Tennis News

Russia's "Secret Weapon": Karatsev Shining Down Under

After Team Russia won the ATP Cup on Sunday, Daniil Medvedev stepped to the microphone to speak on behalf of his team during the trophy ceremony. The reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion singled out countryman Aslan Karatsev, who did not play a live match during the event because of Medvedev and Andrey Rublev’s singles dominance.

“Aslan, I’m not joking, was a secret weapon for doubles,” Medvedev said. “He didn’t manage to show it because we didn’t have a 1-1 match, but he was our secret weapon.”

If Karatsev’s skills were a secret, they’re out in the open now. The 27-year-old beat Egor Gerasimov 6-0, 6-1, 6-0 on Wednesday to reach the third round of the Australian Open.

This is Karatsev’s first Grand Slam main draw. On nine previous occasions, the Russian fell in qualifying. This January in Doha, the World No. 114 finally broke through, and he is making the most of his opportunity.

“It was a long journey,” Karatsev said. “A lot of work [was] put in.”

In 2017, the Russian struggled with a knee injury, which he suffered while training in Spain. That kept him out for six months.

“From this moment it was really tough to get the confidence back and to feel the game,” Karatsev said. “It was not that easy.”

When Karatsev returned, he struggled to find his form again. When play was suspended last March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Karatsev was outside the Top 250 of the FedEx ATP Rankings and he stopped playing for three months. But once the Russian learned play would resume in August, he trained hard to prepare, and came out of the gates firing.

“I just played really well in the three Challengers in a row in the Czech Republic,” Karatsev said. “Of course when you’re winning matches, you get more confidence. You feel more relaxed when you go out on the court.”

Karatsev found the best level of his career, winning 18 of his final 20 Challenger matches to end the season, with 16 of those victories coming in straight sets. That sent him to a career-high World No. 111 in November, positioning him to compete on Russia’s ATP Cup team.

“Of course it’s a really good feeling. It’s a good atmosphere first of all. You see the big players, how they’re playing,” Karatsev said. “I was on the Russian team and you see how Medvedev and Rublev are playing. You get some confidence and you see how they do things. It’s helped me a lot.”

Now Karatsev will have arguably the biggest opportunity of his career against eighth seed Diego Schwartzman. Rublev feels it will be a good test for his countryman.

“In the end of last year he was already showing a really great level… I knew that he would do even better this season and in the end he already passed two rounds. He beat great guys and now he’s going to play against Schwartzman,” Rublev said. “It’s going to be an interesting match. I think it’s going to be a challenge for him to see what he needs to improve and how the level is. Maybe he will have chances to win.”

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Rublev Motors Past Monteiro To Reach Third Round

World No. 8 Andrey Rublev stormed into the third round at the Australian Open on Thursday with a strong performance to win 6-4, 6-4, 7-6(8) against Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro inside John Cain Arena.

One of the most in-form players on Tour leading into the first Grand Slam of the year, Rublev has now won six matches in 2021, and dropped only one set in the process. Last week, he helped to steer Russia to its first ATP Cup crown with victories over Yoshihito Nishioka, Guido Pella, Jan-Lennard Struff, and Fabio Fognini.

The Russian kept up the momentum against Monteiro in Melbourne. He found his rhythm early on, and collected himself after a late wobble in the third set to seal the victory in two hours and eight minutes.

Rublev employed his signature arsenal of crunching groundstrokes, changing the direction of the ball at will and firing winners off both wings. Combined with a powerfully effective first serve, Rublev took charge of the points against Monteiro, No. 74 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

The Brazilian did well to keep himself within touching distance of the No. 7 seed, and occasionally frustrated Rublev with his lefty serve out wide. But once the Russian settled into the match he was able to create his chances, breaking Monteiro once in the first and second set.

Rublev’s serve reached a nearly untouchable level at the start of the second set. He didn’t drop a point in his first three service games, and barely wasted any time as he served out the games to love in a breakneck 60 seconds or less.

He faced more resistance in the final set when Monteiro and Rublev stayed locked on serve. The Brazilian put in a herculean effort to save four break points at 4-4, and Rublev’s calm demeanor suddenly bubbled over in frustration. Monteiro quickly capitalised to open up a 40/0 lead in the next game on the Russian’s serve. But Rublev quickly reigned it in, firing two aces and saving all three set points to keep them on serve.

Both players had a chance to take the third set in the tightly contested tie-break. Rublev saved another set point in the tie break as Monteiro stayed toe-to-toe with him, the Brazilian saving two match points in the process. But Rublev stayed calm under pressure, and eventually prevailed with a strong first serve on his third opportunity to move into the third round.

Rublev awaits the winner of No. 31-seeded Lorenzo Sonego and former World No. 12 Feliciano Lopez in his next match as he seeks to reach the fourth round at the Australian Open for the second year in a row.

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Fritz On 'Extremely Tough' Djokovic Challenge: 'I Have Nothing To Lose'

Taylor Fritz reached the third round of the Australian Open after winning a gruelling, five-set war of attrition against fellow American Reilly Opelka. His reward after withstanding 43 aces and four hours on court against his best friend en route to a 4-6, 7-6(8), 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 6-2 victory?

A third consecutive third-round berth at the Australian Open – and one of the toughest tasks in tennis. On Friday, Fritz will have to find a way to defeat World No.1 Novak Djokovic, the eight-time champion, at his happiest hunting ground: Melbourne Park.

“It’s Novak. And it’s Novak here at the Australian Open,” Fritz said, neatly summing up his conundrum. “But for me, I’m just going to have to play my best tennis. Luckily for me and my game, I possess the ability if I’m on, I can serve well enough to where I won’t get broken and I can be extremely aggressive on the groundstrokes and I can take control if I’m on. 

“I just have to do everything I possibly can in the next couple [of] days to give myself the best chance of playing my best tennis.”

It’a familiar position to be in for 23-year-old Fritz, who has reached the third round at a Grand Slam five times. But has yet to advance after running up against in-form opponents. At last year’s Australian Open, Fritz pushed finalist Dominic Thiem to four sets before bowing out. The year before that, it was a clash against Roger Federer in the third round, falling to the former World No. 1 in a battling straight-sets defeat. 

Rather than rue his luck, the 2019 Eastbourne International champion is determined to make the best of his regular run-ins with the world’s best. 

“It’s just another chance to prove myself,” Fritz said of his upcoming clash against Djokovic. “I keep making third rounds and I keep having extremely tough opponents in the third round, but that’s what happens when you’re a 25 to 32 seed. You’re guaranteed to play a top eight player. 

“This is my third year in a row in the third round here in the Australian Open, and my third round opponents have been Roger, Dominic and now Novak. It’s just another chance to prove myself. 

“I’ve got nothing to lose, and I’m going to go out and I’m going to have a lot of fun and I’m going to play extremely aggressive tennis and see what I can do.”

Fritz will be looking to claim his first victory against Djokovic on Friday and cut down on his opponent’s 2-0 ATP Head2Head lead. Djokovic won both clay-court encounters during Fritz’s breakthrough 2019 season, winning in the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and Mutua Madrid Open comfortably. 

“I [have] played [Fritz a] couple of times, but on clay,” Djokovic recalled. “Obviously, he’s a better player [on] hard courts. He grew up in [the United] States playing on hard courts. That’s what he loves,” said Djokovic. “[He is] a big server, also a bit flashy, unpredictable. Big forehands and backhands, flat. I need to stay solid and focussed and obviously wait for my chances.”

Indeed, the American prefers his odds on hard courts, his favourite surface and the one that best suits his game. All five of Fritz’s Top 10 victories have come on that surface. The only downside? It’s Djokovic’s best surface, too.

“The biggest things for those two matches, especially Monte Carlo, [was that] it was windy and it was hard for me to pinpoint my spots. I had to play with more margin, and that’s definitely not something I can get away with when I’m playing him,” Fritz reflected. “[In] Madrid, a bit of altitude, a bit faster, I was able to attack more and play more aggressive and had a bit of a closer match.

“I just know what to expect and I know what I need to do, and I know that even though I lost the last two matches pretty handily, I know that now we are playing on a fast hard court, which suits my game more than anything else.”

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Australian Open: What have we learned so far in the first week at Melbourne Park?

Insects, electronic line calls, crowds and quarantine are on the agenda during the first week at the Australian Open.

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Which Celebrities Are Top Of Djokovic’s ‘Still-To-Meet’ List?

Novak Djokovic’s first ATP Head2Head meeting against Frances Tiafoe proved a real test for the World No. 1, but he found a way through in four sets at the Australian Open on Wednesday to keep his hopes of a reunion with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup alive.

When the 17-time Grand Slam champion isn’t meeting rivals for the first time on the court, or holding ‘Norman’ above his head after a successful fortnight in Melbourne, Djokovic has been known to interact with his sporting heroes. The Serbian enjoyed a strong relationship with the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant, who he described as a ‘mentor’, and he has also spent time in the gym with football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo x Djokovic ?

This is some serious content ? ?

?: @Cristiano | @DjokerNole pic.twitter.com/yP63nW5roK

— ATP Tour (@atptour) December 27, 2019

As one of the greatest athletes of all time, Djokovic has had the opportunity to meet many famous faces from the world of sport. Following his win over Tiafoe on Rod Laver Arena, the eight-time Australian Open champion revealed the sports star at the top of his ‘still-to-meet’ list.

“Michael Jordan. I didn’t meet Michael,” said Djokovic. “Obviously I’m not the only one. He’s one of my childhood heroes, [one of the] people I was looking up to, [that is] probably [true for] most of this world. That [meeting] would be really nice. We have a lot of common friends.”

If Djokovic got the opportunity to meet the six-time NBA champion, he would like to go head-to-head with the basketball legend at a neutral sporting venue.

“I hear he loves golf,” said Djokovic. “Maybe I can catch him on some of the golf courses in the future.”

Djokovic’s celebrity meetings wish list is not limited to sports stars. The six-time year-end World No. 1 is also keen to meet actor and comedian Jim Carrey.

“Jim Carrey, I would love to meet [him],” said Djokovic. “He’s very interesting, [a] very interesting guy. His views of the world are very intriguing to me. I would love to have a chat with him about that.”

Djokovic will hope he is too busy to meet Jordan and Carrey over the next two weeks. The top seed will continue his bid for a ninth Australian Open crown on Friday, when he meets American Taylor Fritz for the third time (2-0).

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Kyrgios: 'I'm Hurting Thinking About Playing Thiem'

Nick Kyrgios went through a variety of emotions in saving two match points against Ugo Humbert on Wednesday night at the Australian Open. So much so, that the Australian doesn’t want to even think about his next opponent, third seed Dominic Thiem.

“Now I feel old,” said Kyrgios. “I just want to have a glass of red wine after my match… I’m hurting thinking about playing Thiem right now.”

Kyrgios has beaten the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in the past, but he admits that his 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-4 second-round win over Humbert on John Cain Arena may be one of the most memorable victories of his career.

“I don’t think I’ve saved match points at the Australian Open before, I’ve had match points and lost,” said Kyrgios. “It was a crazy one. I’ve been a part of many matches and this one is a match that I’m still kind of in awe about.

“The stadium didn’t feel half full, it was insane. I was just speaking to my physio, who has seen me play matches, epic five sets that had everything, and that match had everything. It is definitely one of my most memorable matches.”

Kyrgios, who is making just his second tournament appearance since returning from a 12-month absence from the ATP Tour, said it was his experience at Melbourne Park that helped him reach the Australian Open third round.

“I felt like I didn’t have anything against him in the fourth and fifth sets,” said Kyrgios. “I thought he was playing better from the ground and maybe I was serving a little bit better than him. All I had today was experience. I’ve been in so many big matches, on that court in particular. I felt like I was an old, savvy veteran who had too much experience.

“I don’t think he’s been involved in too many five-set matches, in Australia, with that kind of crowd. I tried to make him play and somehow got out of jail.”

The 25-year-old went on to praise Humbert, predicting a bright future for the Frenchman.

“He is one heck of a player and I don’t think he is getting enough credit for the year he had last year. He is only going to get better. He is a really good player. He is a lefty, he has a really good serve, he can hit all the flat serves, wide on the Deuce [court], T on the Ad [court], unbelievable backhand, good forehand, volleys and he’s a good competitor.

“I think he is one to watch out for, he’s going to be very good. It was insane, he was one point away from winning and I hope he doesn’t take it too hard on himself. He just needs to keep his head up and he’ll do special things.

“In one moment in the fourth set, I thought to myself, ‘Dude, this could be one of the most memorable matches of your career. You owe it to yourself.’ I put myself in a position to have moments like this and I keep surprising myself. I felt fresh in the fifth set, which is pretty crazy when I haven’t played for 12 months.”

Kyrgios meets last year’s US Open champion Thiem on Friday.

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Day 4 Preview: Can Medvedev, Rublev Stay On Course?

Daniil Medvedev had just put the finishing touches on Russia’s dominant run to the 2021 ATP Cup title, having defeated Italy’s Matteo Berrettini, 6-4, 6-2. With his teammates roaring courtside, the 24-year-old Muscovite took a bow and swept his hand across his body in a near-Boroquian gesture.

Then came the Volga-wide grin.

As he so often does to his opponents, Medvedev had left us guessing. Where in the world did that come from? It turns out he borrowed it from former Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez, the onetime Bundesliga scoring machine who occasionally applied some flair to his post-goal celebrations.

Medvedev later enlightened us: “He was my favourite player at the time. I really liked it, so I tried to copy it. I don’t think I did well, but it was funny.”

Teammate Andrey Rublev was the first to embrace Medvedev, the other half of a dynamic duo that combined for a spotless 8-0 singles record over the five-day, 12-country showdown.

In truth, there wasn’t much time to celebrate. The Australian Open would kick off the following day and, as luck would have it, both players had landed in the same quarter of the draw. They’ve been facing off against each other since their days as admittedly cantankerous juniors. Now, after teaming up to represent their country, they might be on opposite sides of the net again soon.

“If the level is going to be the same, these guys are going to see each other in the quarter-finals,” asserted Russia’s ATP Cup player-captain, Evgeny Donskoy.

On Day 4 at Melbourne Park, the fourth seed Medvedev will look to extend his 15-match win streak when he faces Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena in the second round. It would be an ideal birthday gift for the Russian, who will turn 25 on Thursday. Meanwhile, the seventh seed Rublev, who won more tour-level titles than any other player in 2020, will meet Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro. Will these two stars, as Donskoy suggested, take another step toward an all-Russian quarter-final?

“I wish,” said Rublev.

“If it happens, it’s perfect,” said Medvedev

Two more Russians will be in action on Thursday: No. 19 seed Karen Khachanov vs. Lithuania’s Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania, and qualifier Roman Safiullin vs. Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie.

The ninth-seeded Berettini and 16th seed Fabio Fognini, who combined to lead Italy to the ATP Cup final, will also be in action on Day 4. Berrettini will take on #NextGenATP Czech Tomas Machac, and Fognini will face a challenge from countryman Salvatore Caruso.

Tennis fans held their breath when Rafael Nadal took the court on Tuesday against Serb Laslo Djere. The Spaniard, chasing a record 21st major singles title, had been experiencing tightness in his lower back, which had kept him from representing his country at the ATP Cup. But there was a collective sigh of relief when Nadal sent the Serb packing in orderly fashion, 6-3, 6-4, 6-1. Though he was forced to tweak his service motion, he did all he had to do to advance in straight sets. Next up for the 34-year-old on Day 4 is American qualifier Michael Mmoh.

“My back is not perfect,” said Nadal, who’s into the second round of the Australian Open for the 15th time. “Every day I go through, there are probably more chances for it to get better. There is always a chance to improve. That’s why I’m here, fighting to get better, to give myself a chance.”

The atmosphere is sure to be lively for the second-round clash between fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and Aussie wild card Thanasi Kokkinakis, who’s into the second round of the Australian Open for the first time in six years. Beset by injuries and having fallen to No. 267 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, Kokkinakis is relishing the opportunity to compete again at his home Grand Slam.

“It’s going to be exciting,” said Kokkinakis of the matchup with his next opponent, who’s into the second round here for the third straight year. “He’s a phenomenal player, one of the favourites for this tournament. It’s going to be fun. I just can’t wait to get out there. I’m hoping there’s a decent crowd that will get rowdy, have some Greek fans, Aussie fans. Hopefully, it’s pretty loose.”

Also on the Day 4 schedule are: 22nd seed Borna Coric vs. Mackenzie McDonald; Feliciano Lopez vs. 31st seed Lorenzo Sonego; 24th seed Casper Ruud vs. Tommy Paul; and Pablo Cuevas vs. 21st seed Alex de Minaur of Australia.

“He’s a very tough opponent, very solid,” said De Minaur of Cuevas, No. 72 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. “He’s going to make me play a lot of balls. It’s another tough match. I’m going to have to try to focus on my side of the court and try to execute. At the end of the day, that’s what we’ve been working on — trying to control the controllables.”

This time last year, De Minaur was in Spain, sidelined by an abdominal tear. It’s never easy to sit out a Grand Slam, but it hurts even more when it’s the only one held in your homeland.

“I had to switch off social media. It was devastating. It was a tough time,” said De Minaur, who’ll turn 22 next week. “All my mates out here in the summer doing what they do best — I didn’t want any part of it.”

In his most recent appearance at the Australian Open, in 2019, he recorded his best tournament performance by reaching the third round (l. to Nadal). Can he match (or better) that result in 2021?

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Australian Open: Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios through; Stan Wawrinka out

Novak Djokovic survives a scare and Nick Kyrgios saves match points as day three at the Australian Open caught the attention of the crowds.

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Kyrgios Saves 2 M.P., Now Plays Thiem

Backed by a passionate crowd on John Cain Arena, Nick Kyrgios saved two match points under the lights to record a 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-4 victory against Ugo Humbert.

The 2015 quarter-finalist was on the brink of elimination as Humbert served for the match at 5-4 in the fourth set, but he stepped in with his forehand and fired a backhand passing shot winner to extend the match and begin his comeback.

“Honestly, I don’t know how I did that. I don’t even know what to say. I am lost for words. That is one of the craziest matches I have ever played,” said Kyrgios, in an on-court interview.

This is the second straight year that Kyrgios has won an epic five-set encounter on John Cain Arena. In last year’s third round, Kyrgios overcame Karen Khachanov 6-2, 7-6(5), 6-7(6), 6-7(7), 7-6(8) in four hours and 26 minutes.

“I haven’t played for a year and he has been playing some great tennis last year,” said Kyrgios. “The one thing I probably have on him right now is experience. I have just drawn from experience so much on this court… I’ve had so many experiences and I just had to draw on that, put my head down and just try to make him play.”

Kyrgios’s reward on that occasion was a meeting with 2009 champion Rafael Nadal. This year, he will face 2020 runner-up Dominic Thiem in his next match.

Kyrgios was making only his second tournament appearance since retiring from his match against Humbert at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC last February. Following the suspension of the ATP Tour, the Aussie decided to miss the remainder of the 2020 season.

Kyrgios improved to 4-1 this year with his win against Humbert. In his return event last week, Kyrgios claimed back-to-back wins to reach the Murray River Open quarter-finals.

In a first set with limited break opportunities, Humbert claimed the opener with a late break at 6-5. Two games after saving set point with a powerful first serve, Kyrgios gifted Humbert the first set with poor shot execution. The Aussie struck three drop shots in the 12th game, the first landed in the net and Humbert charged up the court and finished the following points with winners.

Humbert handed Kyrgios an early opportunity in the second set, as he missed a series of groundstrokes at 1-1. The Aussie stepped inside the baseline on his return and attacked Humbert’s backhand to take his chance and gain the only break of the second set. Kyrgios came to the net behind his serve to level the match.

The third set followed a similar pattern to the first, with neither player able to find success in their return games. At 3-4, Humbert ripped two winners up the line to reach 30/30 on Kyrgios’ serve. The Aussie committed a double fault and dropped serve when Humbert took advantage of another drop shot. The Frenchman closed the set with a love service hold to move one set from victory.

Humbert increased his advantage in the opening game of the fourth set. The two-time ATP Tour titlist benefitted from back-to-back double faults from his opponent, who made two further errors at 30/30 to drop serve. Humbert served with pace and precision to escape three break points at 4-3, but could not convert match points in his next service game. Kyrgios attacked with his forehand and landed backhand passing shots to stay in the match and dominate the fourth-set tie-break.

With the momentum, and crowd, firmly in his favour, Kyrgios stepped inside the baseline and attacked with his backhand to claim a crucial break at 1-1 in the decider. On his first match point, the Aussie fired a serve out wide and collapsed to the court in celebration as Humbert’s backhand return failed to find the court.

Humbert was attempting to reach the Australian Open third round for the first time. The Frenchman claimed a four-set win against Yasutaka Uchiyama on Monday to record his first win at the opening major championship of the year.

“He is a heck of a player. One of the most improved players last year,” said Kyrgios. “You can see why. He played amazing tennis.”

Grigor Dimitrov needed one hour and 50 minutes to clinch his place in the third round. The 2017 semi-finalist broke serve on four occasions to move past Aussie wild card Alex Bolt 7-6(1), 6-1, 6-2.

Dimitrov will face 15th seed Pablo Carreno Busta for a spot in the Round of 16. The Spaniard withstood 36 aces en route to a 6-3, 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-4 triumph against Jiri Vesely.

Did You Know?
Nick Kyrgios owns an 8-2 record in five-set matches. Six of those encounters have been contested at the Australian Open (4-2).

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Pavic/Mektic Extend Winning Streak; Tsitsipas Brothers Beaten In Melbourne

Mate Pavic and Nikola Mektic extended their winning streak to nine matches on Wednesday when they began their bid to capture a third consecutive title. The second seeds struck 31 winners, including 10 aces, past Yen-Hsun Lu and Sam Querrey in a 7-6(4), 6-3 victory at the start of their Australian Open campaign.

The Croatian tandem, a new team for the 2021 season, come into the first Grand Slam championship of the year on the back of lifting ATP Tour titles at the Antalya Open (d. Dodig/Polasek) and last week’s Murray River Open (d. Chardy/Martin).

The 27-year-old Pavic won the 2018 Australian Open with Oliver Marach. Mektic, 32, captured the 2020 Nitto ATP Finals crown in November alongside Wesley Koolhof.

They will next challenge Americans Mackenzie McDonald and Tommy Paul, who got the better of Greek wild cards Stefanos Tsitsipas and Petros Tsitsipas 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in one hour and 45 minutes. The Tsitsipas brothers hit 29 winners, including eight aces, but were broken twice in the deciding set.

Sixth seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares, who reunited for the 2021 season, worked hard to extending their winning streak to five matches. The British-Brazilian team, who captured the Great Ocean Road Open crown (d. Cabal/Farah) on Sunday, saved one set point at 5/6 in the first set tie-break of a 7-6(6), 6-3 victory over Marcos Giron and Cameron Norrie in 85 minutes. The 2016 Australian Open titlists now face Laslo Djere and Stefano Travaglia, who were 6-3, 6-4 winners over Australian wild cards Andrew Harris and Alexei Popyrin.

Eighth-seeded Frenchmen Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut, who completed the Career Grand Slam by capturing the 2019 Australian Open doubles crown, lost just six of their service points in a routine 6-2, 6-3 win over Gianluca Mager and Yoshihito Nishioka in 66 minutes.

Tenth seeds John Peers and Michael Venus came through 6-3, 6-2 over Australians Alex de Minaur and Matt Reid for a second-round meeting against Ji Sung Nam and Min-Kyu Song. The South Koreans knocked out Rohan Bopanna and Ben McLachlan 6-4, 7-6(0). Peers won the 2017 Australian Open with Henri Kontinen.

Last year’s finalists, Max Purcell and Luke Saville, the Australian No. 15 seeds, got off to a strong start by breaking four times in a 6-3, 6-3 win over Guillermo Duran and Albert Ramos-Vinolas in 65 minutes. They now face their compatriots, Matthew Ebden and John-Patrick Smith, who were 6-7(1), 6-4, 6-4 victors over Pablo Cuevas and Guido Pella in two hours and three minutes.

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