No Challenges Remaining

Episode 52: A Canadian Double

In Episode 52, Ben and Courtney broadcast from all over the tennis hotbed of Mason, Ohio. They begin in the parking lot of the tournament, opining on what it means for world class players to be here in this unlikeliest of host cities, as well as the Applebees that might as well be City Hall.  They then look back across the Great Lakes at Canada, where Milos Raonic and Vasek Pospisil met in an unthinkable all-Canadian semifinal. What do we make of those two? And what do we make of Raonic's non-admission of touching the net which swung his match against del Potro his way? You'll then get to hear Milos himself apologize for it, but what does the apology mean? We then touch on the big week in Toronto for Serena and Sorana, then take you back on location in Mason to the battleground that was Monica Niculescu vs. Caroline Woznaicki. You're our lady, and we are your man, dear listeners. Or something along those lines. That's the power of tennis. As always, thanks for leaving us reviews on iTunes, liking us on Facebook, and following us on Twitter!

Episode 51: Casting Summer in an American Desert

Episode 51 is a very big show. First, Ben and Courtney look at the two former U.S. Open champions who lifted trophies last weekend, and what we make of their pasts and futures. How does Sam Stosur only have four career titles? How does Juan Martin del Potro fit into the conversation for the upcoming U.S. Open and beyond? And what are the legacies of the fading Carlsbad event and the successful but segregated Washington event? Also, what makes Washington finalist Andrea Petkovic so friggin' awesome? We share her with you to let you decide. We then discuss the exit of the American men for the top 20, what it means, and who (if anyone) is to blame. Courtney then casts a 10-year-old television show using tennis actors, and we end by discussing if we can ever actually cut ourselves off from tennis at this point in our lives.  We would never cut ourselves off from you, dear listeners, so as always thanks for liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, and leaving us reviews on iTunes!

Episode 50: A Milestone Episode You Can't Refuse

It's Episode 50! For reaching this milestone, Ben and Courtney treat themselves (and you) to a new theme song! And then there's lots more! After a brief detour to Stanford, we throw ourselves headfirst into the big news of the week, which is the anti-doping violations of Viktor Troicki and Marin Cilic. First on Troicki, is he cheaty or just bratty? Then, what do the circumstances of Cilic's violation tell us about how much trust we should put in the anti-doping authorities? Does tennis have a steroid problem, as some would suggest? We discuss that at length. Then we downshift and move to D.C., where Ben is with Sloane Stephens and Mardy Fish, both of whom are at interesting moments of their careers. We don't know where we're headed but we're willing and ready to go, and very happy you guys have been along for the ride. As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, and leaving us reviews on iTunes! But before you do, remember to kick and stretch and kick. We're 50.

Episode 49: Questioners, Federers, Numbers, and Ikers

In Episode 49, Ben and Courtney take lots of questions about all sorts of topics in tennis, like what we make of Federer being put out to pasture on post-Wimbledon clay, and if he should look that gift cow in the mouth? Also what livestock would be best for the rest of the Big 4? And what to make of the barnyard fun that is World TeamTennis? And who has had the better career, Samantha Stosur or Caroline Wozniacki? And how would Ben fair on a tennis court against Colin Kaepernick, Alex Morgan, and Michael Phelps? We also "take a number," because we were feeling pretty retro.

(Note that we recorded this episode before news of the controversial Viktor Troicki suspension broke late Thursday, so we'll be sure to cover that in Episode 50).

Thanks again for listening, and as always thanks for liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, and leaving us reviews on iTunes! The only blurred lines we see when we look at you, dear listeners, are because our eyes are wet with tears of joy.

Episode 48: Rennae Stubbs

In a sweaty, summery Episode 48, Ben and Courtney beat the heat with the help of some surprising news and special guests. First, we discuss the recent spins of the coaching carousel, specifically how Maria Sharapova wound up working with Jimmy Connors, as well as what the solutions might be for struggling players ranging from Caroline Wozniacki to Ryan Harrison. We then discuss the unclear comeback of Martina Hingis, and then the certain comeback of Alisa Kleybanova, with the help of some words from Kleybanova herself as well as her World TeamTennis teammate Andy Roddick. We then spend the second half of the show chatting with Rennae Stubbs, a six-time Grand Slam champion in doubles who now seems to work for at least that many different TV channels, sharing her wit and tennis wisdom with the world. We discuss all sorts of topics, ranging from the current state of the game physically and socially, the prevalence and treatment of gays and lesbians on the tour, and the difficulty of making the ultimate decision to finally walk away from the sport. It is good times, and you will enjoy it. As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, and leaving us reviews on iTunes! You guys are hotter than July.

Episode 47: A Drought Dies, A Butterfly Is Born

In this wondrous Wimbledon wrap episode, Ben and Courtney have lots of thoughts on the two new champions. First, Andy Murray: what does his win mean for Britain, and how does that reflect on Britain? And what did his match against Djokovic say about the state of the men's game? And how will he move forward as a favorite, no longer a lovable loser-type? Then, Marion Bartoli: how did that happen? And how will her win change her career, and even the tour as a whole? Because we are givers, and people who have spoken to Marion Bartoli on several occasions, we give you two interviews we have done with Marion, the first by Courtney this year in Eastbourne, the second by Ben last year in Perth. Please do practice your swings as you listen, dear listeners. And as always, thanks for liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, and leaving us reviews on iTunes!

Episode 46: Wimbledon Goes Boom Boom

After Ben and Courtney last spoke to you on calamitous "Black Wednesday," not much had happened at Wimbledon, until midday Monday when the top of the women's draw went boom (boom). Sabine Lisicki's upset of Serena Williams was a huge surprise, but what does it mean for Serena? And what do Ben and Courtney make of Lisicki, as far as what lies behind that oft-cited smile? We also talk about the British media circus, especially as it surrounds Laura Robson, and what we make of the differences in the American and British press corps. Lastly we discuss the upcoming ESPN documentary "Venus Vs.," and what sort of ideas we have for other tennis documentaries. We'd certainly watch a movie about our listeners, obviously, because you guys are awesome. As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, and leaving us reviews on iTunes!

Episode 45: Wimbledon, Bloody Wimbledon

Things got way too real at Wimbledon on Wednesday, so Ben and Courtney needed to rush to the microphone to come to grips with perhaps the craziest day of results and withdrawals in tennis history. After Rafael Nadal exited in the first round Monday, Wednesday saw the exits of Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Caroline Wozniacki, Marin Cilic, Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic, John Isner and Lleyton Hewitt, all on one day. It was weird, surreal, and we have lots of thoughts about what happened, and what will happen in the future, in this draw that now will guarantee some thoroughly unexpected players in the late rounds of this tournament. We make picks, but really who knows. Make your quarterfinal picks on our Facebook page, and we'll see who's wronger! We may have lost lots of players, but we're glad not to lose you, dear listeners! As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, and leaving us reviews on iTunes!

Episode 44: A Russian Sniper (and a Wimbledon Preview)

In this episode live from the Wimbledon Village, Ben and Courtney have a whooooole lot to talk about on the eve of Wimbledon.  First we discuss the controversial Serena Williams profile published this week by Rolling Stone, so we discuss the piece and her controversial comments on Steubenville. We then discuss Maria Sharapova's shocking takedown of Williams' personal life in her pre-tournament press conference, which was perhaps the most direct shot ever fired in this decade-long rivalry. We then pick our jaws up off the floor to look back at the week that just passed, including Courtney's time with Jamie Hampton in Eastbourne and Ben's time at Wimbledon qualifying, including a peek into the culture of the British National Training Centre. We then discuss the lack of a seeding bump for Rafael Nadal and preview the Wimbledon men's and women's draws. It's a whole lot of show, but we have a whole lot of love for you listeners, as always. As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, and leaving us reviews on iTunes! It's a good way to make sure we won't say something about your boyfriend.

Episode 43: Halle Atcha Boy and Girl

The grass season has started off with a bang, and so does this episode! In their respective press rooms in Halle and Birmingham, which are full of fun sudden ambient noises, Ben and Courtney discuss the start of the grass season. Is Queen's as stuffy and bothersomely bougey as its made out to be? (Yes). Is Halle a delightful place full of beer, sausage, pretzels, and tuba music? (Yes). How do you solve a problem like Gael Monfils? And what about the French Open that just finished? Whose win was more impressive, Serena's or Rafa's? And lastly what is making Tomas Berdych such a phenomenal tweeter? All this and more in a short-but-sweet episode, because Mikhail Youzhny had to do a press conference, or something.