Clijsters and Andy Roddick recap the US Open women’s final, shoutout Naomi Osaka and Karolina Muchova, and discuss what—if anything—Taylor Fritz could have done to combat Jannik Sinner.
The 2024 US Open heroes have been delegated: Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Heathen. With the last Bang of the year in the rearview, Andy Roddick recapped the Flushing Glades fortnight, revealing insight into its last days, too as what can generally anticipated push ahead.
Joined by Kim Clijsters, the Served Digital broadcast started with an incredible congrats to American finalist Jessica Pegula, and her leading edge run in New York.
“Frankly no one would give a sh*t about Jess Pegula not being past the quarters if she wasn’t so good,” Roddick said. “If she didn’t produce, and win Masters 1000s and career high three in the world, and if there weren’t other players a lot less accomplished who made Slam runs and even won Grand Slams. I think the narrative was especially interesting because she out-performs her Slam performances so consistently during the rest of the year.”
Jessica Pegula cleared a number of professional hurdles at the US Open, even if she stumbled at the end.
Pegula got through to contact her most memorable significant elimination round, yet additionally the last. The main issue was Sabalenka looking out for the opposite side.
“Her solidarity is her consistency, she has the consistency to break somebody down intellectually also, and Sabalenka was areas of strength for excessively,” said. “[Pegula’s] strength is to attempt to keep the ball as low over the net and as profound as could really be expected, and she must have the opportunity. Against Sabalenka, the initial two shots of the meeting, the return and the serve, are simply major areas of strength for excessively she outsmarts her.”
In the wake of losing a 3-0 lead in the subsequent set, Sabalenka unexpectedly followed 3-5 — yet figured out how to return and come out on top for the title after only four additional games.
“To keep shooting your shot even after missing 17 balls in the last 12 minutes is a s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 that I didn’t have,” Roddick said. “If I’m missing, I’m losing confidence. How you commit to going back there, deleting all the stress and going and shooting again is crazy.”
Clijsters agreed, saying “just like Serena, she has the ability to step up when needed.”
Sabalenka has now won three of the last four Grand Slam tournaments held on hard courts.
Throughout the show, the terms “elite” and “greatness” were used, and where Sabalenka was concerned, they were used to compare her game to the all-time greats.
“There are so many different ways to get to greatness,” Roddick said. “I always use the example, what if someone tried to coach the volley technique out of McEnroe? What if someone tried to coach the Vamos finish from Rafa? What if someone coached those things out of them because they weren’t accepted at the time? What if someone coached out the ability to create friction for Novak? You have to commit to who you are and find your best process, it’s not one-size fits all.”
“Look at Roger, Rafa, Novak, Serena. You could not have four more different personalities,” he continued. “With Sabalenka, I appreciate the different process. And hers looks fun. And she dives in afterwards and has a smile. It’s like she’s down for a joke but also committed to improvement, it seems like she has a great balance…I wish I had a little more Sabalenka.”
There were a few other notable players on the WTA whom Roddick and Clijsters discussed: Naomi Osaka, Karolina Muchova and Coco Gauff.
Clijsters said Osaka’s Roland Garros match against Iga Swiatek was a pinnacle moment for her game, playing at an elite level. Noting her Slam draws have been tough throughout the year, Clijsters believes there’s plenty more coming from Osaka in the years to come.
“She’s doing all the right things, going in the right direction,” she said. “If she can keep putting the work in and finding enjoyment, she can definitely cause some more damage.”
Osaka fell to Karolina Muchova in the second round of the US Open, 6-3, 7-6 (5).
“I don’t know how she hasn’t been Top 3 in the world forever,” Roddick said on Muchova. “I hope she gets that run, she’s an elite tennis player.”
Concerning the 2023 US Open hero Gauff, Roddick said “she needed to move beyond the Open.”
Addressing her changes over the course of the last year and how far she’s come, “for reasons unknown, in the strain minutes, old propensities leak in,” he said.
To finish off the show, Roddick yells out Jannik Miscreant for a “bizarre beginning” yet a merited completion. Where second place Taylor Fritz is concerned, Roddick said there was very little else he might have attempted.
“I’m watching the match, it’s toward the finish of the main set,” he said. “He didn’t work well for, he was 38%, however in any case raising a ruckus around town extraordinary, they were siphoning the ball. In any case, you quit wasting time in the match where you’re like, ‘alright I’m losing, what changes can be made?’ Taylor won’t serve and volley, he won’t chip and charge, that is not how his game is constructed. You can’t simply say do that. I don’t have any idea where he goes.”
As live tennis presently moves out of the U.S. what’s more, back out to the remainder of the world, Roddick, Clijsters and tennis darlings the same will be following the visit through to the ATP and WTA Finals toward the year’s end.
