WEBVTT

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<v Speaker 1>So if he's got some good hands and feel, this

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<v Speaker 1>is too good.

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<v Speaker 2>It's not just the flat that he's one, it's the

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<v Speaker 2>way he's played the match.

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<v Speaker 1>He has a candy bar and an RC coke. You

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<v Speaker 1>aren't kidding me. Come on, Mark, and this is unbelievable.

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<v Speaker 2>He might have caught some unbelievble energy to the court

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<v Speaker 2>with the fans and then with his player as well,

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<v Speaker 2>and with his personality. So it was very, very refreshing

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<v Speaker 2>to play against an appoint like.

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<v Speaker 3>This, you know who draws in the crowds and come

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<v Speaker 3>with some.

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<v Speaker 1>Great shop making. I'm not sure he can playing grass.

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<v Speaker 1>That's that's good.

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<v Speaker 2>This is our countdown to Wimwoden and we're going to

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<v Speaker 2>be here daily because nine years after capturing the nation's heart,

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<v Speaker 2>Marcus Willis is to play Wimweden once more. Now, just

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<v Speaker 2>as a little pre announcement, we can't promise the best

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<v Speaker 2>of all quality because Marcus is in hotels, traveling. I'm

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<v Speaker 2>running a tennis coaching business. I've just asked the stringer

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<v Speaker 2>in the office with me to go for a cup

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<v Speaker 2>of tea. But what we want to do is over

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<v Speaker 2>the next week we want to do a countdown to

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<v Speaker 2>the first match and then fingers crossed beyond. So the

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<v Speaker 2>goal of this podcast is really to open the door

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<v Speaker 2>and get behind the scenes and one of Britain's best

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<v Speaker 2>doubles players as you prepare for Wimbled and so Marcus,

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<v Speaker 2>how are you mate?

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<v Speaker 1>I'm very well, thank you.

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<v Speaker 3>Just got back from Eastbourne yesterday and Woman and Prepper

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<v Speaker 3>is beginning as of today. So yeah, I'm doing quite well.

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<v Speaker 3>Busy time of year, but very happy to be partaking

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<v Speaker 3>in the grass court event.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh yeah, I mean it grasses your surface, right, I

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<v Speaker 2>like it.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, it feels you know, when you first step out

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<v Speaker 3>into the grass, it feels like home. You know that

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<v Speaker 3>now feels nice and soft under your feet.

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<v Speaker 2>We're only doing like a quick update day by day,

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<v Speaker 2>but I've got some great stories that I want to

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<v Speaker 2>share with everyone about you. But I've got one from

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<v Speaker 2>last year's Wimbledon as well that I want to share.

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<v Speaker 2>So I'm just I'm writing it down to make sure

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<v Speaker 2>that I don't forget it. Tennis Tennis wise, what's been

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<v Speaker 2>happening over the last.

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<v Speaker 1>Year's been cracking on.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm kind of very similar in ranking to where I

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<v Speaker 3>was last year. It's been playing playing a lot, lots

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<v Speaker 3>of different partners, you know, not all good, you know,

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<v Speaker 3>as I'm as I'm sure you're aware.

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<v Speaker 1>I went out to Australia and cam Nurray.

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<v Speaker 3>Had to pull out there, so you know, that was

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<v Speaker 3>kind of four weeks where I couldn't really play tennis.

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<v Speaker 3>So I lost a few points there and it's just

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<v Speaker 3>about trying to find my game and yeah it sounds

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<v Speaker 3>really boring, but just been cracking on and trying to

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<v Speaker 3>play and it sort of came good April time went

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<v Speaker 3>out to Mexico, started finding my form again because I

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<v Speaker 3>was rubbish for a little bit and I have no

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<v Speaker 3>idea why, but yeah, I've started to started to play well.

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<v Speaker 3>Last last you know, three tournaments have been positive. Obviously

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<v Speaker 3>played Queen's Eastbourne and lost a couple of you know,

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<v Speaker 3>tight match tyreks to top pairs in the world, so

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<v Speaker 3>I'm obviously doing something right.

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<v Speaker 1>But I want to be winning those matches. So Winburon

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<v Speaker 1>is the next one.

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<v Speaker 2>It was Murray and Ram yesterday, wasn't it down in Eastbourne?

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<v Speaker 2>And ten eight in the champions tiebreak after a couple

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<v Speaker 2>of tiebreaks.

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<v Speaker 1>Yes, yeah, it was first set and not a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of drama.

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<v Speaker 3>Seconds that we were two love Love forty up and

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<v Speaker 3>then really should have been you know, three love serving

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<v Speaker 3>and then got broken back at five to four.

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<v Speaker 1>Yes, it's one of those things.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, I didn't I didn't make enough returns in

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<v Speaker 3>the match Tyrek to personally, but you know we got

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<v Speaker 3>we got two on their serve.

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<v Speaker 1>And just didn't win enough on ours. It was annoying,

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<v Speaker 1>you know.

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<v Speaker 3>I look back to some of the decisions that I

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<v Speaker 3>made and I'm like, maybe I should have it's always

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<v Speaker 3>high in sight, but you know I went for a

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<v Speaker 3>chip lub or maybe I should have hit it and

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<v Speaker 3>then but had I hit it and missed it, I

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<v Speaker 3>would have said, you should have gone.

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<v Speaker 1>For a lot.

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<v Speaker 3>But it's one of those It's it's quite a sore one.

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<v Speaker 3>But obviously I'm playing some of the best doubles players

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<v Speaker 3>in the world. You know, they're very experienced. Murray and

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<v Speaker 3>Ram and one a few Grand slams between them.

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<v Speaker 1>I'd say, yeah, just a bit.

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<v Speaker 2>How do you find out about Winwood and wild Card?

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<v Speaker 1>How do you find out? You either get a call

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<v Speaker 1>or I found out Queen's so.

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<v Speaker 3>So Leon came and told me that it had been

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<v Speaker 3>approved by the or England Club that I was playing

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<v Speaker 3>major doubles with Billy. But yeah, you always know who

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<v Speaker 3>you're going to enter with. And then I think what

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<v Speaker 3>happens is the LTA have a meeting with the Orlingland

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<v Speaker 3>Cub and they have a list of recommendations and then

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<v Speaker 3>make a decision based you know, on that. They can obviously,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, give one cast to people that aren't record mended,

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<v Speaker 3>but I think if your name's on that list, you've

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<v Speaker 3>got a fairly good chance of getting one. So you know,

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<v Speaker 3>I knew my name was going on that list a

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<v Speaker 3>few weeks ago, but obviously you don't want to turn

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<v Speaker 3>up and play terribly as well, because you know things

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<v Speaker 3>can change last minute.

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<v Speaker 2>So and how did you choose your partner?

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<v Speaker 3>I know you speak, you speak to all the bricks

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<v Speaker 3>are pretty connected, and it's a it's a difficult one, really,

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<v Speaker 3>You've got to They set a criteria that's you know,

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<v Speaker 3>pretty accurate.

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<v Speaker 1>If you're top two fifty combined, you've got a good chance.

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<v Speaker 1>And then.

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<v Speaker 3>I know, you know, the last few years they favored

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<v Speaker 3>you know, singles guys. And I'm good friends with Billy,

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<v Speaker 3>so I spoke to him earlier in the year and said,

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<v Speaker 3>if our rankings are in a good place, do you

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<v Speaker 3>want to play the grass season together? And he said, yes,

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<v Speaker 3>that's always been part of the plan. And yes, so

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<v Speaker 3>I've known for a while if I was playing with

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<v Speaker 3>Billy that was that was our choice.

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<v Speaker 2>And this is Billy Harris, isn't it.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, Billy Harris. Yeah, I don't really know how to

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<v Speaker 3>explain it. It's kind of Yeah. This year was was

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<v Speaker 3>was really simple as a criteria. We were in good

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<v Speaker 3>contact with everyone and we were kind of clear on

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<v Speaker 3>what was going to happen, obviously, apart from you know,

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<v Speaker 3>which wild cards they choose, But yeah, in previous years

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<v Speaker 3>it's last year, it was quite last minute. I didn't

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<v Speaker 3>know who was going to play Wimbled and where if

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<v Speaker 3>I was going to play Wimbledon. And this year there's

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<v Speaker 3>there's a couple more doubles guys in there as well.

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<v Speaker 3>There's David Stevenson, Josh Paris as well, so that's nice

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<v Speaker 3>to see that they're playing with singles guys as well.

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<v Speaker 3>So there's just a lot of Brits obviously in the

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<v Speaker 3>wild cards.

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<v Speaker 2>And how's preparations going?

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<v Speaker 1>Good? Good? Obviously I've played, Yeah, I played three grash

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<v Speaker 1>events now played.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, I'm looking to play Boodles this weekend, which is

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<v Speaker 3>an exhibition event.

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<v Speaker 1>Don't park.

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<v Speaker 3>So that's you know, a couple more practice matches on

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<v Speaker 3>the grass and then you know, I head to Wimbled

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<v Speaker 3>and start preparations. But I'm feeling good, my body's all right.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm looking after that. I'm seeing doing a lot more

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<v Speaker 3>rehab and physio than I used to be doing just

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<v Speaker 3>to feel normal.

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<v Speaker 1>That's the old age, I think, isn't it.

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<v Speaker 2>Well you're thirty four, aren't you.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm thirty four, But yeah, I've done.

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<v Speaker 3>Just notice I'm spending a lot of time stretching and

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<v Speaker 3>getting familiar with physios, which is really important because I

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<v Speaker 3>noticed if I don't do it, but sort of ten

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<v Speaker 3>years ago, you see a physio if you're hurting, you

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<v Speaker 3>still stretch and stuff, but you spend a lot more

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<v Speaker 3>time sort of working out than recovering. And now it's

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<v Speaker 3>i'd say fifty to fifty to be honest. So yeah,

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<v Speaker 3>I'm doing all the right things.

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<v Speaker 1>I think.

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<v Speaker 3>Got to see a pada trest. Apparently I'm flat footed.

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<v Speaker 3>That's why I walk a bit funny.

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<v Speaker 2>I knew it was something.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, yeah, one of the reasons.

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<v Speaker 3>But so I'm flat footed, so I've had a problem

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<v Speaker 3>with my shin because and I can tell when it's hurting.

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<v Speaker 3>I look at myself walking and I'm yeah, very much

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<v Speaker 3>on my toes.

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<v Speaker 2>So what's the What does your day look like today?

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<v Speaker 2>We're a week away from you possibly playing. It could

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<v Speaker 2>be eight days, it could be seven days. And as

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<v Speaker 2>we speak on a daily basis, we'll catch up and

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<v Speaker 2>obviously fill people in on that. And what's your training

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<v Speaker 2>daylight today?

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<v Speaker 3>Today, I'm just going to do bike. I'm not going

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<v Speaker 3>to do any hitting obviously. I don't think I've had

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<v Speaker 3>a day off hitting for quite a while. So I'm

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<v Speaker 3>going to get on the peloton on the bike, do

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<v Speaker 3>my stretching routine, and pack my bags later, might pick

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<v Speaker 3>the kids up from school. I don't know if I've

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<v Speaker 3>got time, but I'll try and do that. But yeah,

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<v Speaker 3>it's more of a packing that I've packed this morning,

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<v Speaker 3>sort of string and shoes and kit, all the boring stuff,

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<v Speaker 3>and then yeah, I'll get on the bike, do my

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<v Speaker 3>pliability routine, try and get an early night. I mean,

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<v Speaker 3>I was up till two last night. I couldn't really sleep,

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<v Speaker 3>just replaying shots in my head, which isn't very helpful,

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<v Speaker 3>but there we go, try and get good night's sleep,

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<v Speaker 3>and then tomorrow is Boodle's day.

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<v Speaker 2>It's great, Well, we're going to catch up tomorrow at Boodles, right,

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<v Speaker 2>exactly perfect. I can't wait for this. We get to

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<v Speaker 2>speak every day as well. I know.

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<v Speaker 1>It's lovely, isn't it.

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<v Speaker 2>Normally we just text every day about when are we

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<v Speaker 2>going to do the podcast again. Yeah, we'll come on

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<v Speaker 2>to all of that and talk about why there's been

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<v Speaker 2>like an eighteen month gap and things in time, but yeah, otherwise,

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<v Speaker 2>let's talk tomorrow and the countdown is on.

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<v Speaker 1>One week to go, mate, fantastic, let's do it.