January 20, 2025 • 18 mins
On Sports Fix with D'Arcy Waldegrave for Tuesday 21 January 2025, former New Zealand professional tennis player David Mustard talks about yet more controversy for Novak Djokovic - why is he so polarising and will he go down as a great?
D'Arcy delivers an opinion piece on why tennis needs to embrace the hostilities of the crowd.
Plus, Newstalk ZB sports news director Clay Wilson joins the panel to discuss New Zealand's shock loss at the ICC Under-19 World Cup.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB. Follow
this and our wide range of podcast now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
This is Sportsfix Howard by News Talks B.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Gooda there, How are you welcome into the Sports Fix
for Tuesday, the twenty first of January twenty twenty five.
My name is Darcy Waltergrave. Back from a very refreshing
four week break with a weave at a sports sprinkled
in there as well. On the Fix today, we're going
to be joined it shortly by David Mustard, is a
(00:41):
tennis coach, former professional tennis player and a well rounded
tennis commentator too. We're going to talk about judging a
goat where Novak Djokovic still sits. Is it about numbers?
Is it about personality? Does that really matter? David's opinion
on that. Shortly after that, I'm going to talk about
the barbarians at the gate was the point? The baboons
(01:04):
and the crowd, the Yahoo's at the Aussie Open. A
bit of a problem, but is it really a problem.
And in the chamber it's Clay Wilson, the Sports news
director of News Talk ZB as we chuck around some
of the big sports stories of the day. That's our plan,
so let's get amongst In other news, and in today's
(01:27):
biggest and best is that Sporting Tales the Phoenix plagued
to their name and beating the MacArthur in the A League.
Last night Wellingtonians were getting slapped about looking down the
barrel of the gun. Then out of nowhere they reanimated
their ashes for a two to one victory. Gaffer Taliano
remained come right the way throughout.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
Just reassured them that there was enough opportunity to capitalize
in some areas. And and you know it gave the
old famous you know, if we get one, I think
we can get two.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
So yeah, now I was very happy.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
The last style bender. That's our UFC star. Israel ADUs
spent some time training with arch enemy Robert Whitaker. Recently,
rob explains the unlikely partnership.
Speaker 5 (02:11):
There is no way I ever thought we'd be here
breaking bed, you know, but here we are.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
The world's a funny place.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
And I'm happy for it because you know, it's just
been open to ideas.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
It's a broadening horizon.
Speaker 5 (02:21):
But I've met some new boys.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
I'm getting some new work out of it, and you
know it just keeps.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
It fun and race car driver Scott mcgloughlin has the
legendary brickyard firmly in his cross. Here is for the
IndyCar season. The Indy five hundred for me because everything
needs to go perfect on that one day you have
to have a perfect race and it's just an amazing race.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
And yeah, that's certainly what I dream about. The most
leading of X. We've got just the ticket. It's Sports
X News TALKSY.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
It's a warm welcome to the show to David Mustard. Hi, David, Oh,
are you just amazed with this?
Speaker 5 (02:57):
Austra and Open is the best one I've ever seen,
More drama than anything, Huge crowds, ninety five thousand people
a day, night, day and night sessions going through early
on in the tournament.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
You just name it.
Speaker 5 (03:10):
Stuff's happening and it's great.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
It's fascinating to what Although when players like mon Fees
have to walk away because a better elderly, that's disappointing,
but we're not really interested in that for this conversation anyway.
We're interested in the controversial character that arguably is the
greatest player to ever pick up a racket and if
he wins this Open, well he'll be number one at
(03:32):
the top, but people just know they can't embrace him.
What is it with Novak Djokovic.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
It's interesting.
Speaker 5 (03:38):
I saw him in his early days courtside of the
Australian Open one time, playing fat, I think, and I
wasn't very impressed with his attitude, with his parents rowing
him up and him rowing up, and he just looked
like an upstart, like a lot of the players. But
he just annoyed me. But then slowly but surely he
started growing on me. But every now and again. The
(04:00):
whole thing about him is he loves he seems to
love controversy. He loves the friction, but it actually it
makes him and that's a dangerous thing, you know, coming
in for Olcaaz in this matchup that's coming out tonight,
and when there's nothing worse than a Djokovic that's fired up,
(04:22):
had controversy around him about all this stuff, and I
think a tough thing for him, A bit of a
chip he probably has, is that he's undeniably the goat
on stats, on wins and Grand Slams, twenty four and
ten Australian Opens and what have you. But it's always
been Nadal and Federer, who have had the more response
(04:46):
to the people they like the more that he has
more affinity with them. Djokovic has always not quite had
that same feel about it, and you've got to say, well,
has he changed the game. He's made a lot better,
of course with the matchups, but Fedder and Nadal have
just been liked more with the public. It's just the
way it's been.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
He's a lightning rod for controversy, though, isn't he. He
tends to make decisions or find himself on broad and
situations that just increased that friction between himself and everybody else.
So that's not deliberate. Some people are just liked this,
aren't they, Or they suggest some of his moves he made.
I don't know if he did it for the controversy,
but he stuck to his guns. Yeah, yeah, he did.
Speaker 5 (05:28):
That, you know. I mean, you know, you go back
to the COVID thing and he had his response to
that and what he wanted to do. And he's always
been very strong and opinionated on what he believes in
and he holds that inspite of anything, you know, with
all that controversy coming about with the gentleman Tony Jones
from Channel nine saying stuff, you know, mock the Serbian
(05:50):
fans and know that actually has been all sort of
stuff and kicking out. I mean, that's that's actually ridiculous.
He even said that, but he said he was doing
tongue in check and joking. Well, that didn't sit well
with Jokovic, and he made a call and said he
wouldn't do the interviews on court and walked away from
Churi or on court at the Open, said no, I
wanted apologies and I'm not prepared to do any more
(06:10):
press stuff, even though we probably get fined for it.
He's stuck to it and in many ways he was right,
but he tends to always go a bit further than
other people would go. So but in the end he's
been apologized to, he's accepted that, he's moved on. But
I think, I mean, some ways some people have an
(06:30):
affinity to say he shouldn't have had to.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Be of that.
Speaker 5 (06:32):
So Djokovic is coming into this as a four to
three matchup and wins. The last time they played, I
think it was at Wimbledon where al karaz won. But
that's a different surface, of course, and this is Jokovic's
favorite event where he's had the most success at. So honestly,
you know, Ezrodics said on one of his podcasts, he
said that he's just looking forward to wants to sit
(06:55):
down and watch this match. You'll be enthralled tonight. He
just doesn't know which way it's gonna go. Djokovic's got
the ability, al Karaz has got the ability. Al KaAZ
has the younger legs twenty two, but Djokovic is incredible
with his train pattens. He's thirty seven. Honestly, it could
go either way. I in my heart, I'd like Alcarez
(07:15):
to win that, to be honest, But then again, maybe Daniel,
you prefer the great Djokovic.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
People would say, David Master that his behavior is precious.
He sat at the top of the world for so long.
Shouldn't you just let things like a commentator of God
his words a little wrong, just drift past and not
make so much of an issue, Because without him doing that,
the issue wouldn't have been so big, would it. He
(07:43):
could have gone behind the scenes and I'm done to
add again give me an apology. But there's something about
him that made it blow up. I don't know well,
as you said, maybe that works for him. He wants
that and that will put him in a better state
of mind to take on alkrav and the rest of
the time.
Speaker 5 (07:58):
He seems to like a cause he's stubborn, but he's
always been like that. I would have thought it would
just take a lot of energy having to even do
this cause and say on republics and all this that,
why didn't he let it go? I actually kind of
agree with you, Why take all their energy about this?
But then again, that doesn't seem to make him tie.
(08:20):
That seems to fire him up. So what do you say.
I wonder what Andy Murray thinks of all this. I
wonder if he's in the same court as Djokovic. I
don't know, But look, it's really interesting this matchup coming
up because also they didn't I didn't realize this until
little bit more research. You know, they have the analytics
(08:41):
courtside though, so the coaches can see it all the
stats on the matches coming through all the time, so
they can look at the first set. You know, if
Djokovic loses that, he goes where did he serve to
most of the time our careers? Where's he returning to him?
They can see all the stats and they can all
of a sudden make adjustments to certain tactical situations. So
(09:04):
it's quite amazing how much will that play to be
and how much so they look at those stats.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
David must have as always, thanks for your time, your expertise,
in your opinion. You enjoy the rest of this fantastic tournament.
Speaker 5 (09:16):
I will thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
This is Sportsfix, your daily does of sports news powered
by News Talks Evy.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
And the fans they are revolting. No, they're not surging
from their seats and stringing out the nearest tennis player
they don't like. But if you believe what you hear
from some of the writers, some of the players, some
of the commentators, it's nearly reached that stage up against
the wall. We'll shoot at them if you don't like them.
I think this is an over exaggeration, plainly, but people
(09:50):
aren't happy with the nature of the Australian crowds and
the Australian Open. They're boisterous, they're insulting, they're loud, quite
probably pest. They're having a great time and they're enjoying
what they paid for, which of course is high class tennis.
We know that tennis is in the era where golf
has been sitting for quite some time, where it's all
(10:12):
about respect and decorum, and you must play by the
rules or they will remove you from the stadium. But
how long does that last for? How long in this
day and age, with a constant reinvention of sport and
the attitude of the players and of course the sports
toward their paying spectators, how long does that stay at
(10:32):
a status quo? I'd like to suggest that it won't
last that long at all. No, we don't want people
throwing chairs. No, we don't want people throwing objects. But shouting,
hollering and doing that, are we a kind of way?
That's what they paid for. We always talk about putting
the fan in the center of the room, and for
some of these fans, the center of the room is
(10:54):
a noisy place. How that affects the other fans that
is another story altogether. Do they end up with a
loudmouth zone, do they end up with a loudmouth soup zone?
Or do they just stamp down on this behavior and
say no not in tennis. He thinks that's probably what
will happen. But there's something extra engaging and super exciting
(11:16):
when that touch of Jeopardy is injected into the game
through the boisterous voices of the people in the stands.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
The chamber is now in session on Sportsfax.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
And it's back into the chamber we go, of course,
we being myself and Clay Wilson is Sports News Director
of News Talks, Clay, how are you vow Avenue? He
does great to have you back in the chamber again.
What let's get things going. Novak Djokovic, the most popular
tennis player on earth? Is he going to go down
as a goat?
Speaker 2 (11:50):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (11:50):
I think probably those kind of debates are things that
people have around the water cooler and office at home
when they're watching the Tennis Grand slams arguable to between
him and Federer and the daala.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Suppose, well, it's result space isn't goat? Surely the greatest
of all time result. It doesn't matter whether you like
him or not. Surely it's the figures. Because people don't
like the guy.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Let's face well, I think everyone has their own criteria.
For me, I would tend to look at figures like
you're saying there, So I think at this point you'd
say he's got at least one or two more left
in him as well before he retired.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
I think he's angry now too, after the Australian situation.
You're not talking to people. He's pattering as sad, and
that will you'd think, strengthen him. He'll come out even
more brutal. Well.
Speaker 4 (12:36):
When we think about goats, you say results, but you
also think about players that were memorable for one reason
or more. And Novak Djokovic has always been one of
these guys who people love him or they detest him
for whatever reason. And I think that makes you memorable,
whether people love you or hate you on one side
of the ledger, it makes you more memorable.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
Right John McEnroe and his behavior back in the day,
extraordinar it's a prime example.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
And he's still a huge name in the sport today.
So I guess he has been someone who has always
had some kind of controversy or talking point around him.
And do you know what in the early days I was,
I've always been in Roger Federer guy. But I think
Novak Djokovic has always spoken his mind. He's always done
what he kind of wanted to do and hasn't been
(13:22):
afraid to do that, and I think in the age
of sporting, you know, athletes that we live in now
where you quite often don't get that, especially at that
top level, where you say one thing it becomes a
headline around the world. Well, Novak Djokovic isn't actually doesn't
actually mind just doing what he wants, right, And I'm
sure that's something you can appreciate, right, like especially us
(13:42):
in this business, someone who wants to who says whatever
they want to say and stands, you know, stands on
their principles and what they believe in. So I say,
good on him. I don't always agree with him, but hey,
there you go.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
And the.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
Under nineteen Cricket World Cup for the T twenty four
women's on at the moment, Nigeria beat the White Ferns
traction level, yeah fairly low.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
I mean, I guess under nineteen World Cups of any
description really, I mean, I think it was probably a
byproduct of the fact that there's no Black Caps or
White Ferns action on at the moment, of course, waiting
for the champions trophy more than anything, just a chance
for these young players that are you know, hopefully some
of them going to become future White ferns.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
It's important for isn't it. I don't know it's so
important for us. I mean I have a casual watch
of it that comes up. There's nothing else on. But again,
it's all about pathways, isn't it more than anything?
Speaker 4 (14:43):
Yeah? I guess you look at it and you say, well,
if you're losing, and they lost to the USA in
a warm up game, maybe it's still a sign that
the depth at this sort of youth level isn't quite
there with the women's game in New Zealand yet, if
you're losing to teams like that. But they've got to
get that exposure at some point. They've got to go
to these tournaments so they can potentially become stars of
(15:05):
the future.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
And talking of cricket, Mardy Gaptel, he's well, he's put
the hammer down, hasn't He's retired now from international cricket.
Still looks like he's got a bit of what for
with the bat? Did we miss a trick for swapping
him out for Finn Allen or to go at super smash?
Come on, get carried away?
Speaker 2 (15:23):
Well you tell me.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
This seems to me to be one of those things
that hindsight is twenty twenty, right, I think back then
to bring Fan Allen in try and build some depth.
He was a player that had a tremendous promise and
still does, really seemed like the right decision. Of course,
now you look back, Fan Allen's gone off as a
twenty twenty gun for high hasn't hasn't quite taken off
(15:46):
at international level, and you say, well, maybe we should
have squeezed more out of Martin Gupdor. And then he
goes and scores one hundred or plays plays the beginnings
in the Super Smash, and you say, wow, there you go.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
But it is the Super Smash, With all due respect,
it's not even Big Beast level. Is it really a look?
He looked fantastic, But yeah, and.
Speaker 4 (16:06):
I think, like I say at the time, to say
to say, let's bring in Fanelle and let's try and
you know, blood a new star who's showing some potential,
let's try and build some depth. Could Martin Gapte have
contributed to more wins for New Zealand? Undoubtedly he's arguably
our greatest ever ODI player, alongside his great mate Ross Taylor.
But to me, at the right time, it was it was,
(16:28):
it was it was the right move and if nothing else,
for Martin gaup Till, this shows he's still got it
at a T twenty level and hopefully for him he
can go and pick up some more contracts around the
world in these leagues like he's trying to do, because
he's clearly a player that deserves, you know, deserves to
go out on a high in terms of his career.
So who he can go out lining his pockets a
bit but also putting his name in the headlines a bit,
(16:50):
then then good for Martin gap Till. But who knows
what happens with with Fanelle And I still think, you know,
there's a chance that he comes comes back at some point,
but you know, the way cricket's going going, who knows.
But we love Martin Gaptil, don't. I don't think anyone
would deny.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
What he's done for New Zealand cricket throughout his career.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
So so let's hope you can play a few morenocks
like that before he decides to hang up as bat.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
All right, let's clasp be back and change again. Seeing
you back to the sports desk. Clay Wilson. He's the
sports news director for News Talk ZB. Thanks for your
time and your opinion, and I know it's way too late.
It's twenty one days into a bit happy new year.
Speaker 4 (17:25):
Same to you, does pleasure as.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
Always dissecting the sporting agenda.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
It's Sports Fix with Jason Vine and Darcy Waldgrave.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
And we call that a rap.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
That's Sports Fixed for the twenty first of the first
twenty twenty five. And for more sports news and sports
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(17:59):
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Speaker 1 (18:20):
For more from News Talks ed B listen live on
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You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB. Follow
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Speaker 2 (00:17):
This is Sportsfix Howard by News Talks B.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Gooda there, How are you welcome into the Sports Fix
for Tuesday, the twenty first of January twenty twenty five.
My name is Darcy Waltergrave. Back from a very refreshing
four week break with a weave at a sports sprinkled
in there as well. On the Fix today, we're going
to be joined it shortly by David Mustard, is a
(00:41):
tennis coach, former professional tennis player and a well rounded
tennis commentator too. We're going to talk about judging a
goat where Novak Djokovic still sits. Is it about numbers?
Is it about personality? Does that really matter? David's opinion
on that. Shortly after that, I'm going to talk about
the barbarians at the gate was the point? The baboons
(01:04):
and the crowd, the Yahoo's at the Aussie Open. A
bit of a problem, but is it really a problem.
And in the chamber it's Clay Wilson, the Sports news
director of News Talk ZB as we chuck around some
of the big sports stories of the day. That's our plan,
so let's get amongst In other news, and in today's
(01:27):
biggest and best is that Sporting Tales the Phoenix plagued
to their name and beating the MacArthur in the A League.
Last night Wellingtonians were getting slapped about looking down the
barrel of the gun. Then out of nowhere they reanimated
their ashes for a two to one victory. Gaffer Taliano
remained come right the way throughout.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
Just reassured them that there was enough opportunity to capitalize
in some areas. And and you know it gave the
old famous you know, if we get one, I think
we can get two.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
So yeah, now I was very happy.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
The last style bender. That's our UFC star. Israel ADUs
spent some time training with arch enemy Robert Whitaker. Recently,
rob explains the unlikely partnership.
Speaker 5 (02:11):
There is no way I ever thought we'd be here
breaking bed, you know, but here we are.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
The world's a funny place.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
And I'm happy for it because you know, it's just
been open to ideas.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
It's a broadening horizon.
Speaker 5 (02:21):
But I've met some new boys.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
I'm getting some new work out of it, and you
know it just keeps.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
It fun and race car driver Scott mcgloughlin has the
legendary brickyard firmly in his cross. Here is for the
IndyCar season. The Indy five hundred for me because everything
needs to go perfect on that one day you have
to have a perfect race and it's just an amazing race.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
And yeah, that's certainly what I dream about. The most
leading of X. We've got just the ticket. It's Sports
X News TALKSY.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
It's a warm welcome to the show to David Mustard. Hi, David, Oh,
are you just amazed with this?
Speaker 5 (02:57):
Austra and Open is the best one I've ever seen,
More drama than anything, Huge crowds, ninety five thousand people
a day, night, day and night sessions going through early
on in the tournament.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
You just name it.
Speaker 5 (03:10):
Stuff's happening and it's great.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
It's fascinating to what Although when players like mon Fees
have to walk away because a better elderly, that's disappointing,
but we're not really interested in that for this conversation anyway.
We're interested in the controversial character that arguably is the
greatest player to ever pick up a racket and if
he wins this Open, well he'll be number one at
(03:32):
the top, but people just know they can't embrace him.
What is it with Novak Djokovic.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
It's interesting.
Speaker 5 (03:38):
I saw him in his early days courtside of the
Australian Open one time, playing fat, I think, and I
wasn't very impressed with his attitude, with his parents rowing
him up and him rowing up, and he just looked
like an upstart, like a lot of the players. But
he just annoyed me. But then slowly but surely he
started growing on me. But every now and again. The
(04:00):
whole thing about him is he loves he seems to
love controversy. He loves the friction, but it actually it
makes him and that's a dangerous thing, you know, coming
in for Olcaaz in this matchup that's coming out tonight,
and when there's nothing worse than a Djokovic that's fired up,
(04:22):
had controversy around him about all this stuff, and I
think a tough thing for him, A bit of a
chip he probably has, is that he's undeniably the goat
on stats, on wins and Grand Slams, twenty four and
ten Australian Opens and what have you. But it's always
been Nadal and Federer, who have had the more response
(04:46):
to the people they like the more that he has
more affinity with them. Djokovic has always not quite had
that same feel about it, and you've got to say, well,
has he changed the game. He's made a lot better,
of course with the matchups, but Fedder and Nadal have
just been liked more with the public. It's just the
way it's been.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
He's a lightning rod for controversy, though, isn't he. He
tends to make decisions or find himself on broad and
situations that just increased that friction between himself and everybody else.
So that's not deliberate. Some people are just liked this,
aren't they, Or they suggest some of his moves he made.
I don't know if he did it for the controversy,
but he stuck to his guns. Yeah, yeah, he did.
Speaker 5 (05:28):
That, you know. I mean, you know, you go back
to the COVID thing and he had his response to
that and what he wanted to do. And he's always
been very strong and opinionated on what he believes in
and he holds that inspite of anything, you know, with
all that controversy coming about with the gentleman Tony Jones
from Channel nine saying stuff, you know, mock the Serbian
(05:50):
fans and know that actually has been all sort of
stuff and kicking out. I mean, that's that's actually ridiculous.
He even said that, but he said he was doing
tongue in check and joking. Well, that didn't sit well
with Jokovic, and he made a call and said he
wouldn't do the interviews on court and walked away from
Churi or on court at the Open, said no, I
wanted apologies and I'm not prepared to do any more
(06:10):
press stuff, even though we probably get fined for it.
He's stuck to it and in many ways he was right,
but he tends to always go a bit further than
other people would go. So but in the end he's
been apologized to, he's accepted that, he's moved on. But
I think, I mean, some ways some people have an
(06:30):
affinity to say he shouldn't have had to.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Be of that.
Speaker 5 (06:32):
So Djokovic is coming into this as a four to
three matchup and wins. The last time they played, I
think it was at Wimbledon where al karaz won. But
that's a different surface, of course, and this is Jokovic's
favorite event where he's had the most success at. So honestly,
you know, Ezrodics said on one of his podcasts, he
said that he's just looking forward to wants to sit
(06:55):
down and watch this match. You'll be enthralled tonight. He
just doesn't know which way it's gonna go. Djokovic's got
the ability, al Karaz has got the ability. Al KaAZ
has the younger legs twenty two, but Djokovic is incredible
with his train pattens. He's thirty seven. Honestly, it could
go either way. I in my heart, I'd like Alcarez
(07:15):
to win that, to be honest, But then again, maybe Daniel,
you prefer the great Djokovic.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
People would say, David Master that his behavior is precious.
He sat at the top of the world for so long.
Shouldn't you just let things like a commentator of God
his words a little wrong, just drift past and not
make so much of an issue, Because without him doing that,
the issue wouldn't have been so big, would it. He
(07:43):
could have gone behind the scenes and I'm done to
add again give me an apology. But there's something about
him that made it blow up. I don't know well,
as you said, maybe that works for him. He wants
that and that will put him in a better state
of mind to take on alkrav and the rest of
the time.
Speaker 5 (07:58):
He seems to like a cause he's stubborn, but he's
always been like that. I would have thought it would
just take a lot of energy having to even do
this cause and say on republics and all this that,
why didn't he let it go? I actually kind of
agree with you, Why take all their energy about this?
But then again, that doesn't seem to make him tie.
(08:20):
That seems to fire him up. So what do you say.
I wonder what Andy Murray thinks of all this. I
wonder if he's in the same court as Djokovic. I
don't know, But look, it's really interesting this matchup coming
up because also they didn't I didn't realize this until
little bit more research. You know, they have the analytics
(08:41):
courtside though, so the coaches can see it all the
stats on the matches coming through all the time, so
they can look at the first set. You know, if
Djokovic loses that, he goes where did he serve to
most of the time our careers? Where's he returning to him?
They can see all the stats and they can all
of a sudden make adjustments to certain tactical situations. So
(09:04):
it's quite amazing how much will that play to be
and how much so they look at those stats.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
David must have as always, thanks for your time, your expertise,
in your opinion. You enjoy the rest of this fantastic tournament.
Speaker 5 (09:16):
I will thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
This is Sportsfix, your daily does of sports news powered
by News Talks Evy.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
And the fans they are revolting. No, they're not surging
from their seats and stringing out the nearest tennis player
they don't like. But if you believe what you hear
from some of the writers, some of the players, some
of the commentators, it's nearly reached that stage up against
the wall. We'll shoot at them if you don't like them.
I think this is an over exaggeration, plainly, but people
(09:50):
aren't happy with the nature of the Australian crowds and
the Australian Open. They're boisterous, they're insulting, they're loud, quite
probably pest. They're having a great time and they're enjoying
what they paid for, which of course is high class tennis.
We know that tennis is in the era where golf
has been sitting for quite some time, where it's all
(10:12):
about respect and decorum, and you must play by the
rules or they will remove you from the stadium. But
how long does that last for? How long in this
day and age, with a constant reinvention of sport and
the attitude of the players and of course the sports
toward their paying spectators, how long does that stay at
(10:32):
a status quo? I'd like to suggest that it won't
last that long at all. No, we don't want people
throwing chairs. No, we don't want people throwing objects. But shouting,
hollering and doing that, are we a kind of way?
That's what they paid for. We always talk about putting
the fan in the center of the room, and for
some of these fans, the center of the room is
(10:54):
a noisy place. How that affects the other fans that
is another story altogether. Do they end up with a
loudmouth zone, do they end up with a loudmouth soup zone?
Or do they just stamp down on this behavior and
say no not in tennis. He thinks that's probably what
will happen. But there's something extra engaging and super exciting
(11:16):
when that touch of Jeopardy is injected into the game
through the boisterous voices of the people in the stands.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
The chamber is now in session on Sportsfax.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
And it's back into the chamber we go, of course,
we being myself and Clay Wilson is Sports News Director
of News Talks, Clay, how are you vow Avenue? He
does great to have you back in the chamber again.
What let's get things going. Novak Djokovic, the most popular
tennis player on earth? Is he going to go down
as a goat?
Speaker 2 (11:50):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (11:50):
I think probably those kind of debates are things that
people have around the water cooler and office at home
when they're watching the Tennis Grand slams arguable to between
him and Federer and the daala.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Suppose, well, it's result space isn't goat? Surely the greatest
of all time result. It doesn't matter whether you like
him or not. Surely it's the figures. Because people don't
like the guy.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Let's face well, I think everyone has their own criteria.
For me, I would tend to look at figures like
you're saying there, So I think at this point you'd
say he's got at least one or two more left
in him as well before he retired.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
I think he's angry now too, after the Australian situation.
You're not talking to people. He's pattering as sad, and
that will you'd think, strengthen him. He'll come out even
more brutal. Well.
Speaker 4 (12:36):
When we think about goats, you say results, but you
also think about players that were memorable for one reason
or more. And Novak Djokovic has always been one of
these guys who people love him or they detest him
for whatever reason. And I think that makes you memorable,
whether people love you or hate you on one side
of the ledger, it makes you more memorable.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
Right John McEnroe and his behavior back in the day,
extraordinar it's a prime example.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
And he's still a huge name in the sport today.
So I guess he has been someone who has always
had some kind of controversy or talking point around him.
And do you know what in the early days I was,
I've always been in Roger Federer guy. But I think
Novak Djokovic has always spoken his mind. He's always done
what he kind of wanted to do and hasn't been
(13:22):
afraid to do that, and I think in the age
of sporting, you know, athletes that we live in now
where you quite often don't get that, especially at that
top level, where you say one thing it becomes a
headline around the world. Well, Novak Djokovic isn't actually doesn't
actually mind just doing what he wants, right, And I'm
sure that's something you can appreciate, right, like especially us
(13:42):
in this business, someone who wants to who says whatever
they want to say and stands, you know, stands on
their principles and what they believe in. So I say,
good on him. I don't always agree with him, but hey,
there you go.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
And the.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
Under nineteen Cricket World Cup for the T twenty four
women's on at the moment, Nigeria beat the White Ferns
traction level, yeah fairly low.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
I mean, I guess under nineteen World Cups of any
description really, I mean, I think it was probably a
byproduct of the fact that there's no Black Caps or
White Ferns action on at the moment, of course, waiting
for the champions trophy more than anything, just a chance
for these young players that are you know, hopefully some
of them going to become future White ferns.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
It's important for isn't it. I don't know it's so
important for us. I mean I have a casual watch
of it that comes up. There's nothing else on. But again,
it's all about pathways, isn't it more than anything?
Speaker 4 (14:43):
Yeah? I guess you look at it and you say, well,
if you're losing, and they lost to the USA in
a warm up game, maybe it's still a sign that
the depth at this sort of youth level isn't quite
there with the women's game in New Zealand yet, if
you're losing to teams like that. But they've got to
get that exposure at some point. They've got to go
to these tournaments so they can potentially become stars of
(15:05):
the future.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
And talking of cricket, Mardy Gaptel, he's well, he's put
the hammer down, hasn't He's retired now from international cricket.
Still looks like he's got a bit of what for
with the bat? Did we miss a trick for swapping
him out for Finn Allen or to go at super smash?
Come on, get carried away?
Speaker 2 (15:23):
Well you tell me.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
This seems to me to be one of those things
that hindsight is twenty twenty, right, I think back then
to bring Fan Allen in try and build some depth.
He was a player that had a tremendous promise and
still does, really seemed like the right decision. Of course,
now you look back, Fan Allen's gone off as a
twenty twenty gun for high hasn't hasn't quite taken off
(15:46):
at international level, and you say, well, maybe we should
have squeezed more out of Martin Gupdor. And then he
goes and scores one hundred or plays plays the beginnings
in the Super Smash, and you say, wow, there you go.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
But it is the Super Smash, With all due respect,
it's not even Big Beast level. Is it really a look?
He looked fantastic, But yeah, and.
Speaker 4 (16:06):
I think, like I say at the time, to say
to say, let's bring in Fanelle and let's try and
you know, blood a new star who's showing some potential,
let's try and build some depth. Could Martin Gapte have
contributed to more wins for New Zealand? Undoubtedly he's arguably
our greatest ever ODI player, alongside his great mate Ross Taylor.
But to me, at the right time, it was it was,
(16:28):
it was it was the right move and if nothing else,
for Martin gaup Till, this shows he's still got it
at a T twenty level and hopefully for him he
can go and pick up some more contracts around the
world in these leagues like he's trying to do, because
he's clearly a player that deserves, you know, deserves to
go out on a high in terms of his career.
So who he can go out lining his pockets a
bit but also putting his name in the headlines a bit,
(16:50):
then then good for Martin gap Till. But who knows
what happens with with Fanelle And I still think, you know,
there's a chance that he comes comes back at some point,
but you know, the way cricket's going going, who knows.
But we love Martin Gaptil, don't. I don't think anyone
would deny.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
What he's done for New Zealand cricket throughout his career.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
So so let's hope you can play a few morenocks
like that before he decides to hang up as bat.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
All right, let's clasp be back and change again. Seeing
you back to the sports desk. Clay Wilson. He's the
sports news director for News Talk ZB. Thanks for your
time and your opinion, and I know it's way too late.
It's twenty one days into a bit happy new year.
Speaker 4 (17:25):
Same to you, does pleasure as.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
Always dissecting the sporting agenda.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
It's Sports Fix with Jason Vine and Darcy Waldgrave.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
And we call that a rap.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
That's Sports Fixed for the twenty first of the first
twenty twenty five. And for more sports news and sports
talk that you can engage in, don't forget Sports Talk
between seven and eight Monday to Friday on News Talk
cb OH one hundred and eighty ten eighty. We want
to hear your voice Jason Pine. He covers it all
off Saturday and Sunday with Weekend Sport between twelve and three.
(17:59):
If you've enjoyed yourself, please recommend this podcast to as
many people as you possibly can. We really appreciate your
support and would really appreciate it if you were to
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around about the same time every weekday afternoon. Look after yourself.
I'll catch again tomorrow here on the Fix.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
For more from News Talks ed B listen live on
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