:00:14. > :00:18.Good afternoon. Welcome to the Barclays ATP World Tour finals.
:00:18. > :00:28.Thankfully, we can throw the calculators out of the window as
:00:28. > :00:33.the group finals are open. I am on a cable car with the Tote -- on a
:00:33. > :00:39.cable car to the owed to Arena. You get a great view of the landmarks.
:00:39. > :00:45.The main focus of attention will be on this magnificent venue. We are
:00:45. > :00:50.down to the last four and it really boasts a who is who of tennis. Andy
:00:50. > :00:57.Murray will take on Roger Federer this evening. This afternoon we
:00:57. > :01:07.have the world No. 1 Novak Djokovic up against the former US Open
:01:07. > :01:28.
:01:28. > :01:34.This is the scene inside the O2 Arena. Sell out crowds all week.
:01:34. > :01:41.Fabulous matches to look forward to today. Djokovic against del Potro
:01:41. > :01:45.on court in a few minutes. Tonight, Murray against Federer. Tim and
:01:45. > :01:50.Andrew are with me. When you look at the start of the week, these are
:01:50. > :01:57.the four to pick. Very much so. It is great we can talk about the
:01:57. > :02:00.matches because there have been so many permutations over the last few
:02:00. > :02:04.days. I think the semi-final line- up is absolutely fantastic. They
:02:04. > :02:11.have all played well to get to this position. The match we have got
:02:11. > :02:15.this afternoon, I think it is going to be very interesting. I was so
:02:15. > :02:18.impressed with del Potro yesterday to beat Federer and qualify for the
:02:18. > :02:22.semi-finals. He will need to produce something along the same
:02:22. > :02:28.lines to have a chance. Federer has got to pick himself up because
:02:28. > :02:32.Murray has won the last two meetings. I do not think Federer
:02:32. > :02:38.will be too disappointed. In the press conference yesterday, he
:02:38. > :02:45.said... It was a dismissal of that. Is it the end of the world? No. He
:02:45. > :02:52.won the group because of the result last night with David Fred beating
:02:52. > :02:57.Janko Tipsarevic. Hit it does not Manta -- it does not matter.
:02:57. > :03:03.Whether or not he can approach a match with Andy Murray with any
:03:04. > :03:09.confidence even indoors where he is still came, I do not know. I think
:03:09. > :03:13.Murray possibly has his measure. Interesting. This afternoon it is
:03:13. > :03:23.del Potro against Djokovic. That match will be live on BBC Two.
:03:23. > :03:29.
:03:29. > :03:35.Tonight, you can follow Federer and Murray on Radio 5 Live. I do not
:03:35. > :03:39.think it was the easiest scenario for him. Any time he steps on the
:03:39. > :03:44.court, he wants to win. But in that match, it was not the most
:03:44. > :03:49.important. He was already through to the semi-finals. For me, I think
:03:49. > :03:53.he has got to raise his level. He has enough confidence with the
:03:53. > :03:59.history of his performance in this event. He has won the last two
:03:59. > :04:03.years. But I think his match against David Ferrer... He has
:04:03. > :04:08.played OK but nothing more than that. The way Murray is playing in
:04:08. > :04:13.front of his home crowd, I think Federer will have to raise his game
:04:13. > :04:18.or I see Murray coming through that. Federer makes a habit of doing that.
:04:18. > :04:23.He steps it up at the important times. The round robin is one part
:04:23. > :04:27.of the tournament. You can lose and still go through. Now we are at the
:04:27. > :04:32.knockout stages. They are all going to be very motivated to finish the
:04:32. > :04:37.year on a high. Great to see from Martin del Potro right back at the
:04:37. > :04:42.end of tournaments again. You had some amazing statistics yesterday.
:04:42. > :04:49.He had back-to-back wins against Federer indoors. Nobody has done
:04:49. > :04:55.that since 2002, Lleyton Hewitt. Nobody has beaten him back to back,
:04:55. > :05:05.Federer, it indoors in 10 years. We are sitting next door here to
:05:05. > :05:06.
:05:06. > :05:15.someone, Sue, who had... It was all right for a stage. How do you beat
:05:15. > :05:19.him indoors? That was the way del Potro played yesterday. I thought
:05:19. > :05:24.his serving was very impressive but it was the way he soaked up
:05:24. > :05:29.Federer's power from the baseline. The question mark on del Potro is
:05:29. > :05:32.his movement. If you can get him off balance, you can exploit him.
:05:32. > :05:37.He took a step back when Federer was tried to dictate the points
:05:37. > :05:44.yesterday and he was able to soak up the play and when he got the
:05:44. > :05:50.chance he probably hits the ball as hard as anyone... Nadal has got
:05:50. > :05:55.unbelievable power. Against someone that news as well as Djokovic, del
:05:55. > :06:02.Potro has got to play at a very high level and go for his shots and
:06:02. > :06:06.see whether he can maintain it for two or three sets. Tonight, it is
:06:06. > :06:10.Murray and Federer. What a difference summer or month on the
:06:10. > :06:17.same court at Wimbledon because Murray ended in tears when he lost
:06:17. > :06:20.the Wimbledon final but this is winning the Olympic gold medal.
:06:20. > :06:25.come back one month after suffering the disappointment of having a set
:06:25. > :06:28.lead and being so close to winning the Wimbledon final and getting the
:06:28. > :06:32.monkey off his back, a month later he comes back and I have to say
:06:32. > :06:38.Roger Federer was a bit tired after the semi-final but not taking
:06:38. > :06:42.anything away from Murray. They met price on the court. Let us hear
:06:42. > :06:46.what Roger Federer had to say yesterday. -- they met twice.
:06:46. > :06:55.think he has gained a lot of confidence which he has had over a
:06:55. > :06:59.long period. His rankings have been changing... He has been
:06:59. > :07:05.consistently top five for many years. To me, that has been one of
:07:05. > :07:09.the impressive things. Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal,
:07:09. > :07:15.consistently at a young age they were achieving quarter-finals or
:07:15. > :07:22.even winning. What Andy, it was only a matter of time. For me, he
:07:22. > :07:25.was always going to be good enough. He beat me, Rafa Nadal and Novak
:07:25. > :07:29.Djokovic consistently enough to believe that he could beat us in
:07:29. > :07:37.the finals. He did that with Novak Djokovic at the US Open. I think he
:07:37. > :07:40.is only going to get stronger and believe he can do it. It could be
:07:40. > :07:46.at the Australian Open which suits him well. In my opinion, he should
:07:46. > :07:50.have been in the finals last year. A heartbreaking loss against Novak
:07:50. > :07:54.Djokovic. An amazing summer for him. The reaction of a champion after
:07:54. > :08:00.losing Wimbledon finals to come back and play as well as he did, it
:08:00. > :08:05.is very impressive. Huge respect there from Roger Federer. He
:08:05. > :08:11.appreciates the fact that Murray is now a Grand Slam champion. Murray
:08:11. > :08:15.had some massive disappointments in getting to the three Grand Slam
:08:15. > :08:19.finals. That is where Ivan Lendl has had a big impact. He had very
:08:19. > :08:22.similar circumstances that the start of his career, losing his
:08:22. > :08:28.first three Grand Slams. His knowledge and experience, I do not
:08:28. > :08:33.think it has changed Andy's game necessarily, but it has added to
:08:33. > :08:36.his mental application on the court. He deals with adversity a bit
:08:36. > :08:40.better and the proof is in the pudding. He won the Olympic gold
:08:40. > :08:46.and he is US Open champion. Irrespective of what happens here,
:08:46. > :08:51.next year could be up to another level for Andy. The Olympic final,
:08:51. > :08:58.the four players involved here were the four players involved there.
:08:58. > :09:01.Del Potro defeated Novak Djokovic in a very emotional match. It was.
:09:02. > :09:07.This is why tennis belongs at the Olympic games these days. These
:09:07. > :09:14.guys gave absolutely everything. Argentina only one four medals at
:09:14. > :09:17.the Olympic games and this was one of them. To come back from the
:09:17. > :09:22.longest match two days later and to defeat Novak Djokovic was a
:09:22. > :09:28.fabulous effort from del Potro. Of all of the players, Jo-Wilfried
:09:28. > :09:32.Tsonga, Tomas Berdych, this is the guy, del Potro, who could break
:09:32. > :09:37.this quartet. It was a wonderful moment. How can you tell me the
:09:37. > :09:41.Olympics should not have tennis in it? Sure, there are other sports
:09:42. > :09:45.that deserve equally to be in it. Squash and all of the rest. But
:09:45. > :09:50.these guys gave it all. He said that was the proudest moments
:09:51. > :09:56.standing on the podium. It is fantastic. Federer was talking
:09:56. > :10:06.about the Olympics in London for four years and he is already
:10:06. > :10:20.
:10:20. > :10:24.The US Open quarter-final in straight sets. Djokovic does not
:10:24. > :10:28.let things get him down. He has been in the final of six of the
:10:28. > :10:33.eight last Grand Slams over the past two years. Two years back-to-
:10:33. > :10:39.back year ending No. 1. Not even Nadal has done that. A great player.
:10:39. > :10:44.Also, his flexibility and stamina. Just a few examples that we have
:10:44. > :10:49.picked out. What an athlete. And the speed. Some of this is natural
:10:49. > :10:56.and some of this is an amazing amount of very hard work. Djokovic
:10:56. > :11:00.has always been a bendy drive. When I suggest that saw him in 2007, I
:11:00. > :11:05.could not believe some of the angles -- a bendy drive. Watching
:11:05. > :11:09.del Potro trying to get through him today should be fascinating.
:11:09. > :11:13.Playing on a hard court... I remember when he first started
:11:13. > :11:18.sliding, I thought it would be a recipe for disaster. But it is all
:11:18. > :11:23.there's something he does naturally now. To get him off balance is
:11:23. > :11:27.virtually impossible. He reckons some of the flexibility in his
:11:27. > :11:32.ankles comes from skiing because his father and uncle were all
:11:32. > :11:35.professional skiers. Some of it is natural. I have seen him in the
:11:35. > :11:40.Wimbledon change in wind doing the splits standing up. One of the
:11:40. > :11:47.trainers holes and down and the other trainer Benn's hope in half.
:11:47. > :11:53.-- holds him down. And the other trainer Ben see him in half. It is
:11:53. > :11:59.the way it has to be now. It is an area these guys have taken the game
:11:59. > :12:04.to a new level. Now when you see their athletic ability, their speed,
:12:04. > :12:08.balanced... Also the fact that they might have to do it for five, six
:12:08. > :12:12.hours in the Grand Slams. It is definitely an area that is
:12:12. > :12:18.incredibly impressive. I love their coat by del Potro yesterday, he
:12:18. > :12:28.said, you have got three big names in the semi-finals and one big dive.
:12:28. > :12:33.He is a giant with a massive reach -- one big guy. He is a win will
:12:33. > :12:37.with a tennis racket. He takes a big swing. He is only 24 and still
:12:37. > :12:46.improving. He is the youngest of this quartet left in the semi-
:12:46. > :12:50.finals. There is still improvement. Maybe this weekend we will see him
:12:50. > :13:00.cut through Novak Djokovic and when the final as well. It is possible.
:13:00. > :13:10.Here they come. The world No. 7 from Argentina, a
:13:10. > :13:37.
:13:37. > :13:47.Ladies and gentlemen, the Australian Open champion and the
:13:47. > :14:19.
:14:19. > :14:23.Great ovation for them in front of a packed crowd yet again. It is
:14:23. > :14:28.incredible. 1 million spectators will come through the turnstiles.
:14:28. > :14:31.Such a successful tournament. success story. It was undeniable
:14:31. > :14:37.that London had a strong case to keep this event and this week it
:14:37. > :14:41.was announced that it will be here in 2014 and 2015. I am really
:14:42. > :14:46.pleased. In a couple of years when they renegotiate, it will be
:14:46. > :14:50.interesting. If Andy Murray is well No. 1, will they take it away from
:14:50. > :14:59.London? I hope not. This match is something to look forward to. Novak
:14:59. > :15:04.Djokovic looking for his 74th match win this year. That would make him
:15:04. > :15:10.equal with David forever. Another great and very busy year. They know
:15:10. > :15:14.this is the last event. They can hopefully finish the year on a high.
:15:14. > :15:19.Then it is their chance to have some rest and recuperation before
:15:19. > :15:28.they start the merry-go-round all again in the Australia. Two
:15:28. > :15:35.fantastic matches for the semi- finals. We are using the net
:15:35. > :15:40.machine. Please be seated. We have Hawk-Eye. Please let me know in a
:15:40. > :15:50.timely and clear manner. You have to be quick between first and
:15:50. > :15:51.
:15:51. > :15:58.second serves. Questions? No. or tails? Heads he has called.
:15:58. > :16:05.Polls. Serve. OK. Photo, please. Their quick photo before they start
:16:05. > :16:09.the warm-up. Talking about the US Open, although it was straight sets,
:16:10. > :16:15.it was closer than the score suggested. It was closer. These
:16:15. > :16:21.matches always come down to a point or two. Between these guys, there
:16:21. > :16:29.is always maximum five or 10 points between them in terms of total
:16:29. > :16:33.amount of points won. There are such things as been points -- big
:16:33. > :16:39.points. Del Potro's match with Federer yesterday, that is one
:16:39. > :16:44.aspect that Federer was doing well. Del Potro only had one break point
:16:44. > :16:48.in the whole match. Early in the first set. Federer made the
:16:48. > :16:54.unforced error. That was the difference. It will be interesting
:16:54. > :16:58.to see how many chances he can create today. Djokovic, with his
:16:58. > :17:01.athletic ability, he will be able to make him play a lot more balls
:17:01. > :17:06.and keeping him under pressure. With the head-to-head record, I
:17:06. > :17:10.think they have played eight times and Djokovic has won six. I
:17:10. > :17:15.definitely have him as the favourite. He has had more top 10
:17:15. > :17:21.wins than anyone else this year. 22. Another amazing year. He was a
:17:21. > :17:29.match or two away from a historic... The worst result he had been Slams
:17:29. > :17:34.was a semi-final at Wimbledon. After last year, that seems almost
:17:34. > :17:42.average. An amazing hero we are in in tennis. For him to go from
:17:42. > :17:45.perennial world No. 3 up to 12 No. 1 last year, that was incredible.
:17:45. > :17:50.Federer and Nadal where the definition of tennis and then he
:17:50. > :17:56.blew it apart. Murray responded. is a great era because he changed
:17:56. > :17:59.his diet, his rackets, all sorts of things, but he is such a complete
:17:59. > :18:04.things, but he is such a complete player. Are there any weaknesses.
:18:04. > :18:11.Not really. 18 months ago, you would have said his serve was
:18:11. > :18:15.looking suspect. His right elbow was very low. It was almost as if
:18:16. > :18:21.he was not bending the elbow to get into a throwing position. Lots of
:18:21. > :18:27.double faults. He has got rid of that. Now when you look at they
:18:27. > :18:33.serve position they play Arnaud, they are relatively uniform. --
:18:33. > :18:37.they play on now. They are all pretty similar. He played so well
:18:37. > :18:42.on the clay at Roland Garros. He has been Wimbledon champion. He can
:18:42. > :18:46.play on anything. I think this surface is as good as any for her.
:18:46. > :18:51.This guy has got to be so confident coming after the victory yesterday.
:18:51. > :18:55.He will be feeling marvellous. He did not know whether he would go to
:18:55. > :19:02.the semi-finals yesterday. Here he finds himself under the spotlight
:19:02. > :19:06.once again. What we are seeing is his emergence up another half level.
:19:06. > :19:16.After he hurt his wrist two years ago after he had won the US Open,
:19:16. > :19:19.
:19:19. > :19:29.it takes a lot to fight back. He was in demand of 58 in the end of
:19:29. > :19:34.2010 -- he was back 258. Now he is looking to win this tournament. He
:19:34. > :19:39.is right in among these guys now. He bounced out and was first there
:19:39. > :19:45.for the coin toss. As Andy said, a youngest player left in the draw.
:19:45. > :19:51.He is only 25. Such an emerging young talent. Everyone thought he
:19:51. > :19:58.was destined for the top. I played against him in Tokyo when he was 18,
:19:58. > :20:02.19. He hit the ball incredibly hard. He did not have the balance or
:20:02. > :20:08.corporation with his movement but you can see he was a great prospect.
:20:08. > :20:18.He is such a great job to break through in the Grand Slams. Nadal
:20:18. > :20:20.
:20:20. > :20:30.has won 11. Federer has 117. Murray has got one. It does not leave many
:20:30. > :20:30.
:20:30. > :20:34.for the others -- Federer has won 17. He will not out rally Djokovic.
:20:34. > :20:39.I think Federer with his movement when he is defending, I think he is
:20:39. > :20:43.not quite moving as well as he once did. That is one of the great
:20:43. > :20:48.aspects of Djokovic's game. I have never seen anyone defender as well
:20:48. > :20:52.as he does on a hard court. I question... The challenge for del
:20:52. > :20:55.Potro is whether he can be that aggressive and hit the ball that
:20:55. > :21:00.flat and get through Djokovic because I think Djokovic will took
:21:00. > :21:04.be able to make him play the extra shots and get him out of the court
:21:05. > :21:09.and probably come through. You have to remember, this guy is the only
:21:09. > :21:14.one unbeaten still in the championship. Mentally, that is an
:21:14. > :21:18.important factor. He is obviously on a roll and feeling confident. He
:21:18. > :21:23.has sewn up the No. 1 ranking. This is the icing on the cake. This
:21:23. > :21:30.could be his last match or he could have one more often. He will leave
:21:31. > :21:35.nothing left in the tank. -- one more after. Play about to get under
:21:35. > :21:41.way. Tim will make his way to the commentary box where we will join
:21:41. > :21:51.Andrew Castle. COMMENTATOR: the commentary box is
:21:51. > :21:53.
:21:53. > :22:03.not too far away. 17,800, up the capacity of the arena. I cannot see
:22:03. > :22:03.
:22:03. > :22:08.any NTC is at the moment. -- empty seats. When the music stops
:22:08. > :22:13.bellowing and we settle down, I think we could have a very intense
:22:13. > :22:18.semi-final match. Del Potro just skipping back to his chair on the
:22:18. > :22:23.other side. The Argentine, he is giving off all the signs of someone
:22:23. > :22:25.who is absolutely adoring being out on the court. I think he is going
:22:25. > :22:32.on the court. I think he is going to come out and hit the ball as
:22:32. > :22:36.hard as he possibly can from the world -- word go. Considering that
:22:36. > :22:40.Djokovic is the best defender in the game, him and Murray anyway, I
:22:40. > :22:49.think that could make for interesting chemistry out there.
:22:49. > :22:51.Here is our Tim. A decent atmosphere in here. It is
:22:51. > :22:58.incredible. Such a great advertisement for the game. A
:22:58. > :23:08.stadium like this. It is packed for every session. Morning, noon and
:23:08. > :23:14.
:23:14. > :23:24.A very lively atmosphere. The first semi-final. REFEREE: Novak Djokovic
:23:24. > :23:24.
:23:24. > :25:50.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:25:50. > :26:00.She is looking relaxed at the moment. As the match goes on, that
:26:00. > :26:00.
:26:00. > :27:34.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:27:34. > :27:38.The acoustics are absolutely perfect in here. U2's sound
:27:38. > :27:43.engineer helped to make the acoustics what they are. It gives
:27:43. > :27:46.you a chance to hear the footwork of these two guys. You can
:27:46. > :27:51.certainly hear the footwork. And you can hear the strike on the ball
:27:51. > :27:55.off del Potro's racket, because he really hits the ball flat. There is
:27:55. > :28:01.a crack of the racket, rather than sometimes, when you hear the
:28:01. > :28:05.strings biting. Ind will be interesting to see. Sometimes, you
:28:05. > :28:15.are trying to hit deep and flat, and del Potro is able to soak that
:28:15. > :28:25.up. You have to make him run a bit more. Who is doing the running will
:28:25. > :28:46.
:28:46. > :28:51.That was an example. The ball was up and out, because of Djokovic,
:28:51. > :28:58.with the top spin. Good angle. players are more comfortable moving
:28:58. > :29:08.to the left, the right-handers, to There backhand. Not so comfortable
:29:08. > :29:37.
:29:37. > :29:44.Eventually, you just have to come forward against Djokovic and take
:29:44. > :29:54.the ball out of the air. You have to be patient, and pick the right
:29:54. > :30:06.
:30:06. > :30:15.one. Fantastic return of serve from It is just a completely drama-free
:30:15. > :30:25.return. It looks so simple. Not such great signs for del Potro's
:30:25. > :30:52.
:30:52. > :31:02.So, Djokovic against Murray, came out a bit slow. But here, he has
:31:02. > :31:16.
:31:16. > :31:26.That is a part of the del Potro game that has been beefed up over
:31:26. > :31:26.
:31:26. > :32:15.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:32:15. > :32:23.Look at the speed and timing. At 6 1/2 ft tall, he should not be able
:32:23. > :32:29.to move like that, but he does move with efficiency. It was a point
:32:29. > :32:39.ending shot. His serve in that rally was 91. His forehand was 94.
:32:39. > :32:39.
:32:39. > :33:23.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:33:23. > :33:27.For me, this is what Djokovic does so well. He is playing those balls
:33:27. > :33:31.down the line, which is meant to be the high risk option. But because
:33:31. > :33:41.his footwork and technique are so good, he is still able to play with
:33:41. > :34:04.
:34:04. > :34:14.When someone returns so well on the stretch, you have to make sure you
:34:14. > :34:23.
:34:23. > :34:30.use the serve into the body, as del Two returns missed in a row. Three
:34:30. > :34:33.break points gone. Del Potro holds. If you are stretch like that on
:34:34. > :34:39.every serve this game, the pressure does tell eventually, but that was
:34:39. > :34:48.a good start. How hard he had to work just to get his side of the
:34:48. > :34:58.scoreboard working. First semi- final at the World Tour finals
:34:58. > :34:58.
:34:58. > :36:46.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:36:46. > :36:49.later. Or Roger Federer versus Andy So, three holds of serve up. Just
:36:49. > :36:54.under 15 minutes played. An interesting semi-final at what is a
:36:54. > :36:58.wonderful event. It is an eight-man end-of-season finale, just the top
:36:58. > :37:08.eight in the world. It has a rich and wonderful heritage. It's it's
:37:08. > :37:08.
:37:08. > :38:10.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:38:10. > :38:15.just beneath the Grand Slams, but Tim Henman was a proud part of two
:38:15. > :38:20.of those events, and could not take his place in one. It is an amazing
:38:20. > :38:24.achievement. Why did you not play that one? Of I had to miss Shanghai
:38:24. > :38:30.with a shoulder injury when I had been missing around with my serve.
:38:30. > :38:40.I had to have a shoulder operation. But I did play in Houston and
:38:40. > :38:51.
:38:51. > :38:56.The players attended a Gala last week at the Royal Courts of Justice
:38:56. > :39:00.on behalf of Great Ormond Street Hospital. They all had their suits
:39:00. > :39:10.made for them exactly the same. It would have taken a fair bit of
:39:10. > :39:48.
:39:48. > :39:52.This is more of what you were talking about, Tim. Del Potro on
:39:52. > :39:57.the move. Djokovic is just so solid from the back of the court. I
:39:57. > :40:07.haven't seen him off balance yet. Do part draw has to try and get on
:40:07. > :40:11.
:40:11. > :40:14.the front foot. He does not want to It is difficult, because you have
:40:14. > :40:19.to get the balance right. You want to take the opportunities when you
:40:19. > :40:21.can be aggressive, but against Djokovic, because he moves so well,
:40:21. > :40:31.you can end up being over- aggressive and start making
:40:31. > :40:39.
:40:39. > :40:45.What a return of serve. Unbelievable. I know he missed the
:40:45. > :40:51.overhead. But del Potro had hardly finished his service motion. He was
:40:51. > :41:01.just looking back to the ball. good signs for Djokovic at this
:41:01. > :41:28.
:41:28. > :41:32.Interesting change there. Smart play. You can hear that footwork
:41:32. > :41:42.again, burning the rubber on the court, sliding into the drop shot,
:41:42. > :41:42.
:41:42. > :42:26.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:42:26. > :42:30.There is a ripple of applause in here. But he could almost get a
:42:30. > :42:35.standing ovation for the brilliance of his groundstrokes. It is obvious
:42:35. > :42:45.what his tactic is. He is really giving del Potro a's forehand a
:42:45. > :42:56.
:42:56. > :43:01.And it is really giving del Potro a going over to his movement to the
:43:01. > :43:11.forehand side. He has to make sure he goes with an offensive shot to
:43:11. > :43:11.
:43:11. > :44:45.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:44:45. > :44:50.Early stages, I know, but you are beginning to wonder how del Potro
:44:50. > :44:57.is going to get through Djokovic today. He needs a couple of things
:44:57. > :45:03.to happen. He needs Djokovic's game to drop-off a little bit, maybe bad
:45:03. > :45:08.And he needs to step up when he gets the opportunity on these
:45:08. > :45:11.groundstrokes to try and dictate. The more he is on the defensive,
:45:11. > :45:15.del Potro, doing the running fore and retrieving, the less
:45:15. > :45:19.opportunity he has of coming through this match. Djokovic is the
:45:19. > :45:29.only man to come through the semi- finals unbeaten in his group
:45:29. > :45:39.
:45:39. > :45:48.matches. He played Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Both men are in top form.
:45:48. > :45:53.What a year for tennis in London, with Wimbledon, the Olympics and
:45:53. > :46:03.the same line-up in the semi-finals here as in the Olympic Games. This
:46:03. > :46:06.
:46:06. > :46:10.was the bronze medal match from the Olympics, won by del Potro. What a
:46:10. > :46:16.sports year for London, not just in tennis. It is extraordinary. Just a
:46:16. > :46:19.mile or two from here, the Olympic Stadium. We have the sportsperson
:46:19. > :46:29.and the coming up in December. Perhaps we could extend that to a
:46:29. > :47:08.
:47:08. > :47:18.The perfect point from del Potro. He is really able to impose himself,
:47:18. > :47:35.
:47:35. > :47:40.get on that front foot and Whoops. They have the records for
:47:40. > :47:44.the fastest serve. These days, the way the guys play from the baseline,
:47:44. > :47:54.they have the records for the fastest forehand and fastest
:47:54. > :48:19.
:48:19. > :48:22.Cat Deeley and Patrick Kielty in the background as well. They have
:48:22. > :48:32.been an item for some time. They were married at the beginning of
:48:32. > :48:54.
:48:54. > :48:59.That was good use of the drop shot. It is another fine line, because it
:48:59. > :49:02.is a good way of getting the base liners out of their comfort zone.
:49:02. > :49:12.But if you don't hit a good drop shot, they move so well that they
:49:12. > :49:12.
:49:12. > :50:01.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:50:01. > :50:07.Certainly very comfortable in that game, trading from the back of the
:50:07. > :50:12.court. Del Potro's average ground speed has picked up a bit. He has
:50:12. > :50:22.really found Djokovic's rhythm. This is real head to head stuff
:50:22. > :50:27.
:50:27. > :50:37.between these two. This is going to Djokovic is behind in the count on
:50:37. > :50:37.
:50:37. > :51:23.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:51:23. > :51:27.We talked about it at the top of the show. A couple of years ago,
:51:27. > :51:31.the serve looked a reliability. Now, Djokovic's motion looks so smooth,
:51:31. > :51:41.very little to go wrong. Not forcing the ball, finding his
:51:41. > :51:51.
:51:51. > :52:01.One of the most important aspects on the serve is the use of the legs.
:52:01. > :52:24.
:52:24. > :52:29.That is where about 60% of your This is not necessarily about
:52:29. > :52:39.trying to whack it harder, just get your legs into it a bit more, if
:52:39. > :53:12.
:53:12. > :53:17.you are thinking of trying to Djokovic had not lost many points
:53:17. > :53:27.on serve at all in this match. Suddenly, he finds himself under a
:53:27. > :53:27.
:53:27. > :54:18.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:54:18. > :54:23.Oh! That is a bad miss. He is looking right over at his coach.
:54:23. > :54:33.Could have let this one bounce. Good defence, del Potro just trying
:54:33. > :54:33.
:54:33. > :55:45.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:55:45. > :55:51.The forehand was not really the one to be necessarily unloading. If it
:55:51. > :56:01.is a rallying shot, you do not want to make the unforced error.
:56:01. > :56:01.
:56:01. > :57:32.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:57:32. > :57:40.Again, a little bit of a nothing shot. I think the forehand was
:57:40. > :57:45.really there to be crunched and he did not go after the ball. They bit
:57:45. > :57:55.indecisive. The safe for there is to go back cross court and
:57:55. > :58:08.
:58:08. > :58:12.Their greatest -- a great escape. Break point saved. Safe to say that
:58:12. > :58:17.del Potro he was chasing around after Djokovic early on in this set
:58:17. > :58:21.certainly seems to have settled now. Very much so. He will be
:58:21. > :58:31.disappointed there when he had the break point and hit a couple of
:58:31. > :58:35.unforced errors, uncharacteristic unforced errors at the wrong time.
:58:35. > :58:42.65 match wins this year for Juan Martin del Potro. That is the
:58:42. > :58:49.highest from an Argentine player for many years. He is the top man
:58:49. > :58:59.in his country now. Djokovic of course in Serbia it is unequalled
:58:59. > :59:02.really. The Serbian women lost the women's competition. It is an
:59:03. > :59:06.amazing story for their country, the story of tennis. When you go
:59:06. > :59:13.back 10 years, you would not have considered players coming out of
:59:13. > :59:17.Serbia. Now they have two male players in the Tour finals here
:59:17. > :59:27.with Janko Tipsarevic. It is a great lesson and example four
:59:27. > :59:34.
:59:34. > :59:39.players in -- and other federations. They play with great passion under
:59:39. > :59:47.their flag. They won at the Davis Cup title in 2010 and it was the
:59:47. > :59:57.platform for Djokovic to have a great 2011. This man took his
:59:57. > :00:17.
:00:17. > :00:27.country to the Davis Cup final last Sometimes you come through a
:00:27. > :00:27.
:00:27. > :02:22.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:02:22. > :02:28.service game like that and a break Another strong service game from
:02:28. > :02:33.del Potro. It is impressive to be serving at 73% first serves when
:02:33. > :02:43.most of the first serves are wrapped 135 miles an hour. I swear
:02:43. > :02:43.
:02:43. > :04:23.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:04:23. > :04:28.that has gone up this year. 100 and This is great movement again. At 6
:04:28. > :04:38.ft 6, you might think he would struggle to get around the court.
:04:38. > :05:13.
:05:13. > :05:23.But he did well to run it down. And Break point against him in the last
:05:23. > :05:23.
:05:23. > :05:33.game he served. Now two. Two in a row for del Potro. That forehand
:05:33. > :05:33.
:05:33. > :06:23.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:06:23. > :06:27.passing shot at 15 all. So That forehand, once he gets the
:06:27. > :06:32.forehand into play, it looks the dangerous shot. The big difference
:06:32. > :06:38.from me on those couple of points was the commitment. He knew he if
:06:38. > :06:43.he had the opportunity to unload on those forehands, he would go for it.
:06:43. > :06:49.He crashed them deep into Djokovic's forehand corner. He
:06:49. > :06:59.could not control it. Unforced error. He fully deserves this break
:06:59. > :06:59.
:07:00. > :07:06.of serve. He was a finalist here in London in 2009. He won a physically
:07:06. > :07:10.demanding semi-final. He was not able to win the final. He has beat
:07:10. > :07:15.Federer and Nadal when they were both number one in the world. He is
:07:15. > :07:23.certainly not afraid of beating the top men. I think he feels he may be
:07:23. > :07:29.one of them. Perhaps the -- perhaps he is already. He is keen to add
:07:29. > :07:37.Djokovic to the players he has beaten. Let us see if he can finish
:07:37. > :07:42.this set off with a good service game. Djokovic is out, not
:07:42. > :07:46.following the instructions to wait for the TV lights to come up. A lot
:07:46. > :07:49.of broadcasters around the world are taking the pictures from London
:07:49. > :07:54.and they all have set commercial break patterns, something we do not
:07:54. > :07:59.have won the BBC of course. The lights will be coming up after a
:07:59. > :08:06.set amount of time. All choreographed with the commercial
:08:06. > :08:16.breaks. Djokovic ready to play. He must win, Djokovic, if he is going
:08:16. > :08:16.
:08:16. > :09:12.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:09:12. > :09:16.to break. He needs to start quickly Take that! He has missed two of
:09:16. > :09:26.these earlier on in the set. It was the foot work, inside the baseline,
:09:26. > :09:52.
:09:52. > :10:02.not a bad slice from Djokovic. We learn this. Big serves, bigger
:10:02. > :10:02.
:10:02. > :11:04.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:11:05. > :11:09.forehands. -- relentless. Beating He started the game with a big
:11:09. > :11:12.forehand winner down the line. Finished it and the set with a
:11:12. > :11:17.backhand down the line. It will be intriguing to see how the best
:11:17. > :11:21.player in the world Novak Djokovic response. Del Potro, having
:11:21. > :11:26.weathered the first 10 or 50 minutes of that set where Djokovic
:11:26. > :11:31.looked masterful, having weathered that, he really took over. It will
:11:31. > :11:36.be interesting to see whether Djokovic can respond and whether
:11:36. > :11:42.del Potro can sustain. That is a fantastic set of tennis. Seven add
:11:42. > :11:46.of 10 first serves. The most impressive is his second serve
:11:47. > :11:52.points won. Del Potro is not getting cheap points on the second
:11:52. > :11:58.serve. Those are baseline rallies and he is winning seven out of 10
:11:58. > :12:03.against one of the best movers in the game. Novak Djokovic, when he
:12:03. > :12:08.serves his second serve in, he is only winning a third of them.
:12:08. > :12:12.Illustrating exactly the same point. Not something we are used to soon.
:12:12. > :12:16.I was so impressed with del Potro's performance yesterday against
:12:16. > :12:21.Federer and I think he is probably playing even better. He has got the
:12:21. > :12:26.first set under his belt and he has now got to start all over again.
:12:26. > :12:32.Djokovic has got to come up with some answers. I have never seen him
:12:32. > :12:40.running out to the coin toss or leaping around so much. The big men
:12:40. > :12:44.10 not to. It takes a lot of energy. He looked so enthusiastic. Why not?
:12:44. > :12:49.Absolutely. This is the final tournament and he wants to give it
:12:49. > :12:53.his best shot. Yesterday, playing one of the best indoor players of
:12:53. > :12:58.all time, he had to beat Roger Federer to keep himself in this
:12:58. > :13:06.tournament. I am sure winning this match, he felt on top of the world.
:13:06. > :13:16.He is backing it up with a brilliant set of tennis so far.
:13:16. > :13:22.man from the pamper region of Argentina, a humid area falling
:13:22. > :13:27.rock is the name of the town, the literal translation. A large
:13:27. > :13:32.boulder of was balanced, some say miraculously, in the foothills. It
:13:32. > :13:36.fell in 1912. No doubt he will be looking forward to going home and
:13:36. > :13:41.having a rest after this but what an intriguing 2013 already in
:13:41. > :13:48.prospect, I think, with the arrival of del Potro. Certainly back up to
:13:49. > :13:58.his highest point. Since winning the US Open in 2009. The world No.
:13:59. > :14:32.
:14:32. > :14:42.Djokovic probably had four different shots he could have
:14:42. > :15:02.
:15:02. > :15:06.played and he went down the line Djokovic was lucky to get away with
:15:06. > :15:16.that and del Potro would have felt he could have done better to give
:15:16. > :15:41.
:15:41. > :15:48.You have got to question this choice of shot from Djokovic. 15-15
:15:48. > :15:58.in the first game, but he had time to get around and do an ordinary
:15:58. > :16:15.
:16:15. > :16:22.This is not good. That was a big double fault and if he does not get
:16:22. > :16:32.his brain in gear, he is in big trouble. He has won two of the last
:16:32. > :16:32.
:16:32. > :17:15.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:17:15. > :17:25.He may as well have a look at it. No? That would have felt like it
:17:25. > :17:25.
:17:25. > :18:16.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:18:16. > :18:22.was out. As well as looking like it I think del Potro has got to be a
:18:22. > :18:26.bit more proactive. I am not sure he really had a plan for that point.
:18:26. > :18:36.It was like, I am going to keep the ball in and see what happens. That
:18:36. > :18:36.
:18:36. > :19:31.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:19:31. > :19:33.is not what has made him effective You are hearing a little bit of
:19:33. > :19:43.Serbian crumbling it over the microphones that have been placed
:19:43. > :19:44.
:19:44. > :21:28.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:21:28. > :21:38.It shows how good a shot and how accurate it has to be to get past
:21:38. > :22:00.
:22:00. > :22:05.Three break points saved and they had to be. How many times have we
:22:05. > :22:11.seen Djokovic with the hangdog expression and seemingly struggling
:22:11. > :22:16.either physically the or mentally about being out on the court? Then
:22:16. > :22:20.turns it around. His survival instinct is so sharp. The match
:22:20. > :22:27.points he has had against Federer in the last two years and he has
:22:27. > :22:33.come back. Del Potro's first serve direction... Tim, help me out. He
:22:33. > :22:41.is going out wide to the backhand. The green dots are the ones he wins.
:22:41. > :22:51.Serving out wide. When he makes the first serve, he is winning a whole
:22:51. > :23:04.
:23:04. > :23:14.bunch of points. Looks like a bunch It did look like he was serving a
:23:14. > :23:34.
:23:34. > :23:40.lot more accurately to the box and REFEREE: Left baseline. The ball
:23:40. > :23:44.was called in. That challenge was almost out of frustration.
:23:44. > :23:54.Djokovic's reaction and the way the ball bounced, it did seem like it
:23:54. > :23:54.
:23:54. > :26:54.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:26:54. > :26:59.skidded a little bit. REFEREE: The He just walks around in this
:27:00. > :27:06.languid way. He has been likened to a camel walking through the desert,
:27:06. > :27:10.with affection. He has the look of a bass player in a rock band. But
:27:10. > :27:20.then the point stance, and he leads around all over the place really
:27:20. > :27:20.
:27:20. > :28:11.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:28:11. > :28:15.Djokovic has to decide here pretty quickly whether he has got an
:28:15. > :28:21.appetite for this fight. Her he has an appetite for the fight, but he
:28:21. > :28:25.is not used to losing so many of these baseline exchanges. Now I
:28:25. > :28:35.would not say he is hitting the panic button, but he is not
:28:35. > :28:35.
:28:35. > :29:18.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:29:18. > :29:28.necessarily choosing the right shot, Three break points in the first
:29:28. > :29:28.
:29:28. > :31:13.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:31:13. > :31:23.He is like high grade hitting the And the breakthrough. It belongs to
:31:23. > :31:29.del Potro. The crowd are beginning to love this fella. He looks like
:31:29. > :31:33.he has been through the mangle! What a booming grunt. Almost broke
:31:33. > :31:38.the Perspex in front of our commentary position. That was what
:31:38. > :31:48.he needed. Such a well-constructed point from both players. And then
:31:48. > :31:54.
:31:54. > :31:57.del Potro just found another gear to get Djokovic off the court. Del
:31:57. > :32:07.Potro has had a couple of indoor successes towards the end of the
:32:07. > :32:39.
:32:39. > :32:43.year, but he laid the foundation It will be interesting to see
:32:43. > :32:47.whether he can maintain the same composure, the same game plan and
:32:47. > :32:56.execute to the same levels to finish this match off. He is having
:32:56. > :33:04.a lovely time, and people are having a lovely time watching it.
:33:04. > :33:10.He seems to have a real zest back in his game. I can't remember
:33:10. > :33:20.seeing this since the 2009 US Open. He grew people off the court then.
:33:20. > :33:20.
:33:20. > :34:22.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:34:23. > :34:26.And he is beginning to do the same When you look at it from Djokovic's
:34:26. > :34:30.point of view, I think the predicament sometimes for the
:34:30. > :34:34.modern player is that there is not really a plan B. His Djokovic going
:34:34. > :34:44.to try and do something different now, Hall or will he just try and
:34:44. > :35:09.
:35:09. > :35:17.And I guess the other option is to hope that your opponent can't
:35:17. > :35:20.maintain these levels, and drops off a few unforced errors. Then
:35:20. > :35:30.there would be a half a chance for Djokovic to maybe get some break
:35:30. > :35:55.
:35:55. > :36:01.I don't think you would classified that was an unforced error, but it
:36:01. > :36:11.is two mistakes in a row that del Potro has not made the whole match.
:36:11. > :36:11.
:36:11. > :37:01.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:37:01. > :37:11.Great chance for Djokovic to get Three swings of the racket, and
:37:11. > :37:43.
:37:43. > :37:53.She did well to get out of the way. That was coming through at 133
:37:53. > :37:53.
:37:53. > :39:11.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:39:11. > :39:18.UMPIRE: Ball is called out. Djokovic has had a little chat. He
:39:18. > :39:26.said it was very close. He gave the play a chance to challenge. That is
:39:26. > :39:33.good umpiring. And could use of the technology.
:39:33. > :39:43.UMPIRE: Mr Djokovic has won challenge remaining. -- he has won
:39:43. > :39:43.
:39:43. > :40:24.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:40:24. > :40:29.It is a 6 the break point in the match. And he has not taken one yet.
:40:29. > :40:39.But is one hour and 17 minutes. Del Potro has just broken his serve
:40:39. > :40:59.
:40:59. > :41:04.And that answers the question about the Djokovic appetite for this
:41:04. > :41:10.match. Straight back in. He had a terrible run around the end of the
:41:10. > :41:20.first set, beginning of the second. Ridley, he was just a few points
:41:20. > :41:21.
:41:21. > :41:25.out of a sequence of 18 or 19, but now back in it. The winner of this
:41:25. > :41:35.match will play the winner of Federer versus Murray, which is on
:41:35. > :41:55.
:41:55. > :42:00.later. 5 Live Sports will have that It is the trademark Djokovic
:42:00. > :42:10.backhand in the middle of that rally. The open stance, left-foot
:42:10. > :42:45.
:42:45. > :42:55.leading, sliding double hander. He And another little slide. He must
:42:55. > :43:24.
:43:24. > :43:29.have strong ankles underneath those I just wonder whether fatigue comes
:43:30. > :43:34.into it from del Potro's point of view. It was a relatively long
:43:34. > :43:44.three-set game against Federer. You start to get tired. You might start
:43:44. > :43:44.
:43:44. > :44:32.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:44:32. > :44:37.Djokovic does this to everybody. He just chisels away. He is chopping a
:44:37. > :44:42.big tree down today, and he has just inched his way back in. Tap,
:44:42. > :44:50.tap, tap. He eventually wears you out. I wonder whether in the
:44:50. > :44:56.context of this match, that service game was a turning point. For the
:44:56. > :45:00.first time, del Potro's footwork is looking a bit laboured. A bit of
:45:00. > :45:07.lunging instead of those little steps. He has put on a bit of white,
:45:07. > :45:13.Novak. Not announce! Such a specimen. You don't often see him
:45:13. > :45:23.changing his shirt. Thinking about how he wins these close matches, he
:45:23. > :45:39.
:45:39. > :45:45.has got an unbelievable record in So, the winner of four of the last
:45:45. > :45:49.Grand Slam championships, Novak Djokovic, playing for himself and
:45:49. > :45:55.Serbia every time he steps on to the court. He really closely
:45:55. > :46:00.identifies with his nation. This is the first of the two semi-finals.
:46:00. > :46:07.Later, it is Federer versus Murray. Who do you think will win that one?
:46:07. > :46:11.I think Murray is going to it. The way he has played in London this
:46:11. > :46:16.year... Federer has played OK, but I don't think he has played his
:46:16. > :46:21.best. It will be interesting to see the crowd support. Federer is so
:46:21. > :46:26.popular, wherever he is. Murray are playing at home. It will be another
:46:26. > :46:36.phenomenal atmosphere. It will be a third time in London for them this
:46:36. > :46:36.
:46:36. > :47:17.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:47:17. > :47:27.year. Wimbledon final, Olympic 103 miles an hour. Some people
:47:27. > :47:42.
:47:42. > :47:52.Del Potro just checking that that wasn't a double bounce. He said it
:47:52. > :47:53.
:47:53. > :48:03.was almost rebalances! -- almost three bounces! It is hard to see
:48:03. > :48:07.
:48:07. > :48:12.that the naked eye. Ivan Lendl He was once asked what his ambition
:48:12. > :48:22.was going into another year as world No. 1, and he said to hit his
:48:22. > :48:22.
:48:22. > :49:11.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:49:11. > :49:18.fellow members of the top ten. There is that double bounce again.
:49:18. > :49:28.Looks like there is no way Djokovic will get it out this point. Yes,
:49:28. > :50:01.
:50:01. > :50:07.That is where the new balls might have helped Djokovic. He was able
:50:07. > :50:17.to stay down on that half volley at the net and get a good hit on it.
:50:17. > :50:45.
:50:45. > :50:49.Djokovic is definitely tiring del Potro out. But does he run out of
:50:49. > :50:59.time? Does del Potro explode a couple of winners and get to the
:50:59. > :51:10.
:51:10. > :51:14.Do you feel that del Potro needs to win this in two? Go yes, I do. If
:51:14. > :51:24.Djokovic can get this set under his belt, he will go from strength to
:51:24. > :51:48.
:51:48. > :51:53.strength. I am not sure of the same Given the level of play that del
:51:53. > :52:03.Potro achieved in the first set, I am just wondering whether he can
:52:03. > :52:15.
:52:15. > :52:20.Djokovic came into this year off the back of a spectacular 2011,
:52:20. > :52:23.where he won three of the four major championships. Going into the
:52:23. > :52:28.French Open, having won in Australia, he had a chance to do
:52:28. > :52:36.something where, which is to hold or four Grand Slam championships
:52:36. > :52:41.consecutively. He came back against Jo Wilfred Tsonga two sets to one.
:52:41. > :52:45.Everyone thought it was on, but he lost to Rafael Nadal. It has been a
:52:45. > :52:55.year that has taxed him very strongly. And it has been one of
:52:55. > :52:56.
:52:56. > :53:00.the great years of tennis. Absolutely. There were definitely
:53:00. > :53:05.question marks after his 2011, when he had such an incredible one. How
:53:05. > :53:10.was he going to be able to respond? Then he won another Slam, and he
:53:10. > :53:20.has accumulated the most points. is hoping to accumulate the most
:53:20. > :53:22.
:53:22. > :53:27.wins as well. 73 match wins, I saw earlier. He was trying to overhaul
:53:27. > :53:34.David Ferrer, who fail to get through the group's, despite
:53:34. > :53:39.winning two matches. One of the most important stories for next
:53:39. > :53:45.year will be Rafa Nadal for me. It has been a huge disappointment that
:53:45. > :53:49.the last six months of this year, he has not been able to play, with
:53:50. > :53:57.tendonitis issues in his knees. Fingers crossed, he will be back in
:53:57. > :54:00.Australia next year. Yes, getting good and accurate information out
:54:00. > :54:06.of the camp is difficult. They are playing their cards close to their
:54:06. > :54:10.chest. I hope he is OK. What have you heard? Not a great deal. I
:54:10. > :54:20.think things are moving in the right direction, but perhaps not as
:54:20. > :54:20.
:54:20. > :56:07.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:56:07. > :56:13.More unforced errors creeping into del Potro's game. I wonder whether
:56:13. > :56:23.it is footwork letting him down. Not timing the ball as well as he
:56:23. > :56:23.
:56:23. > :57:06.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:57:06. > :57:16.It was really del Potro that was so impressive in the first set. He was
:57:16. > :57:45.
:57:45. > :57:55.when in the baseline rallies. Is What a point! Forte return of
:57:55. > :57:56.
:57:56. > :58:05.serve! -- what a return. Great resistance from del Potro. He is
:58:05. > :58:11.able to rush Djokovic very few can do that. Nothing wrong with the
:58:11. > :58:21.bounce. It was the pace. It is almost as if he does not trust the
:58:21. > :58:56.
:58:56. > :59:03.That was the biggest serve of the Hands on hips, del Potro at the
:59:03. > :59:13.moment looks a beaten man. But I do not know if we can read too much
:59:13. > :59:14.
:59:14. > :59:24.into that. Certainly, this set, it looks like he is down physically.
:59:24. > :59:24.
:59:24. > :01:08.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:01:08. > :01:18.Djokovic's reaction there, skidding off the court, del Potro not
:01:18. > :01:18.
:01:18. > :02:32.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:02:32. > :02:42.putting in much spin. Taking Another unforced error gives
:02:42. > :03:04.
:03:04. > :03:10.A miss hit long by 8 del Potro. Djokovic takes all of the momentum
:03:10. > :03:15.-- by del Potro. Del Potro rather lopes his way to the chair. He
:03:15. > :03:23.looks like hears exhausted. Has he got anything left after the match
:03:23. > :03:31.with feathery yesterday? -- with Federer. Is Djokovic a heavy
:03:31. > :03:36.favourite for round three? He needs to find a second wind. 6 or seven
:03:36. > :03:40.unforced errors from del Potro. Second serve points won, halfway
:03:40. > :03:46.down the right hand side, del Potro, it was something you pointed out
:03:46. > :03:53.after the first set. It was 67%. He was winning more of the exchanges
:03:53. > :03:59.when he got his second serve then. That has changed completely.
:03:59. > :04:04.second serve in. Perhaps it is down to energy levels. His foot work is
:04:04. > :04:14.not quite as precise. He is having to unload and go for the shots when
:04:14. > :04:16.
:04:16. > :04:23.he is not quite there. Yes, he has this effect. It is something that
:04:23. > :04:28.is very difficult to stop, they commute with the tide coming in.
:04:28. > :04:33.Does del Potro have something else he can do? Or does he relied on
:04:33. > :04:43.doing what he does five the better? Does he go for the drop shot again
:04:43. > :04:46.
:04:46. > :04:50.occasionally? -- what he does better? Djokovic will be very
:04:50. > :04:56.pleased with how he has turned the momentum down. He was down break of
:04:56. > :05:01.serve. Did they great job of breaking back in the next service
:05:01. > :05:08.game. -- did a great job. I would certainly say going into the third
:05:08. > :05:13.set he is the favourite. Back in 2010, Djokovic won the Davis Cup.
:05:13. > :05:23.2011, he finished the year number one for the first round. It was the
:05:23. > :05:24.
:05:24. > :05:28.first time someone other than Nadal or Federer was number-one since
:05:28. > :05:33.2003. Andy Murray will finish in his highest ever finishing position,
:05:34. > :05:43.number three. Nadal only had six months' worth of play on the
:05:44. > :05:54.
:05:54. > :05:59.computer. Del Potro will surely Crucial start. Absolutely. One hour
:05:59. > :06:09.and 42 minutes played so far. Certainly fatigue territory.
:06:09. > :06:09.
:06:09. > :08:32.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:08:32. > :08:38.Massive place at stake in the final no Nadal here but David Ferrer of
:08:38. > :08:48.representing Spain. Spain are travelling to the Czech Republic
:08:48. > :08:51.for the Davis Cup and their doubles team will be in action later on.
:08:51. > :08:54.Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez are playing Jonathan Marray and
:08:54. > :08:58.Frederick Nielsen in the semi-final of the doubles later. Another
:08:58. > :09:07.fantastic effort from Jonathan Marray and Frederick Nielsen. That
:09:07. > :09:09.is a repeat, the doubles semi-final later, of a Wimbledon first round
:09:09. > :09:11.match. Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez probably thought they had a
:09:11. > :09:21.good draw against Jonathan Marray and Frederick Nielsen, the
:09:21. > :09:22.
:09:22. > :11:40.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:11:40. > :11:46.Nothing much wrong with those two service games at the start of the
:11:46. > :11:55.third set. Who will be able to create the opportunities first? And
:11:55. > :12:05.get the break of serve? Looked a bit shell-shocked, del Potro, at
:12:05. > :12:20.
:12:20. > :12:27.REFEREE: Del Potro challenge in the call. The ball was called out.
:12:27. > :12:34.think this is just for confirmation in his own mind. He struck the ball
:12:34. > :12:44.well. It just caught it. A tiny bit late. REFEREE: Recalled stands.
:12:44. > :13:02.
:13:02. > :13:12.Small margins but a half chance for Is this it? Again, small margins,
:13:12. > :13:43.
:13:43. > :13:53.Djokovic struggled to take the opportunities in the first set. Now
:13:53. > :13:59.
:14:00. > :14:09.he is ready to take this match by A great game. Magnificent. Djokovic
:14:10. > :14:14.
:14:14. > :14:24.is in command of this semi-final. The last four times del Potro has
:14:24. > :14:24.
:14:24. > :14:28.served, Djokovic has broken it. Seven of the last nine games for
:14:28. > :14:33.Djokovic. Del Potro played such a clean match to get the set and the
:14:33. > :14:43.break. I wondered if he had to get... I think we are doing
:14:43. > :14:46.
:14:46. > :14:51.celebrity phone it swap down there. As we look at who is in the house,
:14:51. > :14:56.we just wonder whether del Potro can get back in it. It will be a
:14:56. > :15:04.great Burch later on between Andy Murray and Roger Federer. -- a
:15:04. > :15:07.great match later on. They match up so beautifully. And of course
:15:07. > :15:13.Jonathan Marray and Frederick Nielsen against the Spanish Davis
:15:13. > :15:19.Cup team of Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez later as well. Tennis at
:15:19. > :15:23.the O2 Arena and Ovett they million people have watched tennis in
:15:24. > :15:33.November in London -- over a million people since it started
:15:34. > :15:37.
:15:38. > :15:47.being played here in 2009. What does that say? Your guess is as
:15:48. > :15:48.
:15:48. > :16:42.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:16:42. > :16:52.Talk about the important moments of matches, we knew the important part
:16:52. > :16:52.
:16:52. > :17:43.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:17:43. > :17:48.When you see him physically taking someone over lad del Potro in this
:17:48. > :17:58.match, it puts into perspective the physical contest he has with Andy
:17:58. > :18:29.
:18:29. > :18:34.Murray. -- taking someone over like Clean as they were sore. -- clean
:18:34. > :18:38.as a whistle. Djokovic will be aware that del Potro is a bit
:18:38. > :18:48.slower around the court. He will want to exploit that lack of
:18:48. > :18:48.
:18:48. > :19:38.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:19:38. > :19:48.Del Potro having a chat and then confirming it with Novak Djokovic.
:19:48. > :20:12.
:20:12. > :20:19.Everyone thought it was sad and it Djokovic will not be happy with
:20:19. > :20:24.that shot. A great opportunity to show that her more break points and
:20:24. > :20:34.then match points -- to set up more break points. It did not look like
:20:34. > :20:43.
:20:43. > :20:47.it was going to be in, even if it Going back to that shot, when you
:20:47. > :20:57.have a two hander as good as Djokovic, why wouldn't you just
:20:57. > :21:15.
:21:15. > :21:20.It remains to be seen how big a point that was. It would have been
:21:20. > :21:24.15-40 and two break points. But Djokovic missed the drop shot. He
:21:24. > :21:28.still has a break. It used to be the case that tennis players would
:21:28. > :21:34.look at squash players and could not believe the cardiovascular
:21:34. > :21:38.fitness. Footballers, they trained for 100, 120 minutes maximum, but
:21:39. > :21:44.it is a certain type of training. Tennis players now are right up
:21:44. > :21:48.there in the physical stakes. much so. You need all the aspects
:21:48. > :21:54.of fitness. You have got to be quick, you have got to have balance
:21:54. > :22:01.and endurance. I think this man in our picture is probably as good an
:22:01. > :22:08.athlete as there has been in the game for a long time if not ever.
:22:08. > :22:17.Evidence of his effort. His right elbow there. A bit of a scrape. I
:22:17. > :22:20.cannot remember him falling over here. Obviously, it is not a
:22:20. > :22:25.contact sport are like football or rugby. You see what is happening
:22:25. > :22:31.with rugby players now. They are becoming enormous. Particularly the
:22:31. > :22:35.rugby union now it has gone professional. Such a scientific
:22:35. > :22:45.approach now. Novak Djokovic has all of his people here. Physio,
:22:45. > :22:46.
:22:46. > :22:50.trainer, coach. Del Potro has a trainer and his coach here as well.
:22:50. > :23:00.All are just for these moments as we approached two hours of
:23:00. > :23:25.
:23:25. > :23:30.Has it perhaps been a disadvantage to del Potro and everyone in that
:23:30. > :23:40.group that they had to play yesterday while Novak Djokovic's
:23:40. > :23:56.
:23:56. > :24:02.I think in an ideal world, you would like to play in the first day
:24:02. > :24:12.of this event. Then you get a day off before the semi-finals. But
:24:12. > :24:36.
:24:37. > :24:41.obviously with David Ferrer in this I think that shot is an example of
:24:41. > :24:44.where del Potro is just half a step slower. He is driving the two
:24:44. > :24:54.hander back and sending it back with interest. Looking a bit heavy
:24:54. > :25:26.
:25:26. > :25:36.Del Potro is going to be stretchered off this match! It was
:25:36. > :25:36.
:25:36. > :26:26.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:26:26. > :26:36.There are five or ten minutes of A quick game is what del Potro is
:26:36. > :26:42.
:26:42. > :26:52.after. Djokovic knows that, of Any amount of running that Djokovic
:26:52. > :26:52.
:26:52. > :28:24.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:28:24. > :28:28.can make del Potro do in this game Mohammed lay Andy has a stopwatch
:28:28. > :28:38.in the chair. And he runs it between points. Del Potro, after he
:28:38. > :28:38.
:28:38. > :30:31.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:30:31. > :30:36.had run for this, sort of hung There is something quite cruel and
:30:36. > :30:40.merciless about what Djokovic is doing out here. I almost feel like
:30:40. > :30:47.he could have finished the point earlier, but he is just working his
:30:47. > :30:57.opponent. He senses the fatigue of del Potro. He is really working him
:30:57. > :30:57.
:30:57. > :31:41.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:31:41. > :31:51.The view from the chair is that it UMPIRE: Mr del Potro has one
:31:51. > :32:01.
:32:01. > :32:11.That is the death-knell for this match. Djokovic, with the forehand
:32:11. > :32:14.
:32:14. > :32:22.strike, has a 5-2 lead. About 55 minutes ago, Tim Henman tapped me
:32:22. > :32:27.on the knee and said he thought it might be 6-3, 6-2 in sets two and
:32:27. > :32:36.three, because he had sensed a change in momentum. And you might
:32:36. > :32:41.be right. I think that second break of serve was the final nail in the
:32:41. > :32:50.coffin. Djokovic has definitely got better and better as this match has
:32:50. > :32:54.gone on. The energy levels have been seeping away from del Potro.
:32:54. > :33:01.We are anticipating a Djokovic victory here. Who do you think he
:33:01. > :33:06.would prefer to play in the final? Or do you think he would not have a
:33:06. > :33:10.view? He is pretty impartial. I remember him talking about watching
:33:10. > :33:14.the Murray versus Jo-Wilfried Tsonga match, and he was hoping
:33:14. > :33:18.they both played well. It has been a fantastic rivalry building
:33:19. > :33:26.between Djokovic and Murray. They have already played once this week,
:33:26. > :33:33.and Djokovic won it 7-5. Federer has had a lot of success
:33:33. > :33:38.against Djokovic. He beat him here a couple of years ago in a
:33:38. > :33:43.dismissal in straight sets on this very court. So there is a lot to
:33:43. > :33:47.look for two. We are not sure how long this match were last. Del
:33:47. > :33:57.Potro has maybe a couple more big swings of that racket. He has
:33:57. > :33:57.
:33:57. > :35:01.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 146 seconds
:35:01. > :35:09.certainly played his part in this This has been the performance of a
:35:09. > :35:19.world No. 1 for Novak Djokovic. Del Potro is pretty much a spent force
:35:19. > :35:40.
:35:40. > :35:50.here. The crowd have enjoyed And that is it. Resilience from
:35:50. > :36:05.
:36:05. > :36:09.Novak Djokovic, and real power. And And that a vendor is a difficult
:36:09. > :36:13.defeat that he suffered at the hands of del Potro in this very
:36:13. > :36:23.city in the summer. He lost a bronze medal match at the Olympic
:36:23. > :36:26.
:36:26. > :36:32.And Juan Martin won the first set here, and then did not have a lot
:36:32. > :36:37.left to give. Djokovic was a step too far. He has laid the foundation
:36:37. > :36:47.for a really superb 20 13th. We look forward to seeing him back in
:36:47. > :36:52.London. But as we say farewell to him, we look forward to seeing
:36:52. > :36:56.Djokovic play the winner of Federer versus Murray later. And then there
:36:56. > :37:00.were three, once again. In the absence of the top four, who so
:37:00. > :37:09.many talk about at the top of the men's game, in the absence of
:37:09. > :37:19.Rafael Nadal, it is the three big names remaining. Federer and Andy
:37:19. > :37:50.
:37:50. > :37:54.Murray play for the right to play The final is on Monday night at 8
:37:54. > :38:00.o'clock. Forever wins the second semi-final, it will be a cracker.
:38:00. > :38:10.There is a great history among the three men still standing at the
:38:10. > :38:14.
:38:14. > :38:18.World Tour finals. So, Djokovic was the winner. Let's hear from him.
:38:18. > :38:24.Novak, congratulations, through to your second semi-final. How much
:38:25. > :38:29.does it mean to you? Definitely, it is my first final here in the world
:38:29. > :38:34.or finals here in London. I got to the semi-finals in 2010, so this is
:38:34. > :38:39.a step further in my career. I am trying to enjoy this moment. It is
:38:39. > :38:43.a big win. He was a better player on the court throughout the first
:38:43. > :38:48.part of the match. I managed to turn it around and play better, so
:38:48. > :38:52.I am thrilled to be in the final tomorrow. What were you thinking a
:38:52. > :39:00.set and a break down? Well, just trying to be positive, stay
:39:00. > :39:04.composed mentally. Go out there and fight every point. It is obviously
:39:04. > :39:07.a fantastic way to end your season, playing for one of the game's
:39:07. > :39:13.biggest prizes inside the O2 Arena with this crowd. They were
:39:13. > :39:17.fantastic again today? We did not get to see everybody. Can we try
:39:17. > :39:27.and put the lights up? At the lights were only on the court. Now
:39:27. > :39:27.
:39:28. > :39:33.I see actually how many people are here. Thank you very much. It is
:39:33. > :39:37.quite an amazing setting and an amazing tournament, with a great
:39:37. > :39:42.crowd throughout the whole week. For every match, we have more or
:39:42. > :39:52.less sold out. This is fantastic for our sport. Thank you for
:39:52. > :39:52.
:39:52. > :39:57.appreciating tennis. I am not going to ask you who will
:39:57. > :40:04.win, but are you going to watch the match tonight, or walk your dog?
:40:04. > :40:09.am going to be both! Buy will definitely watch the match. Luckily,
:40:09. > :40:13.I am in the final, so whoever I play, it is going to be a very
:40:13. > :40:17.tough one. It is the last tournament of the year. We are
:40:17. > :40:22.trying to find extra motivation. I am sure they will play a great
:40:22. > :40:29.match tonight. Tomorrow, another amazing final. We can't wait to
:40:29. > :40:39.watching it. Well done today. you.
:40:39. > :41:05.
:41:05. > :41:08.SUE BARKER: es, the world No. 1, What a semi-final that was. What a
:41:08. > :41:14.roller-coaster. The momentum changed, but it was all about
:41:14. > :41:17.fatigued in the end. It was almost like a match of two hearts. For a
:41:17. > :41:21.set and three games, del Potro played unbelievable tennis. He was
:41:21. > :41:25.dominating the baseline points, which is so hard to do against
:41:25. > :41:29.Djokovic, with his athletic ability. He was waiting for the right moment
:41:29. > :41:32.and stepping in and crushing the winners. He was dominating on his
:41:33. > :41:38.serve, and you thought he would be able to continue from where he left
:41:38. > :41:43.off against Federer. But it was bad service game where Djokovic was
:41:43. > :41:47.able to break back and change the momentum. And then he won 11 of the
:41:47. > :41:51.last 14 games. So it is a great response, the kind of thing you
:41:51. > :41:55.have come to expect from Djokovic. It is why he's world number-one.
:41:55. > :41:59.And to say for tea is not being respect -- disrespectful to del
:41:59. > :42:03.Potro, because he was covering miles. Do it is the difference
:42:03. > :42:09.between del Potro and the guys he is trying to get amongst. This is
:42:10. > :42:14.the difference between the top four and the guys who are 5, nine or ten.
:42:14. > :42:19.It is sheer physicality. The Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Murray
:42:19. > :42:26.Group are so phenomenal that you have to go deep within yourself to
:42:26. > :42:30.be them. Week-in, week-out, they are fitter. He exactly. You see the
:42:30. > :42:33.sort of levels that del Potro was reaching today. That he played
:42:33. > :42:37.unbelievable tennis was not in question, but how long did he do it
:42:37. > :42:41.for? This was admitted lead towards the end of a tough tournament and a
:42:41. > :42:46.hard season. But it is about sustaining that. For a set and
:42:46. > :42:50.three games, his level was as good as any. But then with the fatigue,
:42:50. > :42:53.the footwork is not as good and you are able to open up a few more
:42:53. > :42:58.holes in the baseline and then he is not in the right position to
:42:58. > :43:03.unload on all those big shots. If he can get the extra stamina...
:43:03. > :43:07.Imagine if it was a hot day in Melbourne for the Australian Open.
:43:07. > :43:12.Del Potro probably is not their physically yet, but you can work on
:43:12. > :43:16.your physicality. You can increase your capacity. Whereas you can't
:43:16. > :43:21.buy talent, and del Potro has tons of that. Let's tell the story of
:43:21. > :43:25.the match. It started off by being all del Potro. We said at the top
:43:25. > :43:29.of the programme that he really had to go for his shots. This was one
:43:29. > :43:36.of the great rallies. On TV, I don't think you can appreciate how
:43:36. > :43:40.hard they are hitting the ball. Potro is really driving through and
:43:40. > :43:45.moving Djokovic around. On his last two forehands, he said and it
:43:45. > :43:52.brings out the grunt and gets an extra five miles an hour. Were this
:43:52. > :44:02.the grunt point? It was tremendous stuff. The crowd were growing and
:44:02. > :44:04.
:44:04. > :44:08.eyeing at this point. We all were. There were the grunts. That is how
:44:08. > :44:15.hard you have to work to win a point. And it did take its toll,
:44:15. > :44:21.because it was all Djokovic. After that second set, he was just toying
:44:21. > :44:27.with him. I have been so impressed with how easily Djokovic can take
:44:27. > :44:35.the ball up to the line and change direction. It is such an important
:44:35. > :44:40.part of his game. His footwork is first class. And he had to dig deep,
:44:40. > :44:48.because he was having a problem with his shoulder and things were
:44:48. > :44:51.not working. He was crumbling, but as we saw with Federer, you just
:44:51. > :44:55.find a way. There are memories of the two US Open semi-finals he has
:44:55. > :45:00.won against Federer. This was what I was worried about at the US Open
:45:00. > :45:05.against Murray. When Murray won the first two sets, and then Djokovic
:45:05. > :45:10.came back, I was thinking, please, not this time. Would Murray have
:45:11. > :45:15.recovered from that? To be two sets up and then lose in five? And it
:45:15. > :45:20.was Andy Murray who was able to dig deep and win. Djokovic was never
:45:20. > :45:25.out of it. She it is interesting how things have fallen into place
:45:25. > :45:31.for Djokovic. We talked about the schedule. He has played Monday,
:45:31. > :45:37.Wednesday, Friday. He is through to the final. He can watch and walk
:45:37. > :45:40.his dog. We have a few minutes left, because the kick-off was delayed at
:45:40. > :45:44.the rugby league, so we are going to look back to the present
:45:44. > :45:48.occasion a few days ago to a former world No. 1 who is retired. He
:45:48. > :45:53.retired after Valencia. This is Juan Carlos Ferrero, walking on to
:45:53. > :46:00.the court. The ATP do a lovely thing, which is to give them a
:46:00. > :46:07.trophy and a send-off. There were a number of ex-players and current
:46:07. > :46:13.players are. Nicolas Almagro, David Ferrer and Novak Djokovic, who had
:46:13. > :46:23.just finished his match. There were a few other people wanted to say
:46:23. > :46:34.
:46:34. > :46:41.Congratulations on your retirement. And congratulations on an
:46:41. > :46:47.incredible career. You have been an unbelievable player. You were
:46:47. > :46:52.fantastic for the sport. You were always incredibly nice when I was
:46:52. > :46:57.growing up and first came on to the tour. We always had a fun
:46:57. > :47:07.relationship. I enjoyed watching you play. I hope you enjoy your
:47:07. > :47:12.
:47:12. > :47:17.last match and the rest of your Juan Carlos, it has been a
:47:18. > :47:22.privilege to be standing alongside year as a great champion, as a
:47:22. > :47:28.former number one of the world, a Grand Slam winner. You are a great
:47:28. > :47:34.person and tennis will definitely miss you. All the best.
:47:34. > :47:38.Juan Carlos, Roger speaking. I know this is probably a very difficult
:47:38. > :47:45.moment for you, but a nice one, and you should be proud and happy about
:47:45. > :47:50.your incredible career and the Press and you are. Since I was 13,
:47:50. > :47:56.you were one of the first guys I saw on the junior tour. You have
:47:57. > :47:59.always stayed the same. You are a great player. We have shed some
:47:59. > :48:05.great memories on the court together and had some amazing
:48:05. > :48:09.matches. I look back on those with great feelings, so I miss you -- I
:48:09. > :48:17.wish you the best for what is to come. Come and say hello. Stay
:48:17. > :48:26.involved. I hope you will be a great man, the way you have been
:48:26. > :48:33.for the last 30 years and also the next 30. See you around. Hugh Juan
:48:33. > :48:37.Carlos Ferrero receives his trophy. He was French Open champion. He
:48:37. > :48:45.lost the US Open to Andy Roddick, who also said farewell to the game
:48:45. > :48:50.this year. The players obviously loved him. Decent guy? He was a
:48:50. > :48:55.great guy. I had a few battles against him in my time. He was
:48:55. > :49:00.world No. 1. He won the Davis Cup and the French Open. And very nice
:49:00. > :49:07.for the ATP to do that. Thank you very much. Time for us to say
:49:07. > :49:11.goodbye. Coming up on BBC Two, they delayed the kick-off. It is the
:49:11. > :49:21.England versus France international rugby league, from the Salford a
:49:21. > :49:27.