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

Andy Murray is out of the US Open. But not without a fight. Not without looking much like his old self in a four-set defeat to Fernando Verdasco.After another scorching day in New York, Catherine joins David on The Tennis Podcast to discuss the match in detail. What made this the most encouraging performance of Murray’s comeback so far? What did Murray say in his press conference? How well did Verdasco do to hold his nerve in that thrilling final game?In the women’s draw, defending champion Sloane Stephens survived a three-setter against the impressive Anhelina Kalinina. Stephens didn’t play her best, but Catherine and David are full of praise for her attitude. They also can’t get enough of her opponent’s name…Elsewhere, a number of fascinating third round matches have been set, including Serena vs Venus. What will the atmosphere be like for that one on Friday?In a packed podcast, there’s also reaction to the statements given by the USTA and the WTA in response to Alize Cornet’s controversial code violation, chat about the latest Twitter activity of Nick Kyrgios, and a look ahead to day four.There will 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.

30 Aug 201835min

On a day of extreme heat and humidity at the US Open, when merely breathing was a challenge, Simon Briggs of Telegraph Sport joins David to salute all the players that managed to actually play high-level tennis in such brutal conditions.The decision of the tournament organisers to invoke the heat rule, including one for the men, is praised. But should play have been cancelled altogether?Novak Djokovic was one of a number of players to be seriously affected by the weather, but he battled through in four sets. Djokovic certainly looked exhausted, but isn’t it a good sign that he’s no longer hiding his emotions on court? Elsewhere, David and Simon pick up the pieces from Jo Konta’s straight-sets defeat to No. 6 seed Caroline Garcia. Does Konta need a plan B? Why has her serve become less effective? And how much longer will her coaching relationship with Michael Joyce last?In the night session, Roger Federer cruised through against Yoshihito Nishioka and Maria Sharapova held off Patty Schnyder’s mini-fightback. Finally, there’s a preview of Andy Murray’s second round match against Fernando Verdasco. Murray owns a 13-1 head-to-head record. But conditions are set to be even worse on Wednesday. Who will that favour?There will 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.

29 Aug 201828min

Former World No.5 turned Amazon Prime Video UK pundit Daniela Hantuchova joins David and Catherine to review an eventful opening day at the US Open.For the first time in the tournament’s history, the women’s top seed lost in the first round. Where did it all go wrong for Simona Halep against Kaia Kanepi? Why was there no real fightback? Has she become over-reliant on Darren Cahill? Hantuchova thinks she might still need time to recover from the high of winning at Roland Garros.From a British perspective it was a pretty chaotic day, with Andy Murray, Kyle Edmund and Heather Watson all playing at the same time.Murray came from a set down to defeat James Duckworth, with his movement improving steadily throughout the match. Hantuchova gives an insight into what it’s like to return from injury, and draws a fascinating comparison between Halep’s on-court negativity and Murray’s emotional ramblings.Edmund, meanwhile, broke down physically in a four-set loss to Paolo Lorenzi. What happened?Elsewhere, Stan Wawrinka eased past Grigor Dimitrov. Nobody was surprised by the result, but the 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 scoreline was alarmingly lop-sided. Why is Dimitrov struggling so much in 2018? Does he need to become less ‘stubborn’?In the night session, Serena's dress and Nadal's sleeveless top caught the eye.David and Catherine will be back with daily shows 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.

28 Aug 201830min

Spirits are high on the new Tennis Podcast with David and Catherine back together on Fifth Avenue to preview the US Open.David may have just stepped off the plane, but Catherine has been in New York for a couple of days. In that time, she’s seen the brand-new Louis Armstrong Stadium, soaked up the joy of Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day and spoken to a number of players at the “Superbowl style” media day, including Andy Murray. What state of mind is he in? And how far can he realistically go this fortnight?On paper, Novak Djokovic has the draw from heaven, while Federer’s is a bit of a nightmare. Will we see them face off in the quarter-finals?We will also get our first look at the new partnership between Ivan Lendl and Alexander Zverev. Will Lendl be the difference-maker? On the women’s side, can Stephens pull off the rare feat (unless you’re Serena Williams) of defending her title? And how will Halep cope without the on-court coaching of Darren Cahill?Angelique Kerber, meanwhile, is looking relaxed. Can she win back-to-back Grand Slams?There’s also the possibility of Serena vs. Venus in the third round. But David and Catherine both think it might not happen.Elsewhere, there are some bold predictions and a couple of cameo appearances from two former British No.1s…David and Catherine will be back with daily shows 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.

26 Aug 201848min

It was a monumental week for tennis as the ITF’s proposals to reform the Davis Cup were approved. The decision sparked a huge reaction, with much of it negative. But is it all doom and gloom? On the new Tennis Podcast, Catherine and Charlie Eccleshare of Telegraph Sport give their take on the news.Can the new Davis Cup and the planned World Team Cup possibly co-exist? Will the $3billion investment help smaller tennis nations? And are some players scared to come out in support of the reforms?On court this week, Novak Djokovic claimed an elusive maiden title in Cincinnati to become the first singles player ever to win all nine Masters 1000 events. How big of an achievement is it? And is he now the US Open favourite?Djokovic beat Federer in the final in Cincinnati. Catherine and Charlie both think that Federer played very poorly in the final, but they disagree about his prospects in New York.On the women’s side, Kiki Bertens produced a brilliant run in Cincinnati. She toppled Wozniacki, Svitolina, Kvitova and then World No. 1 Simona Halep in the final. Can we now stop calling her a clay-court specialist?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.

20 Aug 20181h

With David away on holiday, The Telegraph’s Charlie Eccleshare joins Catherine on The Tennis Podcast to review the action from the Rogers Cup in Canada, where world No.1s Simona Halep and Rafael Nadal picked up the titles in Montreal and Toronto respectively.Halep battled past Stephens in a thrilling final. Can the pair now establish a genuine, lasting rivalry at the top of the game? And is it too early to call them the two clear favourites for the US Open?Nadal, meanwhile, withstood the challenge of Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Greek beat four top-10 players in a row to reach the final, capturing hearts and turning heads in the process. What makes him so exciting to watch? Can he win a Grand Slam title before Alexander Zverev?Speaking of Zverev, he described his match with Tsitsipas as “pathetic” and said his opponent didn’t even play that well. It’s fair to say those comments divided opinion, but what did Catherine and Charlie make of them?Other talking points to come out of Canada included promising signs for Jo Konta and Stan Wawrinka, a glimpse of the Shapovalov-Auger-Aliassime bromance and a positive player response to the shot clock.Elsewhere, with the news this week that the venue for the ATP Finals after 2020 is being put out to tender, Catherine and Charlie weigh up the pros and cons of moving the event away from London’s O2 arena.Finally, this Thursday will see member nations vote on reforming the Davis Cup. The specific proposals, and the wide-ranging reactions they have provoked, are discussed.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.

13 Aug 20181h

Unsurprisingly, the eventful return of Andy Murray dominates discussion on this week’s Tennis Podcast.After Murray played and won his first hard court matches since March 2017 by advancing to the quarter-finals in Washington, David and Catherine are on hand to talk all about it.What did we learn about Murray? How well did he play? And why did he end up in tears after beating Marius Copil? The 3:02am finish might have had something to do with it…On that note, the scheduling issues in Washington are discussed, as well as the way in which tournament director Keely O’Brien misguidedly called Murray’s fighting spirit into question.While Murray hogged the headlines in Washington, it was ultimately Alexander Zverev who won the title. Zverev is still officially considered #NextGen, but the way he brushed aside Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alex De Minaur emphasised the superiority he has over his contemporaries. When will he start producing such dominant displays at Grand Slams?On the women’ side, tribute is paid to Mihaela Buzarnescu. The Romanian spent ten fruitless years attempting to qualify for a WTA Tour event, but her perseverance is finally paying off. Her title victory in San Jose is covered.San Jose also produced by far the most eye-catching scoreline of the week: Jo Konta 6-1, 6-0 Serena Williams. What happened there? Is Konta back on the right path? And can we read anything into Serena’s subsequent withdrawal from Montreal?There’s also reaction to Donna Vekic’s tearful speech after losing to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the Washington final, as well as a quick look ahead to the Rogers Cup. Which players have the most to prove in Canada?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.

6 Aug 201848min

Catherine and David are back with a bumper edition of The Tennis Podcast to reflect on everything that’s happened in the sport since Wimbledon. From Newport to Nanchang, all the noteworthy results and their implications are covered. Can Cecchinato or Fognini reach the ATP World Tour Finals? Who is 17-year-old Moscow titlist Olga Danilovic? And what’s the key to John Isner’s sustained success in Atlanta?Moreover, Britain’s Jay Clarke won the Binghamton Challenger. His prospects are discussed, as well as the proposals to revamp the ATP Challenger Tour from next year. Are the changes a good idea?Elsewhere, Marian Vajda has had some less-than-positive things to say about Pepe Imaz’s influence on Novak Djokovic. Those remarks came shortly after Djokovic wrote an open letter revealing the struggles he’s faced over the last two years. Catherine and David give their take on both subjects.Serena Williams has also made the headlines after tweeting her frustration at the way drug testing is carried out in tennis. She feels she has been subjected to discrimination. But is she ignoring some of the facts? It’s a murky picture, but both David and Catherine agree that tennis needs more drug testing, not less.There’s also debate over the pronunciation of ‘Bastad’, rumours that David and Catherine’s rematch may be around the corner, and a look at some of the quirkiest head-to-head records of all time.Last but not least, the winners of #TennisPodCastaways are announced.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.

30 Jul 201858min