Day 3 Tennis: Eastbourne

Good afternoon. We have tennis! Yesterday, there was barely any. But

many thousand people stayed resolutely optimistic until about

half past six last night. And at seven o'clock this morning,

everybody came back. The people of Sussex were called to arms, and

after a few hours' really hard work, it was paying off. Who could be that

smiling face beneath the bobble hat? You certainly know who this is, the

star turn at Eastbourne this year, and actually he's been and gone

already, Novak Djokovic beat Pospisil in straight sets only one.

I actually went to watch him for half a night, and the aura he

generated was truly extraordinary. It was as if Ed Sheeran pitched-up

with a guitar and said, I'm going to play on Centre Court. There were

thousands and thousands of people who were surreptitiously taking

pictures of Djokovic at the change of ends, because they had a global

superstar in their midst. It was great to feel that. So, he's safely

through to the next round. And so is another big name, Simona Halep, who

beat the qualifier Duan. You will see the differential in size as

well. Halep and not at her best at safely through to the next round.

One of the amazing things about Eastbourne this year is that the men

are playing here now, as they will be in years to come, meaning you get

some incredible matches being played on the outside, outside, outside

court! Just over there, Sam Querrey is playing Daniil Medvedev on that

court. And those two last week were playing in front of 9500 people on

Centre Court at Queen's Club. And there they are playing in front of

400 people crammed around as close as possible, virtually handing the

Taiwan to Sam Querrey at the change of ends. I should say, because of

the weather break that we had yesterday, even though the main

courts are sold out for the next few days, there are still ground passes

for sale also if you fancy coming along, you will see some great

players up close and personal, in a way that you probably can't do

anywhere else. So, this is where we sit as far as the women's tour is

concerned. The top half of the draw looks like that... Angelique Kerber

is the first person we are going to see in action, live, in a few

moments' time. Jo Konta, by the way, against Ostapenko, but side that

might be, it will probably be tomorrow. This is our plan of

campaign for today. With Kerber and Jo Konta, it is a day for Special Ks

on Centre Court. And Heather Watson, after that fantastic victory a

couple of days ago, she plays Pavlyuchenkova this afternoon. The

seedings for Woodward and have been announced. Andy Murray is still the

world number one, despite a few slip-ups of late. And Novak

Djokovic, who is playing here at Eastbourne. Federer is now seeded

higher than Nadal. And so it goes on down.

Before we see Angelique Kerber in action, let's find out from her what

it feels like to be world number one and top seed at Wimbledon. We have

just been watching you looking up on the practice court, hundreds of

people around, talking about, there's Angelique Kerber, the world

number one - what is it like adjusting to being in that

spotlight? It feels good. Of course, it is a great feeling to be the

number one. But it's also like you have much more things to do, the

expectation is much higher than it was a year ago. Still, this was

always what I was dreaming of and working hard for. So it's nice to be

there. So the dream came true, but there is a chance this week that you

could lose that position as world number one, you've really got to do

well at Eastbourne - how are you coping with that pressure on teach

I've learnt already, so mini things, to deal with the pressure. At the

end, it's only a number before your name, and you always have to play

your best tennis and this is what I am working hard on doing, winning

matches and winning tournaments. This is the goal for the next few

weeks, to think more about the matches and winning. You are much

happier on grass, aren't you? I am for sure much happier to be playing

on grass again! I have great memories from last year's,

especially the final at Wimbledon. I'm feeling good and looking forward

to playing again here in England. What would the title means here,

hanging onto the world number one spot and taking the Eastbourne

title? Always, titles feel-good, but it's still a long way, and I will

try my best to get there. Right now I'm focusing on the first match. And

then we will see. So, they are under way on Centre Court, and it's a

pretty healthy crowd as well, they were there early to watch Djokovic.

And you can see, it's not raining, we have live tennis.

Good afternoon, everybody. As John said, it is lovely that it's not

raining. Some fantastic matches in prospect.

Comfortable hold for Angelique Kerber, the world number one. Sam

Smith, so much to talk about when it comes to Angelique Kerber, because

most tennis players will say it is a dream to be world number one, but it

is everything that comes with it? Yes, and she has struggled with it.

She has been very honest about that. I think last year, reaching world

number one, it was not a year that I should have prepared for.

This year has been a struggle for her. People have great admiration

for what Serena Williams has done over the years, managing that

expectation every time she goes on court, with players always playing

that little bit better because they're playing against the world's

best player. What will the conditions be like for the players

out there today? Actually, ideal. We would really like the courts to be

completely dry, they are safe to play on but there is an enormous

amount of moisture in the air. The courts will be a bit soft, certainly

in the early part of the day. The problem is, there isn't any wind

today, which is really strange for Eastbourne! Four weeks ago, they put

in a new irrigation system, which they were using, because the courts

were cracking, because they were so dry. It has helped these courts

become playable, far quicker than in previous years.

And I think we might see a fair few of those off the racket of Christina

Pliskova, having hit the most aces this year, just a couple ahead of

her sister. I feel for the first time this year,

angelic has looked a lot more relaxed. One way of reducing

pressure and expectation is to have results not going your way! Ace

So, six games played, no break points to speak of. For those of you

looking at Krystina, and thinking she looks familiar, she is the older

sister by a couple of minutes to Karolina Pliskova. She's 44 in the

rankings. And as you said the other day, Sam, the good thing about

Krystina's ranking, is that now she is at the same tournament as her

sister, so they get to spend more time together, and practice

together. Good signs, Angelique Kerber's

forehand seems to be working well, the timing is good. We have a very

relaxed looking world number one out on the Centre Court hearing

Eastbourne, and she edges ahead in this first set. It is the second

meeting between these two, the second this year. When they met at

the Australian Open, 6-0, 6-1 in favour of Angelique Kerber, and

Krystina said, I gave her the first set, or I could see was the number

one player in the world, and I crumbled. Which shows that this game

is very mental, Sam? Yeah. I was waiting for a Christian! There was a

question built into that. OK! When they played in Australia, I

commentated on that match, and she was much, much more uptight, even

though she had a couple of rounds under her belt. It was so stressful

for her, there was so much attention, and I thought that was

going to be quite dangerous meeting for her. I felt she could lose to

anyone. But she found her way through it. But Krystina would not

be the first player to lose the first set against a big name player,

because you don't think you can win. I think what has changed,

particularly over these six months, is the fact that the lower rank

players now will believe they can beat the top players, the or a has

gone, and it's gone from Kerber. That was Caroline Wozniacki's

father, and he's a man who watches so much tennis, he's the number one

scout! She is an imposing figure when she

gets herself to the net. And it is all set up by this wonderful Romy.

She's a lefty, and she gets this wonderful outswinging serve.

Apparently she was very happy when she was told that she had served the

most aces this year, and she's leading her sister. Would mean a

lot! She has been in her sister's shadows. Always asked why she isn't

as good as her sister. Some of it, and Karolina has alluded to this, is

that she has not been quite as single-minded as her slightly

younger sister. Angelique is pretty transparent,

whether she's uptight or relaxed. It has been a long year for her, she

been looking rather unhappy on the tennis court, but she looks happy

today. Job done for Krystina Pliskova in

this it is in the game of the first set. Angelique Kerber, who's still

looking for her first title of the year. Did get to the final in

Monterey. Withdrew from Birmingham due to a hamstring problem. So, this

is her first grass court match of the season.

That's a shot she lines up time after time. It has won so much money

for her, that shot, it should have its own bank account. Her forehand

is so good on the grass, because her grip is not too extreme on that

forehand side, it is natural for her. And you can see the reaction -

to miss that shot, that's a problem. Because it is the money shot!

Pliskova is not known for her movement, but that was a big mistake

from Kerber - you always play into the open court against a player that

doesn't move particularly well. And there we go, Krystina Pliskova

takes advantage of the first break point of the match, to get the break

and put her within one game of taking this first set. Yesterday was

very depressing, wasn't it, the weather? Yes, it was, in many ways.

It was fine for us, we get to come back here and work for the rest of

the week. I bumped into quite a few couples yesterday, there was one

staying at our hotel, they bought their ticket in October of last

year, and they only had it for yesterday. And they have Djokovic on

Centre Court! And they were so good about it - never mind, we'll come

back next year! That's tough! I was getting myself a bit more up-to-date

about string technology, because quite a few of the racket companies

have their stands. How did that go? It went well, actually, I'm looking

at switching up some of my strings. It's changed so much since I was

playing, and it is changing all the time. How much of difference it

make, take one of the modern rackets, with the modern technology,

is it out of this world different? Out of this world different. I

always thought, it's a racket, don't bother changing it, don't worry

about the strings. It is light years away. It makes such a difference.

Christina Pliskova, world number 44, 25 years of age, currently sitting

at a career-high, has the chance to take her first set off Angelique

Kerber. This is a very difficult serve to

break, particularly on this court today, with the ball swinging away.

If you watch her, she 6ft 1in, she gets up to it so well, and then she

snaps the rest. Really spreads her hands on that grip, she uses her

hand really well on the serve. I was out watching her practice on a sunny

Sunday afternoon, with Sister Karolina, and I kept thinking, apart

from the left right thing, what is the difference? I just think, I

don't think she makes is good decisions on court as Karolina, I

think the timing is not quite up to Karolina's and she doesn't read the

game in quite the same way. But Karolina has been talking about how

much she improving, she's starting to motor now.

31 minutes on the clock, first couple of set points.

Still a big deal, isn't it? When the player at the other end has got a

number by their name. That's sometimes where Krystina sometimes

just lacks a little composure and confidence.

But you turn to your biggest weapon, the serve, you serve it out at the

second time of asking. . 32 minutes on the clock, and Krystina Pliskova

has taken the first set against the world number one. This was always

going to be tricky for Angelique Kerber, then her first match on the

grass against somebody with this serve.

Well, started off with a lot of laughter, then it became quite

serious. Some, I am guessing your Czech is about as good as your

Slovakian, so I'm going to ask any viewers out there if you could

translate that for us! Important game, this, for Angelique

Kerber. She did not have her coach on, but the tactics are always, get

Krystina on the move. If I was Kerber, I wouldn't be too worried

about dropping the first set. I don't think this is the endgame

here. Actually wasn't a bad idea to serve

that the body, but you can see, she did not get quite at the hips.

An important game to hold from Angelique Kerber and get us under

way in set number two. Angelique Kerber has been a finalist here

before, in 2012 and 2014. She does have a tighter long grass, in

Birmingham, in 2015. She mentioned this in her interview at the start,

about the number one ranking. It is up for grabs, and it could change

hands as early as the end of this week? Yes, it could. Actually, if

she loses before the quarterfinals and Halep makes the semifinals, then

Simona Halep would have been world number one. I would rather have seen

it at the French Open, but I think Halep is right there now. Just

finishing up the point on the world rankings, she will be seeded number

one for Wimbledon, because that's the ranking this week, which will be

used for next week's rankings. But she is also defending points from

last year's final, so they will drop off. I sometimes wonder with tennis

rankings if they shouldn't model themselves on the golf and go with

prize money. It would be far simpler.

Using the front part of the court, not a bad idea to get Kerber off her

baseline. Nice, soft hands there. Kerber's job is to hold serve,

extend these Pliskova games. The ball is bouncing very low, it's very

soft, and she has a long way to go down. She looks like she may have a

slightly tight hamstring. UMPIRE: Miss Kerber is challenging the call.

Not by much, and this -- missed. From 40-0, Kristyna Pliskova holds

to make it one game apiece. She said, when you are young, you want

to be number one, but maybe taking the number one away from Angelique

Kerber would not be the worst thing in the world. I think you could have

said that in the first six months of the year, but she has turned a

corner now and she is finally comfortable as world number one.

Her job out here - keep holding serve. She has not even got to deuce

on the Pliskova games, and wait for a lapse in concentration from the

Czech. That will feel good. If it is OK!

It's funny, isn't it, left-handed players don't like playing

left-handed players. Angelique Kerber has a pretty good record

against them. Kristyna, not so much, but that will feel really good. That

was the first ace of the match for Kerber. And there is number two. She

waited a while, two at once, 42 minutes on the clock. Kerber holds

serve comfortably. It is 2-1 in Faber that my favour of cover. A

good win for Simona Halep earlier today in her Eastbourne debut. And a

much needed one, her very first match after the French Open. -- it

is in favour of Pliskova. It is important to get a match or

two under her belt before Wimbledon. A good decision, and it probably

gets her back into things, gets Paris that out of the way, and she's

on the of becoming -- get Paris out of the way, and she is on course for

being world number one. We all need a bit of alone time.

Ace number eight. Kristyna has got to a final this year in Prague. She

got to the quarterfinals in Majorca. She had a first round win here over

Naomi Brodie. Well, you are forced to hit lines

against Kerber, because she is one of the tough as players out there.

That was a miscue from Pliskova. There is the break. World number

one, Angelique Kerber. I don't know what came over Kristyna Pliskova.

That was the lack of concentration I was talking about. First .7 folly.

Opened up zero - 15, and then there was the break.

Just starting to get on the ball, get up the court, play this match on

her terms, and that spells trouble for Pliskova, because she cannot win

this by running and defending. A love hold for Angelique Kerber

consolidates the second set break, takes her to 4-1 in the second,

Pliskova with the first set by 6-4. I always find it fascinating with

the Pliskova sisters, when they are both in tennis, both playing, when

they were younger, it was Kristyna who cracked the top 100 for the

first time and a lot of people by saying it was Kristyna who had more

promise. A quick listen now. I got OK. It means our Czech viewers

will be busy, because you have a second Czech team talk to translate.

If you're going to serve there, you need to take a little more pace off

the ball, get it further up the box, with much more swing and accuracy.

You cannot serve in that spot. There is something wrong with

Kristyna's game out here. It is all about her intensity, and lack of it.

She has switched off. And there it is - a long break for Angelique

Kerber, for a double break in the second set to put the German world

number one, a former finalist here, one game away from taking us into a

decider. I am not sure what was said in the team talk, but it didn't have

an immediate effect. And that is 11 points in a row. Kristyna Mentor Lee

has gone away from this match. -- mentally.

I think Kristyna's waiting for the deciding set now.

The last few games tell you why her sister is ranked third in the world

and she is ranked 44th. Mentally not apply in herself. Waiting for the

final set is not a tactic. Investing in the second set is the way to go.

Wow... Triple set point. 52 minutes on the clock.

And there it is, a very comfortable second set for Angelique Kerber her

first set on grass in 2017, and that means we are heading to a decider

out here on Centre Court. I can't see any coaches coming on to court

to have a chat with their charges. Kristyna, that was a case of, this

set is gone and I will wait for the decider. It be interesting to see

how she resets against Kerber, who is now playing with more confidence.

It is not that easy to switch off and switch on again. Kerber I was

perhaps a little more solid than in the first set. She applied herself.

If you were giving the little chapter Pliskova, what would your

advice be against Gabba, who is starting to play the game that has

got her to world number one? -- against Kerber. For Pliskova, she

has to reset. She has to get her intensity back. Her feet have

stopped moving. She has got to get her head back in this match, and

this is where she differs from Karolina. You cannot switch off. She

lost the last 15 points. It must be hard when you look in the mirror and

see your reflection, she sees that in another person. That other person

is number three in the world, but I wonder how hard that is for

Kristyna, who as you say is maybe a touch more laid-back, to have

someone who is the mirror image of you doing exactly what you would

like to? It must be hard. That was an important hold for

Pliskova. We talked about her needing to reset, and it looks like

she has. She held serve and needed to. It is about hitting big first

serves, swinging the second as well, being more accurate. When you switch

off slightly, you don't have the same accuracy with your serving, and

it is vital against someone who returns as well as Kerber, who can

get you on the back foot. I think they have been generous with the

number of unforced errors out here. Kerber just didn't give anything

away, landed a few forehands. I think this set will be a little

closer. It's the only time you really get a

reaction from Angelique Kerber when she misses that particular shot.

That is a really good barometer of how she is feeling.

Despite Kerber winning that point, already, we are seeing a different

Pliskova. Yes, chasing a little bit more. Had to stop that run-off point

against. That is a great sign if you are a Kerber fan. When she became

number one, I think she expected to hit the ball beautifully in every

match, played lights out tennis. That just isn't possible.

She has got a really good pattern of play here - a lot of good first

serves, always making Pliskova stretch, distribution and better,

and that is what she needs, big margins, crosscourt, and then look

for the line. Serena Williams, if you think about

it, she did not play well in every single match when she became world

number one. Didn't mind losing asset here and there are she was a little

rusty. The top players don't play well every match. -- didn't mind

losing a set. When you consider Kerber's achievements, not bad for

one year's work. And then too much happening, too busy celebrating.

The funny thing is that it is not really Angie to go and celebrate.

She would rather be in Poland, where she practices and trains at her

grandparents' tennis academy. Obama visited Germany and she got an

opportunity to meet him. You will not turn that down, will you? German

sports Person of the year, all these awards shows.

You almost saw the relief when she lost against Coco Vandeweghe in

Australia. It was almost a relief when she lost that match. And she

hadn't had a proper preseason. It was just so many things she couldn't

turn down. What a shot, what a winner, what a

point. Angelique Kerber, world number one, gets the break in the

decider, Leeds 2-1. -- she is in the lead by 2-1. Any rust that may have

been there is a thing of the past for the German. In the first set, I

thought she was striking the ball well, driving up on that service,

which means that the hamstring and the back are OK. OK, so, we have got

the doctor on court. Just trying to figure what may have

happened with Pliskova. I think she may have been stung. It is one of

those Eastbourne bees. She has that yellow bag, it may have attracted

it. I did see Fed cup, Timea Bacsinszky was stung in doors at a

match. She had a big bag of ice, as we are about to see now. That is not

what you need when you are in the deciding set you and -- in the

deciding set and you are a break down. How was this possible? ! It is

cold and damp, but it is summer. I think it was trying to pollinate her

racket bag. Trying to pollinate her racket bag? Because of the yellow.

They are attracted by that. I said it was resting on her bag, you take

it one stage further! It has been given its marching orders and it

will not be pollinating there in the near future. Nasty, and it is on her

left arm as well. That will tingle and... Keep an eye on the elbow.

Kerber with the break, deciding set. Well, possibly distracted by her

opponent being stung, or this thing giving something extra to Kristyna.

She has had a couple of shockers in this game.

She will challenge it, but I'm not sure it will be overturned, and I

think that will be a break to love for Pliskova to get us back on

serve. She is still rubbing that elbow. From the woman who made one

unforced error in that second set, and no wonder she is frustrated. It

is the first poor game she has played in this match. I doubt her

laps will last as long as Pliskova's.

Fourth double fault of the match for Pliskova, sitting on nine aces as

well. UMPIRE: Miss Pliskova is challenging

the call on the right centreline, the ball was called out. Call

stands, second serve. UMPIRE: Mr Skipper has two

challenges remaining. For she does such good work, at the

top of the swing, she can just send it any direction.

SAM SMITH:, you never know with Krystina, when the lights are going

to go back on! GIGI SALMON: May be it the bee sting

effect, but she's called her coach back on. So, our Czech viewers, you

now have your third team talk to translate - that us know what they

say! It's funny, Czechs always seem to

coach Czechs. She practices at a very famous club over there. Hanna

Mandlikova, who I saw today. Lovely point from Kerber, said up by

the serve. Yeah, always looking for that forehand, it's the natural shot

for her. Clever pattern they for the German.

You really want to try and get it away from the forehand, because

she'll just control the point with it.

Double enough from Kerber puddling what for her was a very poor service

game. Krystina Pliskova has now had her coach on as much as she can in

this match. A lot of the top players, particularly leading up to

a Grand Slam, they like to have their coaches on, because you can't

have them on in a Grand Slam event. That is an opportunity. Did so well

on the return of serve. Hence the foot stamp.

Ace number 11. In the Australian Open, she fired down 31 in one

match, against Monica Puig. That is demoralising, isn't it, if you're

Monica Puig?! Krystina Pliskova keeps her nose in

front in this deciding set. The crowd enjoying themselves, a little

bit more wrapped up than they were at the start of the week. But we're

hearing that the weather forecast for the rest of the day, I don't

want to tempt fate, but it is OK, it is all right. We will take all

right! We will! There's a little bit more of a breeze blowing. They were

chatting this morning about the moisture, because there was a fair

amount of moisture which actually got onto the court yesterday. In

terms of how the players react, will they have to adjust anything ahead

of going out onto court, because the conditions, in terms of footwear

or...? Well, they are all wearing grass court shoes, which have little

temples on the bottom, which hopes you move about the court. -- little

pimples. You cannot have anything around the front of the shoe,

because it rips the court up. Back in the day, people like Virginia

Wade used to wear socks on the top of their shoes, to get to be able to

stand up on the court. But no, they will know that the bones will be

lower come they will just have to get their knees down, sing their

hips and just be prepared to work a little harder with their legs. --

sink their hips. It is a dangerous time in this match

for either player to switch off, because both have the firepower to

make the breakthrough. One bad service game for either player could

be enough at this stage. And the door just opens a little

tiny bit. With that serve out wide, Kerber

slams the door shut. The winner will face the Spanish player Lara

Arruabarrena re-round 16, and some players could find themselves

playing two matches today. Which is not ideal, but on grass, it's not a

problem. The more minutes you can get on this surface before

Wimbledon, the better. The depth on the shots of Kerber. Is

going to be interesting for Pliskova, in her development, as

soon as she pushed into the corners, she doesn't have a shot out of

there, she doesn't have the defence from those difficult parts of the

court. But you allow her to step up the

court, and give her the short ball, she can be very dangerous. Humby

she's always going to play matches on her terms. As soon she has to run

about and defend, she looks like a completely different player.

I am really surprised that the warning came right there, and I

didn't hear a soft warning from the umpire, unless I missed it. Well, it

has fired her up on the next two points.

Good defence from Krystina Pliskova, deserves a fist pump, because she's

held serve and she edges ahead in this deciding set. Because this

grass court season is so small, they do want as many games as possible.

It's not about resting. It's about getting onto these courts, playing

competitive matches and getting yourself into the best state of mind

possible ahead of Wimbledon. We saw a few changes at Wimbledon with the

seedings with the men, but women have gone with the rankings. Yeah, I

mean, Johanna Konta is seeded sixth, you're really looking to be in that

top eight. But I don't think the seedings in the women's really

matters any more, if you go by what's happened this year - look at

the French, look at Australia. And somebody who won't be seeded is

Krystina Pliskova. Whatever happens in this match, you can see in terms

of her grass court play, she probably should be seeded, and she's

someone that none of the top names will want to be paired with in the

draw when it comes out, on Friday, I believe. Yeah, because she's got a

few grass court game under her belt, this is her third grass court

tournament of the season. She's had a busy day, a bee sting, a time

violation. That first point when you are

serving to stay in the match, I need to underline its importance three

times - 0-15 puts so much pressure on the world number one.

Oh! What an opportunity, once again! It is fascinating watching Krystina,

just those tiny things, the feet were not quite as dynamic as they

could have been, she did not get into an absolutely perfect position.

It might have cost the match. Well, it's been a scrappy game from

both players, a couple of opportunities wasted by Krystina

Pliskova, mistake there by Kerber. But there is the perfect serve when

it's needed, bringing up game point for 5-5.

UMPIRE: Game, Pliskova. And an ace to seal it. And now, any pressure

reverts on the older of the Pliskova sisters, who's sitting at her

career-high ranking of the moment, of 44. Changed her coaching setup at

the end of last year. And I think there's Krystina

Pliskova in a nutshell. Its application, it's concentration. And

these errors, it's going to sent her out of this tournament and less she

can serve up a storm here. Two great serves, got a short high

ball, found the net, triple break opportunity for Kerber.

Horrible game for Krystina Pliskova. One she will want to forget in a

hurry, because she's been broken to love, and it puts Angelique Kerber

one game away from booking a place in the round of 16. So often we talk

about the difference between the players at the very top of the game,

because Krystina Pliskova has all the attributes, but it's those

little things, and in this case, as you were saying, with her, it's a

concentration. Yes, and the long-time coach of Angelique Kerber,

what a great guy he is. I'm sure before the match, he would have

said, just keep going, Angelique, maintain your focus, because the

locker room knows that Krystina is a lot more up and down mentally. When

she makes one poor error, they come in clusters, she's not able to reset

and go again, they just seem to come and come. And that game really was

thrown away, and the problem is, the locker room knows that. Karolina is

also a little up and down but not in the same way as Krystina. World

number one Angelique Kerber, who took a wild card into this event,

her first appearance here since reaching the final in 2014. The ball

kids were sowing grossed, they'd stayed out on the court watching the

players have! -- the ball kids were so engrossed. Angelique Kerber had

to say to the umpire, I think the ball kids need to move, I'm about to

serve, I might hit one of them! Definitely focused that time! You

can't really legislate for that shot, but that was just a swing, and

that's what Kerber doesn't want, she wants to tie her up right here. And

straightaway, at the body. Don't let those long levers...

Match points, Kerber, after an hour and 33, having dropped the first

set. The world number one, the wild card with a couple of points to book

her place in round of 16. And there it is. Just the one match

point needed for Angelique Kerber, the world number one, to book her

place in the round of 16. She comes through a tricky test against

fitting the Pliskova in three sets. -- against Krystina Pliskova. Great

reception from the crowd for Angelique Kerber, first time back

here since 2014, and importantly for her, it's her first match on grass.

She pulled out of Birmingham because of hamstring trouble. She said that

what she has learnt about herself in the first six months is that she

needs a little bit more time to herself, away, far from the madding

crowd, and everything that comes with being world number one. She

could lose that ranking, depending how results go here, but she WILL be

the top seed won Wimbledon starts next week. She will face Lara

Arruabarrena in the next round, and very shortly, she'll be speaking to

Annabel Croft. Well played, Angelique, it is the

first time we have seen you on a grass court since the finals of

Wimbledon - how does it feel being back on this surface again? It feels

good, I think it was a good match for both of us. It's so nice to be

back here in Eastbourne, I have been to the final here twice, I have so

many great memories, it is always full, it's raining but everybody is

here, so it's really great. It is great to have everybody supporting

us during the week. It is lovely to have you back here, as you say, some

fantastic memories. She made you work very, very hard - what made the

difference in that final set? I think she was serving very well and

I was trying to focus on my return, and at the end of the match I was

playing point by point, and just trying to go for it if I have the

chance. And I'm happy that I'm through. Absolutely. Many

right-handers don't particularly like facing left-handed players, but

how is it for a left-hander to play a lefty who also has a big serve as

well? Yeah, I think it's a little bit difficult. Most of the time we

are playing against right-handers, and it's not so easy to play against

a lefty, especially if there are two on court. But I've played so many

matches against left-handers now, so it's fine. Finally, we asked Novak

how much he had been enjoying it here in Eastbourne, have you been up

to Beachy Head and out on the Downs as well? Yeah, two days ago, it was

really lovely weather, I walked on the beach, it is a lovely place to

be, great restaurants, so it's nice to be back here. Well done today,

and we really look forward to seeing you in the next round. Angelique

Kerber! JOHN INVERDALE: So, the world number

one into the next round, not without the odd hiccup. But she's through.

It is absurd, actually, almost ridiculous, how many of the top

players' names begin with the letter K. How on earth has that come to

pass? Anyway, coming up next is our one.

Is a superb win for Johanna Konta. Johanna Konta up next. Speaking of

players whose names begin with Kei, Svetlana Kuznetsova won in three

sets. -- Mladenovic as just one against Zhang

of China. It was a much more ruthless contest in the second set.

6-0, 6-4 was the score there. The draw looks like this currently.

Kerber will now be playing Arrubarrena later today. Because of

the disruption yesterday, a few people will have to play two matches

in a day. Johanna Konta is included in that. Depending on how long...

We're getting ahead of ourselves, but if Johanna Konta were to win,

she would have the plague Jelena Ostapenko late tonight, and if that

is one of those games that might be at around 7:30pm and deciding

whether to go one not... That is all in the future. -- she would have to

play yell a note -- she would have to play Jelena Ostapenko late night.

Before that match, she had a chat about her approach to the grass

court season. This is the first time lots of

people will have seen you since the French Open final was the absolute

heartbreak to you - how hard has it been to bounce back from that defeat

to Jelena Ostapenko? It was not easy to lose that final again, but even

if I am still sad, I am motivated to go through. To go through this

feeling. I am motivated to start to play again and I want to have some

good matches here on grass. I want to thank the tournament director for

the wildcard, which is a big help. I want to enjoy and give everything I

have. How much help is it having Darren Cave hill back in your camp

-- Cahill back in your camp? He has just said that the attitude did not

help me in Miami. I changed my attitude, and he came back. It is

nice to have him back, and it gives me more confidence. That is why

maybe I played so well on the clay court. I am sure that the attitude

is helping me a lot, and I want just to keep it and get better as much as

possible. Did you say, Darren, I have changed, come back? He saw some

matches in Stuttgart, and he said I am ready to have him back. Together,

a great run of form at the French Open, and now coming to Eastbourne

on the grass - how does it feel to be back on grass after playing so

well on the clay? It is very different, flatter and faster. I

have to adapt as quickly as I can on this surface. I still have memories

from last year and I know how to play. We will see what will happen.

How much are you thinking about that world number one spot, so

tantalisingly close, just a few hundred points between you and

Angelique Kerber? If you do better than Angelique Kerber here, you

could take that spot - do you think about that? I am thinking about

that, and I cannot hide that I am thinking of that. It is a good

challenge for me, keeps me motivated, keeps me having the

desire. I wake up with that thought, and I am trying just to do the best

everyday. But still, I don't want to put pressure on myself. I just take

it like a big and nice goal. We have been lucky so far today, not a hint

of rain. At the moment, it looks OK. They have just stopped at Wimbledon,

or rather, at Roehampton, where qualifying is taking place. Several

British players were in action, and here is Harriet. , who had two match

points in her qualifying match and ultimately succumbed in three sets.

An agonising result. You can see yourself, day by day, getting closer

to the main draw, but sadly, those two match points went begging, and

her dreams are vanquished for another year. She is not the only

British player who has gone out in the qualifying today. There is a

nice plant. I will name that plant in one. There are four British

players who have lost in qualifying today. Dart was the only player to

win a set. Katie Dunn came through in straight sets. Plenty to talk

about with Sam Smith, who has popped over from the commentary box. First

of all, Kerber, how would you assess that performance? Hit and miss? I

thought she was OK. Kristyna Pliskova was a difficult opponent,

with that big serve under heavy ground strokes. I think Kerber will

be happy. I think it was good how she did not panic after losing the

first set. It was only one break. And she was steady throughout. It

was a tight match that she needed just to regroup and reset the

season. Steady is one of those words that you tend to apply to Angelique

Kerber. When you interviewed her earlier about being number one and

how much she loves it but doesn't love it, and Simona Halep talking

about how much she wants it, it is kind of like, being the world number

one forces you into a place where everyone is looking and you are

expected to behave in a more demonstrative manner, if you like,

and that is not her. Right now, I couldn't tell you who the best

player in the world is. There are quite a few characters and players

who could be world number one, but the two other contenders apart from

Kerber, Pliskova and Halep, they are not Kerber and they are certainly

not Maria Sharapova. If one of them becomes number one, I do not know

how they will handle it. Media training. Johanna Konta is about to

come the court. She is from this part of the world. Here she comes. A

good ovation for her. She is seeded here, but more importantly, she was

seeded number six for Wimbledon next week. And the women's draw was kept

pretty much as you would expect. When you look at the seeding from

1-10, you can see what a fantastic draw they had here at Eastbourne. I

was talking to a couple of people down below who are regular attendees

at Eastbourne, and they feel that this event really is going places.

It has a sense of tournament on the up. Petra Kvitova is seeded number

11, and what a great story it would be if she got to the latter stages

in the championship starting next week. What is your instinct about

what Johanna Konta might do, and not just here but in the next few weeks?

She can do well. She has played eight matches on grass, which is

what you need ahead of Wimbledon. She was the 16th seed last year, and

her status was changing rapidly. She made this semi-s of the Australian

Open. She has had 18 months at a very high level, and I think she is

expecting at least they get to the quarterfinals. Many big names will

go out early at Wimbledon, there will be shocked, and there would be

an opportunity for someone to take the Wimbledon title, I think. We

have talked about her, so let's hear her talk about herself. I have been

fortunate enough to have played this tournament for a few years now, so

higher I have been able to stay at home, which is lucky. To be able to

play in front of a home crowd, and also Centre Court, which is

beautiful, amazing, so I am looking forward to the experience this week.

I have had great matches in Nottingham, two great matches in

Birmingham, so my time on the surface, I feel fortunate with that.

I will be looking to stay here in Eastbourne as long as possible. I am

going into the Championships and I will do the best that I can. I will

definitely be hoping to make it a full two weeks, but most

importantly, I will look to produce the best level I can and really

compete in every match that I get to play. Hopefully, it will be seven

matches. That would be very nice to be able to contend with, but first

and foremost, it is important to take it one match at a time. My mind

has to be in Eastbourne right now, but once we get to Wimbledon, I will

be looking to prepare well for my first run. Can you profit from there

being no Serena in the field? Obviously, her presence is missed.

It is important to remember there have been some great champions

alongside her in the last couple of years. Obviously, we have some new

faces this year. I have been saying for some time that the depth in

women's tennis is truly remarkable. It showcases the level of our sport

in a great weight. It really shows that this is the 100 best women at

this sport in the world, and that is a positive thing to see. -- in a

great way. I know going into every single match that I will be faced

with a very tough opponent. Everyone can play at an incredibly high level

on any given day, so keeping that in mind, I need to make sure I keep

improving, keep maximising everything I have. STUDIO: So,

Johanna Konta is in action on Centre in Court a moment or so. Caroline

Wozniacki is on Court Number Two. She is playing Naomi Akasaka. It is

worth repeating what we said earlier - the wonder of Eastbourne is how

close you can get to big names. Caroline Wozniacki played well in

Paris, and here you are, you know, right on the courtside, seeing one

of the big names in the women's game. That is what is happening on

Court Number Two, as we head back to Centre Court, and Johanna Konta and

her opponent is going through the last of their warm-ups. It is worth

saying that there is an undercurrent of this match that goes back to a

Fed cup match a couple of months ago which I am sure you have read about.

There was a moment where someone said a few words that should not

have been said, and it led to an unpleasant set to

between Jo and her opponent. The winner of this match will play

Jelena Ostapenko, the French Open champion, later tonight. As a rough

guess, it is very cloudy, 17 Celsius the temperature, but that is not

relevant in terms of light. It is a question of what time the match

starts. If Johanna Konta can win in straight sets... But if it is three

sets, it could be 7:30pm, APM before the match begins, and they may have

to delay and have an early start tomorrow morning. We didn't -- 8pm.

We didn't get started until a bit later today because of clearing up

from last night. So far, we are uninterrupted in this fourth day of

the Eastbourne Championships, and we're ready to go with the British

number one in action at Eastbourne for the first time this year,

watched by Sam Smith and Gigi Salmon.

COMMENTATOR: There is an awful lot of tennis to fit into day-to-day --

to fit in today. No breeze, very overcast, but we have tennis.

John mentioned the Fed cup meeting earlier this year - this is the

first tour level meeting between the two.

We mentioned that the grass is a little slippy. A tumble for Johanna

Konta. She looks to be OK, but that is something they will have to be

wary of. And we have our first break point

opportunity of the match, in the first game, on the Cirstea serve.

A perfect start for the British number one, the fifth seed here.

Johanna Konta are playing in her home Tom and, breaks the serve of

Cirstea to lead 1-0. Welcome back to the commentary box. On your first

day here, when it was bright sunshine, it took a little longer

because of the picnic blankets, but what is this scene today? It is more

space, but obviously there is moisture. I have to be light on my

feet. You don't have pimples on your shoes? No. Jo, you might see her

slipping and sliding. She likes to use traction and drive of the court,

but it is hard to do that with the grass as it is at the moment.

Konta, there will be some nerves having had to wait around to play

this match. Someone who hits the cover off the ball...

That will help Konta. She is defending semifinal points from last

year when she lost a Karolina Pliskova. -- she lost to Karolina

Pliskova. Cirstea has the most amazing timing,

and the sound of her ball coming off the racket, you won't hear that from

many players. She seems rejuvenated after a big problem with her

shoulder and quite a lot of injuries in the last few seasons.

Did anyone hear the call of out? UMPIRE: Someone made a sound. We

will replay the point. Is not something you hear often -

the line judge made a sound. Immediate break back points

opportunities for Sorana Cirstea. Back-to-back double faults, which

means we have two games, to make breaks, and it is 1-1 in the early

stages of this second round match. -- two breaks.

Sorana Cirstea has been as high as 21 in the world, though that hasn't

been for a few years. Back in 2013. Currently sitting at 62 in the

rankings, and got into it Eastbourne as a lucky loser, having lost

initially in the final round of qualifying.

She is an awful lot better than 62 in the world. She is making her way

back up the rankings after the shoulder injury. You will notice she

has completely modified her service action.

UMPIRE: Miss Cirstea challenges the call. The call is overturned. First

service. APPLAUSE

For Sorana, everything is about the first ball hit, her serve and her

forehand, get those two working, and even though this is not her

favourite surface, the ball was too low, she is dangerous. Two good from

Konta. Jo's going to have to really play some tennis. I think ideally

she would like to get settled in this match, get some trading going

on from the baseline. That is where this match will be won for her.

Three games, three breaks, and it is Johanna Konta, British number one,

fifth seed at this tournament, world number seven... You mentioned, Sam,

that there might be a few nerves with Johanna Konta, playing in a

home tournament. How did you feel it as a player playing in front of a

home crowd? Did they get to you did you not really mind? How much of a

difference can it make? I was in a different situation to Jo. She is a

contender for the title, and I certainly wasn't. I was hoping to

have good run. I would get beaten by one of the better names and that

would have been an excellent tournament. I was enjoying the crowd

support. I didn't feel that much pressure. I probably put pressure on

myself to perform and play well, but that was it. I didn't have to deal

with all the press, only if I had a good result. Jo has all the run-up,

she is on all the posters, and that is a lot to cope with. Last year, I

think, it was a real shock to her to think how much the workload off the

court expands when you have success on the court and the ranking goes

up. She is used to it now, and I think she has a really good system

for dealing with it. Most of the top players manage their time extremely

well and have people helping them to do so. I think she knows where the

boundaries are. She seems to be OK, but there will be some nerves,

because all eyes are on her this week. They certainly are. Heather

Watson is still to play today. She had a great win here to get herself

along in this competition, defeating the defending champion, Dominika

Cibulkova. It is incredible, the journey that

Konta has been on in such a space of time, in terms of where she was a

couple of years ago. Now, she is a contender for the Wimbledon title.

UMPIRE: Miss Konta is challenging the call. The call is overturned.

40-15. Johanna Konta consolidates her break

and edges ahead, 3-1. If Cirstea sees it, she takes it on,

and there wasn't any hesitation. That is a big, heavy ball and feels

like a lead weight has hit your racket when that comes at you.

The start is super important for Konta, particularly against Cirstea,

who gets very down on herself, likes to be a front runner and swing at

the ball. She is a charming young woman, but I often feel the glass is

half full. The shoulders go down very quickly.

It's the first grass court event of 2017 for Cirstea, and she's matched

her best here, which was from 2010. For her, it is all about where she

hits the ball, she would much rather take it just below shoulder height,

and not below hip height, which is what you have to do on grass.

Her best results this year have come on the clay, where she's getting the

ball at the height where she would like it. Quarterfinal in Istanbul,

semifinal in Nuremberg. Did well in Madrid.

Cirstea gets her first told of the match, the winner to face, later

today, if the weather stays like, we don't get any rain, Jelena

Ostapenko. If it was Cirstea against Ostapenko, I mean, that's tin hat

time! We're staying in the commentary box, out of harm's way!

Probably the safest place to be! Talking about Konta, it's the mental

side, she seems so mentally strong, so mentally able to handle

everything that's coming towards her and everything she has to deal with,

which is such an important part of the modern game? I would say

outwardly, yes. I think underneath, there still is that very emotional

and fashion a person, who has had to work so hard to manage that part of

her game. She found it very difficult in juniors, super highly

strung, did lose her cool, and in the early part of her professional

career, but very uptight on court. And I do by her, she has applied

herself to the mental game, probably better than any other player I have

seen on the tour for a very long time. It is a transformation. And it

is a very interesting podcast you have done on BBC Radio 5 Live,

getting to know your helicon, -- getting to know Johanna Konta,

speaking to a lot of her early school teachers and coaches and it

was a really interesting insight. The job for Konta right now, up a

break, she's going to have to soak up a lot of pace, but she wants to

stay up on her baseline, but she's happy to be trading in these

baseline rallies with Cirstea, because Cirstea eventually will

miss. On the right there is Andrew Fitzpatrick, a hitting partner, an

English chap who used to be on the tour, and they've settled down into

a really good team, actually, those three. Former coach of Simona Halep

and Victoria Azarenka and others. This is really unusual for Konta,

because she has one of the best second serves in the women's game.

That all tossed at times just gets a little low on her. -- that ball

toss. Little bit of luck, so both hands go

in the air from Cirstea, giving us an opportunity to get back on serve.

Service direction is going to be very important here for Johanna

Konta. Tie her up to the body, and then swing one out to the flanks,

but just don't let Cirstea get into any kind of return with. Perfect! Jo

was, I would say, very thoughtful on serve, she seems to have a very good

idea of if the first serve percentage is dropping, and that

happens, she just pulls back a little trouble she manages this part

of her game so well. Lovely return of serve from the

Romanian. Keeps this game alive. Konta with the break advantage. The

first tour level meeting between these two.

Lovely play from Konta! Says a couple of break and holes serve.

Shows someone who normally doesn't find herself at the net, she

overcome its, it just went all wrong! It's a good sign from Jo,

very solid scrub up you can't take anything for granted in women's

matches, but she should be too consistent for Cirstea scrub.

Cirstea has done really well, because she went down to around 250

in the rankings, and when you're at that level, you have to go back to

the bottom rung. It shows the desire. Actually, it's almost like a

second career for her. Instead of going down to Australia, where she

would normally go, for many years, and forget, she was a French Open

quarterfinalist at 19 years of age, she was going to be the star of

Romanian tennis. That's great, that's the play from

Konta. Doesn't give a lot of angle. As I was saying, you're not going

down to the glamorous world of Melbourne, she was in South America,

playing $25,000 events, really small events. It helped that her boyfriend

was a South American, that took some of the pain away, but that's not

where you want to be. Are really gutsy effort in qualifying through

some of those smaller tour events and being back here.

She's striking the ball well, but I'd say she's allowing Jo Konta to

lean on that crosscourt backhand, and that's such a big shot for the

British number one. She's never going to miss that one.

There's the backhand crosscourt doing the damage, forcing the error

from Cirstea. It's another break of serve for Johanna Konta, the British

number one, and it puts her to within one game of the first set,

after 29 minutes. It was interesting for me finding out a bit more about

Johanna Konta. As we have a listen to our Romanian friends.

So, the Romanian team talk will continue. Johanna Konta, people

think she came from nowhere and suddenly she's here. But she was

saying, I have wanted to be number one since I was a child. She said

she was waking her father up as a child at 5am to go running. It's

admirable - I don't want my children to do that, but it's admirable of

Konta and it showed where she wanted to go from a very early age. To be

at the very top of the game, you need to have that. You do, and where

I really admire her is, that desire has never wavered. You think of all

the distractions you have growing up, as a teenager, there might be

other things that interest you. And she has been relentless towards the

goal. She's not there yet, number one, and Grand Slams, that's the

endgame for her, and she's still is focused as she was, that

five-year-old, getting up at 5am! That seems a bit young, going for a

run as a five-year-old. Let's say eight, better?!

Everybody says how hard she works but why doesn't everybody work as

hard as Jo? As you touched on, it's the sacrifices you've got to make

along the way. That ball toss is getting a little

long. It is funny how the media talk about sacrifices. When you are

following your dream it does not feel like it in any sense because

this is what you want to do. Have lacked, said Konta. You saw the

dynamic first step, the daily work that she does. She practices that

first move, before and after the session. She probably does it in her

sleep. It's a real priority. It's not just on court and around

the practice courts. In every aspect of her life she is disciplined and

hard-working and meticulous. That is the difference with Jo and a lot of

other players on the tour. With that it is the first set point

of the match for Konta. 34 minutes on the clock. Konta takes

the first set comfortably. I don't know if this is a question you can

answer. How good do you think she can be? She is a top 20 player and

probably maxed out on where she's going to go. What is your view?

Some of the best parts of that first set. Jo is still improving. There's

a lot more room for improvement but she is devoted daily to looking at

every aspect of her game and making it better. Coming forward is another

area. She's so good from the baseline and she's always working on

her movement. I don't think she sees any ceiling to where she can go and

it is not about how good she could be, it's about getting better.

Improving something. That's what she does. I can see all that work, and

she was explosive. That has come on in the last 12 months. She's got a

check list. She's got lots of problems because

when the rally goes over 4-5 shots she keeps hitting harder and harder.

She is either going to hit a winner or she's going to do it more times

often than not. Konta is using the pace of the

Cirstea bowled really well. The problem is you don't get a change in

flight. With Konta you do but she's adding more layers to her game.

What I would say is what Cirstea does is excellent. She can beat a

lot of very good players when it is all working well. The timing, I

don't know if you can teach that. It's just something that she has.

It came about from a cracking return of serve.

The second service just a slightly slower version of the first. She

always comes on the outside of the ball. It's quite effective on a

grass court where it skips through, not sure where it's going to go, she

doesn't have a good kicker, and I don't think you need it on a grass

court, personally. Hugely important first service game.

It has been five minutes. Jo nearly got a read on that because

so many of Cirstea's go swinging out wide. It always seems to slice at

it. And so the first game of the second

set goes on. Break point opportunity for the

British number one. That expression there says to me,

what do I need to do to win a point? You-10-mac is relentless, she's

making so tough. That Jo. So aggressive from Konta. She's good

to watch because any time Jo has a chance to attack she does. She's got

aggression from both wings. Superb from Konta. The late for her

camp. She leads by a game to love. No going back to the bench. Konta is

very meticulous. If she does something, she keeps doing

something. She's in no rush, she is under control. Nice place to be. The

second serve, a few doubles being thrown in there. Apart from that, a

very clean set of tennis. Konta will be the sixth seed at

Wimbledon. Seedings are the same as the rankings minus Serena Williams,

currently on maternity leave. Very good player, and has played

some high-level tennis, but I feel like she's playing individually good

points but not gaining any territory.

That was a real play and then challenge. She was having none of

it. She walked straight over to serve to the other court.

This is playing into contact's hand. I don't think there's any compromise

at all. Had a swing at everything. Even if it's not on. There is an ace

and consolidation of the break. Going along nicely. Third grass

court event for her. Runner-up in Nottingham, losing out. She's got

another big hitter against her. If you're going to make a challenge

you need to stop immediately, which is what she did. She was right to do

so. First double fault of the match for

the Romanian. A couple more opportunities to edge

even further ahead and get a double break. If she was not in control

before this she would be after. Good work from Konta. She leads by a

set and three games to love. Before the match we touched on the Fed cup

tie and the fallout, it was during a match with Cirstea where Konta was

very upset, and Cirstea said she would not have cried. Do you think

any of that would have come into this match? As players was that a

heat of the moment, an unpleasant situation but that was then and now

they are back on to this? You cannot see it in the game but would they

have brought any of that out here? It doesn't look to be the case. It

was back in early April. Emotions could not have frozen -- spilled

over anymore. That was crazy. But this is the tour, we are on the

grass. I don't think there's any animosity, I think Cirstea knows

that she's not playing at a high enough level. Jo might play the odd

point badly here and there, but every time she steps on the court

you know what you're going to get from Jo and there are is no letup.

You've got to match her in intensity and very few can.

That might be the pressure that Jo is feeling behind that serve and is

why she is three points behind. But she has maintained a very high first

serve percentage and you've just got to accept that it will happen from

time to time. Jo is very good at putting things to

one side, putting things quickly in the past.

Such has been the depth and the length of the ground strokes,

there's been the rare occasion where they've lent on the shots. She's

been pinned back and under so much pressure, and really hasn't had this

time to swing very often. Good play. A point to consolidate

the second break. I'm so impressed with the movement and the balance.

The first step. Just how in control she is of her game out here. She's

managing on the surface. There it is, a lovely point off the

serve. A little cry from the crowd. I'm

sure her coach is loving what she's right now.

We saw a slip at the early stages of this match. There is so much

moisture. There is the feeling that it could rain at any moment. That

there could be a downpour. We are still in the afternoon but in the

next couple of hours you will get a lovely evening dew. The court will

become quite difficult to play on. I'm a woman who never leaves the

house without an umbrella. The British number one has a double

break and Leeds. At the school as it is at the moment. What changes have

you seen? Here is a man who has coached the likes of Halep. What

changes have you seen? None, really. How do you think he has helped? He's

helped her stay calm. Yes, I think he has really helped

her work on staying calm in matches and continually excellent work from

her previous Spanish coach. He made the most enormous impact. There are

little things that outside the camp, it is impossible to know about. It

is continuing the work. I think he would have helped with certain

opponents in the upper echelons, particularly working with Victoria

Azarenka, giving her heads up on things she had not noticed about the

top players. There is not a lot to change. I do think he's got her to

cut out some of those drop shots, which I'm very pleased to see.

Little things. It can make all the difference.

French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko awaits the winner, weather

permitting, later today. Two titles for Konta initiate,

Sydney at the start of the year and Miami. A big win in Miami, Caroline

Wozniacki in the final. The final on grass in Nottingham.

A love hold, Konta, one game away from a round of 16 meeting with

French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.

Joanna Konta has been very accurate out here this afternoon and without

having to hit the lines, I don't feel at any point she is going to

miss. The ground strokes on the way the ball is coming off her racket,

she will be very happy. And if she is not, there is

something wrong. The danger when you play Cirstea, it can become a

slugfest. You try to hit the ball harder than she does, and that is

not good if you want to beat the remaining. Jo has done such a good

job of absorbing the pace out here -- if you want to beat the Romanian.

This Konta has two challenges remaining.

It is interesting when Cirstea can pick the ball off the baseline and

get on her front foot how dangerous these strikes can be. We have not

seen her get up the Court Two finish off too many shots and that is

because Konta has been so good. Perfect placement from the remaining

and it keeps the match alive. And very shortly, it will be Johanna

Konta serving for a place in the round of 16, a meeting with Jelena

Ostapenko. Konta with semifinal points to defend from last year. I

thought it was interesting and I think this goes for most people when

you get asked about favourites for Wimbledon and maybe this title, it

doesn't come down to a couple. I'll has to force a body had of the

French Open and they gave me 15 names, -- I did ask somebody. They

can't even say ten, they could not narrow it down any less than 15.

Take out somebody like Serena Williams who has been so dominant

force along and Maria Sharapova is still working backhand Victoria

Azarenka returned after maternity leave. Take out the big names who

have win these prizes and it opens up so wide. For the Wimbledon title,

how many names, what kind of number in terms of people that could take

the title? I think 15 is a good number! There are fewer players that

can win because not as many players are as comfortable playing on clay

as they are on grass. So I would say ten. You have reduced it by five!

That is incredible, but exciting. These players, Jelena Ostapenko who

we watched win the French Open title, looking at her. Petra Kvitova

winning the title recently on grass, we know what she can do. It just

makes it so exciting at the moment. And Johanna Konta goes into the

Wimbledon is the sixth seed. 5-2, serving for the match.

This court is just getting a little more difficult to play on. Starting

to be a little slippy and Jo is having some problems. She likes to

set and the push of the court. You have to dance on the grass.

After one hour and 11 minutes on court, it is match point for British

number one Johanna Konta. Weather permitting, she will have to play a

round of 60 much later today. -- round of 16 match.

There it is! What a way to finish things off, Johanna Konta! What a

good afternoon's work for the British number one. Making light

work of the Romanian Sorana Cirstea. One hour and 12 minutes is the final

time, 6-2, 6-2 on the scoreboard. The crowd on their feet for Johanna

Konta. She talks about her love of this tournament and going home and

sleeping in her own bed at night, something tennis players rarely get

to do throughout the year. This is the Godin -- golden time when they

can be at home and feel normal waking up in their own beds. Job

done it for Johanna Konta. Jelena Ostapenko next. Semifinalists last

year, Konta. The seventh best player in the world, the fifth seed here,

already into one final in Nottingham. Early exit at Birmingham

got people talking about how she was playing on the grass and how she

handled the big hitting opponents, but no problem today against the big

hitting Sorana Cirstea of Romania. She dealt with her constantly and

she did what she needed to do and the result means she boxed her place

in the round of 16 at Eastbourne. Johanna Konta is your winner, with

Annabel Croft. Well played come up against a

dangerous opponent and on fire dropping four games. Your thoughts

on the match? Sorana is a dangerous player and has beaten great players

over the year and I knew it would be tough. She played a couple of

matches here in Eastbourne and she had more match routine. I was just

looking forward to coming back out here on this court and playing in

front of you lot! Looking like I will get to come back again in a

little bit of time if the weather holds up. But I'm really happy with

the way I was able to maintain my level throughout the match. You just

mentioned you have had a lot of success on this court in the past,

how special is it to be playing here in your hometown, in front of your

home crowd and home fans here? It is really special to me. I feel at home

here. It is something that not many players get to experience, and I get

to do that every year, so I feel very fortunate and hopefully I will

be playing in front of you lot to the entire week! I'm sure they would

like that. Have you enjoyed your mother's home cooking? I definitely

have enjoyed staying at home and sleeping on my own bed. You will be

against French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, your thoughts about

facing her? I played her once before this year during the set Cup and

that was an indoor hard surface, so a different surface here. -- the

FedEx Cup. She's coming in with a lot of confidence and match routine.

What she has achieved is absolutely incredible so looking forward to

playing at Grand Slam champion and looking forward to competing.

Everybody here is looking forward to it as well, we wish you the best of

luck. Thank you very much, Johanna Konta.

Resounding chant for Johanna Konta and a quick shower, relax, isotonic

drink and banana, back on court against Jelena Ostapenko later

tonight. While she goes through safely, a former grand slam champion

has just gone out. Garbine Muguruza beaten by Barbora Strycova of the

Czech Republic. Her form typical of so many of the

big names in the women's game and this is not the preparation she

would want for Wimbledon next week. A straight sets defeat. And really

good game taking place on Court Two between Naomi Osaka of Japan and

Caroline Wozniacki. Caroline Wozniacki winning the first set and

leading 5-4. It is on serve. Japanese player serving at 15-15 and

stomping a volley on the net. So Wozniacki two points away from

winning and going through to the next round. So when is and losers on

a day when we have had a full set of play. A couple of raindrops, not

wanting to be the harbinger of doom. But they have stopped now so maybe

all is well. Those are the winners today. I think the winner of the

second match was Svetlana Kuznetsova. Also going through,

Elena Vesnina. And looking in impressive form, Kristina

Mladenovic. We could have a very late finish and Heather Watson is in

action in the fourth match on Court Number One. This is her practising

earlier today. And talking about players having an up and down year,

you feel Heather is on the way up. Especially because a couple of days

ago here, at Eastbourne, she beat the defending champion ten --

Dominika Cibulkova. It was a performance where you thought this

was Heather as she can be, smiling and bouncy and raring to go and

seizing the opportunity. The crowd was amazing and the atmosphere. It

just makes it so fun as a player to be out there playing in that

environment. I absolutely love it and I thrive on it. And I was just

grateful for everybody that came out today and supported the players. Do

you feel you have turned your season around in 24 hours? Two big wins

after a disappointing run of results. Yes, absolutely. Last year,

I have not had the result are wanted. The last couple of months, I

felt in a better place. My game is coming together and I have got

coaches now and just waiting for the winds to come because I feel my

tennis has been there. Do you feel you need to be at Wimbledon, at a

Grand Slam days before to get some practice on the ports? I think the

most important thing for me is getting matches and getting a win

under my belt because that gives me confidence. That prepares me the

best four Grand Slams. And of course I want to stay here as long as

possible, and I don't need just practice because that is what I have

been doing the entire year! Heather plays Anastasia

Pavlyuchenkova later tonight, not sure, caught one of running late

today. -- Court Number One. But you will be able to see it later,

probably in the capable hands of Sam Smith. It is going to be a long day,

but you are paid by the word! I wish I was, I'm not going to be able to

swim Goodnight! It is great, 17 degrees outside and 18 degrees in

the water, so that is the place to be. Heather against Anastasia

Pavlyuchenkova is an interesting match. Yes, we thought Anastasia

Pavlyuchenkova would be a grand slam champion because she was such a

fantastic Junior and she has not delivered on that potential.

Suddenly realising in her mid-20s the time is running out and she has

to get her act together, and she has done this year. You don't know what

you will get when she goes out on court. And Heather has had a rotten

12 months with injury and results and losing matches she should have

win and when you win big matches, you get such a rising confidence.

Heather looks as we are used to have the looking, and she has not for

quite some time. Going back to Joanna Konta, she was ruthless in

elements of that match today. I would not want to play Johanna

Konta. If you look at Jo, she's not hitting winners all over the place,

but everything is so solid and consistent and relentless. She

played a couple of bad points in the entire match. The locker room knows

that now and the players think, I have got to play unbelievably well

to compete with Jo. Jo has got a lot of the tour in a headlock because

they don't want to play her. A lot of people think Jo Konta might win

Wimbledon and they think that because the way these things

sometimes go, people go, it is an anniversary and you can see the

headlines. 40 years on from Virginia, this could be Jo's year.

It was quite a fairy tale, in many ways.

Wimbledon has taken up so much of my life one way or another. It has been

the highlight of every year since I was 15 years old. And it still is.

And you arrange your entire schedule around Wimbledon. That is it! I

played it to so many times and every time you look forward to it and

virtually every time, you are disappointed. That was a very big

year for the Queen and for Britain. Everybody in England had parties. It

was the silver jubilee. It was such an emotional year for everybody. It

was cool because she was dressed in the same colour as my cardigan! That

was the biggest good omen that I had. I honestly felt that it was my

tournament to win. I felt I had done a lot of good work and I thought she

almost could not beat me. The satisfaction was just humongous.

After you have had a success like that, especially when it has taken a

long time getting there, I think the reward is that much greater. It just

feels like you set out to do something and you did it. Any time I

go to Wimbledon, I would have two go on Centre Court and make sure the

grass was perfect and say hello to the ghosts out there, it is a very

special place. 5:20pm on BBC One on Sunday, 90

years of Wimbledon. The pictures are amazing because the Queen and the

Duke of Edinburgh are still going strong after 40 years and I had to

see who was top seed, and it was Chrissie Everett and Martina was the

two, it was Virginia's year. And these are the seedings for next

week. Number three is Karolina Pliskova, not that that means

anything. We have said it repeatedly, so many players apart

from two have been competing here at Wimbledon and you realise the

Eastbourne tournament this year has a stronger field than ever before.

And other things elsewhere in the schedule mean that at number 11 is

Petra Kvitova. Jelena Ostapenko is 12. Garbine Muguruza has lost today.

There are players like Lucie Safarova, it is a strong draw. You

look at Garbine Muguruza losing in straight sets today, is that

symptomatic of what has been happening in the game in six months?

Yes, maybe longer than that, nobody expected Angelique Kerber to be

World Number 1 and that shook the tour to its foundations. And many

more players now going into Wimbledon, if they were ranked 60 or

70 a couple of years ago, they might be thinking subconsciously a couple

of rounds and it is a good tournament. Now they think, why can

I not winners? That puts the top players and are so many -- under so

much pressure because when you use to face the likes of Martina

Navratilova, you pretty much lost the first set before you got out on

court. That is not the case now. The victory of Jelena Ostapenko in

France makes anybody in the top 40 or 50 think they could go a long way

in the draw, irrespective of the draw, and financially that is a

massive incentive. I think the dynamic has changed. I find it so

strange now because in the locker room when I was playing in the late

1980s and the 1990s, the aura around Steffi Graf, you hardly saw her,

like a ghost, she would win in one hour and she would leave. And

Martina. They were untouchable. They had this incredible confidence.

Serena Williams has that as Maria Sharapova has that. A lot of the top

players now don't have that. They are not too nice, but almost too

human and they are too regular of court. That has an impact on the

lower ranked players and they think they can win. I wish I could play

now! Steffi Graf, the she have a special pack, almost a shield around

her, or what she won of the gang but not there very often? No, if Steefi

was in a corner of the locker room or Martina, that was her place and

you would steer away from it -- three. The top players dominated of

court as well. They would not be cold, but they lived on a different

planet. You would be too frightened to speak to them. Maria and Serena

have that sort of effect these days. So the likes of Angelique Kerber do

lose to those players without their talent because they don't have the

ability to intimidate people. Angelique Kerber is a wonderful

player, but she is beatable. And in the great days when Serena was World

Number 1 and I still feel she is the best player in the world, you feel,

what do I have to do to beat them? Nobody knew what to do. They feel

unbeatable. On a different plane. That is not the case at the moment

in women's tennis. Is there a flyer at Wimbledon by Jelena Ostapenko at

Roland Garros that you can see coming through from the middle ranks

to go a long way? Did anybody see Ostapenko in Paris? I feel that our

players like Coke of underweight and if she gets it together could be

super dangerous. But it would not be beyond the realms of possibility

somebody just comes in. Anybody. That is the extraordinary

conversation we keep having. Can I throw another name at you? A player

who can pick up cheap serves. We saw in the Harris that the early rounds

of the women's matches, bear with three sets always pushed, the top

players having to battle -- we saw in Paris. That was not the case a

couple of years ago. It is a different dynamic now. It is not any

better or any worse, it is different. We need some rivalries

and big superstars in women's tennis, but we are going through a

transition. It is different and very hard to be a pundit because you get

it wrong all the no easy game for Caroline Wozniacki because it is

five all and dues on Caroline Wozniacki serve after winning

against Osaka of Japan. Contractually, we are not allowed to

show you the men's tournament is taking place here this week but it

has greatly enhanced the tournament and Novak Djokovic packed them out

when he came through in straight sets against Vasek Pospisil and he

will play again tomorrow. We will show you a big name from the women's

tour, Simona Halep, playing a qualifier from China today. This

match began yesterday and they came back today, this is midway through

the second set. The first meeting between these two.

Both making their Eastbourne debut. The player from China, SYing-Ying,

she came through the qualifying tournament and came through the

third -- the first set, a French Open finalist. Simona Halep I wild

card entrant, and you thank the Tournament Director for allowing her

to play here. It's the first grass court event of

2017 for her. She needed a little bit of time to deal with the French

Open final. She ended up giving the runners-up

speech. She says she feels good, refreshed, had a little bit of a

break, and a holiday, now she's ready for the grass.

The fist pump, and rightly so from Halep, the second seed. Takes the

advantage. One game from levelling things up and taking us into a

decider. There is a scenario in which she could end the week as

Robert Halfon. Angelique Kerber will be the top seed but the ranking

could change hands -- and the week as world number one.

Duan band that six foot one. Halep and her coach had a brief break but

they are back working together happily.

Was upset about the match, he said it was not a loss but the attitude

and the feeling that she gave up. But she has shown him since that the

attitude is there. She worked hard on her mentality and psychology.

They got back together as a coaching unit.

There he is. Tiny fist pump from Simona Halep. She's taken the set.

Duan is a big hitter of the ball. Career high as 60 and if she were to

beat Simona Halep, would be her first top ten career win.

Two quarterfinals this year. Sydney and Kuala Lumpur. Her main strength

is her power. 61, there's a lot to move around.

An earlier opportunity for Simona Halep to get the advantage in this

set. Around 17-18d. Not much of a breeze around.

Lovely 1- to serve point from Duan. "By Moving Halep coats away. She was

able to finish it off. Good play from the Chinese player.

It's turning into a very important game. Dropped that second set to the

Romanian. Able to open up the court saw well

with that big serve. It's a game point opportunity.

And still we go on, first game, deciding set, she is happy

opportunities to close out this first service game.

Halep is a tenacious player who will not let anything go.

Alongside me is Sam Smith. We talk about how tricky it is for Simona

Halep, first grass court, she had first-round match, despite retiring

before the end of it, her opponent, she's got a lot of tennis on these

courts under her belt. I think she has a good game for it because she

moves so well. She did pretty well at Wimbledon quarterfinals. She

cannot play well on the surface. There is some adjusting to do. It

looks like she's feeling a little more settled now.

In an ideal world you want someone who has not played quite so many

matches against you in the opening round but it was quite a good

decision. She had to get back on the horse at some point after Paris. She

spoke about how hard it was. It looked tired. There's not a lot of

time to reset. Tennis carries on. In this case it has changed.

She's genuinely handled it well. I was around for her press day and she

ended up having her open access our at the table I was doing my prep on.

It was a little unusual. Did you stay and have a little

lesson? I was wedged in by these reporters, there was no way to go.

Genuinely, she's had some of the best you can have. That will keep

her together. And the point of the game to the

Chinese player, the deciding set being levelled up, I game apiece.

Dealing with the height of Duan can poke the ball is coming down from

such a fate. She can really get everything behind the ball. Some

quick adjustments for Halep to make. So quick around the court, really

knows her movement. She sees things in very early. As soon as she saw

Duan on the stretch she was right up the court. That shot she was very

comfortable with. She's pretty sharp out here.

It's been a feature of Duan's game, she goes is big on the second serve

as on the first. She doesn't have a lot of shape on it. Halep has been

pretty aggressive behind that delivery. Just feel, you look so

much quicker on the Centre Court. It is an unrelenting game style from

Duan. Every ball is hit like that. To do that against a top-10 player

very difficult. It has been hard for Halep, because

the ball is coming so quickly at her, not to be pushed off the shot.

Halep will be so frustrated. She's been on it and hasn't connected.

Sometimes with Halep she does it more on the play. I'd love to see

her hit the block to return. Great reactions. This is a match

about absorbing pace and being bright eyed and out there and

getting a sense of where Duan is going. Being an opportunist.

What is tough for the Chinese number three is she's at the limits of what

she can do. If she can get a racket on the ball she's got another level

she can go to. Had a long game of this sort of set.

Another struggle to try and hold serve.

You just suspect if the rally goes over five shots, Duan will

eventually make a mistake. On the odd occasion she will get a winner.

If she gets broken here then the challenge is over.

We've seen it a little bit today. Dampness in the grass. When you try

to get traction and Bischoff... The baselines are starting to get a

little more worn. It is not too bad at the moment.

Victory ended a four match losing streak for the Chinese player.

Having come through the qualifying...

Big hitting, a slip at the end, but luckily a smile on the face of the

Chinese player. It is not easy, this grass court

season. It really isn't. It is so different to how you move on a

hard-core. They've extended the season, as a

lot of the other grass court tournament is Avenue. Some of the

lower ranked players can play and get plenty of matches before

Wimbledon. What you will see is a much higher level of tennis from day

one. She was promised sunshine by the

sea. Halep's challenge at Wimbledon will

be interesting. In the last 12 months, they've done so much work on

the forehand. Did cause problems, did break down under pressure.

They've shortened it and made it more compact. That will be a huge

help. She can really reap the benefits.

She leads the deciding set to- one. I touched on the brief split with

Darren Cave hell. -- Cahill. He felt it was not because she lost the

match but it was her attitude. It is credit to both of them, saying it is

not right to step away, working on the mental side of things. She said,

let's work on this, I like what I've seen. There is a change to make and

Simona Halep has adjusted. It comes back to what we say about players

and the mental side being important. She worked on a side of her game

that was a weakness. She did not have a choice. She was going to lose

one of the best coaches in the game. He did not walk away lightly. This

has been an issue all the time he's been working with her. You'd run out

of options. He tried the softly softly approach. Good on him. It is

the making of her. Great attitude out here today.

Really good from Simona Halep. She phoned her red. Looking to

consolidate the break. There have been some rackets cracked over

dealing with this forehand. She's been through torment. Trying to fix

it and change it. That is a hold, a consolidation, 3-1

lead. She is an emotional player, Simona Halep, Halep lets you know if

she is not happy. She yells at her box and herself. But not as much. I

completely forgot this and I remember I'm -- and I remembered

during the cut they are a Latin country and they have that passion

and emotion and I love that about Simona and her fellow Romanian

tennis players. Very good match play from Simona

Halep. This is Duan closing of the net. But I love service game behind

is devastating for Duan, all the momentum is going against her now.

She finds a way to finish it off. Ankle trouble, Halep rolled it in

the final at Rome. She lost the final, she had doubts ahead of

Roland Garros. She felt good and she went the final.

We have seen a number of racket droppings now from the Chinese

player. Which is unusual for Chinese tennis players. They are normally

emotionally very wrapped up and under control. It is really frowned

upon in that part of the world. She is also maybe slightly out of the

Mold because she is 6'1" tall. That is pretty tall.

If she could play like this every single point, she would be top ten

in the world. It is some game when it comes together.

I was leading about Duan Yingying and do you know what her nickname

is? Does she have a Western name? No, a nickname given to her by fans

and by her friends. Thinking? I'm going to say no to that.

Duanvenport. Because her idol is linseed Davenport. You going to tell

her? Are you getting your phone out now? Lindsey would love that.

Duanvenport! Duanvenport! She did say Lindsey Davenport has been her

tennis idol as long as she can remember and they are a similar

stature. Nobody hit the serve at than Lindsey Davenport, devastating.

-- better than. We have to get these two together!

Some brutal hitting on that point! But Duan does hold serve. Simona

Halep is still a break ahead. I imagine if you brought them