The Aus. Open Catch-Up: Draws Preview - Thiem lands Djokovic; Nadal fitness concerns; Osaka + Serena in stacked bottom half; Sinner-Shapo lead R1 popcorn; British chances assessed; Finals predictions; Collect-A-Set announced!

In the latest episode of The Passing Shot, the tennis podcast by fans, Joel and Kim dissect the Australian Open men’s and women’s singles draws ahead of the first Grand Slam of the year finally getting underway. They look at the projected paths of the top seeds, the R1 popcorn matches to stay up for, as well as possible shocks and emerging underdogs. They also assess the chances of the British players, and reflect on the irony that Dan Evans and Cam Norrie, the only two British men in the draw, have drawn each other! Joel and Kim share their Final 4 and Champion predictions, and also reveal the 6 chosen players to be part of the Australian Open 2021 Collect A Set Challenge! CAS player picks: 1. Ons Jabeur (Crowdfund pick: Emily Staresina) 2. Iga Świątek (Crowdfund pick: Mike Mackenzie) 3. Ash Barty (Passing Shot pick) 4. Alex de Minaur (Crowdfund pick: Anonymous) 5. Dominic Thiem (Passing Shot pick) 6. Jannik Sinner (Passing Shot pick) Submit your predictions to us on Twitter or via email by the start of play on Monday to be in chance to win a Passing Shot mug! _______ Share your fan thoughts on the week with the #passingshotpod on social media. Twitter: @passingshotpod Instagram: @passingshotpod Or drop us an Email: passingshotpod@gmail.com Written, presented and produced by Joel Girling and Kim Mackenzie Crowdfunded by our listeners. Recorded on 5th February 2021. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.