ATP Tinder Part 3, Tour Pet Peeves & Nightmare Opponents ft. The Players Box | EP 138

**Stevie Johnson** (0:00)
Up ahead on Nothing Major, this is our last regular episode for a couple weeks as we are going to shift into Something Major. Yes, we are continuing to Something Majors at the Australian Open as that gets underway really, really soon. So let's get into this show.
All right, welcome back, everyone, to Nothing Major, Friday edition, the last regular episode before Something Major starts as we are on the eve of the Australian Open. Today's show, we do have that interview, as mentioned before, with the ladies at The Players Box. It includes ATP Tinder Part 3 You're gonna wanna stick with us this episode, as that's coming up really, really soon. We'll also give some early takes on the Aussie Open. And so, let's go ahead and do that. Any early takes here, Friday, the tournament's about to start. Anything we've learned from the tournaments that are going on right now, Adelaide, Auckland, not much, right? I mean, the top players aren't really playing these.

**Sam Querrey** (1:08)
I would say like one thing we learned from, like go back to United Cup, there was a few matches where like, like Cocoa Golf, like throwing in the double faults and like you're worried about her and then like, boom, she beat Shfiontek. I feel like Cocoa, like no matter how bad she's serving, she could still win the tournament. Like I honestly feel like that.

**Stevie Johnson** (1:31)
As long as she doesn't surf herself out.

**Sam Querrey** (1:33)
There's a little rivalry going on between like Cocoa and Iga, I love it.

**Stevie Johnson** (1:36)
Is there?

**Jack** (1:37)
She's won four in a row against her.

**Sam Querrey** (1:39)
There's just, there's a little animosity between the two and it's like making for like great, like a great little rivalry. Cocoa's won the last four.

**Stevie Johnson** (1:47)
Iga won 11 of the first 12

**Sam Querrey** (1:49)
Like on the woman's side, it's the best, it's the most intriguing matchup for sure.

**Stevie Johnson** (1:53)
I mean, Sabalanka is, I mean, by far the hands-on favorite.

**Sam Querrey** (1:57)
By far?

**Stevie Johnson** (1:58)
Yeah. I mean, Iga, I would say would be the second, but she does not play well at United Cup, lost to Benčić, lost to Gaup.

**Sam Querrey** (2:04)
What about Rabacana?

**Stevie Johnson** (2:05)
Dude, I mean, the way Sabalanka dominated Brisbane, like she's the betting favorite, she's just getting stronger by the day, I feel like.

**Sam Querrey** (2:13)
Dude, Rabacana won Ningbo, then she like semi-finaled Tokyo, pulled out, then she won the year-end, and then she did, she's semi-final in Brisbane.

**Stevie Johnson** (2:22)
Yeah, but you would agree Sabalanka, Sam in your mind is the favorite.

**Sam Querrey** (2:26)
Sabalanka is the favorite for sure.

**Stevie Johnson** (2:28)
Then you go Rabacana after that?

**Sam Querrey** (2:29)
Then I'm going Rabacana.

**Stevie Johnson** (2:30)
I would say Rabacana over Iga in that regard.

**Sam Querrey** (2:33)
I don't know how the odds favorite in front of me, but Rabacana in my opinion is the second favorite. She lost to Mokhova in the quarters of Brisbane.

**Jack** (2:40)
Well, the awful last week, do you guys have Bublik making second week of Aussie Open? I have been making the, I think I could see him in like a quarter of Australia.

**Stevie Johnson** (2:49)
I think it just depends where he lands, where he's seated. If he plays Sinner Alcraz, he's going to lose. I just feel like he's already mentally lost, but anybody else, he can make the semi.

**Stevie Johnson** (2:57)
No, I think second week.

**Sam Querrey** (2:59)
I feel like a quarter is a good bet.

**Stevie Johnson** (3:01)
Yeah, I mean, because he's, he'll be seated outside the top eight. So like, he's kind of at the mercy of that a little bit.

**Stevie Johnson** (3:07)
If you're nine, you can play one.

**Sam Querrey** (3:09)
Nine through 16 could play one, the one or two seed.

**Stevie Johnson** (3:12)
So you're just kind of at the mercy of that draw a little bit.

**Sam Querrey** (3:14)
So he's a 25%, he has a 25% chance to play Alcraz or Sinner in the fourth round.

**Stevie Johnson** (3:20)
Other than Bublik, like I, Mevvedev, I mean, I don't know, like he looks pretty good. There's no stranger to doing well at the Aussie Open either. So like with a good draw with his ranking, not really what it, it's not what it's, he's accustomed to what it being. But if he doesn't have to see one of those guys early, I can see Mevvedev. If he's just not in the section of the draw of those two, I can see him making a semifinal easily. Would you guys agree?