Olympics Re-Lived: 2008 Beijing

The Beijing Olympics are perhaps best remembered for the world-beating achievements of Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps, but it was also an unforgettable Games for tennis.

We discuss Russia’s clean sweep of the women’s singles medals, how much a gold meant to Elena Dementieva, the way China embraced tennis, the lasting influence of the Beijing Games on the sport, how much Roger Federer values his doubles gold, and Rafael Nadal’s ascension to World No.1.

There was also an epic semi-final between James Blake and Fernando Gonzalez featuring a moment of controversy over whether or not Gonzalez’s racquet had touched the ball. On the podcast, Blake explains exactly why it made him angry, and Gonzalez gives his version of events.

Blake also discusses his one and only victory over Roger Federer and reveals how difficult it was to bounce back from a loss and play the bronze medal match.

The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.

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