No Challenges Remaining

Episode 189: Draw Me Like One of Your French Opens, 2017

It's Slamming time again! Ben and Courtney break down the French Open draws for both the men's and women's.

On the women's side, where there are many favorites to choose from, who got the best and worst draws? And whose great draws and good recent forms could lead them to a second consecutive semifinal (or better)? There are multiple correct answers to that one.

On the men's side, could this be a tournament to get Murray or Djokovic back on track? Or is Rafael Nadal just too far ahead of the pack?

And as always, thanks for liking us on Facebook (leave comments on the episode thread! Engage with other listeners!), following us on Twitter (discuss this episode with hashtag #NCR189!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.

Episode 184: Resembling an Ensemble

With a quarter of 2017 now complete, Ben and Courtney try to make sense of it all. But does it make sense, really?

Daria Kasatkina won Charleston in an all-teen final, which should be a big result. But what are results anyhow, when every player seems to have a roughly equal share of success and failure these days? Which characters and plotlines are really relevant? Does TV have the answers?

The men's side is a completely different coin, because one beloved old dude (Roger Federer) has stepped up to fill the void. But just what is that void without Federer being there as a shiny glaze on top of an otherwise questionable confection?

Lastly, we make predictions for the French Open, an amusingly hopeless endeavor. 

And as always, thanks for liking us on Facebook (leave comments on the episode thread! Engage with other listeners!), following us on Twitter (discuss this episode with hashtag #NCR184!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.

Episode 177e: Australian Open Day 8-9: Growing Old, Moving Up

With the Aussie Open halfway between quarterfinals and semifinals, Ben is rejoined by Courtney to assess all the fun. Has this Slam been satisfying? Depends on if you're into role reversal, really. The men have been wild and the women have been mild, but it should be setting up for great finishes on both tours, we hope!

Speaking of saving the best for last, this sport is aging like a fine wine and Ben and Courtney just want to drink it all up. And we also raise a glass to Mike Cation, normally the voice of the US challenger circuit, who made his Slam debut here in Melbourne. His enthusiasm for our world is contagious, and we hope you're infected in all the best ways.

Also, CoCo, Venus, and more. Cancel the noise and tune in. 

And as always, thanks for liking us on Facebook (leave comments on the episode thread! Engage with other listeners!), following us on Twitter (discuss this episode with hashtag #NCR177e!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.

Episode 177d: Australian Open Day 5-7: Zverevving Up for the Second Week

The surprises continue on Day 7 of the Australian Open, where both #1s lost Sunday. Angelique Kerber went out to CoCo Vandeweghe (not a huge shock) and Andy Murray went out to Mischa Zverev (a huge shock). 

First, to talk about both Zverev brothers and some German tennis in general, Ben (alone today as Courtney is out sick) talks to Petra Philippsen, a German freelancer.

Then, with the draws collapsing around them, Ben brings on Japan's Aki Uchida and Melbourne's Matt Trollope for an Asia-Pacific perspective on how the second week might shake out. There's a lot to reassess, a lot to rejigger, and a lot to cope with. And a lot to predict! 

And as always, thanks for liking us on Facebook (leave comments on the episode thread! Engage with other listeners!), following us on Twitter (discuss this episode with hashtag #NCR177d!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.

Episode 176: Australian Open Draw Show

Together again in Melbourne, Ben and Courtney dive right into the women's and men's draws of the 2017 Australian Open, rolling in some thoughts on the season so far along the way. 

It's somewhat business as usual, with so many women relevant and so few men, but there's one particular woman who both Ben and Courtney are super geeked for. Can she break out and win her first Slam? How much or little should we read into early season stumbles by the other top women? And on the men's side, can anyone disrupt the Murray-Djokovic order? And are Roger and/or Rafa ready for runs?

And as always, thanks for liking us on Facebook (leave comments on the episode thread! Engage with other listeners!), following us on Twitter (discuss this episode with hashtag #NCR176!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.

Episode 165c: U.S. Open - Halfway Home

With pudding and beer in hand, Ben and Courtney wrap up their main thoughts from a first week of the U.S. Open that mostly went without major disruption. Raonic, Kyrgios, Cilic and Muguruza being out is surprising, as is Caroline Wozniacki and Anastasija Sevastova being in. But mostly, it's business as expected, which should set up for a grand second week. We hope. 

Also, there's a roof and it makes things louder.

And as always, thanks for liking us on Facebook (leave comments on the episode thread!), following us on Twitter (discuss this episode with hashtag #NCR165c!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.

Episode 159: Wimbledon 2016 Draw Preview Super-Duperness!

The grass is ready for Wimbledon, and so are Ben and Courtney for this draw preview show! First, the dudes. Who are the stumbling blocks for Novak Djokovic as he aims for a *fifth* straight Grand Slam title? Is Federer ready to be a threat? How are Dominic Thiem's chances of sustaining momentum? And what did the Brits, bar Murray, do to deserve such brutal draws?

For the ladies, it's Serena vs the field, once again. But there's plenty of room for that to be an incredibly compelling match-up, with tough seeds looming for Serena at the tournament's midway point. Who makes it out of the loadedly grassophilic second quarter? And can Garbine Muguruza reach another final? Or could a Venus or Madison Keys stand in her way?

Also, Brexit.

And as always, thanks for liking us on Facebook (leave comments on the episode thread!), following us on Twitter (discuss this episode with hashtag #NCR159!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.

Episode 156: Muguruza Wins a First; Djokovic Wins Everything

Nearly dried out from a miserably soggy French Open, Ben and Courtney are up in much sunnier Scotland, drinking in the tournament and some ales in an Edinburgh pub (our apologies for the sometimes overwhelming background clatter).

First, Garbine Muguruza won on the women's side. What did she show during her run, and how worried should we be about the inevitability of Serena Williams breaking records?

Then, Novak Djokovic did what he was supposed to, ultimately, and rolled over Andy Murray to win a Novak Slam and a Career Slam. He's really good. Just how really good?

Also, other miscellaneous musings on rain and neighborhood concerns and airport security. 

And as always, thanks for liking us on Facebook (leave comments on the episode thread!), following us on Twitter (discuss this episode with hashtag #NCR156!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.