Tennis with an Accent
274 episodes - English - Latest episode: 8 days ago - ★★★★★ - 38 ratingsTennis with an Accent is a podcast on tennis. Where we bring weekly conversations on all things tennis
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Episodes
Federer Retirement Special - Episode 2
September 29, 2022 14:26 - 1 hour - 34.5 MBIn the closing act of our Roger Federer tribute and analysis Matt Zemek is joined by in house contributor Andrew Burton. Both men were colleagues at the Peter Bodo's Tennis world blog in the late 2000's. They recall upon lot of interesting storylines from the Federer trajectory including his arch rivals and their own progress - Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray from the blogging days and try to make sense of some of the narratives from back then. Burton weighs on the impact of Federe...
Federer Retirement Special - Episode 1
September 21, 2022 21:00 - 1 hour - 32.2 MBAs Roger Federer walks into the tennis books forever this coming Friday we at tennis with an accent have two special episodes ready for your consumption. In the opening act Mert Ertunga returns to the podcast to join host Saqib Ali to take a deep look back at the complete Federer package - his evolution, his tennis strokes, best matches and even some great anecdotes. This is a must listen for each tennis fan and especially Federer fans.
Federer retirement special - Episode 1
September 21, 2022 21:00 - 1 hour - 32.2 MBAs Roger Federer walks into the tennis books forever this coming Friday we at tennis with an accent have two special episodes ready for your consumption. In the opening act Mert Ertunga returns to the podcast to join host Saqib Ali to take a deep look back at the complete Federer package - his evolution, his tennis strokes, best matches and even some great anecdotes. This is a must listen for each tennis fan and especially Federer fans.
Bri recalls the iconic ride of being a Serena fan
September 10, 2022 14:24 - 52 minutes - 24.2 MBBrianna Foust returns to the podcast to pay homage to the great Serena Williams. She joins Matt Zemek to unpack her recollections of Serena and the impact she had on the sport and its fans all over the globe. This is a must listen for tennis fans as we marvel at the most iconic of careers. Bri on twitter -https://twitter.com/4TheTennis Matt on twitter - https://twitter.com/mzemek
George Ofman recalls US Open and Tennis Memories
August 26, 2022 19:18 - 43 minutes - 19.9 MBChicago Radio personality George Ofman joins Matt Zemek to relive some of his tennis memories from Chicago and US Open. Ofman is a host of the popular podcast - Tell me a story I don't know. Ofman recalls his first meeting with then USTA president Alan Schwartz during the 2002 open. He also takes a deeper dive into the era when professional tennis had a presence in city of Chicago. George Ofman on twitter -https://twitter.com/georgeofman Matt Zemek on twitter -https://twitter.com/mzemek
The Big Four Dominance at Wimbledon
July 23, 2022 05:41 - 57 minutes - 26.4 MBNovak Djokovic has won his 7th title at Wimbledon two weeks ago - which means for the 19th straight year the title has been been won by members of the "Big Four". Andrew Burton joins host Saqib Ali to look back at this amazing stranglehold by Federer, Djokovic, Nadal and Murray at the Championships.
The Big Four dominance at Wimbledon
July 23, 2022 05:41 - 57 minutes - 26.4 MBNovak Djokovic has won his 7th title at Wimbledon two weeks ago - which means for the 19th straight year the title has been been won by members of the "Big Four". Andrew Burton joins host Saqib Ali to look back at this amazing stranglehold by Federer, Djokovic, Nadal and Murray at the Championships.
The Championships Preview with Andrew Burton and Mert Ertunga
June 26, 2022 15:19 - 1 hour - 39.6 MBAndrew Burton and Mert Ertunga join the podcast this week to look ahead at Wimbledon. The duo broke down both draws and flagged potential good matches and made predictions. Andrew on Twitter -https://twitter.com/burtonad Mert on Twitter -https://twitter.com/MertovsTDesk Saqib on Twitter -https://twitter.com/saqiba
The Championships preview with Andrew Burton and Mert Ertunga
June 26, 2022 15:19 - 1 hour - 39.6 MBAndrew Burton and Mert Ertunga join the podcast this week to look ahead at Wimbledon. The duo broke down both draws and flagged potential good matches and made predictions. Andrew on Twitter -https://twitter.com/burtonad Mert on Twitter -https://twitter.com/MertovsTDesk Saqib on Twitter -https://twitter.com/saqiba
Flink and Woodforde Reminisce Splendours in the Grass
June 19, 2022 16:29 - 1 hour - 33.4 MBIn a Wimbledon special episode hall of famers Steve Flink and Mark Woodforde join host Saqib Ali to relive some of the great practitioners of men's lawn tennis. The duo elaborates this conversation through the prism of some of the most important shots in grass court tennis - serve, second serve, volley and slice backhand. This is a wide ranging conversation which covers many great names all the way from McEnroe to Djokovic.
Flink and Woodforde reminisce splendours in the grass
June 19, 2022 16:29 - 1 hour - 33.4 MBIn a Wimbledon special episode hall of famers Steve Flink and Mark Woodforde join host Saqib Ali to relive some of the great practitioners of men's lawn tennis. The duo elaborates this conversation through the prism of some of the most important shots in grass court tennis - serve, second serve, volley and slice backhand. This is a wide ranging conversation which covers many great names all the way from McEnroe to Djokovic.
Nadal and Swiatek reign supreme
June 07, 2022 17:39 - 1 hour - 40 MBAnother edition of Roland Garros is in the books. For the 14th time in last 18 years Rafael Nadal is the last man standing. Iga Swiatek continued her amazing winning ways on the WTA side of the draw. Andrew Burton(https://twitter.com/burtonad) joins Matt Zemek(https://twitter.com/mzemek) to relive the championship weekend and some broader talking points from the fortnight. The duo covered Casper Ruud's maiden final at a major, the Zverev injury, night sessions at RG and the rise of Coco Gauf...
Nadal and Swiatek Reign Supreme
June 07, 2022 17:39 - 1 hour - 40 MBAnother edition of Roland Garros is in the books. For the 14th time in last 18 years Rafael Nadal is the last man standing. Iga Swiatek continued her amazing winning ways on the WTA side of the draw. Andrew Burton(https://twitter.com/burtonad) joins Matt Zemek(https://twitter.com/mzemek) to relive the championship weekend and some broader talking points from the fortnight. The duo covered Casper Ruud's maiden final at a major, the Zverev injury, night sessions at RG and the rise of Coco Gauf...
He comin!
May 10, 2022 04:36 - 55 minutes - 25.3 MBAndrew Burton joins Matt Zemek on this episode to talk about Carlos Alcaraz's arrival to the big league of tennis. Alcaraz won his second masters 1000 title of the season and announced himself as one of the big favorites for Roland Garros. While doing so he went through Nadal and Djokovic in a space of two days - making him the first player to achieve that feat on clay. The duo also talks about Sascha Zverev who was clearly outplayed by the young Spaniard in the title match on Sunday. The co...
From Miami to Clay with Skip Schwarzman
April 07, 2022 21:27 - 1 hour - 31.3 MBTWAA regular contributor Skip Schwarzman joins the podcast to recap the Miami Open and to launch the clay conversation. He joins Saqib and Matt and gives his take on Carlos Alcaraz's meteoric rise up the ranks. The group also looks at the potential of an Osaka Swiatek rivalry on the backdrop of the Miami final. Last but not the least we also kick off the clay conversation for this year. skip on twitter @TennisSkip1515 Matt on twitter @Mzemek Saqib on twitter @saqiba https://tennisaccent.com...
Leading men of ATP through the 70's and 80's
March 28, 2022 21:22 - 2 hours - 61.6 MBIn a throwback episode of the podcast we take a look into the big talking points of ATP in the decades of 70's and 80's. Making sense of this conversation are hall of famer Steve Flink and tennis coach Mert Ertunga. Conversation focuses on the leading players and their rivalries through the respective decades. It's impossible to cover all the names but we do take a deeper dive into the following names - Borg, Connors, Nastase, Ashe, Vilas, McEnroe, Lendl, Becker and Wiander. Brew a cup of cof...
Barty Retires
March 23, 2022 20:36 - 45 minutes - 20.9 MBAsh Barty has stunned the tennis world by announcing her retirement from the game at age twenty five. This is such a rare occurrence in professional sports when a dominant athlete who has age on their side calls time on a career. Matt Zemek(https://twitter.com/mzemek) and Saqib Ali(https://twitter.com/saqiba) discuss the Barty decision while reminiscing her greatness and comparing it with other young tennis retirements.
Gill Gross on podcasting and the ATP power rankings heading into Indian Wells
March 03, 2022 04:26 - 1 hour - 30 MBTennis channel anchor Gill Gross is the podcast guest this week as we explore his tennis and podcasting journey. Gross opens up about his ambitions to be a sports broadcaster and how his path shaped up towards his youtube show and podcasting. We also take stock of the leading men of ATP through the first two months of tennis. Other topics covered are the Nadal Medvedev rivalry, the looming breakthrough watch for Carlos Alcaraz and the steady rise of Felix Auger-Aliassime. https://twitter.c...
Gill Gross on Podcasting and the ATP Power Rankings heading into Indian Wells
March 03, 2022 04:26 - 1 hour - 30 MBTennis channel anchor Gill Gross is the podcast guest this week as we explore his tennis and podcasting journey. Gross opens up about his ambitions to be a sports broadcaster and how his path shaped up towards his youtube show and podcasting. We also take stock of the leading men of ATP through the first two months of tennis. Other topics covered are the Nadal Medvedev rivalry, the looming breakthrough watch for Carlos Alcaraz and the steady rise of Felix Auger-Aliassime. https://twitter.c...
The Del Potro Episode
February 15, 2022 03:41 - 1 hour - 35.1 MBJuan Martin Del Potro called time on his career. This episode is a look back at the career of Del Porto and we can't help but reminisce what could have been the case had he had a surgery free career. Few questions come to mind right off the bat - would he have won more majors than Murray and Wawrinka? For one time slam winners how does he measure up to an Andy roddick? Why did he not play the Argentina open through most of his career? We explore two vantage points to capture these discussion ...
The Del Potro episode
February 15, 2022 03:41 - 1 hour - 35.1 MBJuan Martin Del Potro called time on his career. This episode is a look back at the career of Del Porto and we can't help but reminisce what could have been the case had he had a surgery free career. Few questions come to mind right off the bat - would he have won more majors than Murray and Wawrinka? For one time slam winners how does he measure up to an Andy roddick? Why did he not play the Argentina open through most of his career? We explore two vantage points to capture these discussion ...
Nadal wins 21st major and Barty breaks Aussie drought
February 03, 2022 05:45 - 1 hour - 28.4 MBRafael Nadal won his 21st major in Melbourne last sunday which makes him as the most successful men's champion in grand slams. He has broken the three way tie of 20 majors with arch rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. On the women's side of the draw Ash Barty created Aussies history by winning the tournament which ended the local drought of 44 years. Hall of famer Mark Woodforde joins the show to look at this historic weekend of tennis.
The Aussie view on the Djokovic saga
January 11, 2022 15:00 - 1 hour - 29.3 MBJames Rosewarne(https://twitter.com/jamesrokewarne) and Vijay Arumugam(https://twitter.com/vijayarumugam) join the show this week to give the Aussie perspective on the Djokovic saga. Rosewarne is the managing editor of the https://www.statsinsider.com.au/ site and Arumugam is a known presence on cricket twitter. Both are NSW residents and had some similar and some different viewpoints on how Australia operates and more importantly helped unpack the sports and politics connection.
The Aussie View on the Djokovic Saga
January 11, 2022 15:00 - 1 hour - 29.3 MBJames Rosewarne(https://twitter.com/jamesrokewarne) and Vijay Arumugam(https://twitter.com/vijayarumugam) join the show this week to give the Aussie perspective on the Djokovic saga. Rosewarne is the managing editor of the https://www.statsinsider.com.au/ site and Arumugam is a known presence on cricket twitter. Both are NSW residents and had some similar and some different viewpoints on how Australia operates and more importantly helped unpack the sports and politics connection.
The Boris Becker fan episode
December 28, 2021 08:13 - 1 hour - 41.9 MBThe hunter becomes the hunted as Saqib Ali and Mert Ertunga swap places for this episode of the pod. Mert steps in as the host for the pod as he interviews Saqib on his Boris Becker fandom. It's an off season tribute to one of the all time greats of the game through the vantage point of a fan. The episode chronicles many different memories of Becker's storied tennis career from his rise to fame as a teenager in 1985 to his sudden retirement in 1997.
The Boris Becker Fan Episode
December 28, 2021 08:13 - 1 hour - 41.9 MBThe hunter becomes the hunted as Saqib Ali and Mert Ertunga swap places for this episode of the pod. Mert steps in as the host for the pod as he interviews Saqib on his Boris Becker fandom. It's an off season tribute to one of the all time greats of the game through the vantage point of a fan. The episode chronicles many different memories of Becker's storied tennis career from his rise to fame as a teenager in 1985 to his sudden retirement in 1997.
Blair Henley and the art of the on court interview
December 17, 2021 03:57 - 48 minutes - 22 MBBlair Henley is the podcast guest this week at Tennis with an Accent. I call her the voice of the tennis stadiums. She has been involved in tennis all her life and we explored her journey in the sport. The conversation touched upon various elements like her debut as the MC on court 17 at the US Open to her most memorable post match interview. Henley also highlighted the preparation that goes into the art of on court interviews - the dos and the don'ts and what questions to chose from. Last b...
YEC review and the Peng Shuai Situation
December 03, 2021 18:30 - 47 minutes - 21.9 MBIn this episode Matt and Saqib review the respective wins of Muguruza and Zverev at the Year end championships in Mexico and Italy. We also make a relative deeper dive into the fact whether winning these YEC historically have been a pedestal for success for breakout winners. The conversation also touches upon how the success of the event in Guadalajara should pave way for newer markets to host the showcase events in future for both WTA and ATP. Last but not the least TWAA team weighs in on th...
Damian Kust on the participants of the Nextgen ATP Finals
November 11, 2021 03:09 - 52 minutes - 24.2 MBFreelance tennis writer Damian Kust(@damiankust on Twitter)returns to the podcast to discuss the field of the NextGen ATP Finals in Milan. Kust is a tennis hipster who follows the ITF and the challenger tours throughout the year. He sheds some expert views on the rise of Carlos Alcaraz. He also describes why Alcaraz maybe the exception to the rule in a sport where it has become increasingly difficult to break though as a teenager. The conversation also shifts to Korda, Musetti, Baez and Nakas...
Tennis returns to Indian Wells after more than two years
October 07, 2021 02:14 - 45 minutes - 21 MBIn this episode Matt and Saqib preview the Indian Wells 2021 edition. A lot has happened in the tennis world since Indian wells was played last. This episode covers the big stories coming into the event on both sides of the draws. Will Muguruza and Casper Ruud ride the hot hand into the desert? Can Medvedev narrow the gap between him and Djokovic in the rankings? Can Zverev and Tsitsipas overcome the disappointments of New York? A lot of food for thought for all fans.
US Open review with Mark Woodforde
September 15, 2021 04:40 - 1 hour - 37.1 MBDoubles legend Mark Woodforde returns to TWAA to review the US Open championships. We look back at the tournament where Daniil Medvedev stopped the historic bid of world number one Novak Djokovic for the Grand slam and the unprecedented run of Emma Raducanu as the first qualifier to win a major.
Jaime Yzaga relives the Sampras upset from US Open 1994
September 07, 2021 03:37 - 42 minutes - 19.4 MBFormer top 20 player Jaime Yzaga of Peru joins the podcast this week to recall his amazing win over Pete Sampras from US Open 1994. Yzaga was a solid ATP pro in his day who had wins over Boris Becker, Mats Wilander, Stefan Edberg and Andre Agassi among others. Yzaga gets candid about his toughest opponents, greatest memories and some current tennis topics like bathroom breaks and future stars of the game.
US Open Preview with Mert Ertunga
August 28, 2021 16:25 - 1 hour - 46.7 MBMert Ertunga is back on TWAA to preview a slam. He joins Matt Zemek and Saqib Ali to look ahead for the US Open fortnight. The conversation centers around Osaka, Barty and Djokovic for the respective draws.
Dr. Craig Cypher talks about mental health in sports
August 13, 2021 02:47 - 58 minutes - 26.8 MBDr. Craig Cypher -- @DoctorCypher on Twitter -- is a clinical and sport psychologist. He is a certified mental performance consultant who works in the University of Rochester's fitness and science department. He joins Tennis With An Accent to provide layers of insights into sports psychology and the mental health of athletes. He discusses the psychology of athletes, the psychology of tennis players, and examines specific aspects of Naomi Osaka's story to explain how her journey is instructive...
Nico Lapentti Podcast
July 17, 2021 15:07 - 1 hour - 28.8 MBFormer world number six Nico Lapentti of Ecuador is the podcast guest. Lapentti now covers tennis for ESPN and remains involved in the sport. The conversation was rich in nostalgia and dates back to the "New balls please" campaign of lat 90's in which Lapentti was part of the young players the ATP promoted along with the likes of Guga Kuerten and Roger Federer. Lapentti also weighed in on the range of clay court players he had played against during his time as a pro on the tour - ranging from...
Ravi Ubha previews The Championships
June 26, 2021 18:46 - 1 hour - 30.2 MBNoted writer and commentator Ravi Ubha(@raviubha on twitter) returns to the podcast to help unpack the draws for the 2021 edition of The Championships.
The Prajwal Hegde files
June 21, 2021 15:50 - 59 minutes - 27.3 MBPrajwal Hegde has been covering tennis for more than two decades. In this episode of TWAA she recalls upon how her tennis media journey started through the Mid-Day newspaper. Hegde has been seen as part of the first generation of women covering sports in India. Was covering tennis any different than covering Cricket in India? Hegde also highlights her lonely presence as an Indian representative on the international tour. The conversation also covers the media relations with players and how t...
Djokovic completes second set of career slam and Krejcikova gets on the board
June 16, 2021 01:49 - 1 hour - 31.8 MBMatt Zemek and Saqib Ali review the championship weekend at Roland Garros as Novak Djokovic and Barbora Krejcikova reigned supreme. Djokovic won his 19th career major and also completed the second set of career grand slam. Krejcikova completed the rare double of singles and doubles win at Roland Garros. Also covered in this episode at length is the Nadal Djokovic semi final - which featured an all time best set of tennis.
Steve Flink looks forward to business end of RG21
June 08, 2021 04:19 - 47 minutes - 21.9 MBHall of famer Steve Flink joins the show this week to talk about the ongoing French Open. Flink looks forward to some highly anticipated matchups like Danil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas and the potential meeting between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic as the event approaches quarter finals stage. He also looks back at the major first week exits of Serena Williams and Roger Federer.
Andres Gomez looks ahead to Roland Garros
May 21, 2021 22:18 - 57 minutes - 26.2 MBFormer French Open champion Andres Gomez returns to the podcast to talk about the men's edition of the upcoming Roland Garros. Gomez feels Rafael Nadal can be challenged this year and he weighs in on the chances of Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas. He also compares the sabbaticals of Mats Wilander and John McEnroe during his playing days to the current situation of Thiem. Gomez also explains how the use of slice has stayed relevant in modern clay court tennis. I also got ...
Another #10 for Nadal
May 17, 2021 04:05 - 1 hour - 27.6 MBMatt and Saqib look at the Rome results where Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek were victorious. Do these results have a bigger implication for Roland Garros? Matt describes the chaotic nature of WTA draws and why it is not possible to predict how a women's draw may play out. The conversation also dissects the Thiem vs Tsitsipas debate as to which man is the 3rd leading candidate for Roland Garros. Lots of other relevant detail unpacked here as we are two weeks away from the second major of the ...
Miguel Seabra talks about the Estoril Open, wild cards and appearance fees
May 05, 2021 20:25 - 39 minutes - 18.3 MBTennis writer and Estoril Open media director Miguel Seabra returns to the podcast. In this episode Seabra reflects on the recently concluded edition of the Millenium Estoril open. The conversation covers topics like organizing tennis in the pandemic, the wild card system and appearance fees pool.
Tsitsipas wins Monte Carlo
April 20, 2021 05:14 - 38 minutes - 17.6 MBMatt Zemek joins Saqib Ali to look back at Stefanos Tsitsipas's maiden masters 1000 win. Has Tsitsipas eclipsed Dominic Thiem as the third best player heading into Paris by winning Monte Carlo? What does the win over Rafa Nadal mean for Andrey Rublev? Does Nadal's loss mean anything for his status as the undisputed favorite for Roland garros? Last but not the least we discuss Roger Federer's limited clay schedule.
The Rafael Nadal episode
April 14, 2021 03:08 - 1 hour - 35.1 MBMert Ertunga(@MertovsTdesk, Briana Foust(@4TheTennis) and Nawal(@NawalNadal) join host Saqib Ali to look at the amazing on going career of Rafael Nadal. Mert looks at the career arc of Nadal through the lens of an analyst where as Bri and Nawal provide fan recollections for the same career. A must listen!
James Peeling on Miami Open and the Upcoming clay season
April 06, 2021 16:23 - 36 minutes - 16.8 MBTennis blogger James Peeling(@Moo_Tennis on twitter)returns to the show after a two year gap. His return could not be timed better as we explore the results of Miami open - which was a great tournament for the WTA except the final in terms of quality of tennis. Peeling who follows the pulse of the WTA closely had a lot to say about Ash Barty, Bianca Andreescu, Maria Sakkari and Elina Svitolina. The conversation moves further into clay as we have Peeling help us do high level preview of the u...
Mert Ertunga on international tennis travel during Covid and in form tennis players
March 30, 2021 12:32 - 58 minutes - 26.8 MBTWAA in house analyst Mert Ertunga(@MertovsTDesk) joins the show to talk about off court and on court stuff from the tennis world. Ertunga aims to highlight the struggles of lower ranked players on how the pandemic has cost many of them their livelihoods. All this comes from the lens of international borders and travel regulations for the players competing at ITF level. On the court stuff includes Ertunga's assessments of Rublev, Karatsev, Fucsovics and Korda. We also discuss the incredible ...
Andrew Burton on Djokovic's record weeks at number 1 and return of Federer
March 16, 2021 17:35 - 40 minutes - 18.7 MBAndrew Burton joins Matt Zemek to talk about the state of both tours through the lens of Big 7 - the four majors, ATP, WTA and the ITF. The duo also touches upon the return of Roger Federer to tour after more than a year of absence. The conversation shifts to Novak Djokovic's world record for most weeks at number one. Danil Medvedev's ascent to world number two gets a mention as he is the first non big 4 player to rank this high.
Tony Trabert Tribute by Steve Flink
March 03, 2021 13:58 - 28 minutes - 13.1 MBHall of famer Steve Flink returns to the pod to pay homage to American great Tony Trabert. Trabert who passed away at 90 on February 3, 2021 was a hall of famer himself. Flink helps put Trabert's achievements in perspective considering the tour had turned pro back then and the best players were not allowed to play the majors. Trabert had won 5 majors and was a successful Davis cup captain as well. According to Flink he is in top 10 American male tennis players of all time.
Djokovic and Osaka confirm hard court supremacy in Melbourne
February 22, 2021 19:49 - 1 hour - 37.8 MBMert Ertunga joins Matt Zemek and Saqib Ali to review the 2021 Australian Open. The conversation heavily focuses on the statistical nuance of Novak Djokovic's masterclass in the final over Danil Medvedev. The group also compares the progress made in this tournament from the lens of Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Have they both eclipsed Dominic Thiem as the best non big three player? What about Aslan Karatsev - can he sustain a place in the top 100? The WTA side of the conversation features...
Aus Open Day 12
February 19, 2021 02:07 - 35 minutes - 16.2 MBMatt Zemek and Mert Ertunga look back the at the action from day 11 with Osaka, Brady and Djokovic as winners of their respective matches. They also look forward to Medvedev vs Tsitsipas.