:00:34. > :00:38.It began with two groups of four, and B, featuring the top eight
:00:38. > :00:44.players in the world. On the third day, number three fell, giving way
:00:44. > :00:50.to injury, and was replaced by number nine. On the 5th day, number
:00:50. > :00:56.two was toppled and on Day 6, number-one went. Now, just four
:00:56. > :01:04.remain. Tonight, six plays seven as a Tsonga takes on Berdych. But for
:01:04. > :01:10.now, our focus in on number four and number five, Federer first is
:01:10. > :01:14.Ferrer, for a place in the final. - - Federer versus Ferrer. For one, a
:01:14. > :01:18.place in the final, for the other, fare well.
:01:18. > :01:22.Roger Federer is a five-time winner of this event. He will reaches 100
:01:23. > :01:28.tour final if he wins today. He is on a 15 match winning streak and
:01:28. > :01:32.has beaten his opponent today 11 times. Not bad for numbers, is it?
:01:32. > :01:36.Federer has been the man in form this week. Rightly so, he came in
:01:36. > :01:40.on the back of the winning streak and has looked incredible the way
:01:40. > :01:46.he has played. The match against Nadal was probably the best tennis
:01:46. > :01:49.I have ever seen. He was a bit distracted against Fish, knowing he
:01:49. > :01:53.was through to the semi-final, but I think he will be focused on the
:01:53. > :01:57.job in hand and I do not think there will be many people betting
:01:57. > :02:02.Ferrer is going to get his first win. The locker room has been like
:02:02. > :02:07.a scene from Casualty to that the week, and yet Federer just moved
:02:07. > :02:11.right through it. He knows how to handle his schedule, he took time
:02:11. > :02:20.off after Australia after using -- after losing the semi-final of the
:02:20. > :02:24.Open. This match winning streak takes him back to that US Open, and
:02:24. > :02:29.you expect him to cut through from here. If he wins this, he goes
:02:29. > :02:37.above Murray in the rankings. And I think it matters. The players are
:02:37. > :02:44.on their way, but to come firm group and a, we did not know he was
:02:44. > :02:48.coming through, but Tomas Berdych finishes top of the group and David
:02:49. > :02:52.Ferrer his second. In Group B, Roger Federer has been Supreme and
:02:52. > :02:56.Jo-Wilfried Tsonga comes through. The semi-final line-up for today,
:02:56. > :03:01.Federer against added Ferrer, the player we thought would win the
:03:01. > :03:07.grip, and Tomas Berdych against Jo- Wilfried Tsonga tonight. Here they
:03:07. > :03:12.come, I think David Ferrer is going -- it is going to be so tough for
:03:12. > :03:22.him. He was on until late last night. He has to pick himself up
:03:22. > :03:27.
:03:27. > :03:37.physically and mentally for this M C MUSIC: "London Calling" by The
:03:37. > :03:57.
:03:57. > :04:02.MC: The winner of 16 Grand Slam titles, the five tinier end ATP
:04:02. > :04:12.World Tour No. 1, the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals defending
:04:12. > :04:12.
:04:12. > :04:22.champion, from Switzerland, Roger MUSIC: "London Calling" by The
:04:22. > :04:47.
:04:47. > :04:52.SUE BARKER: It was a heck of a record in that introduction, and
:04:52. > :04:56.the standing ovation, the biggest we have heard all week. It is easy
:04:56. > :05:03.for David Ferrer to play against! If he had won yesterday he would be
:05:03. > :05:07.playing Tsonga, now he has to face Federer here because he lost. He
:05:07. > :05:13.has won three sets against Roger in those 11 match ups, it is hard to
:05:13. > :05:18.see anyone but Federer for this one. But David will try. But Federer is
:05:18. > :05:25.just cruising this week, striking the ball so well. How top will it
:05:25. > :05:30.be for David? -- how Prof will it be? He looked like he would finish
:05:30. > :05:38.at the top of the group. I don't think, physically and mentally, it
:05:38. > :05:42.will be backed off because he is one of the fittest guys out there.
:05:42. > :05:52.I don't think he has got anything to lose. He has had a tough time
:05:52. > :05:54.
:05:54. > :06:04.We have tee the changeover, so please be seated until it is time,
:06:04. > :06:14.and we have Hawk-Eye. -- we have a TV changeover. David, heads or
:06:14. > :06:23.
:06:23. > :06:29.tails? Head so he has called. Yes, hence. -- heads. Picture, be is for
:06:29. > :06:33.strong we are ready for the off. -- picture, please. It was the
:06:33. > :06:38.manner in which he lost last night, he seems to fall apart, it was not
:06:38. > :06:45.like he was outplayed by Berdych? You felt he was in a dominant
:06:45. > :06:49.position, which he was, but I still think given the format, when you
:06:49. > :06:54.lose in any other tournament you are going home, but in his first
:06:54. > :06:58.match she beat Murray, in the second match she beat Djokovic, he
:06:58. > :07:02.is going to be feeling good about his game right now and that is why,
:07:02. > :07:06.if he had said before this tournament, semi-final against
:07:06. > :07:10.Federer, take-it-or-leave-it, he would have taken it. He can go out
:07:10. > :07:14.there with the thought that he has got so much to gain here, making
:07:14. > :07:18.the finals of the Tour Championships, or if he loses he is
:07:18. > :07:22.on holiday, so it will be interesting to see. You wonder how
:07:22. > :07:26.he will hurt Federer, because we saw with Murray, he was injured,
:07:27. > :07:34.limping around, and it was still a close match. Djokovic just was not
:07:34. > :07:38.there that day. You wonder where he will hurt Federer. This is a world
:07:38. > :07:43.class competitor, a world class runner, a world-class athlete. We
:07:43. > :07:49.don't know him quite so well because Wimbledon is not his strong
:07:49. > :07:53.suit, but he is a warrior, and animal out there. There are certain
:07:53. > :07:59.things you look at, and one of them is the track record between the two
:07:59. > :08:02.men. Three sets in 11 meetings, it is a tough ordeal. Maybe that is
:08:03. > :08:07.what Timmins when he says there is no pressure. You do not have much
:08:07. > :08:17.to lose against Federer in this environment. This is a repeat of
:08:17. > :08:19.
:08:19. > :08:22.the final from 2007, he has been at David Ferrer is much more known as
:08:22. > :08:29.a clay court specialist? That is how most of the Spanish guys
:08:29. > :08:34.learned their games, on clay, and it is a better platform for them.
:08:34. > :08:38.He has won a title on grass. It is amazing what he can achieve. You
:08:38. > :08:46.look at the top four, they have separated themselves, there is a
:08:46. > :08:50.definite gap. You would say Ferrer is the best of the rest. He has had
:08:50. > :08:54.a fantastic season, can he make it better? I have my doubts, but that
:08:54. > :08:59.is the beauty of sport. He is very consistent, but Sunday is probably
:08:59. > :09:07.a more dangerous play it. I think song that has got the bigger
:09:07. > :09:12.weapons, but over the year, Tsonga is more likely to have those depths.
:09:12. > :09:17.Week-in, week-out, Ferrer is a phenomenal competitor. Let's talk
:09:17. > :09:22.about Roger, we can eulogise about the way he has played over the last
:09:22. > :09:28.few weeks, really, since the US Open. He committed himself and he
:09:28. > :09:32.is right back up there. For all the achievements he has obtained over
:09:33. > :09:39.the years and the rankings, this is the first time in donkey's years he
:09:39. > :09:43.will not finish one or two. For everything he has done and the
:09:43. > :09:48.manner in which she has done it, it is easy to think of him as gracious,
:09:48. > :09:54.elegant, understated, subdued. Those are right, but underneath is
:09:54. > :09:58.a vicious competitor, and I love this as a platform -- I look at
:09:58. > :10:08.this as a platform for next year. Nothing would please me more than
:10:08. > :10:13.two seed 3, four guys up at the top, Federer regaining some former glory.
:10:13. > :10:16.I think he is re-energised, which is a delight to watch. He is surely
:10:17. > :10:20.coming to the end of his career in the next two or three years, we
:10:20. > :10:26.don't know, but while we have a chance to watch him play at this
:10:26. > :10:30.stage, it is a treat. And when you reflect on his performance against
:10:30. > :10:36.Nadal, best of a three-set match indoors, bat level of tennis, in my
:10:36. > :10:41.opinion, is still better than everyone else's. He has not been
:10:41. > :10:46.able to do it over an 11 month period this year, but that will
:10:46. > :10:52.give him so much excitement before the off season, the training, the
:10:52. > :10:55.hard yards he has to put him on the track and the courts. If he can put
:10:55. > :10:59.themselves in this environment in the latter stages of Grand Slams,
:10:59. > :11:03.he can tie a players' performances. There is no doubt in my mind he can
:11:03. > :11:08.add to his major tally of 16. will send out a strong message if
:11:08. > :11:13.he can win here. He is only 110 points behind Murray with what he
:11:13. > :11:17.has picked up this week, so if he wins today he will move above him.
:11:17. > :11:21.Novak Djokovic sustained that injury after the US Open and has
:11:21. > :11:27.not been the same since. Nadal says he is feeling less passion for the
:11:27. > :11:32.game. Roger must be thinking... he is the elder statesman. Roger
:11:32. > :11:36.should be worn out, falling out of love with the game. But I think
:11:36. > :11:46.again it goes back to your schedule but also goes back to the playing
:11:46. > :11:53.style. Read in the planet of's game, Djokovic's game, -- when you look
:11:53. > :11:59.at Nadal's game, the way what to play his is so aggressive, he is
:11:59. > :12:03.such a fluid mover -- for way Federer plays. He will be able to
:12:03. > :12:10.keep playing for as long as he wants. Let's not forget Andre
:12:10. > :12:16.Agassi, whose game was quite taxing, he did not have many short points.
:12:16. > :12:20.He made the final of the US Open at 35, Roger is only 38. I am not
:12:20. > :12:25.saying he will carry on for five years, but... He said he will carry
:12:25. > :12:30.on for the next few years, he announced that this week. He is not
:12:30. > :12:34.saying just next year. Certainly not. Most importantly, as long as
:12:34. > :12:37.he is enjoying what he is going, and that is going to be reflected
:12:37. > :12:43.in the results he is having, I see him playing for a few years yet,
:12:43. > :12:48.and let's hope so. You mentioned Agassi, Pete Sampras won a Grand
:12:48. > :12:51.Slam in his thirties, McEnroe did. There are a number of players who
:12:51. > :12:56.maintain the fitness, and that is what is often underestimated with
:12:56. > :12:59.what it. People talk about Nadal and Djokovic, but Roger is
:12:59. > :13:04.supremely fit. Some of the youngsters who trained with him say
:13:05. > :13:08.they cannot keep up with him. there is the other aspect, the
:13:08. > :13:12.mental wear and tear of the treadmill that is the tour, forever
:13:12. > :13:17.going round and round the world, and that can become tiring, but I
:13:17. > :13:21.think he enjoys the travel aspect so much, and on top of that he gets
:13:21. > :13:24.his schedule right, he has the breaks, get away from the game. He
:13:24. > :13:29.always seemed so fresh, and that is important to maintain that aspect
:13:30. > :13:34.as well, and then he can keep going. We are looking forward to this one.
:13:34. > :13:36.The first semi-final here at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals,
:13:36. > :13:44.Federer against Iraq. Let's join Andrew Castle.
:13:44. > :13:47.ANDREW CASTLE: -- Federer against Ferrer. Roger Federer once again in
:13:47. > :13:57.the semi-finals of the World Tour finals. If he wins he will go
:13:57. > :13:57.
:13:57. > :16:19.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 141 seconds
:16:19. > :16:29.This match is a mouth-watering So, David Ferrer, a good effort,
:16:29. > :16:37.
:16:38. > :16:47.that, to get off to a winning start He won in Auckland, and it was a
:16:48. > :17:02.
:17:02. > :17:05.big deal for him making a semi- Not a man Federer will be taking
:17:05. > :17:15.lightly, despite their head-to-head record and everything that goes
:17:15. > :17:45.
:17:45. > :17:55.with it. You still have to go out Federer's wife there, and his twins
:17:55. > :17:55.
:17:55. > :18:52.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 141 seconds
:18:52. > :19:00.are here as well, two-and-a-half How much of a game plan does Roger
:19:00. > :19:04.Federer have here? Is it as easy as it looks, or does he have specific
:19:04. > :19:14.in mind? He will have specifics of the way he can dominate Ferrer's
:19:14. > :19:18.
:19:18. > :19:23.UMPIRE: Game, Federer. ANDREW CASTLE: And what are they
:19:23. > :19:27.against Ferrer? Virtually everybody Federer plays against, he will try
:19:27. > :19:32.to use his forehand. He wants to try to get to Ferrer's backhand and
:19:32. > :19:40.the way to do that is to hit strong to the forehand to open up the back
:19:40. > :19:43.hand. I think Ferrer generate his own place -- his own pace
:19:43. > :19:53.considerably, so Federer will be looking to use that and attacked
:19:53. > :20:00.when he has the opportunity. Ferrer? What is his plan? He has
:20:00. > :20:08.got to keep the ball deep in Federer's backhand-making hit as
:20:08. > :20:15.many as possible. Try and keep the ball deep -- it into Federer's
:20:15. > :20:25.backhand, making him hit as many as possible. He will probably be
:20:25. > :20:25.
:20:25. > :21:30.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 141 seconds
:21:30. > :21:40.keeping his fingers crossed that The first year Federer has not won
:21:40. > :21:41.
:21:41. > :21:51.a Grand Slam since 2002. That year, Lleyton Hewitt won Wimbledon and
:21:51. > :22:25.
:22:25. > :22:30.Pete Sampras won another Open. It Ferrer hit a good first serve, got
:22:30. > :22:35.a weak reply there. The danger of going into Federer's forehand, if
:22:35. > :22:41.you do not hit the shot perfectly, you expose yourself. He did not do
:22:41. > :22:51.enough with his second shot of the rally. Ferrer's long-term coach
:22:51. > :23:01.there. What did you think he says two Ferrer before the match, having
:23:01. > :23:17.
:23:17. > :23:26.lost 11 in a row? How are your legs Backhand slice just sitting admit
:23:26. > :23:36.court there from Federer. Not striking that with any real purpose.
:23:36. > :23:36.
:23:36. > :23:46.If he is going to slice like that, UMPIRE: Game, Ferrer.
:23:46. > :23:51.ANDREW CASTLE: Good effort from the There are so many numbers
:23:51. > :23:55.associated with the career of Roger Federer. So many victories and
:23:55. > :24:00.finals and the 16 Slams and all the rest of it. It has been another
:24:01. > :24:07.consistent year for him. Started with a win in Doha after the US
:24:07. > :24:10.Open. He won in Paris as well. But he will judge his year by the Grand
:24:10. > :24:17.Slams. He lost to Djokovic in straight sets at the Australian
:24:17. > :24:27.Open, lost to Nadal at the French Open after a magnificent match with
:24:27. > :24:31.
:24:31. > :24:35.Djokovic, which ended his 4-1 match winning streak for the year. -- 41.
:24:35. > :24:45.Just when he was getting into the tournament at Wimbledon, it did not
:24:45. > :24:45.
:24:45. > :24:50.It is amazing to think his best Grand Slam performances he was on
:24:50. > :24:55.clay at Roland Garros. He has been so dominant in the majors. But it
:24:55. > :25:00.also emphasises how good he is on clay. People forget what a great
:25:00. > :25:07.clay court player he. He is in an era of the best clay court players
:25:07. > :25:14.in history, with Rafa Nadal, but he has been in several finals. And he
:25:14. > :25:18.won one, of course, when Nadal lost to Soderling. He resisted the
:25:18. > :25:28.pressure, the pressure was on him that year, now or never, and he won
:25:28. > :25:59.
:25:59. > :26:06.If Ferrer has half a chance to make his opponent's life a misery, he
:26:06. > :26:16.does. He pushes and prods, just asks a lot of difficult questions.
:26:16. > :26:31.
:26:31. > :26:35.What a highly respected Ferrer has certainly made a good
:26:35. > :26:45.start, you feel Federer has not found his rhythm. This might be his
:26:45. > :26:53.
:26:53. > :26:59.half a chance to get his nose in His mum there, dad is never far
:26:59. > :27:09.away. His dad was saying how proud he is, every time, all around the
:27:09. > :27:21.
:27:21. > :27:31.world, when he is received in these I don't think mum and dad like
:27:31. > :27:52.
:27:52. > :27:56.sitting together during the I know you don't like to blow your
:27:56. > :28:01.own trumpet, but tell people what your record is indoors against
:28:01. > :28:10.Roger Federer? I did have lunch with him today and asked him how
:28:10. > :28:17.many sets he won against me in five meetings. He did win one once. He
:28:17. > :28:27.was under 12, though! Would see got to 13, he used to beat me! -- when
:28:27. > :28:30.
:28:30. > :28:34.Where did he win his set? The Anna, he had match point. I don't know
:28:34. > :28:44.how he lost -- Vienna. He was killing me all day but I managed to
:28:44. > :28:56.
:28:56. > :29:00.A horrible start to the game. Two doubles. I did play debit for rare
:29:00. > :29:04.indoors in Madrid and I beat him 6- 1 in the third set and he went into
:29:04. > :29:11.the press conference and said it was the worst day of his life! -- I
:29:11. > :29:21.did play David Ferrer indoors. you play him on clay? No, thank
:29:21. > :29:30.
:29:30. > :29:35.That is the tactic from Federer, the head the slice that gets Ferrer
:29:35. > :29:45.to move up the court and cannot get much on the backhand. In that
:29:45. > :30:05.
:30:05. > :30:09.moment Federer is edging over to A couple of shots there that
:30:09. > :30:19.Federer has not been missing all week, and certainly given the
:30:19. > :30:19.
:30:19. > :31:24.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 141 seconds
:31:24. > :31:30.position of the game they are This is not a rally that Ferrer
:31:31. > :31:40.would have learned on clay courts. Good recognition that Federer was
:31:41. > :31:50.
:31:50. > :31:54.in trouble. He sneaked in to the That might be a challenge. The
:31:54. > :32:04.umpire is up in the chair, he has had an excellent tournament. He is
:32:04. > :32:05.
:32:05. > :32:15.so quick to respond to players. He cannot challenge. He could over
:32:15. > :32:35.
:32:35. > :32:40.rule. Federer obviously felt the When the ball is that far away from
:32:40. > :32:48.the chair it is a tough call. You would rather that the umpire stayed
:32:48. > :32:54.out and gave the player the option, said, look, it looked about to me.
:32:54. > :33:02.That could have cost him the game. The from Ferrer's point of view, it
:33:02. > :33:07.probably looked close. -- from Ferrer's point of view. I must
:33:07. > :33:11.thank people for all the feedback yesterday. We had a chat about
:33:11. > :33:20.siblings who have played the game. Djokovic has to my younger brothers
:33:20. > :33:30.who could be professionals -- has two younger brothers. We talked
:33:30. > :33:31.
:33:31. > :33:41.about the Lloyds, Bob and Mike Bryan. We even did the warts ands
:33:41. > :33:48.
:33:48. > :33:53.at one point. There are so many that we left out. -- the Watsons.
:33:53. > :34:03.What we left out the Washingtons. We did not have long to think, did
:34:03. > :34:05.
:34:05. > :34:15.we? Let's defend ourselves here. Sue Barker was leaping up and down
:34:15. > :34:33.
:34:33. > :34:37.in the studio, talking about the That is a mistake. Federer is a
:34:37. > :34:44.little bit tight today. It is a match he expects to win and which
:34:44. > :34:54.everyone expects him to win. It is just trying to find that the game
:34:54. > :35:08.
:35:08. > :35:16.that can get a smoothly past Ferrer. Half chances are not going to come
:35:16. > :35:26.along that often. Ferrer does not usually miss those returns. He does
:35:26. > :35:47.
:35:47. > :35:56.We have Mr Major Spanish family. -- Tight, once again, from Federer.
:35:56. > :36:01.When you are nervous the first thing that goes is the for it work.
:36:01. > :36:11.If your feet are not in the right position, your timing will not be
:36:11. > :36:11.
:36:11. > :37:06.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 141 seconds
:37:06. > :37:16.Ferrer would have fancied making UMPIRE: Game, Federer. You see how
:37:16. > :37:26.Federer hit that ball down to the other in straight away -- the other
:37:26. > :37:26.
:37:26. > :39:31.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 141 seconds
:39:31. > :39:37.end straight away to say to Ferrier, UMPIRE: Game, Ferrer.
:39:37. > :39:41.Four holds of serve for David Ferrer. In the previous game he
:39:41. > :39:46.double faulted on the first two points and still got out of it. He
:39:46. > :39:56.has made exactly the start that he would have hoped to. We are going
:39:56. > :39:57.
:39:57. > :40:00.to continue this tennis-playing family game. Ramesh Krishnan, his
:40:00. > :40:07.father was an excellent player and a bit of a favourite at Wimbledon
:40:07. > :40:16.as well. We have extended it a bit. It was sort of brothers and sisters,
:40:16. > :40:26.now it is fathers and sons. It is too much now! It is quite engaging
:40:26. > :40:35.
:40:35. > :40:41.mentally, isn't it? Have their Sanchez -- Xavier.
:40:41. > :40:46.In this match Ferrer is ahead in the psychological game, isn't he?
:40:46. > :40:52.You feel like he has got his rhythm with his feet and he shot. As a
:40:52. > :40:59.bonus, Federer has not found his rhythm yet. He has made 12 unforced
:40:59. > :41:02.errors in this set. After serving a double fault against Nadal he only
:41:02. > :41:10.made six in the rest of the match. I think Ferrer will be the happiest
:41:10. > :41:20.of the two right now. New tennis balls in play after
:41:20. > :41:20.
:41:20. > :42:25.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 141 seconds
:42:25. > :42:29.You cannot keep that! He is trying! When the ball goes into the crowd
:42:29. > :42:36.at the US Open, the public are allowed to keep them as souvenirs,
:42:36. > :42:46.aren't they? Yes, I think they're a bit cheaper Rover there! I think it
:42:46. > :43:10.
:43:10. > :43:19.is quite a nice idea. -- cheaper Business end of the set - this is
:43:19. > :43:29.where many unforced errors or silly mistakes are going to be magnified.
:43:29. > :43:29.
:43:29. > :44:45.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 141 seconds
:44:45. > :44:50.Definitely out of sorts on the backhand side, Federer. There is
:44:50. > :45:00.the Swiss Davis Cup captain, encouraging his friend. Ferrer is
:45:00. > :45:17.
:45:17. > :45:22.doing a great job here, making life You always talk about maximising
:45:22. > :45:31.talent and making the most of what you've got, this man has done that.
:45:31. > :45:35.Absolutely. When you reflect on his results so far, he really has had
:45:35. > :45:40.amazing achievement. One of the most impressive is the way he has
:45:40. > :45:48.embraced all the different surfaces. To begin with he was obviously an
:45:48. > :45:58.out-and-out clay-court player. But he has moved on. Most impressive to
:45:58. > :46:08.win a tournament on grass. I think that sums up his attitude, that he
:46:08. > :46:12.
:46:12. > :46:22.embraces these challenges. Grass was always seen by the
:46:22. > :46:37.
:46:38. > :46:41.Spanish players traditionally did not play well indoors. Moving on a
:46:41. > :46:47.few years, when grass-court tennis changed, the courts got harder and
:46:47. > :46:54.harder, the ball bounced higher, I think that Rafael Nadal had a big
:46:54. > :47:04.part to play in it. He spoke about Wimbledon as the tournament that he
:47:04. > :47:16.
:47:16. > :47:26.wanted to win. He eventually won You don't need that at the
:47:26. > :48:00.
:48:00. > :48:06.beginning of the game if you're I think a lot of the time Federer
:48:06. > :48:16.have always better the more difficult the volley years. --
:48:16. > :48:49.
:48:49. > :48:54.Extra effort from Ferrer on the return, getting something on the
:48:54. > :49:04.return. A quality set of tennis, this. Federer is trying to find his
:49:04. > :49:21.
:49:21. > :49:31.best form. Ferrer is two points No defence against that! He really
:49:31. > :49:52.
:49:52. > :49:58.cut round the outside of that one. It is long. No challenge. He is at
:49:58. > :50:08.the coalface today, Federer. It is not coming easily. Nervous moments,
:50:08. > :50:19.
:50:19. > :50:24.and he hasn't had many of those in Sometimes you watch Federer and it
:50:24. > :50:34.almost seems like he is not trying. The clenched fist after that shows
:50:34. > :50:34.
:50:34. > :51:25.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 141 seconds
:51:25. > :51:35.For a man of Ferrer's character and his game style, it is really
:51:35. > :51:35.
:51:35. > :52:15.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 141 seconds
:52:15. > :52:22.inexcusable to miss a shot like You knew that Ferrer was going to
:52:22. > :52:28.make ground to that. But this is all just contributing to a sense of
:52:28. > :52:38.frustration for Roger Federer, the defending champion here. Ferrer
:52:38. > :52:54.
:52:54. > :52:58.remains two points away from this Was that a good second serve or a
:52:58. > :53:08.poor return, or both? It was a rising ball. But Ferrer would
:53:08. > :53:25.
:53:25. > :53:35.expect to make that nine out of ten It is a pretty handy reverse
:53:35. > :53:35.
:53:35. > :54:34.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 141 seconds
:54:34. > :54:39.backhand volley off of a Federer Neither player can string two
:54:39. > :54:49.points together. It is Federer that keeps coming out on top on the
:54:49. > :55:26.
:55:26. > :55:36.Again, it is a shot that a player of his calibre at this moment in
:55:36. > :55:49.
:55:49. > :55:58.UMPIRE: Game, Federer. That makes it 5-5. Almost nine
:55:58. > :56:08.minutes of head-to-head from one game. 17,500 people in here,
:56:08. > :56:43.
:56:43. > :56:48.thoroughly engrossed in the this That was a delightful piece of
:56:48. > :56:52.delayed at forehand work from Federer on the approach. He had 20
:56:52. > :56:56.minutes to play this ball. He waited for Ferrer to commit. Then
:56:57. > :57:06.it was solid down the middle, knowing that Ferrer would be
:57:07. > :57:33.
:57:33. > :57:39.committed to the forehand side. As is often the case when you come
:57:39. > :57:49.through a long service game, the pressure is right back on your
:57:49. > :58:00.
:58:00. > :58:10.opponent. Federer is now looking to He had 0-30 on the first serve
:58:10. > :58:10.
:58:10. > :58:54.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 141 seconds
:58:54. > :59:04.earlier on and he came back. -- on Federer settling on a backhand half
:59:04. > :59:32.
:59:32. > :59:42.Federer is trying to get his forehand into play. Ferrer was able
:59:42. > :00:12.
:00:12. > :00:16.just to push it through enough and Interesting watching the great
:00:16. > :00:23.players grind it out. For every 2008 final with Federer and no
:00:23. > :00:27.doubt at Wimbledon, you have these great moments, Djokovic at French
:00:27. > :00:33.Open this year, there are great matches. Djokovic played so many of
:00:33. > :00:39.them this year. But most of the time the top players are using
:00:39. > :00:45.their B game to win. They are not at the very top. Today is very much
:00:45. > :00:49.a B game day for Federer, a get the job done sort of... That is right,
:00:49. > :00:54.he is just struggling with his shots a little bit and his foot
:00:55. > :00:59.work has not been quite there. But over a period of time, over 70, 80,
:00:59. > :01:03.90 matches in a year, you will not always played brilliantly and
:01:03. > :01:07.sometimes Federer does not get the credit he deserves for how well he
:01:07. > :01:12.competes, how he is able to find a way to get two sets, three sets
:01:12. > :01:15.under his belt. So far today it has been a struggle but he is the one
:01:15. > :01:21.who got the break and he will be coming out to serve for the first
:01:21. > :01:31.set. They all do at the top of the game, Ferrer Grimes it in day-in,
:01:31. > :01:35.day-out. Federer, at the moment, with enough, it would seem, on this
:01:35. > :01:40.court. What can Ferrer do to respond as Federer serves for the
:01:41. > :01:50.first set? He has been in six finals at this season-ending
:01:51. > :01:51.
:01:51. > :03:28.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 141 seconds
:03:28. > :03:38.championships, and he has won five There was a massive hold of serve
:03:38. > :03:38.
:03:38. > :04:20.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 141 seconds
:04:20. > :04:26.at 4-5, then the break and now set UMPIRE: Game and set, Federer.
:04:26. > :04:33.ANDREW CASTLE: That does it. At this point against Rafa Nadal he
:04:33. > :04:38.had almost on the match, this is much tougher. -- he had almost won
:04:38. > :04:43.the match. SUE BARKER: A few minutes ago,
:04:43. > :04:50.Ferrer was two points from the set but he did not take them, bodger
:04:50. > :04:54.pounced and Federer is in charge. It is a prestigious title to win --
:04:54. > :04:59.Roger pounced. Whatever happens today and tomorrow for David Ferrer,
:04:59. > :05:05.he will remain as world number five. If Roger Federer wins today, he
:05:05. > :05:12.will overtake Andy Marriott. He has already won 600 points at this
:05:12. > :05:17.tournament -- he will overtake Andy Murray. Tremendous prize money, as
:05:17. > :05:22.well, but that does not mean a lot to these guys, they learned a lot
:05:22. > :05:26.of money around the world. Federer begin to reach his 100 tour final
:05:26. > :05:36.here at the O2 Arena. He would only be the 5th man in history to do
:05:36. > :05:40.
:05:40. > :05:50.that. The other four, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, and a player often
:05:50. > :05:58.
:05:58. > :06:06.ANDREW CASTLE: If Federer ties this match today, he will have 806
:06:06. > :06:10.career wins. When it comes to contracts and endorsements with
:06:10. > :06:14.companies, rackets, clothing, the rest of it, there are bonuses
:06:14. > :06:19.according to where you finish, like the Premier League. The higher you
:06:19. > :06:23.finish, the more bonus money you get. The difference for Andy Murray
:06:23. > :06:27.and Roger Federer if they swap rankings will have a bearing on
:06:27. > :06:31.what they do it. I'm sure it will, and there has been talk about what
:06:31. > :06:35.they means. Aside from the financial gains, I think for Murray
:06:35. > :06:39.it would be good if he did finish three because it would be his
:06:39. > :06:43.highest end-of-year ranking whereas Federer spent so long between want
:06:43. > :06:53.or two. Having said that, 3 and four, there is probably a
:06:53. > :07:09.
:07:09. > :07:19.significant financial difference as UMPIRE: Mr Federer is challenging
:07:19. > :07:19.
:07:19. > :08:24.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 141 seconds
:08:24. > :08:34.Vitally important for Ferrer to hang on here. Three games in a row
:08:34. > :09:05.
:09:05. > :09:12.from that top hold at 4-5 from Federer showing more control and
:09:12. > :09:22.defensive ability on that backhand side but he has knocked -- he has
:09:22. > :09:48.
:09:48. > :09:51.not looked particularly comfortable We saw what happened last night
:09:51. > :10:01.could Ferrer against Berdych and he suddenly lost several games in a
:10:01. > :10:21.
:10:21. > :10:31.You could see on the faces of the Federer camp how important they
:10:31. > :10:34.
:10:34. > :10:38.felt that break point was. That shot was a risk well worth taking.
:10:38. > :10:46.His return is largely going to the Ferrer backhand side, dropping it
:10:46. > :10:51.safely in the middle of the court. I guess the ball on the right hand
:10:51. > :11:01.side of the screen is the return we have just seen. Average return
:11:01. > :11:01.
:11:01. > :12:15.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 141 seconds
:12:15. > :12:20.You think back probably less than 15 minutes ago, Ferrer was two
:12:20. > :12:23.points from getting the first set under his belt. All of a sudden he
:12:23. > :12:33.is a break down in the second set and a really must hold serve to
:12:33. > :12:33.
:12:33. > :14:25.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 141 seconds
:14:25. > :14:29.That backhand was a shot that Federer struggled with the timing
:14:29. > :14:39.of in the first set. Now it seems he has got his feet in the right
:14:39. > :14:39.
:14:39. > :15:30.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 141 seconds
:15:30. > :15:36.The first one of those. A good time. I tell you what, he does not like
:15:36. > :15:41.letting the ball bounce twice. That was a lovely backhand to finish it.
:15:41. > :15:45.I suspect we will see a replay of that in a moment because that was
:15:46. > :15:53.lovely. It was the drop shot from Federer that looked to be the
:15:53. > :15:59.winning shot in the rally, early stages. It gets him out Laird --
:15:59. > :16:09.out there. Just dropped it in short, over the head, had a run-up for
:16:09. > :16:13.that one. That was a surprise, Tim, that he played that one? He has
:16:13. > :16:19.such a big forehand, you are used to him picking a corner and going
:16:19. > :16:23.for it. A lot of players would back off. It ended up being a good shot
:16:23. > :16:30.because it went to an awkward height, Federer could not put the
:16:30. > :16:34.backhand volley away. We say he has got good wheels. He has got
:16:34. > :16:41.unbelievable Wales. The two oldest man left in the tournament, he is
:16:41. > :16:46.29 years of age. He spent some time, and still looks like he could earn
:16:46. > :16:49.his money on, a construction site when he was a teenager. After about
:16:49. > :16:53.a week he got completely disillusioned with that and said, I
:16:53. > :17:01.think we will do this tennis thing. I can't imagine anybody more
:17:01. > :17:05.devoted to the training and the professional aspects of the game.
:17:05. > :17:15.And about $10 million later he probably realises that was quite a
:17:15. > :17:15.
:17:15. > :18:55.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 141 seconds
:18:55. > :19:00.UMPIRE: Game, Federer. New balls, It is little touches like that
:19:00. > :19:03.which make Federer so watchable. He could have dropped that forehand
:19:03. > :19:08.volley in short, he could have poked it down the line, but he went
:19:08. > :19:18.back behind his man. He knew Theroux would move a little bit. It
:19:18. > :19:26.
:19:26. > :19:36.is a sweet touch. -- he knew Ferrer He has got the Davis Cup final next
:19:36. > :19:36.
:19:36. > :21:00.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 141 seconds
:21:00. > :21:03.weekend against Argentina back in He is under the cosh again and if
:21:03. > :21:08.he loses his second service break to Federer you have to think that
:21:08. > :21:18.is likely to be the match over. Some important points coming up for
:21:18. > :21:23.
:21:23. > :21:33.Transition game from the back of the court to the net position,
:21:33. > :21:33.
:21:33. > :22:34.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 141 seconds
:22:34. > :22:40.Perhaps a little early to say, but Just waiting, weren't you, for the
:22:40. > :22:44.Federer Popp on one of those as he hit the winner. But he was just not
:22:44. > :22:54.able to find the backhand down the line and win it. But he has another
:22:54. > :23:04.
:23:04. > :23:08.With Federer's numbers on serve, you are quite right. To go a double
:23:08. > :23:18.break down, it probably would be curtains for Iraq, but he is not
:23:18. > :23:19.
:23:19. > :24:16.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 141 seconds
:24:16. > :24:26.giving up without a fight -- UMPIRE: Game, Ferre.
:24:26. > :24:31.ANDREW CASTLE: four straight points for the world No. 5. A packed house
:24:31. > :24:36.at the O2 Arena. This event, the season-ending championships, just
:24:36. > :24:40.eight men earned their place here. This will be here again at this
:24:40. > :24:46.Arena next year and the year after that. Then an announcement will be
:24:46. > :24:50.made about the next menus. But it has found such a home here, full
:24:50. > :25:00.house time and time again, packed to the rafters to watch this board.
:25:00. > :25:00.
:25:00. > :25:04.Superb. -- to watched the sport. The man who coaches Roger Federer
:25:04. > :25:11.was with Pete Sampras in his heyday, he was with Tim Henman in his
:25:11. > :25:16.heyday as well. I wonder what it is like coaching Federer? I think
:25:17. > :25:22.coaching is the operative word there. It is not teaching. Paul is
:25:22. > :25:27.not trying to tell him how to hit shots, it is more about when to hit
:25:27. > :25:32.shots and why to hit them. Federer obviously has a lot of strings to
:25:32. > :25:36.his bow, different ways of playing, and it is about him having the
:25:36. > :25:41.biggest implements and biggest impact against his opponents, and
:25:41. > :25:46.obviously using the attacking game which is an area that Paul has
:25:46. > :25:51.tried to emphasise. More attacking? He wants to see him more
:25:51. > :25:55.aggressive? It does not mean you always come to the net, but the way
:25:55. > :25:59.he will hit his backhand down the line to get the next shot on to his
:25:59. > :26:04.forehand, playing a short size to get base liners out of their
:26:04. > :26:14.comfort cent, they are all areas that Roger has done a good job
:26:14. > :26:17.
:26:17. > :26:21.implementing in his game -- out of Federer's game has certainly
:26:21. > :26:31.changed over the years. There was a time he would serve a volley first
:26:31. > :26:50.
:26:50. > :26:55.and second. He gave that up and won Such a good shot, the backhand down
:26:55. > :27:05.the line, especially against clay- court players. They love running to
:27:05. > :27:07.
:27:07. > :27:12.the left, but they do not like You can see with Ferrer's movement,
:27:12. > :27:17.it is not quite as comfortable going to his forehand. The BT again
:27:17. > :27:20.is once you have him how it -- have him out wide to his forehand, his
:27:20. > :27:30.back hand is a big target to aim in two.
:27:30. > :27:34.
:27:34. > :27:44.UMPIRE: Game, Federer. Federal leads four against two. -- Federer
:27:44. > :28:08.
:28:08. > :28:18.UMPIRE: Mr Federer challenge is the call on the left baseline. --
:28:18. > :28:25.
:28:25. > :28:35.UMPIRE: It stands. ANDREW CASTLE: Vindicated! It is
:28:35. > :28:55.
:28:55. > :29:00.UMPIRE: Mr Federer has two challenges remaining.
:29:00. > :29:02.ANDREW CASTLE: I would not have thought Federer would challenge --
:29:02. > :29:09.would practise after this, but given his lack of rhythm on that
:29:09. > :29:19.backhand side, 20 minutes hitting them might be an idea. A golfer
:29:19. > :29:28.
:29:28. > :29:38.even after a good round will go and So many unforced errors on that
:29:38. > :30:12.
:30:12. > :30:16.UMPIRE: Federer leads four games to Would the guys go and he did the
:30:16. > :30:21.balls to listen off after a victory? Generally not. Given the
:30:21. > :30:24.amount of tennis and the experience of Roger Federer, it would be more
:30:24. > :30:29.likely a conversation with his coach he might say, how did you
:30:29. > :30:34.feel on your backhand out on the court? Bodger might say, my
:30:34. > :30:39.forehand wasn't quite right, my backswing was big -- Roger might
:30:39. > :30:42.say. I think today after the match, if he comes through, it will be a
:30:42. > :30:44.conversation and then maybe five minutes on the practise court
:30:44. > :30:52.tomorrow before he were to get ready for a final if he comes
:30:52. > :30:57.through. Having said that, if you are a David frack, who relies
:30:57. > :31:06.heavily on rhythm and solidity from the baseline -- David Ferrer, you
:31:06. > :31:16.might hit that 50 minutes to regain He is certainly not to be written
:31:16. > :31:17.
:31:17. > :31:27.off in this match, Ferrer. He has had a tight first set here. He is
:31:27. > :31:41.
:31:41. > :31:45.Ferrer has been to the final of this event before, back in 2007. He
:31:45. > :31:55.lost to Federer then. He knows how to get the job done. He is not out
:31:55. > :31:56.
:31:56. > :32:06.Ferrer is obviously trying to get the break back you. Federer is
:32:06. > :32:27.
:32:27. > :32:37.serving at 79% of first serves. 13 Battering down the hatches after
:32:37. > :32:51.
:32:51. > :32:56.you get the break of serve, isn't You look at Federer's Serv, it is
:32:56. > :33:06.by no means the fastest. Time and time again, it sets him up for the
:33:06. > :33:18.
:33:18. > :33:26.shot that he wants, which is the If you're not careful, people will
:33:26. > :33:36.start thinking you know what you're talking about, Tim Henman! It was a
:33:36. > :33:36.
:33:36. > :34:42.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 141 seconds
:34:42. > :34:47.quick game and David Ferrer Serbs After playing a point like that, I
:34:47. > :34:57.think Federer could look you in the eye and say, it is all right, I
:34:57. > :34:57.
:34:57. > :36:58.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 141 seconds
:36:58. > :37:08.They say it evens up. Ferrer did have his fair share, I suppose, a
:37:08. > :37:08.
:37:08. > :37:55.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 141 seconds
:37:55. > :38:05.earlier on. They say the harder you like that. So jealous. He enjoys a
:38:05. > :38:35.
:38:35. > :38:45.rally like that like a cat enjoys a It would be fantastic as a method
:38:45. > :38:45.
:38:45. > :38:55.if Ferrer can get out of this game. And just make Federer serve for it.
:38:55. > :39:10.
:39:10. > :39:14.I know he has been successful on 99 Another example of Ferrer just
:39:14. > :39:24.edging over to his left, trying to run round his back hand. Federer
:39:24. > :39:52.
:39:52. > :39:58.A 100th final it is in the What a fantastic contribution David
:39:58. > :40:03.Ferrer of Spain, the world No. 5, has made to the World Tour finals
:40:03. > :40:11.and our enjoyment this week. Once again it is Roger Federer. That his
:40:11. > :40:16.nine matches in a row that he has won here. He will await the outcome
:40:16. > :40:23.of the second semi-final, which is tonight in this arena - Jo-Wilfried
:40:23. > :40:29.Tsonga against Tomas Berdych. It was not always the most sumptuous
:40:29. > :40:39.performance from Federer. The first set was a grind as he found his
:40:39. > :40:41.
:40:41. > :40:47.rhythm, but the second set he moved up through the gears. One hour and
:40:47. > :40:53.25 minutes of good work from both players. Federer is through to yet
:40:53. > :40:59.another final, his seventh here in the season-ending Championships.
:40:59. > :41:04.SUE BARKER: Yes, another tremendous performance from Roger Federer. A
:41:04. > :41:11.big ovation, too, for David Ferrer. He played his part, not just today
:41:11. > :41:16.but throughout the week. He is signing a few autographs as well.
:41:16. > :41:26.This man is still going. No wonder he is smiling. That was a superb
:41:26. > :41:28.
:41:28. > :41:36.performance as up how key that game was in the first set -- that was a
:41:36. > :41:41.superb performance. How key that game was in the first set. Yes, his
:41:41. > :41:46.footwork was slightly off. There was one game which lasted nearly
:41:46. > :41:52.nine minutes. He was two points from winning the set on two
:41:52. > :41:56.occasions but he never quite got there. Once Federer broke through
:41:56. > :42:03.that service game, he won the set and his form got better and better.
:42:03. > :42:06.He will be very happy with his afternoon's work. He has had the
:42:06. > :42:11.perfect schedule and now he is through to the final.
:42:11. > :42:16.We can hear from him now. He is talking to Mark.
:42:16. > :42:20.Roger, congratulations. You're through to your seventh final of
:42:20. > :42:27.the season-ending Championships. That is some record. I am very
:42:27. > :42:35.happy to have played today. David has had an amazing season and an
:42:35. > :42:41.amazing tournament so far. Well done to him. I wish him well in the
:42:41. > :42:49.Davis Cup next week. I know you have beaten him every
:42:49. > :42:53.time but he is never one to be underestimated. He had the upper
:42:53. > :42:56.hand from the baseline in the first set. I was really struggling to hit
:42:57. > :43:06.the ball back cleanly because of his top-spin. He was moving me
:43:06. > :43:10.around well. To have all but 5-5 gave me confidence. I served well
:43:10. > :43:17.and got myself out of trouble but that was definitely the key to the
:43:17. > :43:27.match. On Sunday it will be a 100th Korea final. What an amazing
:43:27. > :43:58.
:43:58. > :44:08.achievement that is. I am not sure I want to say they
:44:08. > :44:08.
:44:08. > :44:15.expect. But you're going for your sixth title. What do the number
:44:15. > :44:23.minty? You cannot really plan for that. I will not retire after my
:44:23. > :44:33.100th final. I knew going into this match that I
:44:33. > :44:37.could reach my 100th final and I could win another title. I have
:44:37. > :44:42.been so fortunate and so lucky. I am still standing and still running.
:44:42. > :44:46.I do not know how I'd do it. I am still walking normally, still
:44:46. > :44:53.healthy and fit. It has been wonderful to play for so many years
:44:53. > :45:03.at the highest of levels. To play my 100th final in London means a
:45:03. > :45:05.
:45:05. > :45:11.lot to me. And also to do it in some style. I
:45:11. > :45:17.was reading in a survey the other week of global celebrities -
:45:17. > :45:26.politicians, musicians, sports people - you came second, behind
:45:27. > :45:34.Nelson Mandela! It is true, I know! It is a crazy thing. I did not mean
:45:34. > :45:44.to embarrass you. Everything I say will be recorded, it is not so easy
:45:44. > :45:52.
:45:52. > :45:57.Congratulations. Thank you. SUE BARKER: He really was in a no-
:45:57. > :46:06.win situation with that question! He is through to his 100th final.
:46:06. > :46:10.That is another record picked in his incredible career. 7-5, 6-3 and
:46:10. > :46:14.he is through to the final tomorrow. It will either be Tomas Berdych or
:46:14. > :46:19.Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. They play their match tonight and you can hear
:46:19. > :46:28.coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra. We will be back tomorrow to
:46:28. > :46:36.watch Roger in the final at 5:15pm. Tim and Andrew, it was a lovely
:46:36. > :46:45.moment out there. It was a question he could not really answer a!
:46:45. > :46:55.They like the manner in which he goes about his business. Can I tell
:46:55. > :46:57.
:46:57. > :47:03.you who was third in that opinion poll? Bill Gates. And he has given
:47:03. > :47:08.something like $6 billion into his charitable foundation. Long may it
:47:08. > :47:17.continue. At the top of the men's game, it is absolutely captivating
:47:17. > :47:21.to have him playing well. We know that Djokovic is there, Nadal is
:47:21. > :47:24.there, Murray is trying to break through.
:47:24. > :47:29.This could have been the year where he thought, I have done so much,
:47:29. > :47:34.but so many records, maybe I should wind down. But he is going for it.
:47:34. > :47:38.He has had a bit of a break, come into the end of the season with two
:47:38. > :47:44.tournament wins, and he has played so well here, that will motivate
:47:44. > :47:47.him even more. Upon reflection, he has left a few matches out there.
:47:48. > :47:54.In the past he has been able to win those important matches in the
:47:55. > :48:04.latter stages of Grand Slams. It was great first in the French Open
:48:05. > :48:05.
:48:05. > :48:14.to win against Djokovic. He hat two Matt points in the SMEs of the US
:48:14. > :48:19.Open. I think it motivates him, the challenge of adding to his list of
:48:19. > :48:24.Grand Slams. He is one of the few tennis players
:48:24. > :48:34.who really values the Olympic Games. Yes, I almost forgot about that. It
:48:34. > :48:34.
:48:34. > :48:41.is in London, you know! No! He already has the gold medal,
:48:41. > :48:46.he won the doubles. That is not good enough for Roger. There are
:48:46. > :48:54.lots of things to motivate him. His kids are not at school yet, they
:48:54. > :49:02.are only two-and-a-half years old. There is no decay at all when he
:49:02. > :49:11.hits the ball might like this. He is only 30. Just back to today, we
:49:11. > :49:15.talked about Roger, when he held serve at 5-5. How often do we see
:49:15. > :49:22.it in tennis when you get a sniff of a chance, do not take it and
:49:22. > :49:28.then drop you serve? Absolutely. It is about always putting a bit of
:49:28. > :49:34.pressure on your opponent. He had those opportunity. He never got is
:49:34. > :49:37.set point, but you felt like he was really making Federer work. Once
:49:37. > :49:42.Federer came through that service game, it felt like the tables
:49:42. > :49:50.turned a little bit. Federer is not at his best but, like all great
:49:50. > :49:54.champions, you find a way to win when it matters. This is the
:49:54. > :50:03.rallying that went over the top of the head. He has got the ball on a
:50:03. > :50:13.String, just like his opponent. Sometimes it is not magnificent
:50:13. > :50:15.
:50:15. > :50:23.tennis, it is about getting the job done. Federer Grand other top
:50:23. > :50:30.players sometimes play well inside the lines, a huge margin for error.
:50:30. > :50:33.-- Federer and other top players. As far as the match tomorrow goes,
:50:33. > :50:42.whoever comes through, it will be a different sort of match, or won't
:50:42. > :50:46.it? They are both big hitters. I spoke to Roger and Paul when he
:50:46. > :50:51.was playing Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in his first match. You sensed that
:50:51. > :50:56.they were uncomfortable because it is often in Tsonga's hands because
:50:56. > :51:03.he is so explosive. You never feel totally settled. I think Berdych is
:51:03. > :51:10.more erratic but he still has a huge first serve. He hits the ball
:51:10. > :51:15.might very flat from the baseline. He has to make sure he is
:51:15. > :51:24.consistent and keeps the ball out of the middle of the court. He goes
:51:24. > :51:32.into it as the clear favourite and it would be great to see him get
:51:33. > :51:39.his six -- to get his sixth ATP World Tour final. He is in good
:51:39. > :51:49.company with Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras already having five.
:51:49. > :51:52.
:51:53. > :51:58.People underestimate him, but Nastase certainly made his mark. He
:51:58. > :52:03.was often underestimated. You member the trouble with the
:52:03. > :52:10.rackets and he was trying all different kinds? Was that the Smith
:52:10. > :52:17.final? That magnificent picture of him sitting at the end with all the
:52:17. > :52:26.hair around the look. You do not play here by being an idiot. Twice,
:52:26. > :52:32.wasn't it? Twice, yeah. We have a few minutes left so we
:52:32. > :52:35.will talk about Mr Murray as well. He had to pull-out of the
:52:35. > :52:40.tournament because of an injury. He spoke to Jonathan earlier than the
:52:40. > :52:45.weekend he was talking about the season and how tough the euros.
:52:45. > :52:52.A lot of people spoke about it after the US Open. If I look at the
:52:52. > :53:00.other guys who played a lot of matches over in the States, Rafa,
:53:00. > :53:06.Roger and Novak, Novak and Roger took maybe a six-week break. Rafa
:53:06. > :53:11.took the long break after Paris, and maybe I needed to take that
:53:11. > :53:20.break and Miss Paris. Then there would be no-one left at the eastern
:53:20. > :53:25.its? Year, that is the situation that we are in. Maybe that is my
:53:25. > :53:31.mistake in not looking further ahead. I always want to try to play
:53:31. > :53:36.the commitments of the tour that you need to meet. Who knows what is
:53:36. > :53:45.going to happen. The season is a little bit shorter next year, it
:53:45. > :53:49.might help. It is also more compact. Perhaps a difficult decision. He
:53:49. > :53:55.went in Asia, try to get the number three world ranking, then picked up
:53:55. > :54:01.injuries. It is difficult getting the balance right. It is. In
:54:01. > :54:05.hindsight, you would have said that, after the US Open, the Asia tour
:54:05. > :54:14.looked a good idea. When would you ever complain about winning? I
:54:14. > :54:17.still think it was the right decision for him. I think he took a
:54:17. > :54:23.wild card into Switzerland but ended up not playing. I wonder if
:54:23. > :54:28.he could have had a little bit of a break. These guys are so good.
:54:28. > :54:31.Playing in the Grand Slam they are always in the finals. It is an
:54:31. > :54:35.enormous amount of tennis and I think we should remember that that
:54:35. > :54:39.is a nice problem to have. If you are losing in the first or second
:54:39. > :54:42.round you will have plenty of time. It is because they are so
:54:42. > :54:51.consistent that they play loads of matches. There will always be
:54:51. > :54:56.niggles along the way. Andy has talked about his diet has changed
:54:56. > :55:01.and I think that has an impact. He will live and learn and perhaps do
:55:01. > :55:05.things slightly differently. 2012 is hard because it is an Olympic
:55:06. > :55:10.year. Instead of your four majors, you then have the Olympics the
:55:10. > :55:14.morning as well. It is not easy but you have to do the best you can.
:55:14. > :55:18.The questions that came up were raised by the players themselves,
:55:18. > :55:21.notably Nadal, Andy Roddick and Andy Murray. They were the ones who
:55:21. > :55:25.were talking about the length of the season and how no-one was
:55:25. > :55:28.listening to them. Of course, if they have that opinion they must be
:55:28. > :55:33.listened to. They are the most important thing in the game and
:55:33. > :55:40.their opinion is respected. They are the ones who came out. Then he
:55:40. > :55:47.played three tournaments in Asia, played superbly and then satisfied
:55:47. > :55:55.his commitment in Switzerland. If you think you're doing too much,
:55:55. > :55:59.don't play. It is not just 10 because Novak
:55:59. > :56:05.Djokovic played in the Davis Cup after the US Open. He made the
:56:05. > :56:10.decision to play because he is so proud. It is not easy for these
:56:10. > :56:13.guys but I am saying, when you are making this a matter of dollars,
:56:13. > :56:16.with the economy the way it is and the public perception of a good
:56:16. > :56:20.thing at the moment, to even consider mentioning the possibility
:56:20. > :56:26.of a strike just made the game look a little bit foolish temporarily.
:56:26. > :56:32.But that is one man's opinion. They are big box office, the tennis
:56:32. > :56:40.players. We have had a number of celebrities here. We saw Denise
:56:40. > :56:45.Lewis, a number of football players, including Rio Ferdinand. He did not
:56:45. > :56:53.want to sit in the stand. Boris Becker was shouting to him from the
:56:53. > :57:01.side. He looks all right, doesn't he? Yes, all right. His backhand
:57:01. > :57:05.grip is a little bit dodgy. Talking of football, coming up
:57:05. > :57:15.tonight there is much of the day, including Manchester United against
:57:15. > :57:22.
:57:22. > :57:32.Another programme to highlight, coming upon 2nd December, is the
:57:32. > :57:34.
:57:34. > :57:39.euro 2012 draw. Gary Lineker will be presenting that. Looking ahead
:57:39. > :57:47.to tomorrow, this man will be in action. He will be through to the
:57:47. > :57:52.final, against Tomas Berdych or Jo- Wilfried Tsonga. You're wondering,
:57:52. > :58:01.Andrew, whether he might go out and hit a few balls. Do you think he
:58:01. > :58:05.will? No. He raised his level and found his timing. At this stage in
:58:05. > :58:09.the year, given how much tennis he has by, he will be saving his
:58:09. > :58:16.energy for tomorrow. While we were having a sandwich, he was having
:58:16. > :58:23.lunch with Federer. Was it nice? is not what you know it is who you
:58:23. > :58:27.know! OK, guys, thank you very much. That is it from the O2 arena. We
:58:27. > :58:34.know that it is Roger Federer who is through to the final tomorrow,
:58:34. > :58:40.which means that it is his 100th tour final. He is also bidding for