Emma Raducanu: Gigi Salmon says Brit will ‘take positives’ from Australian Open run, and she praises Jack Draper | Tennis News happymamay

Gigi Salmon says Emma Raducano will “take positives” from her run to the third round at the Australian Open, while Jack Draper made an “incredible effort” to overcome three straight-set matches.

In her latest Sky Sports column, Gigi Salmon speaks exclusively from Melbourne as she discusses Emma Raducanu’s run to the third round, Jack Draper’s remarkable tournament, Daniil Medvedev’s fine total, Danielle Collins’ on-court antics and missing Daniela Hantuchová’s training sessions.

Imagine playing tennis for 12 hours and 35 minutes in your legs across three matches and 15 sets, dealing with an ongoing hip problem and knowing that next is four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz! That was the task facing British No. 1 Jack Draper, a high demand that became an impossible task.

We are fortunate enough when commentating games at Rod Laver Arena to be at court level behind the baseline.

Next time you’re watching TV, look for the fortunately darkened reinforced glass behind the baseline, the end is where the players come out and we’re behind it! It’s a great view and you can see the emotions of the players as they walk back towards the glass, and that includes the pain on Jack Draper’s face as it became clear to him that he wasn’t going to be able to continue, finally calling it a day at the end of the second set.

Tendonitis in his hip that moved to his back is what Jack has been dealing with, surprising himself with how well he’s held up considering how much he’s had to play and put his body through.

But he admitted in his post-match press conference that he may have been dealing with a “time bomb”.

With all this said, it was a fantastic effort from Jack to get through three tough five-set matches, and having already said that he will not be part of Great Britain’s Davis Cup squad when they face Japan next month, he is looking forward to getting fit and back on the court for the ATP Tournament. 500 in Rotterdam – which you will be able to see Sky Sports Tennis At the beginning of February.

Pros for Raducanu

Speaking of scheduling, Emma Raducanu, who when the inevitable sting subsides from her 6-1, 6-0 defeat to world number two Iga Swiatek in the third round, will have to take the positives from the best of her career at Melbourne Park that has been hampered in the tournament. Accumulated due to a back problem.

The next event is scheduled to be the WTA 250 event in Singapore Which starts at the end of this month Live on Sky Sports Tennis Channel.

Monday of the second week began with an apology issued by host broadcaster Channel Nine over comments made by the main presenter of the Australian Open coverage that Novak Djokovic found disrespectful, which included: “Novak, he’s overrated.” Novak was in the past. “Novak, fire him.”

While awaiting an apology, Djokovic declined to do his post-match on-court interview with Jim Courier, explaining afterwards that there was nothing against Jim, for whom he has great respect, and that he had fulfilled his other post-match obligations.

In my opinion, the comments went way too far, and if it was an attempt at a joke as was said, it wasn’t very good. Hopefully, with the apologies now made, we’ll hear more from Djokovic should he beat Carlos Alcaraz when they meet in the quarter-finals.

The largest total fines for Medvedev

In what was a lively first week, last year’s finalist Daniil Medvedev lost to 19-year-old Lerner Tian, ​​and in the process was hit with fines totaling more than £60,000 across the two matches.

The fines were for throwing his racket for which he received a penalty point, not holding a post-match press conference and breaking a webcam.

It is the largest set of fines handed out in Grand Slam history and will be deducted from his £102,000 prize money.

What a start to the year for Medvedev, whose second child, daughter Victoria, was born in January. He arrived in Melbourne a few days before the tournament started and left for home a few days later!

Collins’ “big, fat paycheck.”

Another person who goes out and takes a swing at anyone in her way is Danielle Collins. We spoke to the American a little bit last year Sky Sports Tennis In what was scheduled to be her final year on tour, she was looking to the future with a desire to settle down and start a family.

With her fertility journey proving difficult due to endometriosis, Collins decided to postpone retirement and return to touring. Now with a history of being a fierce competitor, she will once again speak to the crowd, letting out a perfectly guttural roar after winning points, and she’s not afraid to speak her mind, and she’ll also tell anyone who’ll listen that she doesn’t. I don’t care what people think.

She took it to another level in her second-round match with Australian qualifier Destani Aiava, and understandably a partisan crowd, and Collins won 6-2 in the third round, driven by a crowd that was clearly against her.

After blowing them kisses upon winning the match, she said in her on-court interview: “You know I was thinking during the match, I was like, ‘Well, if I’m here, maybe I’ll take this big thing.'” Big paycheck, I love a five star vacation, so part of this check will go toward that, so thank you guys.

She was doubling down on her comments in her post-match press conference before going out in the next round to Madison Keys.

Collins has a strong personality but after getting to know her a little on tour last year, she’s a good person who doesn’t enjoy being in the spotlight and in fact, it’s hard to believe that if you see her on court antics, she’s eager to back away from it. He – she.

Hantuchova training

Now thanks to Andrea Petkovic, I now know what the term “hexenschuss” is, which literally translates to “witch shot,” and is more commonly known as back pain.

This came when talking about Jacob Fearnley’s straight sets defeat to Sascha Zverev, Jacob had to take a medical time out due to lower back pain and Andrea joked that she put a ‘Hexenshaus’ on him.

When it comes to my dual commentary and coaching role, I think I was nominated again as coach for Daniela Hantuchová, who plays in both legends events, but so far I’ve missed all of Dani’s training she didn’t go. I’ve been backing down pretty well so I’m not sure I’ll make it to the end of the week while maintaining my training accreditation!

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