No Challenges Remaining

Episode 22b

In Episode 22b, Ben and Courtney continue to power through your winter questions like a snow plow through a blizzard--except with way more sarcasm and debates over Ke$ha.  Topics include tournament travel recommendations, federation funding of less achieving players, and what sport we'd like to write about besides tennis. Also, we recognize the wonder that is Tsvetana Pironkova against Venus Williams, as well as some thoughts on the world of online tennis writing. And because we didn't get to say it on the air--Merry Christmas, y'all.

Episode 22a

In Episode 22a, your questions keep Courtney and Ben from starving in the harsh tennis winter, for which they are very appreciative.  Topics include Australian things like Bernard Tomic, Sam Stosur, and Hopman Cup, as well as guilty pleasures like Jelena Jankovic and Serena Williams appearing on the Home Shopping Network.  This episode is ruched and very slimming--you should totally download one in each color.

Episode 21

In another post-season episode, Ben and Courtney answer lots of listener questions. You people help get us through this long, cold winter, and for that we are grateful. Topics include Kim Clijsters and Yulia Putintseva, who have faiiirly different personalities.  We also resurrect Take a Number and introduce the world (and ourselves) to Tita Torro. And then we discuss doping for a while because we haven't before and it seemed relevant even if it is a massive bummer.  But we end on a high (boy soprano?) note of Junior Eurovision which is sure to leave you feeling all warm inside.

Episode 20

In Episode 20, Courtney and Ben are back stateside and back on the mic(s).  We talk or ways through the WTFs in London, our ballots for Player of the Year, Most Improved, Best Newcomer, and more. Then we audibly shake our heads when discussing what Bernard Tomic does atop buildings. Also, we end the episode by discussing whether or not Rafael Nadal will congratulate us for getting back in the recording studio (or something), and what sort of suitcase he should put his Armani in when he returns to tour.

Episode 19

In Episode 19, Ben and Courtney stick with the Asian swing to discuss Victoria Azarenka's domination over Maria Sharapova on hardcourts, Kei Nishikori's history-making in Tokyo, and the merits of tennis in China when all we see are empty seats and stadiums. We also discuss the upcoming TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships in Istanbul, the freshly revealed lineup for next year's Hopman Cup, and per our listeners' request, we talk about our pre-NCR lives. Oh and Courtney finally found her microphone. It was about damn time.

Episode 18

Asia is still going, but if a seed falls in the middle of the night and almost no one is watching, does it make a sound? Ben and Courtney therefore make plenty of other sounds about other things, ranging from the Party Rock Open to Ryan Harrison, and from Andy Murray's rank in the pantheon to hands in pants.  It all makes sense in context, sort of.

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Episode 17

When we last left our heroes Ben and Courtney's cup overfloweth with the U.S. Open.  The chalice has been considerably drier in Asia thus far, but our dear listeners quenched our thirst with a deluge of questions which we answered for the majority of the show.  We also resurrected our "Take a Number" segment, and when we didn't like the first number we did it again because we are grown-ups and we make the rules.

Episode 16b

On Episode 16b, Ben and Courtney continue their recap of the U.S. Open and answer a flurry of questions from email and Twitter. They talk about the USTA's bungling of Taylor Townsend, whether Ana Ivanovic has topped out, the merits of best of five matches at the Slams, Vivica A. Fox: Superfan, the best current ATPer not to win a Slam, and all this prize money mumbo-jumbo.

Episode 16a

Ben and Courtney were so excited to talk about the U.S. Open that their rambles ended up as two different episodes. Here’s Episode 16a, wherein Ben recaps his experience covering the Open and we talk about Serena WIlliams and Andy Murray’s championship runs, our favorite matches, best performances, Andy Roddick and Kim Clijsters’ farewells, Laura Robson’s breakthrough run, and Victoria Azarenka’s winning via losing. Somehow Courtney tries to justify her reading 50 Shades of Grey. She fails, but it was a valiant effort.