Catherine is back! And there’s plenty to talk about…

Does Roger Federer receive preferential treatment from tournament directors? That was the allegation made by Julien Benneteau on French radio last week. 

On today’s podcast, Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Simon Briggs discuss the ins and outs of the story, including Federer’s relationship with CEO of Tennis Australia Craig Tiley, the conflicts of interest within the sport, and the importance of market forces in all this. 

Later in the podcast, hear from Federer himself as he answered Benneteau's reported allegations. David and Grad Matt, who were both there, describe the atmosphere in the room. David says it was one of the steeliest looks he’s ever seen Federer give. 

On court, Federer was a comfortable winner against Dominic Thiem. How much better did he play than on Sunday night? And how bad was Dominic Thiem? Less bad than Kei Nishikori, who was thumped 0-6, 1-6 by Kevin Anderson. What are the qualification scenarios for that group? And why have there been so many one-sided matches? 

There’s also a look ahead to tomorrow’s play. How can Alexander Zverev possibly trouble Novak Djokovic? And what makes John Isner the slight favourite against Marin Cilic? 

The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly in association with Telegraph Sport, and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments.

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