AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2026: Kim Clijsters Joins, Women’s Semi-Finals Recap, & More

Summary

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Served with Andy Roddick: "AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2026: Kim Clijsters Joins, Women’s Semi-Finals Recap, & More"

Date: January 29, 2026
Guests: Kim Clijsters, Mike, Sean

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Episode Overview

In this high-energy episode, Andy Roddick and the Served crew invite four-time Grand Slam singles champion Kim Clijsters for a spirited discussion anchored around the latest Novak Djokovic press conference controversy, in-depth analysis of the women’s semi-finals at the Australian Open 2026, and strategic previewing of men’s semi-final clashes. The episode delivers candid behind-the-scenes perspectives from current and former players, lively banter, and tactical breakdowns relevant to both players and tennis fans eager for insight.

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Main Themes

• Debate Over Novak Djokovic’s Press Conference Response
• Women’s Semi-Finals Recap & Tactics (Sabalenka vs. Svitolina, Rybakina vs. Pegula)
• Comparative Strategy: Men’s and Women’s Tennis
• Preview & Tactics for Men’s Semi-Finals (Alcaraz vs. Zverev, Sinner vs. Djokovic)
• Kim Clijsters' Life Updates and Candid Tennis Wisdom

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Novak Djokovic Press Room Debate

[01:13 - 12:57]

• The Setup: Andy, Mike, and Sean introduce Kim Clijsters by diving into a polarizing press conference involving Novak Djokovic, focusing on a journalist's question about Djokovic’s transition from chasing Roger/Rafa to being chased by Alcaraz/Sinner.
• Diverging Reactions:
  • Kim Clijsters: Finds the question insightful and wishes Djokovic had answered in a more reflective way.
    • “I thought it was a great question… how is it tactically different? How is it mentally different? How is it physically different at this stage in his career… compared to his early 20s?” ([02:14])
  • Andy/Sean: Initially critique the question as missing the historical context of Novak’s dominance, noting that phrasing matters to a high-profile athlete's ego.
• Novak’s Salty Response: The team plays the press clip.
  • Djokovic: “So I’m always the chaser and I’m never being chased in the meantime?” ([03:45])
  • Sean observes: “If you ask a vague question, then you’re most likely going to get a vague answer.” ([12:17])
• Novak’s Motivation Psychology: The crew agrees Novak often uses perceived disrespect as fuel, likening him to Michael Jordan:
  • “He’ll pick a fight to win a fight because he needs that brawler mentality, that back-against-the-wall thing…” ([14:13])

Memorable Quotes

• Kim: “I love Novak’s brain… I thought we’re going to hear a really, really good answer to this question.” ([04:00])
• Andy: “There’s chasing history, and then there’s chasing a level on a Friday.” ([09:25])

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2. Kim Clijsters’ Achilles Recovery (and Jersey Life)

[16:26 - 17:34]

• Kim updates on her Achilles injury recovery, PT workouts, first post-injury drives, and even shoveling Jersey snow.
• Anecdote: Andy jokes about a reality show on Kim’s New Jersey adventures.

“I have my freedom back. I drove again for the first time… shoveled a little bit of snow…” ([16:36]) – Kim

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3. Women’s Semi-Finals Breakdown

[17:39 - 33:09]

Sabalenka vs. Svitolina

• General consensus: If Sabalenka plays her best, Svitolina’s aggressiveness won’t be enough.
  • “That matchup is probably on her racket, maybe more so than the other matchups we've seen.” ([29:50])

Rybakina vs. Pegula

• Kim watched some of the first set before leaving to help her mother-in-law, missing most of the second set.
• Sean highlights Rybakina’s improving second serve and dominant patterns.
• Kim analyzes Pegula’s missed opportunities, particularly in the tiebreak, drawing on her experience against big hitters (Serena, Davenport, Capriati):
  • “You have to be the aggressor… against players like Rybakina, Sabalenka… they’re not going to miss anymore.” ([19:34])
  • “You have to be the one dictating the point… You’re constantly on your back foot against those kinds of players.” ([20:22])

Aggression vs. Consistency: Lessons from Big Hitters

• “If I don’t create urgency with my shots early on in the rally… then I’m in trouble.” ([22:09])
• Kim details tactics for facing power: moving opponents, avoiding predictability.
  • Example: “My coach would say, okay, you can’t play more than three shots in the same corner.” ([23:59])

Parallels to Men's Game

• The crew draws lines between Pegula’s challenge and Zverev/Novak’s challenges against Sinner/Alcaraz, emphasizing the inviolability of getting on the front foot quickly.
  • “When Sinner and Alcaraz have a chance to step in, they do it. It’s become so physical…” ([26:13])

Technical Insights: Takebacks and Preparation

• Kim and Sean discuss the value of early racket preparation (Venus and Serena’s exaggerated warmups; Osaka’s compact swing), and how it relates to handling pace.
  • “There’s no one who has kind of like average preparation that can distribute the ball like these legends…” ([28:11])

Who Wins: Sabalenka vs. Rybakina?

• Kim: “Whoever is capable of dictating the point early on, and I mean to the second or third shot, is going to win.” ([30:22])
• She praises Sabalenka’s improved variety under coach Max Mirnyi, calling attention to her transitions to net and use of slice as emerging tools ([32:09]).

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4. Clijsters’ Car Mishap — Comic Relief

[33:09 - 35:56]

• Kim sheepishly recounts accidentally hitting a neighbor’s car:
  • “So I went back pretty fast, and I turned too close, and I hit… the car parked next to me. And it ended up being… my youngest’s mother’s car.” ([33:37])
  • Andy: “You know you’re a bad driver when you walk into the auto repair shop and they go, ‘Hey Kim.’” ([34:27])

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5. Men’s Semi-Finals Preview & Tactical Keys

[37:19 - 44:25]

Alcaraz vs. Zverev

• Andy: If Zverev wants a shot, he must serve well and sprinkle in tactical chaos.
  • “The more rhythm you give Carlos, the more he can dance… You almost need to match Carlos’s chaos with a little bit of chaos of your own.” ([38:09])

Sinner vs. Djokovic

• “What Novak used to do to people as far as extending matches, inflicting pain—I don’t know if that option is on the table at 38.” ([40:37])
• On Sinner: If his first serve% is above 60%, he likely rolls Djokovic.
• Andy suggests Novak will have to up aggression, vary returns, and possibly serve-and-volley to disrupt Sinner.

Predictions

• “To the shock of no one, I think Alcaraz and Sinner are in the final.” ([43:36])

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6. On Press Questions and Personalities

[44:24 - 44:38]

• Andy reflects: “You don’t ask the same style question to different personalities. You ask it in a way that makes it personal to their journey and then you'll get a better response.”

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Kim on Djokovic’s motivation:
  “He’ll pick a fight to win a fight because he needs that brawler mentality… I don’t know that anyone’s ever done that more than Novak successfully.” ([14:13])
• Kim’s tactical wisdom:
  “When I played Lindsay, my coach would say, ‘Okay, you can’t play more than three shots in the same corner.’” ([23:59])
• On women’s final key:
  “Whoever is able to be the most dominant early on in the rally is going to win the match.” ([30:22])
• On preparation against power hitters:
  “There’s no one who has kind of like average preparation that can actually distribute the ball like these legends can.” ([28:11])
• On men’s semi finals approach:
  “You almost need to match Carlos’s chaos with a little bit of chaos of your own.” ([38:09])

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:13] – Kim Clijsters arrives; Novak press conference debate begins
• [04:00-05:39] – Kim details why she liked the journalist’s question to Novak
• [07:05-09:11] – Full Djokovic answer & panel reactions
• [14:13] – "He’ll pick a fight to win a fight…" – Novak’s motivation psychology
• [16:36] – Kim on her Achilles recovery and Jersey shoveling
• [17:39-35:01] – Women’s semi-finals analysis (Sabalenka/Svitolina, Rybakina/Pegula)
• [23:59] – “You can’t play more than three shots in the same corner…” (Kim’s tactical memory)
• [29:50-32:09] – Sabalenka vs. Rybakina: who wins and why
• [33:09-35:56] – Kim’s car mishap story
• [37:19-43:36] – Men’s semi-finals preview & strategic keys

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Final Thoughts

This episode of Served blends tennis nerd analysis with locker-room honesty and plenty of humor, thanks to Kim Clijsters’ down-to-earth candor and Andy’s direct style. The main takeaways revolve around the importance of framing questions for top athletes, understanding the mental and tactical shifts required as tennis evolves, and recognizing that the margins at the very top continue to center on early aggression and adaptability—whether you’re Novak, Sabalenka, or a Jersey mom back on the road.

End note:
“My goal is to be as good as her one day. Just… as a human.” ([37:12]) – Andy, on Kim Clijsters

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Transcript

[Sean]

AI is only as powerful as the platform it's built into. That's why it's no surprise that more than 85% of the Fortune 500 use the ServiceNow AI platform. While other platforms duct tape tools together, ServiceNow seamlessly unifies people, data workflows, and AI connecting every corner of your business. And with AI agents working together autonomously, anyone in any department can focus on the work that matters Most. Learn how ServiceNow puts AI to work for [e-mail] Foreign. Welcome to Quick Serve. Brought to you by ServiceNow. Subscribe so finish. My day's going. I'm, like, on my way to a haircut. We finished the show. I'm feeling pretty good. I thought it was funny. Har, har. I ate a towel and driving to get a haircut. I gotta go do the speaking thing in the afternoon. And who shows up on my car like, yeah, like, one of my hat. You know when there's people that like that call and you're kind of like, oof, this could be bad.

[Mike]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Sean]

You know who I never feel that about?

[Mike]

No, Who?

[Sean]

Kim Kleister. She pops up. I'm like, boom.

[Mike]

Agreed. Agreed.

[Sean]

Kimmy, what's up? So she calls and she goes, asks the Novak thing. Oh, my gosh, did you see that? Our show hadn't come out yet. Anyways, we had this long conversation. Kim Kleisors is on the show. Four time Grand Slam singles champ. She even threw in a couple doubles ones just for fun. Kimmy, we. We disagreed, so we started the conversation. A lot of our conversations, if we're talking about tennis, is like, oh, my gosh, did you see that? And you're like, I can't believe it. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And then we kind of go down a similar path. So I think Kim. And jump in if I'm wrong on any of this. We kind of start down. Oh, did you see that Novak press conference? I'm like, yeah, I just finished going on a rant about how I thought the question was dumb. And Kim was like, no, the question was good as anything.

[Kim Kleister]

I was like, really?

[Sean]

Yeah. We thought we were going down the same path, and then we digested it completely differently. So Kimmy called to yell at me.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean]

Yeah.

[Kim Kleister]

Not really. But I was caught by surprise that I. I thought maybe I really misunderstood where the journalist was going with the question, because I thought it was a great question. That that was my instinct. I was, like, disappointed that I didn't get, like, a proper answer from Novak and that he took it almost like, personal. Right. Like, so I really. Yeah. Still feel like, oh, it would have been really nice to hear the question answered and to hear about how is it tactically different? How is it mentally different? How is it physically different at this stage and in his career compared to how it was when he was a teenager, in his early 20s? Like, it's. I thought it was a great. I thought it was a great question. And then I called you and I was like, really? Is it. Like, do I not speak good enough English? Like, is it my, My lack of English that is misunderstanding this?

[Sean]

If it's anyone who doesn't speak good English, that's me. Techie. Sean, if, if, if someone didn't listen yesterday, can you replay the Novak clip? And then I'm going to tell you how I digested it, and Kim's going to tell me why.

[Mike]

We are going to get to tennis. By the way.

[Sean]

I'm sorry, is Novak Djokovic not tennis?

[Mike]

I'm just saying we are going to get to the women's semifinal.

[Sean]

He'd be pissed at you if you said that. Oh, come on, Novak. I'm not tennis.

[Mike]

Go ahead, Sean. Well, in the early part of your career, when you were chasing Roger and Rafa for titles, and now at the back end of your career, you're chasing Jannik and Carlos.

[Novak Djokovic]

I'm chasing Janik and Carlos. In which sense, in terms of winning.

[Mike]

Grand Slam titles, just right now.

[Novak Djokovic]

So I'm always the chaser and I'm never being chased in the meantime.

[Mike]

You won 24 Grand Slam. But I'm saying it's.

[Novak Djokovic]

It's worth. Worth saying that sometimes.

[Sean]

Right.

[Kim Kleister]

Sorry.

[Mike]

I should have done that.

[Sean]

Okay, so it was a little salty.

[Mike]

No worries.

[Sean]

It was salty. So, Kim, you heard that answer and your reaction was.

[Kim Kleister]

I heard the question and the answer, but the question to me was, like, the early part of your career and the back end of your career. Like, he's only talking about those two periods. I think we all know and every member of the media, like, we've heard plenty of, like, bad questions in the media room, like, over the years. Right. Like, you've had them. I've had them. Like, when you laugh and you think, like. But I feel this was, yeah, I think a really, really interesting and good question. And nobody doubts or Nobody questions the 15 plus years that he was the most dominant player, that he is the greatest player to play the sport. Like, nobody talks that or wants to make light of that situation, but I think it was really just focused on the early stages and the last Stages where he's still trying to win titles. And like, how is that different, you know, against Alcaraz and Sinner compared to Rafa and, and Roger and yeah, I was kind of curious to hear about his different approaches and how he's mentally different. And I thought it was a really good question because I love Novak's brain too. Like, I love how he tries to, you know, the things that he does off court to make, to be healthier and to recover faster. And it's, it's so new in the tennis world. Like, he's always, you know, been like the different kind of approach guy. And, and I found that really interesting. So I thought, yeah, we're going to hear a really, really good answer to this question.

[Sean]

Do we? So we'll talk about his brain. We talk about how discipline he is. Are we going to leave out the fact that forever in a day he's needed to pick a fight to win a fight?

[Mike]

I actually said that yesterday.

[Sean]

Right. Like, he, like, if it's a journalist, if it's a, like he, his, his base level of like, I'm going to kill you is, is sometimes based in disrespect. Right. Whether it's, I'm not one of them or this crowd is against me or you said something. So I mean, is there has there ever been a top player who kind of responds more to a random fan who yells something or a journalist who asked a question, by the way, like, I, the point I made yesterday, Kim, was like, so the journalist kind of just, I think he could have said you chased and then you dominated and you were being chased and now you're back in the position where you're kind of chasing two guys again. Right. Are there any similarity? Like, there's no time limit on questions and I think it would have been too easy to just fill the middle.

[Mike]

Well, he, he did have a follow up that the reporters have a follow up that he apologized.

[Kim Kleister]

Right.

[Mike]

It was kind of clarifying. Sean, if you could play the follow up and then Novak kind of still lets into him a little bit, then kind of answers the question. Okay, what I'm saying is, is it possible to compare the way you felt initially when you were chasing Roger and Rafa with now when Jannik and Carlos have split the last eight slaps?

[Novak Djokovic]

Well, I find it a little bit disrespectful that you kind of miss out on what happened in between where the times when I started chasing, as you say, Rafa and Roger and now that I'm chasing Carlos and Jannik, and There's probably about 15 year period in between where I was dominating the Grand Slam. So I think it's important to put that in prospect and perspective. I don't feel like I'm chasing, to be honest. You know, Roger and Rafa will always be my greatest rivals. I have tremendous respect for what Jannik and Carlos are doing, and they continue to do, and they will do for the next 10 to 15, 20 years. God knows how many years they're going to play. They're so young. And this is a kind of a natural cycle in sports. You know, you're going to have another two superstars that are gonna maybe have another third guy, you know, that I'm gonna cheer for, because I've always been the third guy at the beginning. But this. It's good for our sport. You know, I think these kind of rivalries and the contrast of the personalities and the styles of play are very good for tennis. And how's that affecting me? As I said, I don't feel like I'm chasing. I'm creating my own history. And I think, you know, I've been very clear when I say that my intention is always to. In terms of achievements and objectives and results, I want to get to the championship match in every tournament, particularly Slams. And those Slams are, you know, one of the biggest reasons why I keep on competing and playing tennis. So, yeah, I mean, that's all I can say. I mean, are they better right now than me and mostly and all the other guys? Yes, they are. I mean, the quality and the level is amazing.

[Sean]

It's great.

[Novak Djokovic]

It's phenomenal. But does that mean that I walk out with the white flag? No. I mean, I'm gonna fight till the last shot, till the last point, and do my very best to challenge them.

[Sean]

Here's where I think we. Here's where I think the divide is, right? So I think when Novak here is chasing, there's chasing history, and then there's chasing a level on a. On a. On a Friday, right? So, like, I think he admitted in the second clip that he is chasing their level currently on most Fridays. But, like, I think his initial bristle was like, and now you're chasing them. He's like, motherfucker, they're chasing me. I have 24 slams. What are you talking about? They're chasing me. That's where I think the divide is. But that is also. That's also on the way you ask the question, right? Like, you're chasing the level of Roger and Rafa early in your career. And now you're chasing the level. Obviously they're going to be chasing your accomplishments for the next 15 years. But on most Fridays, like, but my big thing, Kim, was like, if you go into a press conference and you're a journalist, you've had all day to think of one question to ask. Like, that's not that hard. You're nicer than me, so you're going to dance around this. But that's not that hard.

[Kim Kleister]

I don't know. I don't. Yeah. For what reason, though? Like, it was, it was clear that he met, that he was, that he meant the first part of you, the early part of your career and the back end of your career. Like, yes, of course. We all know that. You know they're chasing his number, right? Alcaraz and Sinner, they're chasing the 24.

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[Kim Kleister]

But I even, like at the end, he says, like, that doesn't mean that they're better and, but that doesn't mean I'm whatever, walking on court with a white flag. Like, it's. And that's where I would love him to go into like a little bit more of like, how is that approach different now? Like, compared to what it was like when you were just coming on and you were playing the guys like Roger and, and, and Rafa. Like, how is that approach different? Like, what is it like now when you're almost 40, what's it like, you know, in your mindset having won 24 Grand Slams and you've been able to find, find solutions when you've been down? Like, how is that different now? And yeah, I just would have really enjoyed, I think, listening to his answer about those two periods and go into detail.

[Sean]

But you were just detailed in your question. I'm just simply, if you ask a detailed question, you're most likely going to get a detailed answer. If you ask a vague question, then you're most likely going to Get a vague answer. Like, that's the way it works, right?

[Kim Kleister]

Like, how is it you just.

[Sean]

What you just said was very specific. It painted a picture of a timeline. It brought in age. It brought in the differences between the two. So therefore, he has to address all of those parts. Right? And also the other thing is, like, Kim, you can introduce her as number one and list all of her accomplishments, and the only thing she wants is for you not to do that. Like, you. But you have to understand that's not normal for most people.

[Kim Kleister]

I told my husband, I'm like, do you know how many times people mess up the amount of slams that I've won? Can you imagine? 24. And you worried, like, about. No, but that's how I feel. Like, I don't care if somebody's like, oh, you've won how many? Like, one U.S. open. I'm like, yeah, what? Like, it's my energy. I don't know. That's how I feel.

[Sean]

But again, it's, you know, are we, we're good, right?

[Mike]

You guys?

[Kim Kleister]

Am I still your body?

[Sean]

Yes. I hope so.

[Kim Kleister]

All right. All right.

[Sean]

But I do, I think the one, the one part of this that's like, under. Completely underestimated and also completely predictable is he uses anything in it. Like, it's the, It's. It's the Michael Jordan documentary. I, like, I just wrote this while you were. It's like, do you remember the. In. In the Last Dance with Jordan? It's like, there's like a famous meme where someone said something and he goes, it was a pretty benign statement. And Jordan goes. And I took that personally. You know, it's that thing where you use these little microaggressions as fuel, and I don't know that anyone's ever done that more than, Than Novak successfully. Like, he'll pick a fight to win a fight, because he needs that brawler mentality, that back against the wall thing that, like, scrappy, you know, I, I, I, I, I'm fine executing. If I'm yelling at you for four hours. Like, he can, he can execute at an extremely high level with that. And I think when it's not there, like, think about what the last week of his life has looked like, right? He almost hit a ball kid, and stayed in the tournament. So he's having to defend that. Okay. Gets a walkover, and the people are like, oh, that's lucky. He's having to defend that. He's like, I'm not lucky. I'm Novak Djokovic. Like, I, I can do this, like, me getting a walkover isn't earth shattering. Right. And then he goes and gets run out of the building the first two sets against me seti and then gets a walkover again. So the last week of his life, all he's been doing is defending. In my personal opinion, and I'm not a psychologist, but I've just seen Novak over time. He needed to play some offense. And so I think even, like the allowance for a vague response where he can kind of take the narrative and that's where we are and we cannot like it. I don't, I don't disagree that, like, you know, if we had 24, we wouldn't have to get a tattoo on our face to, for people to understand it. Like, and also this is, like, this is. Don't you think a little bit of this is kind of what he needs going into the center match? He needs to create some friction.

[Kim Kleister]

Yeah, probably. Probably. I am just more worried about the blister under his foot to see that get, you know, we know, like a blister doesn't heal in two days or how many time he has off. How much time he has off now. Like, I, that's, you know, his movement is still so important. That's going to be so important against, you know, in the semis coming up. Like, I, I am more worried about, like, how is he going to be able to handle taking care of that and taping it up so that, you know, he can move freely and doesn't have to worry about it.

[Sean]

Yeah, well, I, I listen here, here, here's. Here's what I think about just press conferences generally. Like, if it goes really well, great. Some people will watch. And if it goes really badly, we'll talk about it for two days.

[Kim Kleister]

Yeah, I know.

[Mike]

It's true.

[Sean]

Like, that's just, that's just kind of the way it goes. Kim, how are, how's your, how's the wheel feeling of the, the, the, the Achilles that went old Paparoo?

[Kim Kleister]

It's better. I actually went for my first workout yesterday, like a group workout where I'm out of the booth and I'm still very cautious, but doing more and more exercises at pt and I'm kind of trying to find the balance between, like, pushing it and not overdoing it. So. Yeah. But I have my freedom back. I drove again for the first time. Started last week. I am, I went for a walk outside. That was before the snow.

[Mike]

Yeah, it was before the snow.

[Kim Kleister]

And I shoveled a little bit of snow. Yes. Over the weekend, shoveling Snow.

[Mike]

What are you doing?

[Sean]

I love, I love. I wish there was a reality show on Kim Kleister's Jersey life. Just, just, just, just wheeling around and shoveling snow.

[Kim Kleister]

Listen, the people who left their cars on the street, like parked on the street. They, their cars were up to the windows covered with snow that turned into ice. Like the plowers just completely shoved all the snow against the cars and they couldn't get out.

[Sean]

I just imagine, I just imagine Kim saving the neighborhood on a wheelie.

[Kim Kleister]

Just off the wheelie. I'm off the wheelie.

[Mike]

She's off the wheelie.

[Sean]

While we have you, Kim, and anytime that you have to go. Cause I know you just, you know, we're not like a real show, so you can just get off anytime.

[Mike]

We're pretty real good.

[Sean]

Let's go with, let's go with the women this morning. Sabalenka straight through over Spitalina 2 and 3. Jess and Rabakina, did you get up and watch Justin Rana? A little bit. And what were the thoughts?

[Kim Kleister]

I did. I got up towards the end of the first set and then turned my phone on, watched a few games, turned my phone on and then had a message from my father in law. Unfortunately, my mother in law fell, but she's okay, but she couldn't get back up. So my husband and I rushed over and helped her up, but. So I missed most part of the second set.

[Sean]

Do you want me to tell you what happened?

[Kim Kleister]

Yes, please.

[Sean]

Okay.

[Kim Kleister]

Yeah. So short answer.

[Sean]

No, I didn't watch one thing, I think. And you don't need to have watch the breaker. So I don't know what that we learned anything about either player. Right. Rebakkina serve is, is dominant. It seems like she's getting a little more kicked than I've seen in the past. Like the second serve has gone straight through. Jess was struggling with like that kick and she even said to Mark Merklin, like, it feels like it's hanging in that. Like I'm getting stuck and I can't get a clean hit on it. I think Jess did a great job getting back into it. Seems like Rebakkina's forehand is, is the side that will break down if either side's gonna break down. She's really good when she has space, pulling it to the, to the forehand side of, of, of the other player. And that seemed to be the pattern.

[Kim Kleister]

So about the tiebreak, Andy. Like, I saw the forehand that she missed on her set point.

[Sean]

Yeah.

[Kim Kleister]

Where she actually made the return back and Then missed the running forehand where I feel like she just was a little hesitant or kind of stayed a little bit too far back instead of cutting in.

[Sean]

Yeah.

[Kim Kleister]

Which I, you know, was, I think, a chance to, you know, there's no secret, right? Like in these stages of the tournament against players like Rubakina Sabalenka, like, you have to be the aggressor. Like you have to be the one dictating the point from the start of the rally. Like they're too good. They're not going to miss anymore. Like they're, they're so consistent. Like Rina is playing so well since, since the WTA Finals and rehad and yeah, it's just, you have to take it. You can't wait for them to make the mistake. So I just felt like with that shot, like those few rallies that I saw of the tie break, I felt like she could have done maybe a little bit more with that, with that running forehand and not waited. But again, it's easy, right, to sit when I'm sitting on the couch watching this.

[Sean]

Sure.

[Kim Kleister]

It's easy because you're constantly kind of, you know, on your back foot against those kind of players too, and trying to pick the right spot and reading, you know, the, their shots as quickly as possible and.

[Sean]

Well, let's, let's, let's actually go back because that's actually a great comp. Right. So just basically trying to pick and choose her spots. Most of the time she's going to start. If the, the only time she's going to kind of get a foot in and start on the front foot is most likely when she makes a first serve and then on the first ball, right. If, if her Bakken is serving and she doesn't square up a second serve return, Rebakane is going to get the first strike, which was, which was what happened most of the day. Rebakina's first serve was great. It's always great. Her second serve is really good in this match. Even I don't know what the numbers say. I haven't looked at them yet. But like her second serve, it felt like Jess wasn't getting that first strike often enough on it. But Kim, you're discussing Jess against the big hitters and how she needs to pick and choose her spots. You played through a generation of big hitters, right? You're talking about, you know, Serena, you're talking about Lindsey Davenport, you're talking about Capriotti. And I'm going to forget a bunch of others talk about that pressure set when you know you have to get on the front foot, but the way they play doesn't dictate an easy decision for getting on the front foot. Like, your decision making has to just be like, almost perfect, right?

[Kim Kleister]

And I realized, and it took me a few years to get to that level, right? You have to be fit enough, first of all, right. To be able to kind of be that counter puncher, but still be fast enough and. And in a defensive situation, become the aggressor if you can.

[Sean]

So you're hitting your way out of trouble in the corners, like maybe upping like the aggression through the middle or where does that go?

[Kim Kleister]

Yes, there's. You have no chance anymore. Like, once the ball sits up and it's in the middle of the court or it's a little bit, you know, not. Not enough to the sideline, not enough to the baseline. You're. You're under pressure right away. Like, you're. You're leaning backwards. Your shots, you're kind of a little bit like, oh, like the flat shot is going deep. Like, it's, It's. You're constantly on your back foot, like on your heels, like, guessing and like, where is it gonna go? And like, re. So that's the tough part. I feel like when you play these hard hitters and Serena, I feel like early on had that biggest. Lindsay as well, the biggest impact of like, okay, like, if I don't create urgency with my shots early on in the rally to like, hit it to the sideline, hit it as deep as I can so that I take away their strength, then I'm in trouble. And. And it's a lot easier said than done when, you know, you have somebody like Lindsay serving grade or Rybakina, like, you're immediately already under pressure. And then you put extra pressure on your own service games because it's going to be a lot harder to break them. So then you're like, oh, I have to get a high first serve percentage. I have to. My second serve has to be good. Like, I have to take risks on my second serve because otherwise they're going to just dictate, you know, like we saw in match point with that backhand down the line of Rybaki. And she just, yes, stepped in. It was. It was not a good second serve, but it was in the middle of the court. It was right in her striking zone, and she just easily guided it down the line. And it's. You're constantly feel under pressure, so you have to try to get that feeling too of like, Okay. I have to be the one in charge, and I have to become the one that's guiding and put. Using their. Using my. My shot selection to. To point out their weaknesses. And that's. You know, when I played Lindsay, you know, my coach would say, okay, you can't play more than three shots in the same corner.

[Sean]

Yeah. Yeah, you have to get them moving for sure.

[Kim Kleister]

It. One, two. But the next one, you got to go, like, even if it's. It doesn't have to be that perfect angle, but you have to keep them constantly, like. Like, guessing and. And that's what. You know, I think Novak, too, does so well, right? Like, he's so good at not creating a lot of patterns.

[Sean]

Do we. Do. I mean, do we think there are a lot of parallels in the.

[Kim Kleister]

In the.

[Sean]

In the men's matches, right? When. When you're going up against Alcaraz and Sinner now, like, Zverev can leave a ball hanging in the middle and is able to play defense against everybody in the world except for these two. Currently, Novak can win the long rallies by staying not necessarily hitting through someone, but keeping space with depth between two people. Is it kind of a similar game or a similar set of challenges for Zverev and Novak in these matchups against Sinner and Alcaraz as it was for Pugula against Rubakina?

[Kim Kleister]

When I think back of my time when I was still playing and I would, you know, be in my hotel room and watch the guys play, so many times, I was like, come on. Like, step in, finish the point. Like, I felt like, you know, if there was a second or a bad return, that they could finish the point a lot quicker. Like, I grew up in a system where you build the point, you wait for the right shot to go for the winner. Like, that was, a lot of times, you know, the proper kind of tactic and how tennis should have been played over time during my career, I realized, like, that doesn't work. Like, I have to take risks early on, and it may be because I'm a little bit off balance, I'm a little bit out of position, but I have to do it because otherwise I'm going to be under pressure the whole time. But I do think the guy is Alcaraz Sinner, and I think after his last match, Zverev said it. Said it, that he's really working on trying to make his second shot. So the shot after the serve, to use that as a weapon and to be a little bit more aggressive early on. Like, he said that in his press Conference. And that is what those guys do now. Like Sinner and Alcaraz, like everything that is kind of in that. What do you call it, Andy?

[Sean]

The center area, like middle.

[Kim Kleister]

Yes. But like when you take the kids to the beach and the wind, the blower thing, the kite. A kite.

[Sean]

I was like, rhymes. What sounds like welcome to served Pictionary addiction.

[Kim Kleister]

Sorry. But that kind of shape in the court is actually whenever the ball lands in that kind of shape, they have to step in and they do it like Alcaraz and Sinner. Yeah. Because it's become so physical and the shots, you know, the rallies last so long and so whenever you can have a moment to step in and really attack the court and yeah. Is a chance you have to take.

[Sean]

Now one of the things that allows these players to be so aggressive and I don't think it gets talked enough at the junior level, like with coaches. So if anyone's listening, it's not just they can hit the ball big and you go feed a bunch of soft ones to your players and tell them to hit it hard. Right. Like I think of Venus and Serena when I, when I make this point. When they're warming up and the ball comes slow. Where do. Do you remember their exaggerated take backs and warmup? Kim? Yeah, like to where like right. Like she's, she's going like as soon as it comes, they prepare their racket. There's no one who can attack those ball. Like. And then you think of the difference between that and in Zverev and he gets picked on his forehand. I think maybe a little too much. It's just not an elite shot which gets exposed against people that are elite on both sides. Like that's not. But his shot shape is longer and slower on the take back. Therefore it's tough for him to make those quick decisions if that kind of technical preparation. But I think that's the non negotiable for kind of what Kim is talking about with the players that can kind of eat the middle of the court and then distribute like a kite.

[Mike]

To.

[Sean]

The, to the corners. But that, that's, that's a big thing, right? Kim, like there's no one who has kind of like average preparation that can actually distribute the ball like these, these legends can.

[Kim Kleister]

Right? And, and to not be surprised, like, you know, let's say Naomi Osaka hits the ball really hard, right. But her backswing is very like, it's one motion. It's like a. Like and you can't. I feel like if she would take her racket Back a little bit sooner and it's going to take time because she will lose her rhythm a little bit. But if she can take her racket back a little bit earlier would it would make a difference against the girls like the Sabalenkas, Rybakina, those kind of players. And yeah, I don't know why I'm thinking about your. In my head about one of the questions that you got yesterday. I don't know if it was Nelson or somebody where he asked you like if you could pick a shot. You want Rafa's left, left fore, like his left handed forehand.

[Sean]

Yeah.

[Kim Kleister]

I don't think you're allowed to pick a left handed forehand, by the way.

[Sean]

I'm sorry, is Rafa not left handed?

[Kim Kleister]

Yeah, but you're not so great.

[Sean]

So that's. You're proving my point. I have this side and I have this side and if I need to return, I can still return with my shitty little backhand.

[Mike]

This is off the rails here.

[Sean]

Best case scenario.

[Kim Kleister]

Sorry Mike and Sean, but I do think like when I heard you, I immediately go into my childhood and why my backhand? We had to practice so many left handed forehands in the mini court to really get the angle done. And I'm like, Andy should have done that.

[Sean]

Okay, thank you. Between you and Andre. Jesus, get off my. So Sabalenka rolls through Svitolina. That was one of the matchups where you feel like if Sabalenka comes out and plays really well, it's tough. I think that matchup is probably on her racket, maybe more so than, than the other matchups we've seen. As you look forward to Sabalenka and Rubak Kim, give us one thing before you go that each of them kind of have to do well if they want to hold the trophy.

[Kim Kleister]

Well, I think it, I think we're going back to the point that we just made is whoever is able to be the most dominant early on in the rally is going to win, is going to win the match. And it's. Of course they have to be the first serve. Percentages have to be high. They have to be consistent with the return. But if they're both at their best, it's whoever is capable of dictating the point early on. And then I mean like to the second or third shot of the rally is going to, is going to win this match and you know, we're probably going to seize a little bit more on first errors because the, the, the, the quality of the shots is going to Be high right on both sides. It's going to be aggressive, it's going to be low over the net, a little bit flat. And so that's also, you know, there's a few reasons why it's going to be, you know, high risk Stannis but whoever is able to really dictate the points early on is, is going to win.

[Sean]

And yeah, I'm going to tell you one place where I think there could be a pressure release valve for, for, for Sabalenka, right. So Rabakana hits, she steps up in the middle of the court 95% of the time. If you go with pace to the Rebakana forehand, immediately she turns it to the forehand like she doesn't take pace and is she's not able to distribute inside out or down the line. Now when the ball's coming slow and floating then she can go either way. But if you're Sabalenka and you're her coach, are you saying, listen, if she gets on the front foot, don't worry about distributing, go hard to that forehand and then just almost give her line right? Like shade your movement this way to you. Almost like a, there's, I think there's a, almost a two shot pattern available for Sabalenka to get out of trouble sometimes.

[Kim Kleister]

She's also a better mover. I feel in the Rebaki like she has the variety and I think Max Mirny has done a really good job with letting her use the slice a little bit more like coming in, use the volleys. I think it's a lot harder against a player who hits the ball hard and deep like Rybakina to get into the net and to use that slice to break your opponent's rhythm a little bit. But I've definitely seen since the off season and a little bit at the end of last year in rehab where she was trying to kind of add a little bit of variety into her game. So I think it's great that, I mean we always talk about the greatest players are always trying to adjust and learn and add new tools to their game. And she's doing that. She's not just that hard hitter that, you know, dominates and overpowers their players. Like she has the variety and, and so if she has a chance, I think she's definitely going to try and use some of, you know, those new tools. I think that she's learned or became more confident in, to use them in, in the finals.

[Sean]

So one more question. Who hits the ball harder? Sabalenka or who hits things harder? Sabalenka or you in a car taking out one of your neighbor's cars in the ice?

[Kim Kleister]

It was in my neighbor's car. I went to a workout. I finished. The parking lots have all the snow piled up, so the cars are parked a lot further back.

[Sean]

Yeah. Tons of work.

[Kim Kleister]

Yes. I'm building up an excuse, but I have none. I turn back, I drive back, and I had to put a little bit more gas, like, push the gas pedal a little bit harder because there was still a lot of ice on the parking lot. So I went back pretty fast, and I turned too close, and I hit my. The car parked next to me, and it ended up being one of my boys, my youngest. His mother's car.

[Mike]

It's kind of better. You know them. Is it a little scrapy McGill?

[Kim Kleister]

So I took her. Listen. I took her to. I said, listen, this is my fault. I. Let's go. I know where I get my car taken care of when something's wrong. Let's go there.

[Mike]

They like, hi, Kim.

[Sean]

Another one.

[Kim Kleister]

What's wrong this time?

[Sean]

You know you're a bad driver when you walk into the auto repair shop and they go, hey, Kim.

[Kim Kleister]

He's like, I have your number. I'm like, thank you. Just send me the bill.

[Sean]

Do you think it was just because you were rusty and you need some reps back in the car after your injury?

[Kim Kleister]

I don't know if I was rusty. I was, like, excited. I was happy that I had a decent workout. I was like, let's go. I actually went for my workout with people where I can feel halfway normal. So I was excited more than anything and not paying attention.

[Sean]

All right.

[Kim Kleister]

My fault. Whoops.

[Sean]

Kim, thanks for coming on.

[Kim Kleister]

It's better than eating a hand towel, let me tell you.

[Sean]

Yeah, Yeah. I mean, more.

[Kim Kleister]

More.

[Sean]

I'll tell you that. That's an absolutely valid point. More people will bump another car this year than eat a hand towel. There's just. No. There's. There's. There's no question.

[Kim Kleister]

Chef might. You're. You may have started a new. A new dish inspiration to a new creative kind of dish that he's going to make.

[Mike]

Chef Sam.

[Sean]

If. Chef Sam. But he's going to screw with me, though. There's a real opportunity. He's like, hey, listen, I made a marshmallow. And be like, is it. Is it. Is it a marshmallow?

[Mike]

A Michelin marshmallow.

[Sean]

A Michelin. A Michelle. A mishmallow marshmallow. All right, Kimmy, we love you. Thanks for calling me on my Novak opinion. Always happy to be wrong or confused or, or. Or something.

[Kim Kleister]

Oh, it's not about that. It's just. I don't know. I like to hear your opinion and I don't know.

[Sean]

We're running out stuff all of the days on serve. Now. Talk to us about Mike.

[Commercial Voice]

Love All.

[Sean]

When can we see Blair?

[Mike]

You'll be, you'll be back in studio next week and we'll have. We'll have a new episode Wednesday. We'll be recapping the Australian Open. Right. And we're trying to get a special guest still. Right.

[Kim Kleister]

Excited about Blair's trip to hear about it, what it was like down under and. Yeah. Trying to get someone on air to, to help us give us some, some information about everything that went down and their opinions on. On the matches.

[Sean]

And remind us what day again, Mike, for Wednesdays. Wednesdays, check in with Love All Kim and Blair Henley. We're going to talk tennis. We're going to talk crashing cars.

[Novak Djokovic]

All right.

[Sean]

Love you, Kimmy. See you. Good luck with pt.

[Kim Kleister]

All right, Bye, guys.

[Sean]

Kim's the best.

[Mike]

The best.

[Sean]

She's the best. And I like it because our, our conversations that we have that the show we just did is no different than where we're. We're like bored and driving.

[Mike]

No. And normally, normally for me, that comes in the, in the package of a voice text.

[Sean]

She likes a voice which, which the.

[Mike]

Voice texts are really enjoyable. My kids, my kids actually love listening to them.

[Sean]

It's so good. She's the best. I like. My goal is to be as good as her one day. Just in like, in general. As, like a human.

[Mike]

Yes.

[Sean]

Okay, so let me. I just want to spend two seconds kind of just going through balls and strikes and maybe non negotiables for the men's matches. Yeah. Alcaraz Zverev. I mean, it goes without saying, you're going to hear a lot of, you know, has been like me say Zverev has to serve well, but that's only because he has to serve well. Non negotiable. I think he has to pick and choose his spots with, with aggression. I don't know that he can go out there and just say, I'm going to cook every first ball. I do think he needs to randomly come in, even if it's not responsible. I think Carlos just needs to know that there's something different. Like there needs to be a little bit of chaos. Right. You almost need to match Carlos's chaos with a little bit of chaos of your Own. I wouldn't mind the first couple games on the deuce side of Carlos runs a serve in on the body, pulling that return. If you're Zverev and just rushing in, right, the more rhythm you give Carlos, the more he can dance, right. He's like a, he's like a fighter with great footwork. He's going to feel you out. He gets that rhythm. I think he has to break that up a little bit. It's a little bit of the, like the Sampras versus Agassi thing where, you know, Andre would feel like he, you know, was getting through games pretty easily, but then all of a sudden he, he was in a rally with Pete and he hadn't been in one. Right. I think Zverev has to make when he goes into his bread and butter a little bit more effective by not creating the rhythm too early with, with, with that style. And if you're Carlos, you're going to pick on that forehand side and you're going to try to make him play D off that forehand side look early on, you know, if Carlos is seeing the first server turn and squaring those up and getting a lot of first serve returns in play, I think it's going to be a long night for Zverev.

[Mike]

The one of the things that we saw in the stat dump from Megan from our newsletter, she said there's been no five setters in Rod Laver yet this year. Do you think that'll change tonight? There's been 61 straight set men's matches so far and up to 45, up from 45 last year. So 50% more. Do you think tonight we're going to see a five center Rod labor. Do you think we're going to see these go the distance or our center and Alcaraz just to inform my first.

[Sean]

Reaction is no, it's. And also we'll get to the. I want to get to the second match. I don't know. I don't, I don't think so. You'd bet against it? I think that'd be a pretty safe bet. You know that all of the other results are on the table outside of just one five setter. So I'd bet no. But I mean it wouldn't shock me if Alcaraz Vera, I mean people forget and I said it in the last show, 6 and 6 career head to head. This isn't like some, you know, this isn't the matchup issue like we talk about the ones that are super lopsided. This isn't that, you know, I think Zverev would tell you that on just not in. Save the comments. I'm not saying Alcaraz is better or Sinners better. I'm saying I think Zverev would tell you that the Sinner matchup is tougher for him. Right. Simply in that. In the head to head, especially the recent head to head probably suggests that also. I just need to think for Zverev to have a chance, he needs a little more chaos. I think he needs to get forward even if it's random. Right. I mean, Carlos is the master at that, you know, taking a non opportunity and getting in on it. I think Zverev, especially early, needs to flip the script. It's way more important, I think, for him to win the first set than. Than. Than Carlos. So. And I think if I'm, if I'm Zverev, I show that chaos in the first 15 minutes of the match numerous times. But you can always, you know that your base setting is there. We know what Zverev's base setting is. He's looked great this tournament. He's hitting the ball well. You can always revert back to that. I think it's really hard to go from six or seven feet behind the baseline and then say, okay, I'm down a set and a break. Agent of chaos. I don't know that that works. I think you have to shake the foundation of. Of that. The energy of that match early. It's the, the Novak center one is so weird because you. I could describe this match, leave names out, and I would either be describing what Novak did to everyone for 20 years or what Sinner does to Novak now. And it would be the same conversation. Right. Like Novak. I don't know that at 38 years old he can sit and wear Sinner down from the baseline because one, it's not going to be during the day. And center on a hot day versus center at night is a completely different animal. Center on a lukewarm day in Paris can play six hours and cooking under the Melbourne sun. We were looking at two. Two sets. Not even two sets. Right. So I think that narrative is out of play. And what Novak used to do to people as far as extending matches, inflicting pain. I don't know if that option is on the table at 38 years old. Like it was at 32 years old. Right. So he has to up the aggression on someone. Kind of like Kim was talking about, like, how do you get on the front foot against someone who lives on their front foot, right? I think he has to mix the second serve in and out, which he does well. I think you're going to see Novak serve and volley a little bit. Just to like we were talking about was very. Just to give a bit of a different look. I'm curious to see where Novak returns from the one big if center serves over 60% for serves, I think he rolls if center. Against Spaziri, his is first serve percentage was down and you're able to get into a second serve is good. Everything else in his game is elite. Right. Novak's really good at returning second serves. If he's getting looks from inside the court and, you know, doing that Novak thing where he hits that kind of floaty hard return that lands six inches in front of the baseline, then he's got a shot. But if he's constantly has one hand off the racket on the backhand return and is, you know, chipping forehand returns fully extended, then center, all of a sudden, you know, that little footwork he does, and then all of a sudden he's opened up the shoulders. I think it's tough for Novak to get out of it now when. When Sinner gets a hold of that rally. So I'm not going to go crazy. Alcaraz Vera of Novak center. I think probably Sveriv has maybe a little bit more of a chance of an upset. Novak dealing with that blister that doesn't get better with four sets of tennis. Blisters are weird. You play too much, you get a blister. You don't play enough, you get a blister. But, you know, I think to the shock of no one, I think Alcaraz and Sinner are in the final. Anything else? Maybe an imperfect delivery?

[Mike]

No, no, that's it. We went back to the perfect delivery from yesterday to make up for Sean's imperfect delivery by not playing the whole clip.

[Sean]

Tough.

[Mike]

I'm just kidding.

[Sean]

No, I think it was fun. I think you played the meaty part. But yeah, I mean, listen, hey, it.

[Mike]

Got Kim on the show, I'll tell you this.

[Sean]

So I was pretty convinced that I had a good lane yesterday. Yeah, rants are fun. They're funny. We make jokes. I get. I think it was a good point that the journalist was trying to make.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean]

I also don't think there's a world where you can say Alcaraz and Sinner, you're chasing them. The historical context matters with the way that you frame questions. And you also have to know who you're asking it to.

[Mike]

Yeah, that's true.

[Sean]

Like, you don't ask this. You don't ask the same style question to different personalities. Right. You ask it in a way that makes it, you know, personal to their journey and then you're going to get a better response. Yeah, right. You know, so you got to kind of know who you're, who you're working with. I don't know. I like salty. In press conference.

[Mike]

You think the reporter was like, whoops?

[Sean]

No, I think the reporter got exactly what the reporter wanted to get. I think the gold of the reporter, from what I've heard, is the mixture of salty was exactly what he wanted. I don't think he wanted a long form conversation or conversation.

[Mike]

You missed my whoops.

[Sean]

I missed. I missed your break room the other day, too. I keep missing. The whoops thing is a joke. Like, literally, the Whoop needs to give ao. Like, I mean, you just pay them cash and advertising buzzer.

[Mike]

There's either some genius marketer behind all of this, or it was the perfect lineup.

[Sean]

I'll just tell you, like, if it comes out that this was because of another sponsor deal that AO has with that deals with data, which I suspect it might.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean]

It opens the door to two things. One, by publicly making people take them off, all they've done is gifted Whoop hundreds of millions of dollars in free advertising.

[Mike]

Did you see the CEO put out on.

[Sean]

Yes, that's what he should be doing.

[Mike]

Stuff in the clothes.

[Sean]

He's like, they're going to go full narco and throw it in the underwear and like, sneaking. It's like, we don't sneak.

[Mike]

But like, that's what I'm saying. Like, is. Is it all sudden going to be announced? They're like, you know what? We've decided Whoop is the official data partner. And you're like, yeah, I see.

[Sean]

It's like an episode of Narcos, except someone on your team is like, it's trying to sneak. Trying to sneak health data across. Like, what are we doing? Like, they're like, stick it into underwear. Like, it's going to be like going through TSA to get to the locker room. Like, it's. It's the biggest gift that's ever been given to Whoop. And if the directive was from another company to where we have a deal with data, you cannot do it. They have failed because all they've done is put whoop into the conversations where on dumb little podcasts, you're making whoop jokes.

[Mike]

Whoops.

[Sean]

Whoops. I don't know why you watched. This has been quick surf service now. Subscribe. I don't know. Bye. Been a long Al.

[Kim Kleister]

Close your eyes. Exhale. Feel your body relax and let go of whatever you're carrying today. Well, I'm letting go of the worry that I wouldn't get my new contacts in time for this class. I got them delivered free from 1-800-contacts. Oh, my gosh, they're so fast. And breathe. Oh, sorry. I almost couldn't breathe when I saw the discount they gave me on my first order. Oh, sorry. Namaste. Visit 1-800-contacts.com today to save on your first order.

[Commercial Voice]

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[Kim Kleister]

Experian.