No Challenges Remaining

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 175a: Ana, Auckland, and Anamneses

It's our Season 6 premiere! This is our 217th episode, and golly do Ben and Courtney have lots to reflect on before we get started with 2017. Time to look back to move forward.

First, we look back at the career and legacy of Ana Ivanovic, who played excellent tennis at times and was a joy to be around always. We discuss the role she plays in our separate and joint tennis origin stories, and what made her such a welcome presence on tour. Then, Ben chats with Auckland tournament director Karl Budge about running a tournament that has attracted increasingly star-studded fields (including Serena, Venus, and Wozniacki this year), and the differences between running ATP and WTA events.

Then we get into the meat of the show, which is our annual nostalgia trip known as "Remember When...?" It's so meaty this time that we need to carve it into two pieces, so this #175a will be followed by #175b in the near future.

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 #NCR175a!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.

Episode 164: US Open Preview State of Mind

The year's final grand slam event is upon us, and Ben and Courtney are ready with their draws to break down the who and how of this US Open. 

There are surprising champions in Cincinnati to review (Marin Cilic and Karolina Pliskova) to mull over, shaky #1s to evaluate (Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams), and increasingly steady anchors at the bottom of each draw (Andy Murray and Angelique Kerber). So, who do we pick?

Lastly, Courtney sings.

And as always, thanks for liking us on Facebook (leave comments on the episode thread!), following us on Twitter (discuss this episode with hashtag #NCR164!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.

Episode 160c: Wimbledon Volley 3: Super Semifinals Set!

After the Wimbledon quarterfinals have wrapped up for both the men and women at Wimbledon, Ben is joined by two lovely guests, tennis historian Steve Flink of TennisChannel.com and Australian Tennis Magazine's Matt Trollope, to discuss the past and future. 

How much will Roger Federer's epic win over Marin Cilic take out of him heading into the semifinals against Milos Raonic? And will Andy Murray be able to make good on his favorite as status? 

On the women's side, hear from Venus' coach David Witt, as well as our takes on her run and whether this should be considered Serena's tournament to lose.

And as always, thanks for liking us on Facebook (leave comments on the episode thread!), following us on Twitter (discuss this episode with hashtag #NCR160c!), 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 147: "Ladies Know What I'm Talking About"

Back together at last, Ben and Courtney wrap up all the doings of Indian Wells for you, obviously first and foremost dealing with the controversial remarks of CEO and tournament director Raymond Moore (which led to his stepping down after we recorded). What do his remarks say about the current state of play between the ATP and WTA, especially as they concern gratitude or money or whatever? And how about the tremendous response of Serena Williams and the less tremendous response of Novak Djokovic?

Also, we talk the tennis that happened, including Venus' return, Nadal-Zverev, del Potro, and more. And some other stuff. Ladies will know what we're talking about. 

As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, and subscribing/reviewing on whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.