Highlights - Day 7 Australian Open Tennis

Novak Djokovic claims his first Grand Slam title. Djokovic is the

champion again. It is the Ironman from Serbia once again. Novak

Djokovic, he starts the year with grand slam success. Tennis history

for Novak Djokovic. The world number one wins the Australian Open. He has

won it for a fifth time. Novak Djokovic, the dominant force in the

men's game is the star attraction in our programme today, welcome to day

seven in Melbourne, and our coverage of the 2016 Australian Open, we are

into the last 16 and today the top half of the men's draw a line

action. Nishikori is already through, after a comfortable

straight sets victory over Tsonga. He awaits the winner of Novak

Djokovic against Gilles Simon, the 14th seed from France. The roof had

been on the Rod Laver Arena, but the Melbourne Sunshine is out and

Djokovic and Simon have exchanged breaks of serve as we join the match

at 3-3 in the first set. COMMENTATOR: Mixing up too much,

playing drop shots from behind the baseline. Not finding the pace and

the angle he usually gets from everybody else. Totally different

style of opponent, he is in countering today. -- and countering.

Simon's best major result, quarterfinals in 2009. He has been

ranked as high as number six in the world. He is a proper player.

Sport is funny. You look at Gael Monfils, the junior career he had,

winning three junior majors, you would think he would go on to win

many tournaments and would be a regular grand slam contender, but

someone like Simon, he has won more titles than him. He has been ranked

as high as number six in the world. Also higher on average. Over the

years. Simon played the extra shot, he is

so quick around the court, he knows so well where to go, he anticipates.

He has a good feel for the game. This folly, look at how he plays it,

that angle, so difficult, the half-volley down the line, it was

still dipping. -- this folly. That is a good quality shot. You

cannot measure the size of your heart, that is one thing you can't

do, and that is where Simon is outstanding comic you are comparing

him to somebody like Gael Monfils. -- and standing, if you are

comparing him to somebody like Gael Monfils. Bonfils is world-class when

he wants to play, but you have got to do it season after season --

Monfils. I think he has actually made that.

Or not. The call came late. Djokovic is challenging the call. The call

was called out. It was near the intersection of the baseline and the

tramline. It is long. It was a late call, but the correct

one from the lines person. LAUGHTER

No call was made. He wanted to challenge, but Djokovic said, don't

worry, I know it was wrong. It was out.

That is well played. Tentative moving forward still. He knows out

of anybody else, if moving forward still. He knows out

wrong time to move, you will pay the price. That was a pretty difficult

volley. He can do that, he will make that volley nine times out of ten

and he does not get enough credit for the good hands he has got. He

needs to be proactive. There was a good feel on the

backhand drop shot. He has not got the rhythm going just yet. He's

doing that, because Simon is standing a few metres behind the

baseline. Even a drop shot, Simon is going to get that easily, most of

the time, he is so fast. It has got to be a perfect one. Especially on a

hard court, the conditions are warm and the conditions are bouncier. The

colder the conditions, the less the ball bounces. Simon is challenging

the cold. He was moving forward, but the ball was so slow, it hit the

type and did not leave a mark, but he felt it was still wide of the

service line. -- it hit the tape. It was comfortably in. Plum on the

line. That was not a double fault, that

was almost like a quadruple fault, it almost went under the net,

was almost like a quadruple fault, second serve. Gilt-edged opportunity

now for the Frenchman. That second serve. It was actually

bigger than the first. On the big points he goes to the forehand.

Catches so many of the players unaware. Everybody is used to be

regulation kick on the big point. -- the regulation kick.

Simon is really making Djokovic feel uncomfortable. He is moving well,

putting balls back in play. Tries to slow the ball down, try to slow the

running down at every opportunity, E ended up playing behind the baseline

again. -- he ended. He started to play tentative at the end of the

rally, all within 15 shots. These mistakes are very costly. Yes,

when you get your opportunities against the best players, the very

least you have got to make them win the point. Not donate a break point

with an unforced error, if the point. Not donate a break point

Simon. You always get a look at a few, but they will only be so many.

Also, you have got to ask the question,

Also, you have got to ask the players so high.

He has taken a page out of Djokovic's book

He has taken a page out of return down the line. That is the

kicker they normally are expecting, and it finally

kicker they normally are expecting, top of it, he was all over it. Nice

backhand down the line, that is world-class. Sneaky, each change

direction seamlessly, -- he changed direction seamlessly and his

How do you like that! Coming back to opponent did not see it coming.

How do you like that! Coming back to the point before this one, we saw

one winner from Simon briefly. Imagine you are already on your

third break point in this game against Novak Djokovic, you go a

break up and you have only hit one winner. I would call that a winner

as well, actually. Imagine how tidy you are playing, how smart you are

playing. Break point, number three. Great shot selection on that

occasion. He is used to playing a lot of big points. That is where

winning becomes a habit. Many lesser ranked players might have tried to

do too much there. Go for a big shot. But there was no panic there.

This game is almost approaching 11 minutes long now. Somehow I have a

feeling that the final result of this game is going to be really

important for the rest of this match.

Oh! It is continuing. He got it, can you believe it? APPLAUSE

He holds off one volley which was going to go wide. This is

interesting. Djokovic is waiting for a call, he wants to challenge this

forehand. Coming up now. Just look at the reaction. And then he sees

Simon has made the volley and he is looking to the umpire. Two maybe

challenge. Would not have been allowed. He thought he was going to

win the point, but he didn't. That is why he didn't challenge.

That is gutsy. Even for Novak Djokovic, this is gutsy. He's not

buying his best tennis yet, all because of Simon playing very smart.

Every ball, he is now hitting it down the middle, he is giving him no

pace, and he's making feel very uncomfortable. But he has got the

ability to step it up. The sliced drop shot and now the backhand down

the line, that is tough. That time, Djokovic defies the odds

behind his second serve, because he struggled there. The six point out

of 14 that he has won, as well. One of the ball kids has run of the

court, they are not feeling well. Someone will look after him. I'm

telling you, I have a lot of respect for Djokovic, but what he has just

done, showing so much interest in the ball kid going away. At this

point in the game, what is going on, man... That is a nice human touch.

He is a real sportsman. That is a long game, and he is delighted to

eventually hold. 4-3 in the opening set.

Djokovic, shaking his head, he's still not comfortable, even though

he this rally. One forehand, he shanked it, and it was like that it

ended up in the corner. The backhand down the line, that was also a miss

it. -- mis-hit. His depth control is phenomenal. One thing that Djokovic

does better than anybody else, he made his hands like... "I will have

two release this with the ball behind me".

Oh! How is that, turning defence into attack, with one swipe of the

racket. Look how well the upper and lower bodies work independently one

another. Kwik-Fit, controlled arms -- quick feet.

Nice and solid, just asking a question. It was a patient mindset,

do not do anything spectacular on the break point, he just gives

asking the question. Djokovic serving for the first set, he has

missed one chance to close it out, and he now faces a break point.

Another break point opportunity for Simon.

I keep telling you. Simon is having more opportunities than we realise,

having so many break points, and also within this rally, a few

unforced errors he makes, he makes them at big points, actually.

Scoring system places such a premium on applying those big points well.

-- on playing. That is what has hurt Simon's opening stanza. It is not

feel as though Djokovic has won ten more points than his opponent in

this act opening set -- in this opening set, which is actually the

case. Simon with seven break points. That has about Djokovic to get to

set point number two. -- has allowed.

He got a fly on the backhand. flyer. It missed

He got a fly on the backhand. got to look

He got a fly on the backhand. like this from Djokovic. Not for

about 10-15 matches has he missed a backhand like that on set point.

I think that is when players are able to just get to Djokovic

I think that is when players are saw that at the French Open last

year, he gets a bit tentative towards the tail end of a set. If

you have got the firepower to hurt him, the right tattoo acumen, you

can get the right result, although that is not easy -- the right

tactical acumen. Stan Wawrinka showed us it can be done.

The thing is, even when Djokovic is tentative and he's not playing his

best, he is still very good. He is still at 5-3 and having set points,

what else do you need to say? Simon is not a bad player, he is 15 in the

world. He's great competitor. As you say, Djokovic is still winning, but

now the second game going over ten minutes now. Having been broken once

already before. Missing another break point. That will be the eighth

one for Simon. Players in the locker room will take heart from the fact

that room will take heart from the fact

unforced errors Westwood they have seen a tactic which actually works

against the world number one -- many unforced errors? Yes, but if you

have a server like John Isner, you can't actually play like this.

Michael Ching will be watching this with interest, I think Nishikori,

the opponent for the winner of this match, I think he can do it. It is

not really in his nature either to massaged the ball around the court,

he likes to take it early and he likes to run. He knows what it is

like to beat Djokovic at a major. Deep in the tournament.

He gave too much power at the beginning of that rally, he made

Djokovic feel confident again. Great racket head speed from Djokovic in

that rally. Especially on the forehand side. Will it be fourth

time lucky for the Serbian? It will be. It has been a tough

opening set but he has won it, two minutes shy of one hour. STUDIO: In

the third game of the second set Djokovic squandered three break

points, which clearly had him rattled. There were more missed

chances to come. Simon was not backing down. 11

bright bones -- break points had come and gone for Djokovic in the

second set, and we find ourselves in the tie-break.

Djokovic is challenging the call. It was called out. COMMENTATOR:

Djokovic looks like he is drained of energy. APPLAUSE

That is definitely wide. It faded a little, though. Djokovic as one

challenge remaining. Djokovic has made 40 unforced errors to wrap this

match. Those are big numbers. He is zero out of 11 for break points in

this set. Half have come off the forehand.

That is desperation right there. A few drop shots there, it is a mental

issue. It is a bail out. Really you just want to get out of the

situation. You would rather play a drop shot than mis-hit. Rather than

toughing it out. It is rare, you don't see that often from Djokovic.

First mini-break now to Simon. Fantastic. Unbelievable is a macro

-- unbelievable x-ray Djokovic is just not getting it.

He's just not getting it passed him, it is like he is acing the great

Wall of China, everything is coming back. Another rally of rich quality.

What a way to close it out, if you are Simon. Combination of backhands,

it was world-class. It has given Djokovic a taste of his own medicine

right there. Novak is getting into the frame of

mind, from here on in I don't care, I just going to go into full attack

mode and then start the third set. You see that attitude coming from

him but he missed poorly. APPLAUSE

Normally every drop shot comes from a technical point of view. Every

drop shot he plays now is to get away with it and Jan is laughing

because he has brought in advance finding a way to get at Novak is

actually working. It's actually working. Yes, obviously a bit of

luck, not losing serve. Simon... It has been fascinating

Such a great mental effort from Simon just to stay with this guy.

There have not been many who have been able to do it in the last 18

months or so. It's a game of tennis, right? Famous book for a tennis

lover. Now for the first time they are all

square points rise. 45 points to Novak, 45 points to Gilles Simon.

Novak only made 28 points on serve throughout this set, can you believe

that? Great set of tennis from Simon! Mental fortitude of note. He

deserves it. He backs it seven games to six. Game on!

Simon took his chance, and we join him serving at 4-5 to stay in the

third set. COMMENTATOR: Let's see how Simon

handles this service game, serving to stay in the third set. Started

off well. A little off pace slider. Parallel instead of V shape going

forward, trying to cut off the angle.

12 bruising shots. This time it's Simon who bailed out of eight long

rally, London's burning. APPLAUSE

That is too good. A set and a break down. He continues to take it to

Djokovic. Hitting aggressively the same spots with the inside out

forehand. Djokovic is struggling. It is a little bit about lack. You

can win some nice points but you have to keep an going for it. The

waiting game is not going to be a winning game today for Novak.

APPLAUSE Just managed to break down the Simon

forehand in a. APPLAUSE

Champions find a way! Novak Djokovic takes set number three and wins it

after 47 minutes, six games to four. STUDIO

But Simon wasn't beaten yet. Here we are at 4-4 in the four.

That will help! Looking over as if to say, how do you like that? He is

cursing so loud. I won't translate what he just said.

APPLAUSE That is bad there, and it's got to

be, to get past Simon. Almost four sets, about 20 winners. Twice as

many unforced errors, though. 40 of those bad boys.

As somebody who wants everything to be perfect, it's been a challenging

afternoon so far. I think that takes a lot of energy out of him as well,

being one who wants to be so much in control of everything. And when it's

not going your way, you just... It's draining you, basically. Just when

you think it's going to be an easy game at 30-0, excuse me, two

unforced errors and it's tough. More emotion involved now for Djokovic.

It saps a lot of energy out of you. Well, the break point here the

Gilles Simon. Given the mental state of Djokovic,

don't give Simon to many because he's going to capitalise sooner or

later. And once again when he has a break

point, I wouldn't say it is an easiness but... He has been making

those readily throughout. He was there. He had his racket and he

knows, looking at his coach... He should have put that back in play.

Out! It's so easy for us to judge from here but you're fighting three

opponents at this time. You're fighting yourself, you're fighting

your real opponent and you're fighting your body. Three hours and

45 minutes of running left and right is causing your body to take a

physical beating. And a mental beating. Even a bit of wind down

there, his shirt fluttering. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Simon once more on! He will get the chance to square things up at two

sets apiece when he gets back from the change of ends. 5-4 he leads.

Who would have thought this three hours and 43 minutes ago? Gilles

Simon is serving to level up this match against the world number one

at two sets apiece. The first couple of points when

serving for a set are