Aus Open Day 8 - The day the big guns arrived

·1 hr 15 min·5 clips

Novak Djokovic gets a free pass to the quarterfinals after Jakub Mensik withdraws with an abdominal strain.

It starts late and a little cranky. At Melbourne Park at 11pm, the panel is not trying to dress up a day of show-court beatings as high drama. The matches did not have much jeopardy. Still, there is something to sort through when good players start looking like themselves before the sharper end of the tournament. Matt comes across as the purist, the one more willing to enjoy clean execution even after the scoreboard has drained the suspense. Sabalenka steps up. Alcaraz does too, and suddenly the tournament feels more awake. Lerner Thien adds a wrinkle, because his strong performance makes the hosts pause over what he might become. Zverev gets the longest look. His 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 win over Serundolo looks serious, but the panel does not treat it as a settled verdict. David is persuaded for now. He thinks Zverev's level may be higher than it was a year ago, when he reached the final. The tennis sounds heavier: closer to the baseline, more forward intent, less drifting back. The backhand is huge, the forehand is doing damage, and the whole thing feels more convincing. Serundolo, though, disappoints. David expected him to make Zverev work. Then comes the catch: Serundolo first says nothing was wrong, then admits he felt something in the first set. So the read stays split. Zverev looked formidable, but the match may not have told the full story. The episode finishes with the usual friend-of-the-pod invitation, ad-free listening, bonus episodes, and a return promised after Matt's John Kane Arena adventure.

As heard by us

A sharp Australian Open reset show, strongest when it reads one-sided matches for the clues underneath.

Australian Open Day 8 comes through as a night short on suspense but rich in tells. The show-court matches were mostly beatdowns, yet the panel finds value in who used them to announce themselves: Savalenka finally stepping up, Alcaraz doing the same, and Lerner Thien producing…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want the day the favorites started showing their cards.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from The Tennis Podcast