:00:33. > :00:38.In this game of strategy and uncertainties, the permutations are
:00:38. > :00:43.complex. The supreme serve it takes a double victory in to his ultimate
:00:43. > :00:48.gripping account of. He is in control of the board. -- the
:00:48. > :00:55.Supreme Serbian. A win would massively strengthened the
:00:55. > :00:59.ambitions of the Czech to stay in play. A straight sets win for
:00:59. > :01:03.Britain's best would provide the answer to one semi-final riddle.
:01:03. > :01:10.Fate lies out of hands of the flamboyant Frenchman who needs
:01:10. > :01:12.something miraculous to puzzle his way back into contention.
:01:12. > :01:19.For a place in the semi-finals today, actions will speak louder
:01:19. > :01:22.than words. But first, let's have a few words from Tim and Andrew.
:01:22. > :01:30.There are 10 mathematical permutations of what can happen in
:01:30. > :01:33.today's groups. So if you both take five... Ladies, for first! I would
:01:33. > :01:38.not do that to anybody sitting at home. But if we look at the group
:01:38. > :01:42.and this is the action we have got on today. We have Djokovic coming
:01:42. > :01:47.up against Tomas Berdych and then Andy Murray takes on Jo-Wilfried
:01:47. > :01:55.Tsonga. Having done my homework, it looks as if Djokovic wins this
:01:55. > :02:00.afternoon, Murray will only have to win one set. If Berdych wins in
:02:00. > :02:04.straight sets, it is a whole different ball-game. The only
:02:04. > :02:14.scenario of the 10 out there, that would see Djokovic, who sits at the
:02:14. > :02:24.top of this group, as the dominant force, the only way he would not go
:02:24. > :02:26.
:02:26. > :02:33.This is good news Andy Murray. Djokovic has to go out there and
:02:33. > :02:37.get the win. Yes. Andy Murray loved playing Tsonga and Eddie had proved
:02:37. > :02:43.that. But it also approved Djokovic quite explained Berdych as well.
:02:43. > :02:50.Yes. When you look at this, this is the 12th time they have played and
:02:50. > :02:55.it is 10-1-Djokovic. Berdych has only ever won on grass. I think
:02:55. > :02:58.from a playing point of view, all four guys are not going to be
:02:58. > :03:02.thinking about the consequences. They have to go out and focus on
:03:02. > :03:06.their match and play as well as they can because it is against the
:03:06. > :03:13.other top players and they want a win. If they can do that, they can
:03:13. > :03:19.worry about ifs buts later. Murray will be thinking, I just have to go
:03:19. > :03:28.out and do my job. He has got an evening match having had two
:03:28. > :03:34.afternoon matches. So people have He will know what he has to go out
:03:34. > :03:38.and do. He has to go out and play and win. It's Tsonga has not been
:03:38. > :03:44.at his best in these Championships. Yes, after his performance he
:03:44. > :03:52.played fantastic tennis last year. I think he has lost his way a bit
:03:52. > :03:57.and it is interesting to see, I was speaking to Roger yesterday and he
:03:57. > :04:00.is very excited because he knows his protege has got a lot of shots
:04:00. > :04:05.and weapons in his game but I do not think he is necessarily using
:04:05. > :04:09.them well. But in this match against Murray, he will want to try
:04:09. > :04:14.to go out and put on a performance and still with a very small hope
:04:14. > :04:17.and chance that he could get through to the semi-finals.
:04:17. > :04:21.Murray as to forget what happened against Djokovic and come out and
:04:21. > :04:26.play well. Actually, there was a lot to be gained from that
:04:26. > :04:31.performance, a lot to be confident about. And he played very, very
:04:31. > :04:34.well in that match. He knows he has two, three points in that match
:04:35. > :04:38.away from another victory against Djokovic. I love it when they play
:04:38. > :04:44.against each other and I would love to play that again. But greatest
:04:44. > :04:47.respect to Federer, whom I always love watching. I thought Murray
:04:47. > :04:51.played well. Apart from maybe five minutes where he lacked
:04:51. > :04:59.concentration in the third set. He was present and correct all the way
:04:59. > :05:07.through. He just lost. Of those Djokovic-Murray matches are pouring
:05:07. > :05:13.well for a big fight in the future. -- are brewing. He will need to up
:05:13. > :05:18.his game in the latter stages. It is a great sign in sport when a
:05:18. > :05:22.team can win when they are not playing their best, or a player,
:05:22. > :05:25.and I had so much respect for David forever. He had a lot of
:05:25. > :05:33.opportunities yesterday and I think he will be frustrated he could not
:05:33. > :05:38.take advantage of that. -- for David Ferrer. Federer needed to
:05:38. > :05:41.raise his game in the tie-break and his serve really helped him out. He
:05:41. > :05:46.will be pleased to have got through and he will be looking to improve
:05:46. > :05:49.on that performance. He is through to the semi-finals but then he
:05:49. > :05:54.plays Del Potro. Del Potro beat and a couple of weeks ago said he will
:05:54. > :05:58.be looking to put that record straight. And give himself the best
:05:58. > :06:05.possibility in the semi-finals. is funny - ya about Federer. He is
:06:05. > :06:13.not at his best but he beat a player in great form. It is
:06:13. > :06:21.incredible how many different ways he can come at you. Like a cat!
:06:21. > :06:29.Just all clawsbob. He knows he will go and beat Ferrer. It is
:06:29. > :06:35.interesting, Federer and Ferrer the only over 30s here. Agassi was the
:06:35. > :06:45.only over 30 he has ever lost 2, Federer. He just rewrite the record
:06:45. > :06:45.
:06:45. > :06:52.books every time he takes to the court. He won't let him in! On that
:06:52. > :06:57.tour they changed the rules. He can stay here for a few more years!
:06:57. > :07:02.can get everybody else who has retired if it carries on like this!
:07:02. > :07:06.The just to let you know, a doubles match is going on behind us. If we
:07:06. > :07:11.can take you back to last night and show you what happened. In the
:07:11. > :07:20.afternoon, Federer went through and in the evening, Del Potro are
:07:20. > :07:24.comfortably defeated 6-0, 6-4, Janko Tipsarevic, who has been
:07:24. > :07:32.struggling from the illness. He caught a virus in Paris and has not
:07:32. > :07:37.been at his best at this tournament. And so 6-0, 6-4 in just over an
:07:37. > :07:43.hour, and if Del Potro goes through. It keeps his hopes up. But of
:07:43. > :07:53.course, then he has to play Federer tomorrow afternoon. This is how
:07:53. > :07:56.
:07:56. > :08:01.He is always a dangerous player, isn't he? Yes. You do not have that
:08:01. > :08:07.many opportunities to be proactive and had the points. His game has
:08:08. > :08:13.gone from strength to strength. He beat Federer earlier and I think he
:08:13. > :08:16.will write his chances. It was good for him to win that match so
:08:16. > :08:21.comfortably against Tipsarevic and it sets him up nicely for a
:08:21. > :08:24.challenge against Federer. match took only just over an hour
:08:25. > :08:29.and I felt a bit sorry for the crowd it had not gone on a bit
:08:29. > :08:34.longer, so he decided to get one of his friends from the crowd here,
:08:34. > :08:40.and you might recognise him. He did not look too keen to get out! I
:08:40. > :08:50.have to say! But Juan Martin was not having any of it. He said, come
:08:50. > :08:54.
:08:54. > :08:59.on, come out. If pretty good on the ball. The background looked good.
:08:59. > :09:09.When Del Potro was asked, how good a tennis player is he? He said, he
:09:09. > :09:15.is a good football player! He is just saying, come on. We have
:09:15. > :09:25.played tennis, now I am going to get my own back! He takes it out of
:09:25. > :09:29.
:09:29. > :09:37.the air, but sit a way. See, that is what I can do! The -- puts it
:09:37. > :09:42.away. There is a boat that goes from Westminster Pier that brings
:09:42. > :09:48.the players and dignitaries here. You probably get one of those
:09:48. > :09:52.tickets. I have mean -- I have never seen one of those! To and
:09:52. > :10:02.also now for Del Potro, it is Federer, and of course, they met
:10:02. > :10:03.
:10:03. > :10:06.Federer has a very good winning record against Del Potro. He beat
:10:06. > :10:16.him in the final of the US Open a few years ago on a very similar
:10:16. > :10:17.
:10:17. > :10:24.service to this, so with Del Potro having lost one and won one, he
:10:24. > :10:30.knows he has a good chance. It is a very similar situation to today.
:10:30. > :10:38.Having beaten Federer two weeks ago in a final... Yes. Federer had made
:10:38. > :10:43.Del Potro's life and absolute misery. I think that game was 17-15.
:10:43. > :10:48.There were several matches this year and Del Potro has been playing
:10:48. > :10:54.this catch-up game since the US Open in 2009, where he beat Federer
:10:54. > :11:00.two sets to nine. He has been building up and up and I think he
:11:00. > :11:05.is still improving. His serve has been getting back much more
:11:05. > :11:10.effective. And from the back of the court, nobody wants to play him. He
:11:10. > :11:15.can hit through any body. And his net game is getting tidier and
:11:15. > :11:21.tidier every month. So it will be interesting to watch him in the
:11:21. > :11:25.next few years. He can join the elite. He can. He is 6 ft 6 but he
:11:25. > :11:29.is improving his movement all the time, getting stronger, so it is
:11:29. > :11:33.harder for players to get him on the defensive. If you are playing
:11:33. > :11:38.Del Potro you want to use the angles, get him out wide and keep
:11:38. > :11:43.the ball Low, but he can get into position are a bit quicker now and
:11:43. > :11:47.be the one who dictates the point. He is dangerous and I don't think
:11:47. > :11:53.there are many who enjoy playing him. Just to keep you up-to-date,
:11:53. > :11:59.the doubles match behind me has gone into a tie-break. To I'm
:11:59. > :12:03.afraid we do not have any cameras to show you the doubles match. But
:12:03. > :12:11.this what happens. The doubles finals are here as well. The crowds
:12:11. > :12:14.are loving Jonathan Marray. It is a fantastic platform and I think
:12:14. > :12:21.sometimes the double players don't get the exposure they deserve. They
:12:21. > :12:30.are coming here to an unbelievable stadium and pray into 17,500 people,
:12:30. > :12:38.an amazing platform. -- playing to. Tobago all the way through and win
:12:38. > :12:48.the title and come out and I think they have only played twice since
:12:48. > :12:49.
:12:49. > :12:52.Wimbledon. -- to play all the way through. It is good for them to see
:12:52. > :12:55.how it is done by the very best. They have played eight matches
:12:55. > :13:05.since Wimbledon because Freddie Starr wants to be a singles player.
:13:05. > :13:06.
:13:06. > :13:10.Now... -- Freddie Evans still wants to be. You should go out and say,
:13:10. > :13:15.you can always come back to the singles. Maybe I am being foolish
:13:15. > :13:18.and unambitious. Maybe that has been my problem all along! But when
:13:18. > :13:21.you're a Wimbledon champions and you're in the semi-finals here
:13:21. > :13:28.already, you should just concentrate on it because you are
:13:28. > :13:32.making a great living. In his defence, Pat Cash saw him play
:13:32. > :13:37.singles and said he was an immense talent who could make a great
:13:37. > :13:45.living on the singles court. I am not sure I would agree with him
:13:45. > :13:49.there. Frederik Nielsen is 29. Sometimes those breakthroughs, but
:13:49. > :13:55.later for some than others but at 29, if you are ranked 370 in the
:13:55. > :13:59.world you have got to sort of start questioning the previous 10 years.
:13:59. > :14:05.On the other side of the coin, if you why a Wimbledon champion in
:14:05. > :14:15.doubles, you have the opportunities to play all v other Grand Slams. --
:14:15. > :14:17.
:14:17. > :14:24.if you are a Wimbledon champion. Nothing wrong with that. It is a
:14:24. > :14:33.pretty low level compared to what this pair can play. He said, I
:14:33. > :14:41.would not be being honest to myself if I didn't give my for a -- give
:14:41. > :14:48.myself a chance to see if I can be a singles player. Let's show you
:14:48. > :14:55.the last bit of this match. It absolutely bought the house down.
:14:55. > :15:02.An incredible story. Maybe he will start to change his mind. And what
:15:02. > :15:05.he year they have had. The points they are growing... Absolutely. I
:15:05. > :15:12.hate to be nursery about this and it is all very well when you have
:15:12. > :15:16.the bright lights and big city. -- to be mercenary. You can actually
:15:16. > :15:21.go and get a cheque that pays some of the bills at the end of this,
:15:21. > :15:25.whereas if you are playing in the challenges, you don't make anything
:15:25. > :15:33.substantial. If you make 70, �80,000 over the course of the year,
:15:33. > :15:39.which you have to take taxes and expenses out of, you have done OK.
:15:39. > :15:45.It is difficult. Break-even is a challenge at Challenger level. And
:15:45. > :15:49.here he is enjoying this. And here we are enjoying that as well. Just
:15:49. > :15:53.talking about Del Potro and his wrist injury. When you come back
:15:53. > :15:58.and have had such a dangerous and risky injury, do you really have
:15:58. > :16:02.the confidence in it? You have to. You have to regain that confidence.
:16:02. > :16:06.I am pretty sure of Del Potro it was his left wrist so it is when he
:16:06. > :16:10.is hitting the two-handed backhand that there are many of these
:16:10. > :16:14.players who have had that problem. It is difficult because it is such
:16:14. > :16:24.a small tendon and he doesn't get a grip of surprise and it takes a
:16:24. > :16:28.long time to recover. -- it doesn't have a great blood supply. You have
:16:28. > :16:33.to regain the confidence mentally that when you hit the shots it is
:16:33. > :16:40.not going to hurt so you can stand out there for four, five hours and
:16:40. > :16:47.hit them. To be at that level and have won a Grand Slam and into miss
:16:47. > :16:51.a whole year and start again. It adds to what is a fantastic
:16:51. > :16:55.achievement and if he stays injury- free I am sure he will be around
:16:55. > :17:01.for a long time to come. Yes, a bit like Tsonga, they are just below
:17:01. > :17:10.the top form. And Tomas Berdych. They have knocked on the door a lot,
:17:10. > :17:14.these guys. Tsonga in the Australian final in 2008. There is
:17:14. > :17:23.something just so rock-solid back the top four, you just can't break
:17:23. > :17:30.in. They have got their witnesses. Tomas Berdych misses now and again,
:17:30. > :17:36.so does Tsonga. They have changed the face of the game, those top
:17:37. > :17:40.four. Yes, and credit to them. Over the last few months, there quite a
:17:40. > :17:45.bit better than the others. You might get Tsonga and Berdych
:17:45. > :17:52.beating them on occasion but through the calendar year,. They
:17:52. > :17:59.are accumulating, they are quite substantially ahead. -- the points
:17:59. > :18:05.they are accumulating. So they can get into that. If and we never talk
:18:05. > :18:09.about David Ferrer, even though he is number five in the world. Can he
:18:09. > :18:14.still overtake Rafa Nadal? He can if he wins the tournament here,
:18:14. > :18:23.because you would just overtaken, because obviously Federer cannot
:18:23. > :18:29.move up because you won last year. And with Murray, even if he wins,
:18:30. > :18:32.he cannot take over. I think you could almost make a good case for
:18:32. > :18:40.David Ferrer being a player of the year, because although Djokovic is
:18:40. > :18:43.player of the year and each of the others won a Grand Slam, Ferrer won
:18:43. > :18:48.7 other tournaments and it is an unbelievable achievement. Talk
:18:48. > :18:53.about maximising your potential. He is committed to his training, his
:18:53. > :18:57.matches. It is phenomenal. There are so many players in this country
:18:57. > :19:07.who could learn a lot from the way he has applied himself to this game.
:19:07. > :19:08.
:19:08. > :19:13.He is just under 30 and he has had his best here. -- over 30. I bet
:19:13. > :19:18.you he cuts those other players down. He never knows how to lose.
:19:18. > :19:22.He never reacts to anything. I am not sure you can train that. You
:19:22. > :19:30.are born with that sort of placid way of competing but it is
:19:30. > :19:36.admirable. He is amazing. Yes, and as far as the Czech Republic is
:19:36. > :19:46.going, Berdych has got the cup and he and his team-mates will be
:19:46. > :19:50.
:19:50. > :20:00.leading back. And you remember that match against the tallest Czech of
:20:00. > :20:06.
:20:06. > :20:14.the more! -- of them all! nickname is the Iron man, David
:20:14. > :20:18.Ferrer, and he very much is. He has taken down over 13 ft of tennis
:20:18. > :20:23.player in a few days with just the Eurostar between them! Key turns up
:20:23. > :20:26.and does the job. And he was very funny afterwards when he was
:20:26. > :20:34.interviewed on court. Mark Petchey was saying, what were you going to
:20:34. > :20:39.do with Federer in your next match? And he said, no idea! Literally!
:20:39. > :20:46.Finally in this deadlock, of the Masters 1,000 series, the
:20:46. > :20:52.stranglehold was over with that victory by an Ferrer. There is a
:20:52. > :20:56.big story bring about the prize money because there was a board
:20:56. > :21:02.meeting when the money was split and they decided not to allow the
:21:02. > :21:06.tournament director to put in more money. �500,000 was the extra prize
:21:06. > :21:12.money for the Men's Singles. And I am sure we the Gaulle prize money
:21:12. > :21:19.issues there would have been money going into the women's game. If --
:21:19. > :21:25.with the extra prize-money. It is a difficult decision. Stand because
:21:25. > :21:29.they have been a massive focal point about the prize money and
:21:29. > :21:39.dive for one was part of the team at Wimbledon to fly out to Shanghai
:21:39. > :21:43.
:21:43. > :21:47.and meet with the players. -- and I for one. You have already seen what
:21:47. > :21:52.the Australian Open has done. They have raised the prize money by 15%
:21:52. > :21:55.next year and given a plan for the next few years. The players are
:21:55. > :22:01.pleased with that and rightly so. The game is the best it has ever
:22:01. > :22:07.been. You have Larry Ellison, one of the richest men in the world,
:22:07. > :22:11.who is trying to invest more money and the ATP have said no. They have
:22:11. > :22:14.said no because last year they put money into it and they increased
:22:14. > :22:17.the money from the quarter-finals onwards but now they want increase
:22:17. > :22:23.the money from the third-round downwards, and that is what is
:22:23. > :22:27.against the roles. One thing they wanted was the million dollars to
:22:27. > :22:31.the winner. To give the event even more cachet than it already has.
:22:31. > :22:36.That was fine but the distribution going back and the top four, who
:22:36. > :22:39.makes so much money, were very good last year and were good at pushing
:22:39. > :22:42.the tournament directors and the sponsors to increase the money from
:22:42. > :22:45.the quarter-finals back to the first round so more people could
:22:46. > :22:50.make a better living because they did not like the distribution. I
:22:50. > :22:54.thought that was very generous. Along comes this bloke who says, I
:22:54. > :22:57.would fight to distribute more money to those guys who are losing
:22:57. > :23:05.first, second, third rounds, and it is not easy to get into these
:23:05. > :23:09.tournaments, it is rejected. As a PR thing it does not work at all.
:23:09. > :23:14.It needs some explanation. Because proper journalists are not going to
:23:14. > :23:18.go away, they are going to stay and ask why. What does it mean for the
:23:18. > :23:28.other Masters Series if they do not have that prize money to put in?
:23:28. > :23:30.
:23:30. > :23:33.Does it make it to two-tier system? Well, people might say, if India is
:23:33. > :23:36.upping the prize-money, that might do it, but you want the ones who
:23:36. > :23:41.can push the boundaries to do that so it forces the others to follow
:23:41. > :23:45.suit. And for the players, I am sure they will be looking saying,
:23:45. > :23:49.hang on, there is an opportunity for us to compete for more prize-
:23:49. > :23:53.money and we are asking for more in the Grand Slams and then on our own
:23:53. > :23:58.tour we have rejected it. So I am sure it is not the last we have
:23:58. > :24:03.heard of it. But these problems do come and go and we are approaching
:24:03. > :24:06.the silly season, where there is not enough tennis to a report on.
:24:06. > :24:14.The partnerships are changing around so everything changes at
:24:14. > :24:21.this time of the year. Somebody has come along who is extremely wealthy,
:24:21. > :24:26.Larry, who owned Oracle. He said he wanted to put in more money and a
:24:26. > :24:33.tour is rejecting it. It is a nice problem to have but there needs to
:24:33. > :24:37.be transparency. -- and the Talk is rejecting. The players are very
:24:37. > :24:43.much more involved than they have ever been. Who are the players you
:24:43. > :24:53.are having to face and pitched too? Federer is the President of the
:24:53. > :24:59.Player Council. They were present in Shanghai but obviously pitched
:24:59. > :25:08.separately and there was Federer, Gilles Simon, some of the doubles
:25:08. > :25:14.players, the door staff, the chief executive, and I think it was about
:25:15. > :25:21.12 games three, so we were slightly are numbered. -- the door staff.
:25:21. > :25:24.Very tough. We have got the singles, not very soon but we are going to
:25:24. > :25:32.show you Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, because he has been out having a
:25:32. > :25:40.bit of fun with the ball kids here, and also these two landladies from
:25:40. > :25:47.France who came over to join the squad of 30 in London. If -- these
:25:47. > :25:57.two young at ladies. It came down to 100 and they came along and then
:25:57. > :26:01.the final 28. Yes, 20 it from the UK and two from France. It is a
:26:01. > :26:09.great discipline to be part of. was giving them a few tips about
:26:09. > :26:14.when to bring their towel and when not to, so he had a great time.
:26:14. > :26:24.think 28 years, when I was in a ballboy, I had the distinct
:26:24. > :26:28.pleasure of being a ballboy for Mr Castle! It was great. As a tennis
:26:28. > :26:36.fan growing up, you always want to be a part of the big tournaments.
:26:36. > :26:43.What did you learn from watching me play? Probably not... How to swear
:26:43. > :26:53.correctly! I don't know whether I was good to them or not. He was 14,
:26:53. > :27:03.he was so cute. Still built like this, a little thing. And we took
:27:03. > :27:08.
:27:08. > :27:16.him along and Tim was out ballboy. He drinks on. -- hitting it. Let's
:27:16. > :27:23.know hear from one of the game's greatest entertainers.
:27:23. > :27:33.How big an event is this tournament for you? For me it is like a reward
:27:33. > :27:35.
:27:35. > :27:43.So it is maybe a bit different from the other tournaments. I have some
:27:43. > :27:48.good memories from London. I like to play London. I had this
:27:48. > :27:51.relationship will continue. Obviously the Wimbledon crowds
:27:51. > :27:58.enjoyed your gob -- appearances over the years but also here you
:27:58. > :28:07.have the music and lights. Do you like that about the event?
:28:07. > :28:13.course. I like it. It's grid for tennis. And it is part of your
:28:13. > :28:22.style as well. You are known as the showman and having a bit of a dance
:28:22. > :28:27.at the end of your matches when you win. Yes. Tennis is still a game.
:28:27. > :28:31.You know, we have to entertain the crowds and that is what I tried to
:28:31. > :28:36.do and sometimes I am not entertaining with my tennis! I
:28:36. > :28:44.tried to entertain with other things! He does have such a great
:28:44. > :28:47.attitude to the games. And the He will be on-court... They may not
:28:47. > :28:53.love him too much in the O2 Arena tonight because he is against Andy
:28:53. > :29:00.Murray! We're just waiting now, a couple of minutes away, Djokovic
:29:00. > :29:04.against Tomas Berdych. Basically, Djokovic and Murray need to win to
:29:04. > :29:10.go through to the semi-finals but if Djokovic wins just one set,
:29:10. > :29:15.Murray only has to win a set this evening to go through. They are
:29:15. > :29:21.overwhelming favourites to do that. British tennis fans, Murray tennis
:29:21. > :29:27.fans, we want Djokovic to win, though if Djokovic wins, Murray
:29:27. > :29:37.cannot win the group. So he will play Federer in the semi-finals!
:29:37. > :29:37.
:29:37. > :29:47.Ooh! Exactly! We will have what we are given. Co he still doesn't have
:29:47. > :29:51.a number two. Not yet. There is still a very big void behind Andy
:29:51. > :29:57.Murray but there's a group of 17, 18-year-olds who are showing
:29:57. > :30:07.promising signs and I would not say that unless I really have the
:30:07. > :30:08.
:30:08. > :30:13.belief in them. We have said that before. But what about Josh
:30:13. > :30:18.Goodall? Dan Evans? I don't think Dan Evans is showing the consistent
:30:18. > :30:28.application. Whereas if you look at Liam Broady, Lib Banbridge, as a
:30:28. > :30:32.
:30:32. > :30:40.group of players they have shown promising signs. Luke is still just
:30:40. > :30:45.17 and he won his futures event. I did not win one of those until I
:30:45. > :30:50.was probably 20. He has got a lot of work ahead of him. They all have.
:30:50. > :30:53.But it is have -- healthy competition. They will have good
:30:53. > :30:59.results and one will do better than the others, and the others will
:30:59. > :31:02.look at it and say, if he can do that, maybe I can do that. Maybe
:31:02. > :31:12.eight will might be too early but hopefully they can kick on and
:31:12. > :31:17.support Murray, because the Davis Cup is pretty tough. Playing five
:31:17. > :31:20.sets and in doubles and singles on the Sunday. If we can get another
:31:20. > :31:26.couple of genuine singles players the Davis Cup takes on a whole
:31:26. > :31:36.different meaning. A key to get into the World Group, they need to
:31:36. > :31:36.
:31:36. > :31:46.announce... If their win against Russia, against Davydenko...
:31:46. > :31:50.
:31:50. > :31:55.are relying on Murray playing two matches. It is a tricky one. Even
:31:55. > :32:00.with Murray and a doubles player, we can win that. And then we have a
:32:00. > :32:05.world player of in September. If Murray is not there, we have a very
:32:05. > :32:08.slim chance. I am sure that will be announced a little later on. Murray
:32:08. > :32:13.is worrying about a night and getting through the semi-finals.
:32:13. > :32:19.This afternoon, Djokovic against Berdych, and we mentioned head-to-
:32:19. > :32:23.head is not in his favour. He has never beaten him indoors on a hard
:32:23. > :32:33.court. The only victory came at Wimbledon, not a bad place to do
:32:33. > :32:36.
:32:36. > :32:38.it!, off the victory of -- over Berdych has the tools to be very
:32:38. > :32:42.Berdych has the tools to be very dangerous. He hits the ball
:32:42. > :32:48.incredibly flat, so when he is on his game, he is very dangerous, but
:32:48. > :32:52.his margins are very small. If he is slightly off and you think of
:32:52. > :32:57.Djokovic's athletic ability and his ability to stay in the rallies, he
:32:57. > :33:02.will not make too many balls. But Berdych has to go out there, he has
:33:02. > :33:06.nothing to lose, see what happens. He had a match point in this have
:33:06. > :33:11.been at this event last year against Djokovic, so you never know.
:33:11. > :33:15.-- in this arena. The heartbeat rings out around the O2 Arena, the
:33:15. > :33:19.build-up to this match, a huge match for Tomas Berdych, he needs
:33:19. > :33:25.to win it in straight sets to keep his hopes alive of going through to
:33:25. > :33:29.the semi-final and that is a tall order against the world No. 1. But
:33:29. > :33:36.Berdych has been consistent, this is his third year finishing inside
:33:36. > :33:40.the top 10 and Annie Ivan Lendl has achieved that. -- Only. He has been
:33:40. > :33:46.the man from the Czech Republic and he will lead them through to the
:33:46. > :33:50.Davis Cup final next weekend. So Berdych against Djokovic,
:33:50. > :33:57.Djokovic's 5th appearance in these finals and he is going for his 73rd
:33:57. > :34:00.match winner of 2012. -- fifth. number six player in the world,
:34:00. > :34:10.from the Czech Republic, Tomas Berdych.
:34:10. > :34:44.
:34:44. > :34:54.three ATP World Tour finals this season, the world No. 1, Novak
:34:54. > :35:23.
:35:23. > :35:28.Djokovic! players on court, a huge ovation
:35:28. > :35:33.for Novak Djokovic. His last match here, an absolute classic. And
:35:33. > :35:36.Andrew Castle has found something in the permutations. Novak Djokovic
:35:36. > :35:40.takes to the court with the likelihood that he will win the
:35:40. > :35:43.group, know all -- number one for the second year in a row, but it is
:35:43. > :35:46.quite possible that he would go through from the group, it is
:35:46. > :35:53.possible that he would qualify from the group, and it seems
:35:53. > :35:58.inconceivable. So Tomas Berdych needs to win in two? If he beats
:35:58. > :36:08.Djokovic in two sets and then Murray beats HE SINGS "La Prima
:36:08. > :36:11.
:36:11. > :36:15.Murray beats Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in two sets, he wins the group and
:36:15. > :36:19.Berdych comes second. We need acceleration straight away from
:36:19. > :36:24.Berdych, he knows he can't fool around and he could come out and
:36:24. > :36:29.see what goes on. He has nothing to lose, he has had a great year, the
:36:29. > :36:33.Davis Cup coming up and maybe Djokovic is feeling the pressure.
:36:33. > :36:37.And Berdych certainly knows how to come out fast. He certainly does,
:36:37. > :36:40.when he is on his game and look at the size of him, such a big
:36:40. > :36:45.wingspan and he can generate so much power. And he doesn't play
:36:45. > :36:55.with much spin, so the ball is really flying of the court. You
:36:55. > :37:00.have to hope it is one of those days when all of those shots go in.
:37:00. > :37:10.Two challenges, one more in the tie-break. Any Questions? No. What
:37:10. > :37:13.
:37:13. > :37:23.you call the toss, please? Good elevation of height. Tales. --
:37:23. > :37:23.
:37:23. > :37:33.tails. Have your picture, they were very keen to run off! Task of the
:37:33. > :37:38.
:37:38. > :37:42.these matches, you don't even need the spin of the coin, because you
:37:43. > :37:50.know Federer is going to rest -- serve and do you know Murray is
:37:50. > :37:54.going to recede. They have their set play, if you like. -- received.
:37:54. > :38:00.He would just want to get one game ahead, won't he? The first game can
:38:00. > :38:04.often be playing yourself in. always the very best returners,
:38:04. > :38:07.they feel like they can be on to the serve straight away if the
:38:07. > :38:16.survey is a little slow picking up, and they might be able to get the
:38:16. > :38:21.early break. Agassi always returned serve, Murray always returns sir.
:38:21. > :38:26.Federer feels that he is made to play for the first point and get
:38:26. > :38:31.his nose in front and put pressure on with the score later in the set.
:38:31. > :38:36.Look at the way this guy strokes the ball. If you watch him in real
:38:36. > :38:43.life, I hope it comes through on the TV screen, the balance and the
:38:43. > :38:47.poise and the use of the power from the ground, a it is so balanced. I
:38:47. > :38:52.don't think I have seen anybody so difficult to knock off balance.
:38:52. > :38:55.Agassi was the great one from the previous generation, this guy
:38:55. > :39:01.brings that every single time as well. And he is double-jointed,
:39:01. > :39:05.seemingly, in every regard. And he is really greedy for more, I get
:39:05. > :39:09.the feeling, which is a good thing. He is fascinating right there, the
:39:09. > :39:15.best player in the world right now. In the absence of Nadal, this is
:39:15. > :39:20.the guy. And having had the year he had last year when he was so
:39:20. > :39:24.dominant, winning three Grand Slams and the world No. 1 right the way
:39:24. > :39:29.through, it was immense for him to come back and finish this year as
:39:29. > :39:33.world No. 1, because it is easy to have a reaction to that. Very much
:39:33. > :39:38.so. I think there were a lot of people who were wondering how he
:39:38. > :39:42.would back up his 2011 season, because he didn't lose a match
:39:42. > :39:47.until the semi-finals of the French, he had won everything up to that
:39:47. > :39:52.point, around 40 magistrate. Clearly the best player. How would
:39:52. > :39:56.he respond? -- 40 matches straight. He got off to the best start by
:39:56. > :40:02.winning the Australian Open. We had a five-hour match with Murray in
:40:02. > :40:06.the semis and the needy six hours with a Nadal in the final, and the
:40:06. > :40:11.rankings do not lie, he thoroughly deserves to be the top player in
:40:11. > :40:19.the rankings. My biggest hope for 2013 is that that Al-Khums back
:40:19. > :40:22.into the equation. He hasn't played for six months -- Nadal. He has
:40:22. > :40:27.obviously had some big problems with his knees and hopefully, with
:40:27. > :40:32.sufficient rest, he will be back ready and I think with this quartet,
:40:32. > :40:36.it makes the game as good as he hit has -- it has ever been. They are
:40:36. > :40:42.for something with game and personality. This guy has got to
:40:42. > :40:50.come out blasting and he has got to try and find a way, he has got to
:40:50. > :40:55.serve well. Djokovic's return, you can't give him a second serve.
:40:55. > :41:03.has to look to keep his first serve percentage I put the cat hit in the
:41:04. > :41:08.corners, and I am not sure he will serve a massive amount of Acis --
:41:08. > :41:13.baseds, but if he can set up the point with his first, he can
:41:13. > :41:19.dominate with his forehand. And Don Djokovic harsh facts serve, he has
:41:19. > :41:26.got to be aggressive, take the ball early -- and on Djokovic's serve.
:41:26. > :41:34.The good thing he has beaten him once. That was over 5 as well, and
:41:34. > :41:38.even greater victory -- over five sets. He has that the right mindset.
:41:38. > :41:42.Djokovic more than any other player, more balls are going to come back.
:41:42. > :41:47.He is going to have to be prepared to play two or three more shots
:41:47. > :41:52.every rally. Very macho, he has to be prepared to go that extra yard -
:41:52. > :41:56.- very much so. I think Murray and Djokovic are the best defenders in
:41:56. > :42:02.the game, they are unbelievable movers, therefore she to keep
:42:02. > :42:08.playing extra shards and he has got to hit those -- they are forced you
:42:08. > :42:10.to keep playing extra shots. And as far as mind games go, if he can get
:42:10. > :42:13.off to have really good start and make Djokovic suddenly think a
:42:13. > :42:18.little bit more about all of these permutations we were thinking
:42:18. > :42:22.about... Definitely, any sort of distraction he can get into
:42:22. > :42:26.Djokovic's head is going to be a good thing. Given their history, it
:42:26. > :42:31.is important he can get into the match. If things start to go
:42:31. > :42:36.against Berdych, he may get the mindset of here we go again, I have
:42:36. > :42:41.lost 10 out of 11, and this will add to the statistics. So the start
:42:41. > :42:44.is important. There is certainly plenty to play for. We say Berdych
:42:44. > :42:53.has to try and win in two, but Djokovic is in a different class,
:42:53. > :43:01.isn't he? He will need to have an off day. He will hope that Djokovic
:43:01. > :43:05.doesn't play to his capabilities and Berdych pasta plates to -- fire
:43:05. > :43:11.on all cylinders. I think he is thinking about that at the moment.
:43:11. > :43:15.It has been a long year for him. He has got to go out of there and put
:43:15. > :43:19.all of that out of his mind, his previous record, and concentrate on
:43:19. > :43:23.this first point. He has to have a plan and execute each point as best
:43:24. > :43:33.as he can and hope that the, after a couple of sets, he will win the
:43:34. > :43:36.
:43:36. > :43:40.last. And go through -- and hopefully. It is tricky trying to
:43:40. > :43:44.work out all of this. When you have the top eight players in the world,
:43:44. > :43:48.you split them into two groups of her four, you will keep them for a
:43:48. > :43:51.minimum of three matches and it gives the mathematicians a run for
:43:51. > :43:56.their money. It has been proved that people have lost matches and
:43:56. > :44:00.come back and won the tournament many times before. We will say.
:44:00. > :44:05.Andrew will no doubts take you through all of these permutations -
:44:05. > :44:08.- no doubt. Tim is on his way but Andrew is already there, over to
:44:08. > :44:12.you. ANDREW CASTLE: I thought she would
:44:12. > :44:22.go through the permutations through the set, actually. We will see what
:44:22. > :44:32.
:44:32. > :44:42.against Tomas Berdych, who has qualified for the third year in a
:44:42. > :44:42.
:44:42. > :47:31.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:47:31. > :47:36.down -- a nice loosener. Not a lot Just to let you know what his Grand
:47:36. > :47:42.Slam year has been all about, Tomas Berdych. A quarter-finalist at the
:47:42. > :47:47.Australian Open. The 4th round at the French Open. Didn't have a
:47:47. > :47:53.great run on the grass this year, he lost in the first round at
:47:54. > :47:58.Wimbledon, then lost in the first round at the Olympics. Then he went
:47:58. > :48:08.all the way to the semi-final of the US Open, he beat Federer and
:48:08. > :48:08.
:48:08. > :49:57.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:49:57. > :50:03.Grand Slam championships? Amazing. It is such a physical feat,
:50:03. > :50:13.yes, but such a mental thing as well. The strain of being the one
:50:13. > :50:38.
:50:38. > :50:43.that everybody wants to beat, every Djokovic had in 2011 -- cue. It is
:50:43. > :50:46.amazing to reflect that Federer won three of the four Grand Slams on
:50:46. > :50:56.different occasions in a calendar year. It is amazing, the
:50:56. > :51:21.
:51:22. > :51:25.consistency to perform at that ball, that is fine, but when they
:51:25. > :51:35.are getting into these baseline rallies, he struggles to find a way
:51:35. > :51:36.
:51:36. > :52:17.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:52:17. > :52:26.past Djokovic. Interesting to see a very nice point, but very nice
:52:26. > :52:31.doesn't get the job done against the rock solid Djokovic. Djokovic,
:52:31. > :52:34.a long way back in the Court play the defensive slice and then a big
:52:34. > :52:44.forehand from Berdych, but the power and athleticism on the run
:52:44. > :53:00.
:53:00. > :53:10.the servant getting to the baseline rallies, there is only one winner.
:53:10. > :53:26.
:53:26. > :53:36.Djokovic misses a return off a second serve. He missed on against
:53:36. > :53:57.
:53:57. > :54:05.Murray the other day and are still the ball leaving the Berdych racket
:54:05. > :54:15.and arriving in your space, off a survey of around 130 mph. Cash
:54:15. > :54:40.
:54:40. > :54:50.missed, two of them on second him physically, a physiotherapist
:54:50. > :55:05.
:55:05. > :55:15.and a trainer. -- on the left returns the 131 mph first serve
:55:15. > :55:15.
:55:15. > :55:58.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:55:58. > :56:07.Tim, and we talk about great returners and PUBLIC ADDRESS: is
:56:07. > :56:10.certainly one of them. How do you improve that? I think one of the
:56:10. > :56:14.things that opposed to his they try and make life more difficult for
:56:14. > :56:18.themselves, so they might get a coach to stand inside the baseline
:56:18. > :56:21.from where they are going to serve, so they are obviously going to give
:56:21. > :56:24.you less time to react, and sometimes you can do the same,
:56:24. > :56:28.stand a long way inside the baseline to give yourself less time
:56:28. > :56:31.and when it does come to the normal conditions that the player is
:56:31. > :56:37.serving from the baseline and you are a couple of feet behind the
:56:37. > :56:40.baseline, it will feel like you have a bit more time, and again, I
:56:40. > :56:47.think this wings on the return of serve, if you can keep them a
:56:47. > :56:51.little bit shorter -- the swings, it will give you more time. All of
:56:51. > :56:54.the great players look like they have a lot of time. They have no
:56:54. > :56:59.extra time it is just that their preparation and food were, the way
:56:59. > :57:04.they see the ball, -- foot work, the way they see the ball, it seems
:57:04. > :57:08.to create time. And the drills you have talked about will feed into
:57:08. > :57:18.your game by shortening the swing RUSSELL FULLER:, because you don't
:57:18. > :57:35.
:57:35. > :57:45.have time. as he tries to get out of this
:57:45. > :57:45.
:57:45. > :59:52.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:59:52. > :59:56.serve opportunities against Djokovic so far, but he did a good
:59:56. > :00:02.job there, stepping in and taking the ball early, rushing it Djokovic
:00:03. > :00:12.with his second shot. Now the opportunity of a break-back point,
:00:13. > :00:34.
:00:34. > :00:44.and he really does need to get back Berdych, not granted a winner of
:00:44. > :00:44.
:00:44. > :01:54.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:01:54. > :01:58.back into this first set. Break- point gone. It is obviously a fine
:01:58. > :02:03.line. Berdych is not just going to out rallied Djokovic. He has got to
:02:03. > :02:09.take risks but he cannot afford to make silly unforced errors. When he
:02:09. > :02:14.is committing the shot, go for the winners. If he misses, well, so be
:02:14. > :02:24.it. But a couple of poor unforced errors when he had an opportunity
:02:24. > :02:57.
:02:57. > :03:07.to the forehand side inside the court and then the strike. Pleasant
:03:07. > :03:42.
:03:42. > :03:52.on the eye, isn't it? Playing like game, with his athletic ability,
:03:52. > :04:02.his footwork, he is able to played very aggressively but without
:04:02. > :04:02.
:04:02. > :05:52.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:05:52. > :06:02.taking too many risks. This match- but Djokovic always seeming to just
:06:02. > :06:35.
:06:35. > :06:39.And the depth defeated Berdych. Now, he was talking about the pride with
:06:39. > :06:47.which he represents is still fairly new country, Serbia. Of course,
:06:47. > :06:55.they all used to play under the old Yugoslavia and flag. One of them
:06:55. > :07:02.was Nicky pitch. And it was to that academy that this name -- this man
:07:02. > :07:09.went at the age of 12. His mother and father were happy to see him go
:07:09. > :07:17.at the age of 12 to 14 to another country, admittedly in good care.
:07:17. > :07:25.And it is quite something. We have seen Andy Murray going to Barcelona.
:07:25. > :07:31.Do you have to do that now? Do you have to travel? There is not a
:07:31. > :07:35.right or wrong. Everybody's journey is different. You just need good
:07:35. > :07:40.coaching and good practice partners. And we are beginning to see that in
:07:40. > :07:44.this country as well. You will not get a better facility as we have in
:07:44. > :07:47.Roehampton. They have a good environment and set up and as we
:07:47. > :07:56.mentioned, on the boys' side we have some good players coming
:07:57. > :08:02.through. And then Laura and Heather Watson, who have done fantastic --
:08:02. > :08:05.fantastically well as well. I was always in this country and it
:08:05. > :08:11.worked pretty well for me but it is about what finding works best for
:08:11. > :08:21.you. And self-motivation. And self- motivation. And Djokovic has that
:08:21. > :08:45.
:08:45. > :08:49.hear the blood disorder which really made his dad very poorly and
:08:49. > :08:57.there was some question about whether you would be playing in
:08:57. > :09:05.Paris and London, he seems to be making a recovery from that. That
:09:05. > :09:15.is Novak's dad. I am sure if he is watching Novak play like this, it
:09:15. > :09:16.
:09:16. > :11:13.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:11:13. > :11:22.to the right there crossing of the court, would you, then? Well... It
:11:22. > :11:27.is so difficult. Berdych tried to go for it but still lost the point.
:11:27. > :11:33.Just always getting the ball away from him. Played a great forehand
:11:33. > :11:43.but Djokovic was still able to reach it and play the drop shot.
:11:43. > :11:50.
:11:50. > :12:00.scenarios now. 10 permutations as to what could happen. Stott
:12:00. > :12:00.
:12:00. > :12:41.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:12:41. > :12:51.crossing them off! Yes. Berdych in interested in his if he wins this
:12:51. > :13:24.
:13:24. > :13:30.match, he wins the group. Fairly set, he wins the group. Now, that
:13:30. > :13:40.is more difficult. I cannot believe I'd put that out there! Good luck,
:13:40. > :14:06.
:14:06. > :14:11.Tim. I don't think I am going to outcome. Djokovic has certainly
:14:11. > :14:21.come out focused on his game, executing his plan. The outcome
:14:21. > :14:21.
:14:21. > :15:27.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:15:27. > :15:31.outcome and execution. It is quite clinical. When you were playing big
:15:31. > :15:37.matches at latter stages of Grand Slams or in big tournaments,
:15:37. > :15:42.matches that really mattered, were you able to think that clearly or
:15:42. > :15:47.is this speak... Was it self- taught? It was self-taught but it
:15:47. > :15:52.is the mindset that you have to have. People talk about pressure
:15:52. > :15:57.but it is all self-inflicted. Whether you are playing the first
:15:57. > :16:01.match, or the last in the 5th. The ball does not know that and you
:16:01. > :16:04.have got to think about your mind. When you look at the top players
:16:04. > :16:09.and people sit and wonder how they are able to perform when everybody
:16:09. > :16:14.else is so nervous, well... They are obviously able to bring
:16:14. > :16:24.themselves into that moment and concentrate on the next point. It
:16:24. > :16:25.
:16:25. > :16:35.is almost playing the ability to Cup -- of playing each point and
:16:35. > :16:35.
:16:35. > :16:40.not the score. At the end of my career I worked with a coach who
:16:40. > :16:45.has worked with a lot of golfers and he was excellent. Did you have
:16:45. > :16:49.to go to him? Funnily enough, I never met him! He was a friend of
:16:49. > :16:59.my old coach and we spoke on the phone from time to time. It was
:16:59. > :16:59.
:16:59. > :17:09.how he has been using his psychologist and Howard has
:17:09. > :17:10.
:17:10. > :18:02.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:18:02. > :18:12.impacted his game and probably his going through his repertoire of
:18:12. > :18:12.
:18:12. > :19:12.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:19:12. > :19:17.shots. Just 33 minutes and three through to the semi-finals. -- that
:19:17. > :19:22.means. When he goes through as champion from the script or not,
:19:22. > :19:31.that remains to be seen. With tonight's match with Jo-Wilfried
:19:31. > :19:36.Tsonga and Andy Murray. There is still a way he will not be champion
:19:36. > :19:41.in this group. If he was to lose this match and then Tsonga beats
:19:41. > :19:46.Murray. The main thing is, he will be here for the weekend and job
:19:46. > :19:52.done. I would imagine he will know all about that before going out
:19:52. > :20:00.that he needed that one set. No aces from Berdych, which tells you
:20:00. > :20:07.something about how Djokovic receives and returns the ball. And
:20:07. > :20:17.that percentage of first serves in is quite low, isn't it, Tim? Yes. I
:20:17. > :20:19.
:20:19. > :20:22.think Djokovic only lost 6 or 7 points on serve in a whole match.
:20:22. > :20:30.And the second serve points won, which means the baseline rallies
:20:30. > :20:35.are being won by Djokovic. Yes. Two thirds by Djokovic when they take
:20:35. > :20:43.the serve out of the equation. would you do against him? That is
:20:43. > :20:47.what I was trying to think about. I remember I had such a bad record
:20:47. > :20:51.against Lleyton Hewitt. I went back to the drawing board and instead of
:20:51. > :20:56.trying to come to the net so often, I was very patient from the
:20:56. > :21:06.baseline. I felt without giving him a target comedy wasn't hurting me.
:21:06. > :21:11.I had to change my game. Berdych needs to do the same. Whatever his
:21:11. > :21:15.method is, the process he is going through, it is unsuccessful and
:21:15. > :21:21.Djokovic might end up beating him but at least he would try something
:21:21. > :21:31.different. Yes. Lleyton Hewitt. You have nightmares with him, didn't
:21:31. > :21:55.
:21:55. > :22:00.you, for a while? Did you get him 12 years ago now. It exactly. 2001,
:22:00. > :22:08.2002... He won this event in Shanghai and Sydney. Finished both
:22:08. > :22:15.of those years as world number one. And then Roddick finished world
:22:15. > :22:21.number one in 2003. And since then, Federer and Nadal have absolutely
:22:21. > :22:31.dominated that top two ranking until last year and this. And the
:22:31. > :22:31.
:22:31. > :23:54.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:23:54. > :24:01.new man at the top of the game is predicament that even some of the
:24:01. > :24:11.very best players have nowadays. That there isn't a plan B. You just
:24:11. > :24:31.
:24:31. > :24:41.I don't know if Berdych has that option. When we can serve and
:24:41. > :24:43.
:24:43. > :24:51.volley a couple of times in the game. -- whether he can. Look at
:24:51. > :24:54.where Djokovic plays these second serves from. He tries to get a wide.
:24:54. > :24:59.And it is certainly impressive in the whole tournament how early
:25:00. > :25:09.years able to take the ball. And the second serve is really an
:25:10. > :25:15.
:25:15. > :25:25.longer the rally goes on, the less chance he has got, maybe he should
:25:25. > :25:44.
:25:44. > :25:49.say to himself, every second serve, opponent is seven at 78% of first
:25:49. > :25:59.serves in the court, you are only getting a couple of looks on the
:25:59. > :25:59.
:25:59. > :26:41.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:26:41. > :26:51.second serve. Nice game plan on option, which is the kick at the
:26:51. > :26:53.
:26:53. > :26:57.change of N's! -- ends! The season is an over for Tomas Berdych no
:26:57. > :27:07.matter what happens. An amazing double for the Czech Republic. They
:27:07. > :27:30.
:27:30. > :27:40.have already won the Federal Cup, Djokovic was the one making the
:27:40. > :27:40.
:27:40. > :28:22.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:28:23. > :28:30.call. A very cross smile, wasn't the corresponding arena to this one
:28:30. > :28:40.in Prague have defeated Serbia. Kvitova and Thomas' former
:28:40. > :28:40.
:28:40. > :30:06.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:30:06. > :30:13.girlfriend, Lucie Safarova or, who position, she just doesn't have the
:30:13. > :30:23.same athletic ability to get back into the point. -- he just doesn't
:30:23. > :30:59.
:30:59. > :31:09.have. More opportunities for the really is. And Berdych doesn't seem
:31:09. > :31:13.to have any answers this afternoon. Novak Djokovic, who was already a
:31:13. > :31:17.winner of this season-ending championship in Shanghai back in
:31:17. > :31:22.2008, when he beat Davydenko, he looks set fair to go through
:31:22. > :31:28.undefeated from his crew. The event actually stretches all the way back
:31:28. > :31:32.to 1970, Stan Smith was the first winner in Tokyo. These are the more
:31:32. > :31:37.recent winners. That second one for Lleyton Hewitt in 2002, he had won
:31:37. > :31:44.in Sydney the year before and he beat Ferraro in a five-setter in
:31:44. > :31:47.Shanghai. Roger Federer is the only man to have won it six times and
:31:47. > :31:52.also the only man to have won it in three different venues, another
:31:52. > :31:58.record for him. In Houston, Shanghai and twice in London.
:31:58. > :32:05.Joining him is another a London champion, Davydenko. Let's go back
:32:05. > :32:08.and have a look at some of the history, going further back. The
:32:08. > :32:17.glory years for this event were when it was in Madison Square
:32:17. > :32:22.Garden, Ivan Lendl was in nine straight finals. Can you imagine
:32:22. > :32:27.that? A season-ending championship, the best of the best. He obviously
:32:27. > :32:37.quite liked New York. He was in eight US Open finals. I guess that
:32:37. > :33:11.
:33:11. > :33:16.is why he it there. Just up the right for Tomas Berdych. Just the
:33:16. > :33:26.top of the Macro net on a passing shot, the ball just clipping it and
:33:26. > :33:26.
:33:26. > :35:11.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:35:11. > :35:21.Perfect technique on the forehand volley, I would like to see a few
:35:21. > :35:56.
:35:56. > :36:00.Tomas Berdych. We should not have been a concentration on Djokovic's
:36:00. > :36:08.part, but that is the nature of the scoring system in tennis. You can
:36:08. > :36:18.be Ed played for the best part of the power and -- outplayed for the
:36:18. > :36:18.
:36:18. > :38:29.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:38:29. > :38:39.best part of an hour and he is hitting from Berdych, from the back
:38:39. > :38:49.of the court. The longer rallies are evening up, six all. It is
:38:49. > :38:49.
:38:49. > :40:36.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:40:36. > :40:39.interesting, he is playing himself Berdych -- the net-cord helped
:40:39. > :40:49.Berdych in the first game, I don't think it helped him then, it gave
:40:49. > :40:49.
:40:49. > :42:30.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:42:30. > :42:38.the ball extra elevation that to doesn't go away and you expect an
:42:38. > :42:48.easy game at some point. You are up against is the whole match. --
:42:48. > :42:56.
:42:56. > :43:00.a look at what you have to do to win a point against Djokovic. A
:43:00. > :43:07.nice serve, a big forehand into the corner and still Djokovic made him
:43:07. > :43:17.play that one extra poor by sliding into an open stance. -- extra ball.
:43:17. > :43:49.
:43:49. > :43:53.You always feel like you have to big afternoon crowd, I think they
:43:53. > :43:58.are delighted to see Berdych winning a couple of games. It was
:43:58. > :44:04.all a bit sleepy and Djokovic was comfortable, but the big man from
:44:04. > :44:11.the Czech Republic has done well. He certainly has, he did his heels
:44:11. > :44:17.in best dug his heels in, and it looks like it would be Djokovic's
:44:17. > :44:21.11 -- 11th victory in 12 games. But he played a good service game, and
:44:21. > :44:26.Al-Habsi can put some pressure on Djokovic on his next service game.
:44:26. > :44:36.That perhaps he can put some pressure on. Opening up a palm. Not
:44:36. > :44:42.rotating too much through the ball, maintaining control. Strong left-
:44:42. > :44:52.hand side, just rotating around. This is pretty much the prototype
:44:52. > :45:02.
:45:02. > :45:10.player of this generation, 6 ft 5 where does Tomas Berdych hit the
:45:10. > :45:15.ball from? 34% inside the baseline. Today, it is different. He is being
:45:15. > :45:19.forced back and it is nothing he can do about it, he is being forced
:45:19. > :45:26.into the situation. It is very different playing against Tsonga
:45:26. > :45:36.and Murray. Which you can occur? would, it emphasises the depth that
:45:36. > :45:36.
:45:36. > :47:37.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:47:37. > :47:41.off four of the last eight Grand Slam championships. Just the French
:47:41. > :47:51.Open last year and Wimbledon this year when he failed to make the
:47:51. > :48:11.
:48:11. > :48:17.against Djokovic has not been easy this year. He has won 61 matches
:48:17. > :48:27.and lost just one after he has won the first set, so Berdych is up
:48:27. > :48:51.
:48:52. > :48:57.Djokovic, as we look at Berdych's parents, was the Olympics. He lost
:48:57. > :49:07.that semi-final to Andy Murray on the Friday night. And then he lost
:49:07. > :49:27.
:49:27. > :49:32.to del Potro in the bronze-medal in the Opening Ceremony for Serbia,
:49:33. > :49:42.he would have been very keen to have won a medal for his country.
:49:43. > :49:43.
:49:43. > :50:43.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:50:43. > :50:53.He has had a few other highlights, week that the ATP World Tour finals
:50:53. > :50:55.
:50:55. > :51:01.are to stay here for 2015. Where did you play yours? You were in two
:51:01. > :51:06.of these, won't she? I qualified in Shanghai but couldn't play because
:51:06. > :51:14.I had a shoulder operation, but then I qualified in Hanover and in
:51:14. > :51:18.Houston. Very different, indoors in Germany, 12,000 seater stadium, got
:51:18. > :51:26.through to the semi-finals. Houston has outdoor at the end of the year,
:51:26. > :51:34.not ideal weather conditions, pretty cool. Was that where the man
:51:34. > :51:43.who owned and ran the whole thing wasn't too sure about her Federer
:51:43. > :51:47.was -- who Federer was? It was perceived as a bitter that this
:51:47. > :51:56.respect to Federer, who had come out and won, and absolutely spanked
:51:56. > :52:00.Agassi, as far as I can remember. - - Bequette this respect. But it is
:52:00. > :52:05.fantastic years that this will remain here for another three years,
:52:05. > :52:10.and why not? It has been a massive success, look at the crowds, 17,500
:52:10. > :52:15.for every session. Under total of one million they will go over this
:52:15. > :52:21.week, since it moved here -- and a total. The million people watching
:52:21. > :52:26.tennis in November. We have done this -- they have done a fantastic
:52:26. > :52:36.job. I can remember when the only tennis in November were the
:52:36. > :52:36.
:52:36. > :53:53.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:53:53. > :53:59.national championships in Telford the second game in a road where it
:53:59. > :54:04.has gone in their blink of an eye. -- in a row. 100 seconds for the
:54:04. > :54:08.previous service game of Djokovic, that one was just 73. And what
:54:08. > :54:14.effect does that have on the course of the match and the feeding of a
:54:14. > :54:20.match? The it just gets the impression -- it just gives you the
:54:20. > :54:23.impression you are always serving. Berdych has had some tough service
:54:23. > :54:28.games and there is a sense of relief when he comes through them
:54:28. > :54:31.and 75 seconds later, he has the balls in his hand again. It is like
:54:31. > :54:41.to spin bowlers operating together, keeping the pressure on. You can't
:54:41. > :54:42.
:54:42. > :57:15.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:57:15. > :57:18.see where the runs are going to Berdych. He was a break down early
:57:19. > :57:23.on, he had lost the first set in a disappointing fashion, broke back
:57:23. > :57:33.straight away and he is putting in a good effort against a player who
:57:33. > :57:49.
:57:49. > :57:59.is largely and playing him. -- out feeling the pressure, as he strokes
:57:59. > :58:00.
:58:00. > :58:10.one of the best returners quite possibly ever. It is a big thing to
:58:10. > :58:34.
:58:34. > :58:39.say with the likes of Agassi in played? -- who was the best at
:58:39. > :58:45.returning that you played? Probably aggressive. I did play Djokovic but
:58:45. > :58:49.he wasn't at the heights he is now -- probably Agassi. In terms of the
:58:49. > :58:56.hand and eye co-ordination, and how early he returned, Agassi was
:58:56. > :59:00.probably as good as most. In terms of players who could suddenly get
:59:00. > :59:09.inspired and flash three or four winners, Becker would have been up
:59:09. > :59:16.there. Henri Leconte as well, he would a pit. And hundred --
:59:16. > :59:23.underrated returner. It is those guys with explosive power, and
:59:23. > :59:28.Boris Becker was pretty explosive. Someone like Marat Safin, a huge
:59:28. > :59:33.talent when he was on his game and when he was tuned in mentally. He
:59:33. > :59:40.could really hit the heights. Jimmy Connors never missed the
:59:40. > :59:49.return, that is for sure. Those were the days, those long socks and
:59:49. > :59:59.the steel racket with the Roundhead. How the game has changed. The long
:59:59. > :00:06.
:00:06. > :00:16.4-5. The last two games have been easy, can Berdych upset that we
:00:16. > :00:16.
:00:16. > :00:59.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:00:59. > :01:09.chance. Can he play a strong point but when you win that first point
:01:09. > :01:09.
:01:09. > :02:27.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:02:27. > :02:32.from the service game it does give skills and Djokovic is able to keep
:02:32. > :02:42.himself in that point, ask Berdych to hit one more shot, and he was
:02:42. > :02:42.
:02:42. > :03:31.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:03:31. > :03:41.able to get one more point out of still lost only one point in his
:03:41. > :03:47.
:03:47. > :03:53.getting that first serve percentage up a bit. He is winning points when
:03:54. > :04:03.it does go in but when he has to hit his second serve, he only wins
:04:04. > :04:04.
:04:04. > :04:58.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:04:58. > :05:08.haven't seen too many challenges in the game today. But that's a good
:05:08. > :05:08.
:05:08. > :05:52.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:05:52. > :05:57.come out and talk to their players. Midway through a set, at the end of
:05:57. > :06:03.a set. And it is certainly a talking-point macro and it is
:06:03. > :06:08.interesting watching the chemistry between the player and coach.
:06:08. > :06:18.Because Sten faces and stern words from the coaches met with a stony
:06:18. > :06:19.
:06:19. > :06:27.silence! -- clogs of stern faces. seem to remain tried it at one
:06:27. > :06:33.stage. The Davis Cup got it. Davis Cup is odd is the A team event but
:06:33. > :06:38.for me, one of the beauties of this sport is that it is a man-to-man
:06:38. > :06:42.combat. If you make the right decisions, you will win the match
:06:42. > :06:48.and if you lose, you have got nobody else to blame. So I am
:06:48. > :06:58.pretty happy with the way it is at the moment. -- Davis Cup is
:06:58. > :06:58.
:06:58. > :07:02.obviously a team event. A reminder that later on, Andy Murray is in
:07:02. > :07:12.action against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and that is the last match Ingrid
:07:12. > :07:30.
:07:30. > :07:40.in this World Tour. You can also go with Tsonga tonight. They have
:07:40. > :08:04.
:08:04. > :08:14.played seven times. -- Murray's Djokovic and Tsonga wins against
:08:14. > :08:15.
:08:15. > :08:25.Murray, Berdych will win this group. And Murray would not go through. So
:08:25. > :08:48.
:08:48. > :08:58.delighted with their son's backhand passing shot, really, Djokovic has
:08:58. > :08:58.
:08:58. > :09:48.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:09:48. > :09:54.that forehand. Comes through, really flat through the ball. Not
:09:54. > :10:04.much top-spinner on that. And it was a point-bending shot. It was
:10:04. > :10:04.
:10:04. > :10:49.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:10:49. > :10:59.either going to be a winner or an row where he saw the shot and
:10:59. > :11:08.
:11:08. > :11:12.aligned it in his mind, committed Djokovic looking like he might be
:11:12. > :11:22.getting a little bit exhausted or perhaps losing a bit of
:11:22. > :11:24.
:11:24. > :11:34.concentration, but then firing back but thinking better of it, and we
:11:34. > :11:40.
:11:40. > :11:46.Djokovic has only ever lost once. That was a semi-final at Wimbledon.
:11:46. > :11:54.A big match back in 2010. A major disappointment for Djokovic. He was
:11:54. > :12:04.flat for much of that day. Played a tie-break in the third set when he
:12:04. > :12:04.
:12:04. > :12:47.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:12:47. > :12:57.played here last year. Djokovic in the last few ground strokes or
:12:57. > :12:57.
:12:57. > :13:41.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:13:41. > :13:46.drop volleys than this. Not an easy shot from the middle of the court,
:13:46. > :13:56.to take the pace off it and drop it in from the net. But it gives him
:13:56. > :13:56.
:13:56. > :14:49.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:14:49. > :14:59.managed to get this over the head of the 6 ft 5 Berdych. And you run
:14:59. > :15:28.
:15:28. > :15:38.first double fault of the match. He just got the double mini-break in
:15:38. > :15:38.
:15:38. > :16:50.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:16:50. > :16:55.Down, Berdych has really turned this around. -- from. Holding quite
:16:55. > :16:58.easily, trying to establish something, Djokovic, but now
:16:58. > :17:08.Berdych showing resistance we were not sure if we would see from him
:17:08. > :17:09.
:17:09. > :18:06.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:18:06. > :18:11.early on in the point, you really have the opportunity to move
:18:11. > :18:14.forward, and as well as his volley, he has won on five of those
:18:15. > :18:24.occasions and looked very technically sound. Could have moved
:18:25. > :18:25.
:18:25. > :19:29.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 169 seconds
:19:29. > :19:36.reactions. The cameras will tell quick points from Djokovic, his
:19:36. > :19:41.survival instinct kicking in. But now set point, a third, for Berdych,
:19:41. > :19:50.but on his own serve, and the last time he stepped up to the line, he
:19:50. > :20:00.served an ace. That time from the deuce box, he went out wide. Now
:20:00. > :20:12.
:20:12. > :20:22.comeback?! He went for the slide down the middle. Mum and dad... I
:20:22. > :20:28.would have gone out wide! And Djokovic's girlfriend. His coach.
:20:28. > :20:37.They have seen it all before. There is something about Djokovic that is
:20:37. > :20:47.so rock solid. When he is under the greatest pressure... You think back
:20:47. > :21:25.
:21:26. > :21:35.to those two match-points he saved of an inch here or there. It is
:21:36. > :21:55.
:21:55. > :22:04.resists Tomas Berdych in the second set. He's the champion. Champion of
:22:04. > :22:10.this group. Some nice words from Novak Djokovic. As he takes the
:22:10. > :22:17.salute of the 17,500 people here at the O2 Arena. His girlfriend is
:22:17. > :22:21.delighted. He just said to Berdych at the end, good luck next week at
:22:21. > :22:27.the Davis Cup Final. The next Parliament for Berdych will be
:22:27. > :22:32.against Spain. In exactly one week's time, so we wish him well
:22:32. > :22:37.with that. And by our reckoning, we think if Murray picks up a set
:22:37. > :22:47.later on, that will be enough to put him through, but I am sure that
:22:47. > :22:53.
:22:53. > :22:58.few days, and then back on court the Tomas, who beat Jo-Wilfried
:22:58. > :23:03.Tsonga, but could not find his way past the world number one, Novak
:23:03. > :23:10.Djokovic. Andy Murray in this particular group. A fascinating
:23:10. > :23:15.match coming up later on and we have coverage of a semi-final. That
:23:16. > :23:25.will be on Sunday for you. And then the final, the ATP World Tour
:23:26. > :23:27.
:23:27. > :23:37.finals, on Monday evening. That will be on BBC Three at 730. --
:23:37. > :23:41.
:23:41. > :23:49.7:30pm. So if you don't know where finals as the undefeated champion
:23:49. > :23:59.in this group. Novak Djokovic. If Tsonga beats Murray in two sets
:23:59. > :23:59.
:23:59. > :24:04.tonight, Tsonga will qualifies second. -- will qualify second.
:24:04. > :24:08.Murray needs to pick up a set later on and that will be fine for him to
:24:08. > :24:15.go through. It means he will go through second and he will have to
:24:15. > :24:24.play the champion Ingrid B. That would be a Murray-Federer match-up.
:24:24. > :24:34.-- the champion in group B. He couldn't quite capitalise, Berdych.
:24:34. > :24:36.
:24:36. > :24:41.A brave attempt of being a set and a break down. -- after being. Just
:24:41. > :24:46.getting into position on court and the crowd will be looking forward
:24:46. > :24:51.to hearing from Novak Djokovic. He is an intelligent and articulate
:24:51. > :25:01.man and the world's top player. And Mark Petchey is having a few words
:25:01. > :25:03.
:25:03. > :25:08.with him in just a second. The Novak, congratulations. I think
:25:08. > :25:12.there were 10 ways to qualify but that was the simplest! I was not
:25:12. > :25:18.trying to think about eventual scenarios or calculations. I leave
:25:18. > :25:23.that to other people and tried to do my job and win on the court. I
:25:23. > :25:27.played a really good match. I thought he was serving better in
:25:27. > :25:32.the second, towards the end of the second set, and I was just
:25:32. > :25:35.fortunate to come back and win in straight sets. I don't know about
:25:35. > :25:41.fortunate. You seem to be the best player in the world that coming
:25:41. > :25:46.back from behind! If I don't know what to say about that! It is true.
:25:46. > :25:50.I have watched you do it so many times. Well, it is the never give
:25:50. > :25:57.up spirit and I guess it is part of every professional athlete's
:25:57. > :26:03.mindset. You know, you always try to believe in your victory, in your
:26:04. > :26:07.abilities until the last point. Back into the semi-finals again and
:26:07. > :26:12.he would there a couple of years ago. Talk to us about how much it
:26:12. > :26:17.would mean to you to win this tournament. It is definitely a step
:26:17. > :26:22.forward for me in this Barclays World Tour finals. I played only
:26:22. > :26:27.one occasion, semi-finals, in the last couple of years, but this is
:26:28. > :26:37.the first time I win all of my three Nazi is. Hopefully, I can go
:26:38. > :26:38.
:26:38. > :26:44.a step further. -- three group matches for. Who do you think will
:26:44. > :26:54.win tonight? I am definitely a way of through the crowd wants...
:26:54. > :26:55.
:26:55. > :26:59.Tsonga? No! I guess you want Murray to go through a... So I hope they
:27:00. > :27:03.both come up with really good tennis and I will try to relax and
:27:03. > :27:13.prepare for the semi-finals. have loved watching you once again
:27:13. > :27:14.
:27:14. > :27:20.and good luck for Sunday. Thank you. SUE BARKER: Very diplomatic. Talk
:27:20. > :27:30.about putting him on the spot! But he has got the job done. So,
:27:30. > :27:38.tonight, will it be Murray or Tsonga who will join him? Andy has
:27:38. > :27:43.one set to go through. All to play for tonight. You can follow that on
:27:43. > :27:48.Radio 5 Live Sports Extra and tomorrow we are back on BBC Two at
:27:48. > :27:55.1:45pm. Roger Federer against Juan Martin Del Potro. Another great
:27:55. > :28:01.match to look forward to. Boy, Tomas Berdych will be thinking...
:28:01. > :28:04.He would have won the group if he had won this match. It is amazing
:28:04. > :28:09.how this format works. I think Djokovic did a very good job,
:28:09. > :28:15.though. He wanted to go out and get another victory and that is what he
:28:15. > :28:21.has done. Berdych is going home. Murray has to go out and win one
:28:21. > :28:29.set and get the point. Three match points, though. In that tie-break.
:28:29. > :28:34.Yes. But now Tsonga, he goes out there with real clarity tonight
:28:34. > :28:37.against Murray and he knows he has to win in straight sets. When he
:28:37. > :28:43.doesn't think he plays his best tennis, you do not want him to have
:28:43. > :28:45.that kind of instinctive played, you don't want him to stop flowing.
:28:45. > :28:52.Very dangerous tonight for Andy Murray. We should not take anything
:28:52. > :28:58.for granted, to be honest. To but Murray played so well against
:28:58. > :29:04.Djokovic. He has been playing so well. Absolutely. But that second
:29:04. > :29:09.set was mighty close. Berdych had three set points. And Tsonga has
:29:09. > :29:13.not played his best this year but he was in the finals last year and
:29:13. > :29:18.he is so explosive. It is important that when Murray is out there, he
:29:18. > :29:23.is proactive and looks to play. He will be in the semi-finals if he
:29:23. > :29:27.does that and everybody will be happy! That is it from us. We
:29:27. > :29:32.already know Roger Federer went through yesterday. Novak Djokovic