Day 13 at Roland Garros saw unpredictability and excitement in the women’s draw, the top men’s seeds playing well, rain and wind affecting conditions, and some baffling scheduling decisions. In short, it was in keeping with the themes of this year’s tournament. Catherine, David and Matt are together on the podcast to talk it all through. 

In the women’s semi-finals, did Jo Konta choke against Marketa Vondrousova? What did Konta have to say about her match being scheduled on Court Simonne-Mathieu? And how did Ash Barty eventually beat Amanda Anisimova in a rollercoaster match? 

The marquee match of the day was Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal, so why was the stadium so empty at the start? And how did Nadal use the conditions to his advantage? 

By contrast, why does the wind irritate Djokovic so much? Why was the match stopped early despite there being at least another hour of playable conditions? And will Thiem be able to handle the mental challenge of coming back tomorrow to finish off? 

Finally, looking ahead to the women’s final, will Vondrousova’s lack of experience on Chatrier harm her chances against Barty? And is it acceptable that they have been given a Not Before start time? 

The Tennis Podcast will be produced daily throughout Roland Garros, The Fever-Tree Championships and Wimbledon.

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