Alvin Owusu (00:00.702)
And welcome to another edition of the Best Three Podcast. I'm Alvin. That's Tori. We just wrapped up round one of Wimbledon. so this is end of day two. Tori, let's just get straight to it. Serena played today, right? We have we've we've spilled our Serena Inc. over the last seven days or so. And today the whole I think the whole the whole world was watching somehow, in the middle of the damn work day here on the East Coast.

Torrey Hawkins (00:19.492)
That's

Alvin Owusu (00:27.314)
Roughly three o'clock start, so that wasn't wasn't wasn't terrible. we we were texting back and forth during this match at various points, but we did and we watched the same tennis match. But we came away with it, came away from it thinking different things. I think

Torrey Hawkins (00:46.797)
We might have gone into it seeing different things too, just to be completely fair. I I I will say this. What w what's your question? Yeah, what what's your question? And and and and I'll and I will I will give the the best answer I can.

Alvin Owusu (00:51.006)
Yeah.

Okay, how w how we what we saw going into it?

Alvin Owusu (01:04.023)
So I'm not gonna ask you abroad what do you think what did you think, right? So let's let's kind of level set here. Serena Williams, let's say Maya joint beat Serena Williams today in the first round of of Wimbledon, six three, six seven, six three. That was the winner's score line, right? Obviously Serena forty four, first match back, first singles match back in almost four complete years. we no one knew what to expect, right?

No no matches played. We've seen nothing but two two doubles matches out of her and a couple of clips from from practice. That's that's it. In stories we've been hearing. So we all go into this match expecting I don't know. I don't know what we were expecting, but I know what we got. So let's start with what did you see that that was maybe different than what you might have expected going in?

Torrey Hawkins (02:09.798)
Nothing was different than I expected.

The last year Serena played, I didn't think it was her best year of tennis. That last year and a half, almost two, had been injury laden, pulled out of this, couldn't play that. She was 40 years old, Alvin. Had a little one. She's proved everything to everyone and then some. You know, we talk about been there, done that and bought the soundtrack.

Serena owns the record label. She's done everything. You know, we we should we we should rename she should have a court, a tournament, and a whole federation named after her, right? L let alone a a tennis court and a tournament. I say it to say she is the queen of

Alvin Owusu (02:42.869)
Right. Right.

Torrey Hawkins (03:03.004)
Tennis, she's the at at one time, I would say the best athlete in the world, certainly the best female tennis player in the world and for history, the perhaps the first, you know, once she retired, instant Hall of Fame ballot because of the Serena rule. Let's let's just let me let me let me wax poetic on my girl Serena on everything. But but I but I have but I have to say it. I have to say it. So that

Alvin Owusu (03:23.723)
You don't you don't even have to. It it's all understood. Like like to like just go it Okay, fair. All right. And c and maybe someone's maybe l someone's listened to us for the first time and maybe this needs to be rolled out. Okay. Tori Hawkins appreciates Serena Williams.

Torrey Hawkins (03:35.236)
I I have I have to say because my scathing thoughts of what I expected, mind you, at forty-four years old, I didn't have high expectations. I've seen players come back, Alvin, who are 34 and not look like themselves. There is one two-time Grand Slam champion, Alvin, named Stanislaus Vavrinka.

Who has looked like a shell of himself for this last year and he's been playing the whole time. And in my mind, aside from it was funny, him getting a beer with you know with who's my tennis Australia Craig Tylery, thank you. and a few other funny moments, he's not the French Open champion who beat

Alvin Owusu (04:18.135)
Crack Tiley

Torrey Hawkins (04:26.098)
Fed Novak and and and Ralph along along the way. He's not he's not that same stand. So it's great seeing him. He's about Keny Shakori. There's others. We we could keep going on and on. I was trying to say that in my text message to you. I've seen players come back and they have not quite been the same. That was not a shock to me. It was I didn't expect it to be. What I was more looking at.

Alvin Owusu (04:28.759)
Sure, sure.

Torrey Hawkins (04:54.222)
And what I was what we were, I think, all blessed by was to see Serena playing once again. And it was great seeing her out there. Great, great seeing her bless bless us with her presence. But I gotta say, Alvin, did I expect her to play some phenomenal tennis? She played the best 44-year-old tennis I've ever seen. But she was a better version of the last time I saw her. And the last time I saw her was not even close to the perennial.

champion that I had saw over the previous twenty. And that's all. And and there's there's no shade in that. Please. I I'm not one of the biggest Serena fans there is. I just I just wondered

The why, I still wonder the why, but I wasn't expecting this to go far. And I wasn't expecting it to go any deeper than it being the wild card and great entertainment value that it was. Could her and Venus still do some damage in doubles? I think so. do I think they could win a round or two for sure. Do I think I do I see them going too too deep? Not really. I just think the speed of the game, the reps, Alvin, the game is fast right now. I remember Rafa Nadal made the comment to Fed.

They were playing Labor Cup one year. And I remember and neither of them had played in a while. And I remember Rafa saying to Fed on he's mic'd up, like

So fast. And he made the comment about how fast. This is a 22 Grand Slam champion talking about the speed of the game. He was playing Francis Tiafo and Jack Sock. He wasn't playing, you know, somebody that was blistering the the ball. You know, it wasn't playing, I don't know, Rublev and and I'm just gonna name somebody else who who tags the ball, you know, that Mach fifty. He was talking about that. He wasn't playing Carlos, he wasn't playing center. So I say it to tell you I just know how fast the game.

Torrey Hawkins (06:42.224)
is an Alvin at that point. God.

It's it's just so so difficult to play at that speed and and be and to have those reps. Serena has better metaclorians than 99.9% of the population, but she's going up against other 99.9% of the population. And at that point, it's an it's a unfortunate foot race. And that's all. And and and I want to say that in the most humble and most grateful way of being a fan of Serena that I possibly can. I just didn't expect a lot. I was happy to

see the quality dip into pretty good. and and again, Alvin, as a 54-year-old, you can only appreciate the age JG process on myself as a former good athlete that used to run a 4-4, 8, 40 yard dash back in my day. I was a decent athlete. I couldn't come close to that now. And so to see her out there playing was such a great thing to see. But did I expect greatness? No. I just feel like Mother Time has at

As it always has, is undefeated. And that's and that was what I saw. What what were your thoughts and what were you expecting?

Alvin Owusu (07:51.63)
Okay, so my expectations were very low, actually. Like a lot of the things that we talked about were i under the under the assumption that not under the assumption but but had the caveat of if she can blank get to a certain level, then this is what we would expect out of her. But the reality is okay, no I mean I'm sure she's playing practice sets, but that we all know that practice sets are very different than than

Torrey Hawkins (07:57.204)
Yeah. A lot of things that we do.

Alvin Owusu (08:20.855)
Than full match speed, right? What we saw was someone who had not played a competitive tennis match in almost four years, right? I was from the very beginning of the match till about I don't know, midway through that first set. I was like, she can win this match. Like, what am I seeing? She's a little bit she's a little bit slow out of the corners. Okay, that's that's fine. Movement will be an issue, right? Obviously. and and then, but then also she did not look

Torrey Hawkins (08:46.43)
Four.

Alvin Owusu (08:51.745)
She looked comfortable on the grass. She knew not she she knew where to stick and where not to stick, right? where it's dark and green in the corners, you need to be pretty careful with your steps out there unless you're planning on sliding through them, right? So I ex a little sticky out of the corners, that's fine. Any any rally that was coming like had any significant length to it, she was and you know, getting pulled outside the doubles alleys, that's that was just not gonna happen for her, right? But there were little things that I thought she could do better.

Torrey Hawkins (08:57.492)
Right.

Alvin Owusu (09:21.125)
And just from a tennis standpoint, I'm like, she just needs to play a little bit better. If she plays a little bit better, like she can win this match. And she got down a break in the first set. And then I remember I texted you, I was like, she's won seven out of twenty points off of second serve returns. I'm like, that's that's that is unforgivable. That is not good. That is categorically not good. And that is something that she can control. She can

Serena Williams can return better than that. And I thought that was a that was a that was a function of just not being sharp, not being match sharp. It got better.

Torrey Hawkins (09:51.732)
Hundred percent.

Torrey Hawkins (09:57.214)
Sure. Sure. Pla playing against a Maya joint, I might add, not returning Atlanta back in a not a not re not Alicia Park. Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (10:05.726)
Right, right, right, right. I mean, Maya did crank it up at she cranked it up at one point and like and she was touching a hundred on a second serve, but like consistently she was not being pressured. She was just missing. She was just missing. And that had nothing to do with her being old. Yeah. But that had nothing to do with her age, like and that had nothing to do with like her greatness p like past greatness level. That was just like as a tennis player. I don't care if you're a forty four year old Serena Williams playing on center court at Wimbledon.

Torrey Hawkins (10:16.404)
just missing. Missing in the net, which to me is a little bit of leg, a little bit timing. I'm with

Alvin Owusu (10:34.91)
Or you're you know, insert junior player who's 16 years old at John Juice Smith Tennis Center. I need you to make more second-serve returns. Like, what are we we we need to be better? So she cleaned that up and then also found an opportunity like where she could just start to assert herself. And it's like we we were talking about before, like, do more of that. Like be more, be more assertive on the first strike. You're you're finding gold there. You can dictate. And she started, she closed in her her position on the baseline, she started dictating through the court a little bit.

And the next thing you know, like we've we we've got Maya joint a little shook here. and it we're talking about Maya. Like Maya is having she's in a rough patch, right? She's she has not been winning tennis matches, but she has been ranked as high as top thirty before. So like she's talent, she has she has game, but right now she is struggling and she showed some signs of wavering. And Serena had some opportunities. I would say midway through the second set, sh Serena gets down a break breaks back.

gets back into the set, they get into the tiebreaker, she had some opportunities, she ends up taking the final opportunity, closes the set, and then she's up a break in the third set. Right. Yeah. Yeah. But then when she got up a break two one in the second and could not close it, that was the and I looked at the I I checked the time in the corner and I was like, we just hit two hours. I think she's done. I d I just think she's done. I think she's tired.

Torrey Hawkins (11:36.126)
Yep. Nope.

Torrey Hawkins (11:43.664)
D down match point I might add. So

Torrey Hawkins (12:02.948)
Right. And she won one more game.

Alvin Owusu (12:05.494)
Yep. So and that was it. So like some of it was very straight the the tennis match itself was very straightforward. She like if Serena is going to win tennis matches, this this version of Serena is going to win tennis matches, then she just she needs to play better. I don't know if it will get like let's just let's play this out. I assume she's gonna play the US Open. I'm pretty confident in that actually. I haven't I didn't watch her

Torrey Hawkins (12:16.072)
Very straightforward.

Torrey Hawkins (12:32.894)
You would do all this just by one match. Sure.

Alvin Owusu (12:34.952)
Right. I didn't watch her post match press conference. I had to take off. I've I've read nothing. I've been out the rest of the evening. But I would assume she's going to play the US Open. She will be sharper by then. I i maybe she'll play some tournaments, a tournament at least. She needs she need she needs match reps. Like that is that's for real.

Torrey Hawkins (12:55.746)
Anybody anybody would need match reps. I mean, that's just

Alvin Owusu (12:57.46)
Yes. you can't you can't like or your way through no reps, right? Like I mean Yeah. It'll get you it got her into that third set.

Torrey Hawkins (13:03.806)
She got better every time. Right. She got better you know, notwithstanding little fatigue and I obviously Maya was starting to play a little stronger too in the third.

She started striking. She wasn't striking in the first set, Alvin. She was making balls. Second set, she had a few chances of counter, had some longer points, even though they didn't go away. I thought late in the breaker in the second, early in the set earlier in the third, she started striking. She even missed a couple balls that you were like, okay, now that looks like the old Serena rip forehand. I think the first ball and the start, the third set was a rip return in the corner. It looked like vintage Serena. And again, it's just very difficult.

For me as a as a as a fan that I am and as a purist to to know that you're probably not gonna be able to call that up all the time. And and to have it to me, that that's that's where it's tough for me to knowing that that may not happen and yet you're still gonna give it a whirl, you know, is that's where it's tough for me. And I and and call it call it whatever you will. As I said, I've seen older comeback athletes from Tom Brady to, you know, even Philip Rivers came back for game last year. And

and and looked and looked pretty surprisingly pretty good for having not laced them up. You don't forget how to play the game. You know what I mean? You don't forget what you're doing. You're just missing some reps. you know, and I'm just saying it's just something that, you know, I all respect, you know, to to to her for being out there. It was great watching her. But there there's there's some things that I'm not gonna say the game, I'm not gonna make any other grandiose statements. I I can't. I'm just gonna say it was great seeing her. I didn't have like you I didn't have high expectations, but

It's it's I I can't not

Torrey Hawkins (14:47.424)
say or think that the game has caught up and passed where she was. And Alvin, I felt that way when she retired. So you know I feel that way four years later. And that's all I'm saying. And and and and I and I know that's a tough statement. She looked better today than she looked on her last match at the open when I watched her. But that match to me was a travesty of the Serena I watched over the previous twenty. That's all I'm saying. And and and that's and I and I hope that comes a I hope that has the most altruistic statement.

But but honest statement that I could I could make because I am a huge Serena and Venus fan, period. You know, I worked with Jay, Jameer, and Jenkins. I'm huge fan of the boys. You name it. I mean nothing but ultra love and and and mad props for for the whole Williams camp, the Jenkins, you name it. This is simply a matter of me as the fan looking at it to say what I'm saying. And and a great watching her, but

Alvin Owusu (15:47.1)
say let me say this. before she when she retired, right, I mean we remember the we remember the twenty twenty two US Open, right? But she came back so she was out the so she missed a few grand slams before she ended up finally playing the last two and then retiring, right?

Torrey Hawkins (16:02.898)
I wanna say she missed like four or six. She missed she missed a while. She missed a few.

Alvin Owusu (16:06.366)
Yeah, she I think she she she played twenty twenty-one Wimbledon and then missed US Open, missed Australia, missed French, came back, played, lost in the first round of Wimbledon, and then didn't really play much and then lost third round of US Open, right? But that match she lost to like she she won two matches and then lost to Isla Tomyanovich. She lost to Isla, I think I pulled up the score here, in a similar fashion. Like she lost the first set like Ila won the first at seven five.

Torrey Hawkins (16:21.458)
Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (16:35.38)
Serena won the second set in breaker, and then Isla won going away. And I remember it was really tight in the first tight in the first few games of that third set, but then Isla ran won going away six one in the third, right? And so we start getting to a certain level where or a certain point where Serena's a little a little shaky in the beginning and then catches up, and then she's in it, but then doesn't have enough in the tank to then finish, right? So like you're not gonna be able to

I mean, you're gonna have to train your way through that, but there's only so much training you can do. Like again, we're talking about like Mother Time is undefeated, right? So that is a that is a thing. But in today's match specifically, I was watching that match going, She can win this match. Not there like there's nothing that I'm seeing here that was like she does not like let's forget the old Serena. Let's forget the old Serena, let's forget Hall of Fame Serena.

Torrey Hawkins (17:20.045)
yeah!

Torrey Hawkins (17:25.182)
She has every skill. Yeah. She has every skill. She she had she had the she had the guile. She came the net, showed her hands are still that good. She served her way out of the match of that second. The woman won twenty-three slams of, and it's not like she don't know how to hit a tennis ball.

Alvin Owusu (17:41.93)
Yeah, but like it's not like she's not she's not necessarily playing against the best version of herself. Like I'm not I'm not comparing her to that. I'm comparing her literally to right now. Like once she walks on the tennis court, I'm looking at her just like anyone else is walking on the tennis court. Like, what do you have today? And today she was not sharp in a match that she could have won. She doesn't need her b she didn't need Hall of Fame Serena to watch.

Or to to win that match. She needed a better version of what she's capable of doing right now. She's just not sharp enough. Like it like give her give her another tournament. Give her two rounds. Like let her play a one two five. And this is not gonna happen. I'm just hypothetically. She and she wins that match. Like I there's nothing that Maya did that made me go, yeah, well Serena can't compete. It's like no, she's just not sharp. Like and so what do you take away from that? I don't really take anything away from that. Like

Torrey Hawkins (18:17.682)
Agree. Agreed.

Torrey Hawkins (18:26.92)
Yeah. Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (18:42.653)
Is she gonna continue to play this summer? I hope so. It's fun. It's fun. People are people are watching. It's fun.

Torrey Hawkins (18:46.002)
Yeah. Great great center. It's great center. Butts and seats. People were queuing up for a couple of days, they said on the broadcast. I mean, again, I love it. I I thought it was great for tennis.

You know, I got a chance to watch Jordan a couple of times when he played the Hawks, you know, here in Atlanta years ago. Of course I went to go see. You know, you never know if you the last time you might get a chance to watch a player of that level, you know what I mean? And for that for that reason alone it was great. And that that's why I went, you know what I mean? So again, I I thought it was great for tennis. It was great. The tennis purist in me didn't have a lot of expectations. I they weren't exceeded, obviously. the the huge Serena fan that I am, you know.

Just, you know, I'm I'm gonna say I endured it a little bit because you know, you never you never wanna see your champion, you know, dethroned so to speak. But it was fun. It was fun for me to see one thing. I I will put a little positive I'm gonna say pin in in in the conversation.

It was fun to see her adjust again. It was fun to see her problem solve again. It was fun to see her the wheels turning, the poise she has in moments, and you and you just realize the presence she has on in a match. And that was really fun for me to see. It was really great to see her, you know.

Look at look over at Maya like, hmm, what am I gonna try to get you now? And that was the old vintage. People don't realize how good of a problem solver she is, you know, with with various things and various skills. And I was so happy to see that part again. I think a lot of times early years we gave Serena a lot of athletic credit. We gave her a lot of shot making credit. We gave her a lot of she's just so much more tough than others, and she's so much stronger. Serena was pretty darn smart, and she was a very, very good tactician and problem.

Torrey Hawkins (20:34.358)
And I don't think she ever got the credit she really deserved for being said mentally tough.

tactically acute and extremely, extremely good at making adjustments. So it was fun to see that part of Serena again today. And I think that's one thing I want to make sure, you know, I I I don't fail to mention. But at the same time, you know, Mother Time is undefeated, Alvin, you know what I mean? And and it is what it is. And and I see so many players out there, from from the Mighty LeBron, you know, to to others, to to to T B to TB twelve, to others that I'm like

Father time, mother time, whichever one you want to call it, whichever gender you you identify, is undefeated and there's a reason. And the fact that she can still hang lets you it shines just a little bit of a light on how good they they were. And you know, you you take any player top fifty ten years past their prime, let alone

you know, fifteen, you know, and I don't know if they'd be as relevant. I don't know if they would be, you know, still able to play a set, you know what I mean? you know, at a at a grand slam level like like my girl Serena was. And so that's and that's all.

Alvin Owusu (21:45.727)
Well, even let's zoom in, like and just keep it about tennis here for a second. Over the last six months, we've talked about two players who were off tour for a while and came back who were in their physical pri more or less their physical peaks, like with Arthur Fees and Jack Draper, and what did we say about both of them? It takes about ten matches to get back. Ten matches. Serena played one match and almost and almost won that. Let's say she almost won.

Torrey Hawkins (22:00.52)
Thank you. Thank you.

Torrey Hawkins (22:08.58)
They matches. Right.

Alvin Owusu (22:15.573)
She did not almost win. Like by the time she got down, by the time she blew that she was up a break of the third set, once she once she got broken back, it was kind of felt like it was pretty much over at that point. Yeah. Yeah, but that but she was there. She was there to my point where what what we have said here before is what takes 10 matches, if she is 10% through that process, do you think what do you think she looks like if she gets nine more matches in?

Torrey Hawkins (22:25.436)
Three three, two down, four, three down. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. For sure. But two one. Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (22:43.315)
If she somehow plays nine matches between now and the US Open, which she will not, but if she does, I think we're having a very I think we run that back first round of the US Open and it's a very, very different match. Well, surface change too, you gotta put that's probably

Torrey Hawkins (22:55.794)
i i it it's it's I I would change a little bit 'cause the yeah, the same things in the corners. But but all things being equal, right? She's healthy. She's not gonna win the foot race. We know that. She's forty four. But will she be able to problem solve and beat a thirty through fifty opponent? I think so. Do I think she'll be able to, with a few days rest in between, come out and give a very valiant effort the second match? I think so. w

Max three, right? That's that's what, round of

32 on that that now we start getting the tough sledding. Not so much because of the tennis, actually more because of the volume day in, day out, and the lack of recovery. That to me would do her in a little more than even the tennis. I think that the the better the tennis, the the better she'll play. but again, do I think she would win a match like she lost today? I do. Do I think she would look sharper? I do. Do I think that she'll be a threat to win the tournament? No. And I don't think it's even about that. I just think it's about her it's about her trying to be out there again and maybe playing.

Alvin Owusu (23:54.505)
No, that no no no.

Torrey Hawkins (23:58.458)
In front of her little her her littlest little girl and you'll see. You know, bottom line, I just feel like it was great to see her. grace us again with with the tennis. And those who were saw her in person were lucky to have had a second chance, right, to to get her out to to watch her play in person. And again, if you're telling me, would I give that wild card if I'm the LTA, would I give that wild card to Serena all over again versus a seventeen year old, 25 year old Brit? Yes, I would do it again. And if I'm the US

Will I will I trade a wild card and give it to Serena versus somebody else? One thousand percent. You know what I mean? Will she put some butts in the seats? One thousand percent. would I if I'm up there will I look forward to watching her? One thousand percent, yes I will. So and I think that and I think that's where it's at it. Again, it was great seeing her. she looks like she's in good shape. She looks good, she looks like she's in good spirits. And man, that's if she's happy, I'm happy.

Alvin Owusu (24:52.456)
Yeah, and there's you know, we talked a little bit about or I guess they showed a stat where average mile per hour on the on on drive forehand and backhands, Maya was out hitting her from a pace standpoint. And I you know, I I I brought this up to you. I was like, I don't wanna see the difference between their ball pace. I wanna see if Serena's ball pace is the same as like her ball pace from like her yeah, her ball pace. Like how like her normal ball pace that we have seen over the last you know, not last few years, but like the last five years of her career.

Torrey Hawkins (25:02.984)
Sure. Sure.

Torrey Hawkins (25:13.372)
Okay.

Alvin Owusu (25:22.462)
How far off of that ball pace is she? My guess is she's not like she was using more shape than I was accustomed to seeing her use, and I think she was doing that to buy time. Right? Right. Yeah. Buy time. That's smart. I saw I saw a couple forehands going high heavy. I was like, ooh, ooh, okay. At a girl. At a girl. but also there's this whole thing about like she does use a like it's a 100 inch, but it's still it's still a blade. Like she's using a

Torrey Hawkins (25:31.58)
By time, buddy. You got everything with Steve Rolf.

Alvin Owusu (25:50.247)
a a pretty thin stick. Like I I imagine, like I I started to think about Pete Sampras and I started to think about Roger Federer, like the re the reluctance towards the back end of their career to change rackets. And I I was got to I got to thinking like what if Serena just like went with a racket that was a little had a little more pop on it, a little more free power.

Torrey Hawkins (26:11.538)
You see her with the blue bab, I mean, buddy, she w she

Alvin Owusu (26:14.546)
I mean, let's have a conversation. Like maybe it's a Wilson Ultra. It's maybe it's an Ultra, right? If she sticks with sticks with Wilson, maybe it's an Ultra. Maybe it's that new red line, aka the Python. Whatever, whatever. But like could she add a few add a little more pop to make up for the the lack of the lack of lack of foot speed at this at this point in her career. I don't know. I don't think it's gonna matter. Like I feel like this is this is gonna be a fun fun summer tennis fling, if you will. I let's just enjoy it.

But yeah, and i i it's yeah, yeah, okay, all right. That's that's twenty twenty minutes or so of of of Serena talk. the not we're not gonna get a full review show in here. Like if you wanna know what happened in the tournament, watch the go check the scores. It it's fine. on the women's side, I did see a few nothing things I'm worried about, but a continuation of what has been a more or less b

Torrey Hawkins (26:44.724)
percent. And not too much into it, you know what I mean?

Torrey Hawkins (26:53.203)
Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (27:14.224)
kind of season so far. Like no one really seems on the women's side, especially the top of the women's side, like they're really d ready to grab any particular tournament by the horns and take it. Right. I mean Arena had a good start. She she did her thing. hell, Ega, you know, drops a set to Taylor Townsend. two clean sets from Ega and then two s two bad service games in the beginning of that second set, and then, you know, so it whatever she got through it. She also lost a set.

Torrey Hawkins (27:26.098)
Yep. Yep.

Alvin Owusu (27:44.233)
in the first round last year and then didn't lose a set the rest of the damn tournament. So at this point it's win and survive, survive in advance. It's fine. was impressed with Emma Navarro. So Emma Navarro had a had a a battle against Paula Bedosa and not until the very end of that thing could you tell who's going to win that match. it's it's one, it's good to see both ladies back out there. You know, two former Paolo's been ranked as highest two in the world.

Torrey Hawkins (28:02.942)
Mm. Sure.

Alvin Owusu (28:12.138)
Emma Emma cracked the top ten at some point last year, maybe two years ago. obviously she's dealing with some health issues, but she's back and she's playing playing well. it was a fun match to watch. and then we lost we lost Alina Spinalina right early. she got she got taken apart pretty well. I mean, you serve forty is it forty five or forty nine percent first serves in play, like yeah, it ain't gonna get it done. Not good enough.

Torrey Hawkins (28:39.969)
good enough. Yep.

Alvin Owusu (28:41.946)
I

Torrey Hawkins (28:43.09)
Th there was a few few big upsets, you know, Potopova lost after having a great Wendy the Maya, I forget how to say her last name, my girl from the that we had had a tough one.

Alvin Owusu (28:52.18)
Kwalenska. Yeah, she had a tough one. She was up six si well, she was up six three, five two or something or six two, five three, something like that. Had a match point and then rolled her ankle.

Torrey Hawkins (28:59.71)
Yep. Yep. And yeah, and that that's the tough one for her. Keen Wynn lost to Sanyakova. I th there was a there's there was a Yeah. Y you al you almost have to be. You almost have to be. My point is there's lot of matches that I thought that were, you know

Alvin Owusu (29:08.434)
I'm worried about her. I'm worried about her.

Torrey Hawkins (29:16.616)
that that just didn't seem, you know, you you kind of saw you you started just seeing a few of the people like, ooh, you know, and again, imagine a few of them that we that we probably called. You know, I mean obviously I don't think we called you know her playing Svitolina playing her f her fellow countrymen, you know, and and I and obviously didn't play didn't play great. Tomyanovich you mentioned went out went out first round. I mean there's I didn't I didn't see Donovecich who had a great run up to the window. I I didn't I didn't Ashger was a great player, good college player, American. I just didn't I didn't think that on great

grass that she was going to be. I didn't I mentally didn't think that that was I thought that Donna Vecage, especially having won whatever was it Queens that that she won in the in the in the lead up to the whole thing. so they just just a few of them that I thought I'm like, ooh like like like that was kind of surprising, especially with you know with with Peyton with Ash Ash being being a qualifier. Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (30:06.083)
And and Donna was up a set and a break five three in the second. Like she she was doing what she needed to do, surf I think she surfed at five four and got broken again. yeah, that and then just kind of you know, she went away. Like she had a chance. She had a chance.

Torrey Hawkins (30:22.43)
Just went away. Just went away. So my whole thing is I'm saying there's a lot of there's a lot of, you know, I I thought

I I really thought that Tyler Gibson had a chance to beat Buscova, and obviously Wuscova, you know, one one let's see it went three, but you one one the the sets were kind of lopsided. So again, my point being that I was as I was looking at the whole thing, I was just you know, I was kind of it like like any tournament, you know, there it kind of went true to form, you know, even even Rebecca, you know, went three with with Boisson, you know. So there was a you you're starting to see that parody and and overall Alvin, we talked about this before we before we click the record button, you're starting to see the level.

start to catch up a little bit and I don't think the the I don't think I appreciate it as much. I'm certain that most people at may maybe a lot of our listeners and viewers may not always appreciate you can only keep or stay a level ahead for so long before the game catches up. People make those adjustments and start to catch up to what you're doing. Heck

I we haven't talked about the men yet, but even even the the

the the redheaded one himself, you know, started started with a with a strong had a had a strong five setter had to lead out the gate. People are starting to realize, hey man, don't sleep, you know, and they're starting to catch up to the tactics. They're starting to catch up to the type of ball. You know, there's just so many good things that the the benefit of the level being raised is we all see a higher quality tennis. The benefit for the tour, everyone starts to match

Torrey Hawkins (31:59.984)
that level and the unfortunate side is that

That front runner can no longer draft off of what they did before. They're gonna have to do something more. And I think that's one of the it just puts an overall comprehensive or cumulative stress on, okay, that was great, but can you do a little bit more? You know, and then you start looking at what that means at the tour at large, and that's that's what we're starting to see, especially on a surface like grass, where, you know, just being a little bit off balance can cost you a return or cost you depth. And that lack of depth might cost you a point, and that lack of movement.

You know, now you can't defend like you would on a hardcourt or even on the clay. And now you either get tight or you go for too much. And now you're in this weird space of not being able to have all the tools at your disposal that you would have had normally. So I'm looking forward to this. I think this tournament has a few more upsets left in it. And I think I think once but once you get past those first few weeks, I think things will start kind of going a little more true to form. But I think there's two or three more upsets waiting to happen. when I say bit upsets, I mean two or three more.

Top 10 upsets too all on either side. I just feel like the the top haven't haven't, you know, stuck in quotes, haven't pulled away from the rest yet. And I would not be surprised if I didn't if we didn't see, let alone the normal upsets you see in the high teens and twenties that you typically see with that person that just missed being seated. You know what I'm saying?

Alvin Owusu (33:27.965)
Fair. Yeah, there's I mean, there's a couple of tasty matchups in the in the second round, especially on the women's side. there's a little section, I'm calling it the check the check corner, where you have Sinyakova playing against Bartonkova. Barton Kova's the girl's good. Like she's she's good. she she and she's very good on grass as well. right below them you have Krijikova versus Andreva. That is that yeah, circle that one. That'll be fun. speaking of top ten players

Torrey Hawkins (33:37.608)
Light. Yep.

Torrey Hawkins (33:50.396)
That's right. Big big matchup.

Yeah, take a photo. Right. Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (33:57.278)
Yeah, speaking of top ten players who could get upset, like that that feels like it maybe on paper would be an upset. But I mean obviously Barbora won this thing two years ago. I don't think anyone would be overly surprised if she were to actually take Mira down. but I do want to give a quick shout out to three sisters, maybe two and two and a half sisters. Alicia Parks, Robin Montgomery, and Tyra Grant. Tyra Grant is half Italian, half American, so I'll give she's the half sister there. But

Torrey Hawkins (34:20.188)
Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (34:27.399)
I good good start. Good start, ladies. Alicia, you we we talked about her a little bit here on this podcast. She's she's of the of the city here of the of Atlanta. it's good to see her consistently getting out of the blocks in Grand Slam. Like she got out of I remember I don't remember how she did French Open, but had a tough match first round of Australian Open against Ayala, got out of that one. Like I like to see a clean start. Like cut show up, get your get get over your first round match, get out of the gate and get moving.

Torrey Hawkins (34:29.46)
Absolutely.

Torrey Hawkins (34:36.808)
Yeah.

Torrey Hawkins (34:48.638)
Yeah. Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (34:57.063)
Love to see it. Robin Montgomery, wanna warm up event coming in here and then and then showed up in the first round as well. And then Ty Tyra Grant, she's kind of been on the radar if you you know follow junior tennis or whatnot. but she's coming as well. I like to see the youth doing things, taking steps on the biggest stages, in grand slams. It's good.

Torrey Hawkins (35:15.549)
Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Notching the bell, going going a little further each time. And you know, it's unfortunate that we had to play Jasmine, but you know, one of the best she got a big serve, but playing one of the best returners in the game. I th I call her a mini ego, you know what I mean? Jasmine. So it was tough. But again, but seven five and a thirds is a quality match, quality match, you know what I mean, for her against a former top five. So that's you know, it's a very, very, very, very solid to your point, very solid start.

Alvin Owusu (35:23.879)
Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (35:45.639)
Yep, for sure. and I I I could have sworn Robin was gonna pull that one out, but Jay Powell, I mean, she has finaled this event before. She can play on clay. She has won Masters One Thousands, right? Like J like you know, would have been nice to see Robin get through with that one, but you know, Jasmine is still a top twenty player, so it it it it's gonna be what it's gonna be. All right, let's on the men's side, let's stick with the theme Benjamin Shelton.

Torrey Hawkins (35:50.12)
Yeah.

Torrey Hawkins (35:54.716)
Right. Yeah.

Torrey Hawkins (36:05.202)
Better. Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (36:15.037)
Mr Shelton lost in five sets today. It a tough a long match. Let's put it that way. It was a long match.

Torrey Hawkins (36:24.104)
Long max that didn't need to be that tough in my opinion. And a match that I felt the the my my main man Otto from Finland was is it Vertanen or Virtanian? Vertanen. The

Alvin Owusu (36:35.635)
Vert vertan vertanin. Vertanin. Vert vert it's either vertanin vertenin? Vertanin.

Torrey Hawkins (36:43.208)
Ben will need to get a world-class return to go along with this world-class serve. I'm seeing blocks that are short. I'm seeing rips that are unfortunately a bit anemic because they're in the middle of the court. I feel like

He needs to really double down on his return game. The j the man has got such a lethal forehand. His net game only continues to get better. I think he actually has bet more, he has very underrated net skills. slices continue to get better. Maybe the timing of them make it could be better and the placement could be better, but he's slicing itself a lot better. He's not over he's not outhitting his own coverage area like he used to. But his returns is the only gaping hole that I see left in his game.

His returns are not varied enough, they're not deep enough, they're not consistent enough for him for it to take the pressure off his serve. And I felt like Otto got very comfortable early, knowing that he was going to be able to hold as well. And that just puts pressure on a big server. And mind you, the match went five sets. I also thought he may have accelerated a little bit too much in the third set and then lost the the fourth pretty pretty handily, right? And so I felt like I felt like it's one of those matches where maybe.

Maybe he hoped the moment would kinda let Otto kind of fade and go away. But you know, and and that that yeah it's always easy to say it with hindsight, right? To look back and say this, that, and the third afterwards looking looking with the with the luxury of hindsight. But in general, in general, he's never been a phenomenal returner. And I think he needs to really break that down and in going into the hardcore season and going into going into the you know to the open. I feel like if he gets that part down,

He already has one of the biggest serves in the men's game. But now if he gets his returns down, he will be a true force to be reckoned with. And then he will be a true top four, top three, possibly higher. But until that, he is drafting at top four, top five, top six, whatever he is right now, and not really a top six, top five, because his returns aren't top five. You can't have a number one or two in the world serve. You can't have a top five, you know, in the world forehand, have

Torrey Hawkins (38:59.208)
top 50 returns, you know what I mean, and then expect to be top five, top four, top three. You know, you're gonna play, you know, you're gonna play to the to the s to the lowest weapon that that you have, you know, in your in your tool, in your in your bag. And I think that's unfortunately what and and Wimbledon makes you Wimbledon punishes the any, the even the average to above average returner, let alone the person that may not that may not be their suit, but it's one of those things where I feel like that's for hurting the day.

Alvin Owusu (39:27.686)
Right. And I mentioned not I mentioned, I heard Annie Roddick mention the same thing, obviously tons of experience on the surface himself. But as much as yeah, and as much as as much as the the aces and the big surfs get the get the you know, the eyes and the attention on grass, he said it, you said it, it's the return. Like and if you if you can't return well on the surface, you can't win on this surface. And you know, one thing that we've all we've

Torrey Hawkins (39:35.676)
Okay.

Torrey Hawkins (39:44.702)
Sure. Yeah.

Torrey Hawkins (39:54.632)
Yeah, right.

Alvin Owusu (39:55.505)
all talked about and I think his his camp is talked about like statistically like the the numbers bear it out he's not a great returner, right? So let's even look at it from the other side. Let's let's say that's going to be a hurdle for him, right? It in perpetuity. He can get incrementally better, but let's just assume that it's not going to get it's not going to become a strong suit, that he will not become a world class returner. Is there is there a world in which

Torrey Hawkins (40:10.952)
Sure.

Torrey Hawkins (40:19.188)
Okay.

Alvin Owusu (40:23.782)
the rest of his game, which he's done such a good job of rounding out, like what if he just focused on doing less? Like being more straightforward? Like you talk about getting in and that he he you know, he has he has underrated volleys. Like as much as he it seems like he's priding himself on being able to hang from the baseline with anyone, it's like but that's not is that maybe a poor strategy to begin with?

Like why why maybe zag when others are zigging if if you if I wanna simplify it. Like you're left handed, big serve, good volleys, like

Torrey Hawkins (40:58.74)
Sure, sure. And come forward, put pressure. right. I personally feel like that game style ended with Greg Rosetsky.

Alvin Owusu (41:03.474)
Force the issue.

Torrey Hawkins (41:11.758)
And it didn't even really work with Greg past a certain point, past the early two thousands. guys just passed too well right now. Guys just other guys were turning better. I'm gonna push back on him not being able to do it. I saw a very at the time scrawny Serbian brother named Novak Djokovic develop a serve, develop a forehand over time. And mind you, he's not serving a hundred and thirty-nine, you know, in the corner.

But the brothers got a good serve and he's go only gotten better. And while he was a very average to below average server and forehand, I might add, back in the day. And I think it just takes some time. I mean, I feel like Ben is still raw, in my opinion. I know that sounds crazy for he's been out there four or five years now, but Ben is not a little mo champion like like Andy Roddick was back in in one, you know, when he was eight or nine and just a tennis junior, you know,

Virtuoso. He was a good athlete that played a bunch of sports that gravitated to tennis later and later in juniors and had and hit kind of hit stride. Even in college. He got better in college and and you know went from playing kind of average of Florida to being a national champ and to even on the tour. And just has continued to play with some confidence and some and some very ballsy and very big time shots, who still is kind of fixing up his ship on the way. So I see that to say I think he can still get it, Alvin. I really do. He's, I think, in the next

Two or three years, if he puts some quality work into it, he will do it. I think he's too competitive not to. And I think that, and I know Brian's way too sharp not to not keep working on that with Ben. And I know Ben wants to be better. Ben wants to be a top player in the world. He wants to win a slam. He wants to be in the finals of these things. And that being, and maybe this loss early to a qualifier, you know, was is the wake-up call he needed to really double down and quite frankly give him some extra time to work on those returns. And I feel like that's

that's a silver lining. You know what I mean? You you come back from acts like that with the wake up call and I think that he he with better returns, Alvin, will be a force to be reckoned with from now on. So it's it's in his best interest to do it now.

Torrey Hawkins (43:25.556)
And I think if he does, we'll we'll we will see a a much improved Ben Shelton going forward. And I really feel like, especially with our American hopes, kinda, you know, being being dismal-ish for the later end of tournaments, I feel like he's still got the best all around chances to to really be on the business end of a slam of all of our current options that are out there.

Alvin Owusu (43:47.858)
Fair enough. Fair enough. you mentioned one Novak Djokovic. I was watching so I was I was traveling just a briefly over the a couple of days ago and I watched the Nadal documentary. that four part four part documentary and this well th the th second and third episode I think were or maybe the third episode was about Novak, his rivalry with Novak. And it went back to like they started talking about like twenty eleven Novak and how he had kinda like you know, he had become the best player in the world.

Torrey Hawkins (44:01.364)
Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (44:17.763)
And I'm just like, twenty eleven? Jesus, fifteen years ago. I'm still watching this dude kick people's asses. Like, that's it's what what he's doing right now is insane. And he's doing it in a different way now. But he's still doing it. And I I say that I bring that up because what I watched him do yesterday was I've gotten to the point now where when when Novak gets against the ropes, you just kinda know he's gonna serve him like get his way out of it. Like he's just like

Torrey Hawkins (44:27.284)
Incredible.

Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (44:47.471)
He's you mentioned his serve. He spot serves so well. If he like Love forty, fifteen forty, McNe no no. You're not you're not winning this. You're not winning this 'cause he's just gonna go line, line, catchy leanin', and like it's so he's so impressive. but but but he did look a little underpowered yesterday. and some of that was was white bing, like he

Torrey Hawkins (44:51.028)
He's got he's got one of the best spots for earth. Yeah. Boom.

Five percent.

Torrey Hawkins (45:12.542)
Sure, sure.

Alvin Owusu (45:16.615)
That man's got fast hands, he hits the he hits the piss out of the ball. And there were parts of that fourth set where Waibeing looked like he was good like like he looked like he thought he was going to win that match. Like I'm gonna push I'm gonna push Novak around. I'm in control of this match. And then it just didn't go that way. It just did Novak Novak Novak slithered out once again.

Torrey Hawkins (45:18.334)
Yep. Yep.

Torrey Hawkins (45:30.913)
Right. Right.

Torrey Hawkins (45:39.55)
Right. He he's he's slippery. But but it's also good to see again, Y Bing and others, Mr. Wu, all the the Alvin, they're starting to catch him. I'm telling you, I you just feel it, Alvin. It's it's hard to say it. You know, Otto with with Ben Sheldon. They're they're catching these guys. They're getting their foot in the match, right? I forget what match I was watching at the French and and and the young man just came out and and and you just knew from jump he felt he had a chance, you know.

I'm not talking about the the center match with with the other Sarandolo and other that that was just, you know, Yannick just folded, you know. We're talking about the these players are just starting to, there's a little bit of belief, but there's also they I can hang with you, right? I'm not sure if I can beat you, but I know I can hang. And if I stay in this long enough.

I have a chance. And that's the gap closing. That's the gap continuing to to get closer. And you're seeing it in almost in just about every match. You know, there there there's no blowouts. You know what I mean? There's nobody just just taking people's candy out there. And and and I gotta say, Alvin, as as a as a tennis coach, as a as a piercing I am, I love watching it because it just lets you know, buddy, you know, don't turn that channel. You know, you you might you might come back and and the player that you thought you'd watch for the next three or four days.

might be might be on the receiving end of a match point against him. You know what I mean? And there goes your, there goes your fave, you know, out bounced out of the tournament. So I just feel like it's a great thing. The tour at large is raising the level and it just it just really gives you a higher appreciation for how good everybody is in that tournament. Even especially the qualifiers, because these guys are coming in sharp with matches. They're coming in sharp with a little bit of confidence. Hey, as I as I often say, it's a don't sleep tour.

Alvin Owusu (47:31.304)
Yeah. And I think it's even the the point about the qualifiers, I think it's exasperated even here at at Wimbledon because getting getting match reps on grass is really important because it's an execution based surface, right? You can't like run around and make balls the way you can on clay or even to a certain extent on hardcourt. you gotta like you gotta you gotta execute your patterns and you gotta be able to finish points, right? Finish points, finish points, finish points.

It's a lot of, you know, first and second strike tennis out there. And if you're coming in a little unsure, it's hard to work yourself into grass. Like some of that's why you I think that's why we're seeing a lot of a lot of these tough matches in the first round when the there's a big gap between the rankings. I I I think you'll see a very different second round. That's my my my guess. and by the time you guys listen to this, we will be in the second round, I'm w well aware. But that's

That's my feeling. I feel like someone like Novak is gonna come out looking a lot he'll probably look a lot cleaner. but, you know, I wanna I don't wanna take anything away being I think a lot of that had to do with with Mr. Wu in that particular match. couple things I was really impressed with, along the lines of getting out of the gates clean. we talked about them here, maybe more than you want to talk about them, but Hodar and Fonseca. Fonseca looked like a man who

Torrey Hawkins (48:34.11)
Sharper. Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (48:58.895)
Learn some things at Roland Garros, how to manage yourself in the second week of a Grand Slam. That experience shows you how to get myself ready to be in the second week of Grand Slam. He played his first round match like someone who has seven days worth of hotel rooms booked. Like I'm I'm everything was yeah, I'm gonna be here a while. I'm gonna be here a while, and so did Hodar. Like Hodar looked great. it's it's good to see.

Torrey Hawkins (49:06.697)
Right.

Torrey Hawkins (49:20.18)
I'll be a lot. Right.

Alvin Owusu (49:28.435)
Ignacio Buse looked looked fantastic as well. who else? Ethan Quinn looked good. a lot of the young guys yeah. Feast looked Feast just like I'm I'm back, it's fine, everything's fine.

Torrey Hawkins (49:35.764)
Sure. Art the feet look good. Look good and sharp.

He looked very good. I was I was happy to see him look. My main man Howman Munar co Alvin never, never fails to see.

Alvin Owusu (49:48.136)
This might be the only podcast in the world that talks about Jaime Munar. No one talks about talks about Mr. Munar like like like Tory Hawkins. I don't understand it, but here we are.

Torrey Hawkins (49:57.284)
I love it. I l Alvin, I told you that how many you done he's he's that leftover Spanish, he's the bridge from the old school and the new school.

And I and I love him every time I see him play and and do well. I just I just I I I love I I'm just saying I'm just saying, you know, Surrendalo is is is a is a good player, top twenty, but hey, how many says not today. Not today. You know what I mean? So I'm just saying I was I was happy to I was happy to see that. And I mentioned him earlier, but he played a heck of a match. Love seeing him coming forward. He he's kinda adapted his game a little bit. Maybe it's a bit late. He's a bit father time is unkind, but

Alvin Owusu (50:20.273)
Fair fair enough.

Torrey Hawkins (50:34.692)
I gotta give it up to one Stanislaus Pavrinka. That was a very, very good match with Mr. Beratini. I I just, you know, you you couldn't get any closer unless it had gone five. You know what I mean? I mean, so many breakers. It was just great. It was good tennis. It was good to see. And that's if that's gonna be his last match, but he can hang his head high on a phenomenal career and a and a great it was just great to great to s to see it. So anyway, I I I I wanted I would be remiss if I did not say how good the quality of that match was.

was and Bertini is no slouch on the grass himself. It was just great tennis to see a couple of the older players, you know, go that deep in it. And it was it was fun. It was fun to see. So anyway, I wanted to I I couldn't I couldn't I didn't I want I didn't I didn't want to leave the the the the father time without giving the man props on his on his, you know, into a and let's face it, it may it may be one of his last matches.

Alvin Owusu (51:22.799)
Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (51:29.115)
Fair, fair. another one, Cam Norrie. We we called out Cam Norrie as someone who could maybe disrupt Felix Oceali Seam's plans of holding up his seed, but Cam was taken out by Michael Zhang. Michael Zhang of Australian Open Australian Open Fame. he is now a full time tour player and picked up another Grand Slave W over a seeded player again. sixth and the third. I mean pardon me sixth and the third of the St. Juniors.

Torrey Hawkins (51:43.038)
Yeah.

Torrey Hawkins (51:58.418)
Yeah. Yeah. Yep.

Alvin Owusu (51:59.337)
six and the fifth. that's tough. And in that in that same space in the draw though, you've got Felix playing against who's he's playing? D Prismich. He's playing Dino Prismich. another y young fella to be to be to be reckoned with. I like man. I I just like the way that Demo carries

carries himself like he believes in himself he always has believed in himself but now he's healthy again showing trying to show up week in week out getting coming to a grand slam getting out the gates clean beats a beats a good grass group player in Adam Walton fairly clean and now he's got Felix in the next round who also look he looked he looked decent looked like himself that will be a fun function

Torrey Hawkins (52:52.498)
Yep. Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (52:57.574)
Tennis match to watch.

Torrey Hawkins (52:58.878)
Yeah.

The the new Felix I feel gets the edge. Dino's a great a great player. He's he's as close to a young Novak as I've seen in a while. But like Novak, doesn't he doesn't have Novak spot serve, not yet. And I feel Felix being the taller and the and the let's face it, the better tooled version of the two, I kinda give Felix the nod. Felix looked good and he won didn't look great and he still won in straight. So to me that that says a lot for a guy if you're not playing your best and still able to win in straights and you're on the grass when it's still slippery and stuff.

still a little, you know, maybe a little tricky. I feel like, you know, heck, number one in the world did not fare so well, you know, even though he was able to pull it out. So I got I gotta I always like to see guys get to those first matches without without a tweak, without a a fall, without a straight hamstring, without a groin pull, you know what mean? Because of that back leg going out from under you when you were going when you got wrong foot and you're going for that wide on the run ball. So to me I like these I like Felix's chances and you know again I look for

forward to if if he should get through now that Mr. Jang has taken him out, has taken out Cam, that now opens up that little mini section and so he's, you know, arguably should he be able to get through Dino, he may he may be sitting pretty going into the third round.

Alvin Owusu (54:15.376)
Fair enough. And the last kind of section I was caught my eye, Mensick was able to pull out another first round five setter. he there five setters in the first week do not n don't usually don't bode well for second week success. Like and and Jakob s it somewhere in the first two rounds of Grand Slam often finds himself in a five set match that's just a lot longer than it needs to be for someone who ha

Torrey Hawkins (54:22.28)
Yeah. Yep.

Torrey Hawkins (54:33.0)
Well, right.

Alvin Owusu (54:43.664)
Who serves as big se as big as he does and has the ability to go as big off the ground as he does. I say that to say he got through it. He didn't get carried off in a stretcher. He walked off on his own this time. and he's got Grigor in the next match. good to see Grigor a grandstand win, like needed it. and then right below them in that section, the winner of that match would play the winner of Berettini and Fees, which is obviously Arthur's playing well. Bertini knows how to play on grass, he's final this event.

Torrey Hawkins (54:47.625)
Right.

Torrey Hawkins (54:53.214)
Right. Right.

Torrey Hawkins (54:59.316)
Yep, yeah. Yep.

Alvin Owusu (55:13.154)
Once? Twice? Once. Once. lost to Novak in a in a final, I believe, one time. So yeah, this it's it I'm I'm liking the way that this draw is is is shaking itself out. lot of a lot of strong second round matchups, even like Demonor versus Emr Manorino. That will be fun. Novak versus Sitsipass, take me back to twenty twenty one.

Torrey Hawkins (55:32.008)
Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (55:37.51)
yeah, it's it's just it's it's we're in a good spot here. We're nothing nothing mind blowing, nothing overly of note, I think

Torrey Hawkins (55:43.026)
Yep. Yep. But but still but some quality tennis and and and I will say this and you mentioned about Mensic I'll throw in my my my my very small two cents. Mensick, a little bit like Ben today as well, they play one style so well.

And they drive the ball so well, it's almost like you you wonder. Obviously, grass isn't a time to be experimenting, right? You you need to kind of go go with what you know. But you almost wonder, and I saw it a lot in the bend match with with Otto Vertanen.

Alvin Owusu (56:09.392)
Sure. Yeah.

Torrey Hawkins (56:17.16)
You drive the ball at your own peril when you play guys that are from the upper north. You know what I mean? These guys who play a lot on carpet and play indoors a lot. These guys are ball strikers, right? You're not gonna outstrike a ball striker. You know what I mean? And I feel like Minsk, obviously, being from Czech and you know Otto being from Finland. These guys tag Zuzubergs had a similar match with with Umbert. I mean, these guys are tagging the freaking ball out. I mean, they are literally, I mean

Alvin Owusu (56:40.006)
Yeah.

Torrey Hawkins (56:44.956)
Height is about a foot over the net and coming at you between 85 and 105, depending on the different pace. But there's not a lot of riding. Then I the ball wide of you. And as a result, the court's longer than it is wide. And so when that happens, you're not able to get in as much. It's all about decent footing. Can I outstrike? You're gonna hit some safe targets because you have to to land that 747 of a ground stroke down the middle of the court. But you're also realizing, and if the guy can hang with me,

Alvin Owusu (56:59.749)
Yeah.

Torrey Hawkins (57:13.796)
I better be pretty good on the other side because I have to be. Because I'm I'm opting for pace. And so at this point, I gotta go big because I just went big. I can't go slow now. The guy will tag one on me. Safflin and and and and your boy Rublev. Very similar match. They're very similar type players. You're just gonna see a pace war. And at the end of the day, man, it it it's it just tends to be

Alvin Owusu (57:33.296)
Yeah, yeah.

Torrey Hawkins (57:43.238)
It's fun to watch fun to see it.

You know, but I don't I'm not so sure it's the best tactical matchup in if if you know, all things considered. So that's all. And I feel like there's a each of those matches had a little bit of a pace war, a high tempo smash fest to it that I you'd like to see the better, better, higher rank, more experienced player move the ball around, throwing a few drop. It was almost just rip, rip, rip, drop. You know what I Rip, rip, rip, big serve, big return, rip, two rips, drop shot. Because that's the only option you really have at that speed. And so at some

point to me, I just felt like that was I saw a lot of the same match in a lot of different matches, you know what I mean, as far as the matchup itself. And I and I'm ho I'm looking forward to seeing some different things, you know, some different type of tactics to that other players are opening the court up a little more, coming forward a bit more, and you know, really, you know, expanding the repertoire of ways they can win instead of just, you know, instead of being the Smash Fest 2026.

Alvin Owusu (58:43.547)
Heard. Heard. I think that's a that's a good place to put a pin in it because, you know, these matches roll on. we get started bright and early tomorrow morning as well. so we'll stop there. I'm Alvin. That's Tori. Enjoy the rest of the round two of Wimbledon and best of three. We are out.