In their last US Open-themed video, Ubaldo Scanagatta and Steve Flink comment on the four-hour-long men’s final between the Austrian and the German, with the former clinching his maiden Slam title.

American journalist and Hall-of-Famer Steve Flink joined the CEO of UbiTennis to talk about the Flushing Meadows final, a thrilling if not very qualitative bout between Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev, with the world N.3 emerging victorious at the end of a fifth set tie-breaker that capped off a comeback from two sets down. What were the reasons behind the two players’ evident tightness? What to expect from the French Open, which will start in a fortnight and will feature both Djokovic and Nadal? Find out in the video: 

VIDEO SCHEDULE

00:00 – “It was a strange final, they didn’t play up to their standards, both were incredibly tense. As a whole, the level was lower than that of Slam finals involving the Big Three.

02:00 – “Zverev’s downfall was to lose one of the breaks of serve he had gotten in the second set. Had he won with a score of 6-1 or 6-2, Thiem’s mindset going into the third would not have been as hopeful…”

03:10 – A thrilling decider, but was it a good one as well? “Once they got to the tie-breaker, they didn’t have much left…”

06:10 – Flink: “What I’d like to highlight is their courage. I feel sorry for Zverev, he squandered several opportunities.” Will he shake off this defeat quickly?  

08:55 – Some past players came back stronger after failing to win a Slam, such as Murray and Lendl – will Zverev get another shot?

10:30 – “If Thiem had lost this match, it would have been devastating for him, because one thing is to lose as the underdog, another to do so as the favourite…”

12:50 – “Zverev lived and died by his serve, he had 15 double faults and lost speed as he went.”

16:00 – The Big Three were never crushed by the pressure, even in their early Major finals – why did Thiem and Zverev, two of the best players born in the Nineties, seem so nervous?

19:00 – “We haven’t seen Nadal yet since the season resumed…” If he is not at the top of his game, could Thiem win the French Open too? What about Djokovic?

25:30 – The French Open will have some fans in the house, as well as the press – the right call, especially in the wake of the huge surge in cases that France is experiencing?

31:15 – How do Ubaldo and Steve rate the performance of the USTA throughout the last three weeks? Will the French federation be able to avoid a Covid-19 outbreak as well?

Transcript by Giuseppe Di Paola; translated and edited by Tommaso Villa

Ubaldo Scanagatta reflects on the US Open Final, which saw Dominic Thiem win his first grand slam title.

Sunday’s men singles final saw Dominic Thiem take on Alexander Zverev in a match that was guaranteed a new grand slam champion.

Although he made a nervy start, Dominic Thiem recovered from two sets and a break down against Zverev to win 2-6 4-6 6-4 6-3 7-6(6) in a dramatic four hour contest.

In this video, Ubaldo reflects on what Sunday night’s New York thriller means for both Thiem and Zverev, as well as how this links into the clay court season.

The penultimate video-recap by Ubaldo Scanagatta and Steve Flink on the 2020 US Open. This time they focused on the two finals, with Osaka clinching the title last night over Vika Azarenka and the men’s one scheduled for tonight at 9pm. Other subjects include the potential changes that the ATP season might undergo starting 2022 as well as the beginning of the shortened clay season in Rome, all in the following video: 

00:00 – Flink: “I predicted an Osaka win, but my convictions were shaken when Azarenka had a chance to go 6-1 3-0 up…” Did the wasted lead weigh on the Belarusian’s mind late in the match? 

05:25 – “Osaka has won the US Open twice without the crowd on her side – the first time, everyone rooted for Serena, while this time there simply wasn’t one.” The Japanese star wins few tournaments, but they tend to be the big ones… 

07:55 – Despite playing yesterday in New York, Azarenka will still feature in Rome as a Special Exempt, debuting against Venus Williams – could she be exposing herself to injury?  

10:22 – How the 2022 ATP season might shape up – what’s behind it? “It almost feels like a reaction to what Djokovic is doing with the PTPA…” Are all the reported goals actually attainable? 

16:15 – A preview of the men’s final: “Zverev got here without playing his best tennis, but now he has nothing to lose…” Can he match Thiem’s level from the fourth round onwards? 

22:39 – The men who lost their first four Slam finals: Ivan Lendl, Andy Murray e… Fred Stolle, who lost five in a row as an amateur. “They have all made it in the end, though.” Will it be the same for Thiem?

26:38 – “Thiem and Medvedev have showed great respect for each other, that didn’t happen in the past.” How have relations between players from different countries changed? 

31:00 – “We have no idea about Nadal’s form. However, if he does well in Rome, then he’s still the favourite to win the French Open and equal Federer’s 20 Majors.” Can Djokovic do the same even after wasting this huge opportunity?