US Open Day 11 - Bad, Bizarre, Brilliant: Women’s semis reviewed; Men’s semis preview

Catherine is back! And there’s plenty to talk about…Does Roger Federer receive preferential treatment from tournament directors? That was the allegation made by Julien Benneteau on French radio last week. On today’s podcast, Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Simon Briggs discuss the ins and outs of the story, including Federer’s relationship with CEO of Tennis Australia Craig Tiley, the conflicts of interest within the sport, and the importance of market forces in all this. Later in the podcast, hear from Federer himself as he answered Benneteau's reported allegations. David and Grad Matt, who were both there, describe the atmosphere in the room. David says it was one of the steeliest looks he’s ever seen Federer give. On court, Federer was a comfortable winner against Dominic Thiem. How much better did he play than on Sunday night? And how bad was Dominic Thiem? Less bad than Kei Nishikori, who was thumped 0-6, 1-6 by Kevin Anderson. What are the qualification scenarios for that group? And why have there been so many one-sided matches? There’s also a look ahead to tomorrow’s play. How can Alexander Zverev possibly trouble Novak Djokovic? And what makes John Isner the slight favourite against Marin Cilic? The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly in association with Telegraph Sport, and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

13 Marras 201841min

Former British doubles player Colin Fleming spent the day at the O2 arena as a fan, and afterwards he joined David and Charlie Eccleshare on The Tennis Podcast. Beers in hand, they start by discussing a masterclass from Novak Djokovic who dispatched John Isner in the evening session.How did he handle the Isner serve so easily? And can anyone realistically stop Djokovic this week? The day’s other singles match saw Alexander Zverev defeat Marin Cilic. It was a match in which Cilic once again let a lead slip. Why does this keep happening? And how can he stop it? As for Zverev, how well did he play? Why was he talking to his coaching team so often? And what does Fleming think of Zverev’s partnership with Ivan Lendl? Finally, discussion turns to the Next Gen Finals, and specifically the different format showcased. Fleming was in Milan for the event and is a big proponent of many of the innovations. Why does he believe short sets could add intrigue to the ATP Tour? He defends his views against a host of counter-arguments. Do short sets not take away the ebb and flow of a set? Do they not introduce an unwanted element of randomness? The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly in association with Telegraph Sport, and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12 Marras 201836min

London arrived in numbers to celebrate another year of Roger Federer, but his fans left disappointed as Kei Nishikori became the first man to beat him in straight sets in the round robin stages of the ATP Finals. After a tumultuous, but error-strewn night, David Law was joined on The Tennis Podcast by Grad Matt Roberts to discuss what happened. What happened to Federer? Why did he lose his temper with umpire Damien Steiner? And what did Nishikori do differently to beat a man he had trailed 2-7 in head-to-head meetings?Earlier, David and Matt were joined by Simon Briggs of the Telegraph to cover the afternoon’s match between Kevin Anderson and Dominic Thiem. Why does Anderson always beat Thiem, and how much further can he go?Memories of O2 events gone by are discussed, including the Federer-Wawrinka-Mirka saga, and Andy Murray reaching World No.1 in 2016. In the Fed Cup final, the Czech Republic defeated the United States 3-0, but the third rubber was an absolute epic. Why are the Czech’s such an amazing tennis nation?In coaching news, World No.1 Simona Halep and Darren Cahill parted ways. Find out what the podcast team make of it all. The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly in association with Telegraph Sport, and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12 Marras 201833min

With the ATP Finals just a couple of days away, Catherine and David get together on The Tennis Podcast to preview all the major storylines and make some predictions.After Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer are heavily favoured to come through their groups, but who do Catherine and David think will join them in the semi-finals? Is Kevin Anderson the tournament’s dark horse? Can Marin Cilic overcome his recent habit of losing from a winning position? And might John Isner capitalise on his late-entry?Elsewhere, Grad Matt was on the ground at the O2 on media day, and he’s told David and Catherine all about what the players have been saying, including Federer’s comments about his scheduling and the developing ‘aggro’ between Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas.Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, has opened up in a rare newspaper interview with Simon Briggs of Telegraph Sport, part of which you can hear on the podcast. Why did Djokovic feel ‘guilty’ after having surgery? Was he surprised that he lost motivation to compete? And how has fatherhood changed him?Finally, the Telegraph’s Charlie Eccleshare gives his impressions of the Next Gen Finals in Milan. Which players stood out? Does the event offer a glimpse into tennis’ future? And which of the rule experiments stand a chance of coming into effect on the main tour? The Tennis Podcast is uploaded weekly throughout the year and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments. It is produced in association with Telegraph Sport. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

9 Marras 201853min

As 2018 draws to a close, a new man has arrived on the scene, beaten the best players and won the biggest title of his life. His name is Karen Khachanov. In a Tennis Podcast to review Paris, the Tennis Podcast team analyse the performance of the big Russian, how he ended the winning run of Novak Djokovic in the final, and what he might do next. Will he win a Slam before Zverev or Tsitsipas?The return to form of Roger Federer is discussed, whether he and Cilic choked against Djokovic, and the Elite Trophy victory of Ash Barty in Zhuhai is covered.Catherine Whitaker and David Law are joined by a special guest as the Next Gen Finals and ATP Finals are previewed, and the lack of top Americans as part the Fed Cup final is lamented.The Tennis Podcast is published every Monday throughout the year, and daily at the Grand Slam tournament. It is produced in association with Telegraph Sport. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5 Marras 201855min

After a few weeks apart, Catherine and David are back together in London for this week’s show, with Elina Svitolina’s sensational title run in Singapore at the top of the agenda. Why did nobody see it coming? Can she now ‘do a Wozniacki’ and go on to win her first Grand Slam next year?The other major storylines from the WTA Finals are also discussed, including Wozniacki’s rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis.In Basel, Roger Federer won the 99th title of his career, but what should we make of his week? Did he find form just in time for the ATP Finals or did his run just paper over some cracks?Elsewhere, the past week featured yet another case of ‘tennis player treats ballkid badly’, this time involving Stefanos Tsitsipas. His behaviour is bemoaned, but his public apology is commended.As the tour heads to Paris, Nadal and Djokovic are locked in a battle for the World No.1 ranking, but they’re also coming under increasing pressure to cancel their controversial exhibition in Saudi Arabia. They’ve both been talking about the issue, and Catherine and David give their reaction.In coaching news, Andre Agassi has been spotted in Paris helping out Grigor Dimitrov. Could it be the start of a successful partnership? Can Agassi rebuild his reputation as a coach after a failed stint with Djokovic? Is Dimitrov the perfect pupil? Catherine and David can’t wait to find out.Finally, there’s time for the long-awaited segment on Tennis Chokes.The Tennis Podcast is uploaded weekly throughout the year and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments. It is produced in association with Telegraph Sport. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

29 Loka 201858min

Catherine and David began a recent episode of The Tennis Podcast by delving deep into Kyle Edmund’s ongoing title drought. This time, a mere two weeks later, they start by lauding Edmund’s emotional maiden title victory in Antwerp. How significant is it that he’s got the monkey off his back?Edmund was one of three young titlists on the ATP Tour this week. Stefanos Tsitsipas and Karen Khachanov were the other two. Out of that triumvirate, who will have the best career?On the women’s side, Daria Kasatkina won a thrilling final in Moscow against the marvellous Ons Jabeur. It was a match that turned on its head after Phillipe Dehaes delivered a rousing message during a coaching timeout. But should it be allowed? In light of Patrick Mouratoglou’s comments on Twitter, in which he made a strong case in favour of on-court coaching, Catherine and David re-open the debate.Elsewhere, Wimbledon announced the introduction of final set tiebreaks at 12-12 from next year. Is that a good decision? Only a tiny number of matches even reach 12-12 in the deciding set, so why has the news received such attention?Last but not least, with the WTA Finals in full-swing, Catherine and David give their take on the week so far. Why is the court so slow? Is round-robin the best format? And who is the favourite to win the title?The Tennis Podcast is uploaded weekly throughout the year and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments. It is produced in association with Telegraph Sport. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

22 Loka 201856min

Novak Djokovic looks as if he has stepped in a time machine and taken us all back to 2015, such is the level of tennis he is producing in the second half of 2018. In the latest Tennis Podcast, Catherine Whitaker and David Law get together to look back on Djokovic's victory in Shanghai, where he didn't lose a set and never looked likely to. Who, when, where and how is anyone going to stop him? Or will his level inevitably drop?The man he beat in the final - Borna Coric - has made major strides recently, and his journey is reviewed, and Roger Federer comes into view after a so-so week in which he reached the semis but went down comfortably to Coric. What would be the tipping point for Federer to call it a day? And why do people get so upset when anyone dares to bring it up? Well, we do it on The Tennis Podcast.The latest Davis Cup frustrations are discussed, events on the WTA Tour in Hong Kong and Tianjin covered, and while recording the podcast, news breaks of Juan Martin del Potro suffering what sounds like a very serious injury.The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly in association with Telegraph Sport, and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

14 Loka 201855min