Semi-Final - Great Britain v Argentina: Day 3, Part 2 Davis Cup

We welcome viewers on BBC Two. Dan Evans is playing Leonel -- Leonardo

Mayer. It is advantage Argentina at the moment. We are leaving BBC One,

so if you want to watch the tennis, it is on BBC Two.

COMMENTATOR: Welcome to viewers on BBC Two and

you join us at the precise moment that Argentina take a two sets to

one lead in this enthralling Davis Cup final -- semifinal. The winner

will go through to play Croatia who beat France in the other semifinal

that took place today. These are the statistics from the first set. What

we need to look at his first serves one. Mayer is in a groove. The best

thing that Dan Evans could do is to get off the court, and have an

extended toilet break and hope that when he comes back, Mayer might have

somehow lost that grew. -- that groove.

You have to give tremendous credit to Mayer because this is a deciding

rubber of a Davis Cup and he is coming out here, I know his ranking

is false at 114, but he is playing like a man possessed. Dan Evans,

there is not a lot he can do. He has got a little predictable with his

game and has panicked a bit. Is understandable when you have this

barrage of first serves coming at you and big guns behind it. He is

not sure what to do. There are times when you have the guts it out,

change your game, introduce variety, and just know that your opponent at

some stage will miss. You have to believe that. There is not much you

can do. You have to say that his ranking would not be there if he was

this good. At some stage, he will think where he is. You have to get

on with it and get your service games won, somehow. Dan Evans has

come back and I noticed during this break that one Mateen dovecot Road

has been sending -- del Potro has been sending text messages. People

are saying, why are due playing, and he is saying, you don't need me,

because Mayer is playing so well! If you are wondering why del Potro

isn't playing, so we! We are none the wiser. But Argentina one set

away from a Davis Cup final. And in a chequered career so far for Dan

Evans, this is the moment now, encouraged by a hugely enthusiastic

and partisan crowd to show on the international stage that he can be a

top international player. I mean, really? If he had that

ranking, it's like a golfer coming in with a 20 handicap and shoots a

72. I've played with a couple of them! He can't keep this up, surely.

Come on! CHEERING.

There you are. The groove has gone awry. He hasn't made many of those

errors since the first set. He has just handed two freebies in a row

which Dan Evans has said thank you very much.

You can do this, Dan, says the voice in the crowd.

That's a brilliant forehand. That is reminiscent of del Potro against

Murray. Looked like he was out of that rally, Mayer. Suddenly, the

alarm bells really are ringing. Dan Evans does not want to get broken so

early in this fourth set. The point. Great serve.

Only the third ace of the match, Dan. But what a time to serve it.

More frenzied encouragement from Leon Smith.

CHEERING. The crowd know the battles that Dan

Evans is having and it is not just with Mayer, it is with himself.

All in the top of the net, though serves. He has to keep that left

shoulder up longer. Too many serves in the top of the

net. You have to say well played to my

affair. Every ball hit at 85%. He has these shots that change the

rally with one big strike. Even on that point, you looked like he was

on the defensive and hip that backhand down the line. With the

point. The ground strokes, both sides. And he is looking now at a

second serve. And a break point opportunity.

And on such errors do matches and complete ties sometimes change.

Two hours as you can see, just up behind Dan Evans and the decibel

level goes up another notch. CHEERING.

Mayer is thinking, how did I miss that forehand on the previous point?

And why do I stick that in the net? CHANTING.

If you wonder what they are chanting, it's Evo.

There's so much nervous tension and energy in arena now. Genuinely, the

temperature here is going up by the minute.

It is only the first game of the fourth set but this could be key?

The first game in a long while where Mayer is making errors, he has made

four bad errors. One break can change the whole momentum.

Andy Murray doing his utmost at every point to get onto his feet and

encourage Dan Evans but it just looks exhausted. He is absolutely

spent in every way. When he is in, it really is in! The

weight of the shot with Mayer is so much bigger than Dan Evans in the

last two sets. Can Dan Evans escape again? If anyone can, he can! That

serve was on the line, he needed that one. That was a late challenge.

He had already called the score, hadn't he? Irrespective of who

challenged... We are back at deuce. It makes life easier for you if you

can get if you first serves in. The ball striking has been fantastic

since he lost that first set. He is seeing the ball like football. There

is no hesitation. Just nailing it, every time of opening. So, the first

game just goes on and on and on. How often do you see a forehand like

that? 80 mph, the second serve. He was trying to spread that ball in

half! -- split. And look at that. Heading towards 11 minutes for this

opening game. I don't agree with that. I don't

think -- think that was that long between the challenge. Some of them

have been longer than that. Well, he mustn't get distracted by

that. And the crowd moves from frantic to

hysterical. And Dan Evans wins the longest game not just of this match

but the entire semifinal so far. Some facts and figures about the

service placement from Mayer, his serve is giving him the ascendancy.

You can just see how much variety he has got. Second and third sets, he

is moving all around the place, particularly areas down the backhand

side on the right court and the forehand side of the left, that is

where those big aces have been coming. What a game that was for Dan

Evans, almost must win, and somehow he got through it. I don't know how

but he did! And the little change now, that might affect Mayer a

little, thinking he should already be up by one break.

Such an impressive serve. He is almost serving back someone who is

6' six" and above, sometimes at shoulder height for Dan Evans.

Well played, Dan Evans. While I think the umpire has called that

out. The linesman has called that out. Dan Evans thinks he has got it

wrong. They call that the hot dog, that would have been one of the

greats. Unfortunately, it is 40-0. What happened to the challenge? I am

not quite sure. It says 40-0 on the scoreboard at

the moment. Still waiting for the challenge.

The crowd chanting for Hawk-Eye. Hawk-Eye is not obliging!

Here it is... The original call stance. They are saying that they

call was correct. That means that it is game, Argentina.

UMPIRE: Hawk-Eye is not working. The original call stands. Hawk-Eye is

getting booed. It was tight, but it was 40-0. We move on. Another big

service game for Dan Evans. Every game is a service game for Dan

Evans. He has to keep holding serve and hope that the level of Leonardo

Mayer drops a little to give him some opportunity.

That is a good point. Now and again. The first serve at just 98 mph but

to be in a position to do that, and then that...

In the first set he was so compact with all of those shots, he was not

making any errors, and that have a lot of time on it, all the pressure

being forced on him is just rushing that one. That is assured he should

normally -- he should normally never miss. That was a good serve.

In tennis, is the first thing that goes not the footwork? You have to

exaggerate that. Move your feet. That is what you have to do.

Good hold. And by virtue of serving first, in the fourth set, Mayer was

always going to be playing catch-up and as long as Dan Evans can keep

holding his serve, the pressure will mount and at moments of crisis, in

Scottish sport, you send for the proclaimers! The secret weapon! It

works so well during the Commonwealth Games, let us see what

impact it can have on Dan Evans. In terms of returning the serve from

Mayer, 12 aces, I hugely high percentage of first serves in and a

high percentage of first serves being one, can you afford to just

take a punt and say, I will almost stand like Andy Murray does, just to

see if I can put him off his stride? You should definitely change it,

where you stand, but Andy Murray, those little stacks earlier on, the

vast majority on the first serve, both sides have gone down the

middle. Somebody like Andy Murray instinctively knows that so he leans

a little bit on those, particularly on the big points, I am not sure

that Dan Evans has felt that and that is the difference. Murray and

Djokovic, they know instinctively where the vast majority of the

serves are going and they pick that a fraction early.

Evans is not happy that Mayer is taking so long over that serve but

the Argentinian decided one of those balls was not good enough. He

revealed. -- here we go. And the pressure

seems almost immaterial. The way he is striking the ball and Dan Evans

gets a warning for an audible obscenity.

That was beautifully played by Mayer. Controlled, confident. But it

is still poised, two each. One break year for Argentina perhaps

puts them into the Davis Cup Final, and the break for Dan Evans will

take us to the most thrilling finale of this engrossing Davis Cup Final.

If you have just watched -- switched on, Sunday is going, if you have a

nice quiet glass of sherry on a Sunday evening, this is probably not

the place for you at the moment! Mayer launching himself into another

of those big forehands. The net has been the friend of Dan

Evans quite a few times but not there.

That is brilliant from the Argentinian. And brutal for Dan

Evans. And that might signal curtains for the hopes of Great

Britain in the Davis cup in 2016. Two break points in this key moment.

He took that on the rise, beautiful. There was not much margin for error,

but that was OK. The first one is saved.

Mayer breaks. And he might be breaking a few thousand tennis fans'

Hearts in the Emirates Arena hear in Glasgow and at home as well. His

legs, it was not that long, but a couple of those sliced backhand is,

not getting as low as he normally does. That shot was very makeable.

But you must give credit to the way that Mayer has played since losing

the first set, he has really elevated his game. His serve has

just become huge. So consistent and backing that up with these

combinations, forehand or backhand, he never has given Dan Evans any

chance to breathe, he pushed him back the whole time and he does not

know how to get at him. He almost has looked a little bit

one-dimensional today, Dan Evans, which is not something you normally

associate him with but that has been down to the opponent, who has

dictated these rallies. I suppose that Mayer will say to himself, 12

big serves and I am there. But they always say the hardest point to win

is the last one and the closer he gets to the finishing line, this is

a huge moment for him in his career as well... And it is not done by any

manner or means at the moment but Dan Evans must get his sights set on

some of the serves. That was unfortunate but in that

rally, you can see the weight of the shot on his ground strokes, those

big forehands after the serve. He got him into the position where he

should win that point but that was the off-balance overhead that he got

very lucky with. 105, second serve, getting high

again, Dan Evans trying to get over that but I think the slice would be

a better option on that one. I think shortly we need to collectively send

some positive thoughts to Dan Evans because he needs that at the moment.

Are you kidding me? Well... I suppose that is the second serve

from somebody who is up but what is second serve! 106. That is a joke,

how good that was. A small crumb but greeted by huge

ovation. Once again... Just having that

ability to take over at the rally. That has been the difference,

really. And obviously the serve but that forehand from a neutral

position where he has been able to take charge of the rallies, that has

been so much better than Dan Evans, the power and accuracy he has had

since that first set. That has really been awesome. Dan Evans just

has to keep hanging in there. And hope his opponent's level drops a

little bit, and be ready when that happens. He cannot feel sorry for

himself, he has to keep fighting. How many times have we seen that in

this batch? He seems to have so much time, when somebody is playing well

they look like they are never rushed, the control everything.

A combination from the net. He just hasn't been able to get to the net

that many times today. Well, he took back the bow and just

took aim there, but it was long, so while there is life, there is hope.

And you have to keep saying it's only one break of serve. And if

Mayer does come up with another eight blistering first serves there

are some moments you have to say, there's not much I could have done

about it, but in those terms, he's got a thing, right, I've got to give

myself a shot in this game, I've got to get level. How do I do that? Yes.

It's also the Davis Cup semifinals. This is right at the business end of

the set and the match and it is in his hands. Doesn't mean he's going

to take it, though. Not in this position. I mean, his tennis hasn't

been that great this season. That's why his ranking is so low. It's a

difficult position. He would love to be in that position but you've still

got to close it out. Dan Evans just has to be the best he can, hang on

in there, just stretch am put the ball back in play. -- and put the

ball. New balls, which won't help cause of

Dan Evans, but you never know. Missed a couple of first serves. Get

the ball in play and you never know. Brutal! Brutal serve! He's been as,

still pot row was in his match against Andy Murray. -- as calm as

Del Potro. Clinical, surgical, brutal. 131 on

the line. Not much he can do about that.

What a serve again! But what a swing! It's like his shoulder is

elasticated. Just so free moving. Too good. Too good. Nearly there for

Argentina. But this is where, and I know he's going to have to play the

best game, he's going to have to hold his serve, make him earn it. Be

holding out if he can do this for the finals of the Davis Cup. That's

pressure. I don't care who you are, make him earn game. -- that game.

Well, not much either captain can say here. Not really. And

unfortunately, you try to save yourself if you are serving for the

match, it's just a normal game, one point at the time, all that

nonsense, but you can't help but think of it, and you just don't know

what he's going to do here. His serve has been brilliant but doesn't

mean it will be now, though. Evans has to somehow get a racket, change

up where you are standing, just do something, for something different

at him here. The Argentine captain, you can see him mouth the words "OK"

to Mayer. That's almost enough. We are going to see if Juan Martin

Del Potro is down there on the bench. Surely he must be. You think

about all the controversy there was throughout the day about who was

going to play in this match for Argentina and the sense that if it

wasn't Del Potro, how destiny of the Davis Cup would swing towards Great

Britain. Well, this man has risen to the occasion a big way. After three

riveting debut at tennis, it comes down to this. -- days of tennis.

He found the line! Can you believe that?! I thought he had pulled that.

Not a bad time for Dan Evans to do this, though. That was a tactical

one. That did not look like a nervous

backhand. As the chequered flag nears the the

end, the end might be nice. -- might be near.

Well, we started at 1pm on Friday with that epic match between Del

Potro and Andy Murray, and is this the end of this Davis Cup semifinal?

Britain's reign of the world champions of tennis is over. And

Leonardo Mayer takes Argentina to the Davis Cup final!

Huge celebration for the men in the light blue and white strip, and you

think about the great players who for Argentina over the years, David

Nalbandian, they've had many opportunities to win the Davis Cup

and have got to several finals but never lifted the trophy, but they

will have the opportunity in a month's time or so, and there's a

lovely shot of Juan Martin Del Potro embracing Andy Murray. Argentina or

have a chance to win the Davis Cup in a few weeks' time when they play

Croatia. -- will have the chance. And when you look at this

extraordinary match over the last three days, isolated moments and a

significant Andy Murray against Juan Martin Del Potro. Love-40 on the

Murray serve. A volley from Murray and then a truly extraordinary

winner down the line from Del Potro, and then in that moment,

crystallising the five margins of international sport, and you can see

what it means to the victors. And that was one of the matches of his

life. And I'm assuming we are going to hear on court from one of the

Argentine players, but I'm not quite sure who. And obviously, bit by bit,

the majority of the England fans are leaving but the Argentine fans are

staying. It's been an extraordinary moment and they've done the cup is

proud and the crowd proud, and a most memorable occasion over the

last three days. -- they've done the cup proud. Perhaps a bridge too far

for Andy Murray after such an exhausting schedule over the last

few months. Britain relied on him so much over the last couple of years.

And you can't say he fell short because he and Jamie played so well

yesterday and in the end, Leonardo Mayer playing such a brilliant game

today, and look at that. The main statistic there that leaps out at

you and ultimately decided that match, the second one down on the

right, 83% first serves one. -- first serves won. And they have done

well to withstand that barrage. A fantastic performance by Mayer. And

all the while today, the feeling was that if Del Potro wasn't fit enough

to play the deciding singles, that Great Britain might have a real

chance of getting through to the final and retaining, defending and

retaining the Davis Cup for the first time in 80 years, but it

wasn't to be. And there's a reason that only ten times in the 35 years

of the world group of the Davis Cup, the Premier League, if you like,

there's a reason that only ten times in 35 years country has come from

to-0 down to win 2-2. -- 2-0 down. I think we are hoping to hear from

Leon Smith in a few moments time. But first of all, it might be

Leonardo Mayer. SUE BARKER: Well, thanks to John,

and look at the Argentinian team. They are putting their fans, you've

certainly made their presence felt, because the barmy army have been

absolutely outstanding cheering on the Stirling team. But Leo Mayer,

very emotional playing that winning match to take the tie and put

Argentina through to the final. We are hoping to hear from him but he's

going to have to try to get his emotions in check before he heads

over to Annabel Croft, and we will want to hear from the captain as

well. And also Leon Smith, as well, as the losing team captain. But Juan

Martin Del Potro, well, we wondered when he decided not to play whether

Dan Evans could pull off this fantastic victory over Mayer, but it

wasn't to be, and you have to applaud Leonardo Mayer, who played a

superb game. John Lloyd is with me at the moment. You couldn't fault

him, could you? You didn't put a foot wrong? No. To be honest, he

outclassed him. A wonderful performance. What his ranking is

doing where it is, I've no idea! He was over 21 last year... Well,

absolutely. The way he played today, superb. He served so well and the

power, and the placement as well. He didn't really give Dan a chance to

get his racket on the ball, did he? Not really. And even if he did get

on the ball, his back-up behind him, it was just immense. An amazing

performance. I didn't expect him to play that well. Leon Smith is making

his way off court but this might be emotional.

Well played, Leonardo Mayer. That was a fantastic performance. We can

see how emotional you are. Can you tell us how it feels to have sealed

the tide for Argentina to make it through to their fifth final? -- the

TRANSLATION: He feels very emotional because he hasn't been able to play

due to his injury for many years, so he is delighted to be back on form

and he would like to thank his team, his technical team, because they

have been very supportive throughout this journey.

APPLAUSE Well, they certainly did a fantastic

job out there. What is it about the Davis Cup that seems to bring out

the best in you and the passion you bring to representing your country?

TRANSLATION: He doesn't know what it is about the Davis Cup but

definitely it brings the best in him and he gives thanks to his team and

supporters and the whole crowd. Well, we will let you go and

celebrate with your team. Many congratulations. Thank you, thank

you very much. Well, you can see just how emotional

it was. He didn't show any emotion in the match. No emotion on his face

at all but it is all pouring out at the moment. They are such a

passionate nation as far as tennis goes and you talk about the crowd

history going back many decades. Many decades, and they felt they had

an opportunity to win the Davis Cup this year and Del Potro has been so

committed to it. Let's hear from the captain.

Congratulations, Daniel. We can see what this means to Argentina. You

must be a very, very proud captain for your team. I am, and that is the

word, proud. These four players, the players who didn't come as well.

They are supporting us from home from different tournaments. They are

all part of the team. The coaches. We include everyone because there's

a lot of people behind this team and today we can celebrate with all the

Argentina crowd who are always with us. And you must also be very proud

of Leonardo Mayer, who came out here and showed enormous strength of

character? It's not easy under this pressure to play a fifth try, but

what were the tactics that worked so effectively today? Well, Leo has

played very, very good matches, Davis Cup matches, before, so he has

the feeling in his body and his mind, even though he is out of the

top hundred players now. That is not his level. He is so much higher and

he showed it today. He was a bit nervous on the first set. Daniel

played very well as well. But when he found his rhythm, he was on top

of him all the time. So we trusted his quality, his player quality, and

also his human quality which is enormous. And you kept us all

guessing, because you thought he would play the fifth try, but you

put him in to bat? Yes, we had to keep it for ourselves into the last

moment for Great Britain to be thinking a bit, but we knew it from

this morning, from last night that Mayer would play. And what does it

mean to Argentina to be into your fifth final? You've never won the

Davis Cup so how do you feel going into a fifth final? I believe it

will be an honour to play another final but today we are going to

enjoy the semifinal victory. I'm going to let you enjoy it, but just

your thoughts on facing Croatia in the final? To be honest, I can't

think about that right now. I know it is a very strong team and we are

playing away once again but we will go with our illusion of winning,

preparing ourselves as well as we can. I think we better let you go

and enjoy the celebrations. Congratulations and best of luck in

the final. Thank you, thank you to the British rock -- public. They

were very respectful and impassioned.

Thank you. SUE BARKER: It's certainly been an

emotional roller-coaster for the teams for the past three days but it

is the blue and white of Argentina who celebrate. The fans from

Stirling University are still there and still hoping to applaud the

British team but they have headed off to the locker room. But they've

played their part as well. We've come to the end and I don't have

time to discuss it! But huge thanks to you for your commentary over the

last few days and it certainly was a dramatic day of tennis here in

Glasgow. Andy Murray got Britain level but Dan Evans just couldn't

beat the magic of Leonardo Mayer. So it is Argentina who go through to

the final but a disappointing day for British tennis. Hope you've

enjoyed it, though. Goodbye from us all.

# We'll be back for more # Yeah, we'll be back

# Yeah, we'll be back for more #. So that he can be tried and

sentenced and spend the rest of his life in

prison. The Fall returns. Thursday 29th of

September only on BBC Two.