Match Point Canada
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The Sunshine Double is officially in the books. Tennis Channel broadcaster and host of the Monday Match Analysis, Gill Gross joins Ben and Mike on this week's episode of Match Point Canada to recap all the action from the Miami Open! We discuss Jannik Sinner's dominance in 2024, and Danielle Collins emergence for a breakthrough title, plus a surprise coaching move from Novak Djokovic, and also look ahead to our top candidates on the clay courts. All of that and more on this edition of MPC.
She's an esteemed tennis journalist who does work for Tennis Connected, ESPN, and the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. Amy Lundy Dahl returns to Match Point Canada this week as she and Ben dissect some of the action unfolding through the Miami Open, and which players are standing out so far in both the men's and women's fields. We also forecast the clay court swing which lies ahead. Enjoy!
He captured 10 singles title on the ATP tour and reached a career high ranking of number four, is a successful author, tennis commentator, and also tournament director of the Miami Open. American James Blake returns to Match Point Canada this week to discuss his important role at the Miami Open, challenges of being a tournament director, the inspiration behind his tennis book 'Breaking Back', and much more. Meantime, Carlos Alcaraz captured his first title of 2024 with a huge victory at Indian Wells, while Iga Swiatek won her second BNP Paribas Open. We recap all the action from Tennis Paradise. All of that and more on our latest episode of MPC!
She's a former top 30 player, US Open quarterfinalist, represented Canada twice at the Olympics, multiple times at Fed Cup, and is a member of the Tennis Canada Hall of Fame! Tennis icon Patricia Hy-Boulais joins Match Point Canada this week to reflect on her professional career, discuss her recent coaching partnership and work with Rebecca Marino, and also share her harrowing and incredible journey of perseverance from Cambodia to Hong Kong to Canada. Meantime, plenty of tennis action is on the go! Content creator Philip Fama steps in as a guest co-host this week as we break down Acapulco and Dubai, the Netflix Slam, San Diego Open, and preview some of the matchups ahead at Indian Wells. Tennis Canada also unveils a new long term mental health strategy - Natalie Durand-Bush and Mikaela Papich join Ben to discuss the important of the new initiative.
He's one of our longest tenured guests on Match Point Canada! Long-time New York Times columnist, and author of the best-selling novel 'The Master', Christopher Clarey returns to Match Point Canada this week to discuss the latest in tennis action. He's set to cover the San Diego Open this week where Marina Stakusic debuts her 2024 season, a new book on Rafael Nadal is in the works, and he also recently touched based with Leylah Fernandez. Meantime, Jasmine Paolini surprised with a big title in Dubai, we discuss lost art of the one handed backhand, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov are on court this week, and we reveal the winner of our signed Milos Raonic tennis ball! All of that and more on our latest episode of MPC.
She's one of the most exciting personalities covering our sport today! Tennis host Blair Henley is our guest on this week's episode of Match Point Canada, as she breaks down the thrilling action the past two weeks in North America at the Delray Beach Open and Dallas Open. We discuss Tommy Paul's rise, the state of American tennis, and storylines to follow as the Sunshine Double is upcoming. Meantime, Jannik Sinner maintained his perfect season by winning Rotterdam, Leylah Fernandez did some damage in Doha, and Dubai is underway this week. We are also joined by Senior Director of Facilities, Anita Comella to discuss Tennis Canada's Covered Courts initiative. Plus, a signed Milos Raonic tennis ball could be yours! All of that and more on our latest episode of MPC.
She's reached a career high doubles ranking of 21, played in the WTA Finals just three seasons ago, and has won four WTA double titles! Canadian Sharon Fichman joins Match Point Canada to catch up on what's kept her busy of late, including work with junior high performance players, experiences in broadcasting Canada's Billie Jean King Cup title, and some of the top memories on court in her career. Meantime, there's been plenty of February tennis action on the tours. We break down Abu Dhabi, lookahead at the WTA1000 in Qatar, and discuss what to expect on the men's side in Rotterdam. Plus, who's the most 'underrated' player on the ATP? We discuss all of that and much more on our latest episode of MPC!
They are through to the Finals Group Stage! Team Canada presented by Sobey's delivered at IGA Stadium, securing a 3-1 win over Korea in their qualifier to advance to the next stage of Davis Cup. We recap all the action that took place on site from Montreal, and explain why Gabriel Diallo was MVP of the weekend. Meantime, former Canadian tennis player Philip Bester joins the podcast to discuss his new role, coaching four-time grand slam winner Naomi Osaka! All of that and more on the latest episode of MPC.
Davis Cup makes its return to Montreal this weekend! 24-year-old Alexis Galarneau gets set to compete again for Canada as they take on Korea this Friday and Saturday from IGA Stadium. Mike McIntyre catches up with the native of Laval about his experiences growing up playing not far from the stadium, the opportunity to again represent his nation, and his goals and schedule for the 2024 season. Enjoy!
Our first grand slam of the tennis calendar is now in the books! The 2024 Australian Open has come and gone, and host and commentator Nick McCarvel joins us from Melbourne to recap all of the action that unfolded in Melbourne. We discuss the maiden grand slam win from Jannik Sinner, how Aryna Sabalenka was able to dominate the women's field, the future for Zheng Qinwen, and also peak ahead to Canada's Davis Cup tie this weekend in Montreal. All of that and more on the latest episode of MPC!
He's a former pro tennis player, and has coached the likes of stars Lucie Safarova, Denis Shapovalov, and Yulia Putintseva. One of our favourites of the podcast Rob Steckley returns to Match Point Canada this week, and offers insights and perspectives on coaching at a major, helping players realize their potential, the challenge of getting a message across, and maintaining composure in pressure moments. Meantime, we're through our first week in Melbourne at the 2024 Australian Open. We break down the results so far and who's looked strongest Down Under!
She'a former Australian Open semifinalist, four-time grand slam champion in mixed doubles, and reached a career high of number five in the rankings! Former Slovakian player and commentator Daniela Hantuchova comes back to Match Point Canada as we preview the action Down Under at the Australian Open. Hantuchova offers her perspective on the challenges of returning after a long layoff, how Rafael Nadal fared, confidence at tournaments you've had prior success, and why she believes Elena Rybakina can win in Melbourne. Meantime, we have a full preview! We look at both the men's and women's draws, discuss the best matchups ahead, look back at action from Day 1, and pick which Canadian can go the furthest. All that and more on our latest episode of MPC!
The tennis season is back - so is Match Point Canada! It's our first episode of 2024 and we welcome on popular tennis commentator Abigail Johnson to recap an exciting week of action with events like Brisbane, the United Cup, and ASB Classic. Abigail's worked for Tennis TV, Eurosport, BBC and more in the commentary booth and offers insights into Elena Rybakina's big week in Brisbane, while analyzing the return of players like Rafael Nadal, Naomi Osaka, Emma Raducanu, and Angelique Kerber. We also give a sneak preview to the Australian Open around the corner, and discuss Grigor Dimitrov's first ATP title in six years. All of that and more on this week's episode of MPC!
He's the top ranked Canadian singles player, has five career ATP singles titles, and is the recent winner of the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award. Felix Auger-Aliassime joins Match Point Canada for a reflection on some of his challenges in 2023, what he hopes to achieve next year, what makes players like Djokovic so difficult, and much more. Meantime, we recap 2023 from a Canadian standpoint and look at some of the best highlights of the season, make picks for Player of the Year, and offer some insight and predictions for 2024. We also preview the return of Rafael Nadal in Brisbane, and the United Cup!
2016 Wimbledon finalist and former world no. 3 Milos Raonic returns to Match Point Canada! The veteran Canadian, who returned to competition this summer, stops by to speak in depth with host Mike McIntyre. Raonic discusses his busy off-season, highlights from the return to play in 2023, hopes and expectations for the year ahead, and he also fields a few questions from his fans. Enjoy!
He's another strong rising Canadian with a great future ahead. Ben catches up with 22-year-old Justin Boulais this week, who's currently in the midst of pre-season and gets set to close out his college tennis career at Ohio State. Boulais enjoyed a breakthrough fall on the tennis circuit, securing his first 25K singles title in Edmonton, and winning the Challenger in doubles in Calgary. The left-hander discusses his athletic background (his mother is former Canadian player Patricia Hy-Boulais), his game style, and goals as he closes out his college run.
Canadian tennis player Liam Draxl joins Ben for an in depth one-on-one interview on Match Point Canada! Draxl went pro back in June, recently won the first ATP Challenger title of his career in Calgary, and broke inside the top 300 of the rankings. He talks about his transition to the pro circuit, growing up on public tennis courts in Newmarket, and what he hopes to accomplish in 2024. Enjoy!
She's a Canadian/American tennis player and two-time junior grand slam winner in doubles! Carson Branstine returns to Match Point Canada, and after navigating a series of injuries over the last few years, is back healthy and has won two consecutive 15K ITF events. She discusses her long road back, feeling her best on the tennis court, and what it means to see fellow Canadians have success. Meantime, Italy became Davis Cup champions again for the first time in 47 years. We recap their magical week in Malaga and the amazing performances from Jannik Sinner. We also break down Canada's loss to Finland, and what's potentially in store for Milos Raonic in 2024. All of that and more on MPC!
The Davis Cup Finals from Malaga, Spain have finally arrived! Canada will seek to defend their historic title from last November and this week, Gabriel Diallo joins Ben of Match Point Canada to discuss his season, and expectations for the squad.
He's a former coach to Venus and Serena Williams, was portrayed in the hit film King Richard, and has also worked with stars like Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova, Jennifer Capriati, Mary Pierce and more. Hall of Fame tennis coach Rick Macci joins us on Match Point Canada this week to discuss his passion and love for the game, how he still stays heavily involved teaching and sharing his knowledge and love of the game through his academy. We recap the ATP Finals as Novak Djokovic won a record-breaking seventh end-of-year title in Turin, and look at the prospects of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz moving forward. Meantime, Canada prepares as defending champion at the Davis Cup Finals this week from Malaga, Spain. All of that and more on our latest episode of MPC!
It is history for Canada! The Canadians are world champions in women's tennis, capturing a first ever Billie Jean King Cup trophy by defeating Italy in the finals. Canada's team of Leylah Fernandez, Marina Stakusic, Gaby Dabrowski, Genie Bouchard, and Rebecca Marino broke through for an incredible title from Seville, Spain. Sportsnet's Arash Madani joins us this week to recap the remarkable week and highlight the great matches and performances from Fernandez, Stakusic, Gaby Dabrowski, and the outstanding work of Captain Heidi El Tabakh. Meantime, we preview the action at the ATP Finals now underway from Turin. All of that and more on our latest episode of MPC!
Mike McIntyre chats with Canada's Captain of the Billie Jean King Cup squad, Heidi El Tabakh! Heidi has her team of Leylah Fernandez, Rebecca Marino, Gaby Dabrowski, Genie Bouchard, and Marina Stakusic prepared to compete at the BJK Cup Finals from Seville, Spain this week. Canada opens in Group C against Spain and Poland. Heidi discusses managing her role as the captain, the expectations and hopes she feels for her group, and the matchups ahead.
The 2023 tennis season is nearing a close! Iga Swiatek took down Jessica Pegula to win the WTA Finals from Cancun to finish as year-end number one, Novak Djokovic was formidable again at the Paris Masters, and the Billie Jean King Cup Finals are set to begin in Seville. Meantime, Tennis Canada's Hatem McDadi, a former pro player and coach, is our special guest this week on the podcast! We discuss his impact and influence on the generation of Canadian tennis players, and his expectations for BJK Cup and Davis Cup. We break down all the action from this past week including Iga's big title, how Djokovic won a 40th Masters 1000, and preview Canada's chances at the BJK Cup Finals this week. All of that and more on the latest edition of MPC!
We are nearing the end of the tennis calendar! For this week, it's a special crossover episode as we feature a member of one Canada's greatest bands, The Tragically Hip! Hip guitarist Paul Langlois joins Mike for an interview to discuss his love of tennis, parallels between life as a musician and athlete, and what the future holds in store. Meantime, it was a big time week for Canadian tennis. Felix Auger-Aliassime won his first title of 2023, defending his crown at the Swiss Indoors in Basel. Marina Stakusic won the Tevlin Challenger from Toronto, her third ITF title of the season. The WTA Finals are upon us with the final eight gathered to compete from Cancun! All of that and more on MPC.
She's just 18 years of age and has already cracked the top 300 of the rankings. Canadian Marina Stakusic joins Match Point Canada to discuss her great results after enjoying a breakout stretch of play through the late summer and fall. Stakusic won two consecutive titles in September and was deservedly named the ITF player of the month. She was also named to Canada's Billie Jean King Cup Finals roster for the first time in her career. We get set for the local Tevlin Challenger this week from Sobey's Stadium in Toronto, as a number of Canadians including Stakusic prepare for the 60K event. Leylah Fernandez also continued her strong stretch of tennis in Asia, pushing her winning streak to eight. Meantime, American Ben Shelton continues to make big noise. The 21-year-old secured his first career ATP title, winning in Tokyo, while Felix Auger-Aliassime notched a pair of wins, and Basel is now set to begin. All of that and more on our latest episode of MPC!
He's one of the field's most respected sports journalists! Sports Illustrated's Jon Wertheim returns to Match Point Canada to check in on tennis storylines as the season begins to wind down. We discuss an impending comeback in 2024 from Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz's slump, Hubert Hurkacz's win in Shanghai, and what to expect with the WTA Finals in Cancun. Meantime, what a week of tennis for Canada! Leylah Fernandez won her first title of the season in Hong Kong, Gaby Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe qualified for the WTA Finals by winning the Zhengzhou Open, and Gabriel Diallo captured a Challenger title in Bratislava. We cover all that and much more on our latest episode of MPC!
She's a former collegiate player and now one the sport's top influencers! American Rachel Stuhlmann, who's amassed a huge following of fans on Instagram, joins Ben and Mike on Match Point Canada this week. We discuss her career path, thoughts on the fall swing of the tennis season, and which players she has an eye on towards the end of 2023. Meantime, Jannik Sinner has reached career high ranking of #4 with a title in Beijing, Iga Swiatek is back in the winner's circle, the Shanghai Masters are underway, and the WTA Finals is now set from Cancun! We discuss all of that and plenty more on our latest episode of MPC!
She was a former Wimbledon semi-finalist and world no. 18 player and is now a regular on the ESPN commentating team! Alexandra Stevenson makes her first appearance on Match Point Canada and gives us some insights on her career, the competitive fire that still remains, which players stand out to her in the women's game, and thoughts on Laver Cup. Meantime, we further break down a dominant win by Team World over Team Europe, and discuss Maria Sakkari's biggest title to date. All of that and more on this edition of MPC!
She's part-Canadian, part-New Zealander, and now a doubles Grand Slam champion! Erin Routliffe joins Match Point Canada, just one week after winning the women's doubles title at the US Open alongside Ottawa's Gaby Dabrowski. Routliffe discusses the pairing, their magical run at Flushing Meadows, and her expectations for the future. Meantime, Canada advanced to the Final 8 of Davis Cup with an outstanding week, winning Group A with victories over Italy, Sweden, and Chile. We recap their performance led by Gabriel Diallo, Alexis Galarneau, and Vasek Pospisil, look ahead to action this week at the Guadalajara Open and examine the Laver Cup rosters for the weekend in Vancouver. All of that and more on our latest episode of MPC!
Team Canada presented by Sobeys is set to go from Davis Cup in Bologna, Italy! For the first time, 33-year-old Kelsey Stevenson will be part of the squad, competing alongside Denis Shapovalov, Vasek Pospisil, Gabriel Diallo, and Alexis Galarneau. Ben speaks with Stevenson and how he began his career path, the importance of playing for your country, and Canada's chances this week. Enjoy!
