Day 6 BBC Four: 13.00-16.00

:00:54. > :01:18.This looks sharp, it is sharp. We're getting goose bumps up here. Oh,

:01:19. > :01:27.sensational. He's done it, oh my word. It is Joe Clarke of Great

:01:28. > :01:36.Britain, the Olympic champion. Gold for Jack and Chris. Huge

:01:37. > :01:43.congratulations to Great Britain's golden boys, Chris Mears, Joe Clarke

:01:44. > :01:50.and Jack Laugher, adding two more gold medals. Makes you feel good

:01:51. > :01:55.about basics, doesn't it? It was the day that Great Britain doubled the

:01:56. > :02:01.medal tally, up to 12, and what a fantastic effort from those boys.

:02:02. > :02:06.Jack Mears, Jack Law, 21, Chris Mears, 23 and Joe Clarke, also 23.

:02:07. > :02:11.The future is bright and golden for Great Britain. Here I'm glad to say

:02:12. > :02:16.that the rain has gone away after yesterday's drizzly and tolerable

:02:17. > :02:20.day. The stream of people are coming in -- horrible day. I don't know

:02:21. > :02:25.what this lady is saying but she has a megaphone and is making herself

:02:26. > :02:31.very loud. Aliens in the house? It's only day six. That's clear things up

:02:32. > :02:39.for you, here's what's coming up. Matt let's clear things up. -- let's

:02:40. > :02:42.clear things up. Time for the Gulf to tee off, major winners Justin

:02:43. > :02:49.Rose and Danny Willett flying the flag for Team GB -- golf. Another

:02:50. > :02:52.table tennis gold is in the sights of the Chinese after a thrilling

:02:53. > :02:58.women's singles final last night, the men's medals will be handed out

:02:59. > :03:01.later. We will be down to Copacabana where the women's Beach Volleyball

:03:02. > :03:07.Arena 's soon to reach the knockouts. Can Brazil's number one

:03:08. > :03:11.pair deliver for the nation? Badminton make its Rio 2016 about

:03:12. > :03:15.today, the British contingent will be taking to the court including

:03:16. > :03:22.Heather love and Lauren Smith, the doubles pair. Britain's Fletcher and

:03:23. > :03:27.Powell are the latest Team GB judokas to get grappling, inspired

:03:28. > :03:32.by the bronze winner Sally Conway, can they get all of the medals

:03:33. > :03:37.today? Jazz Carlin returns to this winning pool after winning silver in

:03:38. > :03:45.the 400 metre freestyle -- to the swimming pool. She is in the 800

:03:46. > :03:51.metres this afternoon. Here is how basics is looking on BBC Four. Six

:03:52. > :03:55.days, we are rattling along -- Day six. We will go to the golf shortly

:03:56. > :03:59.before we see table tennis, then Copacabana for the Beach Volleyball

:04:00. > :04:07.Arena up badminton and then some judo to finish things up. -- for the

:04:08. > :04:11.Beach Volleyball and then the badminton. On BBC One, it's all

:04:12. > :04:16.about rowing for the first part of the day. None of it at the Lagoa

:04:17. > :04:20.yesterday because of the horrible weather. Can caff Grainger adds to

:04:21. > :04:28.the gold she won in 2012? -- Katherine Grainger. Next, another

:04:29. > :04:31.chance for gold in the canoe slalom, David Florence and partner Richard

:04:32. > :04:34.Hounslow, seeing if they can improve on their silver from 2012. Their

:04:35. > :05:01.semifinal is at 4:30pm. But now, on BBC Four, we're going to

:05:02. > :05:05.the golf. So much anticipation around this golf tournament, not

:05:06. > :05:10.least because it has been more than 100 years since it returned to the

:05:11. > :05:14.programme and a lot of the headlines in the build-up to the Games were

:05:15. > :05:18.that there were not many high profile players here, nearly half of

:05:19. > :05:22.the top ten pulled out in the men's pawn meant and McIlroy even said he

:05:23. > :05:26.wouldn't be watching. Rory, tell you what, you're missing out because it

:05:27. > :05:30.is set to be a fantastic competition and Great Britain have two major

:05:31. > :05:35.winners leading thereunder in the men's competition, Justin Rose and

:05:36. > :05:40.Danny Willett. If we go to the Marapendi we can see what it looks

:05:41. > :05:45.like down there. This is the brand-new custom built ?14 million

:05:46. > :05:51.Olympic Golf Course. We'll be watching the standard 18 hole stroke

:05:52. > :05:56.play, there will be no cut, only 60 players in fibre and this is how

:05:57. > :06:02.Britain's Danny Willett got things started to stop this was him teeing

:06:03. > :06:08.off a few moments ago. Solid start and a ripple of applause down by the

:06:09. > :06:28.Olympic course. So his Olympic campaign is underway.

:06:29. > :06:36.And a huge smile on the face of Danny Willett, the Masters champion,

:06:37. > :06:42.2016. What is it like now, a few months after winning? Still amazing,

:06:43. > :06:47.to be able to sit back and reflect and look at what we've achieved and

:06:48. > :06:50.done. Very fulfilling, knowing the things you work on from when you are

:06:51. > :07:00.a kid until now have all come together and helped achieve a

:07:01. > :07:04.massive dream. My caddy Johnny said that I don't have the jacket now,

:07:05. > :07:09.different things have been happening. It has been phenomenal. I

:07:10. > :07:13.think that's what people like about you, the down-to-earth factor you

:07:14. > :07:18.seem to have and not only on the golf course but off it as well. I

:07:19. > :07:22.show a lot of emotion on and off the golf course, sometimes it doesn't go

:07:23. > :07:28.down well, but that's the passion new show for the game. That should

:07:29. > :07:32.be quite good! If you look at the greats, Seppi, he was ridiculous on

:07:33. > :07:39.a golf course, it was like he was going into a fight every time he

:07:40. > :07:44.went on the first tee -- Seve. It helps that you are a normal lad from

:07:45. > :07:49.Yorkshire and now I can travel the world, doing what I love doing.

:07:50. > :07:52.These doors have opened that I wouldn't ordinarily be able to do.

:07:53. > :07:58.The fact that you are from Yorkshire, proud to be a

:07:59. > :08:03.Yorkshireman. Yorkshire is rich in its sporting talent, especially

:08:04. > :08:08.Sheffield. You have a lot of people who have done a lot within their

:08:09. > :08:11.sports, from such a small area, they are all very happy for what you've

:08:12. > :08:19.achieved and it's great to chat about the other sports. How much of

:08:20. > :08:24.the Olympic attraction to you is down to the village and mixing with

:08:25. > :08:29.some of the superstars? Yeah that's probably the main attraction,

:08:30. > :08:33.golfers are quite closed in, seeing the same guys every week, associate

:08:34. > :08:36.the best athletes from around the world in their own sports, how they

:08:37. > :08:44.train, what they eat, how they go about their business. Anyone in

:08:45. > :08:48.particular you would like to meet and watch? Usain Bolt top of the

:08:49. > :08:53.tree? The fastest man in the world, it is the clinical title. We all

:08:54. > :08:58.play golf and that changes, who is number one from week to week. He's

:08:59. > :09:01.been the fastest man in the world for several years and it's a freak

:09:02. > :09:07.of nature, to be able to run that quickly. Reckon you could take him?

:09:08. > :09:14.I think it I did it in 15 it would be 100. What does a Gold Medal means

:09:15. > :09:18.to a golfer? A Gold Medal is a Gold Medal, not many guys have one, it

:09:19. > :09:22.would be a fantastic achievement to go to an Olympic Games and to be on

:09:23. > :09:26.the podium, it would be great to have the national anthem being

:09:27. > :09:33.played. Completely different to what us as golfers are used to. We are

:09:34. > :09:36.used to a five-minute interview, you get the trophy and then you are on a

:09:37. > :09:46.plane to the next place. It's every four years to win an Olympic medal.

:09:47. > :09:51.Dan Walker talking to the Masters champion Danny Willett. How good

:09:52. > :09:58.will it be, 2016, if he added Olympic gold? Here is the state of

:09:59. > :10:07.play and be scheduled tee times on day one. Danny Willett going in a

:10:08. > :10:13.group with Matt Kuchar and in the second group, four major winners.

:10:14. > :10:18.Bubba Watson has two Masters Championships and Martin Kaymer with

:10:19. > :10:25.a pair of Majors as well. And then the fans favourite, Sergio Garcia of

:10:26. > :10:30.Spain, with the feisty Patrick Reed. And to pick out some more notable

:10:31. > :10:39.names, second on the list, Great Britain's Justin Rose, with Rickie

:10:40. > :10:42.Fowler of the USA, before the 2016 Open champion home extends and gets

:10:43. > :10:51.things going in the final group just after 3pm. -- Henrik Stenson.

:10:52. > :10:59.Hitting the first golf shot in 112 years, the honour was given to

:11:00. > :11:06.Addison Da Silva, the Brazilian player. He started about an hour and

:11:07. > :11:10.a half ago. In his group, the Canadian, Graham DeLaet. He has a

:11:11. > :11:14.lot to live up to because the defending Olympic champion is also

:11:15. > :11:24.Canadian, George Lineham, taking the title in 1904 -- Lyon. Also the 20

:11:25. > :11:32.15th BMW champion, coming from good Olympic stock, both of his parents

:11:33. > :11:35.winning in table tennis in 1988 -- 2015. He shot the first birdie of

:11:36. > :11:41.the Olympic Golf Course petition with that 20 foot putt, following it

:11:42. > :11:46.up with a birdie on three and five. Graham DeLaet's that to the par-5

:11:47. > :11:49.5th out of the bunker was good enough for birdie, his second of the

:11:50. > :11:57.day, taking him to 2-under par and a share of the lead with Ahn. The

:11:58. > :12:04.Canadian has come out of the traps quickly, getting a birdie, 3-under

:12:05. > :12:11.par. So let's go to the Olympic Golf Course enjoy the very first day of

:12:12. > :12:24.competition. Graham DeLaet, taking another hole. -- Olympic Golf and

:12:25. > :12:33.enjoy. COMMENTATOR: Going the root of Aphibarnrat, using the bank,

:12:34. > :12:36.perhaps. Trying to use a bit of spin. They've all ended up peppering

:12:37. > :12:56.the hole. Different approaches, similar results.

:12:57. > :13:16.this is able birdie putt -- this is a birdie putt for An on seven. My

:13:17. > :13:26.goodness. Looked very good, didn't it. From the United States, Bubba

:13:27. > :13:34.Watson. Two time the Masters champion, Bubba Watson. From

:13:35. > :13:49.Germany, Martin Kaymer! Martin Kaymer, two time Open champion. From

:13:50. > :13:57.India, Anirban Lahiri. From India, born in Pune, living in Bangalore,

:13:58. > :14:03.Anirban Lahiri. 2015 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner. Winning the

:14:04. > :14:05.Malaysian open last year and the Indian open, which was a play-off

:14:06. > :14:23.win over -- Chouasia. Jerry Lester, as you've

:14:24. > :14:30.never seen him off the tee, look out. Anywhere in Rio, look out. His

:14:31. > :14:37.figure doesn't give it away, he is wide area. He packs arguably the

:14:38. > :14:52.biggest drive in the field. Here we go, Bubba Watson. He doesn't like

:14:53. > :15:01.it. He doesn't like that at all. OK, he can see enough of the ball. Now,

:15:02. > :15:07.Martin Kaymer. 22 professional wins, now back at 49 in the world golf

:15:08. > :15:14.rankings. Former world number one, 2010 PGA Championship at whistling

:15:15. > :15:21.Straits, a play-off with Bubba Watson, and the 2014 US Open.

:15:22. > :15:26.That is the tournament he won at Pinehurst in North Carolina by eight

:15:27. > :15:33.strokes from wiki from -- Rickie Fowler and Erik Compton. A fabulous

:15:34. > :15:43.player, former world number one for eight weeks and 2011. Now Anirban

:15:44. > :15:50.Lahiri, 11 wins on the professional golf Tour of India. Tied for fifth

:15:51. > :15:53.last year at the US PGA Championship, the highest finish

:15:54. > :15:59.when Indian golfer at any major Championship. He also played in the

:16:00. > :16:08.Presidents Cup last year in October on the international team that was

:16:09. > :16:13.skippered by Nick Price. Bubba Watson and a Martin Kim have been

:16:14. > :16:19.playing alongside each other for years, wonderful interaction. Martin

:16:20. > :16:23.Kim was speaking about what it means to be interacted with other

:16:24. > :16:33.sportsmen at the very top of their game. -- Martin Kim. Back down to

:16:34. > :16:39.eighth at our leader. 3-under at the par-3 8th. He is setting the pace,

:16:40. > :16:46.three birdies. Frank Novello a couple of months ago did his own

:16:47. > :16:50.research on this golf course and at the front line is we can get a

:16:51. > :17:02.racing start and set the tone for your four days of golf.

:17:03. > :17:15.Good crowd going off. There is a big gallery with the group that has just

:17:16. > :17:19.gone of the first. DeLaet has almost got across this and is looking

:17:20. > :17:25.anxiously at it. Doesn't need to be concerned. Maybe a club short, the

:17:26. > :17:29.wind helped me right to left and maybe took it too far. Matt Kuchar,

:17:30. > :17:41.one of four USA golfers in the field.

:17:42. > :18:01.Got to stop that nicely, solid approached the first.

:18:02. > :18:20.That is a far better shot, but he had right close to the hole. A good

:18:21. > :18:40.opportunity for him. This is for par at four. A fair pace on the ball. A

:18:41. > :18:48.good read. Adilson Da Silva hit the first ball in this Olympic golf

:18:49. > :19:02.event. From Brazil. He lives in South Africa. 172 yards, 157 metres,

:19:03. > :19:10.the eighth. Only put Brazilian -- he put Brazilian golf on the map of the

:19:11. > :19:15.Sunshine Tour in South Africa. And he has only probably played one

:19:16. > :19:24.round of golf in Brazil in the last 20 years. He has the Brazil shirt

:19:25. > :19:31.on. Yes. Just sliding past. Both Belgian players... Pieters and

:19:32. > :19:36.Colsaerts are both tall figures and strike the ball cleanly. It is

:19:37. > :19:45.Kuchar for his birdie at one after the myths and birdie approach -- the

:19:46. > :19:47.magnificent. This one breaks short. That ball is running out of steam.

:19:48. > :20:03.Taps in for par. Stone for his second at two. Opening

:20:04. > :20:11.birdie. You've mentioned his father, Dwayne, Kevin Stone, there is the

:20:12. > :20:17.attached? Rustenburg, lives in Pretoria. A lot of good golfers

:20:18. > :20:22.coming out of South Africa, all with very good golf swings. They have

:20:23. > :20:29.some good mentors as well. You mentioned Ernie Els, Gary Player is

:20:30. > :20:36.here. Padraig Harrington. Three-time major champion. The PGA of the USA

:20:37. > :20:45.and two-time open champion, the Open Championship.

:20:46. > :20:57.He is not making many putts. Just the one birdie coming on the fifth.

:20:58. > :21:09.But he started with a bogey at first. Whether we were second shot.

:21:10. > :21:14.-- with our wayward. This is Kane at five.

:21:15. > :21:24.Some appreciative of balls from the gallery. -- applause. Marcus Fraser

:21:25. > :21:34.is going like a train. The Australian. Still hasn't got a par

:21:35. > :21:39.on anything? No, I don't think so. This is looking good. Marcus Fraser,

:21:40. > :21:44.that is his fourth birdie of his round and goes to 3-under par

:21:45. > :21:53.because he bogeyed the second. Birdie, bogey, birdie, birdie,

:21:54. > :21:56.birdie. I said there would be scoring opportunities, did not take

:21:57. > :22:01.advantage of the second but has birdied four of the opening five,

:22:02. > :22:17.Marcus Fraser. Joined DeLaet on 3-under. Here he is. It is a long

:22:18. > :22:27.birdie putt. It will just break slightly right-to-left. Good track

:22:28. > :22:32.and great putt. Graham DeLaet must have heard Marcus Fraser join him on

:22:33. > :22:40.3-under and decides he will reclaim the lead, claiming his fourth birdie

:22:41. > :22:49.to 4-under. Superb putt. He will go out in 31 at this rate. Look at his

:22:50. > :22:54.reaction. Nonchalant. The Maple Leaf is leading in Rio. Some wonderful

:22:55. > :23:02.symmetry but he is following in the footsteps of his countrymen, George

:23:03. > :23:13.-- George Lyon who won it when it was last on the Olympics 112 year 's

:23:14. > :23:20.ago. I doesn't the -- Adilson Da Silva.

:23:21. > :23:32.Second shot on the par-3 8th. That should be good enough for his par.

:23:33. > :23:43.Go back to the first, Bubba Watson, second shot. That is interesting,

:23:44. > :23:47.because I thought he's the short -- his tee shot went gently into the

:23:48. > :23:53.rough stuff but it might have come out. As he left it in a more compact

:23:54. > :23:59.-- or come out? Bubba has gone right this time, so we've had Bubba going

:24:00. > :24:19.into directions, left and right. He makes this birdie nicely. Be

:24:20. > :24:28.young Hoolahan is keeping tabs on the leaders. -- Byeong-Hun An. From

:24:29. > :24:43.South Africa, jiggle van Zyl. -- Jaco van Zyl. From Finland, Mikko

:24:44. > :24:48.Ilonen. Five-time professional winner on the European Tour. From

:24:49. > :25:00.Canada, David Hearn. The second Canadian in the field. David Hearn

:25:01. > :25:11.might be inspired by what Graham DeLaet is doing on the front nine.

:25:12. > :25:16.4-under, four birdies and four pars. Ian Fraser both got a drop shot and

:25:17. > :25:21.are at 3-under, Thomas Pieters three birdies in his opening six, also on

:25:22. > :25:28.3-under. Jaco van Zyl for South Africa. He broke into the world's

:25:29. > :25:34.top 50 for the first time in February this year. 15 professional

:25:35. > :25:42.wins, the South African amateur champion in Twenty20 professional

:25:43. > :25:46.the following year -- in 2000 and turned. Jaco van Zyl from South

:25:47. > :26:09.Africa. Good, clean strike from van Zyl. He

:26:10. > :26:13.was told to focus on his strike for this tournament. Mikko Ilonen on the

:26:14. > :26:21.Volvo World Matchplay Championship was at three - one win over Henrik

:26:22. > :26:27.Stenson two years ago. On the Indonesian open was his first win on

:26:28. > :26:35.the European Tour, call shacks and -- co-sanctioned with the Asian Tour

:26:36. > :26:41.in 2007. He has hit that a fearful distance as well.

:26:42. > :26:50.The second Canadian is David Hearn. Graham DeLaet leads the field. No

:26:51. > :27:23.pressure. For a long time to Canadian golf.

:27:24. > :27:27.Richard by Mike Weir, the left-hander -- Canadian golf was

:27:28. > :27:34.dominated. Golf has started to make big strides from countries that are

:27:35. > :27:41.traditionally non-golfing nations. Here is Thomas Pieters again. He is

:27:42. > :27:49.just rolling them in just now, striking the ball so cleanly. Thomas

:27:50. > :27:55.Pieters is making real strides on the golf course. He is enjoying the

:27:56. > :28:07.opening round. Here is a Martin Kaymer, second on the first.

:28:08. > :28:14.That must be his third on the first. Martin Kaymer, former world number

:28:15. > :28:23.one, slips down the rankings recently. Marcus Fraser is going

:28:24. > :28:34.like a train. On the sixth with four birdies and a bogey in his previous

:28:35. > :28:38.five. Bullet straight. He is trying to play the cut into the green,

:28:39. > :28:44.couldn't get much movement on the ball but it trickles down. Bubba

:28:45. > :28:54.Watson with his third shot on the first, he has gone left and then

:28:55. > :28:57.right, seemed a bit of Rio. He is zigzagging the opener, trying to get

:28:58. > :29:01.as much as he can in terms of sightseeing, so excited about the

:29:02. > :29:06.prospect of Olympic golf. One thing he mentioned before the start was

:29:07. > :29:10.that the middle of any colour -- and medal of any colour would be the

:29:11. > :29:19.thrill of a lifetime for him. He wanted to start as the Olympic

:29:20. > :29:24.champion for the next four years. Good shot. He has set himself up for

:29:25. > :29:32.birdie, going the tourist route on the first. But he has this wonderful

:29:33. > :29:36.ability to recover. We'll never forget the incredible shot in the

:29:37. > :29:40.play-off at Augusta out of the trees on the tenth.

:29:41. > :29:47.The Shard that got him into the play-off, albatross. Brandon Stone,

:29:48. > :29:55.back-to-back birdies for the young South African -- the shot. Two

:29:56. > :30:05.behind the leader and he's only played two holes, Brandon Stone.

:30:06. > :30:21.Lima, finishing off, for birdie. Rolling it in. Two birdies in his

:30:22. > :30:25.opening three holes. So, Lahiri, struggling to hit the green in

:30:26. > :30:35.regulation. This is his fourth shot. Still a little pitch remaining on

:30:36. > :30:40.the opening hole. Too much spin. I fancy that the wind is picking up a

:30:41. > :30:50.bit, stronger. Those flags were quite limp at the start of play.

:30:51. > :30:57.This is the second, it is The Masters champion, Danny Willett of

:30:58. > :31:07.England. 67, bogey free final round at Augusta. He could have missed the

:31:08. > :31:11.Masters if his wife hadn't given birth to their son, Zachariah,

:31:12. > :31:18.early. He was due on the final day of that round. Doubt they would be

:31:19. > :31:21.telling him stories about that but thankfully he came early otherwise

:31:22. > :31:30.daddy wouldn't be playing in the Masters. Marcus Fraser. The most

:31:31. > :31:39.incredible round of golf. He hasn't got par yet, four birdies and one

:31:40. > :31:44.bogey. Can't be, can't be. It is! That is four birdies in a row for

:31:45. > :31:50.Marcus Fraser. He goes to 4-under par and joins Graham DeLaet at the

:31:51. > :32:03.top of the leaderboard. That's one hot putter. Four successive birdies,

:32:04. > :32:12.Marcus Fraser. Par attempt for Lahiri on the first. So many of

:32:13. > :32:17.those putts from there have just stayed on the top side.

:32:18. > :32:26.Unfortunately that's a bogey to start for Anirban, is currently

:32:27. > :32:33.based in Lahore in India. He was born in Pune. Here it is: starts. --

:32:34. > :32:38.Nicholas Cole starts. Fine putt from him, one of the coolest characters

:32:39. > :32:46.on the Tour, he is nicknamed simply the Dude. Here is another one. Bubba

:32:47. > :32:58.Watson. Nothing would surprise me if this went straight into the back of

:32:59. > :33:02.the hole. Ooh! You can't do that. Had a look at the side door,

:33:03. > :33:09.knocking on the back door and still won't go in. You've got to be

:33:10. > :33:15.kidding. He got it just about spot on. The ball was afraid of the dark!

:33:16. > :33:19.That Spa to start, he'll probably feel that he's OK with that having

:33:20. > :33:28.gone a bit wayward with his tee shot and his second -- that's par. Lining

:33:29. > :33:35.up the birdie on the first. Watson, alongside Lahiri. Kaymer, the

:33:36. > :33:48.prospect of a birdie beckoning. Very solid. And a very popular

:33:49. > :33:51.player as well, Martin Kaymer. I think this is the group that is

:33:52. > :33:56.going to take a lot of attention in the opening round of groupings.

:33:57. > :34:02.Bubba Watson, Martin Kaymer and Anirban Lahiri. Two major champions

:34:03. > :34:08.of the six in one grouping. Absolutely right. An's second shot

:34:09. > :34:18.on the ninth hole, he's getting close to the pins, he really is. 306

:34:19. > :34:29.to nine yards, the ninth hole. -- 369 yards. The birthday boy, da

:34:30. > :34:39.Costa. For his third birdie. He is going well. Second birdie, beg your

:34:40. > :34:50.pardon. -- kofta. He only made par on the last. Look at the putting

:34:51. > :34:56.stroke, look at his grip -- Kofstad. Nothing wrong with the putt!

:34:57. > :34:59.Five-time Japan golf Tour money winner. Let's go to the first, the

:35:00. > :35:10.next group, number 12. Please welcome to the tee, the

:35:11. > :35:31.players of group 12. From France, Gregory Bourdy. Gregory

:35:32. > :35:42.Bourdy of France. Very popular man. From Paraguay, Fabricio Zanotti.

:35:43. > :35:55.Fabricio Zanotti, from Paraguay, two top tens on the European Tour. From

:35:56. > :35:57.Chinese Taipei, Jensen Pan. He attended the University of

:35:58. > :36:06.Washington and he was the world number one amateur for eight weeks

:36:07. > :36:12.in 2013. Two fractional wins for him. Going with Gregory Bourdy of

:36:13. > :36:23.France. Julien Quesne is on the golf course. Two French men in the field.

:36:24. > :36:29.Eight professional wings, four on the European Tour. He has also won

:36:30. > :36:36.the Telcom professional Championship in South Africa. Winning the Hong

:36:37. > :36:44.Kong Open, Gregory Bourdy, two clear of McIlroy, seven years ago in 2009.

:36:45. > :36:49.Portuguese open, module can open and the Wales open -- Muchall cut open.

:36:50. > :37:00.The Wales open at Celtic Manor just outside Cardiff -- Majorca open.

:37:01. > :37:13.Gregory Bourdy of France, from Bordeaux.

:37:14. > :37:29.I think a night -- he might like a nice claret, from there, Bordeaux.

:37:30. > :37:35.Fabricio Zanotti from Paraguay. Durnan devotional 13 years ago. Two

:37:36. > :37:42.top tens this year, the China Open and the BMW PGA Championship. He won

:37:43. > :37:46.the BMW International Open two years ago in a play-off with Henrik

:37:47. > :37:53.Stenson. Gregory Havret France and Cabrera Bello from Spain. So he's

:37:54. > :38:15.mixed it with the best and he has won against the best.

:38:16. > :38:25.Pan, two gold medals from the Asian Games, winning individual and in the

:38:26. > :38:30.team event and two professional wings, the players cup and the PGA

:38:31. > :38:37.Tour of Canada -- wins. And the Cape Breton Calton classic. Four top tens

:38:38. > :38:57.this year on the Web.com. So, Pan. Pan from Chinese Taipei is on his

:38:58. > :39:09.way and his fellow countrymen will go later, Lin Wen tang. On the

:39:10. > :39:17.second, Danny Willett. The golfer who first earned his skills on a

:39:18. > :39:22.sheep field in Anglesey! Birdie putt not breaking as he would have liked.

:39:23. > :39:31.Amazing what skills you need for a golf course. Yeah, yes. In Sheffield

:39:32. > :39:39.was the first time he got the chance to play on a golf course. The green

:39:40. > :39:45.jackets of the Augusta National were a long way away. Adilson Da Silva

:39:46. > :39:53.getting a cheer of approval as he birdies nine. A long way from a

:39:54. > :39:57.sheep field in Anglesey. Now, the ninth hole, An for birdie, four

:39:58. > :40:04.consecutive birdies for An. Nicely done. That is his fifth birdie of

:40:05. > :40:15.the round. A bogey on the first. Out in 31, 4-under par, tied for the

:40:16. > :40:25.lead. Pieters for birdie on seven. Just rushing it, he just rushed it.

:40:26. > :40:34.Look at the gallery is making their way to the golf course. The fans

:40:35. > :40:41.making their way here. Out towards the ocean in the background. Graham

:40:42. > :40:47.DeLaet is leading for the longest time but now, Marcus Fraser is

:40:48. > :40:52.getting his fourth consecutive birdie, finding himself on 4-under

:40:53. > :41:01.par, so too An to get a birdie on nine and go out in 31. Players still

:41:02. > :41:08.on 9-under par. 12 are under par. Good scoring early on. Danny

:41:09. > :41:14.Willett, Matt Kuchar. Soren Kjeldsen who played well for a top ten finish

:41:15. > :41:20.at Troon in the Open Championship. Even par in the opening stages.

:41:21. > :41:31.Jacko van Zyl has just teed off for South Africa. These are players that

:41:32. > :41:34.will be desperately wanting to find some birdies on the attacking front

:41:35. > :42:06.line -- -- Jaco. That's just hopped out. The Chilean,

:42:07. > :42:17.Aguilar, a rather stunned reaction. Into the bunker, and out it pops. He

:42:18. > :42:19.knows he got away with that one. Now, this is the second. Martin

:42:20. > :42:48.Kaymer. Nice swing from the German. He's

:42:49. > :42:56.come up short. The former world number one, Martin Kaymer. This is

:42:57. > :43:00.one of the groups that will capture the galleries today on the Olympic

:43:01. > :43:09.Golf Course. Kaymer, Lake Erie, who made his debut in the Presidents Cup

:43:10. > :43:14.last year -- Lahiri, and they are playing with Bubba Watson.

:43:15. > :43:18.Extraordinarily skilled, Bubba Watson. Creates angles and those

:43:19. > :43:24.things in his inimitable way, unique fashion, with the golf club.

:43:25. > :43:33.Wouldn't want to copy it, but my word, he's got such skill. That's

:43:34. > :43:41.pretty good from Bubba. Jerry Lester. Patrick Reed, Matt Kuchar

:43:42. > :43:49.and Rickie Fowler, the other three Americans in the field. Brandon

:43:50. > :43:59.Stone. 2-under par, the South African.

:44:00. > :44:08.Shot. Using the wind, which has picked up a little bit. It's a fair

:44:09. > :44:15.day today. Yesterday was horrible, wet and windy. Mikko Ilonen, his

:44:16. > :44:24.fourth shot on the 1st hole. Good birdie. That's a terrific birdie,

:44:25. > :44:32.confident stride. He's in a spot of bother. Trying to hack out of the

:44:33. > :44:43.rough stuff. Down the middle of the fairway. This is the tenth hole.

:44:44. > :44:51.Par-5, nearly 600 yards, it's 539 metres today. Water down the left.

:44:52. > :44:55.Fairly narrow landing area. There is a bunker on the right initially and

:44:56. > :45:01.then there's a dogleg to the left landing area beyond the water. This

:45:02. > :45:09.is the silver. His second shot -- Adilson Da Silva. Into the safer

:45:10. > :45:13.landing area. You've got a good 50 metres of ground to play with just

:45:14. > :45:21.beyond the water before you start heading up towards the bunkers. Safe

:45:22. > :45:23.third opportunity, to the rather long and thin green, if you approach

:45:24. > :45:34.from the safe play. You can see that the wind has just

:45:35. > :45:39.picked up. That is why Graham DeLaet is taking a little more time. We

:45:40. > :45:46.have a tie at the top of the leaderboard, DeLaet from Canada and

:45:47. > :45:50.Australia's Marcus Fraser as well as the player from South Korea. Marcus

:45:51. > :45:56.Fraser has more consecutive birdies. The wind has picked up, but that the

:45:57. > :46:05.caddy's notebook. They've got to be precise, to the foot, not the yard.

:46:06. > :46:13.Distance the golfers is so important. -- distance to golfers.

:46:14. > :46:20.He just lays the club off at the top. He is going well. That is all

:46:21. > :46:30.right, he will be happy with that. From Dutch -- Japan Yuta Ikeda.

:46:31. > :46:44.Second Japanese player in the field. From Finland ropy Kakko from

:46:45. > :46:54.Finland. -- rupee Kakko. From the Philippines, Miguel Tabb Buena.

:46:55. > :47:00.Eight professional wins on the Tour and he won his national open on the

:47:01. > :47:09.Asian Tour last year. It was a curtailed golf tournament of three

:47:10. > :47:10.rounds but Tabuena is talent. You typically do to go first of this

:47:11. > :47:26.group. -- it will be Yuta Ikeda. Shingo Katayama is already out on

:47:27. > :47:47.the field. This is group 13, 11 minutes apart,

:47:48. > :48:30.the groups. Safely away. Now, Kakko. His wife

:48:31. > :48:37.plays on the LPGA Tour, I wonder what they speak about at night? How

:48:38. > :48:45.did you go today? 5-under? 6-over? The lowest ranked player 's dinner

:48:46. > :48:50.-- round prepares dinner. He started in 2004 as an amateur and turned

:48:51. > :48:52.professional later. He has three professional wins, including the

:48:53. > :48:57.Madeira Islands Open last year on the European Tour.

:48:58. > :49:05.Kakko is on his way and Mikko Ilonen, the other Finn, has just

:49:06. > :49:23.gone out in front of him. Tabuena from the Philippines. Tied

:49:24. > :49:30.for second in this year's a bank Malaysian Championship. In Kuala

:49:31. > :49:35.Lumpur, a big event on the European Tour call shacks and with the

:49:36. > :49:37.European Tour and tied for fourth at the SMB Singapore open at the Laguna

:49:38. > :49:56.International. Tabuena, 21 years old, is on his

:49:57. > :50:01.way. From the Philippines. Saint Tozer, Singapore, one of the most

:50:02. > :50:06.humid golf courses as ever had the experience of playing. You will

:50:07. > :50:15.sweat there. Bubba Watson looking for the birdie. It doesn't drop.

:50:16. > :50:19.That looks like Sugarloaf mountain in the back, but it isn't. We are

:50:20. > :50:28.about 30 kilometre is from it. It is one of the more famous

:50:29. > :50:52.attractions of Rio de Janeiro. Most putts Harold whizzing past.

:50:53. > :51:01.Here is Graham DeLaet at ten. An opening par-5 on both nines. A third

:51:02. > :51:08.shot for DeLaet, flies at over and it's just trickles away from the

:51:09. > :51:11.hole. Brandon Stone from South Africa is going well. Birdie chance

:51:12. > :51:26.on the fourth. Nice looking putt. It was a wretched

:51:27. > :51:34.day here yesterday. The tennis event, not one tennis ball was hit

:51:35. > :51:41.yesterday. The rain and the lashing wind, Padraig Harrington, third shot

:51:42. > :51:48.on the par-4 9th and he has made a putt. Two birdies going out for

:51:49. > :51:57.Padraig Harrington. Six pars and a birdie. Adding 34. Da Silva, third

:51:58. > :52:09.shot at ten. Playing alongside DeLaet and beyond Milan beyond

:52:10. > :52:13.Hannan -- Byeong-Hun An links back to the hole, perfectly placed. That

:52:14. > :52:24.will be a tap in birdie and a positive way to start his back nine.

:52:25. > :52:26.Marcus Fraser for drama. -- for par. This is a Mandigers made his first

:52:27. > :52:44.par. Look at that scorecard. Just missing out on the chance. To

:52:45. > :52:52.be a fifth consecutive birdie. Byron in the sand. Da Silva's ball is

:52:53. > :52:56.right next to the hole. He wants the way for a Da Silva to walk up and

:52:57. > :53:03.mark his ball. Instead he decides to play to the side. Obviously had a

:53:04. > :53:11.particularly difficult life. We've been told the players can remove

:53:12. > :53:20.stones from the bunkers in this event. They are described as a

:53:21. > :53:33.movable obstructions. Bubba Watson on the third. He can drive this.

:53:34. > :53:39.Thomas Pieters did. But Bubba Watson has just seen this leaked out a

:53:40. > :53:57.little to the left, too far for him. Still a decent angle of approach.

:53:58. > :54:05.Par-4, tied for the lead is An on the tenth here.

:54:06. > :54:14.No save for An this time. Was that for par or bogey? That was tap in

:54:15. > :54:25.for par. Graham DeLaet come birdie

:54:26. > :54:42.opportunity for the Canadian. Birdies in his opening nine, hasn't

:54:43. > :54:53.dropped a shot yet. -- four birdies. This is to take outright lead at

:54:54. > :54:59.5-under. Slides past. Just edging the putt unfortunately, so he stays

:55:00. > :55:06.on 4-under par, fantastic first hour of golf and you will continue to see

:55:07. > :55:10.that on the BBC sport website? -- website with the Red Button. That's

:55:11. > :55:11.ride up the men's condition of golf at the Olympics, the first one for

:55:12. > :55:19.112 years. We saw the Guy in action just there,

:55:20. > :55:26.Graham DeLaet of Canada was getting things underway for us here in Rio.

:55:27. > :55:32.He had a great couple of birdies and three and five and another on the

:55:33. > :55:38.sixth. Before an enormous monster putt on the eighth. The Canadian

:55:39. > :55:45.leading the way on 4-under par, not a bad effort from the world 145.

:55:46. > :55:50.Marcus Fraser had an interesting morning from Australia. On the first

:55:51. > :55:58.six he got five birdies and a bogey. Then add drama on the sixth. Then he

:55:59. > :56:04.had the opposite day, but -- bogeyed his first involved with five birdies

:56:05. > :56:08.to take a share of the lead. The year front runners. Just to remind

:56:09. > :56:13.you, Justin Rose is getting underway just before 4pm 's afternoon, if you

:56:14. > :56:16.want to see it is on the BBC sport website, Red Button and Apple. On

:56:17. > :56:20.BBC One there are giving you another chance to check in on Britton's Joe

:56:21. > :56:26.Clarke. If you missed the news, they'd last night he bagged Great

:56:27. > :56:29.Britton's second ever Gold Medal in the lives slalom. The showing that

:56:30. > :56:35.right now on BBC One and later they will tell us, they'll see a forest

:56:36. > :56:39.and Richard Hounslow can follow that up in the medals makes it too.

:56:40. > :56:43.Silver medallist from 2012 come here as a chance to go for gold. This is

:56:44. > :56:48.the entrance to the Olympic Park, the very first time, the first

:56:49. > :56:55.opportunity for people to get a feeling of the Olympic flavour as

:56:56. > :57:03.they come in. We have a lot of men with the loudspeakers wishing them a

:57:04. > :57:06.very good morning. We're scaring people in the middle of the park,

:57:07. > :57:14.they don't want to be on camera. Give us a wave. Making friends on

:57:15. > :57:17.the park. We will speak about table tennis because yesterday we set how

:57:18. > :57:22.dominant China have been in the sport in the Olympics, 24 of the

:57:23. > :57:28.available 28 gold medals they have one and going into Rio they have won

:57:29. > :57:31.15 of the last 16. An even better record and after yesterday they can

:57:32. > :57:37.add another Gold Medal, make that 16 of the available 17. What is it that

:57:38. > :57:44.makes the Chinese table tennis machine tech? Matthew has been

:57:45. > :57:48.trying to fight the find the answer. Table tennis in China is more than a

:57:49. > :57:52.sport, it is a national obsession. Late just about everywhere whether

:57:53. > :58:00.you are in the rural hinterland right here of the Main Street in

:58:01. > :58:09.downtown Beijing. His technique is incredible. Football, cricket,

:58:10. > :58:13.Dickens and the Beatles, put them together and you will get an idea of

:58:14. > :58:20.how central tenet -- table tennis is to modern Chinese culture. It was

:58:21. > :58:23.here in Tiananmen Square in the mid-19 50s but there was a white

:58:24. > :58:31.ball first started rolling in red China. General Malik decreased Abel

:58:32. > :58:35.says as the sport of the masses. -- General Mao. This of a public health

:58:36. > :58:38.programme but part of a political calculation. He reasoned that if

:58:39. > :58:43.hundreds of millions took up that and ball China would conquer the

:58:44. > :58:50.world. Something that would bolster his leadership. He was right. In

:58:51. > :58:56.1959 Rob Gort one Aston is the world becoming it will Chinese first world

:58:57. > :59:02.champion in any sport. His successor when the next three world titles.

:59:03. > :59:09.Mao hailed his players as icons of revolutionary virtue, there is a

:59:10. > :59:11.link to the group were back is helped him come and forefinger,

:59:12. > :59:18.technique used by the old generation. This is table tennis

:59:19. > :59:22.with Chinese characteristics and the masses were mesmerised. In 1967,

:59:23. > :59:30.something unexpected happened when the white ball came to an abrupt

:59:31. > :59:32.halt. Here at the National training Centre, the Chinese table tennis

:59:33. > :59:38.team received a letter from the Communist leadership laying sport

:59:39. > :59:42.had become a bastion of anti-Maoism. The cultural Revolution had started

:59:43. > :59:48.and the top players were bundled off the rope provinces to begin two

:59:49. > :59:53.years of hard labour. -- rural. They were lucky. The first world champion

:59:54. > :59:55.and two national team coaches were put under house arrest and tortured.

:59:56. > :00:10.All three committed suicide. In 1971, Mao allowed table tennis

:00:11. > :00:15.onto the world stage and the consequences would be extraordinary.

:00:16. > :00:20.At the World Championships in Japan, a coach befriended Glenn Callan,

:00:21. > :00:24.from America. Photos of the handshake were published leading Mao

:00:25. > :00:27.to invite the American team to America, the first Americans to

:00:28. > :00:31.officially set foot in China since the commonest revolution. Richard

:00:32. > :00:36.Nixon the American president called it the week that Shook the world and

:00:37. > :00:41.ten months later he followed in their footsteps. On behalf of the

:00:42. > :00:45.government of the People's Republic of China, extending an invitation to

:00:46. > :00:53.President Nixon to visit China at an appropriate date before May, 1972.

:00:54. > :00:56.Ping-pong diplomacy marked the first step of China's re-engagement with

:00:57. > :01:03.the world, but perhaps the most curious moment in Chinese table

:01:04. > :01:12.tennis was still to come. In 1980, China surrendered world emanation

:01:13. > :01:15.because of a Swedish player who transformed the dynamics of table

:01:16. > :01:22.tennis with his audacious spin. China, still holding to the old

:01:23. > :01:25.technique, couldn't keep up. It took a political visionary who was

:01:26. > :01:30.beginning to Figueroa the economy, to liberate Chinese table tennis,

:01:31. > :01:35.allowing top players to compete the prize money and allow them to ditch

:01:36. > :01:41.the old pen holder style -- figure out the economy. The results were

:01:42. > :01:44.remarkable, one of the new breed of revolutionising the pen holder

:01:45. > :01:47.technique with the swivel wristed backhand where the ball is hit with

:01:48. > :01:55.the reverse of the bat. Perhaps the greatest irony came at the Sydney

:01:56. > :02:02.Olympics, when a player modelled on the Swedish great, won one of the

:02:03. > :02:03.greatest finals of the half-century. This sport will forever define this

:02:04. > :02:12.extraordinary nation. They really have taken ownership of

:02:13. > :02:17.the sport and last night, their dominance continued in the women's

:02:18. > :02:36.singles with another Gold Medal. China had the top two positions on

:02:37. > :02:42.the podium, Li Xiaoxia against Ding Ming. Ding Ming winning 4-3. After

:02:43. > :02:50.leaving with tears of disappointment in 2012, this time, tears of joy.

:02:51. > :02:55.Ding Ming taking the women's singles title and the possibility of all

:02:56. > :03:04.Chinese men's final because Ma Long, 2-1 gold Cotchery years ago is

:03:05. > :03:09.taking on Jun Mizutani, before Zhang Jike takes on Vladimir Samsonov of

:03:10. > :03:23.Belarus. We are going to watch the first semifinal, Ma Long against Jun

:03:24. > :03:31.Mizutani of Japan. COMMENTATOR: Mizutani, shades of grey, it is

:03:32. > :03:38.preference, which way you feel most comfortable. With the opponent you

:03:39. > :03:47.are playing, it comes down to their own style as well. Nevertheless it

:03:48. > :03:50.is all about the best execution and in the semifinals, we are both set,

:03:51. > :03:55.both athletes seem to be prepared and comfortable. Getting the chance

:03:56. > :03:59.to check each other's rackets to make sure that they are entirely in

:04:00. > :04:06.agreement, that it passes the official rules of table tennis. The

:04:07. > :04:09.crowd is starting to build. This is the first of the men's singles in

:04:10. > :04:33.the semifinals. Ma Long, to serve. Taking that one

:04:34. > :04:43.quickly. Mizutani, not the softest touch in that first opportunity.

:04:44. > :05:01.That's twice now, enough spin coming from Ma Long.

:05:02. > :05:11.That's a very fast start for the Chinese athlete, he takes the first

:05:12. > :05:23.three points. Just catching the tape, kicking beyond the end of the

:05:24. > :05:28.table. Very high toss from Mizutani. Does it catch the table from Ma

:05:29. > :05:33.Long? Just long, as you see. Sometimes the speed of the ball,

:05:34. > :05:44.there it was, the net, and beyond the end of the table.

:05:45. > :05:54.Its rapid and really aggressive so far from Ma Long, as you might

:05:55. > :05:56.expect. He's getting just as he would wish, an opponent on the ropes

:05:57. > :06:15.already in the first game. That snapping backhand, not much

:06:16. > :06:19.that can be done from Mizutani, rarely the element of surprise. --

:06:20. > :06:21.really. Ma Long has that in his playbook and he pulls it out, the

:06:22. > :06:49.first real look at it in this game. Important point, the Mizutani. He'll

:06:50. > :06:53.take it -- for Mizutani. The high toss, I always think that's

:06:54. > :06:59.potentially an area of vulnerability, tried to be

:07:00. > :07:04.consistent on your approach. -- try. More can go wrong with the high toss

:07:05. > :07:10.as much as anything. Again, he'll take that. A bit of deception, in

:07:11. > :07:12.the body, he keeps it short down the near side. Ma Long puts it back into

:07:13. > :07:34.the net. That forehand, the shot of choice

:07:35. > :07:41.from the Chinese athlete. Really happy to slug it out with anybody.

:07:42. > :07:42.You look at some of his matches prior, he just enjoys the power

:07:43. > :08:02.game. They are opening up here! This is

:08:03. > :08:09.sensational table tennis doorstep Ma Long will take it. The crowd is

:08:10. > :08:12.delighted. Some of the special moments that this sport can offer.

:08:13. > :08:42.That's really just getting started. Really impressive from Ma. He is

:08:43. > :08:45.able to play the short game, keep it tight and make certain of the

:08:46. > :08:48.consistent response, getting it back onto the other half of the table and

:08:49. > :09:00.opening it up when he needs to as well. Quick feet and hands.

:09:01. > :09:17.Backhand from Ma. What a finish. Mizutani has his own magic in store

:09:18. > :09:23.for this crowd. Fitting that one to the open side, using the forehand.

:09:24. > :09:27.He really shapes it, getting the benefit, may be of the top of the

:09:28. > :09:53.tape, changing the timing and rhythm of the point from Ma.

:09:54. > :10:02.UCB celebration again from Ma. Now just two points away from taking in

:10:03. > :10:07.the opening game. -- you see that celebration. The first of what

:10:08. > :10:13.showed game victories of seven and up to 11 points in each of these

:10:14. > :10:21.Games -- the first of four game victories. That will allow a very

:10:22. > :10:28.comfortable position. Oh, it didn't quite get over. Difficult to tell

:10:29. > :10:30.from this angle. It was long. Ma Long was unable to get it over the

:10:31. > :10:39.net. And now it is within one shot.

:10:40. > :11:05.Five-game points, Ma. Tremendous work from Mizutani but it

:11:06. > :11:09.isn't going to be enough, that one goes into the net and quickly the

:11:10. > :11:17.opening game has been taken by the Chinese athlete. Ma Long, very

:11:18. > :11:26.comfortable, starting the first semi. Mostly on the forehand side,

:11:27. > :11:36.just where he wants to be and after the first game, Ma Long is going to

:11:37. > :11:53.take the lead. 11-5, the Victor Riu. -- victory.

:11:54. > :11:59.Interesting to see that dynamic between the coach and player. Points

:12:00. > :12:09.won on serve, seven, but an Faye which will put pressure on any

:12:10. > :12:20.opponent. -- for Ma. That approach from Mizutani, really concealing the

:12:21. > :12:31.face of the racket. Ma Long was just as happy using the forehand,

:12:32. > :12:50.snapping it with topspin. Ready to go, in game two in the first semi.

:12:51. > :13:02.The first point, to Ma. He must throw this the best part of ten, 12

:13:03. > :13:16.feet in the air. It is a while coming down. Responding well there.

:13:17. > :13:18.The touch of the table, not sure how that played out. Nevertheless, Ma

:13:19. > :13:40.Long getting the point. That will get Mizutani into the

:13:41. > :13:43.second game. You see some talking going on amongst both of them to

:13:44. > :13:49.themselves, trying to keep themselves on point. They have a

:13:50. > :13:58.game plan. It's not always easy when you are playing against different

:13:59. > :14:03.opponents in every round. There is an element of adjusting on-the-fly

:14:04. > :14:05.and right now, the fly is a bit too quick, in terms of the speed that Ma

:14:06. > :14:13.Long is taking the game. Has a quick tempo and rhythm about

:14:14. > :14:29.his play. They've done well here, really

:14:30. > :14:35.opening up the shoulders. Invariably at any point, when they are really

:14:36. > :14:38.bringing their top game to the table, it seemed as if Ma Long is

:14:39. > :14:45.able to win those points and they are often moments of real confidence

:14:46. > :14:49.and intimidation for his opponent. Because they know that as soon as

:14:50. > :14:59.you have to go deep into the point, maybe you have the advantage.

:15:00. > :15:06.Again, going long, just can't be controlled. It looks easier to play

:15:07. > :15:11.that strong game, but you have to be so disciplined, and so able to shape

:15:12. > :15:16.the flight of the ball with the spin and the way you contact it and way

:15:17. > :15:34.that you swing the racket and strike the ball.

:15:35. > :15:46.What a fast point this is. Both of them. Look at that ball. It is on.

:15:47. > :15:53.That is the point. There is a moment for Mizutani to build from. This has

:15:54. > :16:01.accelerated as they've played so far. And the moment they are just a

:16:02. > :16:03.little bit of grace falls away on the Japanese side of the table. He

:16:04. > :16:24.takes full advantage. Well done, that will be beyond and

:16:25. > :16:33.that type of angle on the backhand, you always leave yourself wide open,

:16:34. > :16:38.that is what Ma Long does and how he creates that dominant at the net, he

:16:39. > :16:53.gets the opponent in an awkward position and shows no mercy.

:16:54. > :17:02.Just, again, leaves the surface of play.

:17:03. > :17:11.It really is difficult if you have an opponent that plays at the speed

:17:12. > :17:22.Ma Long does. Just forced to have to try and match it. It might not be

:17:23. > :17:28.your best comfort zone. And again. Just missed with the swinging left

:17:29. > :17:38.arm. Maybe takes the eye off the ball on this one. Maybe not entirely

:17:39. > :17:49.ready for the bounce, we saw him look back at the table.

:17:50. > :18:04.They are getting low and in athletic positions to keep the blow to the

:18:05. > :18:06.net, right down in a Crouch. And to keep it in play and art it is

:18:07. > :18:31.extremely difficult. Forcing the issue, did not quite

:18:32. > :18:38.clear his body, Mizutani, his shortcoming in from Ma, putting the

:18:39. > :18:40.pressure on him, could not get around it and prepare to give it an

:18:41. > :19:01.honest return. That puts it right at game point

:19:02. > :19:11.again. Ma Long in charge. But for a moment, bit of a reprieve. Ma still

:19:12. > :19:25.right where he wants to be. Just goes off the top of his racket.

:19:26. > :19:35.Went at it a little too aggressively. Often that a lunging

:19:36. > :19:36.forward does not afford the same ability to curve the ball and shape

:19:37. > :19:52.its flight. That will be the end of the second

:19:53. > :20:01.game, and as quick as that it has been back-to-back wins in this first

:20:02. > :20:08.70 by Ma. Peter Kim 11-5 and 11-5, now use it the finishing point,

:20:09. > :20:16.almost seemed to grab the ball and force it back, the net. -- finishing

:20:17. > :20:18.11-5. That is entirely the plan of Ma, he has come right out and put it

:20:19. > :20:55.to Mizutani in these opening games. These are the statistics from the

:20:56. > :21:07.second game. Most reflective are the ones lost on serve by Mizutani. Just

:21:08. > :21:14.a couple of falses faults when you expected maybe better effort from

:21:15. > :21:18.Mizutani. That is part of the pressure coming from your opponent

:21:19. > :21:31.as well, always pushing the pace puts you in an area where you are as

:21:32. > :21:35.comfortable. Where you are not. Ma with the ball, not quite happy, just

:21:36. > :21:46.tidying up, some house work. He will serve.

:21:47. > :21:56.It really at this moment is looking ominous. I'm not sure Mizutani

:21:57. > :22:03.entirely believes he has the ability to keep up. He will need to really

:22:04. > :22:13.have a change of form. He will take that point. Any

:22:14. > :22:15.pointers are good point, particularly early and keeping it

:22:16. > :22:35.close. -- any point is at good. He has shortened his toss a little,

:22:36. > :22:48.to disrupt the timing. He cannot find it on the far side.

:22:49. > :22:57.Maximum rally in that second game, 18. They are rallying about seven or

:22:58. > :23:05.eight in each one of these points. Seven or eight times. This one is

:23:06. > :23:08.longer, it will be taken and well taken by Mizutani. He puts that

:23:09. > :23:16.away. Right into the perfect spot, just

:23:17. > :23:49.inside the right baseline. Ma is just so quick to celebrate his

:23:50. > :23:54.work, so he is untitled, it is positive play for him.

:23:55. > :24:04.The again, just celebrate each point, whether it is his own success

:24:05. > :24:08.or maybe the lack of execution of the opponent, you can see he is

:24:09. > :24:13.really intensely involved in calculating every detail of the

:24:14. > :24:19.match. That is when you need to see a bit more from Mizutani who seems

:24:20. > :24:31.to be showing that same fight and vigour.

:24:32. > :24:38.Again, the ball starting to spray of the racket, telling sign that either

:24:39. > :24:45.the concentration or the ability of Ma is becoming such that the ability

:24:46. > :24:48.to respond is so hampered that the ball is starting to go in instant --

:24:49. > :25:06.inconsistent direction is. It was there down the line. Up

:25:07. > :25:23.short, Mizutani, just kept it in check in this third game so far.

:25:24. > :25:27.Getting involvement from the crowd to try and some energy and both

:25:28. > :25:36.athletes. And the racket just touches the end

:25:37. > :26:01.of the table, that is to let. There is a little bit of a change in

:26:02. > :26:10.this third game to come. They have got away in the second frame, this

:26:11. > :26:16.third one, not quite as easy for Ma. It has been a battle.

:26:17. > :26:22.And this has brought its level at five, and encouraging moment for

:26:23. > :26:42.Japan. They are trying to will honour good

:26:43. > :26:53.service game -- to will on a good. A knowledgeable table tennis crown. --

:26:54. > :26:56.crowd. And again, the backhand is limited in trying to get it away

:26:57. > :27:00.from your body, sometimes you need to extend it and offered the

:27:01. > :27:07.position is right in front of your stomach or chest you've been playing

:27:08. > :27:14.it from. If you are smart enough as the opponent you can tie up a

:27:15. > :27:24.backhanded player and Mizutani right now is getting that happening to him

:27:25. > :27:45.too often. They were level, now there is two points between them.

:27:46. > :27:51.A lot of clapping from the coaches there. A little bit of communication

:27:52. > :28:08.going on equally. Again, you can see the inability to

:28:09. > :28:12.catch the ball in a good part of the racket and it goes long way away

:28:13. > :28:35.from being anywhere close to a return.

:28:36. > :28:49.He is enjoying it, the Chinese coach. Almost a little bit

:28:50. > :28:58.intimidating, the long clap, but Mizutani to serve. Just enough to

:28:59. > :29:04.get it over the net. He has really struggled as this match has gone on

:29:05. > :29:18.and he, again, is on the cusp of conceding a third game.

:29:19. > :29:27.That will be it. Short work. It looked at 5-5 as though Ma would be

:29:28. > :29:32.hard pressed and there might be a different story to tell Mr Dott in

:29:33. > :29:38.this third game, but there wasn't. A runaway again from Ma if he comes --

:29:39. > :29:43.as he comes strong through it, another part of the process to get

:29:44. > :29:48.there but ultimately the same end result. Three games in a row from

:29:49. > :29:49.Ma. He has scored across all three of them and is in total control of

:29:50. > :30:01.this first ten singles semifinal. What an impressive performance it

:30:02. > :30:08.has been. We can see the body language, the head of Mizutani. He's

:30:09. > :30:14.feeling that he's been outgunned. It has really been an overwhelming

:30:15. > :30:23.display from Ma so far. Points won on serve, he has five, from Ma.

:30:24. > :30:28.Never more than three consecutive points won in the first two Games

:30:29. > :30:36.but in that particular set, it was five, six, rather, in a row, when

:30:37. > :30:41.they were 5-5. Ma, his last six points, he just powered through to

:30:42. > :30:42.take the set and he's starting to show more sustained dominance as the

:30:43. > :31:17.match goes on. Mizutani will take the lead. That

:31:18. > :31:28.will be just fine for him. He needs a little bit of good luck.

:31:29. > :31:47.And twice now. You expect it's just a blip from Ma. A little bit of good

:31:48. > :31:49.fortune. The crowd are really willing the match on, they want to

:31:50. > :32:03.see some more table tennis. And now with the service game from

:32:04. > :32:10.Ma he gets himself, with his first point on the board in the fourth

:32:11. > :32:17.game. He takes this, he takes the match. This is all he needs to

:32:18. > :32:27.achieve, four Games of the potential seven. Doesn't look as if a

:32:28. > :32:37.possibility of seven. A third point now for Japan. This is looking

:32:38. > :32:47.better. Be careful not to be too encouraged, though. Ma, he is frugal

:32:48. > :32:54.and he shows no mercy. Doesn't give points away cheaply. He has given

:32:55. > :33:05.away a fourth one in the fourth game. Mizutani, some good shape,

:33:06. > :33:17.taking what is available to him. He had some room on the open side and

:33:18. > :33:26.he used it. And now, this is a bit peculiar. Trying to maintain calm.

:33:27. > :33:30.You expect that this is just a blip. Ma is going to try and recover from

:33:31. > :33:44.the scoreline in the fourth game. He is going to serve.

:33:45. > :34:00.5-2, now. Mizutani has been quite strategic. Nothing overpowering,

:34:01. > :34:01.just seeing what is available to him and he's utilised it in this fourth

:34:02. > :34:28.game. Challenging, when you have such a

:34:29. > :34:32.dominant display from your athlete, you want to see them being

:34:33. > :34:34.consistent and doing the business but the hardest game to win is the

:34:35. > :34:58.last one. That backhand, low over the net.

:34:59. > :35:07.Just messing with the really aggressive forehand attempt.

:35:08. > :35:20.Seven, now. This is encouraging for Mizutani. Mistakes are being made by

:35:21. > :35:29.Ma in the fourth game. He has missed the end table. At least four times

:35:30. > :35:36.of this seven points. It comes right back, though. This service game is

:35:37. > :35:59.crucial. He will have it, Mizutani. Nicely,

:36:00. > :36:11.another one in the bank for him. Eight points now in the fourth game.

:36:12. > :36:19.Ma is going to have to go really deep to try and recover in this

:36:20. > :36:30.particular set. Might not be entirely within his grasp. Japan

:36:31. > :36:36.serving. He will in fact get a fifth. Difficult to anticipate just

:36:37. > :36:44.how the points are going to go, such is the nature and speed, the

:36:45. > :36:48.quickness, and also the variety of shots available to both of these

:36:49. > :36:58.players and how they employ them. Back within three.

:36:59. > :37:04.Looking strong from Mizutani. Recovering a couple of times, Hay

:37:05. > :37:14.was in a tight position but that one gets away from him. -- he was in. Ma

:37:15. > :37:36.is just wheezing now. Putting the pressure on the Japanese athlete.

:37:37. > :37:46.Now within one, he elects to call a time-out. He needs to have a chance

:37:47. > :37:51.to make sure this is for real, see how his coach feels about the

:37:52. > :38:01.opportunity, and how he needs to go about getting the fourth game across

:38:02. > :38:02.the line. There you see, Ma Long, totally in control, and now, back by

:38:03. > :38:33.one. Mizutani calling the time-out. You wouldn't bet against Ma at all

:38:34. > :38:40.coming back in the fourth game. Mizutani really needs to grab it and

:38:41. > :38:44.take it forward. Looks almost resigned in many ways. He needs to

:38:45. > :38:52.assert himself. Reluctant to believe that he can win. That will happen

:38:53. > :38:57.when you give up those first three Games as he did by those scorelines,

:38:58. > :39:05.but now it's about taking the moment. The Olympic moment, the

:39:06. > :39:07.chance and the guarantee that you could compete for gold if you push

:39:08. > :39:37.on in the competition. Mizutani with an outrageous point.

:39:38. > :39:42.That was his best, really, of the match, when he needed it and how it

:39:43. > :39:47.was executed was just what the time-out was all about. He needed to

:39:48. > :39:54.reset and he did and he came back and he got a massive point there. He

:39:55. > :40:09.will serve. Oh, he's done it, on the cusp of his

:40:10. > :40:16.fourth game. He's getting Ma talking to himself now. Some emotion from

:40:17. > :40:20.Mizutani. A long time arriving. It was there in the early stages but it

:40:21. > :40:27.disappeared quickly but now, flashes of it again in the fourth game.

:40:28. > :40:36.Oh, he's done it! Well done. The point was taken by Jun Mizutani, the

:40:37. > :40:41.crowd are equally enjoying it too. He steps forward and he claims a

:40:42. > :40:47.game in the semifinal and now it is 3-1. He's still got a huge mountain

:40:48. > :40:53.to overcome but look at this finish, the rotation and strength. So

:40:54. > :40:57.difficult, how he lunges Ford to keep the spin on the ball required

:40:58. > :41:07.but you can see what it meant to him -- forward. 11-5 in the first three

:41:08. > :41:10.Games for Ma but 11-7 in the fourth game. Mizutani keeps this match

:41:11. > :41:31.alive. These are the stats. Mizutani was

:41:32. > :41:37.really strong, points won on serve in the fourth set. That made a

:41:38. > :41:45.difference, the way he was able to set the table, take the tempo. That

:41:46. > :42:03.is his verve, just getting over the top, isn't it? Trying to hide it and

:42:04. > :42:50.he does a good job. -- is served -- his serve.

:42:51. > :42:57.The crowd enjoying this semifinal, as they should. Even more so that

:42:58. > :43:04.they are going to be seeing more of it. Ma Long just went for a little

:43:05. > :43:09.walk to recover and collect his thoughts and to bring his attention

:43:10. > :43:14.back to the matter at hand, this semifinal. You would be hard-pressed

:43:15. > :43:24.to believe that things were going to change massively in this particular

:43:25. > :43:29.match. That isn't to count out Mizutani yet but he has won just one

:43:30. > :43:40.game of four played, otherwise Ma has been dominant. Ma is trying to

:43:41. > :43:44.take the extra time required. His biggest opponent is probably his own

:43:45. > :43:50.expectation. He needs to get back to work here and take this on. He has

:43:51. > :43:56.taken extra time to prepare. The expectation he places on himself and

:43:57. > :44:00.perhaps those of others too. It's just about execution now as we

:44:01. > :44:06.prepare for the fifth game in the men's singles semifinal match at the

:44:07. > :44:13.rear central pavilion number three. -- Riocentro. Both of these

:44:14. > :44:21.gentlemen are still playing for a medal, obviously, and a Gold Medal

:44:22. > :44:35.opportunity awaits the victor of the match.

:44:36. > :44:49.Oh, he's done it, Mizutani. Now you can see a lot more emotion, let's be

:44:50. > :44:53.fair. He is now entirely starting to think as though there is legs to

:44:54. > :45:15.this match. That will go up and off of the net

:45:16. > :45:26.equipment, straight back. His focus right now.

:45:27. > :45:55.Again, the forehand, not quite as comfortable.

:45:56. > :46:02.It is a strong delivery from Ma. He has taken that one and is a willing

:46:03. > :46:08.himself back, trying to pump himself up with that celebration. I wonder

:46:09. > :46:13.whether or not the time he took between the fourth and fifth game,

:46:14. > :46:16.if that encouraged the Japanese athlete to really believe he had Ma

:46:17. > :46:32.questioning himself. Now it looks as though it is a

:46:33. > :46:40.return to passions of play we saw in the earlier stages. -- pattern is.

:46:41. > :46:46.We saw a bit of missing on the returns and you can see it in facial

:46:47. > :46:55.expression. Just trying to keep the energy ticking over.

:46:56. > :47:30.That is a strong return. Crowd enjoys it.

:47:31. > :47:41.Back to a longer toss from Mizutani. And if you believe it works, that is

:47:42. > :47:52.half the battle. He has himself a third point. A little more spin on

:47:53. > :48:09.the forehand and it gets away from Ma as he tries to push it towards

:48:10. > :48:16.the baseline. It is so difficult just from a long range to keep the

:48:17. > :48:20.ball in play. Look at the strength from Ma, ultimately when you are

:48:21. > :48:26.attacking the entire time and is confident as you are with the

:48:27. > :48:32.forehand, the backhand must be 100% perfect to keep the ball in play.

:48:33. > :48:39.The forehand has more ability and range. More degrees of an angle to

:48:40. > :49:11.change where the attack comes from. And a clever play from Ma, he sees

:49:12. > :49:17.the space available and that is what happens when you play those shots so

:49:18. > :49:21.tight to the body, you are spread too far away and that is what

:49:22. > :49:30.happens. You get to Fat one side or the other to try and play the ball.

:49:31. > :49:33.-- you get too far to one side. You almost need to balance it out

:49:34. > :49:37.between the lake and the extension of your arm and the way your body

:49:38. > :49:46.is. You cannot have them both entirely on one side. This from Ma a

:49:47. > :49:51.very impressive point. An impressive game so far. He looks to be in

:49:52. > :50:24.charge now. Just keeping the scoreboard ticking

:50:25. > :50:31.over is Mizutani. Again, just brings it back within range and it forces

:50:32. > :50:41.our request for a time-out from Ma. -- are quest -- a request.

:50:42. > :50:52.You can see the coach calling it. And in the semifinal so far, it a

:50:53. > :50:59.3-1 in favour of Ma. He is up in this fifth game 7-4 and has taken a

:51:00. > :51:09.time-out to make sure he is where he needs to be. As is the game plan

:51:10. > :51:16.between his two him and his coach. Mizutani needs to get this first

:51:17. > :51:18.point, for sure. He cannot afford for any more to slip away from him

:51:19. > :51:33.in this fifth game. Most appealing to Ma to just tidy up

:51:34. > :51:38.some of the vulnerable areas, let's go about our business as we

:51:39. > :51:42.intended. Number one ranked in the world is Ma right now. International

:51:43. > :51:49.table tennis Federation, star of the year in 2015, and he is on the cusp

:51:50. > :51:50.of at least guaranteeing himself a silver medal. With the victory in

:51:51. > :52:01.this match. Strong work from Mizutani come he

:52:02. > :52:09.comes out on the forehand and goes long with the open-face shot. That

:52:10. > :52:34.is a better look from Mizutani. More confident.

:52:35. > :52:41.He has himself another point. And this is an encouraging change of

:52:42. > :53:08.direction in this fifth game. Mizutani comes hard and heavy with

:53:09. > :53:16.the forehand smash, he has tied it at seven in game five. This could

:53:17. > :53:34.very well be a match that continues. Mizutani is for real.

:53:35. > :53:43.That will be difficult. It will change things just as quickly back

:53:44. > :53:47.the other way. That is not even close and just catches the wrong

:53:48. > :53:58.part of the racket. There is the long clap.

:53:59. > :54:08.I'm a little surprised may be that the umpire allows the clapping to

:54:09. > :54:17.continue. It seems intentional, almost like a slow handclap in being

:54:18. > :54:20.a little patronising. There we are, allowed to carry on, seems to have

:54:21. > :54:26.been an issue with the equipment of Mizutani.

:54:27. > :54:32.I think he is happy with it. They will both go back and have another

:54:33. > :54:39.field, make sure they are where they need to be at a pretty critical

:54:40. > :54:48.juncture in this match. Having an equipment change.

:54:49. > :55:04.Ma will receive. This must be a point for Mizutani in order to keep

:55:05. > :55:14.things going. And you might be surprised by that. This is a point

:55:15. > :55:21.just into the body and cannot quite extend it long enough and now the

:55:22. > :55:23.crowd is really getting involved. And planning to get in behind

:55:24. > :55:46.Mizutani. The contact with the table. 8-8 in

:55:47. > :56:11.the fifth game. And it is the lead for Mizutani. He

:56:12. > :56:19.is two points away from where he desperately would love to be. A

:56:20. > :56:24.player continuing in this match in Game six with at least two games in

:56:25. > :56:33.his pocket. He will have to receive served from Ma.

:56:34. > :56:44.There is a point to find, it is back to level pegging again at nine.

:56:45. > :56:52.Again, just the real balanced position you must take to try and

:56:53. > :56:56.shake the ball and get it down. -- shape. Long again clapping from the

:56:57. > :57:31.Chinese coach. Mizutani is on the cusp, years on

:57:32. > :57:38.game point. You have got to win by two in table tennis, and this is his

:57:39. > :57:43.opportunity to take a match deeper than it looked like it was going to

:57:44. > :57:46.go. The earlier stages, now, suddenly, things could go a few

:57:47. > :58:10.different ways. Just as quick as you think, there is

:58:11. > :58:15.more table tennis to come. It will be Ma. He believes he wants to

:58:16. > :58:26.shorten it. And limit this match just five games.

:58:27. > :58:33.You've got to believe that clapping from his coat is encouragement,

:58:34. > :58:36.trying to blast the fans who are excited about seeing more table

:58:37. > :58:46.tennis between these two world-class athletes. Level at ten.

:58:47. > :58:54.You would not have bet on that! It is now, again, the demand --

:58:55. > :59:03.advantage for Mizutani, that was a cleaner with -- that was up with

:59:04. > :59:10.from Mars, you don't know if there was the IT can offer. Who knows.

:59:11. > :59:32.Regardless, he came up short. This is game point again for Japan.

:59:33. > :59:41.He has done it. We will go to a sixth game. How about this gentleman

:59:42. > :59:48.here? Mizutani was against the ropes and as much as you would prepare --

:59:49. > :59:52.compared to a boxing bouts, he was getting beaten about badly by

:59:53. > :59:56.Mahlondo Ritter he holds on and stays in an opportunity to see a few

:59:57. > :00:00.more rounds in this particular fight in this, the final point that will

:00:01. > :00:06.give him a chance to get to at least a six-game and put on this meant's

:00:07. > :00:13.singles semifinal. The last two sets belonging to Mizutani.

:00:14. > :00:22.It's been a match of two tails so far. You could see, after the first

:00:23. > :00:25.game though, from Ma Long, when he conceded, and it was the first game

:00:26. > :00:30.given up to Jun Mizutani, he went for a long walk inside of the arena

:00:31. > :00:37.here as it so much had happened and so much was potentially about to

:00:38. > :00:43.change. -- as this. At that point, he did not need to panic as much, he

:00:44. > :00:47.was in total control. He gave up the game, he could tidy it up in the

:00:48. > :00:54.fifth game. Not to be. Jun Mizutani is for real. These are the points,

:00:55. > :01:00.quickly taken. You can see them on serve and reception. In that fifth

:01:01. > :01:09.game. It was the point is won, more clearly, in the fifth game. Looking

:01:10. > :01:15.here now. Five points, won on serve. Then most consecutive points in that

:01:16. > :01:24.match was four. Just a different rhythm going on here. Between these

:01:25. > :01:29.two. It really is now a question over Ma Long. Is this, in fact, his

:01:30. > :01:41.match to claim any more? Jun Mizutani serves.

:01:42. > :01:54.And he will start it off just as he would like. He will get the benefit

:01:55. > :02:06.of the service game. Some is skewing going on right now from Ma Long. On

:02:07. > :02:28.beforehand, that is his strength -- mis-cueing. They go level.

:02:29. > :02:35.A battle, it will be Ma Long's, and he takes it down. He will put it

:02:36. > :03:16.away quickly. Oh my! This point is the best of the

:03:17. > :03:21.match, without a doubt, it belongs to Ma Long. What a moment of table

:03:22. > :03:26.tennis at the Rio Olympics. There were five or six times I thought it

:03:27. > :03:34.was over, but both the athletes kept it alive. Special stuff, all of it,

:03:35. > :03:36.it just goes wide of the line, and Ma Long, for a second, regains some

:03:37. > :03:57.of his mojo. Jun Mizutani a much more intense

:03:58. > :04:04.look about him now than we saw during the early stages. He comes

:04:05. > :04:09.back, a point just as valuable, and maybe not as well earned as the one

:04:10. > :04:27.we saw a moment ago. He goes strong, down the near line

:04:28. > :04:38.will stop that is proven. Proven effective. -- down near the line.

:04:39. > :04:44.The forehand is a key part of his game, and it faded away a little,

:04:45. > :04:46.some shots came up short. He had to go in search to recover it. It looks

:04:47. > :05:16.as though he has. He is right down in the crouching

:05:17. > :05:26.position. Making those returns is Jun Mizutani. Almost hiding off the

:05:27. > :05:30.end of the table. He does an incredible job to get those back.

:05:31. > :05:36.But your never going to be in the position you need to be from there.

:05:37. > :05:47.To try and win the point, just try and keep it alive in the hopes your

:05:48. > :06:01.opponent makes a mistake. It's gone again. For Ma Long. At six now. This

:06:02. > :06:09.is feeling a little different here in this sixth game. It feels like it

:06:10. > :06:15.is the Ma Long Show again. This has to be a point. Realistically, Jun

:06:16. > :06:27.Mizutani is the -- realistically, Ma Long is the

:06:28. > :06:33.frontrunner. He will you for dust. You have just seen the seventh point

:06:34. > :06:38.for Ma Long -- he will leave you for dust. It's a shame, Jun Mizutani

:06:39. > :07:02.lost the edge of his game. And exhale, you needed sometimes.

:07:03. > :07:11.The attention is rife. Short cupping the shop, with a great backhand. He

:07:12. > :07:16.takes it, Jun Mizutani. Is the celebration a little too late? The

:07:17. > :07:40.damage has been done. Still four points trailing in this sixth game.

:07:41. > :07:49.That is a point that he can ill afford to give to his opponent. That

:07:50. > :07:55.is ultimately what happens here. Ma Long, now within touching distance

:07:56. > :08:01.to the end of this particular game, and ultimately the match. Not a

:08:02. > :08:12.whole lot of time to walk around and think about it.

:08:13. > :08:20.And again, it's just too far away from the table. It's a point, now

:08:21. > :08:25.within two. Ma Long in this sick game has changed things

:08:26. > :08:35.considerably. It almost looks Asif Ritu is feeling resigned -- in this

:08:36. > :08:44.six game. -- it looks Asif Ritu is feeling resigned.

:08:45. > :08:52.He won't get it done. A strong service, getting another in. Look at

:08:53. > :09:02.the open area short. Ma Long just takes what is available to him

:09:03. > :09:06.again. Too much, the player and racket all in one area of the

:09:07. > :09:17.back-court. This is for the match point. He went for it. Off the

:09:18. > :09:33.netting, he could not keep that point alive. You can see the nod

:09:34. > :09:41.from his coach. He says, this is yours, take it on the serve. The

:09:42. > :09:53.ball is spinning every way right now. That points works out for Jun

:09:54. > :10:01.Mizutani. Difficult to close it out, the finishing is the heaviest part

:10:02. > :10:05.of any real challenge. Forcing out an opponent who has any dreams of a

:10:06. > :10:09.gold-medal at the Olympic Games, moving through to a third match

:10:10. > :10:32.point required. He will do it, he had to do it in

:10:33. > :10:43.six games, did Ma Long. The world number one. The gold medal hopeful

:10:44. > :10:50.at the rear 2016 games, is Ma Long. He's done exactly what his plan was

:10:51. > :10:54.for the semifinals -- Rio 2016. He takes out Jun Mizutani and is the

:10:55. > :11:00.first man to wait in the final competition. Handshakes, everyone

:11:01. > :11:07.acknowledging that was a hard and fought match.

:11:08. > :11:13.Three games out of the gate can be used thought it would be Ma Long

:11:14. > :11:17.taking and dominating, and it was gone in four games. Not to be. The

:11:18. > :11:22.Japanese athletes stayed with it, and believed in his prospects,

:11:23. > :11:26.particularly after he got the first game. Then, the impressive set in

:11:27. > :11:34.game five, where they went to extra points. The kit at the 12th attempt,

:11:35. > :11:38.but not to be in the sixth game. -- they took it. Ma Long was here, and

:11:39. > :11:43.here to stay, to see this match through.

:11:44. > :11:48.ORE: This was a phenomenal display of table tennis, but what more would

:11:49. > :11:52.you expect from an Olympic semifinal? Ma Long did not have it

:11:53. > :11:56.all his weight but he progresses to the Olympic Men's Singles final, we

:11:57. > :12:03.are on for an all Chinese final. We will bring you that here later on

:12:04. > :12:07.BBC Four. The reigning champion is in action in the Riocentro Pavilion

:12:08. > :12:17.four, but congratulations, Ma Long is into the Men's Singles final.

:12:18. > :12:23.Let's bring you up-to-date with some of the golf, shall we? Because...

:12:24. > :12:28.Marcus Fraser is topping the leaderboard right now, this is his

:12:29. > :12:32.third shot on the par-5/10, setting up a six birdie of the day, the

:12:33. > :12:37.Australian on five under. Danny Willett is out there, two birdies so

:12:38. > :12:41.far, with a long putt on the seventh putting him to 2-under. Look at his

:12:42. > :12:48.British team-mate, Justin Rose being introduced to the Rio crowd, he's

:12:49. > :12:52.just teed off, Danny Willett and Justin Rose both out on because.

:12:53. > :12:57.This is the state of affairs in the early stages of round one, of the

:12:58. > :13:02.men's Olympic gold competition. Marcus Fraser leading on 5-under

:13:03. > :13:05.par, a bunch on four and, just one shot behind.

:13:06. > :13:10.On the next page... -- 4-under. Danny Willett at the

:13:11. > :13:16.top, but a long way down. Some way to go in his first round.

:13:17. > :13:21.You can follow all of the action as it continues on the Red Button, as

:13:22. > :13:26.you can see, it is the men's first round of the golf. Continue on the

:13:27. > :13:33.Red Button, it's on the BBC Sport app and the BBC sport website as

:13:34. > :13:37.well. The crowd are going mad, it's a

:13:38. > :13:41.gold-medal for Great Britain. The allure of sport, of an Olympic

:13:42. > :13:47.Games, is driven by our appreciation of the past... He is the 4000 metre

:13:48. > :13:54.Olympic champion! ... And our fascination with the future. We

:13:55. > :14:03.wonder what lies ahead. Because, in the blink of an eye... Everything

:14:04. > :14:07.can change. Redmond has broken down. The predictable suddenly becomes

:14:08. > :14:13.uncertain. Japan have beaten New Zealand! And we are mesmerised,

:14:14. > :14:17.intrigued by the unknown. Tonight, our attention shifts to the

:14:18. > :14:21.velodrome, where the world greatest cyclists are revved up and ready.

:14:22. > :14:30.With memories of the home games fresh in our minds... Pendleton

:14:31. > :14:33.takes the gold-medal! The Olympic champion! The challenges on for the

:14:34. > :14:38.cyclists to deliver again. They faced the intensity of the track,

:14:39. > :14:42.their minds turning as fast as their wheels, to make instantaneous

:14:43. > :14:47.decisions that change the course of sporting history. On the track,

:14:48. > :14:51.nanoseconds matter. This is a talented British team of vast

:14:52. > :14:56.experience, and youthful promise. And one thing we can be certain

:14:57. > :15:02.of... They will race as if there's no tomorrow.

:15:03. > :15:08.Clare Balding will be in this beast of a building behind me as Great

:15:09. > :15:12.Britain's track cyclists go inside of the velodrome for the very first

:15:13. > :15:17.time, it will be very difficult for them to match the feet of the seven

:15:18. > :15:21.golds out of ten are available from 2012. But we have Sir Chris Hoy, the

:15:22. > :15:27.decorated Olympic medallist, with Clare Balding in the studio later.

:15:28. > :15:30.That's at eight o'clock on BBC One. Isn't it interesting one of Great

:15:31. > :15:37.Britain 's most traditional Olympic sports, cycling, is indoors away

:15:38. > :15:41.from the rain, but in Brazil, they use their traditional home nation

:15:42. > :15:50.sports on sand and sunshine! It's time for the beach volleyball!

:15:51. > :15:57.Beach volleyball made its Olympic debut in Atlanta in 1996 and in the

:15:58. > :16:02.20 years since the US and Brazil have dominated the sport. Matches

:16:03. > :16:08.take place outdoors on a sand caught 16 metres long and eight metres

:16:09. > :16:11.wide. There are only two members of the Beach volleyball team and

:16:12. > :16:16.substitutions are not allowed. The object is to hit the ball over the

:16:17. > :16:21.net, trying to land it in the opponents' side of the court. A team

:16:22. > :16:37.can hit it three times on their side before it must be

:16:38. > :16:40.returned. Every point played scores one point and matches are the best

:16:41. > :16:43.of three sets. The first two sets are played to 21 points. If a third

:16:44. > :16:47.is required, the winner of that set is the first to reach 15. You must

:16:48. > :16:49.win and set by at least two points. A pump path is a short using the

:16:50. > :16:52.forearms with hands together to direct the ball. It is used to set

:16:53. > :16:57.the ball for another player to play an attacking shot. Deke is where it

:16:58. > :17:02.is played with any part of the body and a spike is when a player jumps

:17:03. > :17:09.and spikes the ball with one hand. A dink is played just over the net. It

:17:10. > :17:14.is legal as long as a player does it with closed fingers. The top teams

:17:15. > :17:21.from each pool will advance to the knockout phases in their quest for

:17:22. > :17:25.Olympic medals. And in the women's competition we

:17:26. > :17:29.are down to the last matches of the pool stage. We feature the Brazilian

:17:30. > :17:51.number one pair. As you can see, the beach is looking

:17:52. > :17:59.much nicer than it was on drizzly yesterday. Rejoining in the second

:18:00. > :18:00.set with the Brazilians in the lead and serving. Jack Nicholls has got

:18:01. > :18:46.this one. A really good shot from Monica

:18:47. > :19:05.Brzostek. Larissa is so good at judging those,

:19:06. > :19:37.isn't she? What a block from Talita. It was all

:19:38. > :19:46.laid up for Kolosinska to finish it off with the spike. Haps the setup

:19:47. > :19:55.was a little too close in the end. Talita knocks it down and wins

:19:56. > :19:58.another point for Brazil. 14-11. The first to 21 wins the set. Brazil are

:19:59. > :20:09.already a set up. Once again a lovely shot from

:20:10. > :20:36.Larissa. Brazil are starting to stretch their legs.

:20:37. > :20:51.The two police places do not have that much to say to each other.

:20:52. > :21:13.The Brazilian fans are out in force for this one.

:21:14. > :21:24.The play are back on court and it will be Talita deserve. The Polish

:21:25. > :21:25.pair is going with the same ball. But the referee had already blown

:21:26. > :21:43.the whistle. -- Talita to serve. I think the fault was called on

:21:44. > :21:56.Brzostek. It will remain 15-11 and Brazil will

:21:57. > :22:08.serve again with Talita. That was just long. It was just long

:22:09. > :22:48.from Monika Brzostek. Good shot from Brzostek. You do not

:22:49. > :22:53.really need your scarf in this weather, but we appreciate the

:22:54. > :22:54.sentiment. The Polish fans are very much outnumbered here at the

:22:55. > :23:08.Copacabana. Well finished off by Talita. And

:23:09. > :23:11.that they dig from Larissa. Just managing to set it up. -- another

:23:12. > :23:21.dig. Brazil are four points away from a

:23:22. > :24:01.victory. That is wayward and long. Brzostek finds the back of the court

:24:02. > :24:14.nicely. Five points between the two teams.

:24:15. > :24:28.The survey was long. Brazil are two points away now.

:24:29. > :24:59.Blocked. Brazil are now on match point.

:25:00. > :25:41.Poland kept it alive, what a rally. And Poland won the point. Great

:25:42. > :25:50.stuff. Third match point for Larissa and Talita.

:25:51. > :26:06.And this time they win it. The 2015 world to a winners, they were named

:26:07. > :26:09.team of the year last year. One of the favourites coming into this

:26:10. > :26:23.competition, and they have dispatched Poland with relative

:26:24. > :26:27.ease. They win by 2-0. That is three wins out of three for the Brazilian

:26:28. > :26:32.pair. Congratulations to them. It seems like they are having an

:26:33. > :26:36.absolute party down there. The world number one team go through into the

:26:37. > :26:42.knockouts where they have a 100% record. In that time Great Britain

:26:43. > :26:47.have another medal. It is a silver and it has been won in the women's

:26:48. > :26:52.double sculls rowing by Vicki Thornley and Katherine Grainger. She

:26:53. > :26:56.won the gold medal in this event after a long wait to win the top

:26:57. > :27:04.honours at the Olympics. Three silver medals before that and this

:27:05. > :27:07.is now four. She came out of retirement a couple of years ago.

:27:08. > :27:12.Katherine Grainger and Vicky Thornley will be very happy with the

:27:13. > :27:17.silver medal. After the race she caught up with John Inverdale.

:27:18. > :27:27.Many congratulations. We led most of the way and there is a little tinge

:27:28. > :27:31.of what might have been. But considering what we have been

:27:32. > :27:35.through in the last couple of years I am so proud of what we have done

:27:36. > :27:42.and it is not a medal many people would have put money on, so I am

:27:43. > :27:47.pleased. How proud I you? I am so thankful to Katherine, she did such

:27:48. > :27:51.a job in that race. I am not sure what happened in the end, whether it

:27:52. > :27:57.got a bit tight or whatever, but it was a bit of a whirlwind. 200 metres

:27:58. > :28:03.from the end were you thinking, we are going to win this? We knew we

:28:04. > :28:09.were ahead and we were feeling good and we had come down so quickly and

:28:10. > :28:13.you are drawing on every element you have got of your experience and it

:28:14. > :28:18.was not enough in the end, but we put so much into it, I do not think

:28:19. > :28:22.we could have done any more. A few weeks ago you were not even going to

:28:23. > :28:27.be selected, this is a monumental achievement. Yes, it has been really

:28:28. > :28:33.hard for the last few months, but in the last six months every day it has

:28:34. > :28:41.been enjoyable, but it has been hard and we have had two big deep and

:28:42. > :28:48.find some changes, but today in the last 100 metres... But a silver

:28:49. > :28:52.medal is pretty nice. Gary said he thought this was your finest hour.

:28:53. > :28:56.Given where you came from, taking two is out and starting from scratch

:28:57. > :29:02.again to achieve this, do you think this might almost have eclipsed

:29:03. > :29:07.London? I do not think anything could eclipsed London because of

:29:08. > :29:11.everything that surrounded it. I remember at the start of this

:29:12. > :29:15.campaign feeling like if I could come out with anything, it would be

:29:16. > :29:20.an achievement because of where we started from. There were many dark

:29:21. > :29:27.days, so to be standing here in the sunshine with a medal around our

:29:28. > :29:31.necks, it is great. Tokyo? Mum and dad, I promise, I will never put you

:29:32. > :29:39.through that again. Congratulations, fantastic. Sporting great smiles and

:29:40. > :29:44.a wonderful hug from Katherine Grainger and Vicky Thornley. Another

:29:45. > :29:49.one added to the Great Britain tally. It is around this time that

:29:50. > :29:53.we talk to our sport reporter about all things Olympic and he is

:29:54. > :29:59.standing right over here. You have got a great spot here. We are

:30:00. > :30:05.talking about archery. You came up with some nuggets of information.

:30:06. > :30:13.Give us another one right now. OK, archery facts. South Korea and

:30:14. > :30:18.archery. You know we were talking the other day about how China

:30:19. > :30:20.dominate certain sports like table tennis. Archery is track cycling for

:30:21. > :30:29.South Korea. 21 of the last 36 gold medals in

:30:30. > :30:33.archery since it became an Olympic sport in 1972 have been won by South

:30:34. > :30:38.Korea and when they don't win a Gold Medal, there is a national enquiry,

:30:39. > :30:43.as there was an London 2012 when the men's team not only did not win but

:30:44. > :30:48.did not even get to the final, which is practically unheard of. This time

:30:49. > :30:51.around, the Koreans are dead set on imposing themselves on the medal

:30:52. > :30:55.table. They got medals in the team events with the men and women, they

:30:56. > :30:58.have the men's individual tournaments to be sorted tomorrow

:30:59. > :31:04.but in the women's, we have a Brit in there? Trying to unnerve the

:31:05. > :31:08.South Korean dominance but it will be tricky. Incredibly, but Naomi

:31:09. > :31:15.Folkard is doing incredibly well. This is her fourth games, she was in

:31:16. > :31:21.the team in Athens in 2004 when they last won a medal in archery, Alison

:31:22. > :31:25.Williams one game after games, runs in Athens 2004. Namely Folkard has

:31:26. > :31:30.not been that lucky or got that far since, but this time around, she is

:31:31. > :31:35.looking pretty good, she is an interesting character and plays

:31:36. > :31:40.violin and piano. She is employed interesting approaches to archery,

:31:41. > :31:44.in the past before London 2012, to get used to having crowds cheering

:31:45. > :31:47.around her, that does not often happen in archery, she recruited

:31:48. > :31:51.hundreds of kids from local schools to yell at her during training

:31:52. > :31:56.sessions so she would get a feel for what it was like. She thinks outside

:31:57. > :32:00.of the box, but this time around is paying off. She's against a

:32:01. > :32:07.22-year-old Brazilian who is from Rio, and grew up going to Carnival

:32:08. > :32:10.season in Rio each year, parading through the Sambodromo, which is now

:32:11. > :32:14.the venue for the Olympic sport she's taking part in, that's

:32:15. > :32:20.fantastic, it is a real family tie for the opponent that namely Folkard

:32:21. > :32:24.is fighting. A great day. I told him to give us golden nuggets of

:32:25. > :32:34.information and he delivers again! Nothing more to say. Let's go to the

:32:35. > :32:39.Sambodromo, check-in with Naomi Folkard, the only great British hope

:32:40. > :32:46.in this part of the competition. She is taking on Santos of Brazil. The

:32:47. > :32:48.party has started, sailor hats are on, let's go over to Charlie Broom

:32:49. > :33:02.at the samba Grimaud. -- Sambodromo. COMMENTATOR: Santos opens with a

:33:03. > :33:36.nine. Ane Marcelle dos Santos, quick with

:33:37. > :33:41.the release, nine Star, let's have a look and see if it needs to be

:33:42. > :33:52.upgraded to a ten. Pressure on Naomi Folkard in this opening sets...

:33:53. > :33:53.Nine. So even if it is not a ten, dos Santos has the opportunity to

:33:54. > :34:12.win the first set with a ten. Loose, a seven. 25 or 26. So now

:34:13. > :34:21.Folkard has the opportunity to win the first set with a ten. It is a

:34:22. > :34:31.ten, Naomi Folkard comes from behind in the opening sets to win it 27 -

:34:32. > :34:37.25, or 27-26 depending on the second row for dos Santos. It is a nine

:34:38. > :34:49.Star, so we need to have the target judge check. The Brazilian fans

:34:50. > :35:00.trying to get behind their arch. -- Archer. The target official, each

:35:01. > :35:05.team has a representative down at the target end of the range, with

:35:06. > :35:14.the target judge, to agree with the target judges call. A ten from

:35:15. > :35:18.Folkard, not upgraded, it's nine. Folkard takes the first set, 27-25.

:35:19. > :36:03.Two set points to zero. A puff of the cheeks from Naomi

:36:04. > :36:10.Folkard. Eight, low from dos Santos, she has too try to iron out these

:36:11. > :36:15.errant arrows, needs to be consistently in the gold to apply

:36:16. > :36:24.pressure on Folkard. An opportunity for the British archer. A nine. She

:36:25. > :36:30.has an arrow to win the second set. Whatever dos Santos scores here.

:36:31. > :36:40.But, does she need perfection? She does. Dos Santos scores her first

:36:41. > :36:45.ten of the match. A ten will win it, she got a ten to win the first set,

:36:46. > :36:53.a ten to win the second, she does not get it. Nine, the second set is

:36:54. > :36:57.tied in 27. Three set points to one, four Naomi Folkard of Great Britain.

:36:58. > :37:20.-- the Naomi Folkard Ane Marcelle dos Santos has

:37:21. > :37:26.performed at the Sambodromo before with her Samba School, it's a

:37:27. > :37:27.different performance for dos Santos on day six of this archery

:37:28. > :37:48.competition. Confirmation, tied in this set, dos

:37:49. > :37:58.Santos continues to shoot first at target one. She opens

:37:59. > :38:41.It's a real chance here for Folkard. The golden score... That will really

:38:42. > :38:49.put her in control. It is not, it is an eight. She still has the set in

:38:50. > :38:57.her own hands. Putting dos Santos under some pressure here. She gave

:38:58. > :39:06.it a fist pump as soon as she released. So Folkard, as in every

:39:07. > :39:10.set, has the chance to win it with the final arrow. She took the

:39:11. > :39:30.opportunity in set one, she cannot take the opportunity in set three.

:39:31. > :39:37.Tied at 25. Four set points to two. Dos Santos stays alive with this

:39:38. > :39:55.one. Folkard has had opportunities to win this match by now.

:39:56. > :40:12.A timely ten from Ane Marcelle dos Santos. Just won ten of the match so

:40:13. > :40:17.for the British archer. Confirmation, 25-25. Moving onto set

:40:18. > :40:23.for, dos Santos has to get something from this fourth set otherwise she

:40:24. > :40:35.is out. Continuing to shoot first on target number one. She does not like

:40:36. > :40:38.that. That's why, it is three. There have been opportunities for Folkard

:40:39. > :40:53.in every set, none bigger than this one right here. She sends down her

:40:54. > :40:59.loosest arrow of the match so far. Dos Santos needs tens here. And

:41:00. > :41:06.eight. If Folkard can get a golden score here... She could be in the

:41:07. > :41:14.quarterfinals. The wind picks up again... Ten. 17 plays 11, Dos

:41:15. > :41:19.Santos can score no more than 21 which means five or more will be

:41:20. > :41:25.enough for Folkard, but that is if this is a ten. It is not, it is

:41:26. > :41:36.nine. The target gets a bit bigger for Folkard. She requires just four.

:41:37. > :41:40.Folkard smiling, she knows she is through to the quarterfinals of the

:41:41. > :41:44.Olympic Games for the very first time, Patrick Houston, the mail

:41:45. > :41:51.representative for Great Britain is the first to stand and applaud. But

:41:52. > :41:53.namely Folkard, at the fourth attempt, is through to the

:41:54. > :42:03.quarterfinals of the Olympic Games. She takes the fourth set 25-20,

:42:04. > :42:08.winning the match 6-2. She will be back in the afternoon session on

:42:09. > :42:15.this final day of action in the women's individual competition. For

:42:16. > :42:21.Ane Marcelle dos Santos, her journey has come to an end, sadly for her.

:42:22. > :42:25.Just too many loose arrows. Especially in that fourth set, that

:42:26. > :42:38.three really putting paid to her chances of beating namely Folkard of

:42:39. > :42:40.Great Britain. -- Naomi Folkard. Folkard will go and prepare for a

:42:41. > :43:00.quarterfinal matchup. Against either Kang Un-ju of North

:43:01. > :43:07.Korea, or Chang Hye-jin of the Republic. Namely Folkard beat her

:43:08. > :43:11.Brazilian opponent 6-2 and is through to the quarterfinals.

:43:12. > :43:15.ORE: Fantastic from Naomi Folkard there, the Brazilian home crowd less

:43:16. > :43:19.happy about Ane Marcelle dos Santos going out, but for the British

:43:20. > :43:28.contingent, well done. Hi guys... Big up the Qatari! They

:43:29. > :43:33.are going in the wrong direction, the arena is that way... They may be

:43:34. > :43:39.less big on handball now! Let's focus on the archery now. Naomi

:43:40. > :43:43.Folkard with a fantastic display. Yes, and she tweeted following that,

:43:44. > :43:46.thank you for all of the love and support back home. You helped me

:43:47. > :43:51.stay strong through that windy match. Eight women left standing.

:43:52. > :43:57.She made a valid point. It was windy. It's a bit wider than

:43:58. > :44:01.the average football pitch, and went has a considerable part to play. It

:44:02. > :44:04.is going to be a factor throughout the day, making the contest more

:44:05. > :44:09.unpredictable. She has a Korean opponent coming up,

:44:10. > :44:13.we know how strong they are. Unpredictability can be one of the

:44:14. > :44:17.things she clings onto. You will be talking over her progression later

:44:18. > :44:23.in the quarterfinals, won't you? Yes, I have commentary on Radio five

:44:24. > :44:31.Live. How will you get from Baja to the American? We have time, it's

:44:32. > :44:37.that 3:30pm local time. We have TV magic! The knowledge you have does

:44:38. > :44:46.not end with archery, let's talk about the table tennis. He was on

:44:47. > :44:51.BBC Four would have seen that Chinese Ma Long got into the final,

:44:52. > :44:55.the chance to add an Olympic gold to his roster, and we are interested in

:44:56. > :45:00.who he could meet in the Olympic final? Tradition dictates that it is

:45:01. > :45:08.an all Chinese final. Let's pretend in the second semifinal... Ma Long

:45:09. > :45:14.is table tennis Federer, top of the standings in the last four years,

:45:15. > :45:20.having not won at London 2012. Let's call his opponent the Nadal, one at

:45:21. > :45:29.London 2012 but not done so well since. Along comes Vladimir Samsonov

:45:30. > :45:36.of Belarus, he is 40 years old, and refuses to go away. He has been

:45:37. > :45:39.winning medals at a world level, in Manchester 1997, they held the World

:45:40. > :45:45.Championships and he won a silver, that is the best part of 20 years.

:45:46. > :45:49.He's been in the top ten for 15 years, a table tennis record. Here

:45:50. > :45:53.he is, not only after all this is he in the semifinals at an Olympics for

:45:54. > :45:57.the first time in his career, but they're after having to patch up his

:45:58. > :46:01.ribs after injuring his ribs in the last round. He's been in hospital,

:46:02. > :46:04.patched up, pushed out the door by Belarus and sent in the general

:46:05. > :46:07.direction of table tennis, here is his chance to get an Olympic final

:46:08. > :46:19.appearance. Belarus's table tennis Frankenstein

:46:20. > :46:25.patched up and ready to go. He beat Paul Gray called to get into the

:46:26. > :46:34.semifinal. He will be taking on Jike Zhang of China. That would be to

:46:35. > :46:58.night, that a semifinal to come. Let's join Brent Pope.

:46:59. > :47:08.That was an interesting serve from Zhang. The Belarussian will get his

:47:09. > :47:23.first point. Always interesting to see how the athletes will serve.

:47:24. > :47:24.They try to be deceptive. Samson of as a second point in this opening

:47:25. > :47:41.game. He changes the angle so quick, he

:47:42. > :47:44.sure hit that ball. He does not have to move his feet much, just the

:47:45. > :48:07.extension of the arm and the angle. That loose ball just jumps off the

:48:08. > :48:10.racket of Samsonov. They are just getting a feel for each other. Nine

:48:11. > :48:20.stroke rallies. More tempo and more bite in the game

:48:21. > :48:36.of Zhang. That extra bit of spin court

:48:37. > :48:48.Samsonov out. That is why it caught the top of his racket.

:48:49. > :48:56.Zhang is bouncing and trying to encourage himself on. Samsonov is

:48:57. > :48:58.trying to do the same. The older of the two is more measured in his

:48:59. > :49:05.approach. Zhang will take it only all too

:49:06. > :49:34.well. He now has the lead. Samsonov has just conceded the lead

:49:35. > :49:54.and is allowing it to get away from him here in this first game.

:49:55. > :50:06.The power and the spin is coming of the racket of Zhang. There is so

:50:07. > :50:19.much rotation, it ends up spraying freely. Zhang has really put the

:50:20. > :50:49.pedal down now. Samsonov is looking a little out of sorts.

:50:50. > :50:57.A strong manoeuvring from Samsonov. He used his range and his extension.

:50:58. > :51:16.That was really about placement of the backhand.

:51:17. > :51:28.And is collecting -- an interesting point. A little slip. All part of

:51:29. > :51:42.the deception. Zhang almost tickling that ball in

:51:43. > :52:00.preparation on his racket. That is a really interesting

:52:01. > :52:04.backhand, the snap backhand. It goes both ways. It is like a sneaking

:52:05. > :52:16.return. Really impressive. He pulls it out

:52:17. > :52:36.and it has an element of surprise when required.

:52:37. > :52:43.Samsonov is hanging right in there. He was starting to look second-best

:52:44. > :52:54.in this opening game. Now all of a sad and he brings it back. You see

:52:55. > :53:00.the fist pump of delight. That is a steely look coming in from the elder

:53:01. > :53:05.statesman. How about this change in form? Just when you try to

:53:06. > :53:33.anticipate which way it is going. Oh, my goodness, Samsonov. He did it

:53:34. > :53:40.the first time. You could hardly believe it. And now as tight as it

:53:41. > :53:56.has become it can be taken by Zhang with this server.

:53:57. > :54:11.It happened, just as uneventful as that. The return he received in the

:54:12. > :54:16.opening game will go to Zhang. It is that twisting movement the game,

:54:17. > :54:25.that snap backhand which is difficult to control the ball spin

:54:26. > :54:27.on the way back. 11-9 in the opening game in the second millions

:54:28. > :55:08.semifinal. Some real experience that would come

:55:09. > :55:14.from a player of Samsonov's pedigree. In his sixth Olympic

:55:15. > :55:23.Games. That was exhibition stuff, trying to keep it on the table. Some

:55:24. > :55:34.subtle nuances to his ability to be calm and get it back. Does not rely

:55:35. > :55:41.so heavily on the quick feet, just good positioning.

:55:42. > :55:45.A debate looking serve from Samsonov, brings out a new twist to

:55:46. > :55:59.his arsenal. -- different. Zhang comes right back. It is that

:56:00. > :56:27.real bite, that's been. Samsonov does not get that one. It

:56:28. > :56:44.goes off the end of the playing surface of the net.

:56:45. > :57:09." Really are bringing something different to the party in second

:57:10. > :57:13.game. Trying to deceive and give a different look, not allow any putter

:57:14. > :57:21.and rhythm or anticipation to be enjoyed by the opponent. Making them

:57:22. > :57:29.have to adjust to each shot in action. Samsonov has got off to a

:57:30. > :57:48.quick lead in this second game. You see his frustration. He wants to

:57:49. > :58:27.be able to bold that down and ran with it.

:58:28. > :58:47.Samsonov totally mishit that one. Under the table.

:58:48. > :58:51.The pace of the return is coming from Zhang is proving the challenge

:58:52. > :59:17.for Samsonov. Samsonov has done it. He has found

:59:18. > :59:28.the way. You see a little run for his own circulation.

:59:29. > :59:38.You can feel the victory of that point. Some are sweeter than others.

:59:39. > :59:43.And that one for Samsonov is tasting mighty fine. Two in front of the

:59:44. > :00:16.Chinese athlete. A real tap dance between both of

:00:17. > :00:18.them at that net. You wonder when they will start to increase the