UbiTennis CEO Ubaldo Scanagatta and his colleague, Hall-of-Famer Steve Flink, discuss the events of the tenth day of the American Slam, spanning from the Russian derby to Vika Azarenka’s unbelievable form.
The final stages of the 2020 US Open are coming fast, and, despite a whole contintent setting them apart, Ubaldo Scanagatta couldn’t refrain from recording his traditional recaps in the company of Hall-of-Famer Steve Flink. Can this version of Serena Williams defeat Azarenka, who left just one game to Elise Mertens? Who will win the men’s title? All of this and more are tackled in the following video:
VIDEO SCHEDULE
00:00 – A few words about Wednesday’s opening matches, another Serena Williams comeback (this time against Pironkova) and the Russian derby between Rublev and Medvedev.
01:25 – Ubaldo: “Serena Williams’ performance is surprising, she seems to be improving with time…” Flink: “I agree, long matches are helping her. I thought she was done but she somehow pulled it off.” Which was the key moment?
3:40 – The American is finding her feet, but can she clinch the title against the likes of Osaka and Brady?
6:00 – “Nobody expected Pironkova to play at such a high level, she survived a couple of matches against tough opponents like Muguruza and Vekic. As for last night’s bout against Serena, she was the best player on court for about 90 minutes, but I never expected her to win.” Will she keep on playing?
7:15 – Pironkova’s pride for her popularity in her homecountry of Bulgaria, for her achievements, and for the comparisons with Grigor Dimitrov.
09:00 – The Russian derby: “The two players grew up together, they have played each other countless times in training. I have no idea how Rublev lost the first set…” How would have the match shaped up, had he won the opener?
11:25 – Rublev was furious after losing that tie-breaker, but what about Medvedev’s physical struggles in the third?
14:55 – “The women’s semifinals will take place on Thursday, and Serena will have had a few more hours to rest compared with Azarenka. Their matches have always been very physical…” What will be the outcome of the mothers’ derby?
22:50 – Medvedev will play Thiem next – who’s the favourite? “It really depends on how the Russian’s body holds up, going the distance might be a problem.”
24:20 – The other semifinal match involves Zverev and Carreno Busta: “Not many would have predicted the Spaniard to get back to the semis before the Djokovic affair. He is a player who never beats himself.” Zverev has frequent lapses in focus, will they undermine his chances?”
Transcript by Giuseppe Di Paola, edited by Tommaso Villa
