Day 3: Tsonga v Fish

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:00:34. > :00:38.Good afternoon and welcome once again to the Barclays ATP World

:00:38. > :00:42.Tour Finals. Group B is back in action today and coming up this

:00:42. > :00:47.afternoon we have Mardy Fish against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. It is a

:00:47. > :00:51.must-when match if they want to get to the semi-final. That is in a few

:00:51. > :00:57.minutes, but yesterday at this point we were talking about Andy

:00:57. > :01:00.Murray having his best season to date. 24-hours later, it is a

:01:00. > :01:06.different story. He has an injury that could end his season

:01:06. > :01:11.prematurely. He had the trainer on at the end of the first set. He

:01:11. > :01:18.battled on, his movement was hampered and his serve was not at

:01:18. > :01:25.the usual high standard. He was beaten in straight sets by David

:01:25. > :01:28.Ferrer. He was just too good yesterday. There are questions

:01:28. > :01:31.about whether he will carry on because, in the press conference

:01:31. > :01:36.after the match, he mentioned that he may have to withdraw from the

:01:36. > :01:42.tournament. The managing director of the event joins us. Chris, what

:01:42. > :01:48.is the latest as far as Andy is concerned? I thought he was hitting

:01:48. > :01:56.the ball might really well. Some of the shots that he hit were the

:01:56. > :02:00.hardest forehands I have seen. He was not as good as he has been over

:02:00. > :02:08.the last six months. David Ferrer is the worst player to play when

:02:08. > :02:12.you feel like that. It was a very tough match. He is not in the top

:02:12. > :02:17.four, but he is a player that none of the top players want to play. It

:02:17. > :02:24.was much tougher than people thought. I spoke to him this

:02:24. > :02:28.morning, he is going to wake up and see how he goes. He can inform us

:02:28. > :02:32.right up until tomorrow. I have a feeling he will play, but we will

:02:32. > :02:42.wait and see. The fact that he said it was asked drain that he picked

:02:42. > :02:45.

:02:45. > :02:49.up over a week ago does not bode well, does it? -- a strain. I think

:02:49. > :02:52.you cannot read anything into any comments or what happened in the

:02:52. > :02:57.past. You have to take today and see what happens. We hope he comes

:02:57. > :03:06.out to play. The advantage of this event is that it is the top eight

:03:06. > :03:10.players in the world. Every match up his brilliant, but obviously we

:03:11. > :03:16.want him to play. With the top eight There are no

:03:16. > :03:26.easy matches, are there? If they were to withdraw, what is the

:03:26. > :03:27.

:03:27. > :03:35.scenario? We have an Alternate, Janko Tipsarevic has had his best

:03:35. > :03:43.season. He is waiting. If Andy pulls out, Janko Tipsarevic will

:03:43. > :03:48.play. If Andy pulls out in the match, which I don't think he will,

:03:48. > :03:51.but if he did, Janko Tipsarevic would play their last match on

:03:51. > :03:59.Friday. Tim, you have been in this

:03:59. > :04:09.situation, haven't you? Yes, in Hanover in Germany. I do not think

:04:09. > :04:09.

:04:09. > :04:13.I was necessarily the first quarter net. -- alternate. I happened to be

:04:13. > :04:19.in London, I got the call at lunchtime, flew straight to Hanover

:04:19. > :04:23.and ended up playing one match. There are a lot of unknowns at this

:04:23. > :04:26.stage. Andy will obviously want to take as long as he can and give

:04:27. > :04:33.himself the best opportunity of retiring, and then make his

:04:33. > :04:37.decision at the last moment. That is not ideal for Chris and the

:04:37. > :04:43.tournament, or for Janko Tipsarevic if he is coming in, but he has to

:04:43. > :04:49.give himself that best chance if he is fit. Luckily, he is still in the

:04:49. > :04:53.tournament. Also, the way he played yesterday, he will need to be

:04:53. > :04:59.better than that to take on the likes of Tomas Berdych and Djokovic.

:04:59. > :05:05.Obviously, but that will be dictated by his injury. He was up a

:05:05. > :05:09.break of serve, but we focused a lot on his first serve percentage.

:05:09. > :05:16.That was down all the time, and I think that was related to the

:05:16. > :05:20.injury. We can see him arriving today. He does not really benefit

:05:21. > :05:28.from going out and hitting balls. He has had enough balls in his life

:05:28. > :05:32.and enough this year. -- he has hit enough. You do not think he would

:05:32. > :05:40.even try to practise today? I don't think so. What does he have to

:05:40. > :05:50.gain? He could test the injury. think he could tested tomorrow. --

:05:50. > :05:51.

:05:52. > :05:56.test it tomorrow. You have at a 24- hours ahead of you, haven't you?

:05:56. > :06:01.The yes. But it is just a brilliant atmosphere here. We have this match

:06:01. > :06:05.coming up, Mardy Fish and Jo- Wilfried Tsonga. Tsonga was a

:06:05. > :06:10.finalist at Queen's, played against Andy Murray, beat Federer at

:06:10. > :06:14.Wimbledon. Hugely charismatic French player, the best season he

:06:14. > :06:21.has ever had. Both players need to win this match so it will be

:06:21. > :06:24.competitive. Tonight we have Nadal and Federer playing. We have a long

:06:24. > :06:29.way to go. Every match is a great match in

:06:29. > :06:35.this format. This arena is lovely. And you have a great crowd.

:06:35. > :06:40.Incredible crowd. I have friends who have come here who have never

:06:40. > :06:46.seen live tennis before. The one thing they do not realise, in this

:06:46. > :06:52.setting, is how dynamic and physical the game is and the

:06:52. > :07:00.loudness of the ball being hit. It is attracting not just tennis fans

:07:00. > :07:09.but sports fans. I think it is definitely the best the rat in

:07:10. > :07:14.men's tennis we have ever had. -- the best period. Four top marquee

:07:14. > :07:20.names in one period. It is great. We appreciate your time coming up

:07:20. > :07:24.here. You are a very busy man. I hope it works out for you and Andy

:07:24. > :07:28.tomorrow. Tim, we have this match to look forward to and the players

:07:28. > :07:31.are getting ready. It is a must- when match if they are going to

:07:31. > :07:36.make it to the semi-final. Very much so. That is the beauty of this

:07:36. > :07:39.format. They both lost in their opening matches but they have both

:07:40. > :07:45.had opportunities to win. There is nothing wrong with their games but

:07:45. > :07:50.they know they have to come out and keep the tournament alive. I enjoy

:07:51. > :07:53.watching both of these guys playing. They both have an attacking element.

:07:53. > :07:58.They are both a little unpredictable. I am sure we're

:07:58. > :08:05.going to see a lot of exciting tennis has up it has been the end

:08:05. > :08:12.of an era with Mardy Fish being the top right American. It is no longer

:08:12. > :08:17.a Andy Roddick. It is a reflection of what a great

:08:17. > :08:21.here he has had. It is a great achievement, certainly, at this

:08:21. > :08:26.stage. Agreed couple of years, in a way,

:08:26. > :08:29.for Mardy Fish. He has reassessed his approach to the game. He has a

:08:29. > :08:38.new fitness trainer, he has lost a lot of weight.

:08:38. > :08:48.We will just pause for the introduction.

:08:48. > :08:57.

:08:57. > :09:07.MUSIC: "London Calling" by The Clash.

:09:07. > :09:07.

:09:07. > :10:01.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 54 seconds

:10:01. > :10:10.Ladies and gentlemen, Jo-Wilfried SUE BARKER: The players are on

:10:10. > :10:14.court and about to get under way. This is group be in action today.

:10:14. > :10:18.Tsonga against Fish. And then tonight we will have Rafael Nadal

:10:18. > :10:28.against Roger Federer. They both came through in three sex from

:10:28. > :10:37.

:10:37. > :10:47.their matches on Sunday. -- 3 sets. Novak Djokovic went right down to

:10:47. > :11:27.

:11:27. > :11:36.SUE BARKER: That was a nice point. It is not really much different -

:11:36. > :11:40.there is no wind to worry about. Djokovic came through against Tomas

:11:40. > :11:50.Berdych yesterday. We can see how he saved that match point against

:11:50. > :11:52.

:11:52. > :11:57.Berdych. It happened at 6-5 on the He missed what look like an

:11:57. > :12:03.elementary forehand. He got the shot that he wanted and then just

:12:03. > :12:07.do it really did not pull the trigger. And you do not get many

:12:07. > :12:13.chances, do you, against the world No. 1? He won that game and totally

:12:13. > :12:20.dominated the match. You can see by Djokovic's reaction at the end.

:12:20. > :12:27.There was a huge amount of relief. Djokovic has struggled with his

:12:27. > :12:32.shoulder, his game was a little patchy at the start. It is the sign

:12:32. > :12:37.of a great champion, he won when he was not at his best. From birdied's

:12:37. > :12:41.point of view he will be frustrated. His game is in good shape, he is

:12:41. > :12:47.playing Murray. He will believe that he is still very much in the

:12:47. > :12:51.tournament. Talking about Murray's injury,

:12:51. > :13:01.Djokovic has had a massive problem with his shoulder. It is like a

:13:01. > :13:04.

:13:04. > :13:09.scene out of Casualty. It is. If you can play three tough sets

:13:09. > :13:13.against Rafa Nadal and end up losing 7-6 in the third, I am sure

:13:13. > :13:21.that will help with a few of his doubts. He will really have to be

:13:21. > :13:27.fully fit today. Tsonga is not someone you can take lightly so it

:13:27. > :13:31.will be interesting to see who comes out on top. This surface is

:13:31. > :13:35.tough to play on. It is impossible to play if you have a significant

:13:35. > :13:41.injury because the surface is quite sticky, you really have to pick up

:13:41. > :13:45.your feet. The rallies are not always going to be short. Most

:13:45. > :13:51.importantly, you're playing against the other best players in the world

:13:51. > :13:54.and you really have to be firing on all cylinders. I think Fish will be

:13:54. > :14:02.slightly disappointed because, again, he had an opportunity

:14:02. > :14:06.against Nadal. That was probably one of the toughest matches of this

:14:06. > :14:12.group. This is one where he will feel he has chances.

:14:12. > :14:15.We talk about Tsonga and his flair, when he is good he is really good.

:14:15. > :14:20.That is right. He did not really sure up in the first set against

:14:20. > :14:24.Federer, but Federer played very well. He got a break of serve early

:14:24. > :14:32.in the second then dominated. Then it was nip and tuck in the first

:14:32. > :14:38.nine games. He was playing some great tennis. Then he missed a very

:14:38. > :14:48.easy forehand volley, makes an unforced error and then suddenly he

:14:48. > :14:55.is 0-40. That is not a good position against Federer. The

:14:55. > :15:02.person who wins this match is right back in contention.

:15:02. > :15:08.Federer and Nadal have won in three sets. Is there a danger that either

:15:08. > :15:14.of them might not make the semi- finals? With this format, we have

:15:14. > :15:18.had our calculators out in the past, and this year will be no different.

:15:18. > :15:23.Tsonga won so many fans at Wimbledon during the summer. His

:15:23. > :15:33.match with Federer was in lots of ways the match of the tournament.

:15:33. > :15:36.

:15:36. > :15:40.Federer was up two sets. Tsonga is one of the very few players where

:15:40. > :15:45.Federer does not miss his family feel in control because of his

:15:45. > :15:50.explosive power. He can make life difficult for you with his serve

:15:50. > :15:55.and his forehand. When he has those hot streaks, as he did at Wimbledon,

:15:56. > :16:01.the final three sets, Federer did not do a lot wrong. He did not have

:16:01. > :16:06.a break point in the final four sets. It could be a close one today

:16:06. > :16:16.if they head to head is anything to go by. Tsonga must also be tough to

:16:16. > :16:17.

:16:17. > :16:24.Tough to coach, so much so that he does not have a coach! I think it

:16:24. > :16:27.is a balancing act. Who could take him on? I think again it is one of

:16:27. > :16:32.those scenarios where probably working and travelling with

:16:32. > :16:37.somebody part-time, I don't think he would react so well if he had

:16:37. > :16:40.somebody there 24-7. He has to be looking to hit the first serve,

:16:40. > :16:44.keep an eye on his first serve percentage, then looking to

:16:45. > :16:48.dominate with his forehand. His backhand is not the best,

:16:48. > :16:53.technically, and he does not want to hit too many of them, he wants

:16:53. > :16:57.to use his athletic ability and dominate with his forehand. S years

:16:57. > :17:02.ago when Andy Murray did not have a coach, everybody said, he has to

:17:02. > :17:07.find a coach, but Tsonga, do you think he should have a coach?

:17:07. > :17:10.Probably not at the moment. There is no right or wrong, it is about

:17:10. > :17:15.what the individual wants, and there was a Swiss player that did

:17:15. > :17:20.not do too badly without a coach for about four or five years! It is

:17:20. > :17:25.finding what works best for years. He won indoors, he won in Vienna,

:17:25. > :17:30.in the final in Paris, so he has been playing very, very well. He

:17:30. > :17:33.did not play badly in his first match in. As far as Mardy Fish is

:17:33. > :17:38.concerned, we talked a few years ago about this, he made a

:17:38. > :17:42.commitment to tennis, got a super fit, lost a lot of weight. That is

:17:42. > :17:49.right, and look at the impact on his game. He is moving so much

:17:49. > :17:53.better, and I think it has made him more explosive moving forward. He

:17:53. > :17:57.is looking to finish the point at the net. He has a good volleying

:17:57. > :18:02.technique, a good first serve, and I think when you look at the match-

:18:02. > :18:06.up, Fish has got to make sure that he is explicit in his game. If

:18:06. > :18:12.Tsonga is dominating him and he is doing the running, that does not

:18:12. > :18:16.suit him. Absolutely. As far as world rankings go, it is the top

:18:16. > :18:21.eight that are here. Janko Tipsarevic is the world number nine,

:18:21. > :18:26.he will be sitting, possibly practising harder today than he

:18:26. > :18:34.would... With all due respect he is probably hoping a few people to

:18:34. > :18:39.list their ankles and smack he is ready to go out and play. He is

:18:39. > :18:45.itching to get out if he can. is your money on? I would go for

:18:45. > :18:48.Tsonga. We will see. It promises to be a great match. Enjoy it with us.

:18:48. > :18:57.Andrew Castle is already in the commentary box.

:18:57. > :19:00.ANDREW CASTLE: Good afternoon, this is an intense match, as you said.

:19:01. > :19:06.Some of the afternoon crowd will be disappointed not to see one of the

:19:06. > :19:11.big four, if you well, Djokovic, Nadal, Murray, Federer, but I think

:19:11. > :19:19.this has the makings of a match well worth watching. There is a lot

:19:19. > :19:22.on the line, not least the $120,000, about �70,000, for each match win

:19:22. > :19:26.in the round-robin stages. But it is not about that for these guys,

:19:26. > :19:30.it is about keeping alive the chances of getting to the semi-

:19:30. > :19:35.final of this event. Just the top eight in the world, every match is

:19:35. > :19:45.a top one. Mardy Fish serving to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Must-win for

:19:45. > :19:45.

:19:45. > :21:18.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 54 seconds

:21:18. > :21:23.A bit of a war mob drill, wasn't It should be an attractive match to

:21:23. > :21:27.watch, people should be at the net, it is not so much a Murray-Ferrer

:21:27. > :21:30.contest, with both of them grinding from the back of the court. That is

:21:30. > :21:40.right, there is definitely an unpredictability about both of

:21:40. > :21:50.

:21:50. > :21:55.He has showed a lot of variety this year, Tsonga, on the backhand side.

:21:55. > :21:58.If he has enough time to get both hands on it, that is his favourite

:21:58. > :22:07.shot, but he has been hitting a lot of one-handed backhand passes as

:22:07. > :22:17.well. A couple of break points here, this would not be a good start for

:22:17. > :22:17.

:22:17. > :23:07.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 54 seconds

:23:07. > :23:11.That is a donation from the racket Certainly a donation. I would

:23:11. > :23:15.question his strategy early on in that rally, always going to the

:23:15. > :23:19.Fish backhand. Fish has a great two-handed backhand, but something

:23:19. > :23:29.of a suspect forehand so I would be looking to target the forehand side

:23:29. > :24:00.

:24:00. > :24:05.It was the forehand side that let Mardy Fish down in the final tie-

:24:05. > :24:13.break against Rafael Nadal putt days ago has. Just in the tie-break

:24:13. > :24:23.at the end, it went -- two days ago. Third break point in his opening

:24:23. > :24:23.

:24:23. > :25:12.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 54 seconds

:25:12. > :25:15.Got a relatively short reply off that second serve, and getting good

:25:15. > :25:19.Fish's game-plan he has to be looking to end the point at the net,

:25:19. > :25:29.take time away from Tsonga. If they get into this baseline exchanges, I

:25:29. > :25:41.

:25:41. > :25:45.Well, it wasn't a bad location for the serve, they had a bit of work

:25:45. > :25:52.on it, he elected to get the first serve in, but Tsonga had enough

:25:52. > :25:56.time. Just picking him off down the line. A nicely played point. For a

:25:56. > :26:01.point to finish a first game, that is as good as it comes for Tsonga.

:26:01. > :26:04.It emphasises the fact that, in most events, you have got to come

:26:04. > :26:08.out firing, but when you are playing against the best eight

:26:08. > :26:12.players in the world to have to be ready to go, and Fish lost his

:26:12. > :26:22.first service game against Nadal, and lost his first service game

:26:22. > :26:57.

:26:57. > :27:02.here, so he will look to break back Tsonga has got that same sort of

:27:02. > :27:08.touch and feel from the old days, really. He reminds me a little bit

:27:08. > :27:18.of Nastase, the way he walks around slightly pigeon-toed, it's sort of

:27:18. > :27:18.

:27:18. > :27:28.roles around the court. A fabulous athlete to watch in real life -- he

:27:28. > :27:41.

:27:41. > :27:45.He does not like a coach in his life, as you were saying in the

:27:45. > :27:49.studio. He does not want the structure, somebody put in anything

:27:49. > :27:54.into his head. There is probably a lot going on in there anyway, he

:27:54. > :28:02.likes to keep his like simple, play with flag, his own flat. And it has

:28:02. > :28:12.been working. He is up to six in the world -- he likes to play with

:28:12. > :28:21.

:28:21. > :28:25.That is the sort of drop shot that would give a coach a small kitten!

:28:25. > :28:32.He does not need a coach to tell him this was the wrong shot, and it

:28:32. > :28:42.was poor execution as well. When you have a guy that volleys well,

:28:42. > :29:00.

:29:00. > :29:04.you do not want to give him too He lost his last service game out

:29:04. > :29:09.here in the first match, Sunday afternoon against Roger Federer,

:29:09. > :29:15.with a double fault, a Mr volley and a couple of other things, and

:29:15. > :29:25.it was over quickly. -- a missed volley. This game has not look too

:29:25. > :30:01.

:30:01. > :30:09.UMPIRE: Game, Fish. Since March of last year, Mardy

:30:09. > :30:19.Fish has gone from 108 in the world to No. 8. At the age of 29, 30 next

:30:19. > :30:19.

:30:19. > :31:34.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 54 seconds

:31:34. > :31:39.I think Fish was reluctant to challenge the ball in the middle of

:31:39. > :31:43.the rally because he felt he was in control of the point. It was only a

:31:43. > :31:49.split-second later that he was hitting a half volley into the net.

:31:49. > :31:59.You can never criticise an umpire for not calling a ball. That is

:31:59. > :32:36.

:32:36. > :32:41.That wasn't good again, was it? It was too high. With these strings it

:32:41. > :32:51.is quite hard to control the ball. You don't get a great deal of touch

:32:51. > :33:21.

:33:21. > :33:29.and feel. Tsonga is not a field Double fault. The first one was out.

:33:29. > :33:36.Why can't anyone hold serve? don't think really the server is

:33:36. > :33:40.imposing their style on their service games. His Fish trying to

:33:40. > :33:50.serve and volley, looking to come in on his second shot? Too many

:33:50. > :34:11.

:34:11. > :34:21.Just to put this event into perspective, this is the top eight

:34:21. > :34:24.

:34:24. > :34:31.in the world. Two groups of four, the play a round robin. These are

:34:31. > :34:36.the big ones on the regular ATP World Tour. These are the masters

:34:36. > :34:46.1,000 see these events. It starts with Indian Wells in Miami --

:34:46. > :34:47.

:34:47. > :34:57.Indian Wells and Miami. Nadal beat Ferrer in Monte Carlo. Djokovic

:34:57. > :34:59.

:34:59. > :35:07.beat Nadal on clay back-to- back in Madrid. Then it was Montreal and

:35:07. > :35:15.the hard courts. Fish has seen action in the final at this level.

:35:15. > :35:21.So does Tsonga. Andy Murray won in Cincinnati on the hard court. It

:35:21. > :35:31.was against Djokovic, who was not at his best. Was it a retirement?

:35:31. > :35:33.

:35:33. > :35:42.No, it was a capitulation I think. It has been an absolute domination

:35:42. > :35:52.this year from the top four players in the world at the big nine events.

:35:52. > :35:52.

:35:52. > :38:02.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 54 seconds

:38:02. > :38:08.Everyone has been in a final as Certainly some good tennis. If I

:38:08. > :38:12.were Mardy Fish I would want African match hitting me with his

:38:12. > :38:18.backhand rather than his forehand. His backhand can be more

:38:18. > :38:28.inconsistent. Once he gets his nose in front in a game, especially when

:38:28. > :38:50.

:38:50. > :38:58.he is serving, he is likely to He chose tennis when he went to a

:38:58. > :39:07.local club at the age of eight. There is Tim Phillips, the former

:39:07. > :39:11.chairman of the All-England Club. Tsonga gets so much of his athletic

:39:11. > :39:21.ability from his dad who was a brilliant African handball player

:39:21. > :39:50.

:39:50. > :39:55.who went over to France in the 70s A good illustration of how Fish's

:39:55. > :40:00.movement has improved in the last couple of years. A lot more

:40:00. > :40:10.attention to his diet, lost a lot of weight, quicker around the court.

:40:10. > :40:23.

:40:23. > :40:28.Cutting the cakes out always helps as well. He never eats anything

:40:28. > :40:38.after his evening meal. None of this having a ploughman's before

:40:38. > :40:55.

:40:55. > :41:05.It is terrible - no food after your evening meal. No ice cream or

:41:05. > :41:13.

:41:13. > :41:20.We already have our first gluten- free Grand Slam champion with Novak

:41:20. > :41:30.Djokovic. I spoke to Venus Williams last week, she is on the steamed

:41:30. > :41:43.

:41:43. > :41:47.vegetables as well. She is looking Mardy holds to keep himself in it.

:41:48. > :41:54.Venus Williams is totally up for next year. She is ranked 101 in the

:41:54. > :41:58.world. She says that her body and her have been fighting each other

:41:58. > :42:01.for so long and she has not understood why she got so tired and

:42:01. > :42:11.was losing concentration. She thinks she has got to the bottom of

:42:11. > :42:15.it. She is very happy off court with her business and her fashion

:42:15. > :42:20.design house that she is very involved with. The women's game has

:42:20. > :42:27.lacked a little identity, I think, in the last 12 to 18 months. It was

:42:27. > :42:30.dominated by the Williams sisters. It was great to see Kim Clijsters

:42:31. > :42:33.coming back and winning more Grand Slams. I think it will be a great

:42:33. > :42:38.challenge for the Williams sisters to see if they can get back to the

:42:38. > :42:41.top of the game. It will also be a great challenge for the other women

:42:41. > :42:50.players to see if they can keep them away from the top of the game.

:42:50. > :43:00.Petra Kvitova had a fantastic end to the year. She looked stunning.

:43:00. > :43:08.Wimbledon champion? The way she is hitting the ball, she looks like

:43:08. > :43:18.one of the greats. This year just this event and the Davis Cup final.

:43:18. > :43:28.Spain against France and it is in Seville. Spain and Argentina.

:43:28. > :43:52.

:43:52. > :43:58.do I always get things wrong? It is a brilliant serve. You look

:43:58. > :44:08.where Tsonga throws the ball back up. It is very difficult for the

:44:08. > :44:08.

:44:08. > :45:04.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 54 seconds

:45:04. > :45:14.Just amazing strength and athleticism from Tsonga, to go for

:45:14. > :45:36.

:45:36. > :45:39.What a boost it was for him to beat Federer from two sets down in the

:45:39. > :45:47.quarter finals of Wimbledon, because at his own Championships,

:45:47. > :45:57.the French, three weeks earlier, he lost a two set lead and was so

:45:57. > :46:14.

:46:14. > :46:24.disappointed at the end of that. A nice touch at the net from Fish

:46:24. > :46:30.

:46:30. > :46:40.I think win or lose I would like to see Fish finish more points at the

:46:40. > :46:50.net. If he is at the net, he is at least play the match on his terms.

:46:50. > :47:05.

:47:05. > :47:15.Tsonga must be difficult to play against. You never know what he

:47:15. > :47:44.

:47:44. > :47:48.UMPIRE: Game, Fish. New balls, That was Fish's wife, the architect

:47:48. > :47:53.of the weight loss programme. the one to achieve your potential,

:47:53. > :48:00.the way to do it is to get fit. When he was asked why she had never

:48:00. > :48:06.set it before, he said, well, she loves me and love 10 the way he was.

:48:06. > :48:11.But she is smart and said, this is the way you can improve -- and she

:48:11. > :48:15.loved him the way he was. I'm sure he wishes he had done it a few

:48:15. > :48:20.years earlier because it has transformed his results, improved

:48:20. > :48:23.his movement so much. At the end of your career, you want to say you

:48:24. > :48:30.have achieved everything you could achieve, and I feel that he has

:48:31. > :48:35.done that now, and there is plenty more to come. Who are you playing

:48:35. > :48:40.at the Albert Hall next week? not quite sure. Greg Rusedski has

:48:40. > :48:47.pulled out? He has pulled out, I was training five times a day

:48:47. > :48:51.getting ready for him! I am sure they will find a replacement.

:48:51. > :49:00.Perhaps Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or can hang about for a week? That would

:49:00. > :49:08.be fun, wouldn't it? I'm looking for someone with a bit more power

:49:08. > :49:12.than him! I think McEnroe is going to be there as well. It's fabulous

:49:12. > :49:22.event has a slightly different turn to next week. -- this fabulous

:49:22. > :49:51.

:49:51. > :49:59.He talks about the ball toss on the last point of this service game,

:49:59. > :50:03.there he throws it up in the same place, hits it 135 down the middle.

:50:03. > :50:13.This is what Federer was talking about, sometimes Tsonga can win

:50:13. > :50:32.

:50:32. > :50:35.I think I am right in saying in the match with Federer at Wimbledon,

:50:35. > :50:38.Federer broke Tsonga in his first service game of the match and did

:50:38. > :50:48.not have another break point for the whole of the rest of the match.

:50:48. > :51:12.

:51:12. > :51:22.UMPIRE: Tsonga leads by five games There is another one you could play

:51:22. > :51:34.

:51:34. > :51:44.Sebastian Grosjean beat me at Queen's and Wimbledon in the same

:51:44. > :52:02.

:52:02. > :52:12.They are just confirming the call. UMPIRE: Mardy Fish has challenged a

:52:12. > :52:14.

:52:14. > :52:24.Two challenge is allowed over the course of a set. If you are right,

:52:24. > :52:32.

:52:32. > :52:42.You get no credit for your good calls. You make one mistake, the

:52:42. > :52:42.

:52:42. > :52:50.cameras are on you. At least you don't get Paul off the court! --

:52:50. > :52:59.pulled. It sounds like Mardy Fish is having

:52:59. > :53:08.a bit of a go at the umpire. could say, but it is your answer.

:53:08. > :53:18.They are having a bit of a dig at teacher there, aren't they? -- a

:53:18. > :53:47.

:53:47. > :53:51.There is no doubt that some of the umpires and players, there is

:53:51. > :53:55.different chemistry on court. They find themselves in the same arena

:53:55. > :54:05.in a lot of different places in the world in a stressful environment,

:54:05. > :54:17.

:54:17. > :54:23.and some light each other more than And actually the umpire is the only

:54:23. > :54:27.person, he's still having a bit of a go at him... Instead of just

:54:27. > :54:37.saying it was too close to call, Challenger 2 not, you say it was

:54:37. > :54:40.

:54:40. > :54:49.out? -- challenge it all knocked. For me, it is out. So you think it

:54:49. > :54:54.was out? Yes, but I can be wrong. Umpires get stigma from the players

:54:54. > :54:58.that you cannot trust them because you say something like that. How

:54:58. > :55:07.can I be sure you are right there and there if I know for a fact you

:55:07. > :55:14.are wrong there. All the time we say to you guys, it is players,

:55:14. > :55:19.from here, it is difficult to see. It is easy for me... But if you are

:55:19. > :55:25.not 100% sure, why would you say that? That is why I said I can be

:55:25. > :55:32.wrong, like I was wrong in that. You could be wrung every time.

:55:32. > :55:40.could be wrong every time. -- you could be wrong. It is just honest

:55:40. > :55:47.answers. I will not call anything, I will not answer anything to use.

:55:47. > :55:57.You are not calling anything. soon as you ask me, I am calling.

:55:57. > :56:09.

:56:09. > :56:15.You are wasting energy, Mardi! -- Mardy! Time out! Handbags, please.

:56:15. > :56:20.The players' only real outlet on the court is the umpire. I think

:56:20. > :56:24.Mardy Fish got up and said, I still think you are a great guy. At the

:56:24. > :56:30.end of the day, the umpire admits he made a mistake. He said he

:56:30. > :56:40.thought it was out, and he got it wrong. But I think Fish just

:56:40. > :57:01.

:57:01. > :57:06.looking for an outlet for some of He has played a good first point.

:57:06. > :57:09.He just needed to have a chat with somebody it. From the umpire's

:57:09. > :57:15.point of view, they are between a rock and a hard place because if he

:57:15. > :57:18.always says, I am not quite sure, you feel he's just sitting in the

:57:18. > :57:28.chair calling the score and the players want more than that. But he

:57:28. > :57:30.

:57:31. > :57:36.has made a decision and got it A bit of tension out there now

:57:36. > :57:46.after a heavy first serve. The volley got wrapped around that

:57:46. > :57:52.

:57:52. > :58:02.frame and it was a way. The right Now it is a choice for Fish, does

:58:02. > :58:24.

:58:24. > :58:34.he go down the middle or throw one That was a wonderful return of

:58:34. > :58:36.

:58:36. > :58:46.He picked the direction of the Tsonga serve, and he was rarely on

:58:46. > :59:07.

:59:07. > :59:17.Biggest serve of the match so far, maybe of the tournament so far. 140

:59:17. > :59:57.

:59:57. > :00:02.That's the break. And that was a bit of a lapse from the Frenchman,

:00:02. > :00:12.but credit to Mardy Fish. He learned it all from me, that is his

:00:12. > :00:22.dad. I tell you, Fish should argue with the umpire more often! It has

:00:22. > :00:22.

:00:22. > :00:32.fired him up for the game. What is that? Four breaks of serve in this

:00:32. > :00:33.

:00:33. > :01:15.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 54 seconds

:01:15. > :01:22.That was a good first serve from Fish. That is a volley, isn't it?

:01:22. > :01:32.You don't see that very often these days. The racquet head went through,

:01:32. > :01:44.

:01:44. > :01:48.It is like watching a Tim Henman match out there, all the volleying.

:01:48. > :01:58.You would have to see a couple of drop volleys, if that were to be

:01:58. > :01:58.

:01:58. > :02:43.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 54 seconds

:02:43. > :02:48.That is very strong play and good concentration from Mardy Fish, who

:02:48. > :02:56.was clearly downhearted and upset with a couple of things only five

:02:56. > :03:06.minutes ago. How quickly it can turn around. What is right about

:03:06. > :03:11.

:03:11. > :03:21.this forehand, Tin? -- Tim? What is right about it? I think it has

:03:21. > :03:27.improved because it foot work has got better. -- his footwork. The

:03:27. > :03:33.most important aspect is where he is finishing. If he can use that to

:03:34. > :03:43.get himself in position at the net then he is going to make his game

:03:44. > :03:45.

:03:45. > :03:53.plan a good one. There is a natural TV person! Performing when the

:03:53. > :03:59.camera is on. Why aren't you at school? There is some excellent

:03:59. > :04:05.tennis to be seen here. Two more years here for these finals after

:04:05. > :04:09.this. I guess a decision will be made about where it will go next of

:04:09. > :04:16.whether it will stay here at that point back. It really could not be

:04:16. > :04:26.more impressively staged at the O2 Arena. It will have to be a good

:04:26. > :04:26.

:04:26. > :04:36.bid to get it away from here, isn't There are some tax considerations.

:04:36. > :04:40.

:04:40. > :04:50.Some of the guys are not happy I think we will have that debate at

:04:50. > :04:50.

:04:50. > :05:56.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 54 seconds

:05:56. > :06:01.the change of ends. Change of ends After the disappointment of serving

:06:01. > :06:04.for this set, he has done well to settle down. Look how we see that

:06:05. > :06:14.game was. He will be thinking, why could I not have done that a couple

:06:15. > :06:28.

:06:28. > :06:38.UMPIRE: Tsonga is challenging the call on the right hand baseline.

:06:38. > :06:49.

:06:50. > :06:59.I thought Fish's serve was out. It did not get cold. -- it did not get

:07:00. > :07:00.

:07:00. > :08:34.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 54 seconds

:08:34. > :08:44.It is so difficult, isn't it? You cannot just floated. Coming to the

:08:44. > :08:56.

:08:56. > :09:06.net is the right plan. -- you It is why people are not following

:09:06. > :09:06.

:09:06. > :09:16.so much these days, isn't it? The power that can be generated a --

:09:16. > :09:24.

:09:24. > :09:34.generated towards a target, it is Devastating serving in this tie-

:09:34. > :09:45.

:09:45. > :09:55.Please support to be continuous, but everyone always stops, don't

:09:55. > :10:00.

:10:00. > :10:05.they? -- play is supposed to be. A crucial point, this one. If he

:10:06. > :10:15.loses this, suddenly it is only 4-3 with Fish to serve. A very

:10:16. > :10:37.

:10:37. > :10:43.At great effort from Mardy Fish. -- a great effort. He was always

:10:43. > :10:53.chasing here, wasn't he? He was never in control. That actually

:10:53. > :11:05.

:11:05. > :11:15.Well, we will argue about that some other time. Fish needs the next two

:11:15. > :11:32.

:11:32. > :11:42.79 mph and he hasn't moved his feet and he puts it into the tramlines.

:11:42. > :11:54.

:11:54. > :11:59.It is a donation that will be Tsonga has failed to make a Mardy

:11:59. > :12:08.Fish player ball con los two points. If he wins these two points, Tsonga,

:12:08. > :12:18.he wins the set. Fish is just one good hit away from getting back

:12:18. > :12:36.

:12:36. > :12:46.into this. Tsonga is two aces away That is just what you want to see

:12:46. > :12:53.

:12:53. > :13:03.going around the place, isn't it, UMPIRE: Game and the first set,

:13:03. > :13:10.

:13:10. > :13:15.Tsonga. SUE BARKER: Are a reminder of the

:13:15. > :13:25.format of how these finals work. The top eight players in the world

:13:25. > :13:26.

:13:26. > :13:32.are split into two groups of four, this is group be in action. --

:13:32. > :13:37.Group B. Group A tomorrow and we all hope that Andy Murray will be

:13:37. > :13:41.fit enough to play his match against Tomas Berdych. Yesterday he

:13:41. > :13:46.had the trainer Ron court, he was hampered by a groin strain. He has

:13:47. > :13:56.had some treatment, then popped out for some lunch. This is in a few

:13:56. > :14:06.moments ago, going into the locker room. Tomorrow's match will be live

:14:06. > :14:07.

:14:07. > :14:11.on BBC Two and on the BBC H D channel. If Murray does pull-out,

:14:11. > :14:17.there is a chance that Federer could overtake him again in the

:14:17. > :14:21.world rankings. There is plenty of motivation to get back on court

:14:21. > :14:27.tomorrow. He will have to be better than yesterday. That groin strain

:14:27. > :14:32.really hampered his movement. That is what has been happening behind

:14:32. > :14:39.the scenes here with Andy Murray, but let's get back out on the court

:14:39. > :14:49.and rejoined his entertaining match. -- and rejoin this entertaining

:14:49. > :14:50.

:14:50. > :14:57.match. Thank you, Sue. That was not a

:14:57. > :15:01.double bounce, that one. I thought, from the other wrangle behind the

:15:01. > :15:11.court, it looked like there was a double bounce. There might have

:15:11. > :15:19.

:15:19. > :15:22.been. I would trust you rise more Some people have elected not to

:15:22. > :15:32.play in the United Kingdom next year because of the tax situation.

:15:32. > :15:33.

:15:33. > :15:37.Foreign players are being taxed when they play in this country on

:15:37. > :15:40.their worldwide income and it is being done, I think I'm right in

:15:40. > :15:43.saying, on the number of tournaments that you play worldwide

:15:43. > :15:48.and it is related to the number of tournaments you play in this

:15:48. > :15:52.country, so there is a scenario where Nadal comes and plays Queen's

:15:52. > :15:57.and will be receiving an appearance fee, prize money, and he would end

:15:57. > :16:02.up making a loss even if he won the tournament. So that is a percentage

:16:02. > :16:08.of worldwide endorsement and promotional and sponsorship income?

:16:08. > :16:13.Down as a pro rata on the amount of tournaments played in England?

:16:13. > :16:18.is right, and therefore the guys are always going to come and play

:16:18. > :16:23.Wimbledon, and again this tournament is another?, but the

:16:23. > :16:27.incentive for them to play Queen's will be less -- another question

:16:27. > :16:31.Mark. It is not all about money, but I think we have to be looking

:16:31. > :16:35.to support those events, and in the scheme of grass-court tennis, we

:16:35. > :16:39.want to promoted and make it as appealing as possible. Ongoing

:16:39. > :16:48.dialogue between Revenue and Customs -- Revenue and Customs and

:16:48. > :16:58.the tournament organisers. Tim's boards are exempt, so if Barcelona,

:16:58. > :17:02.

:17:02. > :17:12.over here, they are exempt -- team There is an exemption for the

:17:12. > :17:23.

:17:23. > :17:28.Back to the tennis, Tsonga played a great tie-break to get the first

:17:28. > :17:37.set under his belt. The last thing he wants to do is give Fish any

:17:37. > :17:47.encouragement at this early stage Now not finding the mark with his

:17:47. > :17:57.

:17:57. > :18:03.He is prone to lapses in concentration, isn't he? But he is

:18:03. > :18:13.as likely to serve dismay -- his way out of this situation as he is

:18:13. > :18:13.

:18:14. > :18:18.UMPIRE: Tsonga has challenged the call.

:18:18. > :18:25.You never really want to challenge on your own serve because it can

:18:25. > :18:35.disrupt your rhythm. It was just out, now he has had to wait. Second

:18:35. > :18:57.

:18:57. > :19:02.A strong response from Mardy Fish, 30 next month. I guess we should

:19:02. > :19:09.wish Boris Becker a happy birthday today. Born in 67, so what is he?

:19:09. > :19:19.44. Looking good on it. Apart from his broken ankle. He has got six

:19:19. > :19:25.

:19:25. > :19:35.screws in that angle. There is She came in today looking of it,

:19:35. > :19:35.

:19:35. > :21:07.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 54 seconds

:21:07. > :21:12.signed a few autographs, a lovely It saw Todd emphasises the point

:21:12. > :21:17.why you don't feel in control of the match, because indeed previous

:21:17. > :21:27.game, Tsonga missed four shots, four unforced errors, suddenly in

:21:27. > :21:49.

:21:49. > :21:53.It is one of the most frustrating things that can happen. You get a

:21:53. > :22:01.0-30 opportunity, second serve, the third time he has missed one in

:22:01. > :22:11.this match, it is one of those things a professional hates to give.

:22:11. > :22:50.

:22:50. > :23:00.Getting closer to Christmas, but UMPIRE: Game, Tsonga.

:23:00. > :23:02.

:23:02. > :23:10.Just amazingly lucky on the return. Saw it was short, followed in, and

:23:10. > :23:20.then look at the grip. Just got enough of the strings. That is a

:23:20. > :23:25.

:23:25. > :23:35.lovely shot, isn't it? So graceful. 16 stone of honed athlete, that. No

:23:35. > :23:40.

:23:40. > :23:49.wonder you retired after you lost It was your last match, wasn't it,

:23:49. > :23:54.2007? My last match on the tour, yes, at the US Open, when I lost to

:23:54. > :24:04.Tsonga in two sets. Were you done by then? I had the Davis Cup to go,

:24:04. > :24:04.

:24:04. > :26:15.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 54 seconds

:26:15. > :26:25.Looking forward to hanging up my UMPIRE: Game, song there. -- song

:26:25. > :26:34.

:26:34. > :26:43.there. GNU balls, please. -- New There were 14 regional trials house

:26:43. > :26:47.during the spring for the Barclays Ball Boys. They came down to a

:26:47. > :26:53.selection in it may in London. Boris Becker was one of the people

:26:53. > :27:03.who hand-picked the final furtive. If you fancy having a go at this,

:27:03. > :27:06.

:27:06. > :27:13.you can -- the final 30. You can It is a funny match, this, isn't

:27:13. > :27:18.it? Now and again it catches fire. I think it is very unpredictable.

:27:18. > :27:22.You see that from the first service game in the second set, Tsonga

:27:22. > :27:28.makes four errors and in the next two games he regains his

:27:28. > :27:38.consistency, his explosive power, and his back hitting the ball well

:27:38. > :27:44.

:27:44. > :27:49.It is a must-win match for both players. These two in their groups

:27:49. > :27:54.lost that first ones. Federer beat Tsonga, and Nadal defeated Mardy

:27:54. > :28:04.Fish in a final set tie-break. Later on here it will be Federer-

:28:04. > :28:09.

:28:09. > :28:13.Nadal. 5 Live Sports Extra for that But the loser of this match knows

:28:14. > :28:23.they will probably be going home. I don't know what the exact masses,

:28:24. > :28:24.

:28:24. > :29:27.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 54 seconds

:29:27. > :29:37.but it is almost guaranteed. -- Amazing to get this angle with this

:29:37. > :30:00.

:30:00. > :30:06.If you had to pick a nationality based on a playing style, you would

:30:06. > :30:16.say French, wouldn't you? In most sports! It is true, isn't it? So

:30:16. > :30:47.

:30:47. > :30:57.7 Briton minutes ago, Fish was up a break-in Miss set. Three games like

:30:57. > :30:59.

:30:59. > :31:09.this and he is just a passenger. -- Seven or eight minutes ago. Now he

:31:09. > :31:41.

:31:41. > :31:48.has two points to walk a break. -- UMPIRE: Tsonga is challenging the

:31:48. > :31:57.call. Fish is putting a lot more top spin

:31:57. > :32:06.on it to get the ball sure to rock the court. It is wider. That is

:32:06. > :32:16.amazing. He just missed it. Now he has to hit a second serve when he

:32:16. > :32:28.

:32:28. > :32:38.is down break point. That was lovely. The deck was everything on

:32:38. > :32:55.

:32:55. > :33:05.that. He looks a bit cross now. -- Fish may be using that a wide one a

:33:05. > :33:34.

:33:34. > :33:44.Mum and dad are smiling a bit more now. This is poetry in motion, this

:33:44. > :34:14.

:34:14. > :34:24.one. He has picked his target in Oops! No real choice there from the

:34:24. > :34:25.

:34:25. > :34:35.umpire. It slipped 0 with the sweat. He is a lucky boy. If that bounces

:34:35. > :34:35.

:34:35. > :35:17.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 54 seconds

:35:17. > :35:27.up and hits the line judge he is It is overwhelming tennis, isn't it,

:35:27. > :35:49.

:35:49. > :35:53.from Tsonga? So control. -- If you were trying to help Tsonga,

:35:53. > :35:59.you would show him the first game of the second set and say, do not

:35:59. > :36:09.do this, then you were shown in the next four games and say, do this.

:36:09. > :36:09.

:36:09. > :36:55.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 54 seconds

:36:55. > :37:02.And then you would show him the This determination has

:37:02. > :37:12.characterised Fish's season. You never know what is going to happen.

:37:12. > :37:12.

:37:12. > :38:31.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 54 seconds

:38:31. > :38:36.That is what has taken him up into SUE BARKER: The Frenchman is in

:38:36. > :38:42.charge. While the players changed ends I will take this opportunity

:38:42. > :38:47.to remind you that our coverage on BBC Two ends in about ten minutes.

:38:47. > :38:52.You will still be able to follow the match on the BBC HD channel.

:38:52. > :39:02.You can also continue on the red button. About ten minutes to go if

:39:02. > :39:04.

:39:04. > :39:13.At the moment it is difficult to see how Fish can get back into this

:39:13. > :39:17.match. He has had a hamstring problems but he has been getting

:39:17. > :39:24.treatment in London and seems to have been enjoying himself in this

:39:24. > :39:34.tournament. If he loses this one, he has only one to play and that is

:39:34. > :39:36.

:39:37. > :39:41.against Roger Federer. Tough, isn't it? Tsonga will feel that, if he

:39:41. > :39:51.can get this one out of the way, he can make it to the semi-finals.

:39:51. > :39:54.

:39:54. > :40:01.Just two from each group to go through. Nadal and Federer have one

:40:01. > :40:11.of the best rivalries in sport. I think, on present form, court

:40:11. > :40:15.

:40:15. > :40:25.conditions, I would favour Federer. But you can never write off Rafa.

:40:25. > :40:25.

:40:25. > :41:30.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 54 seconds

:41:30. > :41:39.They have played a lot more on clay That is one of the shots of the

:41:39. > :41:43.year. That is unbelievable. He just hooked it back. There is an ability.

:41:43. > :41:48.And when you hit a volley as good as that, you cover the line because

:41:48. > :41:58.you say to yourself that you cannot get across the court. A phenomenal

:41:58. > :41:58.

:41:58. > :43:29.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 54 seconds

:43:29. > :43:34.Tsonga is just content to soak up the pressure there. He is probably

:43:34. > :43:44.a better player when he is going for it. He looked like he was

:43:44. > :44:17.

:44:17. > :44:24.This time the error does come. He is that a set and 5-1. -- he is at.

:44:24. > :44:34.Remember that Nadal beat Fish in three sets. It would seem that

:44:34. > :44:34.

:44:34. > :45:56.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 54 seconds

:45:56. > :46:02.Tsonga is about to polish off a SUE BARKER: Apologies to viewers on

:46:02. > :46:06.BBC Two. We have to leave this match. You can continue to watch on