Zverev Shines in Shanghai & The FUNNIEST Fan Interview Ever! | EP 223

John Isner (0:00)

Coming up on this Thursday episode of Nothing Major, we have all the latest news from Shanghai, the 1000 going on over there. We also have a new segment on tennis players that do not look like tennis players. We're gonna give our opinions there, and also some fan questions. So that's all ahead. Let's start the show.

Sam Querrey (0:18)

Big John, Stevie and Sam. Got close a few times, never won a slam.

John Isner (0:23)

Nothing Major. All right, welcome back to Nothing Major.

Happy Thursday, everyone. John Isner here. Sam Querrey, Stevie Johnson. All here in the team at SIFT Creative.

Thank you to the team at SIFT Creative. So start the show. As mentioned previously, we're gonna get in to all the latest from Shanghai. So let's dive into that.

Sam Querrey (0:45)

All right, thanks John. We are back now. It is Thursday morning. Shanghai is going on. As everyone knows, these 12 day master series feel more like 50 day master series.

It's a Thursday. We're in the round of 16 This probably ends on a Sunday, but for all I know, it ends on a Wednesday. But we're gonna do a little update. Rafael Jodar continues to roll. He takes out Botic van de Sandschilp, 6-7, 6-2, sorry, 6-7, 6-4, 6-2. Stevie J converted four and nine break points.

He's getting to the point now where like, you're expecting him to win this kind of match.

Steve Johnson (1:20)

Yeah, no, he's somebody that's just, he's a very, very, very good tennis player. He's had a, we'll call it a couple confusing losses, you know, throughout his like great summer. But that being said, I think he's just young and it's just him adjusting to life on the tour weekend.

Sam Querrey (1:35)

And really only like a couple.

Steve Johnson (1:37)

Correct, and it's just, they're highlighted just because it was the US Open, you know, where he was a high seed, where he should have done or could have done well.

But I mean, he's a tennis, he is a very good tennis player. It's crazy to think that he is starting the year in, you know, challengers and ATP qualities and very likely pushing for his spot in Turin in just a, you know, a month's time or whatever. So, but this is a good win. Van de Stanschop isn't one of those names where you think like, oh, that's a good win. But when he is playing well and he has been, that's a very good win. He has a tough out. And again, just doing it in Shanghai, that's even tougher just because the time of the year we've seen all these guys kind of like losing their marbles a little bit. So great win for Jodar, but he did kind of lose his marbles a little bit.

Sam Querrey (2:25)

He had a little incident with the ball kids in a moment of frustration, said, give me the f-ing towel.

Steve Johnson (2:32)

Yeah.

Sam Querrey (2:34)

I don't know what to say on it. Like, it's just a little moment. It's nothing, nothing against it.

Steve Johnson (2:38)

I think it's a little moment still. There's a lot of little moments.

John Isner (2:42)

Yeah, it's just it's just frustration. It's hot as crap in Shanghai. It can be. I mean, I'm not excusing it. Yeah, he's had a few moments. He's got to get a little better there. But I think the criticism he's receiving is, in my mind, is too harsh. Like, yes, you want to be, he's young, right? I think he'll get better at that. But it is important to show the right behavior towards the ball kids. They're working so incredibly hard out there.

It's just, it's a pressure cooker out there on the court, as we all know, and you're not really yourself sometimes out there. So he does need to get better. But I also think people need to just chill out online. You know, about...

Sam Querrey (3:29)

Tennis fans just aren't cool sometimes.

John Isner (3:35)

You've experienced that firsthand.

Sam Querrey (3:37)

You say one thing and then everyone's just like...

Steve Johnson (3:39)

Ah, ah, ah, ah.

Sam Querrey (3:41)

Anyway, let's move on. John Zverev takes out Demonar 4-4, minted... Not minted, newly numbered, era number one. He's going to be era number one for Zverev. This was such a Zverev match. 4-4, 10 aces, one double, 80% first serves in play. Winning 80% of those points, saved off all five break points.

This is a serve bot match for Zverev.

John Isner (4:05)

It's one of those things people always say to me, just imagine if you had a return game. I'm like, yeah, I'd probably be number one in the world. Well, this is what it looks like.