BJK Cup Finals Day 5 - Sara Errani, what did you just do?!

There’s a lot to cover on the new Tennis Podcast.For the second week in a row, David and Catherine begin by talking about the form of Naomi Osaka. The Japanese reached the final in Tokyo to back up her US Open title. Why was that so impressive? And just how well did Karolina Pliskova have to play to beat her?Elsewhere, Andy Murray has decided that he will shut down his 2018 season after Shenzhen and Beijing in order to focus on being in the best possible shape for Australia. David and Catherine agree that it's a smart move.There’s also discussion about Serena’s complicated relationship with her coach Patrick Mouratoglou, Mohamed Lahyani’s suspension by the ATP, and more progress for Dominic Thiem on hard courts. Plus, tribute is paid to Mikhail Youzhny following his retirement.Finally, this week saw the second edition of the Laver Cup. What do David and Catherine think of the event? And what does the future hold for it?The Tennis Podcast is uploaded weekly throughout the year and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments. It is produced in association with Telegraph Sport and sponsored by Amazon Prime Video. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

24 Syys 201853min

The US Open may be over, but Naomi Osaka’s new life is just getting started. While her victory in New York was overshadowed, she’s capitalised brilliantly on the moment by signing an endorsement deal with Nissan and appearing on The Ellen Show.On The Tennis Podcast, Catherine and David wonder how Osaka will handle her newfound status as a Grand Slam champion. What are some of the challenges she will face?Elsewhere, this past weekend saw the first Davis Cup action since the vote to revamp the competition. How did Catherine and David feel while watching it? Did the Croatia vs. USA tie showcase everything that’s good about the current format? Or did it prove everything that’s wrong with it?The decision to award two wildcards for next year’s Davis Cup Finals still sits uncomfortably with both David and Catherine. Will they just be a way of guaranteeing star power?There’s also discussion about the decision to stick with 32 seeds at Grand Slams, reaction to the latest developments surrounding Serena Williams and Carlos Ramos, and a nod of appreciation to two teenagers – Amanda Anisimova and Jack Draper – who both registered noteworthy results.The Tennis Podcast is uploaded weekly throughout the year and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments. It is produced in association with Telegraph Sport and sponsored by Amazon Prime Video. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

17 Syys 201851min

Enric Molina has umpired four Grand Slam singles finals, four Davis Cup finals and two Olympic finals.So what when through his mind when he saw the events of the weekend at the US Open, with former colleague Carlos Ramos warning Serena Williams three times, docking her a point and then a game, and the subsequent reactions from former players and governing bodies?Molina joins David Law on The Tennis Podcast to give his view on the decisions taken by Ramos, whether anything could have been done differently, and what should, in his view, have happened afterwards.The Tennis Podcast is produced in association with Telegraph Sport and sponsored by Amazon Prime Video. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

13 Syys 201835min

Novak Djokovic is the US Open champion for the third time, beating Juan Martin del Potro 6-3, 7-6, 6-3. On The Tennis Podcast, David and Catherine discuss his brilliant performance. Does the straight-sets scoreline do Del Potro a disservice? Was he a little too cautious early on? Did the slow conditions play a part? How crucial was that epic 20-minute game? Djokovic is now level with Pete Sampras on 14 Grand Slams titles. It suddenly looks possible that he might bridge the gap to Nadal and Federer, doesn’t it? Without question, his relentless dominance is back. How has he turned his season around so spectacularly since losing early at the French Open? Will he now end the year as World No.1? Elsewhere, the fallout has continued from the women’s final. David and Catherine discuss the statement from WTA CEO Steve Simon and tackle the big question: was there sexism at play? Finally, there’s time reflect on the 2018 US Open as a whole. What were the highlights? How will it be remembered? The Tennis Podcast is uploaded weekly throughout the year and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments. It is produced in associated with Telegraph Sport and sponsored by Amazon Prime Video, the new home of the US Open in the UK. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10 Syys 201850min

At the end of a mind-blowing day, and one of the most controversy-filled Grand Slams finals in history, David and Catherine sit down to run through the events in full.With emotions running high, the theme of the discussion is the need for nuance. Can we accept Serena as a highly-inspirational role model who is also capable of quite unedifying behaviour? And were all three code violations justified?Not for the first time this tournament, the incident brought the role of the umpire into question. How can Carlos Ramos be criticised for sticking to the letter of the law? Could he have issued a soft warning? Are different standards applied to men and women?None of the controversy should detract, however, from the spell-binding performance of Naomi Osaka. Before everything kicked off, she was beating Serena handily. In fact, was her brilliance the root cause of Serena's bad temper?Has there ever been a better performance on debut in a Grand Slam final? We knew Osaka could strike the ball cleanly, but she also proved she can handle an occasion. This was her moment and she seized it. There will be daily editions of The Tennis Podcast throughout the US Open fortnight. The Tennis Podcast is produced in association with the Telegraph and sponsored by Amazon Prime Video, the new home of the US Open in the UK. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

9 Syys 201839min

The US Open men’s semi-finals did not deliver the competitiveness they promised – partly due to Rafael Nadal’s knee, partly due to Novak Djokovic’s brilliance.On The Tennis Podcast, on his birthday, David is joined separately by Simon Briggs of Telegraph Sport and Catherine to talk about it all.Nadal’s knee meant he had to retire when trailing Juan Martin del Potro by two sets. Is it a coincidence that he’s had to pull out of both hard court slams in 2018? How will he manage his body going forward?On a wider scale, Simon points out that a concerning pattern is developing: a number of showpiece matches this year have been compromised by injury or fatigue. Is tennis becoming too physical? Does something need to change? And is the solution to get rid of five sets?Del Potro’s victory was almost lost in all this, but he played well. His powerful-again backhand, in particular, was impressive. But what chance will he stand against Djokovic in the final?Djokovic beat Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. Nishikori actually played pretty well, but Djokovic was simply exceptional. David thinks he is playing as well as ever.Will the crowd influence the final? Del Potro can be inspired by the chanting of his name, but Catherine reckons it will also bring the defiant best out of Djokovic.Finally, who are Catherine and David predicting to win the women’s final between Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams? There will be daily editions of The Tennis Podcast throughout the US Open fortnight. The Tennis Podcast is produced in association with the Telegraph and sponsored by Amazon Prime Video, the new home of the US Open in the UK. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

8 Syys 201835min

The women’s final is set: Serena Williams will face Naomi Osaka on Saturday. On The Tennis Podcast, David and Catherine discuss how both players got there.Serena beat Anastasija Sevastova 6-3, 6-0. What made this such a formidable performance? David was struck by Serena's net game. Has she ever been forward more? And was it a pre-planned tactic or a mid-match adjustment?Is there a difference between “needing” and “wanting” Grand Slam titles? Catherine wonders whether, with Olympia now in her life, Serena no longer “needs” to win the US Open….but she might just want it more than ever.Naomi Osaka, meanwhile, saved all 13 break points to beat Madison Keys in straight sets. How did she turn the negative head-to-head record in her favour? There’s lots of talk about her improved movement and defence, as well as her loveable interviews.How will Osaka handle the occasion in her first Grand Slam final? She idolises Serena. She also beat her in Miami this year. But this is a different Serena.Looking ahead to the men’s semi-finals, there’s lots of excitement about the potential for epics. Will the matches deliver the goods? Catherine and David still have a feeling for Del Potro. But conditions are set to be less hot and humid. How much will that favour Djokovic? There will be daily editions of The Tennis Podcast throughout the US Open fortnight. The Tennis Podcast is produced in association with the Telegraph and sponsored by Amazon Prime Video, the new home of the US Open in the UK. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

7 Syys 201827min

For the first time in the Open Era there will be a Japanese man and woman in the semi-finals of a Grand Slam after contrasting wins for Naomi Osaka and Kei Nishikori.Osaka was brilliant again, cruising past an out-of-sorts Lesia Tsurenko. Is she playing the best tennis of anyone in the draw?Nishikori then reeled in Marin Cilic to win in five sets. Was he inspired by Osaka’s victory? Not for the first time, Cilic suffered an alarmingly sudden loss of form and became very agitated. Why does this keep happening?In the night session, David and Catherine lament the 'disrespectful' crowd noise during the Madison Keys vs. Carla Suarez Navarro match. Could the umpire have done more? Does the US Open need to embrace the power of silence?Despite the atmosphere, Keys played well again. Will she beat Osaka tomorrow? In the other women’s semi-final, are there any weaknesses with Serena’s movement that Sevastova could expose?In the Djokovic vs. Millman match, which Djokovic won pretty comfortably in the end, there was a bizarre moment when the match stopped to allow Millman to change his clothes. What was going on?Finally, Catherine reflects on a day in the Amazon Prime Video studio with Jimmy Connors. Who is the 5-time US Open champion predicting to win the men’s title? And does he feel protective of his long-standing records?There will be daily editions of The Tennis Podcast throughout the US Open fortnight. The Tennis Podcast is produced in association with the Telegraph and sponsored by Amazon Prime Video, the new home of the US Open in the UK. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

6 Syys 201833min