In this episode of No Challenges Remaining, Ben and Courtney slide into the clay season with all the gracefulness you'd expect. We discuss Novak Djokovic's surprising win over Rafael Nadal that ended his Monte Carlo monopoly. We also dissect the massive prize money increases that have been awarded to players this year, what impact they will have, and if they were really necessary. Then we answer a question about awkward presser questions, and finally regale you with rants and raves about our for...
Apr 25, 2013•1 hr 13 min
On this special all-questions Episode 35, Courtney and Ben try to answer all those tennis questions that have kept you up at night. Like, for instance, what has propelled Roberta Vinci to the top? Is on-court coaching embarrassing to the WTA or is it simply a case of anti-women's tennis bias? What kind of tweeter has Maria Sharapova turned out to be? And what about golf, which there was a lot of this weekend? Ben and Courtney have a lot of thoughts about golf, and how it relates to tennis. A lot...
Apr 18, 2013•1 hr 15 min
In Episode 34, Ben and Courtney wrap up their time in Charleston, which was more Jankovic-filled than they ever could have been prepared for. We share with you some of the highlights of her press, and share what it is like to see her hold court off-court. We also discuss the sister semifinalists Venus and Serena Williams, and give our thoughts on the documentary about the two which was released this week. We also talk about the many up-and-comers who made their presences known in Charleston, fro...
Apr 11, 2013•1 hr 15 min
In Episode 33, Ben and Courtney are live in Charleston, where the pralines (and subsequently their waistlines) overfloweth. We catch up on the Miami finals, including that last minor bit called a third set tiebreak that CBS decided not to show in lieu of college basketball. We also discuss the happenings so far, including Courtney's on-court escapades with the one and only Venus Williams. We also recount the dramatical WTA insta-classic that was Mattek-Sands d. Rodionova, and how it got the atte...
Apr 03, 2013•1 hr 4 min
In Episode 32, Ben and Courtney look at Miami from afar, and are somewhat underwhelmed. Why has the tournament lacked spark thus far? We also discuss the state of Sloane Stephens, and what fair expectations for her are. Then we take a couple listener questions, on the lack of early round television coverage at Indian Wells and Miami, as well as on the increasing Gimelstobification of tennis. Lastly, we bring you our final podcast interview from Indian Wells, this one with Freddie Nielsen, who wo...
Mar 26, 2013•1 hr 13 min
In Episode 31, Ben and Courtney wrap the week that was in Indian Wells. How exactly did Rafael Nadal come back to the top so quickly, and what does it say about the rest of the tour? Are comparisons between Federer's willingness to play through back pain and the withdrawals of Azarenka and Stosur fair? Also, we discuss articles this week by Bruce Jenkins and Elizabeth Newman about the Williams Sisters' ongoing decision to skip Indian Wells, and how we feel about the decision ourselves. We then p...
Mar 20, 2013•1 hr 17 min
In this very special 30th episode, Ben and Courtney talk Indian Wells for a bit. But more significantly, we finally unlock the door to the NCR studio and invite in an actual guest for the second half of the show. Because we like our guests to be awesome, we decided to go with the one-and-only Andrea Petkovic, the three-time Slam quarterfinalist, YouTube star, and general all-around cool lady. Among many other things, Petko talks tennis, injury layoffs, the differences between Germans and Serbian...
Mar 12, 2013•1 hr 3 min
In this live, on-site, one-take episode recorded in beautiful Indian Wells, California, Ben and Courtney discuss the upcoming 2013 BNP Paribas Open, which sees the hard court return of Rafael Nadal. Also, Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka are riding big win streaks, and it all seems very familiar. Also, you'll get to find out which one of us wears a Nike Fuel Band. So there's that.
Mar 06, 2013•47 min
In Episode 28, Ben and Courtney discuss the week that was in what has been a surprisingly jam-packed February for tennis. We also discuss the busy week for Rebecca Marino, and Ben's coverage of her story, and follow that with an acknowledgment that Jelena Jankovic hauled her cookies and her entourage to Colombia. We then take questions about why the Memphis field was so poor, if the Putintseva parade has lost its pizzazz, and who will be the next first time Slam winner. Finally we take a number ...
Feb 26, 2013•1 hr 20 min
It was a very busy week in tennis considering it's February, so Ben and Courtney had lots to talk about. We discuss the changing dynamic atop the WTA, with the interesting coinciding happenings of Serena Williams ascending to No. 1 but losing to Victoria Azarenka. We also discuss Rafael Nadal's week in Brazil, and that he won, but also if he's been given a free pass for diva-like behavior when it comes to constantly complaining and being unsatisfied. We then talk about Piotr Wozniacki berating a...
Feb 19, 2013•1 hr 30 min
On this episode, Ben and Courtney talk about Rafael Nadal's return to the tour in Chile, and what to make of his loss in the final to Horacio Zeballos. We also discuss the even more surprising news out of La Famille Bartoli, with Marion and Walter parting ways. We then tackle the ATP/Indian Wells prize money increase debacle, and offer to take any spare cash that may be lying around. Then we take questions about hotels and languages and Serena, take a very good number, and then rant about stuff ...
Feb 13, 2013•1 hr 35 min
On this long-awaited Episode 25, delayed due to oceans between us and technical difficulties, Ben and Courtney finally wrap the 2013 Australian Open. This, of course, means lots on Victoria Azarenka's injury timeout, and an evaluation of the backlash she received. We also consider the current state of American men's tennis, particularly Ryan Harrison. We then discuss Davis Cup, its flaws, and the flawed verbiage with which maple leaf mastery has been described. And to close, Courtney reveals her...
Feb 06, 2013•1 hr 21 min
In Episode 24, Ben and Courtney discuss the first week of the 2013 season, in which the youngin's did good and lots of people threw in the towel. We looked toward to the Australian Open, and sympathetically at Sam Stosur, who seems to find the entire continent to be made of kryptonite. And does love mean nothing to tennis media, or should we be deciphering every glance that Grigor Dimitrov throws in the direction of the WTA Tour? Also, we take a number and Ben recites One Direction b-side lyrics...
Jan 08, 2013•1 hr 10 min
In Episode 23, Ben and Courtney had to jump back in the booth to address Rafael Nadal's early withdrawal from the Australian Open, and whether or not it was the right decision. It's a new year, so we discuss what we want to see in this year, and what we don't want to see.We also discuss the age rule at length, as well as Andy Murray and which Grand Slam will have the best final in 2013. Also, we "take a number" in the 90s once again, which I know you people all get some sick pleasure out of. The...
Jan 04, 2013•1 hr 51 min
In Episode 22b, Ben and Courtney continue to power through your winter questions like a snow plow through a blizzard--except with way more sarcasm and debates over Ke$ha. Topics include tournament travel recommendations, federation funding of less achieving players, and what sport we'd like to write about besides tennis. Also, we recognize the wonder that is Tsvetana Pironkova against Venus Williams, as well as some thoughts on the world of online tennis writing. And because we didn't get to say...
Dec 18, 2012•1 hr 19 min
In Episode 22a, your questions keep Courtney and Ben from starving in the harsh tennis winter, for which they are very appreciative. Topics include Australian things like Bernard Tomic, Sam Stosur, and Hopman Cup, as well as guilty pleasures like Jelena Jankovic and Serena Williams appearing on the Home Shopping Network. This episode is ruched and very slimming--you should totally download one in each color.
Dec 11, 2012•1 hr 6 min
In another post-season episode, Ben and Courtney answer lots of listener questions. You people help get us through this long, cold winter, and for that we are grateful. Topics include Kim Clijsters and Yulia Putintseva, who have faiiirly different personalities. We also resurrect Take a Number and introduce the world (and ourselves) to Tita Torro. And then we discuss doping for a while because we haven't before and it seemed relevant even if it is a massive bummer. But we end on a high (boy sopr...
Dec 01, 2012•1 hr 28 min
In Episode 20, Courtney and Ben are back stateside and back on the mic(s). We talk or ways through the WTFs in London, our ballots for Player of the Year, Most Improved, Best Newcomer, and more. Then we audibly shake our heads when discussing what Bernard Tomic does atop buildings. Also, we end the episode by discussing whether or not Rafael Nadal will congratulate us for getting back in the recording studio (or something), and what sort of suitcase he should put his Armani in when he returns to...
Nov 17, 2012•1 hr 17 min
In Episode 19, Ben and Courtney stick with the Asian swing to discuss Victoria Azarenka's domination over Maria Sharapova on hardcourts, Kei Nishikori's history-making in Tokyo, and the merits of tennis in China when all we see are empty seats and stadiums. We also discuss the upcoming TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships in Istanbul, the freshly revealed lineup for next year's Hopman Cup, and per our listeners' request, we talk about our pre-NCR lives. Oh and Courtney finally found her microphone....
Oct 10, 2012•1 hr 4 min
Asia is still going, but if a seed falls in the middle of the night and almost no one is watching, does it make a sound? Ben and Courtney therefore make plenty of other sounds about other things, ranging from the Party Rock Open to Ryan Harrison, and from Andy Murray's rank in the pantheon to hands in pants. It all makes sense in context, sort of.
Oct 03, 2012•1 hr 3 min
When we last left our heroes Ben and Courtney's cup overfloweth with the U.S. Open. The chalice has been considerably drier in Asia thus far, but our dear listeners quenched our thirst with a deluge of questions which we answered for the majority of the show. We also resurrected our "Take a Number" segment, and when we didn't like the first number we did it again because we are grown-ups and we make the rules.
Sep 28, 2012•58 min
On Episode 16b, Ben and Courtney continue their recap of the U.S. Open and answer a flurry of questions from email and Twitter. They talk about the USTA's bungling of Taylor Townsend, whether Ana Ivanovic has topped out, the merits of best of five matches at the Slams, Vivica A. Fox: Superfan, the best current ATPer not to win a Slam, and all this prize money mumbo-jumbo.
Sep 27, 2012•48 min
Ben and Courtney were so excited to talk about the U.S. Open that their rambles ended up as two different episodes. Here’s Episode 16a, wherein Ben recaps his experience covering the Open and we talk about Serena WIlliams and Andy Murray’s championship runs, our favorite matches, best performances, Andy Roddick and Kim Clijsters’ farewells, Laura Robson’s breakthrough run, and Victoria Azarenka’s winning via losing. Somehow Courtney tries to justify her reading 50 Shades of Grey. She fails, but ...
Sep 27, 2012•1 hr 15 min
“I have never cuddled with Rory McIlroy.” Guess which NCR’er said that. Ben and Courtney meet up in Mason, Ohio for the Western & Southern Open. Pardon us if we’re a little punchy. We weren’t exaggerating about the Applebees action. (Courtney’s note — Is it just me or is Ben WAY BETTER live rather than on Skype?) Talking Roger Federer dominance, the continued solidness of Angelique Kerber, Jelena Jankovic’s struggles, the charm of Petra Kvitova, we confess our love for Carlos Rodriguez (mayb...
Aug 23, 2012•1 hr 16 min
On Episode 14, Ben and Courtney breakdown what happened during the tennis event at the Olympics where Andy Murray and Serena Williams did some pretty good things. We discuss the best-of-three format at the Olympics, tiebreaks, and seriously, why the heck was Ryan Harrison apologizing?...
Aug 23, 2012•1 hr 29 min
We have neglected you. For that, we apologize. But to quote the Olympic motto: “Better late than never!”* Ben and Courtney were Stateside for the London Olympics and they were really excited. Mainly for the break from live tennis. Courtney talks about her Cali Swag at Stanford and San Diego, and Ben gets a chance to talk about one of his favorite things in the world, World Team Tennis. They also discuss the effect of the Olympics on the U.S. hardcourt schedule, curious Kim Clijsters, and the eff...
Aug 23, 2012•1 hr 14 min
After a long hiatus (we would apologize but it’s starting to sound like a broken record), Ben and Courtney return to discuss the happenings at Wimbledon. It’s a post-Rosol world now, where anything is possible, everyone believes, and the upsets keep raining down like…well…London rain. We talk about everything from the (unnecessary) equal prize money debate, the earthquake that was Lukas Rosol, British sporting culture, and much, much, more. Links discussed: S.L. Price’s piece on equal prize mone...
Jul 03, 2012•1 hr 28 min
Ok, let’s get this out of the way: the audio quality on Episode 10 is not great. But what it lacks in aural clarity it more than makes up for in content quality. Ben and Courtney touch base after Week 1 of the French Open to talk about the first week happenings, the second week’s predictions, and a bunch of ancillary topics including the television commentary so far, Hawk-Eye on clay, the State of Serena, Vexing Vika, how far the ATP Top 4 have pulled away from the rest of the field, and we rank...
Jun 06, 2012•1 hr 14 min
Are you ready for the French Open? I assure you we are not. Ben and Courtney reconvene for a quick chat in advance of the French Open, and recap what’s happened in Stuttgart, Madrid, and Rome as the ladies and gentlemen of tennis slid, whined, won, and threw barbs throughout the clay season. We talk about our favorites and not-so-favorites going into Roland Garros, the ever-entertaining war both on the court and off between Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova, and do listen closely as we do ou...
May 25, 2012•1 hr 15 min
When it rains, it pours. Here’s another bite-sized lost episode that Ben and Courtney recorded while they pretended that the NHL hockey playoffs were just as important — if not more so — than tennis. R&R the No Challenges Remaining way, folks. In Episode 8b, we Ben and Courtney discuss the loss of American tournaments to South America, tennis humblebraggers, the difficulty of writing about anyone outside of the ATP Top 4, and we Take a Number....
May 17, 2012•46 min
