Rafael Nadal won his 36th consecutive set of clay court tennis, dropping an average of two games per set, to claim his 11th Monte Carlo title. Afterwards, the Tennis Podcast team found themselves asking who can stop him on the surface, and how?
Presenter David Law was joined by Telegraph Sport tennis correspondent Simon Briggs to work their way through the potential candidates to ‘do a Robin Soderling’ - who beat Nadal at the French Open in 2009 - and how. Is it an in-form Juan Martin Del Potro? Could Novak Djokovic return to exert his former hold over the clay court master? Maybe big John Isner? Or is it simply impossible if Nadal is fit and at his best? They also wonder whether underarm serving might be a legitimate tactic to use against Nadal, given that he operates so far back behind his baseline.
The Fed Cup weekend results are discussed - Great Britain’s narrow, heartbreaking defeat to Japan, and the wins for Czech Republic and the United States to reach the final. Was there anything that the British team or captain could/should have done differently?
Briggs was in Miami when the controversy over Caroline Wozniacki’s treatment by the crowd erupted, and he gives his view about the reaction of the tournament, and also tells us the story of Rob Fahey and Camden Riviere, the ‘Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal of Real Tennis’, who will face off at The Queen’s Club this week.
The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly throughout the year and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments, in association with Telegraph Sport and Eurosport, and presented by Catherine Whitaker (Eurosport) and David Law (BBC 5 Live, BT Sport).
Indian Wells - Tuesday teems with titanic tussles
Meeting Medvedev
Indian Wells - Murray gives Thiem, Berrettini, Raducanu reason to hope
We're at Indian Wells!
Medvedev maintains fab form; De Minaur the last man standing in Acapulco
Krejcikova - Iga's kryptonite?; Alcaraz injured again; More Murray marathons
Imperious Iga and the return of the famous Carlos Alcaraz
What's happened since Melbourne?
AO Day 14 - Djokovic Feeling 22
AO Day 13 - Now THAT was a final; Courier previews Djokovic vs Tsitsipas
AO Day 12 - Fantastic finals await; Djokovic deals with Dad’s controversy
AO Day 11 - Fierce final guaranteed; Pro Russia demonstrations dominate headlines
AO Day 10 - Pam Shriver and the Joy of Coaching; Semifinals set
AO Day 9 - Victoria Azarenka ten years later
AO Day 8 - The real Novak Djokovic is here - good luck everyone
AO Day 7 - Swiatek feels weight of World No.1
AO Day 6 - Murray leaves his mark on Melbourne; Sabalenka vs. Bencic? Yes please!
AO Day 5 - Seeds wasteland, Korda's coming, cracking matches ahead
AO Day 4 - Magic, Madness, Andy Murray
AO Day 3 -The Sadness of Rafael Nadal; Is RaduCoco the future? Yes Please
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