Day 1

:00:29. > :00:35.JOHN INVERDALE: 1974 - two general elections, England failed to qualify

:00:36. > :00:39.for the World Cup and somebody had the idea of staging a tennis

:00:40. > :00:43.tournament at Devonshire Park. Four decades on, it really has provided

:00:44. > :01:01.40 years of world-class champions. COMMENTARY: She's done it!

:01:02. > :01:09.That's out. That's it. Game, set and match, Miss Austin.

:01:10. > :01:16.Martina won this title four times, Tracy Austin twice, and Virginia

:01:17. > :01:20.Wade once. As the '80s wore on, one name continued to dominate.

:01:21. > :01:35.COMMENTARY: Game set and match Miss Navratilova. Martina won this title

:01:36. > :01:39.11 times. Her last victory coming in 1993. As we headed into the third

:01:40. > :01:44.decade of this great tournament, it was time for the next generation to

:01:45. > :02:00.take over. COMMENTARY: Game, set and match Miss

:02:01. > :02:05.Seles. A devastating display. What a great final. What a wonderful way to

:02:06. > :02:08.finish it. Into the fourth decade, a whole variety of winners, but all

:02:09. > :02:20.from the top drawer of the women's game.

:02:21. > :02:25.COMMENTARY: Kim Clijsters wins in Eastbourne.

:02:26. > :02:34.What a final and a terrific win for Agnieszka Radwanksa. Happy 40th

:02:35. > :02:38.birthday, Eastbourne, so many great matches, so many great champions,

:02:39. > :02:42.but lots of upsets, too, not least yesterday at the very first round

:02:43. > :02:49.stage when the top seed was knocked out in three sets.

:02:50. > :03:00.Under grey skies, the clouds lifted for Caroline Wozniacki. It is

:03:01. > :03:04.amazing to be back here. The crowd is always incredible. Her next

:03:05. > :03:20.opponent is another high-profile winner from yesterday, Sloane

:03:21. > :03:30.Stevens. Agnieszka Radwanksa, a former winner here, was knocked out.

:03:31. > :03:35.Hopefully, this year will be the same at Wimbledon. The seagulls

:03:36. > :03:40.swoop in our English country garden here. This could only be Eastbourne

:03:41. > :03:44.in June. After 40 years, an integral part of the warm-up to Wimbledon,

:03:45. > :03:50.which of course begins on Monday. One of the British players who has

:03:51. > :04:00.been given a wildcard into the women's draw next week, she has had

:04:01. > :04:06.an outstanding victory against Belinda Bencic. That means that

:04:07. > :04:13.Johanna Konta goes through to an interesting next round. Her opponent

:04:14. > :04:15.will either be Azarenka or Camila Giorgi. That is how the top half of

:04:16. > :04:27.the draw looks. At the bottom, Jankovic against

:04:28. > :04:34.Madison Keys is a very good game today.

:04:35. > :04:39.So, here is confirmation of what we are going to see on the Centre

:04:40. > :04:58.Court: The focus today is on Azarenka

:04:59. > :05:01.because this is her first return to competitive action after being out

:05:02. > :05:07.injured for a long while. She missed the French Open. She hit a few balls

:05:08. > :05:10.in anger at Queen's Club in that charity event with Andy Murray and

:05:11. > :05:18.others on Sunday afternoon. This is her first appearance on to the real

:05:19. > :05:21.stage and when she spoke to our reporter yesterday, it was very

:05:22. > :05:27.obvious from her tone, from her demeanour, that she is really

:05:28. > :05:31.excited to be back. It is a really exciting time for me. It is not

:05:32. > :05:35.harsh realities, just beautiful thing, I can't wait to be back on

:05:36. > :05:43.the court. I couldn't wait to be back on the court during this time

:05:44. > :05:49.because that is what I love to do. And that's my most favourite passion

:05:50. > :05:53.and I know coming back after a while, it is not easy. But that is

:05:54. > :05:58.what you take the challenge for, you know. I like to fight. I like to

:05:59. > :06:03.take challenges. And that's what it is all about. The important thing is

:06:04. > :06:06.that I can start playing and then just pick it up from here. How do

:06:07. > :06:12.you stop yourself from starting to go crazy in that period of

:06:13. > :06:20.rehabilitation? I do things that maybe I wasn't able to do while you

:06:21. > :06:28.play. I started to paint, I sing, I dance, which I couldn't dance for a

:06:29. > :06:33.long time. So I had to improvise! Just different things, you know. I

:06:34. > :06:40.love meeting new people. I had great time with my friends and enjoyed

:06:41. > :06:45.every part of that. So, yeah, just a lot of things that - just fun,

:06:46. > :06:53.whatever makes you happy. JOHN INVERDALE: There is Victoria

:06:54. > :06:56.Azarenka, repeating in that interview what injured people say

:06:57. > :07:06.when they are out of action, they do normal things. So, I wonder what

:07:07. > :07:13.shape she is going to be in. Let's talk to Annabel Croft and Chris

:07:14. > :07:17.Bradman. How are you? Hello. Very well, thank you. The clouds have

:07:18. > :07:22.banished. The great thing about being at the seaside, the weather

:07:23. > :07:26.fluctuates in the blink of an eye, so it was quite cloudy five minutes

:07:27. > :07:31.ago, now it is glorious! The women's game has missed Azarenka, hasn't it?

:07:32. > :07:37.You say that, John. There's been some exciting new names bursting out

:07:38. > :07:41.on to the scene since she's been away.

:07:42. > :07:47.I sort of think there's been more talking points out there and that

:07:48. > :07:52.might inspire and motivate Azarenka to want to get back up to the top.

:07:53. > :08:02.Not so long ago, of course, she was the world number one before Serena

:08:03. > :08:06.Williams took over. There was a difference about her demeanour, she

:08:07. > :08:12.was more relaxed, more excited. It has done her a world of good to be

:08:13. > :08:16.away for a time being. I interviewed her at Queen's Club, she seemed as

:08:17. > :08:19.if the cares of the world had been lifted from her as opposed to

:08:20. > :08:26.feeling that the pressure was greater. Also at Queen's, I spoke to

:08:27. > :08:33.Marcos Baghdatis who had taken two months out of the game to - he said

:08:34. > :08:37.reacquaint himself with himself! It is interesting when players do take

:08:38. > :08:41.a long period out, it makes them realise what a fantastic life being

:08:42. > :08:45.a tennis player is. I think that's right. It is very much a bubble

:08:46. > :08:51.world when they are travelling around. Sit like a travelling Sir --

:08:52. > :08:55.it is like a travelling circus. They get a lot of people taking care of

:08:56. > :08:58.them. They are, in some ways, treated like rock stars. I think

:08:59. > :09:03.sometimes they do lose a bit of perspective on life outside that

:09:04. > :09:06.bubble world. So, the fact that Victoria Azarenka was talking about

:09:07. > :09:10.how much she's enjoyed walking her dog, meeting new people, cooking a

:09:11. > :09:18.little bit, painting, as she said, wasn't able to dance! It gave her a

:09:19. > :09:24.sense of life and normality which, of course, is not normal for me

:09:25. > :09:27.normally. When you come back from a fairly lengthy period out, what is

:09:28. > :09:32.the most important thing about a match like this? I think not to be

:09:33. > :09:37.too hard on yourself when things don't go according to plan. She is a

:09:38. > :09:41.perfectionist, she would be having a two-time Grand Slam Champion at the

:09:42. > :09:45.Australian Open. I think, as she said herself, when you practice in

:09:46. > :09:49.practice matches, that is one thing. It is quite another to do it in a

:09:50. > :09:54.match situation and her opponent here today, Camila Giorgi, is a very

:09:55. > :09:58.exciting young talent, someone who had a breakthrough at the US Open

:09:59. > :10:01.last year reaching the fourth round and also has reached the fourth

:10:02. > :10:09.round at Wimbledon before. When she played at the Arthur Ashe Stadium

:10:10. > :10:13.she brought the crowd alive, she loves a crowd and she is dangerous.

:10:14. > :10:17.She can hit winners from anywhere on the court. She is a great mover. It

:10:18. > :10:21.is one of the most tricky draws that she could have in terms of her first

:10:22. > :10:27.match back after an injury. It is not going to be easy. We saw a great

:10:28. > :10:30.shot of Eastbourne pier there, which hasn't changed a great deal in the

:10:31. > :10:33.40 years of this tournament. You must have played here a few times? I

:10:34. > :10:37.have. This is very strange for me coming back here. I first played

:10:38. > :10:43.here when I was 12 in the Nationals and every year we came back here.

:10:44. > :10:48.When you hear those seagulls, and all the wind, it brings back some

:10:49. > :10:55.terrifying memories of playing lots of intense battles here. Obviously,

:10:56. > :11:00.this is still very much the centrepiece of the county. Anyway,

:11:01. > :11:03.here we go. This is our first action from Eastbourne in 2014. Chris and

:11:04. > :11:18.Annabel. CHRIS BRADMAN: A first meeting

:11:19. > :11:53.between these two. Such an aggressive player, Giorgi.

:11:54. > :11:56.ANNABEL CROFT: She is a real risk-taker and you only have to look

:11:57. > :11:57.at the way she walks around the court and her bouncing around. She

:11:58. > :12:30.makes her presence felt. Debut here in Eastbourne, so she

:12:31. > :13:06.will be pleased it is not as windy as it can be.

:13:07. > :13:13.When your game is as big as Giorgi's, the wind does not help

:13:14. > :13:16.because she never holds back. The thing is, she likes to stay up on

:13:17. > :13:20.the baseline and she will just go for those lines, go for the corners

:13:21. > :13:23.and pressure you and because on grass the rallies are so short, you

:13:24. > :13:32.do not have much time to think out here.

:13:33. > :13:46.And Azarenka coming in, she said expectations for this tournament, it

:13:47. > :13:49.is not going to rain today! That is a great approach mentally for her.

:13:50. > :13:53.It is her fourth tournament of the year. She doesn't really know where

:13:54. > :13:57.she is at yet. I think that is right. As I said earlier, the key

:13:58. > :14:01.for her is not to get too upset with things if they don't go according to

:14:02. > :14:04.plan. It is about building confidence and building her way back

:14:05. > :14:08.into match fitness because it's so different, isn't it, to playing on

:14:09. > :14:47.the practice courts and hitting the ball well in that type of situation?

:14:48. > :14:58.CHRIS BRADNAM: familiar sound. Familiar habits. Her coach has been

:14:59. > :14:59.with her since the beginning of 2010. She has been a great calming

:15:00. > :15:04.influence. Camila Giorgi is way inside the

:15:05. > :15:35.court for this return. It paid off. I think she's trying to

:15:36. > :15:39.psyche out Victoria. At the end of last year, Victoria had all sorts of

:15:40. > :15:43.serving issues, she started to get the jitters on her serve and Camila

:15:44. > :15:56.will know all about that. You can almost tell a battle of two

:15:57. > :15:59.strong minds out here. She is saying if you are going to come in and

:16:00. > :16:44.pressure my serve, I will show you I can come up with the goods out here.

:16:45. > :16:48.It is having some sort of effect. It is almost where Serena Williams

:16:49. > :17:02.stands to receive serve. First

:17:03. > :17:09.to get your first service game under your belt. Yes, that was a very deep

:17:10. > :17:12.second serve, wasn't it? And Giorgi almost having to half-volley that

:17:13. > :17:15.one, she was so far inside that pace line. Nice t to get up on the --

:17:16. > :18:03.nice to get up on the scoreboard. Expect quite a lot of that. She is

:18:04. > :18:11.so ambitious off first and second serves.

:18:12. > :18:43.There's not a lot of controlling spin. It looked as if she let that

:18:44. > :18:48.ball drop and didn't accelerate up into the motion there. Her dad

:18:49. > :19:00.trying to hide after that one! Her father is from Argentina. A

:19:01. > :19:06.rugby player. Super. She served two double faults. She seldom doubts

:19:07. > :19:11.herself. She's got such a positive outlook on a court. You only have to

:19:12. > :19:16.look at the way she walks and moves around the court, just very

:19:17. > :19:39.effervescent. That must have clipped the back edge

:19:40. > :19:43.of that line here. Again, you can see, trying to get on that front

:19:44. > :19:44.foot. She needs that body weight going into that backhand, right on

:19:45. > :20:38.the backline. She is very much at one pace, isn't

:20:39. > :20:42.she? Yeah. She blasts the ball very hard and flat from the back of the

:20:43. > :20:43.court. There is not much height variety going to come out of her

:20:44. > :21:07.racket today. It is great depth, keeping Azarenka

:21:08. > :21:26.on the back foot here, It is great depth, keeping Azarenka

:21:27. > :21:29.change direction there. That It is great depth, keeping Azarenka

:21:30. > :21:53.of the hardest things on the grass courts, getting that footwork right.

:21:54. > :22:44.Gutsy second serve. She's obviously got a bad memory!

:22:45. > :22:53.Anything short she is going to hammer away.

:22:54. > :23:01.Very straight back, very positive walk.

:23:02. > :23:43.That's a really good hold, three double faults in the game. That's

:23:44. > :23:47.encouraging for her. Very bright, colourful outfit, all designed by

:23:48. > :23:52.her mother. That has caused quite a lot of interest. She is known for

:23:53. > :23:56.her outfits. Yeah, her mum has designed them. I think they are

:23:57. > :24:01.trying to build a fashion brand there. She's really fun. I think

:24:02. > :24:14.she's really great for the game. As I said, everybody remembers that

:24:15. > :24:20.breakthrough at the US Open out on the Arthur Ashe Stadium beating

:24:21. > :24:24.Caroline Wozniacki. She brings this great energy out on to a tennis

:24:25. > :24:31.court and a fabulous presence. You can tell just as we say, the body

:24:32. > :24:35.language counts for so much out there. It is such a mental sport.

:24:36. > :24:40.Think about that positive energy, you are sending such a clear message

:24:41. > :24:43.to your opponent. She has an air of positivity in this match as if

:24:44. > :24:44.to your opponent. She has an air of believes she is capable of winning

:24:45. > :25:03.against a former world number one. 8,000 seats on this Mag --

:25:04. > :25:13.magnificent Centre Court. 1-2 first set.

:25:14. > :25:31.I think it is also unusual, not only how far forward she is on the second

:25:32. > :25:36.serve, but to be that far inside the baseline on a second serve. She is

:25:37. > :25:44.trying to outpsyche her down there and take the ball early.

:25:45. > :26:11.Takes time away with her brand of tennis, Camila Giorgi. Azarenka

:26:12. > :26:16.knows all about that. You can't compare it to match play. Her

:26:17. > :26:19.backhand is her best side. It is her best shot. She caught that one a bit

:26:20. > :26:27.late. The preparation has to be really efficient on a grass court.

:26:28. > :26:40.It was the right move here from Giorgi, she can suddenly sense that

:26:41. > :26:42.Azarenka is going to have to come underneath this ball. She misjudged

:26:43. > :26:46.the height on that one. She took her racket away, she

:26:47. > :27:06.hesitated. She is timing the ball beautifully

:27:07. > :27:08.already. A couple of mis-hits in the opening receiving game, but that was

:27:09. > :28:17.right out the middle. UMPIRE: Two games all.

:28:18. > :28:24.Julien Benneteau has said the court is bouncing a lot harder this week

:28:25. > :28:27.than it did at Queen's last week. Interesting hearing him say that.

:28:28. > :28:31.Agnieszka Radwanksa was saying the ball was really low, I had to bend

:28:32. > :28:58.my knees, but she didn't play at Queen's.

:28:59. > :29:05.It is always interesting when you watch somebody serving, and as

:29:06. > :29:07.aggressive as that serve was from Giorgi, players try not to get

:29:08. > :29:12.pushed too far behind Giorgi, players try not to get

:29:13. > :29:16.so the next strike is deep into the corners. If Azarenka returns as deep

:29:17. > :29:35.as she has, it is not easy to do that.

:29:36. > :29:48.Backhands down the line don't come much better than that one. Great

:29:49. > :29:51.preparation here. Bends those knees, stays down throughout that strike

:29:52. > :30:46.and an effortless change of direction there.

:30:47. > :31:17.taking the ball quickly from the ball kids, rushing the pace.

:31:18. > :31:23.businesslike and she has made a steady rise up the rankings. Playing

:31:24. > :31:39.at a of 42 in the world today. She went into Wimbledon at 279, and that

:31:40. > :31:46.was a real breakthrough in terms of her play. She always appears to be

:31:47. > :31:52.fearless on court. Some players come out on the tour and hit the grass

:31:53. > :31:56.courts and think it is alien to them because this season is so short.

:31:57. > :32:01.Some of them never get the hang of it and prefer tennis on the clay

:32:02. > :32:07.courts. But Camila Giorgi came onto the grass courts and came through

:32:08. > :32:11.qualifying with difficult matches in Roehampton and reached the fourth

:32:12. > :32:16.round and he obviously loves it. It suits her game and she has got the

:32:17. > :32:24.hang of it pretty quickly. She looks like a real threat in this match.

:32:25. > :32:25.Nobody is slipping yet. Different footwork patterns are required on a

:32:26. > :32:57.new grass court. I wonder what Azarenka's thoughts

:32:58. > :32:59.are. First meeting against Giorgi. How early she is looking to nail the

:33:00. > :33:24.return. I think this point is a prime

:33:25. > :33:27.example of how well she moves. She is looking to go back crosscourt,

:33:28. > :33:32.realises the board is behind her, and makes just a couple of

:33:33. > :33:36.adjustments. Twice she managed to change direction and get underneath

:33:37. > :33:57.that ball and guide it down the line.

:33:58. > :34:05.Pretty difficult to keep taking that ball on the rise after the first

:34:06. > :34:10.served. Giorgi has not made many but she is not backing off. It is trying

:34:11. > :35:14.to meet the ball in front when you are that close inside the baseline.

:35:15. > :35:19.I don't think that toss was quite in the right place. She was chasing

:35:20. > :35:25.round the outside of the ball and the breezes picking up a bit. That

:35:26. > :35:27.is the hardest the breezes picking up a bit. That

:35:28. > :35:33.is the thing at Eastbourne, getting the toss in the right place.

:35:34. > :35:40.That was off-course. Always have to have the ponytail on the front left

:35:41. > :35:57.shoulder. A bit lucky. A misfit, a bit late,

:35:58. > :36:04.but it provided a great angle. -- mishit. She only just made it but

:36:05. > :36:11.good preparation. Just managed to get the racquet head through in

:36:12. > :36:21.time. You can see the breeze is picking up.

:36:22. > :36:25.Azarenka is so grateful for the tournament to give her a wild card

:36:26. > :36:36.to play. So was Grigor Dimitrov last week,

:36:37. > :37:02.champion at Queen's. Faith was put in him by Chris for many years.

:37:03. > :37:09.Uncanny how often aces followed by double faults and the other way

:37:10. > :37:11.round. That one was brewing. It got a bit low. Some mind games going on

:37:12. > :37:39.here with the server and return. Even from the start of this match, I

:37:40. > :37:42.would say Giorgi has been much more on the front foot and Azarenka, and

:37:43. > :37:46.normally Azarenka looks to dictate the points. But she is slightly

:37:47. > :37:56.trailing in that department. First break point. A test of the

:37:57. > :38:16.second serve. UMPIRE: Game, Miss Giorgi.

:38:17. > :38:25.Two doubles in the game, costly. The first break of this first round. You

:38:26. > :38:29.almost feel as if all that positivity about standing in, yes,

:38:30. > :38:34.she missed some returns of serve, that they build in pressure until

:38:35. > :38:35.she eked out a double fault at the most pressurised situation at the

:38:36. > :39:39.end of the game. A call from the chair, Alison Hughes

:39:40. > :39:47.of Great Britain. No Hawk-Eye, just eagle eyed Alison! One of the best.

:39:48. > :39:50.I miss it when it is not there. I want to see it now! I think the

:39:51. > :41:04.players do, too. That backhand really shot through

:41:05. > :41:11.the court. She took her time, bend the knees, and an extra injection of

:41:12. > :41:12.pace on the last one. Quite a leap off the ground on this server as

:41:13. > :41:45.well. Quite a murmur in the crowd because

:41:46. > :41:53.Azarenka's return that was mishit looked well long. I agree but no

:41:54. > :41:55.comment from Giorgi and no looking at the umpire but murmuring from the

:41:56. > :42:38.crowd. UMPIRE: Game, Miss Azarenka. Miss

:42:39. > :42:43.Giorgi leads 4-3. Azarenka is so fiercely determined.

:42:44. > :42:48.The coach has been a calming influence because it is all about

:42:49. > :42:52.channelling the fierce emotions. I agree. He has often said that about

:42:53. > :42:55.her when he has been interviewed, that his role is to calm her down

:42:56. > :42:59.and make sure everything is channelled in the right direction,

:43:00. > :43:03.because she has so much energy, aggression and passion for the game.

:43:04. > :43:07.She is a very determined player, very stubborn. She really believes

:43:08. > :43:13.in herself. Sometimes emotions can get the better of her and the wheels

:43:14. > :43:17.can come off. It is a difficult time for her, coming back from an injury,

:43:18. > :43:20.her first match back after quite some time off the tour. She only

:43:21. > :43:27.started hitting balls about three weeks ago. A bit of a nightmare

:43:28. > :43:32.draw. Not too much time to think about things out there. You have to

:43:33. > :43:45.react quickly. They have been a wonderful combination. It is

:43:46. > :43:47.fascinating how the other players are going after the Australian Open.

:43:48. > :44:02.That might give her more motivation. An extra spring in Azarenka's step

:44:03. > :45:08.right now. UMPIRE: Game, Miss Azarenka.

:45:09. > :45:12.The first love game of the match. It doesn't look like Giorgi will back

:45:13. > :45:16.off from a tactic on the return games, even though she is not making

:45:17. > :45:21.that many and Azarenka has settled into the rhythm of it. I agree. It

:45:22. > :45:23.was clearly the game plan when she came out and she is not going to

:45:24. > :45:46.back away from it. came out and she is not going to

:45:47. > :46:03.back away from it. She has just slightly dropped off in

:46:04. > :46:06.intensity since that break of serve. Hopefully she cannot see her

:46:07. > :46:10.father's reaction in the crowd! That is a nightmare when you look at your

:46:11. > :46:34.support camp and they are playing every shot with you.

:46:35. > :47:19.That was not an easy ball. Running on the diagonal and then getting the

:47:20. > :47:21.racquet face below the height of the ball and guiding it over the lower

:47:22. > :47:44.part of the net. Three double faults in her second

:47:45. > :47:51.service game and she held but two more here and that would get anybody

:47:52. > :47:57.agitated. He is definitely playing the match with her, I have been

:47:58. > :48:10.watching, and he's pretty animated! Some of the time he can't look.

:48:11. > :48:18.Made it, just. I don't think Azarenka agrees. She looked shocked

:48:19. > :48:22.that that was called in. It was awfully close to the line. That is

:48:23. > :48:24.Giorgi for you. awfully close to the line. That is

:48:25. > :48:26.Giorgi for She does not hold back, goes for broke, not much margin for

:48:27. > :48:34.error. Giorgi for She does not hold back,

:48:35. > :48:35.goes Giorgi is six from 17 already behind on the second serve, which is

:48:36. > :49:18.key. It is quite a lull for Giorgi but we

:49:19. > :49:23.have talked about this. It is either unbelievably good or it can really

:49:24. > :49:26.help the opponents, the number of errors. She buries herself in her

:49:27. > :49:35.towel. It is like developing the middle game. She is very much one

:49:36. > :49:40.place. She is hard, flat, deep to the baseline, 1 million miles an

:49:41. > :49:43.hour, go for broke, but she does not have the ability to step off the

:49:44. > :49:47.accelerator, maybe put some spin on the ball to keep it in play for

:49:48. > :49:51.longer, and just feel her way through the match. I always remember

:49:52. > :49:57.Paul talking about his time with Pete Sampras, who was the greatest

:49:58. > :50:02.player before Roger Federer came along with his 14 Grand Slam titles,

:50:03. > :50:05.and he said he had this extraordinary ability to feel his

:50:06. > :50:09.way through the match and know when to put his foot on the accelerator

:50:10. > :50:13.and when to come off. The great players know when to do that. They

:50:14. > :50:18.don't have to be at 100% full throttle for every point. You feel

:50:19. > :50:21.with Giorgi that she kind of is like that. She could feel the pressure

:50:22. > :50:29.when she got that first break of serve in the game. She just lost

:50:30. > :50:35.intensity. A couple of double faults, unforced errors, and he did

:50:36. > :50:43.not keep the pressure on Azarenka. -- she did not. So far it is so good

:50:44. > :50:45.for Azarenka and it is like she has not been away. This is the test,

:50:46. > :51:04.serving for the set at 39 minutes. An interesting serve straight down

:51:05. > :51:05.the centre of the box, right at the centre of Giorgi, not going pretty

:51:06. > :51:42.much. Got the error. She has just been a touch late on a

:51:43. > :51:47.couple of balls that have shot through the grass, and that is

:51:48. > :51:52.tricky on grass, having the time so the ball does not take off from the

:51:53. > :52:13.strings and leave the racquet face very quickly.

:52:14. > :52:20.That is the one. Slower to her right, Azarenka. Every player is

:52:21. > :52:21.better one way or the other. She is getting dividends playing that ball,

:52:22. > :52:32.Giorgi. Looking to move forward all the time

:52:33. > :53:01.after that backhand. Good hitting. Giorgi is playing

:53:02. > :53:05.smart tennis at this juncture of the match. She knows she will get more

:53:06. > :53:08.joy from that forehand side of Azarenka than the backhand, so as it

:53:09. > :53:28.gets pressured you want to be hitting to the Azarenka forehand.

:53:29. > :53:34.These are the sort of areas that can take a while when you are match

:53:35. > :53:39.rusty, winning these games and digging yourself out of a hole to

:53:40. > :53:46.serve for a set, which she was so good at of course.

:53:47. > :54:05.Just the 11th match this year for Azarenka.

:54:06. > :55:11.That was a little bit wild. A really big point. You want to make your

:55:12. > :55:13.opponent play that ball. She will be disappointed she did not get that

:55:14. > :55:41.return back into play. Set point. Great return this time. She hit it

:55:42. > :55:48.hard and down the middle, very much like Serena Williams. It is

:55:49. > :55:51.effective, that tactic. As a server, you have just finished the serving

:55:52. > :55:55.motion and you are landing on the front foot and your body weight is

:55:56. > :55:57.going into the court, so you have to react and go backwards into the next

:55:58. > :56:25.swing. Second set point. A real march to

:56:26. > :56:53.the baseline from Azarenka. Azarenka holds from 15-40. 45 minute

:56:54. > :56:57.set. Pretty impressive. Her first setback after the long lay-off. She

:56:58. > :57:01.must be pretty pleased with that. She has got to be. It felt like when

:57:02. > :57:06.you watch a hockey match and you see most of the game played down one

:57:07. > :57:09.end. It is all possession down that end and then suddenly the game takes

:57:10. > :57:13.off in another direction and they score. It felt like that. She was

:57:14. > :57:18.just hanging in, on the back foot quite a bit. A little bit rusty,

:57:19. > :57:23.which you would expect, and then somehow she kept a lid on all the

:57:24. > :57:31.emotions, waited for the tornado to blow through, and came up trumps and

:57:32. > :57:38.not the set. It is interesting. -- she got the set. Great champions

:57:39. > :57:42.always rise when they play the best. But Victoria has fought like a

:57:43. > :57:53.champion at those moments, too. She made her first final earlier this

:57:54. > :57:56.year before losing to Cornet. It is releasing those thoughts at a level

:57:57. > :58:02.you are not used to winning at but the thought process has to be the

:58:03. > :58:06.same. That is exactly the case. That is why scheduling for players is so

:58:07. > :58:11.key, keeping confidence levels up, picking events where you know you

:58:12. > :58:15.will get wins, or testing yourself against the best. This is one of the

:58:16. > :58:20.problems when a junior breakthrough, the likes of Laura Robson, used to

:58:21. > :58:24.winning as a junior, and then they are testing themselves in the main

:58:25. > :58:28.field and it is getting the balance between winning because you have had

:58:29. > :58:35.a winning mentality as a junior, and not winning as many matches against

:58:36. > :58:45.the tour players, who find out your weaknesses very quickly. It is about

:58:46. > :58:50.finding all of that out and not being too hard on yourself. It

:58:51. > :59:28.really is a super day on the South coast.

:59:29. > :59:34.Six doubles already. That is just too many. The server a bit

:59:35. > :59:51.unpredictable. I sometimes think she does not get

:59:52. > :59:52.the toss in the right place and she makes adjustments with her body

:59:53. > :00:12.position trying to hit it. CHRIS BRADNAM: Different shoes, of

:00:13. > :00:16.course. Grass court shoes have pimples in the sole to get better

:00:17. > :00:23.grip. No slip there, just lost her balance.

:00:24. > :00:31.See why she's had the wins she's had, Giorgi. When she puts it

:00:32. > :01:07.together, unplayable comes to mind! ANNABEL CROFT: The backhand was rock

:01:08. > :01:25.solid from Azarenka. But losing a bit of control on the forehand side.

:01:26. > :01:32.Hasn't missed many of those. It's the right play. It is hard to get a

:01:33. > :01:33.rhythm against her because you don't know what is going to come out of

:01:34. > :02:07.her racket next. Seventh double. Even on that last

:02:08. > :02:13.one, I feel as if she fell off the ball! He just can't look! He is

:02:14. > :02:17.suffering watching this match. We need to send him off for a cup of

:02:18. > :02:26.tea somewhere and come back when it's finished.

:02:27. > :02:47.Backhand is so strong through the legs of Giorgi, sets up so well.

:02:48. > :03:28.As a receiver, once the first serve is missed, you must be thinking,

:03:29. > :03:32."I'm going to get a cheap point." It's eight double faults. It is hard

:03:33. > :03:36.to trust that she is going to hit it properly. It doesn't look like her

:03:37. > :03:37.body position is in the right position when she is going after the

:03:38. > :03:45.ball. That hit the baseline virtually. It

:03:46. > :04:10.must be a horrible feeling. Just a look. Alison Hughes thought

:04:11. > :04:14.it was long, too. Azarenka not doing very much but has a break-point. She

:04:15. > :04:19.did well to control that return of serve. That was hit-and-miss second

:04:20. > :04:34.serve, but it happened to go into the corner.

:04:35. > :04:40.She's already saved a service game with three double faults in it in

:04:41. > :04:54.the match already, Giorgi. She would love to do it again at the start of

:04:55. > :05:40.the second set. Just to put a seed of doubt in Azarenka's mind.

:05:41. > :05:46.This was a great wrong-footing backhand, getting great width on

:05:47. > :06:07.that backhand. Gets that racket head through the ball.

:06:08. > :06:10.That's a magnificent stroke. That's pleased her father. Three double

:06:11. > :06:27.faults again, but she holds. That's interesting, twice to serve

:06:28. > :06:33.three double faults and there were four from Azarenka in the first set.

:06:34. > :06:38.And to hold. That must be frustrating the Belarussian. I think

:06:39. > :06:43.for Giorgi, as you look back at the first set summary, the first serve

:06:44. > :06:50.percentage, 44%, she would want that to go up a lot. The unforced error

:06:51. > :06:54.count is well over double her opponent's. That is that very

:06:55. > :07:00.important balance and ratio that you want to kind of have more winners to

:07:01. > :07:05.unforced errors. Full marks for attitude from both of them out here.

:07:06. > :07:19.0-1 Azarenka, second set. The bottom line is, a serve is a

:07:20. > :07:22.short ball. It has to bounce before the service line. That's the first

:07:23. > :07:47.time she's really caught it cleanly. That's a beautiful backhand from

:07:48. > :07:52.Azarenka, really staying with that ball herself. And, again, just

:07:53. > :08:14.looking to close in, move forward on that backhand.

:08:15. > :08:19.It is pretty difficult not to look down the other end and see where

:08:20. > :08:26.your opponent is standing and not be a bit psyched out by it. It takes a

:08:27. > :08:28.great presence of mind and a calm mind to try and put it aside and not

:08:29. > :08:43.think about it. Then that, once you are committed,

:08:44. > :08:48.almost irrespective of the serve, to hit that and the errors are big.

:08:49. > :08:55.There was no let-up from Giorgi at all. And that was a wonderful serve.

:08:56. > :09:06.Oh, hit the net twice. My goodness! That was a very cheeky drop net

:09:07. > :09:15.cord, wasn't it? It almost crept over the net there. Break-point.

:09:16. > :09:45.That very nearly paid off. Was Monica Seles the best at taking very

:09:46. > :09:50.early returns? I think she definitely was. She threatened just

:09:51. > :09:55.as much as we are seeing here from Giorgi and being double-handed on

:09:56. > :09:58.both sides as well. She had unbelievable timing, ruthless

:09:59. > :09:59.hitting from the back of the court and Serena is one of the best as

:10:00. > :10:52.well. Great footwork, very neat, tidy

:10:53. > :10:58.mover around the court, isn't she? She is very light on her feet.

:10:59. > :11:00.Nothing stomping about the way she moves around a court.

:11:01. > :11:36.That was a bit of a wild one. Giorgi breaks. She had the break first set

:11:37. > :11:40.remember. That is when she had the lull, the let-down, she cannot

:11:41. > :11:45.afford that again here. No, she needs to maintain the pressure

:11:46. > :11:52.without the errors. She's got to get this first serve in. Seven from 23

:11:53. > :11:54.behind the second serve, Giorgi. She has still only lost three points

:11:55. > :12:13.behind her first serve in the match. A sort of Jekyll and Hyde shot, the

:12:14. > :12:18.serve for Giorgi. It is. She comes almost to the side of her body as

:12:19. > :12:28.she goes up into that motion. We get a good view of it here.

:12:29. > :12:38.She's got some momentum going now. She almost starts to walk quicker

:12:39. > :12:40.and quicker. Yes. As she gains momentum and keeps that scoreboard

:12:41. > :12:58.going. First ace for Giorgi. What a

:12:59. > :13:01.difference it makes when the first serve goes in. Everything flows

:13:02. > :13:20.behind it as well. A serve and volley there. She loves

:13:21. > :13:30.drop shots, normally. We haven't seen one yet.

:13:31. > :13:38.If you are going to double fault, it is best when you are 40-0 up.

:13:39. > :14:11.It is important to have the last word(!)

:14:12. > :14:29.That is really well played. There was more spin on that second serve

:14:30. > :14:32.and the warmth in the applause, it's a debut in Eastbourne for Giorgi,

:14:33. > :14:38.she seems to gather support very quickly wherever she plays. I think

:14:39. > :14:41.that's right. Because she is an exciting player and she is certainly

:14:42. > :14:46.not boring. When it is all on fire, it lights up a tennis court and, as

:14:47. > :14:49.we said, she is a great mover around the court, she is light on her feet.

:14:50. > :14:53.There is something energetic about what she is doing out here. She is

:14:54. > :14:57.always looking to impose her game, go for broke, look for the lines,

:14:58. > :15:04.look for outright winners and that is an exciting brand of tennis but

:15:05. > :15:09.you want to cut out some of the unforced errors. She has such a

:15:10. > :15:13.great positive energy about what she does out here. Another woman who is

:15:14. > :15:18.coached by a parent - a lot of talk about Andy Murray and his new coach

:15:19. > :15:23.and generally coaching. It is a general theme on the women's tour?

:15:24. > :15:27.It is. It was interesting when you look at the top ten players in the

:15:28. > :15:32.women's game, not one of them is coached by a female. They are all

:15:33. > :15:37.coached by males, actually. So, it is unusual and it is so intriguing

:15:38. > :15:41.with Andy Murray taking on Amelie Mauresmo, a former world number one,

:15:42. > :15:44.a former Wimbledon and Australian Open Champion, it is the first time

:15:45. > :15:50.we have ever seen that for a top ten player in the world in the men's. It

:15:51. > :15:56.is fascinating. I'm intrigued as to what he is looking for from Amelie.

:15:57. > :16:01.We know he is one of the great tacticians in the game. I think he

:16:02. > :16:39.is looking for something else. Terrific! Even off the back foot,

:16:40. > :16:43.leaning backwards. The backhand is pretty special of Giorgi's. That

:16:44. > :16:46.one. She creates width with it when that ball bounces, it keeps

:16:47. > :16:50.travelling away from the opponent. That is one of the first more

:16:51. > :16:55.traditional volleys we have seen in this match. We have seen quite a few

:16:56. > :17:05.drive volleys, but the punching volley got an extra cheer.

:17:06. > :17:11.Part of me would love to see Giorgi stand back a little on the return,

:17:12. > :17:15.to see the difference it would make. If you slightly mis-hit it, drop it

:17:16. > :17:19.a bit short, she is going to get punished. She is out of position

:17:20. > :17:21.almost being this far forwards. I agree with you. It looked like she's

:17:22. > :17:38.stepped back a touch for this one. It's almost bordering on hindrance!

:17:39. > :17:43.It was like the ball hit a worm or something! Everybody remembers

:17:44. > :17:44.Serena Williams being docked a point at the US Open for hindrance from

:17:45. > :18:12.the noise she made. Ball toss, the culprit. Showing that

:18:13. > :18:16.too far out in front of the body, chasing that ball all the way. Now,

:18:17. > :18:19.the wind has died down again, you have to make the extra adjustments

:18:20. > :18:49.for that as well, so you have to be very versatile in these conditions.

:18:50. > :19:06.It is not often you see Azarenka lose a battle of the backhands and

:19:07. > :19:08.here she absolutely did. That one just took off, more acceleration on

:19:09. > :19:27.it, more pace. Another break-point. The "Come on" is getting more

:19:28. > :19:55.strangulated. A warrior. Fast and straight back at you.

:19:56. > :20:08.Giorgi's way. If you keep doing it, I suppose you

:20:09. > :20:11.are going to get better and better at it. Certainly getting plenty of

:20:12. > :20:27.chances to break. It's all on her racket. He's

:20:28. > :20:31.definitely done a few signals out here today, almost as if he is - he

:20:32. > :20:35.is definitely playing the match with her, but he wants her moving

:20:36. > :20:37.forward, trying to be aggressive, that is her game. He is quite a

:20:38. > :20:50.character. He's been jumping around. He's been fielding out there every

:20:51. > :20:52.time the ball is around his area. I can see where she gets her energy

:20:53. > :21:27.from. He's got to be pretty happy with his

:21:28. > :21:35.daughter's last forehand cross-court. A little bit of a lasso

:21:36. > :22:09.finish on that forehand. A little lucky. Giorgi has the

:22:10. > :22:14.double break. Four games in a row. Yes, she is pretty difficult to stop

:22:15. > :22:19.when she has momentum like this. Once she gets going, as you say, a

:22:20. > :22:24.little bit lucky there, the wind took hold of that ball, a lot of

:22:25. > :22:29.spin on it from Giorgi. Yes, she's just on fire at the moment. Azarenka

:22:30. > :22:32.has to try and stay with her and wait for some of those errors to

:22:33. > :22:47.come again. She's won 22 of 25 points on serve

:22:48. > :22:55.behind the first serve. How impressive is that?

:22:56. > :23:01.But eight from 25 behind the second. Certainly taking more time here on

:23:02. > :23:09.this one. To no avail. That is ten double

:23:10. > :23:19.faults now. She is still 4-0 up second set

:23:20. > :23:57.against Azarenka. Oh no. Extraordinary how well she

:23:58. > :24:00.actually absorbs all of this and stays positive and it doesn't have a

:24:01. > :24:06.real negative effect on the rest of the game. I agree with you, very

:24:07. > :24:49.much like Sharapova. Nice, smooth movement, transitioning

:24:50. > :24:53.up the court there. Six doubles titles for Azarenka, three-times

:24:54. > :25:50.runner-up in a major. She ran around her forehand to

:25:51. > :25:55.release the backhand. That says it all. She's more confident on that

:25:56. > :26:00.side, isn't she? She seems all. She's more confident on that

:26:01. > :26:02.able to - as you say, that ball was up the middle of the court, but

:26:03. > :26:10.great footwork to get that ball out in front of her. It is a very smooth

:26:11. > :26:23.delivery. She is so much better when she is on that front foot.

:26:24. > :26:33.Was long, pushed it a little, Azarenka. Although Hawk-Eye might

:26:34. > :26:38.have been busy again. Alison Hughes said it looked "long from here". She

:26:39. > :26:41.slightly guided it, just at the end of the swing. Maybe an adjustment

:26:42. > :26:45.for the wind again. There's the confirmation, just

:26:46. > :27:09.behind that line. Too good. Good crowd in. Second day

:27:10. > :27:11.of the main draw. Wonderful cast at Eastbourne yet again. Five of the

:27:12. > :27:15.top ten. You need a hat here to watch, don't

:27:16. > :27:51.you? Yes. That is the first sign of

:27:52. > :27:56.frustration from Giorgi, just smacked a ball into the backstop.

:27:57. > :29:22.That is 12 double faults. Fourth break-point of this game,

:29:23. > :29:54.another game that's had a minimum of three double faults in from Giorgi.

:29:55. > :29:59.be very significant, this one. In a way already it is the perfect start

:30:00. > :30:11.for Azarenka on her comeback. Lots of many battles, a long game. --

:30:12. > :30:17.mini battles. And to come back just one week before a major tournament,

:30:18. > :30:21.too. A big decision but a good idea to play a lead of the event rather

:30:22. > :30:31.than going straight into a Grand Slam. -- lead up event.

:30:32. > :30:41.Everybody is expecting that now! 13th double faults. She is letting

:30:42. > :30:45.the ball drop and there is not enough acceleration and spent going

:30:46. > :30:52.up into the ball so it is flat going into the court. The way he reacts, I

:30:53. > :31:09.am amazed he has that much hair left!

:31:10. > :31:26.She really has got the jitters at the moment.

:31:27. > :31:31.Fabulous! And no negative reaction from a double fault and look at what

:31:32. > :31:44.it is doing to Azarenka. She is catching her out with the

:31:45. > :31:49.wrong footing. Not going into the open space but back behind Azarenka,

:31:50. > :31:57.and paying dividends. What a difference it would make if she

:31:58. > :32:17.could get her first serve into play. 50% first serve in.

:32:18. > :32:33.She does have the most wonderful timing. Doesn't think too much about

:32:34. > :33:00.it. Swings freely at the ball. What a hold that is! Four double

:33:01. > :33:07.faults and break points. From 5-0, second set. Amazing. A hugely

:33:08. > :33:12.significant game. She have to close down on this second set now and look

:33:13. > :33:16.to go into a final set here. If she had not come through that game, you

:33:17. > :33:29.would think, actually, with what she is capable of, Azarenka could get

:33:30. > :33:32.back in. What is it with the second serve? We saw controlling spin and a

:33:33. > :33:38.kick on the second serve, which surely has to be worked on?

:33:39. > :33:42.Definitely. That is the one thing you would underline after watching

:33:43. > :33:46.these first two sets. The second serve needs attention. All these

:33:47. > :33:50.things, it does not matter how much you practice on the practice court,

:33:51. > :34:05.they will present themselves in tense situations. A show called,

:34:06. > :34:08.Centre Court, -- a show court. And of course it is also breezy, and

:34:09. > :34:16.adjusting all the time with the wind. Not the first time we have

:34:17. > :34:19.seen it in women's tennis. Sharapova has had all sorts of problems with

:34:20. > :34:23.her task, particularly playing in the wind, but she also manages to

:34:24. > :34:35.put it behind her and plays her best tennis. -- toss. We have young,

:34:36. > :34:40.female players throwing the ball over on as much as possible every

:34:41. > :34:42.day at least growing up. That is so important. Get some takes of Serena

:34:43. > :35:05.Williams serving as well! Apologies if you have had a loss of

:35:06. > :35:43.vision. She is not trusting the line calls.

:35:44. > :35:49.She keeps looking at her coach at one end of the court. She wants

:35:50. > :36:28.confirmation from him. It keeps everybody on their toes.

:36:29. > :36:39.Alison Hughes had clocked that Azarenka once the point as well. --

:36:40. > :36:45.wants the point. She might have a point, actually, but that is tricky.

:36:46. > :36:53.In rugby we would be playing back the tapes, deciding.

:36:54. > :37:05.Goodness! That was confident. She did not hesitate at all. Normally

:37:06. > :37:08.when you have a problem with serving, these balls are difficult

:37:09. > :37:34.to play but she did not even think about that.

:37:35. > :37:39.I am not sure she has played one single return of serve in this match

:37:40. > :37:43.where she has thought, I will just get this ball back into play. She

:37:44. > :37:45.has gone for the blasting winner every time. And probably not played

:37:46. > :38:36.one from behind the baseline. It was fine until the mouse

:38:37. > :38:40.appeared! Before she missed that volley, it was the first time we had

:38:41. > :38:46.seen evidence of why she got to world number one. It was a sort of

:38:47. > :39:05.point we will used to from Azarenka. Just rust creeping in at the end.

:39:06. > :39:18.That evens out the luck. Shortened backswing on the return from Giorgi.

:39:19. > :39:22.Azarenka lost two sets 6-0 backswing on the return from Giorgi.

:39:23. > :39:32.the injury to her left foot, forcing her time away. She lost to Agnieszka

:39:33. > :39:33.Radwanska in the quarterfinal of the Australian Open and Lauren Davies

:39:34. > :39:48.took the first set against her 6-0. Giorgi could be a third at

:39:49. > :40:26.Eastbourne. Wonderful return. A very short serve.

:40:27. > :41:34.Hard and down the middle, same pattern.

:41:35. > :41:41.UMPIRE: Game, Miss Azarenka. New balls, please.

:41:42. > :41:53.Is this the start of something special? 5-1 to Giorgi. As you

:41:54. > :41:56.picked up, the first serve percentage points for Giorgi, when

:41:57. > :42:03.she gets the first serve into play, she's winning 84%, which is very

:42:04. > :42:08.high. Not helped by the 13 double faults. We will find out how

:42:09. > :42:13.confident she is 20 tries to serve out the set. Especially with the new

:42:14. > :42:41.balls, they can be tricky. Right on cue! New balls are so much

:42:42. > :42:46.livelier and you need extra control. It tends to fall off to the

:42:47. > :42:54.left when that toss is in position. She is not going up into the ball

:42:55. > :42:59.and using that body she falls away from it. -- using that body weight

:43:00. > :43:19.going forward. He can't watch! Who would be a

:43:20. > :43:48.tennis parent? Her backhand is one of the best on

:43:49. > :43:52.tour, no doubt. So damaging. Usually it is unplayable. 20 times like

:43:53. > :44:25.that, you can't see it coming. Much pace.

:44:26. > :44:29.That was interesting because she took a little bit off at serve,

:44:30. > :44:35.spinning the first serve into play, which was probably positive, but it

:44:36. > :44:37.enabled more on the return and then she was late on the next ball. In

:44:38. > :45:09.trouble. It is not often a woman serves nine

:45:10. > :45:15.double faults in a set against Azarenka and is still leaving 5-2.

:45:16. > :45:20.It is a quandary for Azarenka, I am sure. Looking at it as a positive

:45:21. > :45:24.for Giorgi, it takes rhythm and timing away from Azarenka. She must

:45:25. > :45:28.be so unsettled, especially waiting for the second serve. Yes, it is

:45:29. > :45:32.difficult playing someone who is up and down, in and out, double

:45:33. > :45:37.faults, big serves, blasting winners. It is difficult to get a

:45:38. > :45:41.rhythm and I think for Azarenka this is a difficult surface. She did not

:45:42. > :45:46.really have a choice. The wind is gone and he is now ready to play but

:45:47. > :45:52.she is on grass, and you don't get much rhythm on grass at the best of

:45:53. > :45:56.times. Martina Hingis even, Andre Agassi, they did not claim any warm

:45:57. > :46:06.up tournaments because they did not want to lose their rhythm on the

:46:07. > :46:13.court. -- they did not play many. The ball does do different things.

:46:14. > :46:18.It is the nature of grass court tennis, the speed of the ball, and

:46:19. > :46:22.it is different. Your movement is different, you can't push off from

:46:23. > :46:26.the surface. You have to adjust everything that is going on and the

:46:27. > :46:31.construction of points is so short. You don't have the opportunity to

:46:32. > :46:32.grind out a court like you do on hard surfaces. Not the easiest

:46:33. > :47:05.surface to come back from I think her dad was muttering no.

:47:06. > :47:11.And Alison Hughes has just asked Giorgi's father to quieten down. He

:47:12. > :47:19.signalled to her that he thought it was in. He made that very clear. I

:47:20. > :47:29.don't think there will be much left of his fingernails! Just by stopping

:47:30. > :47:40.and staring and questioning, it puts all the lying judges on -- line

:47:41. > :47:50.judges on full alert. Azarenka did the right thing earlier on. I would

:47:51. > :47:52.be a terrible judge. I would be jittery, I think. Especially when

:47:53. > :48:09.they hit it so hard. This set is becoming very

:48:10. > :49:27.interesting The whole of Devonshire Park were

:49:28. > :50:02.expecting a double fault there, weren't they?

:50:03. > :50:06.return of serve and absorb it. Using her legs there. Didn't quite make

:50:07. > :50:32.it. She goes so close to the tape, doesn't she?

:50:33. > :50:40.He is going to be exhausted at the end of this.

:50:41. > :50:48.Again, you have to applaud her attitude, and she still goes after

:50:49. > :50:49.that second serve. There is never any negative body language

:50:50. > :51:20.whatsoever. It is extraordinary. Fabulous! The point of the match so

:51:21. > :51:38.far. I agree with you. That was the most

:51:39. > :51:44.extended rally we have had for the whole match. A bit of cat-and-mouse

:51:45. > :51:52.around the net area, but great movement and versatility from Giorgi

:51:53. > :52:07.here. Controlling that racket head. Two more set points.

:52:08. > :52:17.Well done. Held her nerve and the serve. One set all against the

:52:18. > :52:25.former world number one on her return back to competitive tennis.

:52:26. > :52:31.After an hour and 41 minutes, it is a bit of a rollercoaster watching

:52:32. > :52:39.Miss Giorgi. She is going to take a comfort break here. I am never in

:52:40. > :52:43.full agreement of the comfort breaks. But also, I think, from the

:52:44. > :52:47.point of having just won that second set, you have the momentum in your

:52:48. > :52:52.favour, it is normally the one that had just lost the set that wants to

:52:53. > :53:00.go and wipe the slate clean. I'm not that sure about it. It was never

:53:01. > :53:05.allowed, was it, back in the day? No. In a way, do you feel Giorgi has

:53:06. > :53:08.dictated this match from start to this point? Azarenka has been

:53:09. > :53:13.competing well, but it is all about Giorgi? I totally agree. It feels as

:53:14. > :53:16.if the match is being played on her terms and it is about what she is

:53:17. > :53:20.doing out there. She has dictated. She has been on the front foot more

:53:21. > :53:25.than Azarenka. I mean, it's been a little bit hold your breath when she

:53:26. > :53:32.goes up to serve, but it doesn't seem to affect the rest of the

:53:33. > :53:35.tennis behind her. It is intriguing. Azarenka should be pretty pleased

:53:36. > :53:39.with what she is putting out here considering it is her first match in

:53:40. > :53:45.a long, long time since back in March and she's kept a lid on her

:53:46. > :53:49.emotions. At 5-2 in the second set, we saw her stretching quite a lot,

:53:50. > :53:53.the leg she was stretching at the sit-down. You never know how your

:53:54. > :54:00.body is going to respond back to competitive play. Your adrenaline is

:54:01. > :54:04.flowing around, she is bound to be a little nervous here and how the body

:54:05. > :54:08.responds overnight. That will be interesting tomorrow as well for

:54:09. > :54:11.Azarenka. Yes, definitely. All the players say when they play their

:54:12. > :54:15.matches on the grass courts, the first few matches after coming off

:54:16. > :54:18.the clay in Paris, it does affect the body in a different way and

:54:19. > :54:22.also, they use different muscles because they are having to bend

:54:23. > :54:27.their legs and knees a lot more. It uses different muscles. Interesting

:54:28. > :54:32.seeing her dad, he left the court at the same time. I thought that no-one

:54:33. > :54:36.was allowed near them in case anything was said, but he - I don't

:54:37. > :54:38.know whether he had much contact with her, whether he was able to

:54:39. > :54:45.shout some encouragement. Interesting.

:54:46. > :56:37.So, final set, Azarenka, serving first.

:56:38. > :56:48.A crowd-pleasing point. Beautiful, wasn't it? Fabulous volley to finish

:56:49. > :56:54.things off. Kept the racket head up. We have not seen much volleys in

:56:55. > :58:10.this match. Good recovery. A much better, well

:58:11. > :58:13.directed serve. I always feel with Azarenka, if she can get the server

:58:14. > :58:19.way from the opponent and into the edges of the box, or into the body,

:58:20. > :58:20.it is a different server and gives her the opportunity to be on the

:58:21. > :58:39.front foot for the next ball. So self assured and positive. Clear

:58:40. > :58:49.game plan. Such a clean strike. Really creating something out here.

:58:50. > :59:11.Good wit, really going for the line. -- width. Another, free from ten so

:59:12. > :59:15.far. You feel Giorgi's presents. It is the ability to make sure she is

:59:16. > :59:17.not on balance at return of serve, and getting it close to the line

:59:18. > :59:39.that is always a possibility. Fantastic! The control when she got

:59:40. > :59:42.there. Fabulous, and great moving. A terrific backhand up the line. She

:59:43. > :59:47.was running on to this ball, it is away from her body, she is not

:59:48. > :59:51.balanced 20 hits it but she guides it down the line and uses the wrist.

:59:52. > :00:16.-- when she hates. she's done all the hard work to get

:00:17. > :00:18.herself the break point opportunity, and not getting the return back into

:00:19. > :00:36.play. Oh dear, that might have damaged the

:00:37. > :00:43.court a bit. First Oh dear, that might have damaged the

:00:44. > :01:11.frustration shown by Giorgi. Three break points saved, Azarenka

:01:12. > :01:20.is really having to dig deep on her first match back. Giorgi, furious.

:01:21. > :01:24.She's in a bit of a stew and you feel like she needs to calm down,

:01:25. > :01:28.but you can understand it because she played terrific tennis to get

:01:29. > :01:34.herself a break point opportunity. It swung quickly away from her.

:01:35. > :01:46.There's the stats from the second set. Quite low in the first served

:01:47. > :01:51.appointment, force, but 22 winners. This is a big service game coming

:01:52. > :02:00.up. There are described at the end of that game, Giorgi. - very

:02:01. > :03:16.disgruntled. All about getting the first serve in.

:03:17. > :03:24.- around the ball. It's the light footwork, like a boxer dancing

:03:25. > :03:36.around the ring. Happy feet! They really are! So light.

:03:37. > :04:14.It remains all about Giorgi. Real presence.

:04:15. > :04:22.She hasn't been able to get Giorgi on the back foot too much out here.

:04:23. > :04:26.Normally you think of Azarenka is such a great ball striker, somebody

:04:27. > :04:31.who likes to dictate the points and goes close to the lines, but she's

:04:32. > :04:33.played a lot of this match slightly trying to defend, actually, and

:04:34. > :05:01.being wrong-footed out here. Comfortable game. Channelling all

:05:02. > :05:05.that emotion very well. When you play an opponent like Giorgi, who is

:05:06. > :05:10.dictating so much of what's going on and the match being played at her

:05:11. > :05:14.pace, you definitely need to absorb what's going on and pressure the

:05:15. > :05:16.scoreline all the time until suddenly the wheels come off. But it

:05:17. > :05:42.takes some doing. Her dad is happy now, looking far

:05:43. > :05:48.more relaxed. Great strike again, giving Azarenka no time. A lot has

:05:49. > :06:40.been happening while Azarenka has been away. Yeah.

:06:41. > :06:53.That's amazing! Never seems out of breath. Fit as a fiddle. It's almost

:06:54. > :06:58.like some more pace Azarenka sends down that end of the court, she just

:06:59. > :07:03.laps it up and sends it up with extra injection on it. She probably

:07:04. > :07:14.doesn't like the slower ball is, actually. - alls.

:07:15. > :07:34.Definitely this pace is suiting her right now.

:07:35. > :07:46.Unlucky, read it so well. That's one of the few times we've seen Azarenka

:07:47. > :07:50.be able to put her off balance. We haven't seen that too much in this

:07:51. > :08:05.match and even then she very nearly recovered.

:08:06. > :08:11.Her serve has gone up a couple of notches in the last ten to 15

:08:12. > :08:16.minutes, she's getting the ball closer to the line, she's getting

:08:17. > :08:20.her off balance, the ball is travelling away from Giorgi, and

:08:21. > :08:42.she's getting a few more free points on it as well.

:08:43. > :09:02.She keeps nudging the school board, Azarenka. They very nearly nudged

:09:03. > :09:06.each other on the change of ends because neither was going to give

:09:07. > :09:12.way. I thought one of them would stop and they almost barged

:09:13. > :09:17.shoulders. Very interesting moment. A little match going on when that

:09:18. > :09:23.happens. About to cross each other. Players like Nadal, he's such a

:09:24. > :09:31.gent, he waits almost every time for the opponent to go through. A super

:09:32. > :09:38.day. It's turned into a beautiful day, hasn't it? Not much wind.

:09:39. > :09:44.Supposed to be dry all week. Perfect. The wettest winter on

:09:45. > :09:53.record and within a week we are into a drought! Hosepipe ban! The court

:09:54. > :09:58.surface will play very differently. Kvitova talked about that. When it's

:09:59. > :10:02.cold and overcast and a little bit damp, the court won't play as

:10:03. > :10:07.quickly and she would like it to play a little bit quicker so she can

:10:08. > :10:12.get that big swinging left-handed serve into play and her forehand.

:10:13. > :10:19.Conditions plays such a huge part in what a player can do out there on

:10:20. > :10:26.the court. And the balls changed dramatically depending on the

:10:27. > :10:35.weather. Azarenka's first match back and they will go into a third hour.

:10:36. > :10:52.It's a tough one. Third set on serve, Giorgi, 1-2.

:10:53. > :11:03.Again, no reaction. It's all for dad to do. He would be easy to play

:11:04. > :11:32.poker against, his daughter would be a nightmare!

:11:33. > :11:40.Doubles are back, her 15th. That was almost as big as the first serve, no

:11:41. > :11:48.differential between the first and second serve. Needs to hang in here

:11:49. > :12:12.on the scoreboard, keep up the scoreboard pressure.

:12:13. > :12:20.This is where Azarenka's reputation goes before her. Yes, she's had

:12:21. > :12:23.along absence, since March, but with everything she achieved that is

:12:24. > :12:43.always in the bank at times like this.

:12:44. > :12:59.That was just great movement, changing defence into attack and

:13:00. > :13:23.being able to get great depth on the ball as well.

:13:24. > :13:28.This is where the pressure really builds, on the second serve when

:13:29. > :13:40.there's a delay between the first and delivery.

:13:41. > :13:59.What a great point this is. Quite inventive out here. The high

:14:00. > :14:29.forehand volley, so tricky. That's a fabulous hold from laugh 30

:14:30. > :14:35.macro. Four points in a row. A great message to Azarenka. It really is

:14:36. > :14:39.and it doesn't surprise me because she's so positive. Sometimes you can

:14:40. > :14:44.turn up at a tennis match and look at the players and know roughly what

:14:45. > :14:49.the scoreline was by the body language and with Camila Giorgi you

:14:50. > :14:53.would really have no idea. She is always going to be bouncing around

:14:54. > :15:00.and making her presence felt, bringing a real energy. This match

:15:01. > :15:51.is right in balance. - in the balance.

:15:52. > :16:05.A serve at the body is so effective, we've seen more and more of that on

:16:06. > :16:09.the men's tour, tucking up the opponent so they can't get in a

:16:10. > :16:18.position to be aggressive of the return. - off.

:16:19. > :16:26.She definitely missed too many returns of serve, given way way too

:16:27. > :16:31.many free points on it. Put that on top of the double faults, but then

:16:32. > :16:33.you look at the scoreboard. That's the nature of her matches, it's a

:16:34. > :16:58.pattern for her. A shriek as if disable I'm the boss.

:16:59. > :17:04.3-2, Azarenka, final set. It's quite fierce, those come ons from Azarenka

:17:05. > :17:08.and it puts a silencer on the crowd. They are busy clapping a good game

:17:09. > :17:13.and then they go quiet, almost like they are intimidated by her. We've

:17:14. > :17:18.talked about this many times, but we all remember that time when she was

:17:19. > :17:21.very young, quite new to the tennis scene at the French Open, and the

:17:22. > :17:26.crowds there are a very different audience, they make their presence

:17:27. > :17:31.felt, it's honest like a pantomime. They will boo opponents and if

:17:32. > :17:35.anybody questions a line call, they round on them. I remember Azarenka

:17:36. > :17:40.putting her hands together around her mouth and booing the crowd!

:17:41. > :17:51.Nobody had seen that before. It gave you a sense of the character of the

:17:52. > :17:54.woman, she is fearless, she doesn't mind what anybody thinks about her,

:17:55. > :17:59.win at all costs and lay it all on the line. She is a really strong

:18:00. > :18:05.character. There's an intensity about her that is overwhelming at

:18:06. > :18:10.times. She's been in - he's been in and out, jumping up and down from

:18:11. > :18:16.his seat. He will need a lie down at the end of this match! A really nice

:18:17. > :18:23.bath to calm himself down. I bet Azarenka hasn't missed those. She

:18:24. > :18:26.will need one after this, two hours and seven minutes already. The

:18:27. > :18:31.advantage of serving first, with all the double faults's we've seen, that

:18:32. > :19:01.could be a huge boost in the final set. Giorgi, 2-3.

:19:02. > :19:15.Her 16th. That is an extraordinary amount of double faults 4-1, isn't

:19:16. > :19:16.it? Her 13th service game so more than one per game. A freebie every

:19:17. > :19:31.service game. Well played. A wonderful reaction

:19:32. > :19:37.from it. If you said to Giorgi before the match, you're going to

:19:38. > :19:41.start every service Game zero -15 down against Azarenka, she would

:19:42. > :19:50.probably be horrified, but that's what it is. Often it is 0-30!

:19:51. > :19:56.Imagine how much better she would do if she could cut them out. She looks

:19:57. > :19:59.like she reversed her swing on that one, hit the wrong side of the ball

:20:00. > :20:23.on that last serve. Too good. Such belief in what she

:20:24. > :20:29.has off the ground. Great timing again, great preparation, getting

:20:30. > :20:33.the ball out in front of her. Really using the forward momentum into the

:20:34. > :20:36.court when she hits it and you don't really doubt on the forehand,

:20:37. > :20:45.particularly into the backhand corner.

:20:46. > :20:58.Nice. Happy feet again to the rescue. I always have to hold my

:20:59. > :21:02.breath because it was a slightly late decision to come in and play

:21:03. > :21:08.that drive volley. It looks like she might have let the ball drop too

:21:09. > :21:17.much, but just snuck it over the net and created the angle.

:21:18. > :21:26.Four points in a row from the double-faulted. - double-faulted.

:21:27. > :21:33.Probably pleased she is not serving with new balls. This really is the

:21:34. > :21:37.heart of the match. By winning that last service game, despite more

:21:38. > :21:45.double faults, she has piled the pressure right on to Azarenka's

:21:46. > :22:14.shoulders. Serving with new balls, 3-3, final set.

:22:15. > :22:25.Superb from both women, great defence from Azarenka.

:22:26. > :22:32.You could see some movement as the wind picked up and she had to take

:22:33. > :22:36.care with her footwork, get underneath the ball and use the

:22:37. > :22:42.hands to guide the ball into the open space.

:22:43. > :22:51.That's a fabulous serve! Caught by her father and he then shows the

:22:52. > :22:58.ball down to her daughter. She wasn't even remotely looking! - his

:22:59. > :23:03.daughter. He's a character! He is certainly part the match. - part of

:23:04. > :23:37.the match. UMPIRE: out. Points getting bigger. I think this

:23:38. > :23:44.point right here might have the biggest value of the entire match so

:23:45. > :23:48.far. Look at that, total points won, exactly 93 each. That is

:23:49. > :24:02.extraordinary! A real test on Azarenka's comeback,

:24:03. > :24:47.straightaway. Eighth double. A few doubles

:24:48. > :24:55.creeping in - a few doubts creeping in as well. Suddenly it's all gone

:24:56. > :25:07.very silent around the court. You could cut the air with a knife.

:25:08. > :25:16.Surprisingly Azarenka would pepper Giorgi's backhand, that's been

:25:17. > :25:21.rock-solid most of the match. A break point. She saved three in her

:25:22. > :25:23.opening service game of this set, Azarenka. This is the first break

:25:24. > :25:54.since. - break point. Ouch! Lost control of the ball toss

:25:55. > :26:05.and this final set. First break and it goes to the Italian number four.

:26:06. > :26:12.Amazing how resilient she is, 22 years old, first time against

:26:13. > :26:16.Azarenka, debut at Eastbourne, one of the most famous courts in the

:26:17. > :26:20.world of tennis and she's taking everything in her stride. I think

:26:21. > :26:24.she likes to be on a big show court, she seems to rise to the

:26:25. > :26:30.occasion and she brings out her best tennis and she's utterly fearless.

:26:31. > :26:35.Great attitude. The crowds tend to love watching her because she brings

:26:36. > :26:42.such a unique brand of exciting, firecracker tennis. She seems like a

:26:43. > :26:47.really tough cookie, too. It's so tough making your way in the sport,

:26:48. > :26:52.financially it's a huge burden for so many early on if they don't have

:26:53. > :26:56.a lot of help with sponsorship or funding from their relative

:26:57. > :27:03.federations. She's had to do it the hard way. She's not made $1 million

:27:04. > :27:08.yet. Huge value from Wimbledon 2012, she made virtually ?100,000 there.

:27:09. > :27:12.When you've had to do it the hard work, her father has had to get his

:27:13. > :27:19.wallet out, it makes a difference, it gives you that steel. I couldn't

:27:20. > :27:28.agree more. Attitude for her is almost 90% of what she puts out

:27:29. > :27:32.there on the court. She can smell victory might not be too far away.

:27:33. > :27:37.Can she handled the pressure herself? Serving with the break,

:27:38. > :28:38.4-3, final set. Nine wins against top 20 players.

:28:39. > :28:58.She's beaten Wozniacki, Sharapova at Indian Wells this year.

:28:59. > :29:56.So she's not afraid of the big win, Giorgi.

:29:57. > :30:04.many times have we said that in this match? There was no margin for

:30:05. > :30:10.error. She had to get the timing perfectly. She got the tennis racket

:30:11. > :30:14.back early and she had her knees bent, absorbing the pace. It was

:30:15. > :30:24.literally within one inch of the line.

:30:25. > :30:36.She made that, but Azarenka thought it was wide. There is no Hawk-eye,

:30:37. > :30:42.no challenge, no overall. My instinct was it might have been...

:30:43. > :30:56.If it had been called White, I would not have been surprised. It was very

:30:57. > :31:01.close. -- wide. As solid as a rock. There is excitement in the crowd.

:31:02. > :31:08.They have attached themselves to Giorgi. She is one game away from a

:31:09. > :31:12.big-name wind. She has earned herself to be in the position by the

:31:13. > :31:19.tennis she has produced. It is a little bit patchy, but when it is

:31:20. > :31:21.on, it is fun to watch. She would love to break a, and not have to

:31:22. > :31:51.serve it out. -- break here. Another dent in the court. The

:31:52. > :31:53.racket might have gone, as well. She will wait one point if it has, so

:31:54. > :32:15.that she does not incur a fine. He almost called that too early. It

:32:16. > :32:19.had a flight that looked as if it would go out and it dropped at the

:32:20. > :32:25.last minute. That is a shame for Giorgi because it could not have

:32:26. > :32:38.been a better return. The racket is OK, she has not changed it.

:32:39. > :32:49.There was a tiny hesitation. She thought about it. I think she was

:32:50. > :32:55.going to let it bounced a happy "to hit into. She moved forward a little

:32:56. > :32:56.bit late. She let the ball dropped a little too low and it became a

:32:57. > :33:36.difficult volley. The second love game of the set for

:33:37. > :33:45.Azarenka. She asks the serve it out question. Fascinating, this time,

:33:46. > :33:52.the sit down. You stand up again, in the case of Giorgi, serving for a

:33:53. > :33:57.huge win on her debut at Eastbourne. When it was 5-0 in the second set

:33:58. > :34:03.and Azarenka closed in, it was crucial she got off to a good start

:34:04. > :34:09.at the service game at 5-3, which she was able to do. You do not know

:34:10. > :34:14.with her. She is a go-getter. Azarenka is a great fighter. It is

:34:15. > :34:22.harder to close out the match from a leading position, rather than coming

:34:23. > :34:33.from behind. Azarenka loves the return of serve. It is one of her

:34:34. > :34:40.strengths. Azarenka, it is her first match back since March, it has been

:34:41. > :34:45.a terrific effort. The game is not where she wants it to be at. She

:34:46. > :34:50.will want the levels going up significantly before Wimbledon. I

:34:51. > :34:54.think the serve has improved throughout the course of the match,

:34:55. > :35:01.the intensity has gone up and she has gone closer to the line. I guess

:35:02. > :35:07.the hurt it is about the ability to put her opponent on the defence.

:35:08. > :35:14.Neither was willing to give position on the return, as if Giorgi wanted

:35:15. > :35:32.to get out there first. Serving for the match.

:35:33. > :36:22.I was going to say it was more measured hitting from Giorgi and

:36:23. > :36:23.smart play to go back to the forehand side but it was the error

:36:24. > :37:16.that came out from the backhand. It is not her game to hold back. She

:37:17. > :37:19.has got herself into a winning position by Gavin after the balls.

:37:20. > :37:31.You think that is how she has two play. -- to play.

:37:32. > :37:39.Three break back points for Azarenka. There is almost a stunned

:37:40. > :38:00.silence that has come over the crowd.

:38:01. > :38:13.Well done. She hung on to the backhand so well, Azarenka, and is

:38:14. > :38:18.hanging into the final set. He is almost willing his daughter on from

:38:19. > :38:22.the sidelines. He is out of his chair, clapping, almost trying to

:38:23. > :38:25.get eye contact. She is not looking at him. Giorgi has lost the last

:38:26. > :39:02.eight points. The crowd are really for her, there

:39:03. > :39:04.is no doubt. This was a bit short, the second serve. It sat up into the

:39:05. > :39:28.hitting zone, inviting to be hit. You have lost eight points in a row,

:39:29. > :39:34.broke the love serve of the match and this sort of response. This is

:39:35. > :39:37.what makes her a tough opponent. You have no idea what will come from the

:39:38. > :40:03.racket next. Very unpredictable. It feels to me as if Azarenka has

:40:04. > :40:08.tightened up on her serve. She is not getting the ball away from

:40:09. > :40:11.Giorgi now, she is getting a much better strike on the return,

:40:12. > :40:22.spinning it a touch more, taking the pace off the ball.

:40:23. > :40:54.It could not be any closer. The scoreline,.

:40:55. > :40:58.Choosing the balls carefully. Everything to give that extra

:40:59. > :42:01.something. Just looking across at dad for

:42:02. > :42:16.confirmation. Azarenka is drawing on every ounce

:42:17. > :42:50.of her experience at the moment. Also, two service back to back at

:42:51. > :42:56.the body of Giorgi, who coped with it well. And what a target that

:42:57. > :43:00.was. She has not played that kind of rally, taking the mid-court ball and

:43:01. > :43:08.asking questions with the passing shot, but they got answered. That

:43:09. > :43:19.was well played. The wide serve is starting to hurt. What a welcome

:43:20. > :43:24.back to competitive tennis. Like you said, this is the type of match she

:43:25. > :43:27.would like will stop if she can get over the finishing line, it will

:43:28. > :43:59.bring her level right up. She is almost more dangerous when

:44:00. > :44:02.she is down in the scoreline, Giorgi. She is more likely to get

:44:03. > :44:18.the return of serve back into play. She shortens the back swing. It

:44:19. > :44:28.makes a big difference. She still generates power. She almost blocked

:44:29. > :45:30.that. Not much backward swing, it was forward momentum.

:45:31. > :45:45.That was clever serving. So often wide in this game, into the body,

:45:46. > :46:02.also, but right on the T. Cobwebs have long gone.

:46:03. > :46:44.That is two good service down the T. It is a smooth delivery and she is

:46:45. > :47:06.getting the direction on the serve so much better.

:47:07. > :47:13.It is the easy balls she has been missing. She has gone racket on the

:47:14. > :47:15.mid-court balls when she has not held the ball on the strings for a

:47:16. > :47:47.long time. Suddenly, she looks tight. A big

:47:48. > :48:07.deep breath. Almost ten minutes, this game.

:48:08. > :48:12.I heard that but I am surprised Azarenka did not hear that,

:48:13. > :48:42.actually. It was definitely a let. There is a lot of tension on both

:48:43. > :48:48.sides of the net. There has been from the side of the court from the

:48:49. > :48:55.start of the match. Beforehand would have felt horrible. Looking across

:48:56. > :49:13.at her dad for reassurance after that. -- that forehand.

:49:14. > :49:42.It will be about who holds the nerve in this one.

:49:43. > :49:57.That was too good, beautiful timing. There is a match in the game, here.

:49:58. > :50:01.Neither is willing to give up the baseline. They are trying to stay as

:50:02. > :50:05.close to the baseline as they can, trying to get on the front foot.

:50:06. > :50:08.There is nothing to choose between them at the moment. The battle of

:50:09. > :51:12.two 's strong minds. -- two. I have nicknamed Azarenka Miss

:51:13. > :53:01.Relentless. She has a twin here. That was the longest game in the

:53:02. > :53:13.match. Giorgi has a second chance to serve out the match. What a game.

:53:14. > :53:18.That was extraordinary. It was a real battle between the two, who was

:53:19. > :53:24.going to give first. Surprisingly it was the more experienced player,

:53:25. > :53:33.Azarenka, the double fault proving costly. Giorgi seems to play her

:53:34. > :53:36.better tennis a game point down. Maybe the rustiness is coming

:53:37. > :53:41.through for Azarenka, in the last game, as the pressure built. She has

:53:42. > :53:45.not been in this situation to three months when you have to maintain

:53:46. > :53:57.focus and intensity for a long period. No first draws will be easy

:53:58. > :54:04.for anybody with the cast here. Agnieszka Radwanska, she was beaten.

:54:05. > :54:11.Sam Stosur against Caroline Wozniacki. Every single round is

:54:12. > :54:21.tough. For Azarenka, up against someone who can almost hit the ball

:54:22. > :54:25.harder and flatter than her. She has worked so hard on movement, and has

:54:26. > :54:30.definitely improved, but because she has been off the tour for three

:54:31. > :54:37.months, that is something that has to get back to those levels. Broken

:54:38. > :55:15.to laugh in the first time of asking, -- love.

:55:16. > :55:22.The difference between the two as they walk around the court is a

:55:23. > :55:26.marked contrast. And almost depressed looking Azarenka and at

:55:27. > :55:54.the other end, a lot of energy and bouncing around.

:55:55. > :56:01.That is a strange reaction, to kick the racket. You do not want to send

:56:02. > :56:06.messages to Azarenka at this stage. The 17 double, but just the third in

:56:07. > :56:17.this set. That helps. Big-time. Azarenka wants

:56:18. > :56:37.the same ball back again. I am not sure why there was that

:56:38. > :57:03.reaction. APPLAUSE he can hardly contain

:57:04. > :57:08.himself. The crowd rose with him. Azarenka

:57:09. > :57:43.having to take extra time. That will do. A standing ovation.

:57:44. > :57:50.They smile at last the Camila Giorgi. What a homecoming for

:57:51. > :57:58.Azarenka. Her first match back since Indian Wells in March. It took two

:57:59. > :58:06.hours and 47 minutes. She has won many fans, Giorgi, on her debut in

:58:07. > :58:12.Eastbourne. That was quite a win and quite a celebration. And from her

:58:13. > :58:17.dad, who is beside himself. Azarenka should not be disappointed with what

:58:18. > :58:22.she put out on the court today. Considering she has been offers such

:58:23. > :58:27.a long time, it was a high level from her. But at the end, at the

:58:28. > :58:42.crucial stages, she became ragged. But what a way to finish the match.

:58:43. > :58:50.The crowd are absolutely thrilled. Hopefully we will have a chat with

:58:51. > :58:53.Camila Giorgi. What an extraordinary match, your

:58:54. > :58:59.first appearance on Centre Court at Eastbourne, how are you feeling? It

:59:00. > :59:06.was a great match. I really enjoyed it. Your father seem to live and

:59:07. > :59:18.breathe every moment with you. It was a great atmosphere, and

:59:19. > :59:22.adrenaline. You seem to work out Azarenka and how to play her. Was

:59:23. > :59:31.that something you worked on in preparation? Today, I was focused on

:59:32. > :59:39.my game as always. I was trying to play aggressive, and I was thinking

:59:40. > :59:50.about my game. I think you have made several thousand new admirers.

:59:51. > :59:56.Ladies and gentlemen, Camila Giorgi. STUDIO: That was a fabulous match to

:59:57. > :00:05.kick the coverage. Taking up where we left off from Queen's Club on

:00:06. > :00:09.Sunday and the brilliant final. We hope to speak to Feliciano Lopez

:00:10. > :00:22.later. But it means that Giorgi goes through to the next round, tomorrow,

:00:23. > :00:27.when she faces Johanna Konta. She had a victory in straight sets

:00:28. > :00:31.today, a tremendous victory for the British number three. And several

:00:32. > :00:36.match points during the course of that match. One by one, they were

:00:37. > :00:41.frittered away and in the end she came through strongly. It was an

:00:42. > :01:16.impressive performance. And there is confirmation.

:01:17. > :01:20.Sara Errani, is in big trouble in her match. Some interesting scores

:01:21. > :01:25.being posted on the second day of this Aegon International. Mentioning

:01:26. > :01:29.Joanna contact, she came into the studio a while ago and you may not

:01:30. > :01:42.know a lot about her, so the first question I asked her was, is her

:01:43. > :01:49.name Johanna or Joanna? I'm very much used to Joe. I don't correct

:01:50. > :01:54.people lets they ask. Give are supported history of where you're

:01:55. > :01:59.from, how you're now representing Bristol. I was born in Brisbane, my

:02:00. > :02:06.parents are hound area. I moved to the UK when I was 14, in 2005, and

:02:07. > :02:10.I've been here since. I've spent my formative years here and I started

:02:11. > :02:16.representing Great Britain in 2012 and I'm very happy to do so. This is

:02:17. > :02:20.my home and I enjoy representing Great Britain. If England end up

:02:21. > :02:27.playing Australia in the World Cup, where will you be? England,

:02:28. > :02:34.obviously! Stupid question! What a good win. You played some

:02:35. > :02:39.outstanding tennis. Thank you, I'm very happy with my performance. I

:02:40. > :02:45.knew it would be tough. Belinda has had great year, she's cracked the

:02:46. > :02:48.100. I was looking to stay competitive in every point and took

:02:49. > :02:55.it point by Hotpoint and I was happy to close it out. You are almost a

:02:56. > :03:01.local. Your folks live just down the road. Exactly, I live just the other

:03:02. > :03:06.side of Eastbourne. This is the only tournament of the year where I can

:03:07. > :03:10.sleep in my own bed, which is a treat. I'm very happy to have won my

:03:11. > :03:18.match which means I can sleep at home once more! I think Martina

:03:19. > :03:22.Navratilova's autobiography said that carrying your bags around the

:03:23. > :03:27.world was important, but she took the same pillow with her. Every week

:03:28. > :03:31.of the year you are in a different place, but when she put her head on

:03:32. > :03:35.the pillow, it was the security of knowing she was in the same bed,

:03:36. > :03:42.even though she was in Shanghai one moment and Sydney the next. Sleeping

:03:43. > :03:47.is important. We do live out of a suitcase, we live in hotel rooms.

:03:48. > :03:51.But I can sleep wherever I am, I have no issue falling asleep. Having

:03:52. > :03:59.home comforts this week definitely makes it special. What are the best

:04:00. > :04:07.home comforts? Mum's cooking? What is her best? She makes the best

:04:08. > :04:13.roast potatoes. You're an athlete! There's nothing wrong with potatoes.

:04:14. > :04:20.Everything in moderation. You haven't gone gluten-free? Not yet!

:04:21. > :04:27.It is very in. Everybody talks about it. For those athletes that are

:04:28. > :04:33.gluten intolerant, it's the way to go, but I have very good nutrition

:04:34. > :04:39.at the LTA. Lots of room for improvement! At the start of each

:04:40. > :04:44.year, do you sit down and say that by December I want to be here in the

:04:45. > :04:49.world rankings? If you do, what are your immediate targets? There are

:04:50. > :04:57.some outcome cabbages, but what's really important to remember is to

:04:58. > :05:06.not have that is my only focus. - outcome goals. That will bring the

:05:07. > :05:10.results. Looking to stay healthy and continue competing. In the main draw

:05:11. > :05:17.at Wimbledon next week, which is a big carrot. I'm very happy. When I

:05:18. > :05:23.saw the list come out, that was a huge bonus for me. I'm very happy

:05:24. > :05:29.with that. It's a small milestone. Without being silly, first round,

:05:30. > :05:34.second round at Wimbledon pays a lot of bills. Yes! It's not a bad

:05:35. > :05:39.paycheque. It's an important factor. You travel around the world

:05:40. > :05:44.and if you are in or near the top 100 and you have coaching bills and

:05:45. > :05:49.travel expenses, it adds up, you need some big paycheques.

:05:50. > :05:53.Definitely, it's an expensive sport to play. If you're at the top of the

:05:54. > :05:58.game, it pays off. Just looking to keep working on that and hopefully

:05:59. > :06:05.I'll be able to get as high as possible. We are doing this

:06:06. > :06:09.interview when your next opponent is still being decided. How do you

:06:10. > :06:13.view, when you're playing the next match, how much research will you

:06:14. > :06:18.have done on your next opponent? Do you walk on court saying I know

:06:19. > :06:22.enough about her, it's my game that counts. It's a mixture of both.

:06:23. > :06:26.There are things you need to control on your side, but you need to know

:06:27. > :06:31.certain things about your opponent that will help you during the match.

:06:32. > :06:34.certain things about your opponent I'll be looking to watch a bit of

:06:35. > :06:39.the match and my coaches are watching the match. Looking to be

:06:40. > :06:45.prepared for tomorrow and just enjoy it. One final thing about your game.

:06:46. > :06:49.We are all used to individual sports people having their own

:06:50. > :06:55.idiosyncrasies. Jonny Wilkinson and his hands and that sort of thing.

:06:56. > :07:00.Your serve is a very elongated way of your hand going up as you bounce

:07:01. > :07:04.the ball. Is that like the golfer lining up the putt and doorways

:07:05. > :07:10.having the same mechanism? I'm not sure! Every athlete have is their

:07:11. > :07:18.own habits. That must be one of mine. I've never really analysed it.

:07:19. > :07:23.I know I have the way I bounce the ball, but I've never thought of it

:07:24. > :07:30.as being elongated! Doesn't matter what it looks like, as long as it's

:07:31. > :07:37.effective. Yes. Many congratulations and good luck in the next round.

:07:38. > :07:40.Isn't she great? These are the other players through to the Wimbledon

:07:41. > :08:01.main draw next week. Wimbledon is next Monday, that is a

:08:02. > :08:45.sporting eternity away. There is so much to happen between now and then.

:08:46. > :09:12.Getting more interesting with every passing day.

:09:13. > :09:22.Back at the tennis, here we have our two adversaries for our second match

:09:23. > :09:29.on this first day of our coverage at Eastbourne. It's the second day of

:09:30. > :09:39.competition. We have Lucie Safarova against Petra Kvitova, former

:09:40. > :09:44.Wimbledon champion. Announced onto court by the tournament announcer,

:09:45. > :09:49.Max Chilton. The blue sky is very much to the fore, the most beautiful

:09:50. > :09:53.afternoon. Although don't be deceived thinking it's very hot down

:09:54. > :09:57.here on the south coast, because actually the breeze is quite

:09:58. > :10:02.substantial. It's not as warm as you might think. Anyway, what about

:10:03. > :10:07.Kvitova? She's had an up and down last couple of years. She didn't

:10:08. > :10:13.have the best of times at Roland Garros so she's glad to have swapped

:10:14. > :10:18.red for greed. Every time I play on the grass it's very special for me.

:10:19. > :10:22.Unfortunately it's a very short period of the great, but every time

:10:23. > :10:27.I enjoy it. When I'm practising on grass at the beginning, it's not

:10:28. > :10:37.very easy. I'm just trying to get used to it.

:10:38. > :10:45.Stunning end! Petra Kvitova is the Wimbledon champion! You've had

:10:46. > :10:51.success here and at Wimbledon so it must suit you. Why do you think your

:10:52. > :10:56.game adapts so well to grass? I'm trying to play aggressively, trying

:10:57. > :11:04.to go for the volleys. I think my left hand is helping me as well with

:11:05. > :11:10.the serve and everything. I think it's great for the grass. How would

:11:11. > :11:15.you sum up this season? You had an illness at the start, are you back

:11:16. > :11:20.on course? I feel well. The beginning of the year wasn't the

:11:21. > :11:28.best. I was expecting more from myself, but it didn't happen. I'm

:11:29. > :11:32.looking forward to the matches. I'm feeling well, healthy, which is

:11:33. > :11:36.important. When you come to a tournament like Eastbourne, which is

:11:37. > :11:40.a big event in its own right, it's also a stepping stone to Wimbledon,

:11:41. > :11:47.what would you expect from yourself this week, what would be a strong

:11:48. > :11:52.week? It's very tough to answer. Everyone wants to play many matches

:11:53. > :12:00.before Wimbledon. It's a very tough draw. My first round is really tough

:12:01. > :12:04.against Lucy. I can't say what I'm expecting from myself, I would just

:12:05. > :12:12.like to play the game I should play on grass and then we'll see. And

:12:13. > :12:16.here we are, going through the last of the preamble before the match

:12:17. > :12:25.starts. Let's have a quick chat with Annabel and Chris. What do you make

:12:26. > :12:28.of Kvitova? She always promises a great deal, which certainly over the

:12:29. > :12:34.last year or so hasn't really come to fruition. She is honestly one of

:12:35. > :12:42.the most exciting players when she is on song. Grass has to be her

:12:43. > :12:46.favourite surface. It's the event she's had most success on, at

:12:47. > :12:51.Wimbledon. She's a very, very dangerous opponent for anyone, but

:12:52. > :12:55.her results also up and down and most of the matches, when you watch

:12:56. > :13:02.her play, they often go to three sets and you can get wild scoreline

:13:03. > :13:08.differences where she'll win one set 6-1 and then lose 6-1. She's just so

:13:09. > :13:12.unpredictable. But when she plays her best tennis, she is absolutely

:13:13. > :13:14.phenomenal and a really exciting player. Today she is absolutely

:13:15. > :13:24.phenomenal and a really exciting player. Today she's been in Fed cup

:13:25. > :13:26.teams together, they practice a lot together and this is the third time

:13:27. > :13:32.they've met in 2014. Kvitova has almost -- always had the edge. Two

:13:33. > :13:38.left-handers against each other, that's quite unusual. When you look

:13:39. > :13:41.at her Grand Slam record, there's loads of quarterfinals and

:13:42. > :13:46.semifinals of grand slam events, but just a solitary victory at Wimbledon

:13:47. > :13:54.three years ago. Should she have more? I think so. When she first won

:13:55. > :13:58.Wimbledon, I thought this is so exciting, she will go on and

:13:59. > :14:02.challenge the very best and challenge more for Grand Slams, but

:14:03. > :14:06.she took a long time to adjust to being a Wimbledon champion. Her life

:14:07. > :14:10.changed dramatically after that and there was a lot more attention on

:14:11. > :14:16.her. It's what we say about that brink now, he's having to make

:14:17. > :14:21.adjustments to being a grand slam champion. - Stanislas Wawrinka.

:14:22. > :14:25.She's very popular, very charming, people really like her. I think she

:14:26. > :14:30.will get there in the end. She's a lot fitter these days and she still

:14:31. > :14:34.has the weapons to be extremely dangerous for any player. If Serena

:14:35. > :14:38.doesn't dominate at the top of the game, there's a lot of gaps for

:14:39. > :14:43.anyone else to come through. Here we go. If this match is half as good at

:14:44. > :14:47.is the first one, it will be well worth watching.

:14:48. > :14:53.Absolutely, and they've had a long wait to take to the court with that

:14:54. > :14:58.marathon. Who will settle the quickest. Runner-up here three years

:14:59. > :15:03.ago, Kvitova, Marion Bartoli, the year she went on to win Wimbledon.

:15:04. > :15:40.Give it of will serve first, number two seed at Eastbourne.

:15:41. > :15:47.There's the evidence of one of her best shots on a grass court, that

:15:48. > :15:55.left-handed swinging serve that really takes off once it hits grass.

:15:56. > :16:38.How's that for an opening game? Two aces, great touch, a love game in a

:16:39. > :16:45.minute. Her coach is courtside, very happy with that opening game. I

:16:46. > :16:48.don't think it could have been any better. All the skills were on

:16:49. > :16:55.display and she's such a wonderful mix of power, timing, real firepower

:16:56. > :16:59.from the back of the court and then these lovely little drop shots and

:17:00. > :17:03.touch shots around the net. I've always enjoyed watching her volley.

:17:04. > :17:09.One of the best technical volley is in the game, actually. Twice a

:17:10. > :17:19.quarterfinalist here, the last two years here, Safarova.

:17:20. > :17:29.Lost to barter league two years ago, the year after Kvitova lost to

:17:30. > :17:34.her. Then lost to the qualified to Jamie Hampton last year, 6-4 in the

:17:35. > :17:36.third. Currently ranked 23 in the world, the number two from the Czech

:17:37. > :18:08.Republic. Got away with it! I thought the

:18:09. > :18:12.approach slice shot from Kvitova was so effective, a Fishers slice into

:18:13. > :18:36.the corner, but didn't really do much with the volley. - vicious.

:18:37. > :18:49.That is quite a strapping on her left leg. Lost in the third round of

:18:50. > :18:54.the French to Charleston. Her best tournament is the quarterfinal, as

:18:55. > :19:03.it was in Sydney for Safarova. Plays a lot of tennis over the year.

:19:04. > :19:17.Kvitova doesn't agree with that. The umpire is from China. I think all

:19:18. > :19:21.these players are so used to be able to call upon umpire - Hawk-eye if

:19:22. > :19:25.they don't agree with the umpire. You have to swallow your pride when

:19:26. > :19:39.you have to do accept what the umpire has said. - have two accept.

:19:40. > :20:13.A head start for Kvitova. She's another one, isn't she, who is

:20:14. > :20:17.incredibly unpredictable, but likes to take control and base the points

:20:18. > :20:22.and plays matches on her terms. It's often about what she's doing. It's

:20:23. > :20:27.either unbelievable serving and big strikes into the corners,

:20:28. > :20:32.particularly on her forehand side, or sometimes it can be extremely

:20:33. > :20:39.erratic and wild. She is altered her service motion. - she has. I've

:20:40. > :20:45.always been fascinated by the start of service motions. Milos Raonic has

:20:46. > :20:50.one of the biggest serve in the men's game, and she likes to start

:20:51. > :20:58.her serve with an open face on the racket, like him. But now she just

:20:59. > :21:03.closes it. That's something new, I'm not sure why she has altered that.

:21:04. > :21:06.Perhaps her coach has got her to turn the racket face in a more

:21:07. > :21:23.horizontal fashion. It's new. That is huge, isn't it? Unplayable

:21:24. > :21:29.on her day, as we saw at Wimbledon in 2011. The way she served out for

:21:30. > :21:33.the title against Sharapova, a love service game as nonchalantly as

:21:34. > :21:42.that, really. She never bats an eyelid! Good or bad. And it's very

:21:43. > :21:51.good at the moment. Two love service game is for Kvitova. Races to a 3-0

:21:52. > :21:55.lead. Part of the problem playing against her is the ability to slow

:21:56. > :22:00.the momentum down because she plays at such a pace and she's often on

:22:01. > :22:05.the front foot, she has unbelievable natural talent, natural pace on the

:22:06. > :22:09.ball and it's really difficult to unsettle her. Especially being a

:22:10. > :22:14.left-hander, I don't know what it is about left-handers on a grass court,

:22:15. > :22:18.but they are a bit of a nightmare to play against. It's unusual to see

:22:19. > :22:23.two against each other. They are very, very good friends, they know

:22:24. > :22:28.each other so well and from their head-to-head record with Kvitova

:22:29. > :22:35.having won all four of their previous match-ups, and three in

:22:36. > :22:41.2014, she obviously has the mental edge over Safarova, I think.

:22:42. > :22:47.Terrific times they've shared, lifting the Fed cup for the Czech

:22:48. > :22:50.Republic. The men are two times defending Davis Cup champions.

:22:51. > :23:00.Extraordinary how they churn out the players, the checks. - the Czech

:23:01. > :23:03.Republic. Safarova lives in Monte Carlo, as so many players do. She's

:23:04. > :23:19.trying to get on the scoreboard. A taste of her own medicine. Like a

:23:20. > :23:22.mirror image, the game plans. Kvitova is a heavy hitter, but

:23:23. > :23:52.similar mindsets. Another one whose expression hardly

:23:53. > :24:09.ever changes when she plays, Safarova.

:24:10. > :24:15.I've always enjoyed watching her play. I remember her beating Amelie

:24:16. > :24:19.Mauresmo when she first burst onto the scene in the Australian Open. A

:24:20. > :24:25.huge win for her at the time and then she did the same thing at the

:24:26. > :24:29.French Open. She just had the edge over Amelie Mauresmo. One of those

:24:30. > :24:33.players that you sometimes have an opponent who you don't match up well

:24:34. > :24:56.against and an Meli never matched up well against Lucie Safarova.

:24:57. > :25:08.Super body serve to get on the scoreboard. She used that serve

:25:09. > :25:13.very, very effectively against Ana Ivanovic. She beat her at the French

:25:14. > :25:18.Open to reach the fourth round and that was a serve she used time and

:25:19. > :25:20.time again to take away the great strength on the forehand side of

:25:21. > :26:46.Ivanovic. Short points. You could see how the

:26:47. > :26:50.ball skidded through the surface and it's so difficult to react when it

:26:51. > :26:53.takes off from the grass, you have to get the racket back early and

:26:54. > :27:38.sometimes there's just not enough time.

:27:39. > :27:49.There is still room for a really good sliced backhand. On grass. It's

:27:50. > :27:54.gone away from the game quite a bit, hasn't it? A few players are trying

:27:55. > :27:57.to introduce it back into the sport, but no one compares to the

:27:58. > :28:03.Steffi Graf sliced backhand from years ago. One game in the last

:28:04. > :28:15.match went on for over 13 minutes. Five games here so far have taken

:28:16. > :28:24.just 12. It's the nature in which both of these women ply their trade,

:28:25. > :28:30.particularly Kvitova. In 2011, Xi won six titles from seven finals,

:28:31. > :28:36.including Wimbledon. - Xi one. For many, it looks like a fitter vote

:28:37. > :28:41.was going to start to dominate women's tennis. I thought she would

:28:42. > :28:46.go right to the top of the game and become the new world number one.

:28:47. > :28:51.Challenging for Grand Slam titles. She got to number two in the world

:28:52. > :28:56.in October, but then couldn't quite sustain the level of intensity and

:28:57. > :29:00.and then some injuries kicked in. I thought with her attitude she

:29:01. > :29:05.remained incredibly calm, though. Even when things were not going

:29:06. > :29:10.higher way, she's had a refreshingly natural attitude, doesn't get too

:29:11. > :29:13.down on herself. Sometimes the frustration watching her was you

:29:14. > :29:18.wanted her to get more frustrated and rein it in a little bit. I do

:29:19. > :29:25.enjoy watching her play when she's playing well, it's a joy to watch.

:29:26. > :29:28.And I love watching her move forward and volley. She is one of the

:29:29. > :29:58.exciting players around the net area.

:29:59. > :30:30.Such a straightforward combination that, serving out wide, getting a

:30:31. > :30:34.Short replied, into the open space and the ball not coming back. --

:30:35. > :31:10.reply. Beaten for pace. It was dead

:31:11. > :31:14.straight. Safarova nowhere near it. She is showing she has equal amounts

:31:15. > :31:17.of power from the backhand side even though she likes to look for the

:31:18. > :31:41.forehand and will dance around the backhand as much as she can.

:31:42. > :32:38.She is being rushed. She is bullying Safarova.

:32:39. > :32:55.It is almost dismissive. When she is in this mood, form. No one can live

:32:56. > :32:58.with her. It pings off the racket. It is effortless power. Sometimes

:32:59. > :33:05.she does not think too much about it, which is the best way to beat.

:33:06. > :34:27.It is a natural reaction. I like the outfit, it suits her. It does.

:34:28. > :34:33.That classic play, wide serve, return back down the middle of the

:34:34. > :34:40.court. Playing the other angle into the space. It is only 19 minutes and

:34:41. > :35:02.it is already set point. Safarova has never been Kvitova. She

:35:03. > :35:13.has never lost a set 6-1 before in the previous head-to-head.

:35:14. > :35:37.And has now. 6-1, in 20 minutes. That is a very impressive. I

:35:38. > :35:44.wonder. Coach requested by Safarova, Rob Steckley, to the rescue. She was

:35:45. > :35:49.totally outplayed. In every department. It is about dictating as

:35:50. > :35:56.much of the play as you can and put her on the back foot, which is

:35:57. > :36:03.difficult to do. Just try a couple of things you would normally not

:36:04. > :36:14.try. STUDIO: Annabel Croft said that Kvitova has the potential to do that

:36:15. > :36:18.and play outstanding tennis when she is in form. If you have just joined

:36:19. > :36:42.us, this is what has happened on the second day.

:36:43. > :36:45.Victoria Azarenka, her first game back after three months off through

:36:46. > :36:57.injury. If you have never heard of Lauren

:36:58. > :37:07.Davis, you will hear a lot more of her. When you read her profile,

:37:08. > :37:13.Hirst Idol is Rafa Nadal because she never -- her idol is Rafa Nadal

:37:14. > :37:19.because he never gives up. We are back tomorrow at 1pm. We will stay

:37:20. > :37:25.with this game here on BBC television and if this match does

:37:26. > :37:30.not... Looks like it is going to a third set, we will head off to the

:37:31. > :37:32.red button to ensure you get the culmination of it. But who is to say

:37:33. > :37:43.what this second set will bring? Safarova had a long chat with her

:37:44. > :37:52.coach. She needs to hold this opening game.

:37:53. > :38:01.What do you think you might have said? What I picked up on was he

:38:02. > :38:08.said I want you to try a few things you would normally not try, to

:38:09. > :38:13.unsettle the rhythm. I could not hear the rest of the conversation.

:38:14. > :38:18.At the moment she is comfortable, with plenty of time, playing her

:38:19. > :38:26.game, dictating. People want her to get out of her comfort zone. Kvitova

:38:27. > :38:33.is just about to change her racket, I think. She has had enough of that

:38:34. > :38:40.one after seven games. It has done its job. Maybe so busy chatting, she

:38:41. > :38:55.forgot to change the racket for the new balls.

:38:56. > :39:13.It was interesting talking to the string is about how many brackets

:39:14. > :39:22.some players have. Gulbes, he only had about seven left the semifinal.

:39:23. > :39:25.They keep an array of rackets with different string tension in their

:39:26. > :39:33.bag, to cope with the different conditions. Well played. The coach

:39:34. > :39:48.will feel happy. Ranked 23, Safarova, has been as

:39:49. > :39:54.high as 17, in 2012. She has won five titles from 12 finals. Do you

:39:55. > :40:01.think she has maximised? Many feel she has underachieved. It is because

:40:02. > :40:06.we think she is so incredibly talented. There is not a lot of

:40:07. > :40:12.difference to how she plays tennis to her opponent, who is a Wimbledon

:40:13. > :40:18.champion. She beat Amelie Mauresmo twice, when she was at the top of

:40:19. > :40:24.her game, so you think this is a talent to be reckoned with. It feels

:40:25. > :40:29.like she has not maximised. But she applies herself, keeps herself

:40:30. > :40:33.incredibly fit, she works hard. Other than 1/4-final in a Grand

:40:34. > :40:53.Slam, I am surprised she has not done more than that.

:40:54. > :41:08.She has beaten players like Henin, Caroline Wozniacki. Sam Stosur.

:41:09. > :41:17.I think it is the consistency level. It is the ability to maintain a

:41:18. > :41:21.level throughout the course of the year. It is tough to do and it makes

:41:22. > :41:31.you appreciate why the very best are so good. Another love Gainford

:41:32. > :41:43.Kvitova. She started the match with two in a row. -- love

:41:44. > :41:50.Kvitova. She started the match with two in a row. -- love

:41:51. > :42:06.With that ball you could see how she opened up the court, creating

:42:07. > :42:11.incredible width and the ability to get the ball to hit the court and

:42:12. > :42:14.keep travelling away from the opponent. Difficult for them to

:42:15. > :42:46.track it down and get body weight behind it.

:42:47. > :42:55.She is never frightened to move forward. The women are showing the

:42:56. > :42:56.way to the men, they have been drive volleying the years. The men are

:42:57. > :43:09.beginning to. -- the years. That was a stunning first to serve.

:43:10. > :43:52.-- first serve. That proves you cannot afford to put

:43:53. > :43:59.a serve without much on it into the service box. It cannot afford to be

:44:00. > :44:00.short and you have to make her move say she is out of position to return

:44:01. > :44:14.the serve. The crowd have taken refreshment.

:44:15. > :44:17.There are a lot of matches going on outside. There was a fabulous

:44:18. > :44:49.atmosphere for the last match. Kvitova is very calm on court, she

:44:50. > :44:50.does not give much away with her body language. She never gets too

:44:51. > :45:13.upset. Her movement has improved a lot, but

:45:14. > :45:17.if you can get her on the run, which Safarova is trying to

:45:18. > :45:46.if you can get her on the run, which unsettle her. It is not easy to do.

:45:47. > :45:53.That is another example of being rushed again. The return coming back

:45:54. > :46:31.with more on it than was put down from the serve.

:46:32. > :46:40.That was a good serve, really mixing it up well now. It is so important

:46:41. > :46:44.she gets the first serve in. She is winning one in three behind the

:46:45. > :47:05.second. Just going back to the question

:47:06. > :47:15.about Safarova and underachieved ant, we are talking about belief and

:47:16. > :47:21.confidence. Simona Halep, going into Rome last year, she had not done

:47:22. > :47:25.anything. She suddenly qualified and made the semifinal and then she wins

:47:26. > :47:36.six tournaments and the quarterfinal of the Australian Open this year.

:47:37. > :47:45.She said a switch flipped. -- flicked. It was her confidence. The

:47:46. > :47:51.result against Agnieszka Radwanska, it gave her the believe she can

:47:52. > :47:56.challenge the best in the world and motivated everything from thereon

:47:57. > :48:00.in. Winning can produce a momentum, belief and confidence. It makes you

:48:01. > :48:05.work harder because you enjoy the winning, and you feel the results

:48:06. > :48:12.are flowing from the hard work you put in. She was 56 in the world and

:48:13. > :48:18.suddenly up to number three. And so very nearly a Grand Slam champion.

:48:19. > :48:21.In the women's game, there are opportunities for different players.

:48:22. > :48:28.There are so many youngsters coming through, as well. There is a renewed

:48:29. > :49:37.excitement about the women's game. That ball seem to have a bit of

:49:38. > :49:38.movement as she put the serve into play. Safarova getting caught up on

:49:39. > :49:53.the return. There are not too many rallies in

:49:54. > :50:10.this match. They are short, sharp points. Just 34 minutes so far.

:50:11. > :50:47.The line judges have been given a work-out out here!

:50:48. > :50:58.On the line again. She really can hit her spots. If you compare the

:50:59. > :51:10.service motion to what we saw in the last match with Azarenka, not going

:51:11. > :51:18.as close as that the lines. That was a classic out swinger. It is the

:51:19. > :52:33.curse of the right-hander. They love game. The players look the

:52:34. > :52:53.different things to flick the switch we talk of bout. Safarova had a

:52:54. > :52:58.match point against Li Na. We always remember that match point. She put

:52:59. > :53:03.herself in winning position and went for the ball on match point, a huge

:53:04. > :53:10.forehand down the line, dissing it by a quarter of an inch. Nothing Li

:53:11. > :53:15.Na could have done about it and then she went on to win the title. It was

:53:16. > :53:20.a little bit unlucky for Safarova because she went for broke on the

:53:21. > :53:21.match point, she did not get nervous. It was a painful loss, I

:53:22. > :53:37.think. Devonshire Park had two Centre

:53:38. > :55:02.Courts before the refurbishment. It is a terrific rotation into the

:55:03. > :55:07.serve, almost like John McEnroe used to be, with both feet on the

:55:08. > :55:21.baseline. More pronounced on the right court. It introduces disguise

:55:22. > :55:25.with the same ball toss. John McEnroe's service was impossible to

:55:26. > :55:34.pick. Virtually both feet adjacent to the baseline.

:55:35. > :55:47.Another comfortable hold. Safarova has not had a break point yet. It

:55:48. > :55:55.has been a beautiful day with virtually no wind. It is about as

:55:56. > :56:02.good as it gets. These conditions will suit Kvitova. If it stays like

:56:03. > :56:07.this this week, she will be tough to beat. The court playing fast,

:56:08. > :56:27.difficult to make inroads on the serve.

:56:28. > :56:37.We have seen a lot of lets today. One hit the net twice and bounced

:56:38. > :56:58.over. She is so difficult, Kvitova. The

:56:59. > :57:02.first ball she strikes is into the corners and immediately puts you on

:57:03. > :57:07.the defensive. From that moment you are chasing every ball out of

:57:08. > :57:19.position. And that was a wonderful serve. It is when she takes the pace

:57:20. > :57:23.out. 80 mph, she gets extra angle. It is a little adjustment with the

:57:24. > :57:40.rest at the top of the service toss. -- wrist.

:57:41. > :58:30.Oh, no. This is a gift the Kvitova. -- for Kvitova. Struggling to get

:58:31. > :58:50.the first serve in. She hardly needs the luck, but she

:58:51. > :59:04.will take it. That puts her one set and a break up. It looks like the

:59:05. > :59:10.number one Czech against the number two Czech, who has never lost a

:59:11. > :59:35.Safarova before. We can see why one has gone ahead and in their previous

:59:36. > :59:38.matches. She has a little bit extra on every shot. She gets more

:59:39. > :59:49.consistency. More on the return and less ragged. The tennis bags do not

:59:50. > :59:52.get smaller. At the French Open, I was watching Novak Djokovic

:59:53. > :59:58.practising. And was watching Novak Djokovic

:59:59. > :00:02.lumbered with bringing the rackets out onto court and taking them off

:00:03. > :00:04.again, I thought when did that happen, when players did not carry

:00:05. > :01:14.their own rackets? enough balls back into play to

:01:15. > :01:18.pressure Kvitova enough to start to doubt her cell. If you start to get

:01:19. > :01:26.her involved in some longer rallies, doubts might creep in, but there

:01:27. > :01:29.hasn't been enough of that today. Hasn't lost a point behind her first

:01:30. > :01:41.serve in this set, Kvitova. Caught the back of the line, only

:01:42. > :02:19.the seventh point she's lost on serve in the match.

:02:20. > :02:26.I thought the one before was more out than in and I thought the last

:02:27. > :02:33.one was in and not out. But no hawk eye. Kvitova is a game away from the

:02:34. > :02:49.second round. That was very close, no argument from Safarova.

:02:50. > :02:55.Two hours and 46 minutes, the last match. 47 minutes in total, this

:02:56. > :03:15.one, so far. Kvitova using her legs to absorb the

:03:16. > :03:16.pace, got it deep, but look at the angle created from Safarova's

:03:17. > :04:12.forehand. Uses that serve so well. Super game, asks the server the

:04:13. > :04:29.question. She's rapidly got there, Kvitova,

:04:30. > :04:33.she's built a foundation. I don't think I'll ever forget the service

:04:34. > :04:39.game she played to win the Wimbledon title, it was extraordinary.

:04:40. > :04:44.Everybody was expecting her to walk up to the line and realise where she

:04:45. > :04:49.is and get nervous, and it was quite the opposite. Just came down and

:04:50. > :04:53.boomed some big serves, massive forehand winners into the corners

:04:54. > :04:59.and the match was over. Nobody predicted that, that was the shore.

:05:00. > :05:04.I also remember, because she beat Sharapova in the final, I remember

:05:05. > :05:08.Sharapova doing the same to Serena when everybody expected the

:05:09. > :05:12.experience of Serena to shine through and 17-year-old Sharapova

:05:13. > :05:20.was doing the exact opposite. Fearlessness in youth! Yes! They are

:05:21. > :05:23.being very polite to each other, every time they changed ends, one

:05:24. > :05:31.steps back every time they changed ends, one

:05:32. > :05:34.through. Great friends. For a fifth time, Kvitova serving for the win

:05:35. > :05:42.against her best friend, or one of them.

:05:43. > :05:48.That is frustrating when you think you've served an ace and it's a

:05:49. > :05:50.little net cord and you have to deliver it again. Do you go back to

:05:51. > :08:31.the same place again? It's been just a barrage of

:08:32. > :09:17.aggressive ball striking. Match point.

:09:18. > :10:18.Well done. Safarova -- Kvitova faltered a little bit there. She

:10:19. > :10:22.breaks back. I don't think anybody saw that break of serve coming

:10:23. > :10:27.because Kvitova hadn't put a foot wrong, was hardly losing any points

:10:28. > :10:31.on serve, but suddenly just tightened up a little bit. Safarova

:10:32. > :10:33.connected with a few returns of serve and she's now back in the

:10:34. > :12:34.match. It's got really gusty all of a

:12:35. > :12:37.sudden, hasn't it? Just having to reset herself to get the second

:12:38. > :12:45.serve into play. That ball really swerving in the

:12:46. > :13:31.wind. (STUDIO) I'm afraid that's where we

:13:32. > :13:35.have to leave coverage on BBC Two. If you go to the red button right

:13:36. > :14:07.now, you can get the conclusion of this match.

:14:08. > :14:16.THROWS VOICE: 'A weekly treat of all the best bits of Radio 2.'