

[@authenticallynobody283]

You are in no position to question what experienced tennis journalists choose to say. They clearly know what they are talking about. And yeah, Iga needs to do something different in her preparation to have any hope of winning Wimbledon.

[@kacpergreczynski1320]

@@authenticallynobody283Of course she does, without a doubt. However, the girl seems to have a personal vendetta against Swiatek. Iga needs to get her shit together for Wimbledon but however she goes about it is not our business. Laughing at her for going to a Taylor swift concert instead of training just shows a lack of professionalism and “experience” in how athletes choose to recover.

[@user-dr5eh6xz2d]

​@@kacpergreczynski1320all top athletes are not above criticism. With success comes criticism. Iga is no different than an NBA player like Kyrie or LeBron who often gets its worst from the media. Have you ever listened to the scathing questions NBA reporters ask after a playoff loss. Quit babying Iga

[@kacpergreczynski1320]

@@user-dr5eh6xz2d Criticizing an athlete based on their performance in a sport is fine. I merely meant that what she does in her off time is her business. Athletes deal with enough shit on an everyday basis and she knows best what she did wrong. Reporters shouldn’t ask personal questions, unrelated to the game.

[@katherine1898]

It's NOT a big deal ...very disappointing comments from Catherine....

[@davidbrims5825]

I was really looking forward to seeing Andy Murray for one last time, Emma raised our hopes, so disappointing, leaves a sour taste in one’s mouth. ☹

[@anetaagosz7076]

The way this lady is talking about tennis players is absolutely not acceptable. Please respect people...

[@Malc230692]

What did she say that bothered you?

[@Max_Cherry]

You’re not going to enjoy KZbin comments.

[@user-dr5eh6xz2d]

You must not watch other sports. Tennis players like iga have it easy

[@bluepainting]

She laughed about Hubi's injury too. She's awful.

[@PaulFranks-cx3yd]

The mistake was Andy asking her in the first place and putting her in an invidious position. Why choose Emma? Why not choose Heather W? Out of the singles and the same age and a m/d winner. Why choose someone who needs to manage her game time and still in the singles? The blame if there is blame is on Andy. Andy did not see this through. An older male putting pressure on a younger female - not a good look. Catherine clearly blaming Emma, poor.