:00:38. > :00:50.Novak Djokovic claims his first Grand Slam title. Djokovic is the
:00:51. > :00:58.champion again. It is the Ironman from Serbia once again. Novak
:00:59. > :01:06.Djokovic, he starts the year with grand slam success. Tennis history
:01:07. > :01:18.for Novak Djokovic. The world number one wins the Australian Open. He has
:01:19. > :01:22.won it for a fifth time. Novak Djokovic, the dominant force in the
:01:23. > :01:26.men's game is the star attraction in our programme today, welcome to day
:01:27. > :01:31.seven in Melbourne, and our coverage of the 2016 Australian Open, we are
:01:32. > :01:35.into the last 16 and today the top half of the men's draw a line
:01:36. > :01:40.action. Nishikori is already through, after a comfortable
:01:41. > :01:44.straight sets victory over Tsonga. He awaits the winner of Novak
:01:45. > :01:50.Djokovic against Gilles Simon, the 14th seed from France. The roof had
:01:51. > :01:53.been on the Rod Laver Arena, but the Melbourne Sunshine is out and
:01:54. > :01:55.Djokovic and Simon have exchanged breaks of serve as we join the match
:01:56. > :02:18.at 3-3 in the first set. COMMENTATOR: Mixing up too much,
:02:19. > :02:25.playing drop shots from behind the baseline. Not finding the pace and
:02:26. > :02:30.the angle he usually gets from everybody else. Totally different
:02:31. > :02:44.style of opponent, he is in countering today. -- and countering.
:02:45. > :02:53.Simon's best major result, quarterfinals in 2009. He has been
:02:54. > :03:12.ranked as high as number six in the world. He is a proper player.
:03:13. > :03:20.Sport is funny. You look at Gael Monfils, the junior career he had,
:03:21. > :03:25.winning three junior majors, you would think he would go on to win
:03:26. > :03:29.many tournaments and would be a regular grand slam contender, but
:03:30. > :03:35.someone like Simon, he has won more titles than him. He has been ranked
:03:36. > :03:37.as high as number six in the world. Also higher on average. Over the
:03:38. > :03:50.years. Simon played the extra shot, he is
:03:51. > :03:59.so quick around the court, he knows so well where to go, he anticipates.
:04:00. > :04:04.He has a good feel for the game. This folly, look at how he plays it,
:04:05. > :04:05.that angle, so difficult, the half-volley down the line, it was
:04:06. > :04:25.still dipping. -- this folly. That is a good quality shot. You
:04:26. > :04:29.cannot measure the size of your heart, that is one thing you can't
:04:30. > :04:33.do, and that is where Simon is outstanding comic you are comparing
:04:34. > :04:37.him to somebody like Gael Monfils. -- and standing, if you are
:04:38. > :04:43.comparing him to somebody like Gael Monfils. Bonfils is world-class when
:04:44. > :04:46.he wants to play, but you have got to do it season after season --
:04:47. > :05:04.Monfils. I think he has actually made that.
:05:05. > :05:12.Or not. The call came late. Djokovic is challenging the call. The call
:05:13. > :05:14.was called out. It was near the intersection of the baseline and the
:05:15. > :05:23.tramline. It is long. It was a late call, but the correct
:05:24. > :05:46.one from the lines person. LAUGHTER
:05:47. > :05:50.No call was made. He wanted to challenge, but Djokovic said, don't
:05:51. > :06:01.worry, I know it was wrong. It was out.
:06:02. > :06:10.That is well played. Tentative moving forward still. He knows out
:06:11. > :06:15.of anybody else, if moving forward still. He knows out
:06:16. > :06:21.wrong time to move, you will pay the price. That was a pretty difficult
:06:22. > :06:24.volley. He can do that, he will make that volley nine times out of ten
:06:25. > :06:26.and he does not get enough credit for the good hands he has got. He
:06:27. > :06:42.needs to be proactive. There was a good feel on the
:06:43. > :06:48.backhand drop shot. He has not got the rhythm going just yet. He's
:06:49. > :06:54.doing that, because Simon is standing a few metres behind the
:06:55. > :06:58.baseline. Even a drop shot, Simon is going to get that easily, most of
:06:59. > :07:03.the time, he is so fast. It has got to be a perfect one. Especially on a
:07:04. > :07:11.hard court, the conditions are warm and the conditions are bouncier. The
:07:12. > :07:19.colder the conditions, the less the ball bounces. Simon is challenging
:07:20. > :07:23.the cold. He was moving forward, but the ball was so slow, it hit the
:07:24. > :07:25.type and did not leave a mark, but he felt it was still wide of the
:07:26. > :07:34.service line. -- it hit the tape. It was comfortably in. Plum on the
:07:35. > :08:12.line. That was not a double fault, that
:08:13. > :08:17.was almost like a quadruple fault, it almost went under the net,
:08:18. > :08:17.was almost like a quadruple fault, second serve. Gilt-edged opportunity
:08:18. > :08:43.now for the Frenchman. That second serve. It was actually
:08:44. > :08:49.bigger than the first. On the big points he goes to the forehand.
:08:50. > :09:00.Catches so many of the players unaware. Everybody is used to be
:09:01. > :09:25.regulation kick on the big point. -- the regulation kick.
:09:26. > :09:33.Simon is really making Djokovic feel uncomfortable. He is moving well,
:09:34. > :09:40.putting balls back in play. Tries to slow the ball down, try to slow the
:09:41. > :09:45.running down at every opportunity, E ended up playing behind the baseline
:09:46. > :09:47.again. -- he ended. He started to play tentative at the end of the
:09:48. > :10:05.rally, all within 15 shots. These mistakes are very costly. Yes,
:10:06. > :10:09.when you get your opportunities against the best players, the very
:10:10. > :10:16.least you have got to make them win the point. Not donate a break point
:10:17. > :10:25.with an unforced error, if the point. Not donate a break point
:10:26. > :10:35.Simon. You always get a look at a few, but they will only be so many.
:10:36. > :10:37.Also, you have got to ask the question,
:10:38. > :10:57.Also, you have got to ask the players so high.
:10:58. > :11:06.He has taken a page out of Djokovic's book
:11:07. > :11:11.He has taken a page out of return down the line. That is the
:11:12. > :11:14.kicker they normally are expecting, and it finally
:11:15. > :11:19.kicker they normally are expecting, top of it, he was all over it. Nice
:11:20. > :11:27.backhand down the line, that is world-class. Sneaky, each change
:11:28. > :11:31.direction seamlessly, -- he changed direction seamlessly and his
:11:32. > :11:48.How do you like that! Coming back to opponent did not see it coming.
:11:49. > :11:52.How do you like that! Coming back to the point before this one, we saw
:11:53. > :11:59.one winner from Simon briefly. Imagine you are already on your
:12:00. > :12:02.third break point in this game against Novak Djokovic, you go a
:12:03. > :12:07.break up and you have only hit one winner. I would call that a winner
:12:08. > :12:09.as well, actually. Imagine how tidy you are playing, how smart you are
:12:10. > :12:27.playing. Break point, number three. Great shot selection on that
:12:28. > :12:35.occasion. He is used to playing a lot of big points. That is where
:12:36. > :12:39.winning becomes a habit. Many lesser ranked players might have tried to
:12:40. > :12:46.do too much there. Go for a big shot. But there was no panic there.
:12:47. > :12:54.This game is almost approaching 11 minutes long now. Somehow I have a
:12:55. > :12:58.feeling that the final result of this game is going to be really
:12:59. > :13:05.important for the rest of this match.
:13:06. > :13:17.Oh! It is continuing. He got it, can you believe it? APPLAUSE
:13:18. > :13:23.He holds off one volley which was going to go wide. This is
:13:24. > :13:28.interesting. Djokovic is waiting for a call, he wants to challenge this
:13:29. > :13:34.forehand. Coming up now. Just look at the reaction. And then he sees
:13:35. > :13:39.Simon has made the volley and he is looking to the umpire. Two maybe
:13:40. > :13:47.challenge. Would not have been allowed. He thought he was going to
:13:48. > :14:08.win the point, but he didn't. That is why he didn't challenge.
:14:09. > :14:17.That is gutsy. Even for Novak Djokovic, this is gutsy. He's not
:14:18. > :14:23.buying his best tennis yet, all because of Simon playing very smart.
:14:24. > :14:29.Every ball, he is now hitting it down the middle, he is giving him no
:14:30. > :14:37.pace, and he's making feel very uncomfortable. But he has got the
:14:38. > :14:38.ability to step it up. The sliced drop shot and now the backhand down
:14:39. > :15:09.the line, that is tough. That time, Djokovic defies the odds
:15:10. > :15:20.behind his second serve, because he struggled there. The six point out
:15:21. > :15:25.of 14 that he has won, as well. One of the ball kids has run of the
:15:26. > :15:35.court, they are not feeling well. Someone will look after him. I'm
:15:36. > :15:38.telling you, I have a lot of respect for Djokovic, but what he has just
:15:39. > :15:46.done, showing so much interest in the ball kid going away. At this
:15:47. > :15:56.point in the game, what is going on, man... That is a nice human touch.
:15:57. > :16:01.He is a real sportsman. That is a long game, and he is delighted to
:16:02. > :16:31.eventually hold. 4-3 in the opening set.
:16:32. > :16:36.Djokovic, shaking his head, he's still not comfortable, even though
:16:37. > :16:42.he this rally. One forehand, he shanked it, and it was like that it
:16:43. > :16:49.ended up in the corner. The backhand down the line, that was also a miss
:16:50. > :16:59.it. -- mis-hit. His depth control is phenomenal. One thing that Djokovic
:17:00. > :17:09.does better than anybody else, he made his hands like... "I will have
:17:10. > :17:39.two release this with the ball behind me".
:17:40. > :18:09.Oh! How is that, turning defence into attack, with one swipe of the
:18:10. > :18:16.racket. Look how well the upper and lower bodies work independently one
:18:17. > :19:11.another. Kwik-Fit, controlled arms -- quick feet.
:19:12. > :19:19.Nice and solid, just asking a question. It was a patient mindset,
:19:20. > :19:25.do not do anything spectacular on the break point, he just gives
:19:26. > :19:28.asking the question. Djokovic serving for the first set, he has
:19:29. > :19:34.missed one chance to close it out, and he now faces a break point.
:19:35. > :20:16.Another break point opportunity for Simon.
:20:17. > :20:24.I keep telling you. Simon is having more opportunities than we realise,
:20:25. > :20:30.having so many break points, and also within this rally, a few
:20:31. > :20:37.unforced errors he makes, he makes them at big points, actually.
:20:38. > :20:46.Scoring system places such a premium on applying those big points well.
:20:47. > :20:51.-- on playing. That is what has hurt Simon's opening stanza. It is not
:20:52. > :20:58.feel as though Djokovic has won ten more points than his opponent in
:20:59. > :21:05.this act opening set -- in this opening set, which is actually the
:21:06. > :21:14.case. Simon with seven break points. That has about Djokovic to get to
:21:15. > :21:22.set point number two. -- has allowed.
:21:23. > :21:30.He got a fly on the backhand. flyer. It missed
:21:31. > :21:32.He got a fly on the backhand. got to look
:21:33. > :21:44.He got a fly on the backhand. like this from Djokovic. Not for
:21:45. > :22:14.about 10-15 matches has he missed a backhand like that on set point.
:22:15. > :22:23.I think that is when players are able to just get to Djokovic
:22:24. > :22:25.I think that is when players are saw that at the French Open last
:22:26. > :22:31.year, he gets a bit tentative towards the tail end of a set. If
:22:32. > :22:34.you have got the firepower to hurt him, the right tattoo acumen, you
:22:35. > :22:44.can get the right result, although that is not easy -- the right
:22:45. > :23:00.tactical acumen. Stan Wawrinka showed us it can be done.
:23:01. > :23:11.The thing is, even when Djokovic is tentative and he's not playing his
:23:12. > :23:18.best, he is still very good. He is still at 5-3 and having set points,
:23:19. > :23:24.what else do you need to say? Simon is not a bad player, he is 15 in the
:23:25. > :23:29.world. He's great competitor. As you say, Djokovic is still winning, but
:23:30. > :23:39.now the second game going over ten minutes now. Having been broken once
:23:40. > :23:49.already before. Missing another break point. That will be the eighth
:23:50. > :23:51.one for Simon. Players in the locker room will take heart from the fact
:23:52. > :23:55.that room will take heart from the fact
:23:56. > :23:58.unforced errors Westwood they have seen a tactic which actually works
:23:59. > :24:05.against the world number one -- many unforced errors? Yes, but if you
:24:06. > :24:10.have a server like John Isner, you can't actually play like this.
:24:11. > :24:15.Michael Ching will be watching this with interest, I think Nishikori,
:24:16. > :24:22.the opponent for the winner of this match, I think he can do it. It is
:24:23. > :24:25.not really in his nature either to massaged the ball around the court,
:24:26. > :24:29.he likes to take it early and he likes to run. He knows what it is
:24:30. > :24:55.like to beat Djokovic at a major. Deep in the tournament.
:24:56. > :25:05.He gave too much power at the beginning of that rally, he made
:25:06. > :25:09.Djokovic feel confident again. Great racket head speed from Djokovic in
:25:10. > :25:16.that rally. Especially on the forehand side. Will it be fourth
:25:17. > :25:32.time lucky for the Serbian? It will be. It has been a tough
:25:33. > :25:39.opening set but he has won it, two minutes shy of one hour. STUDIO: In
:25:40. > :25:42.the third game of the second set Djokovic squandered three break
:25:43. > :25:44.points, which clearly had him rattled. There were more missed
:25:45. > :26:05.chances to come. Simon was not backing down. 11
:26:06. > :26:08.bright bones -- break points had come and gone for Djokovic in the
:26:09. > :26:35.second set, and we find ourselves in the tie-break.
:26:36. > :26:42.Djokovic is challenging the call. It was called out. COMMENTATOR:
:26:43. > :26:49.Djokovic looks like he is drained of energy. APPLAUSE
:26:50. > :27:03.That is definitely wide. It faded a little, though. Djokovic as one
:27:04. > :27:07.challenge remaining. Djokovic has made 40 unforced errors to wrap this
:27:08. > :27:14.match. Those are big numbers. He is zero out of 11 for break points in
:27:15. > :27:38.this set. Half have come off the forehand.
:27:39. > :27:55.That is desperation right there. A few drop shots there, it is a mental
:27:56. > :27:58.issue. It is a bail out. Really you just want to get out of the
:27:59. > :28:07.situation. You would rather play a drop shot than mis-hit. Rather than
:28:08. > :28:09.toughing it out. It is rare, you don't see that often from Djokovic.
:28:10. > :28:50.First mini-break now to Simon. Fantastic. Unbelievable is a macro
:28:51. > :29:04.-- unbelievable x-ray Djokovic is just not getting it.
:29:05. > :29:08.He's just not getting it passed him, it is like he is acing the great
:29:09. > :29:16.Wall of China, everything is coming back. Another rally of rich quality.
:29:17. > :29:23.What a way to close it out, if you are Simon. Combination of backhands,
:29:24. > :29:24.it was world-class. It has given Djokovic a taste of his own medicine
:29:25. > :29:44.right there. Novak is getting into the frame of
:29:45. > :29:49.mind, from here on in I don't care, I just going to go into full attack
:29:50. > :29:50.mode and then start the third set. You see that attitude coming from
:29:51. > :30:09.him but he missed poorly. APPLAUSE
:30:10. > :30:15.Normally every drop shot comes from a technical point of view. Every
:30:16. > :30:23.drop shot he plays now is to get away with it and Jan is laughing
:30:24. > :30:28.because he has brought in advance finding a way to get at Novak is
:30:29. > :30:31.actually working. It's actually working. Yes, obviously a bit of
:30:32. > :31:03.luck, not losing serve. Simon... It has been fascinating
:31:04. > :31:11.Such a great mental effort from Simon just to stay with this guy.
:31:12. > :31:24.There have not been many who have been able to do it in the last 18
:31:25. > :31:26.months or so. It's a game of tennis, right? Famous book for a tennis
:31:27. > :32:11.lover. Now for the first time they are all
:32:12. > :32:20.square points rise. 45 points to Novak, 45 points to Gilles Simon.
:32:21. > :32:25.Novak only made 28 points on serve throughout this set, can you believe
:32:26. > :32:33.that? Great set of tennis from Simon! Mental fortitude of note. He
:32:34. > :32:38.deserves it. He backs it seven games to six. Game on!
:32:39. > :32:43.Simon took his chance, and we join him serving at 4-5 to stay in the
:32:44. > :32:51.third set. COMMENTATOR: Let's see how Simon
:32:52. > :32:55.handles this service game, serving to stay in the third set. Started
:32:56. > :33:10.off well. A little off pace slider. Parallel instead of V shape going
:33:11. > :33:53.forward, trying to cut off the angle.
:33:54. > :34:17.12 bruising shots. This time it's Simon who bailed out of eight long
:34:18. > :34:42.rally, London's burning. APPLAUSE
:34:43. > :34:53.That is too good. A set and a break down. He continues to take it to
:34:54. > :34:57.Djokovic. Hitting aggressively the same spots with the inside out
:34:58. > :35:15.forehand. Djokovic is struggling. It is a little bit about lack. You
:35:16. > :35:22.can win some nice points but you have to keep an going for it. The
:35:23. > :35:48.waiting game is not going to be a winning game today for Novak.
:35:49. > :35:54.APPLAUSE Just managed to break down the Simon
:35:55. > :37:08.forehand in a. APPLAUSE
:37:09. > :37:19.Champions find a way! Novak Djokovic takes set number three and wins it
:37:20. > :37:23.after 47 minutes, six games to four. STUDIO
:37:24. > :37:42.But Simon wasn't beaten yet. Here we are at 4-4 in the four.
:37:43. > :38:00.That will help! Looking over as if to say, how do you like that? He is
:38:01. > :38:26.cursing so loud. I won't translate what he just said.
:38:27. > :38:47.APPLAUSE That is bad there, and it's got to
:38:48. > :38:56.be, to get past Simon. Almost four sets, about 20 winners. Twice as
:38:57. > :39:15.many unforced errors, though. 40 of those bad boys.
:39:16. > :39:24.As somebody who wants everything to be perfect, it's been a challenging
:39:25. > :39:32.afternoon so far. I think that takes a lot of energy out of him as well,
:39:33. > :39:45.being one who wants to be so much in control of everything. And when it's
:39:46. > :39:51.not going your way, you just... It's draining you, basically. Just when
:39:52. > :39:57.you think it's going to be an easy game at 30-0, excuse me, two
:39:58. > :40:00.unforced errors and it's tough. More emotion involved now for Djokovic.
:40:01. > :40:17.It saps a lot of energy out of you. Well, the break point here the
:40:18. > :40:43.Gilles Simon. Given the mental state of Djokovic,
:40:44. > :40:44.don't give Simon to many because he's going to capitalise sooner or
:40:45. > :40:59.later. And once again when he has a break
:41:00. > :41:05.point, I wouldn't say it is an easiness but... He has been making
:41:06. > :41:10.those readily throughout. He was there. He had his racket and he
:41:11. > :41:13.knows, looking at his coach... He should have put that back in play.
:41:14. > :41:52.Out! It's so easy for us to judge from here but you're fighting three
:41:53. > :41:54.opponents at this time. You're fighting yourself, you're fighting
:41:55. > :42:02.your real opponent and you're fighting your body. Three hours and
:42:03. > :42:08.45 minutes of running left and right is causing your body to take a
:42:09. > :42:12.physical beating. And a mental beating. Even a bit of wind down
:42:13. > :42:36.there, his shirt fluttering. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
:42:37. > :42:40.Simon once more on! He will get the chance to square things up at two
:42:41. > :42:51.sets apiece when he gets back from the change of ends. 5-4 he leads.
:42:52. > :43:05.Who would have thought this three hours and 43 minutes ago? Gilles
:43:06. > :43:06.Simon is serving to level up this match against the world number one
:43:07. > :43:15.at two sets apiece. The first couple of points when
:43:16. > :43:57.serving for a set are