Day 3: Tsonga v Fish Tennis: World Tour Finals

Good afternoon and welcome once again to the Barclays ATP World

Tour Finals. Group B is back in action today and coming up this

afternoon we have Mardy Fish against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. It is a

must-when match if they want to get to the semi-final. That is in a few

minutes, but yesterday at this point we were talking about Andy

Murray having his best season to date. 24-hours later, it is a

different story. He has an injury that could end his season

prematurely. He had the trainer on at the end of the first set. He

battled on, his movement was hampered and his serve was not at

the usual high standard. He was beaten in straight sets by David

Ferrer. He was just too good yesterday. There are questions

about whether he will carry on because, in the press conference

after the match, he mentioned that he may have to withdraw from the

tournament. The managing director of the event joins us. Chris, what

is the latest as far as Andy is concerned? I thought he was hitting

the ball might really well. Some of the shots that he hit were the

hardest forehands I have seen. He was not as good as he has been over

the last six months. David Ferrer is the worst player to play when

you feel like that. It was a very tough match. He is not in the top

four, but he is a player that none of the top players want to play. It

was much tougher than people thought. I spoke to him this

morning, he is going to wake up and see how he goes. He can inform us

right up until tomorrow. I have a feeling he will play, but we will

wait and see. The fact that he said it was asked drain that he picked

up over a week ago does not bode well, does it? -- a strain. I think

you cannot read anything into any comments or what happened in the

past. You have to take today and see what happens. We hope he comes

out to play. The advantage of this event is that it is the top eight

players in the world. Every match up his brilliant, but obviously we

want him to play. With the top eight There are no

easy matches, are there? If they were to withdraw, what is the

scenario? We have an Alternate, Janko Tipsarevic has had his best

season. He is waiting. If Andy pulls out, Janko Tipsarevic will

play. If Andy pulls out in the match, which I don't think he will,

but if he did, Janko Tipsarevic would play their last match on

Friday. Tim, you have been in this

situation, haven't you? Yes, in Hanover in Germany. I do not think

I was necessarily the first quarter net. -- alternate. I happened to be

in London, I got the call at lunchtime, flew straight to Hanover

and ended up playing one match. There are a lot of unknowns at this

stage. Andy will obviously want to take as long as he can and give

himself the best opportunity of retiring, and then make his

decision at the last moment. That is not ideal for Chris and the

tournament, or for Janko Tipsarevic if he is coming in, but he has to

give himself that best chance if he is fit. Luckily, he is still in the

tournament. Also, the way he played yesterday, he will need to be

better than that to take on the likes of Tomas Berdych and Djokovic.

Obviously, but that will be dictated by his injury. He was up a

break of serve, but we focused a lot on his first serve percentage.

That was down all the time, and I think that was related to the

injury. We can see him arriving today. He does not really benefit

from going out and hitting balls. He has had enough balls in his life

and enough this year. -- he has hit enough. You do not think he would

even try to practise today? I don't think so. What does he have to

gain? He could test the injury. think he could tested tomorrow. --

test it tomorrow. You have at a 24- hours ahead of you, haven't you?

The yes. But it is just a brilliant atmosphere here. We have this match

coming up, Mardy Fish and Jo- Wilfried Tsonga. Tsonga was a

finalist at Queen's, played against Andy Murray, beat Federer at

Wimbledon. Hugely charismatic French player, the best season he

has ever had. Both players need to win this match so it will be

competitive. Tonight we have Nadal and Federer playing. We have a long

way to go. Every match is a great match in

this format. This arena is lovely. And you have a great crowd.

Incredible crowd. I have friends who have come here who have never

seen live tennis before. The one thing they do not realise, in this

setting, is how dynamic and physical the game is and the

loudness of the ball being hit. It is attracting not just tennis fans

but sports fans. I think it is definitely the best the rat in

men's tennis we have ever had. -- the best period. Four top marquee

names in one period. It is great. We appreciate your time coming up

here. You are a very busy man. I hope it works out for you and Andy

tomorrow. Tim, we have this match to look forward to and the players

are getting ready. It is a must- when match if they are going to

make it to the semi-final. Very much so. That is the beauty of this

format. They both lost in their opening matches but they have both

had opportunities to win. There is nothing wrong with their games but

they know they have to come out and keep the tournament alive. I enjoy

watching both of these guys playing. They both have an attacking element.

They are both a little unpredictable. I am sure we're

going to see a lot of exciting tennis has up it has been the end

of an era with Mardy Fish being the top right American. It is no longer

a Andy Roddick. It is a reflection of what a great

here he has had. It is a great achievement, certainly, at this

stage. Agreed couple of years, in a way,

for Mardy Fish. He has reassessed his approach to the game. He has a

new fitness trainer, he has lost a lot of weight.

We will just pause for the introduction.

MUSIC: "London Calling" by The Clash.

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Ladies and gentlemen, Jo-Wilfried SUE BARKER: The players are on

court and about to get under way. This is group be in action today.

Tsonga against Fish. And then tonight we will have Rafael Nadal

against Roger Federer. They both came through in three sex from

their matches on Sunday. -- 3 sets. Novak Djokovic went right down to

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

there is no wind to worry about. Djokovic came through against Tomas

Berdych yesterday. We can see how he saved that match point against

Berdych. It happened at 6-5 on the He missed what look like an

elementary forehand. He got the shot that he wanted and then just

do it really did not pull the trigger. And you do not get many

chances, do you, against the world No. 1? He won that game and totally

dominated the match. You can see by Djokovic's reaction at the end.

There was a huge amount of relief. Djokovic has struggled with his

shoulder, his game was a little patchy at the start. It is the sign

of a great champion, he won when he was not at his best. From birdied's

point of view he will be frustrated. His game is in good shape, he is

playing Murray. He will believe that he is still very much in the

tournament. Talking about Murray's injury,

Djokovic has had a massive problem with his shoulder. It is like a

scene out of Casualty. It is. If you can play three tough sets

against Rafa Nadal and end up losing 7-6 in the third, I am sure

that will help with a few of his doubts. He will really have to be

fully fit today. Tsonga is not someone you can take lightly so it

will be interesting to see who comes out on top. This surface is

tough to play on. It is impossible to play if you have a significant

injury because the surface is quite sticky, you really have to pick up

your feet. The rallies are not always going to be short. Most

importantly, you're playing against the other best players in the world

and you really have to be firing on all cylinders. I think Fish will be

slightly disappointed because, again, he had an opportunity

against Nadal. That was probably one of the toughest matches of this

group. This is one where he will feel he has chances.

We talk about Tsonga and his flair, when he is good he is really good.

That is right. He did not really sure up in the first set against

Federer, but Federer played very well. He got a break of serve early

in the second then dominated. Then it was nip and tuck in the first

nine games. He was playing some great tennis. Then he missed a very

easy forehand volley, makes an unforced error and then suddenly he

is 0-40. That is not a good position against Federer. The

person who wins this match is right back in contention.

Federer and Nadal have won in three sets. Is there a danger that either

of them might not make the semi- finals? With this format, we have

had our calculators out in the past, and this year will be no different.

Tsonga won so many fans at Wimbledon during the summer. His

match with Federer was in lots of ways the match of the tournament.

Federer was up two sets. Tsonga is one of the very few players where

Federer does not miss his family feel in control because of his

explosive power. He can make life difficult for you with his serve

and his forehand. When he has those hot streaks, as he did at Wimbledon,

the final three sets, Federer did not do a lot wrong. He did not have

a break point in the final four sets. It could be a close one today

if they head to head is anything to go by. Tsonga must also be tough to

Tough to coach, so much so that he does not have a coach! I think it

is a balancing act. Who could take him on? I think again it is one of

those scenarios where probably working and travelling with

somebody part-time, I don't think he would react so well if he had

somebody there 24-7. He has to be looking to hit the first serve,

keep an eye on his first serve percentage, then looking to

dominate with his forehand. His backhand is not the best,

technically, and he does not want to hit too many of them, he wants

to use his athletic ability and dominate with his forehand. S years

ago when Andy Murray did not have a coach, everybody said, he has to

find a coach, but Tsonga, do you think he should have a coach?

Probably not at the moment. There is no right or wrong, it is about

what the individual wants, and there was a Swiss player that did

not do too badly without a coach for about four or five years! It is

finding what works best for years. He won indoors, he won in Vienna,

in the final in Paris, so he has been playing very, very well. He

did not play badly in his first match in. As far as Mardy Fish is

concerned, we talked a few years ago about this, he made a

commitment to tennis, got a super fit, lost a lot of weight. That is

right, and look at the impact on his game. He is moving so much

better, and I think it has made him more explosive moving forward. He

is looking to finish the point at the net. He has a good volleying

technique, a good first serve, and I think when you look at the match-

up, Fish has got to make sure that he is explicit in his game. If

Tsonga is dominating him and he is doing the running, that does not

suit him. Absolutely. As far as world rankings go, it is the top

eight that are here. Janko Tipsarevic is the world number nine,

he will be sitting, possibly practising harder today than he

would... With all due respect he is probably hoping a few people to

list their ankles and smack he is ready to go out and play. He is

itching to get out if he can. is your money on? I would go for

Tsonga. We will see. It promises to be a great match. Enjoy it with us.

Andrew Castle is already in the commentary box.

ANDREW CASTLE: Good afternoon, this is an intense match, as you said.

Some of the afternoon crowd will be disappointed not to see one of the

big four, if you well, Djokovic, Nadal, Murray, Federer, but I think

this has the makings of a match well worth watching. There is a lot

on the line, not least the $120,000, about �70,000, for each match win

in the round-robin stages. But it is not about that for these guys,

it is about keeping alive the chances of getting to the semi-

final of this event. Just the top eight in the world, every match is

a top one. Mardy Fish serving to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Must-win for

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A bit of a war mob drill, wasn't It should be an attractive match to

watch, people should be at the net, it is not so much a Murray-Ferrer

contest, with both of them grinding from the back of the court. That is

right, there is definitely an unpredictability about both of

He has showed a lot of variety this year, Tsonga, on the backhand side.

If he has enough time to get both hands on it, that is his favourite

shot, but he has been hitting a lot of one-handed backhand passes as

well. A couple of break points here, this would not be a good start for

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That is a donation from the racket Certainly a donation. I would

question his strategy early on in that rally, always going to the

Fish backhand. Fish has a great two-handed backhand, but something

of a suspect forehand so I would be looking to target the forehand side

It was the forehand side that let Mardy Fish down in the final tie-

break against Rafael Nadal putt days ago has. Just in the tie-break

at the end, it went -- two days ago. Third break point in his opening

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Got a relatively short reply off that second serve, and getting good

Fish's game-plan he has to be looking to end the point at the net,

take time away from Tsonga. If they get into this baseline exchanges, I

Well, it wasn't a bad location for the serve, they had a bit of work

on it, he elected to get the first serve in, but Tsonga had enough

time. Just picking him off down the line. A nicely played point. For a

point to finish a first game, that is as good as it comes for Tsonga.

It emphasises the fact that, in most events, you have got to come

out firing, but when you are playing against the best eight

players in the world to have to be ready to go, and Fish lost his

first service game against Nadal, and lost his first service game

here, so he will look to break back Tsonga has got that same sort of

touch and feel from the old days, really. He reminds me a little bit

of Nastase, the way he walks around slightly pigeon-toed, it's sort of

roles around the court. A fabulous athlete to watch in real life -- he

He does not like a coach in his life, as you were saying in the

studio. He does not want the structure, somebody put in anything

into his head. There is probably a lot going on in there anyway, he

likes to keep his like simple, play with flag, his own flat. And it has

been working. He is up to six in the world -- he likes to play with

That is the sort of drop shot that would give a coach a small kitten!

He does not need a coach to tell him this was the wrong shot, and it

was poor execution as well. When you have a guy that volleys well,

you do not want to give him too He lost his last service game out

here in the first match, Sunday afternoon against Roger Federer,

with a double fault, a Mr volley and a couple of other things, and

it was over quickly. -- a missed volley. This game has not look too

UMPIRE: Game, Fish. Since March of last year, Mardy

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

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I think Fish was reluctant to challenge the ball in the middle of

the rally because he felt he was in control of the point. It was only a

split-second later that he was hitting a half volley into the net.

You can never criticise an umpire for not calling a ball. That is

That wasn't good again, was it? It was too high. With these strings it

is quite hard to control the ball. You don't get a great deal of touch

and feel. Tsonga is not a field Double fault. The first one was out.

Why can't anyone hold serve? don't think really the server is

imposing their style on their service games. His Fish trying to

serve and volley, looking to come in on his second shot? Too many

Just to put this event into perspective, this is the top eight

in the world. Two groups of four, the play a round robin. These are

the big ones on the regular ATP World Tour. These are the masters

1,000 see these events. It starts with Indian Wells in Miami --

Indian Wells and Miami. Nadal beat Ferrer in Monte Carlo. Djokovic

beat Nadal on clay back-to- back in Madrid. Then it was Montreal and

the hard courts. Fish has seen action in the final at this level.

So does Tsonga. Andy Murray won in Cincinnati on the hard court. It

was against Djokovic, who was not at his best. Was it a retirement?

No, it was a capitulation I think. It has been an absolute domination

this year from the top four players in the world at the big nine events.

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Everyone has been in a final as Certainly some good tennis. If I

were Mardy Fish I would want African match hitting me with his

backhand rather than his forehand. His backhand can be more

inconsistent. Once he gets his nose in front in a game, especially when

he is serving, he is likely to He chose tennis when he went to a

local club at the age of eight. There is Tim Phillips, the former

chairman of the All-England Club. Tsonga gets so much of his athletic

ability from his dad who was a brilliant African handball player

who went over to France in the 70s A good illustration of how Fish's

movement has improved in the last couple of years. A lot more

attention to his diet, lost a lot of weight, quicker around the court.

Cutting the cakes out always helps as well. He never eats anything

after his evening meal. None of this having a ploughman's before

It is terrible - no food after your evening meal. No ice cream or

We already have our first gluten- free Grand Slam champion with Novak

Djokovic. I spoke to Venus Williams last week, she is on the steamed

vegetables as well. She is looking Mardy holds to keep himself in it.

Venus Williams is totally up for next year. She is ranked 101 in the

world. She says that her body and her have been fighting each other

for so long and she has not understood why she got so tired and

was losing concentration. She thinks she has got to the bottom of

it. She is very happy off court with her business and her fashion

design house that she is very involved with. The women's game has

lacked a little identity, I think, in the last 12 to 18 months. It was

dominated by the Williams sisters. It was great to see Kim Clijsters

coming back and winning more Grand Slams. I think it will be a great

challenge for the Williams sisters to see if they can get back to the

top of the game. It will also be a great challenge for the other women

players to see if they can keep them away from the top of the game.

Petra Kvitova had a fantastic end to the year. She looked stunning.

Wimbledon champion? The way she is hitting the ball, she looks like

one of the greats. This year just this event and the Davis Cup final.

Spain against France and it is in Seville. Spain and Argentina.

do I always get things wrong? It is a brilliant serve. You look

where Tsonga throws the ball back up. It is very difficult for the

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Just amazing strength and athleticism from Tsonga, to go for

What a boost it was for him to beat Federer from two sets down in the

quarter finals of Wimbledon, because at his own Championships,

the French, three weeks earlier, he lost a two set lead and was so

disappointed at the end of that. A nice touch at the net from Fish

I think win or lose I would like to see Fish finish more points at the

net. If he is at the net, he is at least play the match on his terms.

Tsonga must be difficult to play against. You never know what he

UMPIRE: Game, Fish. New balls, That was Fish's wife, the architect

of the weight loss programme. the one to achieve your potential,

the way to do it is to get fit. When he was asked why she had never

set it before, he said, well, she loves me and love 10 the way he was.

But she is smart and said, this is the way you can improve -- and she

loved him the way he was. I'm sure he wishes he had done it a few

years earlier because it has transformed his results, improved

his movement so much. At the end of your career, you want to say you

have achieved everything you could achieve, and I feel that he has

done that now, and there is plenty more to come. Who are you playing

at the Albert Hall next week? not quite sure. Greg Rusedski has

pulled out? He has pulled out, I was training five times a day

getting ready for him! I am sure they will find a replacement.

Perhaps Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or can hang about for a week? That would

be fun, wouldn't it? I'm looking for someone with a bit more power

than him! I think McEnroe is going to be there as well. It's fabulous

event has a slightly different turn to next week. -- this fabulous

He talks about the ball toss on the last point of this service game,

there he throws it up in the same place, hits it 135 down the middle.

This is what Federer was talking about, sometimes Tsonga can win

I think I am right in saying in the match with Federer at Wimbledon,

Federer broke Tsonga in his first service game of the match and did

not have another break point for the whole of the rest of the match.

UMPIRE: Tsonga leads by five games There is another one you could play

Sebastian Grosjean beat me at Queen's and Wimbledon in the same

They are just confirming the call. UMPIRE: Mardy Fish has challenged a

Two challenge is allowed over the course of a set. If you are right,

You get no credit for your good calls. You make one mistake, the

cameras are on you. At least you don't get Paul off the court! --

pulled. It sounds like Mardy Fish is having

a bit of a go at the umpire. could say, but it is your answer.

They are having a bit of a dig at teacher there, aren't they? -- a

There is no doubt that some of the umpires and players, there is

different chemistry on court. They find themselves in the same arena

in a lot of different places in the world in a stressful environment,

and some light each other more than And actually the umpire is the only

person, he's still having a bit of a go at him... Instead of just

saying it was too close to call, Challenger 2 not, you say it was

out? -- challenge it all knocked. For me, it is out. So you think it

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

that you cannot trust them because you say something like that. How

can I be sure you are right there and there if I know for a fact you

are wrong there. All the time we say to you guys, it is players,

from here, it is difficult to see. It is easy for me... But if you are

not 100% sure, why would you say that? That is why I said I can be

wrong, like I was wrong in that. You could be wrung every time.

could be wrong every time. -- you could be wrong. It is just honest

answers. I will not call anything, I will not answer anything to use.

You are not calling anything. soon as you ask me, I am calling.

You are wasting energy, Mardi! -- Mardy! Time out! Handbags, please.

The players' only real outlet on the court is the umpire. I think

Mardy Fish got up and said, I still think you are a great guy. At the

end of the day, the umpire admits he made a mistake. He said he

thought it was out, and he got it wrong. But I think Fish just

looking for an outlet for some of He has played a good first point.

He just needed to have a chat with somebody it. From the umpire's

point of view, they are between a rock and a hard place because if he

always says, I am not quite sure, you feel he's just sitting in the

chair calling the score and the players want more than that. But he

has made a decision and got it A bit of tension out there now

after a heavy first serve. The volley got wrapped around that

frame and it was a way. The right Now it is a choice for Fish, does

he go down the middle or throw one That was a wonderful return of

He picked the direction of the Tsonga serve, and he was rarely on

Biggest serve of the match so far, maybe of the tournament so far. 140

That's the break. And that was a bit of a lapse from the Frenchman,

but credit to Mardy Fish. He learned it all from me, that is his

dad. I tell you, Fish should argue with the umpire more often! It has

fired him up for the game. What is that? Four breaks of serve in this

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That was a good first serve from Fish. That is a volley, isn't it?

You don't see that very often these days. The racquet head went through,

It is like watching a Tim Henman match out there, all the volleying.

You would have to see a couple of drop volleys, if that were to be

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That is very strong play and good concentration from Mardy Fish, who

was clearly downhearted and upset with a couple of things only five

minutes ago. How quickly it can turn around. What is right about

this forehand, Tin? -- Tim? What is right about it? I think it has

improved because it foot work has got better. -- his footwork. The

most important aspect is where he is finishing. If he can use that to

get himself in position at the net then he is going to make his game

plan a good one. There is a natural TV person! Performing when the

camera is on. Why aren't you at school? There is some excellent

tennis to be seen here. Two more years here for these finals after

this. I guess a decision will be made about where it will go next of

whether it will stay here at that point back. It really could not be

more impressively staged at the O2 Arena. It will have to be a good

bid to get it away from here, isn't There are some tax considerations.

Some of the guys are not happy I think we will have that debate at

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the change of ends. Change of ends After the disappointment of serving

for this set, he has done well to settle down. Look how we see that

game was. He will be thinking, why could I not have done that a couple

UMPIRE: Tsonga is challenging the call on the right hand baseline.

I thought Fish's serve was out. It did not get cold. -- it did not get

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It is so difficult, isn't it? You cannot just floated. Coming to the

net is the right plan. -- you It is why people are not following

so much these days, isn't it? The power that can be generated a --

generated towards a target, it is Devastating serving in this tie-

Please support to be continuous, but everyone always stops, don't

they? -- play is supposed to be. A crucial point, this one. If he

loses this, suddenly it is only 4-3 with Fish to serve. A very

At great effort from Mardy Fish. -- a great effort. He was always

chasing here, wasn't he? He was never in control. That actually

Well, we will argue about that some other time. Fish needs the next two

79 mph and he hasn't moved his feet and he puts it into the tramlines.

It is a donation that will be Tsonga has failed to make a Mardy

Fish player ball con los two points. If he wins these two points, Tsonga,

he wins the set. Fish is just one good hit away from getting back

into this. Tsonga is two aces away That is just what you want to see

going around the place, isn't it, UMPIRE: Game and the first set,

Tsonga. SUE BARKER: Are a reminder of the

format of how these finals work. The top eight players in the world

are split into two groups of four, this is group be in action. --

Group B. Group A tomorrow and we all hope that Andy Murray will be

fit enough to play his match against Tomas Berdych. Yesterday he

had the trainer Ron court, he was hampered by a groin strain. He has

had some treatment, then popped out for some lunch. This is in a few

moments ago, going into the locker room. Tomorrow's match will be live

on BBC Two and on the BBC H D channel. If Murray does pull-out,

there is a chance that Federer could overtake him again in the

world rankings. There is plenty of motivation to get back on court

tomorrow. He will have to be better than yesterday. That groin strain

really hampered his movement. That is what has been happening behind

the scenes here with Andy Murray, but let's get back out on the court

and rejoined his entertaining match. -- and rejoin this entertaining

match. Thank you, Sue. That was not a

double bounce, that one. I thought, from the other wrangle behind the

court, it looked like there was a double bounce. There might have

been. I would trust you rise more Some people have elected not to

play in the United Kingdom next year because of the tax situation.

Foreign players are being taxed when they play in this country on

their worldwide income and it is being done, I think I'm right in

saying, on the number of tournaments that you play worldwide

and it is related to the number of tournaments you play in this

country, so there is a scenario where Nadal comes and plays Queen's

and will be receiving an appearance fee, prize money, and he would end

up making a loss even if he won the tournament. So that is a percentage

of worldwide endorsement and promotional and sponsorship income?

Down as a pro rata on the amount of tournaments played in England?

is right, and therefore the guys are always going to come and play

Wimbledon, and again this tournament is another?, but the

incentive for them to play Queen's will be less -- another question

Mark. It is not all about money, but I think we have to be looking

to support those events, and in the scheme of grass-court tennis, we

want to promoted and make it as appealing as possible. Ongoing

dialogue between Revenue and Customs -- Revenue and Customs and

the tournament organisers. Tim's boards are exempt, so if Barcelona,

over here, they are exempt -- team There is an exemption for the

Back to the tennis, Tsonga played a great tie-break to get the first

set under his belt. The last thing he wants to do is give Fish any

encouragement at this early stage Now not finding the mark with his

He is prone to lapses in concentration, isn't he? But he is

as likely to serve dismay -- his way out of this situation as he is

UMPIRE: Tsonga has challenged the call.

You never really want to challenge on your own serve because it can

disrupt your rhythm. It was just out, now he has had to wait. Second

A strong response from Mardy Fish, 30 next month. I guess we should

wish Boris Becker a happy birthday today. Born in 67, so what is he?

44. Looking good on it. Apart from his broken ankle. He has got six

screws in that angle. There is She came in today looking of it,

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signed a few autographs, a lovely It saw Todd emphasises the point

why you don't feel in control of the match, because indeed previous

game, Tsonga missed four shots, four unforced errors, suddenly in

It is one of the most frustrating things that can happen. You get a

0-30 opportunity, second serve, the third time he has missed one in

this match, it is one of those things a professional hates to give.

Getting closer to Christmas, but UMPIRE: Game, Tsonga.

Just amazingly lucky on the return. Saw it was short, followed in, and

then look at the grip. Just got enough of the strings. That is a

lovely shot, isn't it? So graceful. 16 stone of honed athlete, that. No

wonder you retired after you lost It was your last match, wasn't it,

2007? My last match on the tour, yes, at the US Open, when I lost to

Tsonga in two sets. Were you done by then? I had the Davis Cup to go,

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Looking forward to hanging up my UMPIRE: Game, song there. -- song

there. GNU balls, please. -- New There were 14 regional trials house

during the spring for the Barclays Ball Boys. They came down to a

selection in it may in London. Boris Becker was one of the people

who hand-picked the final furtive. If you fancy having a go at this,

you can -- the final 30. You can It is a funny match, this, isn't

it? Now and again it catches fire. I think it is very unpredictable.

You see that from the first service game in the second set, Tsonga

makes four errors and in the next two games he regains his

consistency, his explosive power, and his back hitting the ball well

It is a must-win match for both players. These two in their groups

lost that first ones. Federer beat Tsonga, and Nadal defeated Mardy

Fish in a final set tie-break. Later on here it will be Federer-

Nadal. 5 Live Sports Extra for that But the loser of this match knows

they will probably be going home. I don't know what the exact masses,

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but it is almost guaranteed. -- Amazing to get this angle with this

If you had to pick a nationality based on a playing style, you would

say French, wouldn't you? In most sports! It is true, isn't it? So

7 Briton minutes ago, Fish was up a break-in Miss set. Three games like

this and he is just a passenger. -- Seven or eight minutes ago. Now he

has two points to walk a break. -- UMPIRE: Tsonga is challenging the

call. Fish is putting a lot more top spin

on it to get the ball sure to rock the court. It is wider. That is

amazing. He just missed it. Now he has to hit a second serve when he

is down break point. That was lovely. The deck was everything on

that. He looks a bit cross now. -- Fish may be using that a wide one a

Mum and dad are smiling a bit more now. This is poetry in motion, this

one. He has picked his target in Oops! No real choice there from the

umpire. It slipped 0 with the sweat. He is a lucky boy. If that bounces

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up and hits the line judge he is It is overwhelming tennis, isn't it,

from Tsonga? So control. -- If you were trying to help Tsonga,

you would show him the first game of the second set and say, do not

do this, then you were shown in the next four games and say, do this.

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And then you would show him the This determination has

characterised Fish's season. You never know what is going to happen.

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That is what has taken him up into SUE BARKER: The Frenchman is in

charge. While the players changed ends I will take this opportunity

to remind you that our coverage on BBC Two ends in about ten minutes.

You will still be able to follow the match on the BBC HD channel.

You can also continue on the red button. About ten minutes to go if

At the moment it is difficult to see how Fish can get back into this

match. He has had a hamstring problems but he has been getting

treatment in London and seems to have been enjoying himself in this

tournament. If he loses this one, he has only one to play and that is

against Roger Federer. Tough, isn't it? Tsonga will feel that, if he

can get this one out of the way, he can make it to the semi-finals.

Just two from each group to go through. Nadal and Federer have one

of the best rivalries in sport. I think, on present form, court

conditions, I would favour Federer. But you can never write off Rafa.

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They have played a lot more on clay That is one of the shots of the

year. That is unbelievable. He just hooked it back. There is an ability.

And when you hit a volley as good as that, you cover the line because

you say to yourself that you cannot get across the court. A phenomenal

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Tsonga is just content to soak up the pressure there. He is probably

a better player when he is going for it. He looked like he was

This time the error does come. He is that a set and 5-1. -- he is at.

Remember that Nadal beat Fish in three sets. It would seem that

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Tsonga is about to polish off a SUE BARKER: Apologies to viewers on

BBC Two. We have to leave this match. You can continue to watch on