Day 1 part 2 Queen's

Welcome back and good news at the Aegon Championships, the covers are

off, the players are on court and we have Steve Johnson versus Richard

Gasquet part three. They have only been on court for a few minutes and

completed only two games. Gasquet leading bite too- zero, a

frustrating start to the Championships with rain and showers

coming and with the prospect of more to come. We are hopeful we will get

at least half are now of play and get this tournament underway. We are

looking forward to the matches. At least we have some tennis which

is something to smile about. Andy and John are with me, not the start

everyone would have wanted and not the forecast because tomorrow and

Wednesday look the same. They have had eight minutes so far.

It is two hours of play before people don't get a refund but the

pins sales are going well and concessions selling umbrellas are

doing Rodwell. So all is not lost. But we need to get going. This is

not what the players came here for. They wanted to have one single smart

but it looks like they will certainly back up. Let's look at the

draw. A wonderful field we have this year.

A tough one for Andy Murray at the top with Mahut. He has just come in

from Wallingford tournament -- winning the tournament. He is on top

form and that is a tough first round. Kyle Edmund versus Gilles

Simon is interesting. Dimitrov always fascinating to

watch, hopefully this will be the start of a run for him because he

has had a bad time at the moment. His levels have not been the way

they should be and maybe this will kick-start his grass court season.

Kevin Anderson wanted to play the qualifying because he wanted matches

on grass. Sometimes your best theories go wrong. Nick Kyrgios

against Milos Raonic. Nick Kyrgios, my wife just cannot stop watching

the TV when he's on. I agree with her. I think he is box office. Some

of the things he says, OK, I am sure he will regret some of them but he

has got that real wow factor. What is it about the bad boys that you

girls go for? LAUGHTER He is so watchable. If he gets

someone and may be... I know Lleyton Hewitt is very much involved with

him but if he can really nurture him and channel that energy in the right

direction, he could be a future world number one. I think John

McEnroe was waiting for a phone call, he loves Nick Kyrgios and

thinks he is great. You have got the gas go in the draw, I have forgotten

the seed he is playing. -- the gas -- Verdasco. Now this draw has been

compressed, these awkward first round matches, and a lot of the

players would have been happy when they saw these draws. We have had

eight minutes, let's hope for a lot more. Johnson and Gasquet about to

get going. Andrew Cotter and Peter Fleming, we will hand over to.

COMMENTATOR: we will resume with Steve Johnson serving, he is a break

down. Gasquet breaking in the second game.

Steve Johnson already losing a point on his serve in this third game.

Well played, certainly the longest rally in this very young match.

Clever, wrong footing shot from Gasquet because when the grass is as

wet and slippery as it is, and will be for the next few days really, not

easy to backtrack. That was like Agassi. Redirected it.

To perfection. Two chances for Gasquet, number four

seed. The sun is shining but some dark

clouds building up against to the west but they are supposed to head

just north of us. Gasquet, a reminder he got to the

quarterfinals, best run of the French Open. He took the first set

against Andy Murray but then crumbles. He is clearly in good form

and he loves the grass as well. Exactly right, has a great grass

court record. One of the few tournaments in pre-Wimbledon

offence. Did he reached the semifinal or quarterfinal of

Wimbledon? Semifinal. It was 11-9 in the first set against Wawrinka and

then he lost in straight sets. Close ones to Djokovic as well in the

semifinals. He could certainly get going there.

Hard work rewarded for Johnson. That was a mental error from Gasquet

because when playing against a guy with a weakness, and let's face it,

Steve Johnson two handed backhand is not one of the stronger shots on

tour, you have to try and expose it. Of course, first game, you are up,

first point rather, you are up two breaks, not necessarily a crucial...

Great movement from Gasquet, wonderful all-round game, his

backhand is something to behold. Grass suits him well because on a

clay court, his first serve is not as imposing as a lot of other

players but on grass, its kids through anti-changes spins and

placement. -- and he changes. A stuttering start at Queen 's but

an impressive start from Gasquet. As it is from everyone, it is difficult

to return serve on this surface so if Gasquet get a weak reply, that is

what he is going to do with the first ball. He is at his best when

attacking. Steve Johnson, we will talk more about him in a moment.

Steve Johnson a big, powerful game and a great serve.

You would think he would be good on the grass court but I don't think he

has figured it out. That is in large part because, as

plush and lush as this grass court is, you do sometimes get bad

bounces. It is difficult to serve and stay

back. If you are not really quick mover and Steve Johnson is a very

big guy, he is tall, and changing directions on a slippery surface is

not easy. UMPIRE: Wrote Mr Gasquet is challenging the call on the

service line. First call to Hawk-Eye on the day.

Gasquet will be nonplussed. Here we are. After all that, it was good and

some good serving from Steve Johnson. Got himself out of a hole

at 0- 30. UMPIRE: Mr Gasquet has two

challenges remaining. The kick-serve on this surface doesn't grab as well

as it would on a hard court or clay court.

The body language of these players could not be more disparate. Gasquet

looking totally at ease. Richard Gasquet is very used to this

environment, this is his seventh appearance here.

APPLAUSE Everything about Steve Johnson at

the moment spells anxiety. He is just unsure of himself. He

needs to hold serve b serve a couple of times just to settle in and say,

"Now I can get started in earnest." UMPIRE: Advantage Johnson.

Something for Steve Johnson to cling on to. A puff of the cheeks. He

needed that badly, Steve Johnson. He does look a bit tight, a bit

uncertain. The world number 39, the American. He is from California. He

is 26 now. He had his first appearance here. They have met

before these two actually and it was in Steve Johnson's breakthrough

major in 2012 at the US Open, he reached the third round and lost to

Gasquet in straight sets. But again, it is grass. It is something

entirely different and when you're feeling the grass for the first time

perhaps, coming here, you might be looking ahead to Wimbledon, but this

is a different way of playing the game. Yes. Especially on a green

grass court. You know, a slippery one. One with still lots of moisture

in the surface. It's difficult to stand up and for a guy who grew up

on a hard court as John John did in California, it adds a variable that

is very uncomfortablement -- uncomfortable. He needs to keep

the rallies as short as possible. A big serve. And try and capitalise

on it, keeping Gasquet on the defensive. The Frenchman, he is not

a bad defender, but he would far rather be attacking.

Yes, once you get into a body of a rally, Gasquet looks the far more

comfortable. Still with that double break advantage, Gasquet. Serving

for one. Beautifully done. Beautiful

defensive work by Gasquet. APPLAUSE

Stone dead. His goal was just defend the net. Well, he achieved that and

then some. APPLAUSE Actually a good example

there in that replay, you were saying how slippy the courts are,

you can slide a long, long way on an early season grass court. It has

taken a lot of moisture today as well. It is OK when it is a

controlled slide as that was. The problems come when you think

you're going to grip and you don't and your legs fly out from under

you. A lot of people get injured in that situation.

A couple of misfires in the Gasquet backhand.

APPLAUSE Gasquet hits that shot as well or better than anyone.

Gasquet again asking the question. It has been a bit messy in this

game, the Frenchman. Wide.

UMPIRE: The call stands. Advantage Johnson. Mr Gasquet has one

challenge remaining. A chance for the American to get one of the

breaks back. We didn't see that coming. Johnson takes it, but

Gasquet's mistakes rather giving it to him.

APPLAUSE It is games like that that can turn

comfortable sets into dog fights. It is get ago bit darker again said

the voice of doom and gloom! He certainly has got more

confidence, now Johnson. He is finding a rhythm. He did just need

that one game on the board and then the break and now flying in his own

serve. A different match now. Gasquet still with that advantage,

but the momentum has shifted. A few too many mistakes from Gasquet

of late and Johnson looking tidier. We were talking about the surface. I

suppose we were used to seeing players sliding on clay. The ground

man down the like to see it, but that's how far you can go. A greasy

surface. He would have probably gone another 20 yards or so if the net

hadn't been in the way! That's something to get used to as

you know all too well, Peter, there is a real art and it's an art and

just having the confidence, I suppose, the feeling of the grass

underneath your feet? Exactly right. It usually takes years, especially

kids who have the opportunity to play on grass as kids, get a feel

for it and understand it that much easier as they become pros. Johnson

hasn't had that luxury so therefore, I'm sure that he is less happy

sliding around this surface than he would be even on a clay court. This

is probably not his favourite place to be either. He came through the

college system A lot of young American players do that. He won the

individual title a couple of times. A different way of doing things

rather than turning pro early. Gasquet was a younger prodigy and

has been on tour for many a long year now and he turns 30 this

weekend. That's just what we were talking

about and it can be very unpleasant, just trying to change direction so

quickly. And he is expecting that foot to hold and it doesn't. He was

lucky. He was lucky that he was able to hold himself upright for long

enough. At the end of the day, the challenge

for Steve Johnson is to how figure out a way to impose himself with the

two-hander, with the backhand. If not, he is reliant on Gasquet

errors. The killer shot was this one. A

short angle that opened up the court. Johnson did really well to

Parry it back, but was too far out of position.

Steve Johnson did find a good rhythm with his serve in the last couple of

service games. He needs it once more. He is serving to stay in this

first set. We are starting to see why he was

briefly, just inside the top 30 and he is just outside now.

Bamboozled and Johnson holds to love. It is still rather gloomy out

there, but mercifully dry. What a stop-start beginning we have had to

this Championship. And Gasquet more than anyone in the

crowd here would like to get this first set under the belt before any

further rain comes because if he had to come out 5-4 cold, and just a

little bit snerveous would make the job that much more difficult. --

nervous. A reminder of the matches we're supposed to be having on

Centre Court coming up. This is optimistic, but next it would be Dan

Evans, he has been given a wildcard against another Frenchman. This is a

practised skill. He is very quick at that. He has

done a few of those in his time. After Evans, it will be Dimitrov

against Tipsarevic and Lopez against Cilic, but no chance of Lopez

against Cilic taking place on this court today.

That defence was worth it. All For the skidding effort.

Really impressive bit of keeping balance by Johnson.

A little cry of "Come on" from Steve Johnson. One of the few times he has

chosen to attack with the sliced backhand, that went when up the line

and set up this forehand. He is giving himself every chance here.

Frustration, that was there for him as well, just spooned back by

Gasquet. That is the problem, every time Johnson sees a forehand, he

becomes anxious and thinks, I have to do something with this ball, even

when the shot is not really on. A spectacular sliding defensive

forehand from Johnson, a squash shot.

He might have jarred himself hitting it. UMPIRE: Mr Gasquet is

challenging the call on the right centred service line. RHYTHMIC

CLAPPING He is so keen to get this done,

there have been a few spots of rain. Possibly Gasquet putting a little

too much importance on this game. Finishing this game before any

impending rain because those ground strokes were very tentative and they

landed short, allowing Johnson to take control. Some jackets going on,

for the less hardy souls. What a comeback by Steve Johnson.

Two breaks down, back to level, Gasquet in a world of frustration

right now. Really interesting how, when this

match started, Gasquet was the guy in form, with the grass court

pedigree. Johnson really appeared nervous, he was not comfortable on

this court surface and it almost appears as though the roles have

reversed a little. Fortune favours Steve Johnson on

this occasion. Gasquet chuntering away to Sebastian

Grosjean. That is good grass, good grass. That

is also good grass. The umpire just coming and having a feel. There is

moisture on the surface but he said it is fine and to play on.

Right on the cusp now. But they play on.

Big decisions for umpires, the umbrellas are going up, I think this

might be nearing a conclusion. And of course, Gasquet right now... Yes,

will be happy to play on, Johnson wants no part of it. It is getting

heavier and they have to be very quickly to get the covers on because

they have had some rain on the surface so it is getting damper and

damper for the resumption, whenever that comes. It really is chucking it

down and Richard Gasquet thinks it should have been done and dusted in

this set. It should have been. But 5-5, Steve Johnson will be feeling a

whole lot better about the state of affairs but the number four seed,

Gasquet, will scuttle off with the rest. Johnson leading the way and

they will resume at 5-5. Johnson serve. Once more, we had for a

break. And of course, Gasquet will have to

go into the locker room and try to remember the frame of mind he

brought out initially. Because he was really the master of his own...

Not demise but down fall in that set. Improvising with the cushions,

everybody getting soaked. Going off with the players, we will return

when they do. STUDIO: At least we got some play but people are

scurrying for cover, this is a very heavy shower and more disappointment

for the tournament and indeed the tournament organisers. Let's hear

from Steven Farrah who is with John Inverdale. We have not got John

Inverdale I am afraid. He was standing by with the tournament

director but sadly, we cannot hear from him but we will try to get John

to give us a report of what the tournament organisers are going to

try and do because they are a long way behind, having not completed the

qualifying. They have not got one match played here on the opening day

of the tournament and the forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday not

looking much better at all. John, Andrew, this is going to be a

difficult week for everybody. It is and when you have your opportunities

when it is like this, Richard Gasquet, up a break right from the

word go. He goes 0- 30 down and then climbs

back into the game and narrowly loses it and then has to go off, you

will be livid with himself. He has missed an opportunity. At well done

to the American for getting back in. These people obviously didn't have

the same app that you had on your phone. Sue Barker was 100% accurate

and I wondered how she knew that and she said, rain in one-minute! We

will see if it is accurate for the rest of the week! It says it is

going to stop in 35 minutes but then start 20 minutes after that. I have

had this app for a while now, but we also saw how slippery it was out

there. As Gaelic like you may have injured himself slightly. They all

slipping and not moving berry well there. It is difficult. It is always

difficult for a tour director because they have lots of spectators

out there. But you have to think of the players on grass. These poor

players must be thinking, I have just come from lousy weather in

France. And we were basking in sunshine through the French. And now

we are starting this way so it has really been a continuation of bad

weather following the tournaments. Maybe we should campaign for a roof,

I wonder what the planning application would be like in this

part of London! No problem, how may people do you want under it, 7500,

no problem! A permanent structure! I don't think so. Nick Kyrgios is not

only an interesting player to watch but he had his issues last year and

at the French Open, shouting at the ball boy and then audible

obscenities. He has had his issues and now having a run in with the

Australian Olympic Committee. The leader of that... It is not going

well. Nick Kyrgios has pulled himself out of the Australian

Olympic selection process. He was put forward by tennis Australia to

be a player in Rio and he says, there are a lot of disparaging

comments coming his way. From the Australian Olympic Committee. He

said, they didn't reach out to me, my family or representatives in any

way, they have made disparaging comments and I will make myself

unavailable for selection for the Australian Olympic team. It is such

a shame, he joins Bernard Tomic, neither of them will go to the

Olympic Games. It is further evidence that he is still trying to

find out where he is in the world. He does still have a chance, if he

fills out a form, but it is not looking good. I think we will leave

Queen 's again because we have been sitting here watching the rain come

down. We have only had about 35 minutes of play here and it is

really frustrating for everyone. We are on the air until 6pm and then

will be on the red button. We're still hoping the rain will go away

and we will get more play here. If there is some, will be back on and I

It's home to a million people at any one time...

..consumes tens of millions of meals,