00:00But I think we do have our guest here, Kenny Ducey.
00:02We're going to talk some U.S. Open tennis right here on the early line.
00:05Kenny Ducey, welcome into the program.
00:07We got some business to talk about today, don't we?
00:10We absolutely do.
00:12Yeah, I just want to get myself centered and shot.
00:13Welcome.
00:14It's very nice to be here.
00:15And, yes, I'm very excited.
00:17Welcome to the best part of the tennis calendar because we're really just winding it down here.
00:22But it's been an incredible summer so far.
00:24We've had some great stories.
00:25And we've got some drama happening and mixed doubles.
00:28So, yeah, it's a great time to talk tennis.
00:31All we can ask for is some unbelievable tennis.
00:33And a lot of times in Flushing, Queens, it gets provided to that late summer,
00:36the heat and humidity creep in, Arthur Ashe court, everything rocking and rolling.
00:40So I want to start right here at the men's draw.
00:42Now, granted, we do have some time until we get to see these superstars on the court.
00:46But the usual suspects, as I like to say at the top of the odds leaderboard here,
00:49Forrest, Kenny, Sinner, Alcaraz, Djokovic, Draper, it's fantastic to see these guys.
00:54Is the anticipation that we'll get another unbelievable performance at a Sinner and Alcaraz
00:59or are there other guys down the line that you might be taking a look at that can be real surprises in the U.S. Open this year?
01:05Yeah, I think the one, you know, I think the one guarantee that I might have is that there is going to be a surprise.
01:11Now, it's been a really weird summer for Yannick Sinner.
01:14It's been a weird season, to be frank.
01:16I mean, he had the suspension and then he had the illness in Cincinnati just a week ago, which was really disappointing.
01:22He retired down 5-0 to Carlos Alcaraz.
01:26You know, I mean, I'm not going to speculate, but it certainly hasn't been the strong, you know, I guess.
01:32The Yannick Sinner had a lot of health issues a couple of years ago.
01:35He did seem to shake some of those off.
01:36Remember, he would always be pulling out with blisters or he was sick or, you know, elbow.
01:41There's been a lot of things over his career that have built.
01:43But, yeah, I mean, that was obviously an unknown thing that he's been dealing with.
01:47He's been dealing with injuries this year.
01:48I don't know if he's necessarily going to get to the final, if he's going to set one up with Carlos Alcaraz.
01:55I think there's a lot of guys in this draw that could certainly make some noise.
01:58Jack Draper is a guy that has had a good year.
02:01He did win a Masters 1000 this year.
02:03But there's another guy who won a Masters 1000 this year as well, and that's Ben Shelton, around 3,500, you know, maybe even higher at some shops.
02:10You know, there's a couple of talented lefties, those two guys.
02:13I think it definitely makes some noise here.
02:15And it just feels like there's going to be one big story here written, whether it's Alexander Zverev, maybe making it back to a Grand Slam final.
02:21I don't know what it is, but it doesn't feel like it's just an inevitability that we're going to see Sinner Alcaraz like always, really.
02:29You're right.
02:30I mean, the stepping away from Cincinnati, dropping out of the mix for Sinner here, again, claiming all sorts of health issues.
02:38And then, of course, on the women's side, I think it's fascinating.
02:43How do you fire your coach if you're Coco Gauff just before the U.S. Open here?
02:49And whatever happened with her?
02:51I mean, what is going on on the women's side?
02:53Is she not even a factor anymore?
02:55I mean, it is pretty funny.
02:58I certainly think she can be a factor, you know, because I do feel like we have said this before about her.
03:05Like, she's been able to win Grand Slams before without a serve.
03:09It's never really been this bad, right?
03:11She's obviously never had a dominant first or second serve.
03:15And then, you know, really, we've had some – for years now, she's had issues on the forehand wing.
03:21She's tried to improve those.
03:23You know, she's really won throughout her career despite her own limitations.
03:27So I do feel like she still can be a factor, yes.
03:30But it is getting really scary watching her out there practicing like, you know, she's never served before with some of her coaches.
03:37And the other thing I'll say about this is that, like, I'm not – you know, I've never been a professional tennis player.
03:42So I'm not in a position to say that I know what's going on with their coaches.
03:47But I will say I have seen this happen before where you see, like, a coach working with someone right before a big tournament.
03:54And it feels like things are going really well with the new coach.
03:57And then, bang, the coach is out.
03:59Or, you know, I don't know if it's like you've reached your limit of how much you can learn with the coach.
04:04But, yes, it's definitely – we'd like to see something different.
04:07The narrative when she won the U.S. Open was Brad Gilbert was her new coach and everything was great.
04:12So I'm not sure.
04:14Yeah, we're excited about the U.S. Open certainly starting up here and having some fun.
04:17It's a great way to sort of end the tennis season, per se, in the summer months here on the hard court with the advantages.
04:22If I asked you one time, who's going to win for the men's draw and the women's draw, who would those two be?
04:28Oh, I think – I actually think we're going to see Ben Shelton win this tournament.
04:33I don't know why.
04:34I don't know how.
04:35But he did win a Masters 1000.
04:37I did not think he had that in him.
04:38It wasn't the greatest, you know, hard court season in terms of the North American hard court swing.
04:43But it just feels like Alcaraz is the only guy that's really running head and shoulders away from the rest of the field.
04:49And I feel like he's really put together some – he's done some shaky performances all year long and especially the last, you know, four or five grand slams.
04:57So I'm going to say Ben Shelton because I do feel like the conditions get a little slower and bounce higher.
05:02Thank you, Kenny Ducey.
05:05Appreciate the input.
05:06We'll be right back right here on Early Live.
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