QUICK SERVED: US OPEN MEN'S SEMI-FINALS PREVIEW & WOMEN'S REAX

Welcome to Served [Music] hey this is Andy eroic uh doing a quick served episode previewing uh what's coming up brought to you by our friends at Chase we got a little Draper Center this afternoon uh we got the big one uh 700 p.m. Fritz tifo who is going to be the first American in the slam final uh since 2009 uh Jess Pula uh did her part grinding out a semi-final win over kolina mova last night and sabalenka uh out playing Emma Navaro uh but Emma Navaro had such a great run uh guys I was out there last night uh for these two matches and it was electric like this is this is such a real event there wasn't a seat available uh Good Times um we wish we would have an All-American final wasn't to be Sabal Lena Pula in the final guys have you heard did anyone did you did you did you do that or was it John no no it wasn't John did we get a draw did I get a draw show right I think you did it you did it with sabalenka too sabalenka p in the final roll it back I mean honestly though if you Pi if you pick it every single time odds are you're going to get it right so well it also helps when you pick it and then they both actually play in the tournament that that's that's that that that helps also I picked sabka I picked sabalenka at Wimbledon we edited the show put it out and 45 seconds later she pulled out in the tournament so I don't know um listen there's a there's some good stuff we got uh techie Shan's man Men's Semi-finals preivew Draper uh trying to uh trying to take out uh yanx sinner techan you love Draper I love him yeah why do you like like you love him he goes tell him what he said M tell him what he said before came on he go he goes I love the baggy clothes he's bringing back 2001 and Andy just goes yeah yeah because that's what Andy used to wear it was just it was fashion he said 2001 as if it was like 1964 like it was it was the yeah he referenc it like I I would say they brought back wooden rackets that's what he was Tech techy Shan's the nicest guy ever and he also doesn't realize when he's being really passive aggressive like he just doesn't he doesn't realize it just because he's young um listen I I I obviously I I I've been watching Draper um for the last you for this tournament uh 15 sets hasn't lost a set yet he's run off 15 in a row um kind of he's always had a big serve um I walked past him in the locker room during fan week and the guy looks like a linebacker um he he's two or three inches taller than I am like he's a big big dude um imposing the serve has kind of always been there um the backand and this is coming from someone whose backand was uh a struggle and a point of stress for uh most of my life um was was average uh for for a while and it could go away and he felt like obsessed with trying to take a line sometimes he is just drilling that thing middle or crosscourt making no apologies and then just waiting for someone to miss the redirect and then getting a forehand I love the way he's playing uh a lot of improvement a lot of improvement physically too uh he was a guy who the book on him for a while was if you get him to two hours two and a half hours and tough conditions physical points the body would start to give right you you saw him cramp a lot early in his career I did the same thing before you start figuring bring out that magic uh you know combination of food versus Fitness versus stretching versus preparation and it seems like he's kind of found that thing I don't know if there are any changes in in the actual fitness regimen but the body looks a lot stronger um you know it looks like uh he he looks like a man and not a not a boy now um and he is playing great stuff has been drilling guys uh this week um you got something me I just think it's crazy he's only 22 years old I just looked it up I was like oh man I was like how old is this cuz you're right he he a big dude yeah and so I I just assumed he might have been a little bit older CU he a lot of the guys at that age aren't really filling out yet you know in tennis you mean 22 otherwise known as two years older than alcarez I mean that's insane yeah only one year now technically one year true yeah I guess well yeah we're we're yeah something like that but point being made we you know we're mad that Carlos lost second round and he's also just turned 21 um against yanic sner who uh you know the other night against meev I thought that was going to be a lot tougher match um you know I I I thought there would be a little bit more mental accumulation of of of Scandal um with with with yanx CER um it seems like it everything has kind of died down and he is just back to business uh got off to a rough start against Shawn's other guy uh Tommy Paul I'm I'm starting to figure out that that sha techy Shawn just likes really good-look guys who doesn't yeah I mean I mean Tommy Paul yeah it's like he only he cheers for the guys that are like Ralph Lauren models he loves bartini too I'm sure of course um yeah but he got off to a little bit of a slow start against Tommy Paul it looked a little bit edgy um that winning that first set since that first set of Tommy Paul he's looked like full yanic CER um taking out Mev and it was four sets but it was a pretty lopsided four Setter the sets that CER was winning were were pretty straightforward um that was a massive win uh I love Draper I love the progress Draper made um I I I like the consistency with which he's breaking he used to not break serve a ton and would just rely on kind of those pressure situations with his serve uh love all the progress and there's just not a match left uh in this tournament where I'm gonna choose against yanic CER um the guy throws Haymakers off both sides like it's Chris Eubanks put it really smartly he said when you're playing him it feels like he has two four hands right he can he can like burn you off of either side and he can play defense uh on either side um also the leftin right when you're playing a lefty with like a massive serve that left hand on the two-handed back end you kind of have to use that outside hand to really kind of uh square up the ball as it's kind of squirting away from you uh to the left uh guys that are not as strong in that backhand side Draper's serve has a lot more of an effect Center is so strong in that backand side he's gonna be able to kind of uh you know create the uh the impact against that spin to make returns consistently I'm curious to see where s returns from he's been going back a lot more this tournament I'm curious I I just can't imagine on the ad side on first serves especially that he's going to go back and give uh Draper that out wide slice serve uh way wide curious to where see where Center sets up on the second serve um I'm guessing back and then if things don't go his way I'm guessing he might step in a little bit um but I I just I I just not going to pick against yanic CER um he's number one in the world for a reason um I think he I think he wins this tennis tournament uh you know and I don't think that's you know really going out on a limb uh too much but when they get neutral Center's just going to beat him to the corners right he's not going to let Draper hit two balls in the same spot he's great at switching directions you know Center just beats you with speed and Pace right once he gets on that front foot it's tough to get away from it because you're playing defense and you're also trying to fit the ball into certain spots to get away from it and kind of once he takes control it's like a dog once they get their teeth into you it's tough to get away that's that's like that's like Center and neutral iies uh he makes it not neutral very quickly uh next one uh Fritz uh tifo um Fritz coming in I think is six and one against Francis this is one of those ones where you meet someone when you're 10 years old and then all of a sudden you're playing them in the semi-finals of the US Open you know that old that old song and dance um you know so they're goingon to know each other I don't think they're going to be a lot of surprises I have to think that they've practiced with each with each other you know a lot of weeks uh on tour um it's pretty straightforward because they don't do the same things really well right it's like you can break this one down where straight just you know banging heads against the wall creating speed flat from the middle of the Court Fritz is better Fritz is better at that right he's he he probably serves better serves bigger uh gets a little bit more action on that slice serve um and then just wants to kind of belly up uh to the center of the court and just bang right he just wants to he just wants it to be he wants to get the middle of the ring and just throw punches um where whereas Francis uh not as much speed on that second serve uh kind of has to use the serve as a setup a little bit more he has 135 136 in his arm um but doesn't get the swing that you would normally see uh with someone who can serve that big on the slice serves um obviously uh Francis moves way better uh than Fritz and but he relies on that movement a lot more than Fritz he hits the chip I think Francis has I don't know he's one of the top three volar uh on Earth uh including mova by the way is in that conversation uh as well um but anytime it gets to where it's that cat and mouse a little bit awkward when they're not just trading blows that's advant that's Advantage Francis right he wants to use that chip to make Fritz come forward in the court he wants to uh you know hit that high ball on the forehand side to create some height and then he uses that kind of short Pokey backend so well where he's actually able to create a decent amount of speed uh two things I'm curious what Francis does with Taylor's second serve right does he hit that little that little Punchy thing and come in and just try to rush Taylor and how he gets out of the grasp of Taylor if Taylor sets up in the middle of the court is that a chip line is that an angle for him crosscourt he's gonna have to he wants to get Fritz towards the edges right he wants to get him towards the sidelines in order to kind of break up uh Fritz just going through blow for blow uh from the middle of the court and if your Fritz you want to go big big serve first ball you're l a rip Tator chip like it's not a lot of thought involved you don't want the extended rallies as much with with h Francis you're not trying to get out of him right it's not like a meddev where it's like God I got to get out of this because you know the monotony and his speed is just is just killing me you know it's like it's like water torture or water erosion over time it doesn't feel that bad but then it gets worse as you go I don't think it's that I just think he realizes if he's on his front foot uh against France is that's where he needs to be what's up Mike did you uh did you ever have to face another American this deep into the into the US Open I'm I'm just curious about like the crowd's been behind both these guys so hard and I know we're not going to pick one of the other here but I'm just I'm so curious about what that mentality is like yeah um knowing You' had the crowd the whole time yeah I I never no not not at a slam I never played I don't think I did I played Marty in Australia but not not at the US Open I didn't I didn't play a ton of Americans at the US Open um I tell you what though I the year I won I almost played Andre in the final um he lost to Juan Carlos Ferrero who is now uh you know for techy Shan's generation uh for My Generation he's the former world number one for techy Shan's generation he's alcarez as coach um I I I I'll tell you I I did not want to face Andre in that final one the matchup was way worse for me I wanted to play Ferrero and two I didn't want to have to deal with the uh kind of mental gymnastics of playing your idol you know not being not getting the crowd support which that early on in my career rightfully so I was still new Andre was established and they had been in love with him for you know decades um I did not want that um I gotta think so Francis is going to use the crowd more he's going to give them the attention that they want for feedback uh Taylor is going to kind of be head down I don't think it's going to affect a much um I I I can't see a scenario where even if they just know Francis better at this tournament because I I feel like he's going to have to pay taxes at some point for the amount of time that he spent on Arthur as Stadium like New York New York's coming for him um but Taylor Fritz you know is kind of asked to be on Armstrong consistently only made his way over to uh to uh Ash um for the quarterfinal against verev um but I I would be I would be pretty surprised if it was like overwhelming one way or the other I think I think the crowd is rightfully so appre itive that we're going to have an American in the final um I I'd be I'd be surprised if if if they were kind of overly enthusiastic for one player or the other but maybe I'm wrong and if if that was the case I'd guess it would be for Frances just based on uh familiarity with this specific court and this specific uh this specific crowd yeah I'm really interested to see how that shakes out because it's one of those things that either the crowd could be completely even killed or the energy in there is just going to be so R amped up yeah it's funny because we used to see it with uh Venus and Serena where everyone was so pumped for the match but then you would get out there and was almost kind of dead because you didn't want you know later in their careers they're just it's like a celebration but early in their careers it was kind of weird like it it was it was a little it was a little awkward like the crowd didn't know who they love more they didn't know when to get in when to get out you know they were it it could get a little awkward I'm Cur I think that's a good point I don't know what the answer is um playing most American never bothered me I actually liked it um but Andre specifically was was one that I didn't really want to deal with um but I don't think that's the case here it's they're the same generation um you know it's not as if they've been in love with one of them for 15 years or 20 years um you know and one of them's not like some young punk upstart so I I don't think I don't I don't think that's uh GNA be uh the issue uh as Mike alluded to I'm just not going to choose in this one I I'm so sick of you know saying something and then having these guys have to deal with it not being self-important not saying that they would have to but just on the off chance that anyone goes well Andy shows against you like I just don't I I just can't do it I I don't want to um I've never faded anything on this show I don't want to fade anything on the show uh specifically with these two guys uh who uh I'm cheering for both of them uh I'm just not going to do it uh the X's and O's seemingly have favored Taylor over time but I think that caveat with this you know Francis could be he spent most of his year being 30 in the world and then all of a sudden he arrives to Cincinnati leading into the US Open and he's decided he's top five um you know so it's just the way it works him specifically in this venue I think makes it a pick them uh and I'm just not going to do it so uh there's that um and the Women's Semi-finals reaction other thing like listen last night I'm so happy for for for Jess Pula um you know what a great story of someone who wasn't top 100 until she was 25 years old wasn't top 10 until she was 28 um lost our first six US Open or sorry not US Open Grand Slam quarterfinals um Beach fiatc the other night I was watching that one uh just just went out and took her lunch it was it it was fantastic and last night last night mova in the first set played the best set of tennis that I've seen in maybe five years it was it was a joke like it was like she was in video game mode I mean Jess said afterwards right she made her feel like she was an amateur it was like embarrassing and it was insane it it was a I mean MOBA is so much fun to watch um but credit the Jess because last night it wasn't about the tennis like she was able to kind you could see she was rattled and she was telling like I can't do anything like what do you do and then she just kind of stayed there stayed the course was able to turn it that was a match that was extremely earned and not given from Jess Pula where it wasn't as if it was like the chanch match where you go out and it's one of those five times in your life where everything works in the right venue the right situation uh and you get out there and everything is clear your decisions are clear you're seeing the ball uh you know the the form that you brought in translates for the moment she had a problem solve last night in a big way and it was completely different and what Jess likes to do is get Rhythm and dictate points right flat to the corners um something Jess is doing amazingly well one she's serving way better she's never going to be someone who serves you off the court but she's getting that little action on like that ad that ad serve when you're hitting the slice and it just Tails a little bit the second serve is turning a little bit you know it's still 76 miles an hour but it's not that clean hit it's G to be a stress test against Arena sabalenka right um specifically sabalenka uh when when Jess and I have talked in the past and it's like who you know what do we need to improve on serve how do you go about it and the processes is like you know she name checks people likes Fiat and sabalenka where it's I need a little bit a little bit more movement so I can kind of get past that first strike and not get the racket taken out of my hands uh immediately um I chose sabalenka from the start I think I have to choose her again just based on form I hope I'm wrong um I hope I'm wrong credit to Mark nolles uh uh Mark nolles Mark Merkin not easy to leave someone like a David wit who has proven his value with Francis TFO and also for relationship with wit and Pula that worked for so long and then you know they decided to split no animosity just we need to shake things up it's a little bit stale which happens in tennis Jess going on and doing better David going on and having success with Francis tifo everyone wins let's wash our hands of it and celebrate both sides of it I think that's uh I think that's a great story Sabal Lenka it's it's the thing that we can't get over with her is like because she emotes so much right because we can read and she's fun to watch because you always know what's going on we're like oh she's up and down she's not up and down anymore she's consistent she literally is like 23 or 24- one on hardcourts this year she is the most reliable semi-final participant in the women's game right now sh fatch dominant on Clay but uh can get exposed you know in Slams on the right uh on the wrong surface for her against the wrong player who can use that surface against her like we saw the other night with Jess Pula Sab is the most bankable player across the board on all slams shant's dominant shant's going to win 10 slams um we don't know is saena but she's not inconsistent like we're taking narratives from seven years ago and we haven't let them go she is the most consistent player on the women's side of the game like if you're going to go this person's in the semis without looking at a draw it's sabalenka it's just what it is and she is an absolute Powerhouse she is the most clear comp minus the movement because the I'm about to mention moves way better obviously did it for 25 years serve was probably a little bit better but just as as far as pure raw power and like I know she's gonna come up and you know just get that first strike in on me and then I'm kind of rattled from there is Serena Williams wow that's the game comp she comes out you know what she's gonna do and you can't do anything about it Sab Linka is gonna come out and rip it Tater and you you you know what's going to happen but how do you get away from it right like when when someone comes in and a heavyweight boxer comes in and lands that first shot you're guessing where that next one's going to come from right you're just kind of looking around you're just trying to get out you're you're trying to get out of trouble so how does Jess Pula get out of trouble she's gonna have to serve well it's a non-negotiable if Jess Pula serves 45% in the first set she ain't winning that set sabalenka has I mean one thing she did is like she fixed serving Yips in like three months like the the pain with which it like it was hard to watch her for a moment in time because the serve was hitting the top of the frame and bouncing before the net like it was she was in a terrible place and now you would never know about it it is she's a mental Marvel like just because she gets pissed and emotes doesn't mean that she's not mentally Rock Solid last night against Emma everyone cheering against her she just went to work now it emotes it's not the Borg thing it's not the EM andaro thing it's not the Federer thing where we don't see it so therefore we give him credit for it she's tough she is just so tough uh I like Sabal Len in this match Jess Pula has to serve well has to switch directions early in rallies right if sabalenka gets two or three in the same spot it's very tough I like the chip that Jess Pula has been using something Jess has been doing amazingly well is getting out of the corners she's never going to be the best mover on tour it's just not what her game is it's not what her makeup but she's been able to find depth from the corners she is really going to have to find that against sabalenka right and she's going to kind of have to Upper risk profile a little bit from those Corners so a lot to ask but something's brewing for Jess Pula um if I had to bet a kidney I still have to bet on sabalenka so before we take off um can we talk about em and noar's run through this yeah I mean she's she's just good the backand sails through the court she's a great Problem Solver she is a great competitor um the serve is good she's just getting better all the time and I think I think she feels like it's weird we treated her like when she break out it's like oh that's a fun story no she's a great player like it's not a fun story anymore like she is she's she's going to be a top 10 player that's just who she is now um you know probably that before this tournament and definitely that leaving this tournament I mean imagine going from like you're you're you're playing you know minor league events in Tyler Texas in October and then consistently in progression in the same year you go third round slam fourth round slam quarterfinal slam semi slam does that sound like progress to you I'm not real I'm not real smart but does that sound like progress to you generally trending up is a good idea yeah and winning winning fans at the same time right just with with with her deme I love this like ice cold thing she doesn't react like I just she's cool I just I just think she's really cool she still can't rap so I'll get in trouble for saying that that'll be the headline in true to form I can't get out of my own way that will be the headline but they'll ignore all the great stuff uh that we just said about her but yeah I'm glad you brought that up because uh the uh the respect is earned um the agulation that she's gotten um this year is uh is well deserved so uh exciting times I cannot wait to watch this match tonight with uh titho and Fritz I can't wait to watch on Sunday where we have an American and a grand slam final for the first time since 2009 I can't wait to see Jess Pula go for a grand slam um I I hope I hope she can pull it off but I have just an outsized amount of respect for for arena sabalenka she is just grown as a player she is an absolute Champion uh I don't know we'll check in uh we'll we'll check in before the next one this is quick served uh brought to you by Chase and we'll see you [Applause]