Alvin Owusu (00:00.11)
And welcome to another episode of the Best Three Podcast. I'm Alvin, that's Tori. we come to you some hours after the w the completion of the women's semi-finals Wimbledon matches. we have Carolina Mahova moving past Coco Goff in a a bit of a classic, as you if you if you want to call it that. I I think we'll we'll get into it. and then Linda Noskova taking down Mort Tekostik, setting up an all check final.

Torrey (00:01.165)
You know what I mean?

Alvin Owusu (00:29.912)
Check down, check up, I don't know how you want to call it, but one of those two. TH. I it w w we sometimes we get together after these matches that end up being very close. And I think a lot of what we do here in this best of three spaces we we we analyze what we see and we try to help the the fans, the viewers, give we give them our impression of like why why the thing happened. Like

Why it happened. What this happened and this is why it happened. But when it comes to a match like this, where it's separated by so little, so little, I personally find it very hard to provide anything of overt relevance. But that doesn't mean we're not gonna try. That doesn't mean we're not gonna try. so let's let's start with the first match. Carolina Mahova took down Cookle Goff six two.

Torrey (00:57.614)
Right. Yep.

Torrey (01:15.373)
Yeah. Agreed.

Alvin Owusu (01:26.186)
One, six, seven, six, twelve, ten, and the match breaker. I think it was a tale of three very different sets. If I I'll I'll give my my view of the overture and then we can we can kind of dive into it. But I think both women at different points in the match, Carolina in the first set, Coco in the second set, were able to dictate and execute their game plan. Carolina wanted to pick on Coco's forehand.

Torrey (01:34.713)
100%.

Alvin Owusu (01:54.856)
Hopes that it would break down. In the first set, it was a bit of a mess, right? And the sec but in the second set, Coco cleaned up her game considerably, started coming forward more, and was able to successfully pick on Carolina's backhand. It broke down in the second set. So I I gave both players check, check. Like right game plan, when executed properly, success in front of us, right? And then we get

Torrey (02:11.714)
Yep. Yep.

Torrey (02:23.308)
Right, but by a fairly large margin, both sets. Yeah, sure, sure.

Alvin Owusu (02:25.461)
yeah, very very straightforward in both in both directions, right? the third set is where things started to get really, really interesting. And that's I'm gonna give it I'm gonna give it back to you to kind of what did you what were you thinking going into that third set and then where did you end up at the end of that match?

Torrey (02:44.924)
I'm going to pick up where you left off on the second set of things. Number one, Mohova did a great job of bringing Coco forward when she wasn't ready to come forward. I feel the short drop shot play, even a few times when it wasn't successful, she still did it and Coco hurt her in the first few games with it, but she kept doing it. Some drop volleys, some short slices. She kept as much and as

As much as Coco comes forward and as much as she likes to come forward on her own terms, she wasn't as comfortable being brought in. Another thing that she wasn't very comfortable with was when she blocked the return. I felt like that was actually a very savvy move from Carolina to block the return to the forehand, you, not give Coco any pace to work with. Having said that, that was a little successful. then obviously Mohoad got on fire and she won about four or five games in a row there in the first set.

I felt in the second set when Coco started doing her thing, yeah she got on line, stuck in quotes, air quotes, with her backhand, a couple of big returns and a couple big balls coming forward and hit a couple of her signature step ups and open court ballies, a couple big overheads on some points. And then I noticed something a little bit, I'm gonna say not so Coco-esque, which was Coco's drop shots, her maybe short touch and feel.

When I saw it first, I noted and I said, hmm, that's not a bad play. It's just not her play. Then I saw the third set and it just seemed like Coco got a little bit away from the game she was playing that was really successful for her, which is adding pace, keeping the tempo high, not, you know, moving her coming forward, which is I thought was so good that she did against JPEG.

Alvin Owusu (04:17.783)
Mm-hmm.

Torrey (04:40.286)
think it wasn't something that she was, I don't know if the up back drop shot cat mouse as good as she can do it, it just wasn't to me her tried and true. And I felt like that that kind of aided Mojova a little bit more. And that's what I saw in the third. I saw a Coco that did not dictate play enough. I saw her on the back foot hitting that buggy forehand a little bit too much. Mind you with the bigger forehand, but deep in the rally, I also saw Mojova hit through the middle a lot more.

Alvin Owusu (05:00.277)
Mm.

Torrey (05:09.288)
then runner, which is also kind of unique, until she got the forehand that she wanted and could yank her inside out knowing that Coco was gonna go back cross and then pull the inside in. I just felt like Carolina did something very smart. I felt like Coco did something to counter, albeit different than what she normally does. And then I felt like Carolina just found a way to weather the initial storm, body her up, old school, you know, old school Muhammad Ali.

you know, rope a dope. And then she got the ball she wanted, say ball six, ball seven. And at that point, now she was the one running Coco on the dirt, you know, where the footing isn't as ideal. So that's kind of what I saw, Alvin, as I felt like the second set, as straightforward as it was, it wasn't classic beat down, step up, big backhand, classic Coco golf. And therefore in the third, she didn't really have all six cylinders clicking like she...

would like to have had to take that same command lead in the third set. That's what I saw. What about you?

Alvin Owusu (06:12.619)
Well, I'll also I'll also add in like just one on one thing. Like Carolina did like progressively it's weird, she progressively served better throughout the course of the match. Like I think the first set, her first serve percentage was something like forty percent, which is very strange how you can win a set so easily serving so poorly, which speaks to how how poorly Coco was returning on the forehand side in the first set. She was missing a ton of forehand, second serve returns.

Torrey (06:28.837)
Right. Sure.

Torrey (06:35.05)
boy.

on the box.

Alvin Owusu (06:40.634)
she a lot of it she was doing to herself. She might have been nervous. but there's one thing what's that?

Torrey (06:45.127)
And the pace wasn't quite there. And the pace wasn't quite there.

Alvin Owusu (06:49.461)
Sure, and off of second serve, like you gotta yeah, I mean that's your that's your time to shine, right? It's it's load, rip with confidence, and I think we'll get to some some of the, you know, evolutions of that forehand and the confidence aspect a little bit later. But one thing about Coco Goff that you never feel is that she's out of a match. She lost that match six I mean, lost the set six one in the first set. Was it six one? Yep. Six one in the first six two in the first set. You see it in her face, she goes off the court. I'm like, when she comes back, I'm like, she's

Torrey (06:53.404)
got it.

Torrey (07:06.188)
of course.

Torrey (07:11.313)
Two, two, shoot one, six, one.

Alvin Owusu (07:18.615)
She's not going away. She's not gonna play the entire match like this. She will play better. And then sh and then she did. And also she was able to get to that backhand, Mahova's backhand. You started seeing Mahova missing backhands. And then also after points, she's like hitting shadow backhands. Like as she is feeling it, like she's feeling it. Like, I know this is my weaker side and I know I'm missing balls. I gotta, I gotta get this right. Because Coco was not only burying balls on that side, but she's also then starting to increase her her her net approach rate, right? At that point.

Torrey (07:20.069)
Sure.

Yeah, I see that. Yeah.

Torrey (07:39.024)
Right.

Torrey (07:47.738)
Yep. Yep.

Alvin Owusu (07:48.265)
And I I think it's it's really interesting that the one thing that we're not talking about is the second serve. Coco served fantastic today. Fantastic. I'm gonna say this again. Coco served fantastic today. Two double two double faults in the match. One in the first set, and this n the second one wasn't until like eight seven in the third set breaker. That woman served her

Torrey (07:56.921)
Yup. Yup.

Torrey (08:00.791)
Yeah, yeah, it's worth repeating.

Torrey (08:12.04)
she came back down 6'3".

Alvin Owusu (08:13.79)
Right. Yeah, and I I I'm gonna say the the first twelve points of that of that tiebreaker were amazing. Like both women were executing, pushing each other to the limits, and then the la the back end of that breaker was a little bit of survival. and but it's you come out of this match and I don't think I necessarily maybe I learned a little bit about both players, right? Coco has she's lost the match

Torrey (08:20.377)
Very, something.

Alvin Owusu (08:43.584)
But I feel like she's found some confidence in herself. But we also like you could also tell by the way that that match ended that this is still going to be a journey. Not everything is fixed. And I want to go back to our, you know, our last episode where we I think it was after her quarterfinal match, when we talked about like the the next progression for her is going serve plus one with that forehand with intention. And there was a point in that third set.

Torrey (09:09.784)
Right.

Alvin Owusu (09:13.684)
In the breaker, where she's serving for it, and she bombs a first serve with everything that you're supposed to everything that you're supposed to do, and she's serving for the match. Big first serve, gets the short ball, and I stand up, I go, there it is. And then she bails and hits the drop shot. The drop.

not the time for the eyedropper. And and there you go, okay. She's not confident in it yet. And that is the that's the evolution of things, right? Like if it

Torrey (09:40.685)
Thank you.

Torrey (09:47.787)
And you don't think that she just did too much of it in the second and had a little bit of success and thought it was a better go-to because it worked a few times? Okay. Yeah. All right.

Alvin Owusu (09:55.851)
No, no no no no no no no no no no. I feel like if you if your serve plus one is your weapon and you know it and you know it like you know the back of your hand, you're not just looking for that ball. Or like you're not just ready for that bowl. You're hitting that first serve with intentions of get that ball. And that's that is the difference. And you and I we tied this conversation off off pod, but about the difference between a big serve and a big server.

Torrey (10:11.242)
get that ball.

Alvin Owusu (10:22.012)
And we can get into it a little bit later, but I think the I think the difference between the two is having a big serve is, you know, the ability to to hit with pace, right? Hit hit the big serve. We'd all know what a big serve is. A big server is someone when the chips are down, they can hit a serve that they know they're winning the point off of. I'm doing this with com I mean

Torrey (10:32.15)
Yup. Yup.

Torrey (10:46.124)
And they're looking for it and quite frankly, they're looking forward to it. You know what I mean? A big server loves those kind of moments and they love that kind of challenge and that's why they're big servers. know I mean? They're, you know, Robert Horry, know, Big Shot Bob. You know, it's what you look for.

Alvin Owusu (10:50.656)
Yes.

Alvin Owusu (10:59.094)
The there was a point in the in the and we'll get to the second match. There was a point in the second match where Linda Noskova was up a set and a break, serving three one, forty thirty. And I'm like, this is where you like for as well as she served all tournament, all match up to that point, it's like blood in the water, this is the time to shut the door. And she did not get it done when she had the opportunity. And I mean

Torrey (11:16.544)
Yep. Yep. Yep.

Alvin Owusu (11:25.822)
She she recovered, right? She ended up breaking back again and then served, continued to serve Fantastic after that. But I'm like, there you go. There's a difference between a big serve and a big server and a great server. Right. But yeah, kind of going back to the the match that we're actually talking about. Sorry for skipping forward here. with Carolina, I think she I think she overcame some demons. She's been known to I mean, she's been known to tighten up in some of these in the back end of some of these big matches.

Torrey (11:27.541)
Yep.

Torrey (11:33.749)
Can you fix that?

Torrey (11:49.611)
Yeah, and especially with Coco, you know what mean? first of all, Carol Ann did great. I mean, we can't take anything away from her. And especially being, I want to say it was 6-3 up in the breaker, went down. I want to say down, and then we tissue down 9-8. And then obviously to come back and to keep her stealer resolve toward the end. I'm still going to say, Alvin, I saw several second set points where I felt I just feel Coco

Alvin Owusu (11:58.497)
They both played great. They both played they both played great.

Torrey (12:19.69)
kind of stole a little bit of some of the same game plan that Carolina does and that's what Carolina does. And I just felt like there was some opportunities there to trust the big step up forehand. Mind you, she closed the net very well. I just feel like, I think she came in, I want to say the stats here, something crazy like 32 of 45 net points won. mean, 45 is a lot, Alvin. She came forward a ton in the second set. I just feel like coming forward was good. Putaways were good, her overheads, she had a couple overheads that still left some.

Divots in the grass. You know what I mean? There at center court. I just would have liked to seen her with such a run, get that forehand where it's money and then go into the third with everything clicking on all six cylinders. And I feel like, you my college coach taught me something when I was playing. He was like, you know, you got to dedicate one point in a return game, even if you're serving well, to get your ground strokes in. He goes, you're coming in so much. You haven't any ground strokes.

You don't want the first time you see a long rally to be on your serve. when he said it, I'm like, why wouldn't I just step here and hit an ace if I can? He goes, because you're gonna need the ground stroke. You haven't hit one in five points. And I'm like, that's a point. And I say that to a person going into a long and into a third set. Okay, great, now you're on the second set. Now here we go, right? They're gonna make an adjustment. gonna have to make the adjustments you didn't make in the first or whatever set you lost. And I just felt like she came forward so much and quite frankly, did well at it. I'm not so sure.

If you went back and at all of the points, I bet you'd have less than 10 total huge forehand points of her body of work for the second set in those seven games. And when you got deep in midway through the third, you saw the old, you saw the buggy whip come back, you saw the one foot come back, and Carolina went back to work. Everything was within the middle third. Everything was within about a six feet of the middle third. And everything was low, everything was right at the body. And now,

Your chance of going into her butt middle are pretty rare too, right? And now I feel like, I thought tactically, Carolina played a much smarter match to take away some of the guns that Coco has, which are when you're stretched out, big backhand on the line, right? When you're stretched out, big forehand on the line, big forehand wide. She kept everything right down the gut and I felt like tactically that was something she got back from. And without trusting the forehand, to your point, I don't think that Coco was going to out-hit her through the middle.

Torrey (14:47.776)
And unfortunately, if you don't trust the forehand, the last thing you want is a ball at your body. You prefer to be on the wings.

Alvin Owusu (14:55.754)
Yeah, I mean well that's the that's the thing, right? I feel like it's it's we can't make all the steps at you know, all at one time. I I mean Carolina herself has progressively been able to get herself back to a point. She's having the best year of her career. Like she's she's healthy. seems like her team is in a is in a good place right now. She's Watermasters one thousand, like she's she's starting to make some inroads and majors and now, you know, she is the one that everyone is like she's like this, you know, this

Torrey (15:03.023)
And what?

Alvin Owusu (15:24.36)
next version of Anj Jabor if you will. Like, she should win Wimbledon. Why is she not doing well on grass? Yeah, and i i it's good it's good for her. I it I think it's really cool that, you know, especially here with the US audience, right? Of course we would have ESPN was begging for Coco to win this match. I was a little torn, quite honestly. I was like I mean, I've been quite open about it. Carly Namahova's my favorite women's tennis player. but also it's important like

Torrey (15:26.757)
Stronger. Stronger verse than that, but yeah.

Torrey (15:42.671)
That's right.

Alvin Owusu (15:52.48)
having Coco making this jump. I mean, everything she did in this tournament was amazing. And I I'm like, okay, coming off of her worst surface, and she just played a tight match in which she hit two double faults. And the forehand is it's it's it is making progress. It is it is it is becoming a weapon. I'm like coming out of of this grass court season it's like, hey, this is great. Like watch out for Coco this summer. I love the direction she's headed in. But also I'm excited for, you know

Torrey (15:56.047)
Huge.

Torrey (16:05.093)
Right.

Torrey (16:08.75)
Huge. Huge.

Torrey (16:14.272)
Right? Sure.

Alvin Owusu (16:19.785)
the American audience, maybe your non traditional tennis fans, to be introduced to Caroline Mahoba because her tennis is it it's admirable and it's it's it's a joy to watch. It's fun to watch. I always say she's every she's like every guy's favorite women's tennis player. It's very it's very I and I think yeah

Torrey (16:27.512)
Yeah, by the way, yeah.

Yeah, Surprise to run around. Would it surprise you to know that Coco won 98 points to Carolina's 95?

Alvin Owusu (16:43.305)
No, I mean the point was like the match was like the match was it was right there. The surprising thing is like the discrepancy in in trips to the net. Like that's that's the one that would like if you told yeah, if you told me that one of them was gonna come in twenty six times, the other one come in forty five times, you'd be like, yeah, Mohoba was shipping and charging to come in all day. He's like, no, nope. Coco damn near came in as many times in the third set as Carolina did the entire match.

Torrey (16:45.188)
Yeah, it was that close, you know what I mean?

Torrey (16:54.827)
Right. Correct.

Torrey (17:01.963)
Right. Nope.

Torrey (17:09.793)
Yup. 100%.

Alvin Owusu (17:12.393)
So like how you get it done is I mean, I was I was texting you and some other friends. I'm like, it's it's Coco Nervratilova over here. Like she's just she's getting in like at all costs and

Torrey (17:17.399)
Yeah. Yeah.

crazy crazy Java coming in and I like that. And again after all the blocks to my point that Carolian was doing to my point I really feel like if she could have just dedicated just a few more points on just going big off that same forehand off the block then she could have perhaps peppered in a little more I say it always with hindsight 2020 just saying because then she would have got that online

Alvin Owusu (17:25.791)
Sermon volleying, like it

Torrey (17:52.162)
maybe forced Lehova to go a little higher with some of those balls as a result of the forehand stinging her a little bit. That may have made the serve a little more effective. I just felt like it was, she came forward, did great, or she stayed back and got bottled up. And that's all I'm getting at. I feel like if there was a way going forward, she will trust that point a little bit more. Her volleys are very good. You know what I mean? And I felt like that was the, even in the breaker, you saw that the points near match point when she had.

But Carolina also had pretty good passes, or at least dippers, that gave Coco a bit of a hard time. Didn't give her the ball as she wanted. Again, hard to pick apart the match. It was a phenomenal match. And that third set to me was epic. The third set alone, plus the break was absolute epic tennis. You'd be hard pressed to find a better set of tennis on women's side of the game, period, especially on grass.

Alvin Owusu (18:36.0)
Classic.

Alvin Owusu (18:48.253)
And and that it was it was an expression of like what I find this and I think a lot of people, especially people listening to this podcast, would probably agree with, is like tennis is we love it because it is a true human experience. Right? There's no there is no separation between the players and the fans, right? You can see it on their face. You can hear it in their in their grunts and their you're living it with them. And like as I'm watching this match, I'm like it you can tell, like, man, they're both they're

Torrey (19:05.376)
Yep. yeah. you're living it with them. Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (19:17.151)
were notched into this third set one. They're both going for it in the beginning of that tiebreaker. Like the first twelve points were amazing. Like like hands down, they were they were both sprinting to this thing. And I mean Carolina's got the the stitches. She's like she's she's beat, but she's still going right. You don't think it's gonna make it, but but then like something also very human happened at six all on that second changeover. They both got nervous as hell. Like they both got tight. It was an air fest

Torrey (19:21.472)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Torrey (19:32.445)
Yeah, you didn't know she was gonna make it. Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (19:45.674)
like for the lat like they were at that at one point they were racing to the finish line and then the second half of that breaker they were crawling towards the finish line. And but that's that's human. They're professionals, they're the best some of the best female tennis players in the world, and yet they too are nervous. They too are tired. It's ninety degrees outside. Like I mean, Coco's probably like, Yeah, whatever, this is this is South Florida all day, I'm good. But they're nervous. They're tired. They're they're trying and

Torrey (19:52.895)
Yep, Also human. That's right.

Alvin Owusu (20:15.231)
My my last thing is like about about Coco and those instances where, you know, going back to what we talked about before, like the evolution is knowing like building moments for the forehand to shine. You you don't you don't rise to the occasion, you fall to your to your level of practice, right? And

Torrey (20:27.646)
Right, to continue to get better at it, trusted more, and so on. You're right. Right. All through to the level of your, what is it, to the least practiced or whatever the, to the lowest scale or your weakest systems or whatever that thing is. Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (20:45.759)
Yeah, and and that's that's that's not new. It's it the forehand has gotten better. The the the floor has risen, but it is still the floor of her game. And I think never more clearer than that match point where she she had it. She did the thing. She got the she got the cookie. She didn't she just didn't feel comfortable enough taking it. Maybe she wasn't looking for it, and that would also be part of the problem. And not part of the problem, but maybe part of the like this is what's

Torrey (20:49.16)
Yeah. Yeah. Right.

Torrey (20:59.569)
Yeah. Yeah.

Torrey (21:04.285)
Yep, Right. Sure, sure. Yeah, the learning curve. Sure, I'm with you 100%. And yet, here we are. I don't know how well she did last year, but I gotta think she went out fairly early. I'm about to say. So I gotta think this is a great makeup of ground.

Alvin Owusu (21:13.205)
The learning curve, this is still what's to come. It's still a process. Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (21:22.165)
So the first round.

Torrey (21:28.699)
both points wise and confidence wise much needed after not winning the French or defending the French I should say. But I also felt like she made a major, to your point, a major thing turn around with her game. Forget the result, her game, the fact that she did so and won matches against the semi is a huge thing. And like I said, Alvin, she's got tools now. She's got tools now. Now the trick is think like you have a tool.

Like you have said to trust that you have said to continue moving forward. But for today, Carolina Mahova, absolutely brought it. know what mean? you would have looked at the match today, you wouldn't have known that she trailed in that head to head. You know what I mean? As much as she did. And was, great tennis.

Alvin Owusu (22:17.642)
It's interesting that he that head to head is an interesting one because I think it's it was six and one coming into this match. Coca won the first six all on hardcourt. Do you remember the match where like at the US Open where that person glued themselves to the stadium? Like she was playing Mohova in that match. I'm pretty sure I'm pretty sure that that was the quarters or semis or something like that. It was it was strange. but then one and to Mohova on Clay, which was this year in Stuttgart. and that was I remember watching that match, that was a fantastic match.

Torrey (22:31.096)
Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (22:46.44)
very hot fought hard fought third set just like this one. which probably gave Carolina some confidence coming in here. but I I I think when you get these types of players with different game styles, yet neither one of them overpowering, you get a beautiful mix of tennis that really coalesced in that third set. but to your point, like both players, I honestly feel like both players are winners coming out of this match. Yes, Carolina has another match to play, but Coco leaves this match going like

Torrey (23:11.461)
Yeah. Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (23:15.538)
not only is like the forehand has become a a a a thing, but I think it even it it changes the way that she approaches her practice. Now this is something that they can start practicing to build around. Like

Torrey (23:22.852)
Yeah. Right. And I'm good on grass now. You know what I mean? So, and that's another big time check. There was a time, Alvin, for about the first five, six years, maybe seven years, at least seven, that Roth and Nadal did not make it to the second week of the US Open. Right? There was all those years he was great on clay, years into it. I think from 03 on, I don't think he lost a match at the French for so many years. But he had, after winning that many slams,

Alvin Owusu (23:28.98)
Check, check.

Torrey (23:52.665)
He still was not making it to the second week. I want to it was at least four years, four or five years. And then even then, he got to the round of 16, and then he got to the quarters. It wasn't like he was a, he didn't go from a couple of bad years all of a sudden he won the thing. Hard court took a while for him to truly kind of master. And we're talking about the guys that won 22 Grand Slams. this is not an anomaly. So to your point with Coco, I think it's very good.

Alvin Owusu (24:02.996)
Yeah.

Torrey (24:21.342)
signs of progress for her on this surface. While she preferred the clay perhaps due to time, due to the ability to run around, ability to trust that she has one more shot because the clay doesn't give her a little more time and the grass does not give you that. You have to strike, you have to ball bigger, you have to use the continental side of things. So I feel like to your point, I feel this was a great turnaround opportunity for Coco and I'm looking forward to her, you know, her, you know.

her rise rest this year, but also to see what she can do next year wouldn't be. She's certainly going to come in a threat at her current rate of progress.

Alvin Owusu (24:56.798)
Yeah, I I expect if we if we you know, there's some some things that you can learn in practice and there are some things that you can learn about yourself in matches and within tournaments. And when you come out of a tournament like this for Coco, I'd imagine while she's like the loss is going to sting. I think everything that she's gained from the player that showed up in those matches, especially with the serve in the forehand, like watch out. I feel like we have a twelve month run here of like when you i I I feel like it's it's about to it's about to pop.

It's I feel like it's about to pop. but as as you know, I I've been the no shame. The the I like the things I like. I like the things I like. So for the for the Martina Navratilovas the and the Petra Kavidovas and the Yana Novotnas and the and the Von and the Von Josephas and the and the Barbar Barbara Kachikovas, I like my I mean, there you go. Do what you gotta do. I like my beat down low, my top laid back, I like my food spicy, and I like my women's tennis check.

Torrey (25:35.794)
No.

Torrey (25:39.755)
Yeah. Jana, there you go.

Torrey (25:46.839)
Hannah Montlikova, I'm gonna go back on you. I'm gonna go way back on you. Yes, sir.

Alvin Owusu (25:56.351)
Alright, let's move forward to another to another check down. this is this is this is a fun one. This is a fun one. this match, much different, right? Lynnon Oskova takes down Mart Dekoshik four and four. I would say the match was played about as as about as you would think that score makes it look like, right? It's a very this is a very like grass court type of match. Like Linda served her face off in this match. Like Jesus.

Torrey (25:57.559)
Yep, Tech 2. Yeah, exactly.

Alvin Owusu (26:25.766)
She was chopping bombs from everywhere. Like from everywhere. and not just like in the ace count or anything like that. She was just making so many first serves with so much pace. that like Marta was just struggling to even get into some of the into some of the service games. and then when she finally got a chance, you know, in the early in the in the second set, Marta got a break and then just could not hold it together.

Torrey (26:28.789)
Yeah.

Torrey (26:36.736)
Yep.

Torrey (26:41.78)
Right,

Alvin Owusu (26:54.802)
I think this is feels about right. I know you're not as high on Linonoskova as I am, maybe

Torrey (27:02.581)
Not yet. mean, but it doesn't mean I'm not high on her. I think you've been... We did this last year, right? I was higher on a man in the smoke, right? I mean, why? Because I liked her. That's why. I I had no other reason other than, you know, I saw her play my tournament when she was 11 years old. You know what mean? Why else? I have no other...

Alvin Owusu (27:10.505)
Ha ha

Torrey (27:23.892)
stock I own and Amanda Inc. I just liked her and because I've seen her grow up and develop, I've always been a fan. Am I going out on a limb and saying she's gonna have a great year last year? Yes, I was. And so when you have that kind of personal, you're vested personally in someone's success like that, sure, you're gonna bleed a little more for them when they lose and you're cheer a little louder when they win. I'm just not there with you with Linda Noskovac under those terms. I'm a more...

You know, I like the way we both are. There with Coco and there's a few other players that I'm really big on that I think can do some things. It doesn't mean I don't recognize the game that she is displaying. And it certainly doesn't mean that she don't deserve all the credit as the famous street vernacular, game recognizes game. And the girl is playing some ball right now, Alvin. mean, and that is a hundred percent to her credit. I love what she's been doing and I like how she brought it to Marta and Marta plays a good ball.

Marta today played a little bit like Naomi did the match after she beat Sabalinka. You know what I mean? Just didn't serve as well. Wasn't as sharp. You know what I mean? You've seen Marta play better, serve better, and hit bigger. And there was just a bunch of points. Early in both sets, there just some really weird, some service games weren't quite there. And yet, some of the games, she was just absolutely on fire. was just a few games that she was just kind of very uncharacteristic, Marta.

You know, I want to see one game she got broken love. I mean, it was, was a couple of weird things. And then the next game she was served like gangbusters. It was, it was kind of crazy to watch. I think a lot of that had to do with, with, with my girl, Linda Naskaba. She was just playing that well and you couldn't take the game off. You could not take the game off. She was going to make you pay for that. And her serve was huge. Her touch was, I didn't realize her touch was quite that good. She had a couple of touch drop ballies album on, on a high.

A high forehand, a little soft angle, couple of little backhand, you know, outside shave. Dude, I'm like, buddy, this girl's got pants. You know what I mean? I mean, soft, not mishit, like she's done it a thousand times. And I'm like, wow, we talk about Mohova's volleys. Don't you? You can't, and her hands, can't, those Kova's volleys don't sleep, are right there, if not higher.

Alvin Owusu (29:23.155)
Check down. Check down. Check check down. Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (29:41.449)
She's in the she's she is of the land, my friend. I just gave you the list. What w I mean, Navratilova?

Torrey (29:44.305)
I'm with you. Maybe something's in the water. I'm just saying. Yup. You got it. Now, Navataloba, that's a whole nother talk show right there. Yup, baths, yup.

Alvin Owusu (29:51.435)
Tri Trichik Krajikova. Von Vondi's got some nasty touch, right? I mean Kavitova, I mean sh sometimes she didn't have to because she was serving howitzers, but like she had she's got feel. It's like I I'm going I'm going out I'm going out and I'm searching I'm gonna search out one of the foremost coaches in the Czech Republic and I'm going to have them come on our podcast. This is my this is my to do for the next for the next thirty days.

Torrey (30:02.149)
Yeah.

Torrey (30:14.478)
That's your mention? I would say as much as she had a nice slice, I'm not sure if Kovidova's hands were quite as nasty. that serve, however, how's matter? But that serve was just messy. And 6'1", or however tall she was, 6'2". Right, and she was at least 6'1". I mean, God, she brought heat.

Alvin Owusu (30:23.956)
However

And being left handed, I mean i it yes, you can you can't have it all. Okay, you can't have it all.

Well, here's here's my thing about here's my thing about Noskaba. There was a point probably two years ago where I recognized a pattern that I like to that I like to call out. Right. I usually look at okay, if you wanna see someone, if you wanna see what the future top of the w of the game looks like, there are certain progressions that one needs to make. And a good one to look at is year in rankings, right? Over time. Over time.

Torrey (31:01.614)
Right.

Alvin Owusu (31:04.144)
If you are going to be a top 10 player, you're going to have to at least half your ranking every year as you move forward. So if you go all the way back to 2022, when she was 17 years old, right? She finished the year at 91 in the world. The next the next year, when she was 18 years old, 41 in the world. That's rough math. That's better than half. Like, we're we're we've made a jump here. The next year, 2024, when she was 19 years old, 26. we're we're we're pretty close here.

Torrey (31:16.983)
Okay. Yeah. Right.

Yeah.

Torrey (31:30.083)
Yeah. Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (31:32.04)
And then in last year, twenty twenty five, when she was twenty years old, thirteen. That's exactly half of twenty-six, my friend. And after this tournament, winner win or lose, I believe she will be inside the top seven. W at the age of twenty one. Like we can't all like yes, Coco Coco is an anomaly because she made that jump quickly. Ega is a bit of an anomaly because she she her game met the right surface at the right time and just like ran through But like if you even go back and look at Sabalika, the way that she made the trek, like, that's where we get to. And so like if

Torrey (31:37.741)
Yeah, good math.

Torrey (31:42.713)
Yeah. Right. Yeah. She's definitely an anomaly.

Torrey (31:58.136)
Sure. Much more normal, Up top players.

Alvin Owusu (32:01.127)
Much more normal. So if you if you have someone who is right. So if you have someone who's twenty one years old and hitting the top ten after five years of of regular, like metronomic process. There was no big jump. Like there was no like crazy leap where she won like one tournament and no well, I mean the d y they're gonna come, right? They gotta I she gotta

Torrey (32:16.716)
Yeah, but no dips either.

What I mean is she didn't go from 90 back down to 150 and then she was continuing to methodically get it done.

Alvin Owusu (32:27.079)
Right. She was she was like within those first two years it was like I'm going this way. I'm I'm going this is this looks like top ten trajectory. And now we are here. And now we are here. And I you can go you can go back to our I don't know, whenever I first said it, I was just like, Look, just look at the numbers. Like this is this is this is as plain to see as anyone. And then you you you kind of package that with her, like a little more reserved demeanor.

Torrey (32:36.398)
100%.

Start it from the bottom.

Alvin Owusu (32:54.599)
Right. You don't you like players from that part of the world don't get a lot of like a lot of love. but the tennis is historically, like obviously we talk about it a lot here. I talk about it a lot. tennis coming out of Czechia is always, always, always they bring it. And there's there's always a next one. That's the thing, like Barton Kova. Like sh like it's like I I'm not even gonna go through the list.

Torrey (33:12.74)
Yeah. Barton Colvin, by the way. Yeah. Knocked out some players in the French. I mean, that took him out strong and hit him off the feet. Yeah. Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (33:20.317)
They're they're here. They're here. they're here. So, yeah, and then we got another one, right? So it's I I think it'll be interesting to see how she shows up. I think I want to go back to Marta real quick. Like Marta's experience in back to back grand slams is very similar to I think Amanda Anasimova's experience in back to back grand slams, right? Amanda gets to her first final and then just like does not show up.

Deer in headlights, right? Marta and then but then showed up at the US Open final, right? She did not, she might she lost, but she she brought her game, right? A little slow start, but she brought her game. Marta in her semifinal against in the in the French Open did not show up. I was there. It was it was bad. It looked bad. Today, she showed up. She just got beat. And I think as a player, and the same thing goes for Coco, sometimes all you want to do is show up.

Torrey (33:50.848)
Yeah. Yeah.

Sure.

100%. Great re-bell. Yeah.

Torrey (34:07.008)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (34:20.509)
You'd like to win. But if you show up and the other player shows up and they're just a little bit better than you, then you're gonna lose. Right? And Linda is probably just a little bit better than Marta. And that's a little bit better today. A little bit better today, but it wasn't because Marta was awful. It's because Linda was probably a little bit better than her normal today. And that is that's how it goes. And I would think with the with the first match.

Torrey (34:33.578)
Right, or at least she was today. Better today.

Torrey (34:41.331)
Right.

Alvin Owusu (34:47.503)
I would just say that was a toy co that was a coin toss. Like it was a coin toss. No one no one played better today. Both women executed what they wanted to execute and they just c it came down to a coin toss. Like I d whatever. Whatever.

Torrey (34:49.854)
Yeah, no doubt.

Torrey (34:59.272)
Yeah, no, I agree.

Alvin Owusu (35:02.099)
But yeah, I I I think in the looking forward to this final though, I I hope I hope everyone gives it the attention it deserves because you're gonna see some good tennis. You're gonna be introduced to some players that are like out obviously people if you're listening to this podcast, I just assume you're gonna be watching the match because this is this is a nerd space only. but I I think it's nice for both women coming into this tournament facing someone that they know. like one

Mohova's been here before. Not in this tournament, but she's been in Grand Sem Finals before. This is Linda's first time, but she knows Carolina. They they hit they went out on center court together the day before the semis, because this was their first both of their first time playing on center court. They are countrywomen. They're friends. Let's go, let's go hit some balls in center court and get used to this because we both gotta play tomorrow. And and so there's that familiarity that might make it a little less like

Torrey (35:47.453)
Right.

Torrey (35:56.937)
Yeah, a little more friendliness and as a result we'll probably get some better tennis. Not shell shock in that final. I got one reminder of a Czech player we forgot to mention. She was one of my favorites when she played. This is after I was working with Skowitz, of the players. Nicole Vytosova. Also another, which I taught the open stance, left foot forward, pick up backhand for the next...

Alvin Owusu (36:01.742)
god, I hope so.

I hope so.

Alvin Owusu (36:16.165)
Torrey (36:24.093)
four years because of Nicole Vitusova with that shot. Unreal sprinted to top five. I think within about 18 to 20 months or so if I'm not mistaken. I mean just was tall, six foot. I mean another one to your point. As you were going through the list I was like wait what in Vitus, what in Nicole from Czech too? And so just to your point I mean there's something in the water over there you know what mean? So may have to go get me a Czech beer. What's the, you know what mean? What's the Pilsner Raquel or whatever one of those big.

check check breweries.

Alvin Owusu (36:54.281)
I'm out of my I'm out of my I even I even left out Marie Buskova. Like she's also a top twenty-five Czech player. And it's it's just like it's there's there's just so many. I was skimming up the top here, God bless. Yeah. It we would. We literally would. there's one thing I w I I wanted to bring this up last week or last pod and I forgot. and maybe I'll share it on Instagram, not sure. But kudos to ESPN for introducing this one

Torrey (37:00.191)
it was good for sure. For sure.

Oh, Sini Akaba, man, you can keep going. I mean, we've run out of time. You listen to them all. Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (37:23.821)
little improvement into their broadcast. At the very bottom of the screen, they show the announcers who are calling the match. And as each announcer is talking, their name gets highlighted. There have been so many times where I'm like, who the hell is talking? Who is who is calling this match? Some of their voices kind of sound similar. But when I saw it the other day, I was like, that's good. Everyone, everyone needs that. Cause we have so many announcers in tennis. Like Tennis Channel, ESPN, they're like

Torrey (37:26.215)
Okay, what is this?

Torrey (37:35.491)
It looked correct, I saw that.

Yeah.

Torrey (37:46.961)
Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (37:53.62)
There are like thirty-five, forty different announcers that could be calling a tennis match.

Torrey (37:56.913)
True. Right. And sometimes they switch it up. The guy who was once doing color is now court side and then they have a person court side who's now they're back in the booth and so to your point you don't always recognize if you haven't been watching 24 seven you and you wouldn't know nor to your point when the person court side is piped in you know who that person is. So I agree with you that that is a nice subtle touch.

Alvin Owusu (38:21.191)
Yeah, that's a good one. I I don't really have much else. You got anything else? We can keep we we can keep it tight.

Torrey (38:25.602)
That's it, man. Hey, I need to see the Alvin Ray Lewis check down, you know, step move.

Alvin Owusu (38:35.251)
I mean we can I can get up and we can I change it up for ya. Which is wild because Ray Lewis is like I mean the the Baltimore Ravens of the mid two thousands like had my heart. Like I was a I was a deep Ravens fan. God bless. It was it wasn't healthy. Like and Ed Reed, I used to bump because I used to work at Turner Sports, I used to bump into Ed Reed a lot. It was always like he's always a funny dude and yeah, like I mean, Ray Lewis gets you to walk run through a wall, and so will women's check tennis.

Torrey (38:46.932)
we'll

Torrey (38:55.652)
you

Alvin Owusu (39:05.261)
but but

Torrey (39:13.304)
You know it's time. You know when you start linking 2000s Ray Lewis. I love it. I love it. I know it. Yup. I love it. I absolutely love it. Check now.

Alvin Owusu (39:19.666)
I like to think that that's why people come here because that's that's how we do. That's how we do. And and for today, we can stop we can stop there. I'm Alvin. That's Tori. Enjoy your women's final. Best of three. We are out. Check down!